As the saying goes for gifts, “Give them something to read/ Something they want and something they need”, I thought I would share some book recommendations. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy any of these as a present for my nephews or our friends’ children.
After comparing Usborne versus DK versus National Geographic, I think that DK has the best ratio of information per age, with the right amount of information. Of course, this is just a personal opinion. Also, I discovered two very worrisome examples of editorial negligence: Usborne published a book that seems to describe measles in fictional weasels’ characters as the “least harmful weasel disease”. Then, there is this Usborne puberty book that says breasts exist to make girls ‘look grown-up and attractive. I can’t fault the Usborne activity books. They are excellent.
First books
- The first books that I introduced to my daughter were the classic black-and-white small books. They were followed by sensorial books, plastic books for bath time and finally,
- First board books. I bought the majority of these books, and My first body was perfect for her little hands to hold while in the buggy.
- First Thousand Words in English (Usborne First Thousand Words).
Musical books
- The first prize goes to The Story Orchestra series from Jessica Courtney-Tickle. Our favourite is the first book of the series, the unique Four Seasons in One Day. After she turned two, I showed her fragments from Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, and Sleeping beauty ballet. Even now, after more than three years of reading these books, we talk about Odette versus Odile, or that nasty Carabosse.
- My First Drumming Book or My First Keyboard Book – plenty of fun playing with the piano or with drums.
Body safety education
It is never too early to discuss such an important topic. We can’t afford to be squeamish and avoid difficult conversations. These books should be read once or twice per month.
- My Body! What I Say Goes!: Teach children about body safety, safe and unsafe touch, private parts, consent, respect, secrets and surprises – if I were to pick just a few books from this category, this would be my first book as it talks about stranger danger, private parts, surprises versus secrets.
- Body Safety Education: A parents’ guide to protecting kids from sexual abuse – every family should have a copy. This book presents the signs of sexual abuse, how to teach Body Safety Education, and, more importantly, what to do if a child talks about sexual abuse.
- No Means No!: Teaching personal boundaries, consent; empowering children by respecting their choices and right to say ‘no!’ – perfect as an introductory book.
- Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept: Protect children from unsafe touch by teaching them to always speak up – by the power of storytelling, children understand they should speak out about improper touching.
- My Underpants Rule – another great resource that empowers little children that it is really OK to make a big scene if the underpants rule is broken. A good set of questions that reinforce this message.
- Not Everyone Is Nice: Helping Children Learn Caution with Strangers – conversation about stranger/danger.
- Amazing You!: Getting Smart About Your Private Parts
Storytelling
- A very gentle, soothing book to put babies to sleep is My Little Star.
- Oliver Jeffers’s book: Stuck, The Crayons. A book that I bought for any expecting parents I knew was Here We Are – Notes for Living on Planet Earth.
- Lynley Dodd books – Slinky Malinky, Hairy Maclary, Scarface Claw, Greywacke Jones, there are so many lovable characters that each of us has one favourite. I got most of these books second hand from Amazon. I would recommend the story collections first, Hairy Maclary: Five Lynley Dodd Stories and Hairy Maclary and Friends: Five More Lynley Dodd Stories. These books are tremendous, as it is quite difficult to find non-anthropomorphic stories with good rhyme. I talked more about Lynley Dodd in this article.
- Another non-anthropomorphic collection of stories comes from Usborne, Poppy and Sam stories at the farm. We have the original and the updated version, both very well-loved.
- The Sea Saw – “Nothing is ever truly lost if you keep it in your heart”, a heartwarming story with rich and detailed illustrations.
- Julia Donaldson books especially Gruffalo, Zog, Monkey Puzzle, The Snail and the Whale, Superworm, The Highway Rat. Tiddler is not a book I would recommend.
- Dr Seuss books, we got A Classic Case of Dr Seuss, that is not available any more on Amazon. I will leave this link for other options, as a case is a much better value than individual books.
- Millie’s Marvellous Hat – a fabulous story about the power of make-believe with an important non-materialistic message.
- Giraffes Can’t Dance – “Sometimes when you’re different, you just need a different song”, an exciting story about building confidence and find your own voice.
- The Lion and the Bird – very few words and yet, such a touching story about friendship
- The books from Andrea Beaty – Sofia Valdez, the future president, Rosie Revere, the engineer, Ada Twist, the scientist, Iggy Peck, the architect, are great role models, showing that small actions can have a big impact.
Diversity
- Handa’s Surprise – a delightful African story, with vibrant colours.
- Daisy Comes Home – an impressive story about bullying, with a cultural twist, as the action takes places in China.
- Children Just Like Me Ultimate Sticker Book – learning about diverse cultures.
- This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World or This Is How I Do It: One Day in the Life of You and 59 Real Kids from Around the World – fragments from the daily life of schoolchildren from different countries: what they eat, what they wear, how they travel to school, what their classrooms look like and how they relax after school.
Books that will help with emotional intelligence
- I Feel Angry or I Feel Bullied – gentle introductions to big feelings. The cartoon-style illustrations are adorable. I’m thinking of buying more books from this series.
- Any book from Molly Potter, these books are fantastic tools to help children learn social skills:
- How Are You Feeling Today?
- Let’s Talk About the Birds and the Bees: Starting conversations about the facts of life
- Will You Be my Friend?
- What’s Going On Inside My Head?: Starting conversations with your child about positive mental health
- What’s Worrying You?: A mindful picture book to help small children overcome big worries
- Let’s Talk About When Someone Dies
- It’s OK to Cry
- If I Get Lost – clearly explained steps on what to do if a child gets lost. An absolute must buy.
Exquisite books
- I talked about wimmelbooks in this article. We have Mein Wimmelhaus, Die große Anne Suess Wimmelbox, an English edition for Rotraut Susanne Berner seasons’ book and a German edition for her night book (Wimmlingen by day and night is an amazing value for money, all five books in one big volume).
- A Year in Nature: A Carousel Book of the Seasons – beautifully illustrated book, showing seasons as they come and go in a forest.
- The Street Beneath My Feet and The Skies Above My Eyes – fascinating foldable books.
- Carl Warner’s Food Landscapes – a book that can be read at 4, 6, or 9 years as more details are discovered with every new reading session.
- Inside the Villains – fantastic details and imagination. Some books are just works of art.
Encyclopedias
- My Encyclopedia of Very Important Things – lots of details, without feeling overwhelming.
- My Encyclopedia of Very Important Animals – just like above, plenty of exciting things to find out.
Activity books
- Step by Step Drawing Books
- 100 Things for Little Children to Do on a Journey – easy to wipe and to be reused. These are perfect for when we go to a restaurant. I have these cards with some Stabilo pencils in a reusable bag.
- Sticker books – any sticker book will do if they are absorbed by it. As they grow older, I want to recommend Sticker Picture Atlas of the World or Famous Paintings Sticker Book.
I didn’t have those, but I heard good things about:
One of the things that I noticed is that my daughter’s storytelling skills are improving, and her make-believe stories are full of characters, ideas, and light. Sometimes, when put in the face of an uncomfortable situation, she’ll start reciting something from a book she read.
After all, isn’t this the magic of books? They allow us to live hundreds of lives in just one.
If you want to read more about some more recommendations, other articles are about:
- Books for 6-9-year-olds
- Four Compassionate Picture Books For Children About Death
- Mummy, Where do Babies Come from? A Few Books to Spark a Gentle Introduction to a Sensitive Topic
- The Wisdom of Children’s Book “The Missing Piece meets the Big O” in Describing Relationships, Breakups, and Self-Discovery
- Wimmelbooks
- Screen Time Recommendations
- Shopping Recommendations