In honour of World Book Day and in celebration of the fact that we’re not quite at the stage of having to send him to school in a literary inspired fancy dress outfit, I thought there’d be nothing more fitting than sharing some of our favourite books right now. I’ve always taken great pleasure in reading; from night time stories in my childhood, through to trashy holiday novels in my twenties and an ever-increasing pile of books I should be reading in my thirties. It’s escapism, adventure and an entire other world, all without leaving the comfort of my bed. So it’s important for me to try and inspire the same love in my son, even though he’s not quite two yet! So, if you’re looking for reading inspiration for your little one, read on to see which books we think are real page turners (for toddlers and parents alike!)…
The Gruffalo
A fairly new one for me, The Gruffalo wasn’t a story I grew up with and have never really read so I was intrigued to give it a go. It’s funny, easy to read and the perfect length for a toddler’s bedtime story. We love to point out all the body parts on the Gruffalo such as his big tummy, then point at our own!
My First Trucks And Diggers
I can honestly say that we didn’t encourage it but we have a transport mad child in this household. Whilst it’s not a story, this book is routinely carted around with us on days out as he likes to sit and go through each page pointing out the different tractors, diggers, lorries etc. I never thought I’d have a toddler who could recognise a ‘car transporter’ and ‘limousine’ but there you go…
Guess How Much I Love You
A hugely popular tale, we’ve been reading this one to him religiously since he was very tiny. I think I probably love it more than he does but he’s two, he doesn’t get much choice! Another bedtime classic, it’s a lovely story to snuggle in together with during that sleepy phase. It helps that he’s really nailed ‘Love you’ as a phrase so every so often, he’ll join in. So cute!
There’s A Monster In Your Book
Another new one, this interactive book from McFly’s Tom Fletcher is great fun to read. He’s probably still at the younger end of those that would enjoy it, but we both get to enjoy taking part in trying to get the monster out of his book. Blowing, twisting, shaking and shouting, there are plenty of things to do as you work your way through some monster removal. There’s also a lovely ending that calms things down and would work well with children who are afraid of monsters at night.
Pirate Pete’s Potty
In the interests of starting to introduce a potty into our household, we’re now the proud owners of this book. Whilst the potty itself is gathering dust (and acts as a great toy car storage area…), this book has really wormed its way into his heart. He loves picking a potty and pants for Pete and pointing out things in the bright images but nothing captures his love quite like pressing the cheer button. It’s been a great way to at least introduce the concept of a potty… I’ll take that for now!
Hairy Maclary From Donaldson’s Dairy
A selection of adorable mutts combined with easy to read rhyme, there’s a reason this book is so popular. Part of a series, this one remains my favourite and I’m pretty sure my son agrees. He loves hearing about their escapades, even if Scarface Claw is a bit scary!!
Sweet Dreams Peter
This nighttime book features Peter Rabbit which automatically guarantees it a place in our hearts. A lullaby board book, it’s a perfect addition to any nighttime routine helping to slow things down before bed.
Each Peach Pear Plum
Oh how I love this book!! I remember it so vividly from mine and my siblings upbringing and I’m so pleased that it’s not lost any of it’s magic this time around. From meeting the characters involved to picking them out (and more!) in the illustrations, it’s a really involving and entertaining journey through the nursery rhyme kingdom.
Dear Zoo
Any toddler owner will know that a book with flaps is an almost guaranteed success. Throw in zoo animals and bright illustrations and it’s easy to see why this is so popular in this household. In fact, it’s almost a little too popular, some of our flaps have definitely seen better days! It’s really helped with his understanding of animals and we’ve even practiced our colours as we go through all the different coloured crates. A definite hit!
A Treasury Of Nursery Rhymes
With over 100 different nursery rhymes in this collection, it’s definitely a book that keeps giving. I love the mix of rhymes from my own childhood interspersed with ones I hadn’t heard of. It’s got illustrations to keep your little one entertained but best of all, it’s great value which means I can let him ‘read’ it without worrying he’ll damage an heirloom.
And there we have it, our ten favourite reads at the moment although I’d hate to have to put them in order! If you’re looking for further inspiration, Happy Beds, the UK’s fastest growing online beds and mattress store, have done some extensive research to find the nation’s favourite bedtime read. Why not check out their list of recommendations?
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