good books for 2.5 year old???

[millsa]

What books your 2-3 year old kids love??? I am after titles/authors, not 'books on animals' please.

We have a selection of picture books we read to our 2.5-year-old son every night but it has just struck me that we read them when he was 12, then 18, then 24 months... Obviously his involvement has changed, he now talks about pictures etc, but I think that maybe it is time to move on and read some new story books.

I went to Dulwich library last week but didn't get any advice on what is suitable or popular for a 2.5-year-old (I was just shown the 'under fives books shelves' and told to 'choose what my child might like'). Can you be more helpful here please?

thanks!

[Saleha]

Have you looked at the Julia Donaldson collection? My 2.5yr old absolutely loves Monkey Puzzle, Gruffalo, Smartest Giant in Town...

[crompo123]

my daughter loves all the Shirley Hughes books- 'Dogger', 'Alfie gets in first', 'Tom and Lucy's Christmas'...there's loads of them. really lovely detailed pictures too.

[Pickle]

The Hairy McLairy books are fantastic (of course, being by a kiwi author...), both my kids love them. "Going on a Bear Hunt" is a firm favourite of both my children.

[Zo?]

"You Choose" by Pippa Goodhart & Nick Sharratt was a firm favourite in our house for ages. It's not a story book as such, but each double page has hundreds of drawings of, say, different types of houses & "Where would you live? You choose?" then the next page has things to fill the house with, type of job etc. I'm not selling it very well, I know, but it prompts lots and lots of imaginative discussion and Briony would spend ages creating stories around different scenarios. Plus it's doesn't have to be the same story twice so more interesting for the bedtime reader!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=you+choose&x=0&y=0

[Keef]

"Peepo" by Janet & Allen Ahlberg is a classic, and we've found it's a very good bedtime book, as is "Husherbye" by John Burningham.

Bear Hunt is good fun, and the copy we got came with a DVD, so you have a little tune that goes along with it (if that makes sense).

In fact, here is a video of the (slightly manic) author doing it. (the DVD isn't this video, which is probably a good thing!)

 

[redjam]

On the same note as Zoe's recommendation, both my daughters loved The Baby's Catalogue by Janet and Allan Ahlberg at that age. Not much text but loads of lovely detailed pictures and things to talk about. I'd also recommend Julia Donaldson: try Tales from Acorn Wood as it's got flaps to lift and very simple rhymes, so good for a younger age group (some of her stories are more for slightly older kids). Usborne books are also lovely - they do simple fairy tales and collections of Farmyard Tales which seem to engross kids (they have little extras like 'find the hidden duck on every page' which keep them amused longer). I love the Emma Chichester Clark books too as they've got such beautiful illustrations.

Actually in some respects the librarians were right in that there are so many wonderful kids books out there and the best thing is just to experiment - some of our best finds have been random selections from the library (we discovered Polly Dunbar's and Laurence & Catherine Anholt's books that way - two other big recommendations!). Good luck and have fun exploring...

[gwod]

I am trying to give away about 50 books in the family classified section for 2 and 3 year olds that my kids have grown out of....PM me if you would like to come and look at them. I have titles by Nick Sharratt, Nick Butterworth, some Usborne stuff (with find the Duck) Little Princess, Guess how much I love you and loads more.... It may solve your problem as loads of choice and variation is the key with little ones - so you can see what really grabs them!

Edited to say that most of these have gone now.

[charlottep]

My 2.8 year old loves the julia donaldson books too, especially "Room on a Broom" and "Thr Gruffalo" . He's also crazy about the Margaret Mayo series, "Emergency", "Choo Choo, Clickety Clack" and "Dig Dig Digging". His absolute favourite though is a book called "Manfred the Baddie" by John Fardell.

Hairy McLairy also go down very well.

[kristymac1]

We love Emma Chichester Clark - her books are gentle and kind with humour, particularly the Melrose and Croc series (about a dog and a crocodile who are best friends) and the Lily and the blue kangaroo series - all lovely stories and art-work.....

[curlykaren]

paddington, we read it every night.

