Recommended by

You can't really go wrong with any Oliver Jeffers book. They are beautifully illustrated and all have a sprinkle of innocent magic running through them. However, 'How To Catch A Star' was my first Oliver Jeffers love. The boy at the centre of the story is on a mission to catch a star, and he after a few sets backs manages to do it in a way that makes sense to children of all ages.

https://toppsta.com/books/details/45413/how-to-catch-a-star

https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Catch-Star-Oliver-Jeffers/dp/0007150342/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550433698&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+catch+a+star

...he loves guessing what's on the next page (he already knows), it gives me the opportunity to do lots of voices, it's about the right length (important with a two year old), pictures are great, he also knows it well enough to try and 'read' to me!'

https://toppsta.com/books/details/43249/room-on-the-broom

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Room-Broom-Julia-Donaldson/dp/150983043X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550434465&sr=8-2&keywords=room+on+a+broom

Anyting Julia Donaldson was always a winner in our house

Easy enough so he can join in on the second read, counting (counting down), gorgeous illustrations

https://toppsta.com/books/search?keywords=10+little+monsters

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ten-Little-Monsters-Board-Book/dp/1408346486/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550435218&sr=8-1&keywords=10+little+monsters

Don't Kick Up a Fuss, Gus

It's a great one as you get a bit of humour and it can spark talks about how parents have the kids best interests at heart even when it doesn't seem like it! Good to refer to as a tantrum diffuser too.

https://toppsta.com/books/details/51872/dont-kick-up-a-fuss-gus

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dont-Kick-Up-Fuss-Gus/dp/1848120117/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550435654&sr=8-1&keywords=don%27t+kick+up+a+fuss+gus

https://toppsta.com/books/details/54734/the-highway-rat

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Highway-Rat-Julia-Donaldson/dp/1407170732/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550435920&sr=8-2&keywords=the+highway+rat

Sure Enid Blyton has been critisied in our modern PC world, but should that prevent children enjoying some of the most fantasic storytelling?

https://toppsta.com/books/details/62437/the-magic-faraway-tree

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Faraway-Tree-Enid-Blyton/dp/1405272201/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550436269&sr=8-1&keywords=the+magic+faraway+tree

@NickSharratt1 and Pippa Goodhart

It's about 20 pages long, with few words, and each reading takes about half an hour.

https://toppsta.com/books/details/223942/you-choose

https://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Choose-Pippa-Goodhart/dp/0141379316/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550436535&sr=8-1&keywords=you+choose

https://toppsta.com/books/search?keywords=thomas+the+tank+engine

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thomas-Tank-Engine-Station-Book/dp/067984340X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550436577&sr=8-1&keywords=thomas+the+tank+engine+original+books

Hairy McLary from Donaldson's Dairy

Still a favourite with my grandchildren

https://toppsta.com/books/details/53298/hairy-maclary-from-donaldsons-dairy

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hairy-Maclary-Donaldsons-Dairy-Friends/dp/0670913502/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550436913&sr=8-1&keywords=hairy+mclary+from+donaldsons+dairy

The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark

Plop is the best. I had all the Jill Tomlinson books as a child and I passed them on to my son.

https://toppsta.com/books/search?keywords=the+owl+who+was+afraid+of+the+dark

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Owl-Who-Was-Afraid-Dark/dp/1405201770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550437271&sr=8-1&keywords=the+owl+who+was+afraid+of+the+dark

My dad used to read it to us and do all the voices

Absolutely gorgeous illustrations, beautifully written and a bit of personificatino thrown in for the storm cat. Household favourite.

https://toppsta.com/books/details/55839/the-mousehole-cat

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mousehole-Cat-Antonia-Barber/dp/0744507030/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550437954&sr=8-1&keywords=the+mousehole+cat

My son is a massive fan of Penguin by Polly Dunbar. It helps that he shares a name with the protagonist but it also give us an opportunity to talk about anger and friendship - and he loves that the lion eats Ben for being too noisy!!

https://toppsta.com/books/details/99079/penguin

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Penguin-Polly-Dunbar/dp/1406373311/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550438261&sr=8-1&keywords=penguin+polly+dunbar

