A dozen delightful picture books to share with young readers.
A Horse Called Now by Ruth Doyle & Alexandra Finkeldey (Nosy Crow)
The storms of life come and go but at this moment all is well. Now, the soft spoken horse, is a gentle presence in the farmyard. When all the other animals are worried about what might happen, Now calms them with reassuring words. Yes, there are frightening things in life but it’s not worth getting scared until we know we are really in danger.
This beautiful picture book is a lovely way for adults to speak with children about their worries and help them build resilience.
One Goose Two Moose by Kael Tudor & Nicola Slater (Scholastic)
One Goose Two Moose is an absolutely delightful counting book that will have children exclaiming “Oh no!” and rolling around giggling at the silliness of the ice cream queue.
All the animals are lining up for ice cream. There’s a “goose line” and a “moose line”. Simon Goose is counting everyone in the goose line who wants to buy his ice cream. It’s all going well until he realises there’s a moose in the wrong line. Things get more and more mixed up until no one knows which line is which.
The repetition of the counting and the play on words between goose, moose and mouse will lead to some fantastic learning conversations while children enjoy the funny animals and Nicola Slater’s brilliant illustrations.
There’s a Gorilla at the Door! by Clare Helen Welsh & Sam Caldwell (Little Tiger)
There’s a Gorilla at the Door is a fun, wacky, party-filled story about blended families with a charming message. Daphne and her mum have moved in with Mum’s new partner, Anthony. Daphne can’t play with her new stepbrother because he’s a little animal. What Daphne doesn’t realise is that he comes by it honestly. Anthony’s family comes to visit and they are wild! Monkeys, bats, a kangaroo, an elephant, penguins and so many other animals fill their house.
Daphne realises that even though they’re different, they’re still family. They find some common ground and start dancing to the same beat. Young readers will love the hilarity of the story while children with new families will see they’re not alone in feeling things are all a bit different. Hopefully, they will be encouraged to find a way to get along and accept everyone for who they are.
There’s a Tiger on the Train by Mariesa Dulak & Rebecca Cobb (Faber Children’s)
There’s a Tiger on the Train is a delightful rhyming book about a young boy’s surprising trip to the seaside. Dad is so busy on his phone that he doesn’t see all the amazing animals in their train carriage. It’s only when the tiger eats Dad’s phone that he looks up and enjoys time with his son.
This is such a fun book for children with a strong message for adults to make the most of every adventure and look up to see all the incredible things around us.
Please! by Simon Philip & Nathan Reed (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Do you mind your manners? Please! is a funny reminder of how important it is to be polite when asking for something we want. With over-the-top scenarios, Bill learns what happens when he forgets the magic word.
Children will love this silly story full of crazy creatures, dangerous situations and surprising twists. I’m sure it will come to mind the next time they need to remember to say please.
My 16 year old daughter took Please! with her when she went babysitting. A word of advice from a six year old – “Make sure you say please or you’ll be kidnapped by aliens!”
The Bunny Who Came to Breakfast by Rachael Davis & Mike Byrne (Scholastic)
When a hungry bunny comes to call, this family has the most egg-citing day ever! Full of treats, they try bread with spreads, all sorts of eggs, flipping pancakes and, of course, plenty of chocolate eggs. The Easter classic of chocolate cornflake nests finish off the menu. This super cute story is overflowing with vocabulary for children to take in. They’ll love following the bunny through the day and maybe even trying some of the foods themselves.
My 16 year old daughter took The Bunny Who Came to Breakfast to share with the children she babysits. The two year old adored the bunny while her older siblings thought it was a very greedy indeed!
This Book is Full of Unicorns by Gareth Peter & Mike Byrne (Scholastic)
Unicorn fans will love this fun book. Each page is overflowing with these wonderful creatures hiding under watermelons, riding rollercaosters, sneaking around at the museum and going undercover. Readers will love trying to spot them all.
Children love search and find books. This one is sure to be hugely popular with brilliant descriptions and fun scenarios on every page!
My 16 year old daughter took This Book is Full of Unicorns with her when she went babysitting. The six year old loved the rhymes and when they’d finished reading, he wanted to search all over the house for unicorns.
Ten Little Ducklings by Lucy Rowlands & Aki (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Ten Little Ducklings encourages young readers to count to ten on every page. Then, once they’ve checked all the ducks are there, a fun clue helps them to spot one special duckling. The repetition and gentle predictability of each double page will keep them engaged right to the end.
The duckling illustrations are adorable. Children are sure to choose a favoutite and follow it through every page. This is a book to be read again and again with preschoolers.
Grandma’s are the Greatest by Ben Faulks & Nia Tudor (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
Grandma’s are the Greatest introduces the idea that we all come from a long line of grandmas who make us who we are. Celebrating these wonderful women, readers see how many interesting things grandmas can do and the adventures they can have together. This book is a beautiful appreciation of the special relationship between a grandma and her grandchildren, especially when it’s time for snuggles or play.
Chicken Little and the Very Long Race by Sam Wedelich (Scholastic)
The Chicken Little series is brilliant. Packed full of personality, this new take on the classic Tortoise and the Hare finds Chicken Little taking on the over-confident hare in his own race. This absolutely engaging story challenges readers to think about what it takes to be successful and the value of hard work.
When the race is first announced, the chicks can’t believe celebrity runner Hare will be coming to their coop. They can’t wait to meet him and have him sign their copy of his brilliant training book, “Hop to It: Hare’s Guide to Running“. Everyone’s working hard – everyone except Chicken Little who really doesn’t like running. When copies of Hare’s book arrive, the chicks all get distracted. Maybe reading the guide, drinking smoothies, and wearing headbands and special sneakers is all they really need to do to run the race. Chicken Little is concerned. Surely they could get hurt if they don’t train – there are no shortcuts to tackling a huge challenge.
Chicken Little decides to enter the race and train properly. When Hare arrives at the coop, will the other chicks be able to hold their own in the race or will Hare win again?
No Matter What by Debi Gliori (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
No Matter What by Debi Gliori is celebrating 25 years since its publication in 1999. This sweet story emphasises the unconditional love of a parent for a child.
Small is having a bad day – feeling grim and dark. Over and over, Large reassures him “I’ll always love you no matter what.” There is nothing Small could do or say that would cause Large’s love to disappear. Fun scenes of Small turning into various animals who might not be so loveable will keep young readers turning the pages to find out what happens next, all the while being reassured themselves that love never fades. This is a bedtime story to share again and again.
Outside by Bee Chuck (Little Tiger)
Outside is a thought-provoking reflection on a time when we couldn’t go outside. At first we didn’t realise what we were missing because we had taken it for granted for so long but eventually, inside became boring and we longed for the freedom of nature.
There is so much for children to think about and discuss in this book. When did they have to stay inside? What did they do? Were they able to play outside? Did everyone have the same chances to go outside? What did we learn from that experience? Do we appreciate outside more than we used to? How can we make sure we always value nature and freedom?
Order Fiction & Poetry and Non-fiction for Year Two on the links below:
(Amazon Associate Commissions Earned)
Books for Years 3 -6:
Scope for Imagination 