Books

Good Book List (young children)

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Reading to your children is the single most valuable thing you can do from as early an age as possible. Not only does it help them to differentiate between sounds and rhythms but it also teaches them about many different topics, and is a wonderful way of spending some quiet time with them.

Even if your child is too young to understand the story they will love flicking through the pages and illustrations. As your child gets older they will start to associate words with pictures and will want to become more involved in the books you are reading. Choosing some fun stories are therefore a must, as you will no doubt be reading them more than once!

We have listed below a few of the books which we have recently found make good reading material, and we will add to the list on a regular basis. They are all available to purchase (search Amazon), or alternatively can be borrowed from your nearest library.

	FAVORITE! Sanji and the Baker Robin Tzannes & Korky Paul An amusing and well illustrated tale, set in the Middle East, about a wicked baker who gets his just deserts when he takes an innocent young man Sanji to court for stealing his smells!
	Five Minutes Peace Jill Murphy A story that any parent will identify with, about Mrs large and her brood of lively and inquisitive children...what does she have to do to get five minutes peace and quiet!
	Scritch Scratch Miriam Moss & Delphine Durand A fun and humorous story about Miss Calypso and the guests she unintentionally introduces to her class...help arrives in the nit of time!
	Duck Duck Goose Tad Hills A lovely tale about best pals Duck and Goose, and the lessons that are learned from the arrival of Duck's new friend Thistle.
	Tyrannosaurus Reg and the Big, Scary Dinosaurs Dan Crisp A nice story about Reg the Tinyrannosaurus who finds a way to make himself heard amongst the bigger, scarier dinosaurs.
	FAVORITE! Russel the Sheep Rob Scotton A funny story, with excellent illustrations, about a sheep called Russell and one particularly sleepless night!
	Gnash, Gnaw, Dinosaur Tony Mitton & Lynne Chapman A wonderfully fun and educational prehistoric book of poems about all your child's favorite dinosaurs, with lift-the-flap surprises!
	Guess What I Found in Dragon Wood Timothy Knapman & Gwen Millward A great story about a small dragon's quest to find out more about his new friend, a funny creature called a Benjamin!
	FAVORITE! Scaredy Squirrel at Night Melanie Watt One in a range of books about Scaredy Squirrel, this story focusses on Scaredy Squirrel's fear of bad dreams, and tackles a sensitive issue for children in a lighthearted and clever way. But beware...includes glow in the dark teeth!! £10.99 hardback (www.catnippublishing.co.uk)
	Monkey Puzzle Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler A lovely rhyming story about a butterfly who helps a little lost monkey to find his mum...eventually!
	FAVORITE! That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown Cressida Cowell & Neal Layton A lovely tale about a naughty Queen who wants Emily Brown's favourite toy rabbit all to herself. Emily Brown is on a mission to teach her a valuable lesson!
	FAVORITE! Tinyrannosaurus and the Neversaurus Nick Ward A funny story about a little dinosaur who goes in search of the Neversaurus and catches up with some friends along the way! But will they make it home in time for tea?
	Handa's Surprise Eileen Browne A sweet tale about a little girl who wants to surprise her friend but ends up getting a bit of a surprise herself!
	Where There's a Bear. There's Trouble Michael Catchpool & Vanessa Cabban A story about some hungry animals who get more than they bargained for when they follow each other in search of their favorite foods!
	Chicken for Supper Carrie Weston & Sophie Fatus A tale of five naughty fox cubs who get lost when Mummy Fox goes in search of chicken for supper...but who will rescue them?
	A Dinosaur Called Tiny Alan Durant & Jo Simpson A lovely story about a teensy-weensy dinosaur who realises that being big isn't all it's cracked up to be!
	FAVORITE! Scaredy Squirrel at the beach Melanie Watt An eclectic story which is one in a range of books about Scaredy Squirrel. This story focuses on Scaredy Squirrel's antics as he endeavours to create his own beach, at the same time conquering his biggest fears! Great illustrations and a novel take on a storybook, with plenty to keep your child's attention. £6.99 (www.catnippublishing.co.uk)
	FAVORITE! World of Cars Catherine Daly A wonderful Disney/Pixar storybook of five brand new Disney Cars adventures which take you back in time and tell how your favorite Radiator Springs characters got to where they are today. With lovely full colour pictures and detailed stories with cleverly integrated learning techniques, your child will learn a whole new world of Cars! £5.99 (available from Tesco from 22nd May 2009, from selected stores only)
	Billy and the Big New School Catherine & Laurence Anholt A great story about Billy's first day at school - an excellent book for tackling and addressing all those pre-school anxieties.







