Book Shelf » Books for Children » Board Books and Picture Books
Picture books are a crucial part of enjoying the early years with your child. Memories of reading the same story again and again, or of being read the same story again and again, warm the heart and fill us with feelings of peace, satisfaction and pleasure.
Board Books are such a great idea for tiny tots. You can relax and allow the children to enjoy browsing through books without worrying that the books are going to be spoilt. And nowadays we have such a wide choice of the best books for young people being published in board book format.
Here’s a few of my favourite board books and picture books:
Sunshine by Jan Omerod. This is a very hard-to-find, beautiful book without words, telling the story of a family on a weekday morning. Things start off slowly and peacefully, with lazy breakfast and happy playing. And then suddenly, mum and dad realise that they have dawdled and messed about too much and things go into overdrive … all in pictures.
The Little Train by Lois Lenski. This classic book really appeals to little people because it labels the different parts of the engine and talks about the different stages and aspects of a train trip.
Can You Cuddle Like a Koala? by John Butler. This is a great interactive book and is especially suitable for bedtime reading; the reader is invited to imitate the animals, right through to the end of the book where we read, “Now look at these creatures, all ready for bed. Can you copy them too, and rest your head?”
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell. This story tells of three baby owls who wake up one night in their hole in a tree to find that their mother has gone. They start to worry and grow anxious, and when she returns and they bounce up and down with joy. This story is comforting for little people, reminding them that their mummy is coming back, and the little children love the repetition.
Slinky Malinki, Open the Door by Lynley Dodd. Oh that naughty, loveable cat! Children love seeing Slinky Malinki and Stickybeak Syd getting into mishief. Strong rhythm and irresistable rhymes make this book a winner with my favourite two-year-old.
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allen Ahlberg. This is a great story to read aloud to very young children. I like the strong rhyme and rhythm and the way the book encourages children to participate and to find the characters hidden in the pictures.
In the JungleA Letterland board book. Letterland is a great way to introduce tiny tots to the letters of the alphabet.
Mrs Wishy Washy’s Splishy Sploshy by Joy Cowley. I don’t know if anyone can read about Mrs Wishy Washy and not love her. It was my favourite two-year-old’s first story, and he could ask for the story by name when he was still very tiny.
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. A favourite story in rhyme, with a clever twist. This book became a best seller when it was first published in 1999. It deserves a place on every child’s bookshelf.
The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson. Another clever story from Julia Donaldson, about the Gruffalo’s child who disobeys her father’s instruction to stay at home and not go out…
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. After working our way through three copies of this delightful story, I was very pleased to see that we now have a board book version to add to our collection.
Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin. Oh don’t you just love this story? One of my all-time favourite picture stories to read aloud.
My Little Prayer Board Book by Christina Goodings. This dear little book is a great first prayer book for young children, with 20 cheerful prayers for tiny tots.
My Little Bible Board Book by Christina Goodings. This is an ideal companion book to the prayer book and contains 20 little Bible stories for young children.
The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr. This story was written for Judith Kerr’s own children when they were little. Maybe you were told this story when you were little; it’s such a favourite, and thankfully, it’s now available as a board book.
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes by Annie Kubler. A favourite song with delightful pictures to help you enjoy quality time with your tiny tot and get in a bit of aerobics at the same time.
Check back regularly as I will be adding more books as time allows. If you have any recommendations then please email me: stephanie@HomeschoolFamilyLife.com