Have you got a little one to buy for this Christmas?
Well, it's hard to go wrong with a great book. These are Rosie's current top 5 favorites; read and reread many, many times. I'd recommend wholeheartedly recommend them for children aged 2-5 years.
1. Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr Seuss.
This was the first book I bought for Rosie. It took until she was around 18 months old before she really started to enjoy it, and now she absolutely loves it. The messaging is so inspirational, for parents and kids alike.
"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”
2. Mr. Noisy by Roger Hargreaves
We're working our way through the Mr. Men books, but we keep coming back to Mr. Noisy. There's something about the onomatopoeia that really appeals to kids ("clump! clump! clump") and how the book sort of insists you're really noisy when reading Mr. Noisy's part in the story. We did have one incident at a restaurant recently when we asked Rosie what she wanted for dinner, and she impersonated Mr. Noisy with "I WANT SOME MEEAAT!" Whoops, oh well. Clearly the book is a fun-loving and memorable favorite ;-)
3. Little Miss Sunshine and the Three Bears by Roger Hargreaves.
This is a great option for anyone looking to expand their collection of Mr. Men and Little Miss books. Roger Hargreaves' famous characters are written into classic tales, adding extra sparkle to some wonderful adventures. This version has a full cast including Little Miss Sunshine, Mr. Greedy, Mr. Clumsy, Mr. Lazy, and the Three Bears, and the twists to the traditional story are particularly endearing.
4. Mr. Tickle and the Dragon by Roger Hargreaves
Another edition in the "magic" series, this story finds the lovable Mr. Tickle on a mission to help a naughty dragon put his fire-breathing powers to good use.
5. The Owl and the Pussy-cat by Edward Lear.
Justin has been looking for poetry to read to Rosie, and this classic is her favorite so far. I later discovered that Lear actually originally wrote the poem for a 3 year old girl, the daughter of a friend, so it's no wonder it's such a delight to read to a toddler. The illustrations in this edition, by Charlotte Voake, are lovely and gentle too.
P.S. I've written about this book before, and it's another absolute winner!
An excerpt from The Owl and The Pussycat.