To open a children’s picture book is hugely evocative. It can take you, and your child, to different lands or times, and even take you right back to your childhood. But stand in any book shop and the choice is overwhelming – where do you start?
There’s a huge array of picture books out there, from board books and lift-the-flat books, timeless classics to bang-up-to-date modern stories. Think of a subject and there’s almost certainly a picture book about it.
We hold our hands up – our friends have called us “book pushers” before. Our go-to gift for children and new babies is books. So this has been a gigantic task to pick the best, but we’ve read and read, and whittled and whittled the list down. We’ve also talked to experts for their input.
Here we’ve compiled a list of the books that no children’s bookcase should be without, whether you’re buying for your own child or someone else’s. The list is varied with best-loved classics and under-the-radar gems. All tested with children to make sure they love them too.
What makes a good picture book?
Take your child to the book shop or library and let them choose a book themselves. Read a few different types of book, and see what fires up their little minds, then go for more of that type of book. And of course, look for books you enjoy reading together – it can be a really special experience to share a book that you loved when you were a child yourself.
“Picture books can be a lot of fun for children in their early years, so look for those with big, bright and colourful illustrations or those that contain text with rhyme, rhythm and repetition that can boost their speech,” says Diana Gerald, CEO of BookTrust.
Orla Bird, a Reception teacher at Claremont Primary School says books that encourage participation are great. “[Look for] books with actions, pictures and repetitions, and stories about themselves or other children their age mirroring their own experiences,” says Orla. “Repetitive language and the use of rhyme will also help children to predict, mimic and remember the words, and encourage them to repeat them building their confidence and language.”
A storyline is everything, says Scott Evans, founder of The Reader Teacher and Blue Peter Book Awards judge. “Good children’s picture books are ones that are memorable and have a re-readability factor about them because they have a unique narrative or an original perspective on a theme,” says Scott. “Text and illustrations [should] work well together to tell the story in symbiosis. Good picture books are often multi-layered in their storytelling too, so they can be read to children (and adults!) of all ages, but they will all take something different from their pages.”
Is my child too young for picture books?
Absolutely not. No matter your child’s age, reading to them will form such an important part of their development. Children learn to talk by listening to others talk, and are soothed by the voices of their caregivers.
“Reading together at an early age can help with a child’s brain development, habit formation and be a great way for families to bond,” says Diana.
Does your tot seem uninterested? Fear not – that’s totally normal. “Don’t worry if your child gets distracted, or starts chewing the book,” says Diana. “That’s perfectly normal and even just a few minutes of reading can make a huge difference.”
How should I be reading to my child?
As with anything to do with parenting, there aren’t any hard and fast rules here. The key thing is that you and your child enjoy the experience. Don’t force it, or make it a chore for either of you.
Setting the scene can really help make the most out of sharing the book, says Diana of The BookTrust. “Try and switch off any distractions like the TV or radio, sit closely together and encourage your child to hold the book and turn the pages,” she says.
“There is no right or wrong way to read a book or share stories. Have fun with it. Don’t be afraid to act out situations or use silly voices and faces – your children will love it,” says Diana. “Ask them questions about the book and the characters or story. You don’t have to just read the words on the page, look at the pictures together and try and guess what will happen next.
“Storytime can be anytime, you don’t have to wait for bedtime. Pack a book in your bag next time you’re heading out so you’ve got one with you.”
The picture-book world is your oyster. Enjoy the best below!
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Oi Frog, Kes Gray & Jim Field
Any time picture books comes up with parents they say, “Oh have you read Oi Frog? We love Oi Frog!” And that’s for good reason. The book is funny and ridiculous – our kids got such a kick out of it. Plus it really focuses on rhyme, and builds on the anticipation. Our five-year-old loved guessing what the next word was going to be, based on the rhyme. So while this book makes you and your kids chuckle, they’ll be learning without realising it.
