Books for the Under 2s!

[lunavix]

Ds is just coming up to a year old, and loves reading with me, he stares fascinated at the pages! I'd love to get him a ton of books, so does anyone have any recommendations?

I'm up for anything, he does seem to prefer ones with bright simple pictures (not too busy). SO far he likes the 'that's not my...' range, we also have 'bumpety bump' 'baby bright' 'winnie the pooh touch and feel' amongst a few others! He likes touch and feel books but I would like to get him into ones with a longer story. Thanks!

Our favourite at that age was "Where's Spot" by Eric Hill. It's a lift the flap book with different animals. In fact DS2 still loves it at 4!

Another fantastic Jez Alborough one for dd (24 months) that will work well for younger children is 'Balloon' - nice simple rhyming story and great pictures.

Eric Hill is great - Where's Spot.
Also Rod Campbell - Oh dear, Buster's Day, My Presents, It's Mine, etc.
Maisy books.
Alfie books by Shirley Hughes
Ladybird simple touch and feel fairy tales like Goldilocks, Elves and the Shoemaker, etc.
Mog books - Mog and Me, Mog in the Garden, etc. - love them
'My Cat Just Sleeps'
We're going on a Bear Hunt - michael Rosen
lots of nursery rhyme books

and one that my dd was obsessed with at 18 months when her language was coming on was by Usbourne Publishing and called something like 'First Words' - pictures of toy models in settings like the home, garden, farm, shops, etc. Her vocabulary tripled in a month just talking through that every night! She still asks for the 'house book'.

Hi Lockets, sorry about today. DS zonked. Any more bh?

Favourites at this age in this house:

Dear Zoo - Rod Campbell

My Presents - as above

Come On, Daisy! - Jane Simmons

We're Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen

Each Peach, Pear, Plum - Janet & Alan Allberg

So Much
The Hungry Caterpillar

Maisy, Meg And Mog, Gruffalo, Monkey Puzzle, Duck In The Truck all faves of my dd.

Lockets, think this will be an Easter bunny? I do. Sunday is my betting....

Elmer and Miffy also popular with dd, 19 months. As is an appallingly battered M & S Mr Men board book, Silly Mr Silly. Best 99p sale bargain I ever got, both children have loved it.

Peepo - Janet and Allen Allberg
A squash and a Squeeze
Gruffalo
Room on the Broom
Snail and the Whale
Topsy and Tim
Dear Zoo
Elmer's Colours
Guess How much I love you
Hairy Maclary,Slinky Malinki, Schnitzel von Crumb et al.
The ones recommended by mumsnet (best of - link on the home page) have some good ideas too.

mine both adored 'where's the baby'

Forgot Peepo and Slinki Malinki - yes, anything with nice pictures and rhymes are fab from a young age. I've got a rhyming one called Bunny and Bee by Sam Williams and it's lovely.

Goodnight Poppy Cat is also lovely for a one-year old. Alfie, Mog, Maisy and Poppy Cat grow with your child - you get various formats and different length stories.

DD loves those "that's not my..." books as well. She is 10 months btw. Also I found books with pictures of real babies in went down well with DS. Also Maisy books - Maisy's Train, Maisy Likes Playing etc. The "touch and Feel Farm Animals" you can get from ELC popular. M&S have some nice brighly coloured board books IIRC - most of DD's books are DS's hand-me-downs - so lots of Thomas ones. I've bought her a lift the flaps Maisy book for Easter. And DS has got Room on the Broom because he loves the Gruffalo series. If you're wanting stories "Peace at Last" and "Whatever Next" by Jill Murphy are very good not least because they are bearable for parents (IMO) but they are also nice stories and repetitive enough to appeal to the very young.

We read the Ahlberg's Peepo at least twice every night for about 9 months for our DD! She also loved the Usborne First Thousand Words with the duck on every page.
Also really liked:
Sue Porter's Parsnip
Anything with flaps.
Rod Campbell - I won't bite
Jane Hissey Old Bear stories (you can get board book versions for younger children).

How about
Goodnight Sam,
Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball,
My Dad,
Going on a Bear Hunt,

brown bear brown bear what do you see?
the hungry caterpillar
going on a bear hunt

just remembered some more:
any of the pb bear books and dorling kindersley books with photos of other babies/children provide lots of interest