Hug
Jez Alborough (Author)
This is a lovely book about a baby monkey who wants a hug. Almost only one word is used throughout the book so it is very easy for toddlers to follow, my 2yr old son quite quickly started pointing at the word ‘HUG’ and saying it!
Nina Laden (Author)
This little board book is a great book for toddlers to start reading with. Each page has a different hole that you can see through and guess what is on the next page (it always rhymes with peek-a boo!). The last page is “peek-a you” and there is a mirror so you can see yourself!
Julia Donaldson (Author), Lydia Monks (Illustrator)
This is a lovely book about a ladybird who helps to catch two robbers who are planning to steal a fine prize cow. There is a ladybird on every page so as well as reading, you can have fun trying to find the ladybird!
Bill Jr Martin (Author), Eric Carle (Illustrator)
This board book is similar to “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?”, but has a whole range of new animals. Before my son could talk I used to read it to him and he would do the animal sounds to go with each picture. The repetitive text means that he can almost remember it all him self now, and just needs to learn all the animal names.
Beep Beep
Petr Horacek (Author, Illustrator)
This board book has shaped chunky pages that are easy for small hands to turn. I think I slightly prefer Choo Choo by the same author, but this one is still great fun to read with your child. My son especially likes seeing grandma’s face looking through the window on the second to last page.
Choo Choo
Petr Horacek (Author, Illustrator)
This is a lovely board book with simple language and ideal for babies or 1 year olds upwards. The pages inside are shaped so that you can see the scenery behind. This book taught my 1 year old to say ‘hooray!’ (it’s on the last page of the book when the train arrives at the seaside).
Julia Donaldson (Author), Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)
This is a really great book and was recommended to me by a friend with 2 kids. It is a lovely to read out loud and my 2 year old toddler asks me to read it over and over, he is even learning some of it of by heart! He likes it better than The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom as he found them a bit scary.
Once Upon a Potty — Girl
Alona Frankel (Author, Illustrator)
I have a son so got the boy version of this book and it was brilliant for helping toilet train him, and making it fun too. Within days of reading it he showed interest in using the potty and if he got it right or wrong he would always smile and say ‘Like Josha!!’. The girl version stars a little girl called Prudence, but otherwise the girl and boy versions are almost identical.
Once Upon a Potty — Boy
Alona Frankel (Author, Illustrator)
This book has been brilliant for helping toilet train my child, and making it fun too. Within days of reading it he showed interest in using the potty and if he got it right or wrong he would always smile and say ‘Like Josha!!’.
From Head to Toe
Eric Carle (Author, Illustrator)
This is a fun book with a picture of a child and animal doing a different action on each page, my son loves copying them. It’s good for his balance as on one of the pages they stand on one leg to wriggle their toes.
