The Best Books of All Time for Babies and Toddlers

Preface: The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don't expect to see at the door is a big furry, stripy tiger!

Preface: Each beautifully illustrated page encourages young children to interact with the picture to find the next fairy tale and nursery rhyme character.

Preface: Eric Carle's bestselling story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar has come to life with this delightful finger puppet edition as the plush caterpillar finger puppet wriggles his way through the holes in each page.

They can help the caterpillar munch and crunch through the food before transforming into a beautiful butterfly!

Our Review

Preface: Would you rather drink snail squash or eat mashed worms? Help a witch make stew? Tickle a monkey? Or maybe - if you could really be anyone or do anything in the world - would you rather just be . . . you?

Preface: Every double page of this book features an interesting texture to feel, such as bumpy teeth or slippery flippers, as the reader explores the surface of a toy dinosaur. Combined with simple text and illustrations this is intended to help very young children develop sensory and language awareness.

Our Review

Preface: There once was a boy and one day a penguin arrives on his doorstep. The boy decides the penguin must be lost and tries to return him. But no one seems to be missing a penguin. So the boy decides to take the penguin home himself, and they set out in his row boat on a journey to the South Pole.

But when they get there, the boy discovers that maybe home wasn’t what the penguin was looking for after all.

Preface: Young children will identify with the little mouse who uses the pages of this book to document his fears - from loud noises and the dark, to being sucked down the plughole.

Preface: Lola will not peas. In fact she won't eat carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage or baked beans. And she will absolutely not ever NEVER eat a tomato. But when Charlie explains that peas are actually green drops from Greenland, and carrots are really orange twiglets from Jupiter, even Lola is tempted to clear her plate..

Preface: All over the world, babies are different. Yet in some ways they are very much the same: each one has ten little fingers and ten little toes – to play with, to tickle, to wave. And each child is very, very special to its parents…

Preface: Young children will love lifting the flaps to discover the animals the zoo has sent - a monkey, a lion and even an elephant! But will they ever manage to send the perfect pet?

Preface: Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest!

Preface: Help your child to learn their opposites with this beautiful book by this beloved children's author. Featuring iconic characters and beautiful illustrations by Quentin Blake.

Our Review

Preface: Little ones can join in the fun In the Jungle by pulling out the sliders, pushing up the tabs and counting all the animals! How many lazy lions are yawning? How many zebras are skipping?

Children will love playing with this bright and colourful board book with gentle rhyming text and beautifully illustrated by the award-winning Axel Scheffler.

Preface: One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him 'Wild Thing' and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max's room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins. But when Max has sent the monsters to bed, and everything is quiet, he starts to feel lonely and realises it is time to sail home to the place where someone loves him best of all.

Preface: Do you like books? Funny books or fairy tales? Scary books or song books? Books about dinosaurs or pirates or ABCs?

This simple, inviting ode to the pleasures of reading stars an obliging chimp sampling books of all sizes and shapes, vividly and humorously rendered in Anthony Browne's crisp, polished style.

Preface: Ever feel like you need a hug? A really big hug from someone who loves you? That's how Bobo, the little chimp in this book, feels. Walking through the jungle he passes lots of creatures enjoying a cuddle together: elephants, chameleons, lions, giraffes, hippos – even the snakes have got someone special to squeeze. But poor Bobo is alone. Will he ever find the hug he needs?

Preface: Children are able to communicate by signing before they develop the skills necessary for speech. By teaching sign language to children from as young as seven months we can help them to convey their emotions and their needs

Preface: Bramwell Brown and his friends Little Bear, Duck and Rabbit attempt to rescue Old Bear from the attic using a number of ingenious methods.

Preface: The much-loved and cherished babies are back in these delightful stories to help engage toddlers and encourage a love of reading.