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Find out moreThe best selection of books for babies and toddlers.
July 2019 Book of the Month | This witty, hugely entertaining and stylishly illustrated picture book offers an explanation of anger that is absolutely spot on. ‘Swarm of bees!’ cries the narrator, ‘You are so angry! What will you do?’ And the bees are angry, because a boy has hit their hive with a tomato. They swirl from page to page, a furious crowd of yellow and black spots, meeting a variety of possible targets - a sailor, his mother, people in a block of flats. Meanwhile, we see that the boy with the tomatoes has thrown them at everyone in the book – who’s angriest now? Fortunately, the beekeeper recaptures the swarm and a parent similarly calms down the boy. Peace is restored after the busy, buzzing pursuit. Every child understand it can feel good to be angry, but will agree with the message here that it can feel better to stop.
This is a book to delight all young fans of heavy machinery. A little puppy gets a dream wake-up call: ‘Dugger Dugger Digger’. Sure enough, there’s a Dalmatian driving a digger past his window, and before long with a ‘Brmmm Brmmm Whee’ there’s a camel in a crane. What’s making the ‘Dump Splat Crash’? Turn the page to see a duck in a dump truck. There’ll be even more excitement too when the final page reveals what all these machines and workers have been creating! Rebecca Elliott’s trucks are satisfyingly chunky, loud and vibrant and there’s lots of fun to be had in joining in with the sounds they make. To quieten things down, see if children can spot Dalmatian’s friend Little Mouse, who’s hiding on every page.
Celebrate ten years of farmyard fun with this special anniversary edition of Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks' bestselling picture book What the Ladybird Heard..And the ladybird said never a word. But the ladybird saw, And the ladybird heard . . . When the ladybird overhears Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len planning to steal the farmer's fine prize cow, it's up to her - the smallest, quietest creature on the farm - to stop the thieves . . . This rhyming farmyard adventure features two bungling robbers, one clever little ladybird - and lots of animal noises! Join in the fun with the What the Ladybird Heard 10th Anniversary Edition. With bright, distinctive artwork and glitter on every page, this special edition of the family-favourite story also features bonus material, including a letter from author Julia Donaldson and never-before-seen pictures from the illustrator Lydia Monks' sketchbook.
It's Sports Day at Twit Twoo School and all of the children are very excited. But no one is more excited than Rabbit. She's decided that she is going to win every race, and has been practising very hard. But as Rabbit wins medal after medal, she seems to be losing friend after friend. Perhaps they are getting tired of her boasting. And now there is just one big race to go. Will Rabbit keep her eyes on the prize, or might there still be time for her to learn that being kind can feel every bit as good as winning? Join Rabbit, Frog, Mouse, Mole, Owl and their teacher, Miss Hoot, at their fun-filled treetop school. With a cast of adorable animal characters and bright, bold, distinctive illustrations from the award-winning Lydia Monks, illustrator of the bestselling What the Ladybird Heard series, the Twit Twoo School series is sure to delight young children.
Winner of the UKLA Shortlist Book Awards 2019 | One of Our Books of the Year 2017 | This must be one of the brightest and best picture books of the year. With minimalist illustrations – simple shapes against blocks of Day-Glo colour – and short lines of text, Morag Hood tells a story that will dazzle and entertain all readers. Cherries, Bat tells us, ‘are my favourite things’, following this up with a fiercely delivered threat: ‘Do not take my cherries.’ In later pages though we see the cherries being stolen. Bat is inconsolable until one of the thieves leaves a pear in their place. Bat’s emotions – joy, anger, confusion, despair, surprise and joy again – are rendered brilliantly in the tilt of an eyebrow and the angle of the head while the intensity of those emotions will be hilarious yet recognisable to child and parent alike. Superb!
Lubna's best friend is a pebble. She found it on the beach when they arrived in the night, then she fell asleep in Daddy's salty arms. Lubna tells Pebble everything. About home. About the war. Pebble always listens to her stories and smiles when she feels afraid. But one day, when a little boy arrives, alone in a world of tents, Lubna poignantly understands that he needs Pebble even more than she does . . . Author Wendy Meddour joins forces with illustrator Daniel Egneus to create an important story about the power of friendship.
Lid up, pants down, bottom on the seat! They mustn't have toilets in outer space, because this baby Martian keeps going in the wrong place: a bird bath, a bin, an up-turned hat... Perhaps if he masters The Toilet Song, he might learn where to go.
Quirky and original, this will be a real joy for parents to share with babies and toddlers. Full of kindness, Barry, a fish with the special attributes of fingers, uses his unusual feature to delight his friends. Fingers are good for all sorts of things and they are especially good for tickling! But they turn out to be even more useful when Barry saves the puffer fish from disaster by being able to point out the terrible danger that is about to befall him. All ends well with a gloriously fishy romp.
June 2019 Debut of the Month | Shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2019 | Jump inside the imagination of one unforgettable little girl who likes to pretend she's babysitting her daddy, when really he's looking after her! Children will adore following along as she turns the tables on her dad William, but always sees his potential. When he grows up he could be an astronaut or a lion tamer or a famous chocolate maker, but his most important job is being her Dad. (And possibly being an astronaut, if she can come too.) Originally published as Looking After William.
Shortlisted for the Klaus Flugge Prize 2019 | A small penguin sees all the birds in the sky and wants to fly like them. Penguin tries everything he can - but to no avail. But he soon learns from his dad that he can fly - underwater!
