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Find out moreThe best selection of books for babies and toddlers.
May 2019 Book of the Month | When a strange-looking animal arrives pulling a big suitcase, the other animals are curious.
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.
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 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.
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!
Shortlisted for 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!
April 2019 Debut of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month April 2019 | An ebullient debut picture book with a great twist which young readers will love spotting as the story unfolds. When Grandma loses her glasses, Isobel sets about helping her to find them. Searching in the garden they find a very big cat… Grandma loves cats and she is always taking in strays. Without her glasses she can’t really see just how big a bundle of orange fur that this new cat is! Nor can she work out why so much cat food is getting eaten. Young readers will spot that she is reading a story about a tiger which is probably very familiar to them. And they will realise that this cat is actually very closely related to the two tigers who come looking for it! Bold cats in strong colours are at the heart of this great story. Find colouring in and puzzle pages in this Big Cat Activity Pack - download here!
This is a much-loved classic but as relevant today as it was when first published in 1969! The vivid and colourful illustrations and cut back and die-cut pages, together with some very simple text, provide a wonderful story that is immensely satisfying for parents and children alike. It’s a book that’s more threadbare than most in the nursery in my house.
It’s definitely a case of (very) slow and steady winning the race in this amusing and original picture book. Sloth is inspired by the superhero story he finds in a comic book left in the jungle so when mean Anteater starts stealing fruit from the other animals he – leaps is definitely the wrong word – goes into action. It turns out that moving very slowly and looking like a bit of tree are actually useful superpowers. Sloth is an engaging hero and Starling fills the jungle scenes with movement and character. The action builds to a rewarding conclusion, and neatly delivers a message about the value of different types of ability.
A sweet story about sharing, springtime celebrations, and a gentle message about the importance of friends. This is the fifth title in a new series of stories for the very young set in Peter Rabbit's world. The simple tales mirror important early experiences and emotions of young children through the eyes of Beatrix Potter's most well-loved characters, while Eleanor Taylor's illustrations are filled with charm and humour.
A brilliant board book from the creators of What the Ladybird Heard. The tiny hermit crab loves his new shell. He doesn't want to share it - not with a blobby purple anemone and a tickly bristleworm. But life in the rock pool proves tougher than Crab thinks, and soon he finds he needs his new housemates in this rollicking story of sea, shells and friendship. Join up the dots in this fun Sharing a Shell Activity Page!
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2019 | Full of fun, this is a charming story about friendship and how we find it. All birds find their friends, and their mates, by singing their own special song of spring. But one bird can’t remember the song he should be singing! When he tries, all kinds of unexpected sounds come out. First it’s a woof, then it’s a moo and an oink and a hee-haw and a meow! The little bird has lots of new friends but not the special one that he really wants. Luckily, there’s another little bird out there who can’t remember her song either. When all is resolved the little birds have each other and their lovely new friends too! Witty illustrations capture the little bird’s predicament and journey to happiness.
Shortlisted for the Children's Book Awards 2019, Books for Younger Children Category | The Wondrous Dinosaurium is a quirky, exciting story by debut author John Condon. Join Danny as he searches for the perfect pet while facing the pains of being a pet owner on a dinosaur scale.
Shortlisted for the Children's Book Awards 2019, Books for Younger Children Category | From the brilliantly talented Arree Chung comes a sweet tale of difference and acceptance. Mixed is a charming and timely story with characterful illustrations and humour.
Satoshi Kitamura’s artwork is immediately recognisable and Hat Tricks is a typically joyful, bold, bright celebration of the imagination. The little rabbit on the cover is Hattie, a gifted magician. Waving her wand – abracadabra, katakurico – she conjures a procession of animals out of her hat – a cat, a squirrel, an octopus, each turn of the page bringing a new surprise until … well, you’ll have to read it for yourselves. Kitamura’s comic timing is impeccable, and there’s a wonderful sense of drama as it all builds to its truly unexpected conclusion. A magical reading experience!
There’s lots of lovely fishy fun to be had in this gorgeous, shaped board book by the inimitable Lucy Cousins. Little Fish describes a day out with Mummy Fish and the fun they have playing games and learning new things. Each page is of course bright, bold and colourful, Cousins’ distinctive artwork is always eye-catching and full of things for the very young to spot, count and name. And it all ends, as the best family days do, with a big kiss. A really good first reading experience.
Winner of the 2007 Prima Baby and Pregnancy Reader Awards Best Buy for Toddlers Award | “A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good.” So begins the story of how a clever little mouse outwits his big scary enemy. The tasty little mouse needs to make his way through the deep dark woods. How will he do it? By inventing the gruffalo, a fearsome creature with terrible claws, terrible tusks and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. It’s a brilliant trick. The little mouse’s self-preservation is a witty scam that delights children time after time.
March 2019 Book of the Month | The main protagonist of this smart picture book may be a circle, and the co-stars a triangle and a square, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a multi-faceted story. Triangle and Square are playing hide and seek with Circle. They’re allowed to go anywhere except behind the waterfall, because it’s really dark there. Of course someone disobeys and in a carefully composed and very effective drama the tension rises as Circle goes looking for Square. It gets darker and darker, until only all we can see are her oblong eyes. Counting eyes in the dark leads us to the story’s very funny climax and its message that we shouldn’t be frightened of the unknown. Klassen’s illustrations are full of colour and depth despite the limited palette, and this is another very special picture book from a brilliant team.
Peppa loves Easter! Join Peppa, George and all their friends in this sticker activity book, packed with Easter fun. With lots of puzzles and activities, this sticker activity book will keep all little Peppa fans busy. Includes over 100 stickers! Also look out for the new shaped board book, Peppa Pig: Easter Egg.
The Lollies 2018 - Winner of the Best Laugh Out Loud Picture Book | There are jokes galore in Elys Dolan’s brilliant new picture book and they’ll make readers of all ages crack up! Mr Bunny is a tough boss: while he’s in his office keeping a close eye on the profits, his chicken employees are hard at work making chocolate, then eating it and laying chocolate eggs! When he insists on upping production even further, the chickens decide un oeuf is un oeuf, lay down their tools and come out on strike, proclaiming power to the poultry, and demanding better working conditions. Fortunately Mr Bunny realises he needs the workers on his side, and industrial relations are rapidly restored. Bursting with verbal and visual gags, this is a wildly original and rewarding picture book; in fact I’d go so far as to say it is egg-cellent.
As her fans know, what the Little Princess wants, the Little Princess usually gets, and in this story she wants a bunny. After promising faithfully that she will look after it properly, she’s allowed to choose a rabbit from the pet shop, a white one she calls Chalky. But lovely as he is, it isn’t long before new excitements distract the Little Princess and poor Chalky is forgotten. In fact things end happily for him, and for the Little Princess – at least after her daddy has consoled her – though there’s one final twist in the tale. As ever, Tony Ross captures every one of the Little Princess’s volatile moods and emotions brilliantly and the story will have children and adults laughing.
It's Easter time and Peppa and her friends are going on an Easter egg hunt at Rebecca Rabbit's House. Will they find the Easter Bunny, too? This egg-shaped board book is the perfect gift this Easter. Also look out for the new Easter sticker activity book, Peppa Pig: Peppa's Egg-cellent Easter Sticker Activity Book
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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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