Books for 4-year-old girls

[Monkey]

My daughter told me tonight that she wants longer books "such as The Lorax" to be read to her. The type of books I have been reading to her are "too easy" apparently. Any ideas as to what I could now read to her? Thank you.

[hazelnunhead]

Have you seen the Claude books (the nunhead library has then) - great stories and there are about 6 of them. He includes things like "Woolybottom farm" and other such innuedno which always raises a laugh in our house!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Claude-Country-Alex-T-Smith/dp/1444909282

They are fun to read, come in short chapters, still have a picture on each page, and really funny.

[Monkey]

Absolutely perfect. I had never seen those. I guess I have only been looking at picture books for the past 4 years. Thank you!

[hazelnunhead]

The Winnie the Witch also comes in chapter style books, and they are quite fun. The claude books are brilliant though.

[bluesuperted]

Resurrecting this thread if anyone can help further!

We are thinking that we need to move towards chapter books for our nearly 4yo's bedtime stories. He still enjoys picture books (and even his sister's baby board books that he has heard a zillion times) but he also loves more in-depth stories these days and really loves his bedtime reading with daddy. The Claude books look great, would appreciate some more suggestions. Anything nice and gender-neutral would be great too.

[melbourne groover]

Chapter books went down well at 4 for our daughter, but fairly simple stories. She did enjoy the Milly Molly Mandy books at this age, they are connected short stories really...

[CFM]

Naughty Little Sister books, the Happy Families series (as in Mr Creep the Crook etc) and Mr Majeika.

[Ondine]

Junie B Jones books are great for 4-6ish

[edanna]

My 4 year old loves the Claude books and The Enormous Crocodile and The Minpins (both Roald Dahl and no chapters but longer length than many picture books) and Flat Stanley (also no chapters). Tracey Corderoy has written some chapter books in the Hubble Bubble series featuring the same characters as the better known picture books - Pandora and her granny who is a witch - 'Pesky Pirate Prank' is good and includes 3 stories each split into chapters. Also 'Dixie O'Day In the Fast Lane' by Shirley Hughes and her daughter Clara Vulliamy. I think 'Ottoline and the Yellow Cat' by Chris Riddell looks brilliant but haven't read it yet. Lovereading4kids is good for inspiration for different age groups.

[Knomester]

Resurrection of this thread is perfectly timed as we have been looking at longer books / stories for our almost 4 year old this week!

Bluesuperted we have only got as far as ordering a collection of Mrs Pepperpot stories (which I remember loving as a child) and will let you know how we get on with those.

In a similar vein, does anyone have any recommendations for collections of audio books / stories for this age group?

[Lochie]

BST - have you tried Captain Pugwash? Not gender neutral at all! But great for a pirate lover and they are a bit longer/wordier than the usual toddler books. In my experience enjoyed by girls as well as boys ;-)

[Lochie]

Also - my personal fave - Alfie and Annie Rose. Some of the stories have quite a lot of text. We have a big story book with lots of their tales in and its a fave over here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alfie-Annie-Storybook-Picture-Books/dp/0099750309/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407136561&sr=1-1&keywords=alfie+and+annie+rose

[edanna]

My 4 year old also really likes The Pencil and The Runaway Dinner.

[scareyt]

Also worth looking at the "A mighty girl" facebook page. They have loads of great recommendations on books for girls.

[Monkey]

Thank you for resurrecting this thread - some great ideas. We've just read the first book in the Famous Five series and Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl and are about to get started on Milly Molly Mandy. Also thinking of reading her some Kipling (Just So stories) and perhaps Little House on the Prairie. Bit of a mixed bag!

Thanks for the tip for A Mighty Girl, some great ideas in there, including the story of Helen Keller, which i read again and again when I was little. Memories flooding back...

Thanks, all!

[bluesuperted]

This is fantastic thank you! Some great ideas. I'm really excited about this next stage of reading together :)

[laurac]

My just four year old is not quite up to following a continuous chapter book yet but we have been dipping in and out of Milly Molly Mandy and My Naughty Little Sister for a while. She also loves the Winnie the Poo stories and Knomester, the Winnie the Poo audio books, read by Alan Bennett, are a real treat!

[bluesuperted]

Meant to ask you about this yesterday Laurac! I love the old school audio Winnie the Pooh read by Peter Dennis... It's magical, makes me sob every time it gets to the end...

[Knomester]

Thanks LauraC I'll add that to the list to download for our next road trip!

I'm not sure my almost 4yo could manage chapters yet either, but he happily enjoyed the first story in his new Mrs Pepperpot collection of stories last night.

[Adam]

Blast from the past but our 5 year old has really been enjoying Enid blyton. Started with mr pink whistle and The Faraway Tree when she was 4 or so and after she enjoyed those we moved onto adventures of the wishing chair and naughty Amelia Jane. She finds them real page turners! Only downside is the bizarro 1940s language she has picked up!

More recently we have enjoyed various Roald dahls (starting with George's Marvellous Medicine and also listening to some great Recordings), Titchy witch (short enough text for them to read themselves) and Worst Witch ( more for slightly older kids - nearer 6 maybe). We've been given Pippi Lngstocking and Ottoline but I don't think she is ready for them yet. It'll be fun when she is though!

Will enjoy checking out those websites - thanks everyone for the links

[katgod]

Classic Mr Men popular here. Especially the really daft ones like mr tickle and mr noisy and mr messy. Bit longer than many picture books but funny.

[melbourne groover]

The Clarice bean picture books are good too, and then lead on to the chapter books and the fabulous Ruby Redfort! (All Lauren Childs)