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2019 | Best friends Betty and Maud love doing everything together. And they are sure that their favourite toys, Duck and Penguin do too. But Duck and Penguin do NOT! While Betty and Maud share playing in the sandpit, taking turns on the swings, painting and baking, Duck and Penguin push each other off the swings, crush each other’s sandcastles, and cover each other with paint and cake mix. Can they ever be friends? Luckily they can! Julia Woolf conveys this witty story about friendship – or not – most effectively through the venomous scowls and frowns and ferocious looks between the two soft toys in contrast to the brilliant warm smiles of Betty and Maud.
June 2019 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2019 | A delightful and funny introduction to space exploration for the very youngest of readers. A particularly charming new addition to the best-selling series that's so adored by parents and children alike.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2019 | Cyril is the only squirrel in Lake Park, and he's very lonely. Until one day he meets Pat - Pat the big, grey . . . other squirrel. Cyril and Pat have lots of adventures and fun together and Cyril is so pleased he's made a friend. But everyone says that Cyril and Pat simply cannot be friends, and they soon reveal why: Pat, as the reader has known all along, is actually a RAT! But Cyril's life turns out to be a lot duller and quite a bit scarier without Pat by his side, and in the end the two friends learn that some things are more important than being the same, or listening to others.
Finlay (a little dinosaur) is counting out jelly beans to share with his friend. He is sitting on a grassy mound. A big dinosaur comes along and demands the jelly beans. He is rather rude, a bit of a show-off, and he thinks that Finlay's friend is a figment of his imagination. What follows is a lot of posturing from the big dinosaur as he attempts to prove his worth with various antics on and around the grassy mound. As the book progresses it will gradually become clear to the reader that the 'grassy mound' is in fact, Finlay's friend, the really, really, really big dinosaur! The big dinosaur certainly doesn't realize until his bravado propels him into a dark cave that turns out to be the mouth of the really, really, really big dinosaur. It's only then that the big dinosaur learns that in order to make friends it's a good idea not to show off and it's a good idea to be prepared to share. Perfect for fans of Rachel Bright and Jim Field's The Squirrels Who Squabbled.
May 2019 Book of the Month | Starring four little animals that children will be quick to identify with, The Suitcase is a touching story about friendship and an excellent way to start conversations about how we respond to people we don’t know and the importance of kindness. A stranger arrives pulling a suitcase and tells the other animals that inside is his home. Curious – and suspicious too – they force it open while he’s asleep and dreaming of his long journey. Inside the animals find a teacup – now broken – and a photo of a small house. The image of the broken teacup is upsetting and young readers will be happy to see the animals’ response and how they find ways to make the stranger their friend. The message here is powerful and profound and beautifully served by the simplicity of the telling.
Sweet dreams, sleep tight, hope the Night Bear comes tonight... After dark, the Night Bear goes on the hunt for his favourite snack: delicious nightmares. But one night, he almost munches on a dream of unicorns and rainbows by mistake - yuck! It might not be his up of tea, but surely there's someone who might like it? Prize-winning husband and wife team Ana and Thiago de Moraes present The Night Bear: the perfect bedtime story.
May 2019 Book of the Month | The wonderfully colourful story of Elmer the patchwork elephant has been a nursery favourite since this first book was published in 1989. A modern classic, the story of Elmer is known to millions, and continues to be one of the biggest selling children's books ever, having sold over 10 million copies around the world. The subtle message is that it is OK to be different, and combined with the vibrant colour and cheeky humour of the main character, it’s an essential bedtime story. This is a special 30th birthday hardback edition. Head to over our KidsZone for more Elmer fun! Elmer the Elephant celebrates Elmer Day on 25 May 2019! Visit our Elmer the Elephant feature to find out more about the Elmer books and ways to celebrate Elmer's 30th Birthday!
May 2019 Book of the Month | Out walking, Elmer the Elephant is in a reflective mood, taking his time to soak up the sounds, smells and sights around him. He spots shapes in the clouds and in the sandstone rocks, he listens to the noise of the river crashing over a waterfall, notices the raindrops in a spider's web that look like sparkling diamonds and smells the scent of wild flowers. The other animals hurry past, far too busy to stop and enjoy these natural wonders. Fortunately Elmer meets his cousin Wilbur and they both stand happily together to watch the night-time draw in. This is a gentle introduction to mindfulness, a celebration of being in the moment and making time to appreciate the world around us. Head to over our KidsZone for more Elmer fun! Elmer the Elephant celebrates Elmer Day on 25 May 2019! Visit our Elmer the Elephant feature to find out more about the Elmer books and ways to celebrate Elmer's 30th Birthday!
Nothing beats sitting with a baby or toddler on the knee and reading a book together.
The words provide a language of communication long before conversation is possible and the joy in recognising them over many re-readings provides endless shared pleasure while the pictures can be enjoyed first jointly and then by the child alone as they pour over the images they love.
Included in our selection are a range of really sturdy and interactive books suitable books for babies and toddlers for the bedroom, the car, the bath, the buggy and the playroom. Books that even the tiniest baby will enjoy alone and with their parents.
Titles in this section will be refreshed each month with a range of new and older titles that we feel should not to be missed by any baby or toddler.
Click here to read some helpful tips from top childrens' publisher Egmont.
Check out the latest activities in our KidsZone.
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