	The Smartestest Giant in Town Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler A nice tale about the scruffiest but kindest giant in town who helps all his friends in need.







	FAVORITE! The Enormous Crocodile Roald Dahl & Quentin Blake A funny story about how a naughty croc's plan to catch a small child sends him into a bit of a spin!







	Aliens Love Underpants Claire Freedman & Ben Cort A lovely rhyme about checking your underpants for aliens!







	A Chair for Baby Bear Kaye Umansky & Chris Fisher A great tale of little bear's quest for a new chair after Goldilocks broke it!







	FAVORITE! Someone Bigger Jonathan Emmet & Adrian Reynolds A funny story about how Sam saves the day, and isn't too small afterall!
	FAVORITE! The Littlest Pirate Sherryl Clark & Tom Jellett A delightful book about Nicolas Nosh who is the littlest pirate in the world, but his parents won't let him go to sea! When Pirate Captain Red Beard kidnaps his family, Nicolas goes on a brave adventure to rescue them! Excellent colour illustrations to capture your child's imagination. £5.99 (www.catnippublishing.co.uk)
	Munch Emma McCann A tale about Munch the monster who will do anything to protect his toaster!








	Cluck o' Clock Kes Gray & Mary McQuillan A rhyming story about a day in the life of Colin the rooster - a great way of learning about time!
	Good Knight Sleep Tight David Melling A book about a knight and his hunt for a soft pillow for the new princess!





	Snappy Little Monsters Dugald Steer A rhyming story about some funny pop-up monsters.





	Where The Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak A story about a naughty boy with a wild imagination!





	Bears in my bed Micheal Irwin A rhyming story about a little boy who wakes up to find some imaginary bears in his bed!





	Nonsense Countin Rhymes Kaye Umansky & Chris Fisher A book of silly but very funny counting rhymes.





	Whale David Lucas A story about a boy called Joe who helps save a stranded whale.
	Clumsy Crab Ruth Galloway A story about a crab who learns to love his claws!
	Walking through the Jungle Debbie Harter An nice rhyming book about a young girl's adventure through the jungle and all the animals she encounters on the way

	FAVORITE! The Really Rude Rhino Jeanne Willis & Tony Ross An amusing book about a naughty rhinoceros who eventually gets his comupence!
	FAVORITE! The Monkey with a Bright Blue Bottom Steve Smallman & Nick Schon A nice rhyming story about how the baboon got its blue bottom!
	FAVORITE! All Change Ian Whybrow & David Melling A rhyming book about a tiger's birthday and the different vehicles he travels in on his birthday ride.





	FAVORITE! The Gruffalo Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler A fun rhyming book about how a mouse outwits the forest animals, including the monster Gruffalo!





	FAVORITE! We're Going on a Bear Hunt Michael Rosen & Helen Oxenbury A story about a family who go looking for bears and get more than they bargained for!





	Ducky Dives In Richard Waring & Guy Parker-Rees A mess-filled book about a mummy duck who has fun trying to keep her little duckling out of mud and mischief!





	The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle The classic tale about a caterpillar with a big appetite who becomes a beautiful butterfly.
	Ten Terrible Dinosaurs Paul Stickland A rhyming countdown story about ten terrible dinosaur friends who disappear one by one.
	Spookyrumpus Tony Milton & Guy Parker-Rees A rhyming book with a counting theme about the things that go on during 'spooky hour' - we like the hairy spiders best!





	FAVORITE! The Gruffalo's Child Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler A sequel to The Gruffalo, this is a rhyming story about the Gruffalo telling his son the tale of the 'monster' mouse in the woods.





	Ten in the bed David Ellwand The classic nursery rhyme with great pictures about ten bears who keep falling out of bed - the ending has a twist on the original!





	The Biggest Baddest Wolf Nick Ward A story about Harum Scarum wolf who's too busy trying to scare people to notice he's lost his teddy bear!
	Two Frogs Chris Wormell A funny story about a couple of over precautious frogs who have a lucky escape.
	My Mum and Dad Make Me Laugh Nick Sharratt A clever book with lots of detailed pages about the separate likes and dislikes of a family - packed full of spots, stripes, and elephants!
	FAVORITE! What People Do All Day Richard Scarry An educational book with lots of detail and things to spot on each page - lots of short stories about the different jobs that people have.