Eric Carle’s lovely illustrations make the perfect Christmas counting story. Starting from 1 Father Christmas and ending with 10 presents, this is a cute way to introduce Christmas ideas and counting for little ones.
Little Louie is so excited to tell his story but nothing goes as planned. From jelly to chunky peanut butter falling on his head, Louie keeps on, admirably trying to get his story across. Kids will learn that no matter what happens, persevering cheerfully is what’s important, not finishing perfectly.
“In an old house in Paris all covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines. In two straight lines they broke their bread and brushed their teeth and went to bed …” So begins one of the great classic children’s books written by author and artist Ludwig Bemelmans in 1939.
The ultimate toddler tantrum book. When Max has one of those wild up-to-no-good evenings his mom sends him to bed without any dinner. In his room Max’s anger grows into a forest and Max decides to sail off on a boat, ‘through night and day and in and out of weeks and almost over a year to where the wild things are.”
‘Once upon a time there was a little crocodile. And this little crocodile didn’t like water.’ So begins Merino’s charming tale of a a crocodile who wants to love playing in water just like his brothers and sisters, but try as he might he just can’t take to it. Until the day he decides to force himself and something unusual happens.
We took this book out the library and Joe, 8 loved the simple story of a bird who for the life of him cannot sing. When he does open his beak the other birds hold their ears and even his teacher, Mother Goose, gives up, telling him “I have done all I can. I’m sorry. I have failed.”
By Caryl Hart and illustrated by Alex T Smith (Hachette)
Foxy Tales: The Road to Fame and Fortune is a book about a alligator called Alphonso and a fox called Foxy Du Bois. She tries to get rid of Alphonso because he is a pain in the neck. If she doesn’t feed him he says he’ll eat her up!
Considering he drew the designs for some of the objects we now use most often, Leonardo da Vinci is the perfect inventor/artist to introduce to your children. This beautiful book showcases six great inventions from flying machines to architecture, hydraulic power to mechanical inventions, war machines and a mechanical man.
By Jon Klassen (Walker)
A bear has lost his hat. He wants it back. He asks a few animals but they have not seen it. Even the rabbit who, funnily enough, is wearing a red hat, has not seen it. Wait a moment. What happens after the bear remembers where he last saw his hat is both laugh-out-loud hilarious and a little dark…
By Jon Klassen (Walker)
Age 0-3, 4-6
This Is Not My Hat has just earned the double honour of winning both the Kate Greenaway medal and the Caldecott Award. A delightfully simple moral tale with a twist of humour about a fish who steals a hat and thinks he’ll probably get away with it. Probably.
I was immediately attracted by the image of paper dolls, which I used to love cutting out as a child. I still make them with my younger kids and they love colouring in their clothes and giving them accessories. In the book a mom and daughter make a string of paper dolls together, which go off on a fantastical adventure as they travel through the house and out into the garden.
Winnie the Witch is something of a celebrity in children’s literature. What makes Winnie a winner is her friendly, scatter-brained personality. She’s literally an accident waiting to happen – luckily a touch of magic usually sets her straight.
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