Ivy loves the illustrations in this book by Lucy Cousins.
Join Little Fish as he introduces us to all his fishy friends. There’s Curly Whirly Fish, Twisty Twirly Fish, Upside Down Fish, Hairy Fish, Scary Fish and many many more.
It’s really colourful and is the perfect length (and rhythm) for a bouncy toddler!
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2yNFolM
Everyone needs an Aunt Amelia in their lives!
This gorgeous book is about a little boy and girl whose Mummy and Daddy leave them overnight with their Aunt Amelia. They are really unhappy about this as they don’t remember ever meeting an Aunt Amelia and they don’t want to be looked after. They especially don’t want to abide by the list of instructions that their parents leave behind.
However when Aunt Amelia arrives she is not at all what they expect and her interpretation of the list means they have a truly magical day.
Written and illustrated by the amazingly talented Rebecca Cobb.
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2iwQp6A
There’s something about this book by Oliver Jeffers that is really calming. The combination of the beautiful illustrations and the minimalist text really works well.
A little boy finds a penguin and, worried that he looks a bit sad, he tries to help him find his way home. They journey together for thousands of miles but when they get there they learn a powerful lesson.
Home isn’t always where you’re from – home is where your heart lives.
This is a truly mesmerising little book about the power of friendship.
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2yD5z0N
Once upon a time Julia Donaldson wrote children’s songs and ‘A Squash And A Squeeze’ was one of the most popular. She was contacted by a publisher who wanted to turn the song into a book and the rest, as they say, is history! She realised that her rhymes were perfectly suited to books and a legend was born.
The story is about a little old lady who complains that her house is too small. She asks a wise old man for advice and mayhem ensues as her house slowly fills with animals and seems even smaller.
What is the wise man’s plan and will it work?
Ivy loves this one and it’s my go-to book if she’s upset because it never fails to make her laugh.
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2hXp5KR
This book is special to us as it’s the first one I ever read to Ivy when she was teeny tiny.
In the story a mother tells her little boy how much she loves him which triggers lots and lots of questions.
Would she still love him if he was a big scary ape?
Would she still love him if he were a super smelly skunk?
Would she still love him if he was a swamp monster?
The answer to each question is of course YES and the mother explains what she would do in each scenario to show him how much she loves him.
In those hyper-hormonal first few months this book regularly reduced me to tears and it can still occasionally cause a little wobble.
Beautiful – and the illustrations are gorgeous too.
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2gwOyyf
This beautifully illustrated book teaches children that we’re all different and that’s what makes us special.
Each page shows a like or dislike from a different child – and they’re all from real kids who are thanked at the beginning of the book.
At the moment Ivy just likes the pictures and the rhymes but I can see how it would be great to encourage conversation with slightly older children.
As an added bonus, all royalties go to the NSPCC.
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2gRXQ4K
This gorgeous book only arrived this morning but by mid afternoon it had already been read 6 times and caused a major giggling episode.
Written by the lovely Tom Fletcher and illustrated by Greg Abbott, this riotous read guarantees amusement from the very first page.
There is a monster in your book and you need to get him out! Follow the instructions to try and shake, tickle and spin the cute little creature out of the book. But what happens when he actually escapes?
This one is highly recommended by both Ivy and myself!
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2x6AxdA
Superworm is everyone’s favourite worm.
Super long and super strong he saves lives and entertains his friends every day until evil Wizard Lizard kidnaps him and sets him to work tunnelling for treasure. When his friends find out what has happened they hatch a cunning plan to save the day.
I have to admit this book is a tiny bit annoying but Ivy loves the illustrations and always cheers at the end!
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2gO0RTU
I bought this book when Ivy was just a few months old on the recommendation of one of the mum’s in my NCT group and it’s been read hundreds of times.
The very sweet rhyme goes through all the cute details of a baby’s eyes, ears, nose, tummy and toes and each section ends with an opportunity to give your little one a squeeze and tell them how much you love them.
When Ivy was tiny she was fascinated by the lovely baby illustrations and now she sits in giggly anticipation of getting tickled and squished!
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2kT2LHi
The little girl in this story – Lulu – shares Ivy’s love of books and the library so I love this one.
Every Saturday Lulu’s daddy takes her to the library so she can pick a selection of books for the week ahead.
Every evening her mummy or daddy reads her a story and the next day we see how the story influences the games she plays on her own or with her friends.
The books inspire her to become a princess, a pilot, a tiger, a farmer and a host of other things!
It’s a great story which shows the power of the imagination and how important it is for kids to develop an interest in books.
This book is beautifully illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw and our copy came with a CD of the story bring read in 19 different languages including Welsh, French, Arabic, Swahili, Tamil, Urdu, Mandarin and Japanese!
Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2idtTj9