The Classics: Absolute 'Must Reads' for Small Children, Parents & Carers...

 "in his room a forest grew and grew until his ceiling hung with vines and the walls became the world all around"... beautiful <3 

Not many words in this book but the illustrations are beautiful. The words that there are poetic and thoughtful. Theme: escapism, home.  Wild Things offers a way for children to see how angry feelings and rebellious thoughts can be expressed, with all the strength of a band of terrible monsters, and yet when the rage is all over, a parent still loves them. 

 The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don't expect to see at the door is a big furry, stripy tiger!

This inimitable picture book is perfect for reading aloud, or for small children to read to themselves time and again. First published in 1968 and never out of print, it has become a timeless classic.

"In the light of the moon, a small egg lay on a leaf...".

Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a perennial favourite with children and adults alike. Its imaginative illustration and clever cut-out detail chart the progress of a very hungry caterpillar as he eats his way through the week. ... a great way for children to learn about food, counting and caterpillars!

 This is the perfect first book for little ones - the playful text is a wonderful spur to read and respond together, and the hide-and-seek flaps encourage curiosity and interactivity. 

 'I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet . . .'

Young children will love lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent – a monkey, a lion and even an elephant! But will they ever manage to send the perfect pet? With bright, bold artwork, catchy repetition, and a whole host of favourite animals, Dear Zoo is a must for every child's bookshelf, and the thick card pages, chunky cased golden cover and sturdy flaps make it perfect for small hands.

 Why go on a walk, when you can go on a bear hunt?Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. Nearing its thirtieth anniversary having first appeared in print in 1989! Shhhhh…. Don’t wake the bear!

Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not always an easy thing to measure. 

 A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood.
A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good. 

No more needs to be said, LOVE THIS BOOK!

Gerald the tall giraffe would love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can't dance . . . or can they?

A funny, touching and triumphant picture book story about a giraffe who finds his own tune and confidence.

As we go through the book we meet lots of different animals, people and sometimes objects each wearing a different kind of pants - every shape, pattern, colour, size and style that you can think of - and lots more besides! 

There's a hullabaloo at the seaside when a toddler takes his friends on a stroll to the end of the pier. There are buzzing bees, bicycle bells and a whole beachful of noisy fun. Even the smallest toddler will enjoy the wonderfully silly sounds in this book, so join in and waddle along – you've never been on a walk like it!

The trademark Julia Donaldson rhymes and rhythms in this cumulative story are perfect to read aloud. Just right for toddlers!

Lift the flaps to join in the fun at the seaside. All aboard for a fun day at the seaside! Lift the flaps to help Frog and his friends pack their sunhats, buckets and spades, then head to Acorn Wood station to board the special steam train to the beach. A lovely series of books!

Stellaluna is a fruit bat, separated from her mother before she can fly. Looked after by birds, she learns about similarities, differences and the essence of friendship. Explores themes about being different and finding your talents.

 A masterpiece of gentle suspense with a beautifully reassuring message, Waddell's celebrated picture book features three baby owls waiting for their mummy to return to their tree. 

It's bedtime in the Wild West - but Cowboy Baby isn't sleepy... A colourful and sweet picture book. Sheriff Pa says it's bedtime. But Cowboy Baby won't go to bed without his toys, Texas Ted, Denver Dog and Hank the Horse. No sirree! So off he goes to find them. Great for bed-time winding down. Very gentle story featuring a boy and his dad.

 "The Gruffalo said that no gruffalo should
Ever set foot in the deep dark wood."
But one wild and windy night the Gruffalo's child ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn't really exist . . . does he? 

 One little snail longs to see the world and hitches a lift on the tail of an enormous whale. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the little snail feels so small in the vastness of the world. But when disaster strikes and the whale is beached in a bay, it's the tiny snail's big plan that saves the day! It is abeautifull sweet book about following your dreams and helping animals.

 "I'm not sleepy," says Tiptoe while Tilly gives him his goodnight kiss. Boom! Boom! Boom! goes Tiptoe's drum while Tilly sings him a goodnight lullaby. Will a bedtime story do the trick and send Tiptoe off to sleep? Ah, yes... Now Tilly must get ready for bed herself. If only there were someone to tuck her in... But wait! Tiptoe is still awake ... and he's come to tuck Tilly in and give her a goodnight kiss! Super sweet and a family fav!

The Paper Dolls is a beautiful and evocative story.  Stunning and lyrical story of childhood and memory. Made me cry!  A string of paper dolls go on a fantastical adventure through the house and out into the garden. They soon escape the clutches of the toy dinosaur and the snapping jaws of the oven-glove crocodile, but then a very real pair of scissors threatens the dolls ... Prepare for an emotional journey.   

A witty and poignant book about the importance of spending quality time with your children and allowing them to explore the world around them.  Emily Brown, Stanley the bunny and Matilda the elephant are busy going on adventures, but every time they get to a particularly exciting part . . . Ring! Ring! goes the Emergency Telephone and it's Matilda's mummy on the end worrying that Matilda isn't wearing her wellies, or eating properly or almost anything..

 Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len are two crafty robbers with a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow. But little do they know that the tiniest, quietest creature of all has overhead their plot, and she has a plan of her own... I have read this book 100 times to the kids when they were little- great for sounds, repeated rhymes and a bit of crime-solving!

 "Aliens love underpants, in every shape and size, but there are no underpants in space, so here's a big surprise...."

Rhyming text and light-hearted alien-pant drama!

Fun rhyming picture book, lots in the series,  Cats sit on mats, hares sit on chairs, mules sit on stools and gofers sit on sofas, but Frog does not want to sit on a log!  

We have the wholes series and my kids enjoy the rhyming and humour element of the books. A good introduction to new words, descriptions and animals.

 It’s night-time in the supermarket and the veggies are in for the shock of their lives! Supertato’s gone BAD! And if Supertato is now EVILTATO, just what does that mean for The Evil Pea…? 

Fun rhyming picture book, Danny and Dinosaur are off on an adventure in space! But when Danny realises he's forgotten Dino's lunch box, the very hungry dinosaur eats everything in sight, including their only way back home: the rocket!The story is really easy to read and builds up to a dramatic boom with Dinosaur (that poo's out a planet!) 

 You see that duck over there? You could watch it all day and it wouldn’t blink....