[crystal7]

Another vote for Shirley Hughes Julia Donaldson and Janet and Alan Alberg. E also loves Judith Kerr's Mog books. I recently discovered Polly Dunbar, beautiful illustrations and slightly odd but v engaging stories. Another lovely book is Naughty Bus (author's name escapes me but google it) a fab book especially for chn iving in London.

[chantelle]

my favourite right now is The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. My son (2.5) loves Dr. Seuss, also the Mr. Gumpy range and Sarah Garland's Going Shopping, Doing the Garden, etc.

[The Nappy Lady]

Dinosaur Roar (they like to join in)

Pants by Giles Andrea

Dirty Birty (loved by my 2 year old)

Stick Man - Julia Donaldson & her others

Dear Zoo

Captain Flynn & Pirate Dinosaur books are good, but maybe more 3 years plus?

[orchard]

Another vote for Hairy Maclary, anything by Shirely Hughes, Judith Kerr or the Ahlbergs. Would also add the Kipper stories by Mick Inkpen. Winnie the Witch is popular in my house, although maybe from around 3+.

[nunheadmum]

'My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes' by Eve Sutton - great rhyming and introduces countries

and

Goodnight Harry by Kim Lewis - a sweet story which came with a short DVD in our version

and

Hop Into Bedtime by Clare Vulliamy - lovely book with great illustrations and things to talk about and the all essential light out at the end

and

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees

And second just about all the ones mentioned above

[Keef]

Can't remember who it's by, but shark in the park is cool.

[catgirl]

Some to add.........

Where the wild things are by Maurice Sendak

No Matter what by Debi Gilori

Cuddly Duddley by Jez Alborough

Any of the Maisy books by Lucy Cousins

The Little Red train books by Benedict Blathwayt

And second the Julia Donaldson / Axel Schiffler, Judith Kerr, Nick Sharratt, John Birmingham

Going on a bear hunt makes me want to top myself, I just can't stand it!

[BB100]

The best books are the ones your child chooses him/herself. I did a Storysacks workshop with a children's author and former headteacher who was very passionate about children reading matter that they will readily engage in and enjoy - not just books but magazines and comics as well.

There should be no 'age limit' for a book. As adults we read a vast variety of reading matter for different purposes and so it is good if children do too. If you just pop into the library and get whatever your child selects you are guaranteed to get a greater range of books than you will ever choose by yourself.

[susyp]

Mog books by Judith Kerr - in fact anything by her is fab. Also brilliant new author called Polly Dunbar has done a lovely series of books "Hello Tilly" etc which I am thinking of purchasing as possile start to read books as she loves them from the library and they seem quite simple (any ideas on good books for this - janet and john seem to have bitten the dust!)>

susypx

[Bishberro]

My 2.5 year old loves all the Julia Donaldson books (Gruffalo, Stick Man etc as mentioned previously), Giraffes Can't Dance, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, Aliens Love Underpants. Also any of the Oliver Jeffers books are really nice. Simple stories and lovely illustrations. We have most of them - How to Catch a Star, Way Back Home and Lost and Found.

I try and choose books by typing things he's interested in into Amazon and seeing what comes up - space, the moon, pirates, dinosaurs and any form of digger/car/truck are the current favourites.

[The Nappy Lady]

Oh - "Sharing a Shell" I think it is called is a big favourite too.

[Bishberro]

Yep, 'Sharing a Shell' is a hit in our house too. It's a Julia Donaldson one but a different illustrator to the Axel bloke who did the Gruffalo etc.

[Belle]

Freddie and the fairy - Julia Donaldson, Zog - Julia Donaldson/Axel Scheffler, second the Hairy McLary books & Baby's catalogue, What the Ladybird heard is lovely (and good fun getting 2yr old to find the tiny ladybird on each page), Owl babies also lovely. Am really enjoying this stage of books - though not when I have to read Zog twice a day every day for a month!

[mrs.lotte]

Nick Sharrat - Witches Kitchen

Polly Dunbar - Penguin

Both slightly naughty which is the common theme for books in our house

Polly Dunbar will also be at the Southbank Imagine children's festival over half term week

Also Cat in the hat (like I say, a common theme...)

I do agree that no age limit for books, my 6 year old will happily read a lift the flap book and my 3 year old is insistent on having "chapter" books, gives them a nice long shelf life though.