Norman the Slug with the Silly Shell

https://toppsta.com/books/details/52247/norman-the-slug-with-a-silly-shell

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Norman-Slug-Silly-Shell-Hendra/dp/1847389767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550438429&sr=8-1&keywords=norman+the+slug+with+the+silly+shell

It's a lovely story, but it's from 1996 about an abandoned stuffed toy who thinks its name is 'Nothing'.

https://toppsta.com/books/details/55834/nothing

He loved The Gruffalo and loved joining the rhymes

https://toppsta.com/books/details/53247/the-gruffalo

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gruffalo-Julia-Donaldson/dp/1509830391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550438669&sr=8-1&keywords=gruffalo+book

The wanted it over and over again

https://toppsta.com/books/search?keywords=avacado+baby

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Avocado-Baby-Red-Picture-Books/dp/0099200619/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550438976&sr=8-1&keywords=avacado+baby

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown

This has been read to my son more than any other book ever. Just Brilliant

https://toppsta.com/books/details/45966/that-rabbit-belongs-to-emily-brown

https://www.amazon.co.uk/That-Rabbit-Belongs-Emily-Brown/dp/1444923412/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550439138&sr=8-1&keywords=this+rabbit+belongs+to+emily+brown

Such lovely memories of our time in India when both girls were tiny. It is an enormous book that positively leaps off the bookshelf!

https://toppsta.com/books/details/140481/to-market-to-market

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Market-Anushka-Ravishankar/dp/8192317137/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550439268&sr=8-2&keywords=to+market%2C+to+market

https://toppsta.com/books/details/66880/harry-and-the-dinosaurs-go-wild

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Harry-Dinosaurs-Wild-Ian-Whybrow/dp/0141375086/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550439739&sr=8-2&keywords=harry+and+the+dinosaurs+go+wild

Guess How Much I Love You

It's such a warm, reasssuring book for bedtime and I hgave found that it cna help children to talk about love and relatioships.

https://toppsta.com/books/details/85691/guess-how-much-i-love-you

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Guess-How-Much-Love-You/dp/1406358789/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550440064&sr=8-1&keywords=guess+how+much+I+love+you

https://toppsta.com/books/details/69888/the-yoga-ogre

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yoga-Ogre-Peter-Bently/dp/1847389031/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550440863&sr=8-1&keywords=yoga+ogre

We love it because it has lots of repeated lines which develop as the story grows and my daughter loves to join in. It makes her feel like a real reader! Also, a lot of the story is only told in the pictures so in good ole teacher style you can ask lots of questions!

https://toppsta.com/books/details/69890/the-disgusting-sandwich

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Disgusting-Sandwich-Gareth-Edwards/dp/1407131451/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550440554&sr=8-1&keywords=the+disgusting+sandwich

My dad used to read it to me at bedtime and over 30 years later I can still quote it cover to cover

https://toppsta.com/books/details/45519/each-peach-pear-plum

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Peach-Viking-Kestrel-Picture-Books/dp/067088278X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1550441260&sr=8-1&keywords=each+peach+pear+plum

https://toppsta.com/books/details/72463/great-pet-sale

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Great-Sale-Mick-Inkpen-1999-08-19/dp/B01K94DD82/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1550442595&sr=8-2&keywords=the+great+pet+sale+mick+inkpen

The Book With No Pictures

As long as you are happy for your child to be crying with laughter seconds before bedtime!!! I think the best bedtime books are the ones that get you laughing and talking. Send your child to bed with a head full of excitment to dream about!

https://toppsta.com/books/details/50349/the-book-with-no-pictures

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-No-Pictures-B-Novak/dp/0141361794/ref=sr_1_1?crid=Q69PV232UGA2&keywords=the+book+with+no+pictures&qid=1553123269&s=gateway&sprefix=the+book+with+no+%2Caps%2C134&sr=8-1

https://toppsta.com/books/details/182683/mr-gum

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gum-Boxset-2011-Andy-Stanton/dp/0603565956/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=mr+gum&qid=1553123872&s=gateway&sr=8-1

https://toppsta.com/books/details/65170/kaliya-serpent-king

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Legends-India-Krishna-Team-CultureDabba/dp/1520739133/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?keywords=krishna+defeats+kaliya&qid=1553124152&s=books&sr=1-1-fkmr0