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Tidy By Emily Gravett

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TidyPete the Badger is obsessed with tidiness and likes everything to be neat and clean. He tidies flowers, grooms the local foxes, polishes the beaks of his bird chums and even vacuums the forest floor.

He enjoys his tidy little life but then one day Autumn comes and the leaves start to fall from the trees. Pete endeavours to bag them all up but then decides the empty trees look untidy so he digs them all up.

Things go from bad to worse as his attempts to tidy the forest escalate – until, surrounded by concrete, he realises that he’s destroyed his home and that of his friends. Together they work to restore the forest – but can Pete learn to live with it in its natural state?

This is a fun story which shows that sometimes you just need to know when to stop.

Ivy is a bit too young to appreciate the story but she loves the beautiful illustrations and names all of the animals as I turn the pages.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CUsuaX

Rosie’s Hat By Julia Donaldson & Anna Currey

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Rosie's HatWe LOVE this lesser known story from Julia Donaldson.

Little Rosie is walking along a cliff top with her parents on a blustery day when suddenly a gust of wind blows away her lovely hat. It’s found by a dog who plays with it on the sea shore, then it’s swept away to sea and caught by a fisherman.

The hat goes on a big old adventure along the beach over a period of many years and all the while little Rosie is away living her life and growing up.

One day a cat gets stuck in a tree near the beach and the fire brigade is called. The rescue lady turns out to be Rosie and is that a hat she can spy hidden up in the tree next to the cat? Could it be her hat from when she was a tiny little girl?

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2mbabUc

Perfectly Norman By Tom Percival

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Perfectly NormanNorman is a normal little boy – but then one day he grows a pair of wings.

He tests them out and enjoys them enormously but as he’s never seen any other little boys with wings he is worried about what other people will think. He hides them under a big coat so that no one can see them – but constantly wearing the coat means he can’t enjoy all of the fun things he did before, like swimming and playing in the sunshine.

He grows to hate his wings but then realises that the wings aren’t the problem, the coat is. Having to pretend that he’s someone he’s not  is making him miserable. Is he brave enough to set his wings free and show his true self to his friends and family?

This is a fantastic book for any child who is worried about being a little bit different to their peers. It shows how having the courage to just be yourself can open up a whole new world .

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2m0Y4Iu

The Baby’s Catalogue By Janet and Allan Ahlberg

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The Baby's CatalogueThis is a gorgeous picture book which gives you a little window in to the lives of 5 babies and their families. From prams, swings, nappies and games to shopping, meals, pets and bedtime this lovely book shows all the things a toddler may encounter in a day.

Ivy loves pointing at the pictures and naming all the things she that she currently knows the words for.

It’s a great little conversation starter with your child and is also a nice way of showing how every family is different.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CAi2nM

Hairy Maclary From Donaldson’s Dairy By Lynley Dodd

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Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's DairyWe’ve only had this one about 6 weeks but it’s been so popular with Ivy that it’s already covered in crayon!

Hairy Maclary is a fluffy little dog from Donaldson’s Dairy. He goes out for a walk and meets up with a motley crew of friends including Bottomley Potts (who is covered in spots) and Hercules Morse (who is as big as a horse).

They proudly walk through the town with their tails in the air but then spot their archenemy Scarface Claw. Who will prove to be the toughest animal in town?

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2DRO3or

Ten Little Dinosaurs By Mike Brownlow & Simon Rickerty

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Ten Little DinosaursTen Little Dinosaurs is one of Ivy’s all-time favourites.

This lovely counting book starts with 10 little baby dinosaurs playing in the sunshine whilst their mother sleeps. They decide to explore and it doesn’t end well!

Page by page we lose a little dinosaur to misadventure as we count down from 10 to 1. Will their mother wake up in time to bring them all safely back in to the fold?

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2C8A0KL

The Lion Who Wanted To Love By Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz

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The Lion Who Wanted To LoveLeo is not like other lions. He doesn’t feel compelled to hunt other animals, he just wants to cuddle them and shower them with love. As he is a little unusual and isn’t bringing any food to the pride, he is forced to leave his family and go it alone.

Will his loving approach help or hinder him as the little lion tries to survive on the plains alone?

This is such a sweet book with a lovely message about the importance of kindness.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CuWHtn

Tiddler by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

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TiddlerTiddler is a very cheeky fish who likes to tell little white lies to impress his friends. Whenever he’s late for school he tells extravagant tales of mermaids, treasure chests and sea turtles to explain away his tardiness.

One day he’s so engrossed in coming up with a new story that he doesn’t spot a fishing net and soon finds himself in unfamiliar territory. Is it possible that his tall tales might be able to save him and help him find his way back home?

This is one of our favourites from Julia Donaldson.The rhyming is super catchy and we speed up a lot as we get towards the end of the story, leaving us breathless and giggling by the last page

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2ClVGpV

The Night Before Christmas By Clement C. Moore & Mark Marshall

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The Night Before ChristmasOur bedtime book this evening was this beautiful classic.

It’s the night before Christmas, everything is ready for the big day and everyone is sound asleep. But then a little boy wakes up to a sound outside and heads to his bedroom window to see what is going on. Could it possibly be Santa and his Reindeer in the garden?

There are lots of different picture book versions of this classic poem but I’d definitely recommend this one as the illustrations are gorgeous.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2C0R7Pr

Father Christmas By Raymond Briggs

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Father ChristmasIvy is a bit young to fully appreciate this one yet but she loves the pictures, which is why I’m including it in our selection of Christmas books.

Receiving presents from Santa is obviously fantastic but Raymond Briggs flips this on its head and tells the story of Christmas from Santa’s point of view – and it looks like hard work!

He has to roll out of bed, feed his deer, have his breakfast, get dressed up in his Santa outfit, hook up his sleigh, brave terrible weather and travel the world delivering presents, all whilst dealing with the fact he’s coming down with a cold. Poor Santa!

The story is predominantly told in pictures, allowing you to ‘read’ it to your child however you like.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2pi9SuM