Animals
Joanna Gray recommends The Snaggle Grollop by Daniel Postgate
This is a delightful story that incorporates not only the responsibilities of owning a pet, but the enjoyment they bring to family life. Nick Price’s illustrations are bright and cheerful and my children and I love the way they bring the Snaggle Grollop’s character to life. Not only this, but they very cleverly interweave a…
The Wind in the Willows retold by Lesley Sims
The retelling of The Wind in the Willows is one of a range of classic stories that have been published by Usborne as picture books. I love the idea of introducing young children to classic stories in a picture book format and it is also great for me to read the ones I may have…
Me and My Dad by Alison Ritchie & Alison Edgson
Tomorrow is Fathers’ Day in Germany so we have been reading all the books that we have given Daddy over the years. One of our favourites is Me and My Dad.
Kipper’s Birthday by Mick Inkpen
With a birthday coming up in our house there is a lot of talk about invitations and cakes so we have been reading Kipper’s Birthday. Kipper is one of my daughter’s favourite characters and he and his friends have been with us since I started reading to her. I’m sure he’ll be around for at…
Just Ducks! by Nicola Davies / Salvatore Rubbino
Our trips to visit the ducks in the park have been enriched by the knowledge that we have gained from reading this wonderful picture book. Just today we watched a female duck taking care of her ducklings and now we know exactly why she was so keen to make sure that they stayed in the…
UPSYDOWN TOWN by Beth Shoshan and Sue Hendra
We love a bit of nonsense in our house so UPSYDOWN TOWN is very well read! It isn’t really a story, just a lovely nonsensical description of a land where everything is a bit topsy turvy. Fun elements include fish and various other animals flying in the sky, birds swimming in the sea, thin elephants, trains…
A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman
I often borrowed the Corduroy stories from the library when I was younger so I was so excited when we were given a copy of A Pocket for Corduroy. Now my daughter loves him too. Corduroy is a very cute bear who belongs to a little girl called Lisa and he’s very inquisitive!
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
If you were to ask me which picture book I would choose to take a baby from birth through to their early childhood I would definitely choose Dear Zoo. It’s a fabulous first book which is still enjoyed by my almost five year old.
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
What happens when you mix primary colours together? This is a really simple story that introduces children to the concept of colour mixing in a fun way and inspired us to get our paints out.
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell & Patrick Benson
Owl Babies is the best picture book I know for dealing with separation anxiety. A parent of a five year old in my first class introduced me to the story, her daughter cried every morning when she started school. The mother wanted to reassure her daughter that she would be back later like the owls’…