Buy now £6.99, Waterstones
Hop Little Bunnies, Martha Mumford & Laura Hughes
What toddler doesn’t love participating in the actions to the “Hop Little Bunnies” nursery rhyme? We’re yet to find one. This lift-the-flat book is based on that familiar song, and goes through various animals who are sleeping. You lift the flat to “wake” them. Combining two of our toddlers’ favourite things – flap books and Sleepy Bunnies – meant this book was an absolute runaway hit. The illustrations are charming, and full of chances to talk about what’s on the page – we like to count the animals we see and practice the noises they make. This book provides a lovely bonding experience with your little one.
Buy now £4.00, Amazon
Milo’s Monster, Tom Percival
We are massive fans of Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series. We even included another on in our round up of best books for children. Milo’s Monster is the latest in the series and follows a little boy who gets jealous when his best friend makes a new friend. He struggles to cope with his jealousy and pushes his friends away, but comes to realise he’s missing out. This is a brilliant book for kids who are struggling with friendship dynamics, normalises their tricky feelings and hopefully allows them to explore and move forward. Clear, simple language, short sentences and a mix of fonts on the appealing illustrations really lift this book too.
Buy now £5.94, WHSmith
The Noisy Book, Soledad Bravi
A brilliant book for very young tots, simple illustrations and large font make this fun and easy to read. Each page has a different item – animals and other objects, with the sound they make next to it, e.g. “The donkey goes heehaw”, “The power outlet goes no!”. Younger children will learn while reading, and ours quickly picked up the noises and enjoyed showing off their new learning. There’s also a lovely section at the front and back with a grid of objects, which is a great way to extend their learning by pointing to the pictures and asking what sound they make.
Buy now £8.19, Amazon
Not Now Bernard, David McKee
Truly a classic, Not Now Bernard has deep 70s vibes to it - from the illustrative style, to the décor in Bernard’s house. The story follows a little boy, Bernard, who tries to get his parents’ attention only to be ignored. He tries to tell them there’s a monster in the garden, but do they listen? Our child found the story deeply amusing, while we found it made us question parenting styles! As long as your child isn’t easily frightened, this book will amuse them – it’s an often-requested one in our house.
Buy now £5.94, Waterstones
Dogger, Shirley Hughes
For a blast of pure nostalgia, look no further than Dogger. This timeless classic tells the tale of the love a little boy, Dave, has for his teddy. But disaster strikes when Dave loses Dogger at his big sister’s school fair. Will he ever find his pal? The illustrations are wonderfully warm, and the language and turn of phrase is like a big hug in story form. It is a fair bit longer than some other picture books, so perhaps suitable for children who are able to sit still for that bit longer… but trust us, it’s worth it.
Buy now £6.55, WHSmith
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Where to start with such a classic? This book spawned a film, such is its popularity. The story follows Max, who is causing chaos before dinnertime so he is sent to his room. But in his room he goes on an adventure to meet The Wild Things and become their leader. After causing further chaos, Max decides he must return home and leaves his new tribe behind. The illustrations in this charming book are nothing short of iconic, and will fire up children’s imaginations. An all-time favourite in our household, “I’ll eat you up, I love you so” is an oft utter phrase here.
Buy now £5.94, Amazon
So Much, Trish Cooke and Helen Oxenbury
This book has won critical acclaim for its diversity, and is as heartwarming a picture book as they come. Follow a baby as his house gradually fills with his extended family, and with love for him. The whole family want to love on him in their own unique way. Everyone in the family has gathered for something – but what is the big event? So much more than a sum of its parts, the simple, repetitive language and cheerful illustrations make this a special bedtime read.
Buy now £8.99, Watersones
Flooded, Mariajo Ilustrajo
Gosh, what a beautiful book with an even more beautiful message. Flooded is full of black and white illustrations, which gradually turn blue as the story goes on. And as for the story – it follows a city of animals who all notice their homes are gradually filling with water. But they ignore it – it will surely resolve itself, right? Spoiler alert: things get pretty soggy. It’s only when everyone listens to the littlest voice and work together, that things start to improve. A beautiful message of community and working as a team, we found this an emotional read – but in the best way.
Buy now £9.75, Amazon
There’s A Dragon In Your Book, Tom Fletcher
Tom Fletcher of McFly fame has been in the children’s book game for a while now, but this is perhaps one of his most-popular picture books. It is a total hit with both our toddlers and our five year old, as they all love the participation it encourages. The story follows a dragon who is causing mayhem in the book. Readers are invited to do all sorts of actions to sort out the problems created – blowing on the page, flapping the pages like wings, etc. The more we read it, the more our kids enjoyed being able to predict the action on the page and take part.
Buy now £5.00, The Works
Jonathan The Magic Pony, Stuart Heritage and Nicola Slater
As you might predict from the title of the book, this book is slightly ridiculous – and kids love it for that. It sees a magician pony, Jonathan, trying to make various things disappear. Great until Sarah comes along and he accidentally magics away her teddy and can’t get it back again. In a series of spells Jonathan magics up lots of funny stuff, but no teddy. Our children loved the anticipation in this fast-paced, witty story – and so did we. Boomf.
Buy now £5.94, Amazon
Odd Dog Out, Rob Biddulph
Oh how we love the message behind this book – blaze a trail and embrace who you are. The rhyming story follows a sausage dog who has a unique style, whereas everyone else around him dresses the same. He decides to move to somewhere different, where everyone is who they are and, for a time, Odd Dog Out enjoys it. But he misses home, so returns home to find things are changing.
As with all Biddulph books, the illustrations are simply gorgeous, packed with sunshine colours and plenty to talk about on each page. We love reading this book just as much as our kids love hearing it.
Buy now £6.99, Amazon
Barbara Throws A Wobbler, Nadia Shireen
Got a kid who has tantrums and finds self regulation tricky? No judgement here (all kids have their moments, right?), but Barbara Throws A Wobbler is for you. As the title suggests, Barbara is having a very bad day and quickly gets to the end of her tether. The story describes what it’s like to lose your temper, and provides a way to self regulate and talk yourself down from a tantrum. It’s a warm, funny read, full of simple language and bright, colourful illustrations. There’s also a guide at the back of the book for describing bad moods – our kids loved this, and it led to a good discussion about tricky feelings.
Buy now £4.54, Amazon
Badger’s Band, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Perfect for toddlers, this lift-the-flap book incorporates participation and rhyme beautifully. Donaldson and Scheffler are a formidable storytelling team (The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, The Highway Rat are just a few of their hits). The Tales of Acorn Wood series, of which this book is part of, is a great entry point into their world. Follow Badger as he tries to start a band with his woodland friends – but which instrument can each animal play? We often find this book is deposited on our laps by our toddlers as a request to read it, which is a huge seal of approval around here.
Buy now £4.00, Amazon
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, Lynley Dodd
As a family of dog lovers, we absolutely love this story. It follows a dog, Hairy Maclary, as he strolls through the town gathering a following of dogs along the way. But the canine bravado goes out the window when they come across Scarface Claw, the toughest tom in town. The rhyming story repeats the same phrases, yet is short and sharp, and most importantly, feelgood. Children will love looking at the detailed illustrations of each dog, and it’s a great conversation starter around different words to describe how each dog looks and might feel.
Buy now £5.99, Amazon
The Whale Who Wanted More, Rachel Bright and Jim Field
This is a story that will speak to so many adults, let alone kids. It follows the rhyming story of a whale who has an insatiable hunger for stuff, and is never quite satisfied with what he has. On his travels he happens upon a community of fish who live on a beautiful reef, but they aren’t happy either. But once the whale finds his voice, he manages to bring the community together and everyone realises experiences not things are what is important. The stunning illustrations work harmoniously with the typography in this book to create something with real visual impact.
Buy now £6.00, Amazon
Verdict
Choosing a favourite picture book is almost impossible. All the books in this roundup are joyful and we genuinely love them all. However, choose we must. Oi Frog! ticks a lot of our boxes – the rhyming story that builds anticipation will bring gleeful giggles to most kids and adults alike.
