Rosie was a busy, fat, comfortable hen, and one day she decided to go for a walk. But Rosie didn't know she was being followed by a wicked fox. Unwittingly she led him into one disaster after another, and got back home safely.
The Stinky Cheese Man by Scieszka, Jon
Looks at some really stupid tales including "Chicken Licken", "The Princess and the Bowling Ball", "The Really Ugly Duckling" and "Jack's Bean Problem".Iconoclastic rewrites of classic tales.
Peace at Last by Jill Murphy
Mr Bear just cannot get to sleep, and Mrs Bear's snoring definitely does not help.
Then Baby bear is pretending to be an aeroplane, the clock tick tocks too loud, the fridge hums and the owl hoot.
Finally, Mr Bear gets to sleep when......
God Bless the Child by Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog Jr illus. Jerry Pinkney
Good for PSHE.
Frog is Frightened by Max Velthuijs
Good for PSHE.
Frog is Frog by Max Velthuijs (available in bilingual Bengali/Urdu/English versions)
Neither can he cook as well as pig, as he found out with disastrous consequences.
But Frog can leap and swim, and we all love him anyway....
Good for PSHE.
Oscar and Arabella by Neal Layton
Great for talking about things in the past: they used to.. they would, everyday routines in the past.
Cool illustrations.
KUW (extinct animals)
Zoo by Anthony Browne
Sunday day trip to the Zoo with family; Dad seems to have a lot in common with the monkeys.
Great illustrations, and thought provoking dream sequence at the end.
KUW zoos.
Winnie's Flying Carpet by Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
Loads of W's in this tale about Winnie the witch and her wayward flying carpet.
She'll need to rescue her black cat Wilbur.
Fun story with fun illustrations.
the BFG by Roald Dahl
Giants are known for eating children. So when Sophie is snatched from her bed by the BFG, she fears for her life. But luckily he is far more jumbly than his disgusting neighbours. They become good friends and cook up a plan to rid the world of bad giants.
Charlie and the Chocolate factory by Roald Dahl
Charlie Bucket can't believe his luck when he finds a Golden Ticket and wins the chance of a lifetime: a magical day witnessing the miraculous creation of the most delectable eatables ever made. Join Charlie in this world-famous story.
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
This novel tells the story of James who has lived with his two beastly aunts ever since his parents were eaten up outside London Zoo. Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker are really horrible people and make poor James's life a misery.
ROALD DAHL MUSEUM
The Iron Man by Ted Hughes
A clanking iron giant topples from a cliff and lies smashed on the rocks below. Then his various parts begin to stir and reach out for one another. The Iron Man is ready to walk again, and he is very hungry.
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Flat Stanley Stanley Lambchop wakes up one morning to find a notice-board has dropped on him in the night, leaving him happy and healthy, but only half an inch thick. It's a little unusual, but he finds he can fly like a kite, be sent on holiday through the post and can use his special new skills to catch some art thieves. Still, he's glad when his brother Arthur thinks to use the bicycle pump to inflate him back to his normal shape.
Mrs Pepperpot by Alf Proyser
Mrs Pepperpot has the inconvenient habit of shrinking to the size of a pepperpot at unexpected moments, but she always comes out on top, whatever her size. The three stories in this omnibus edition are "Old Mrs Pepperpot", "Mrs Pepperpot's Outing" and "Mrs Pepperpot Again".
So Much by Trish Cooke
Mum and the baby are at home, doing nothing spectacular, when the doorbell rings. It's Aunt Biba, and she wants to play with the baby so much. Then Uncle Didi comes, followed by practically the whole family, and they all want to hug and play with baby
Billy's bucket by Kes Gray
Billy wants only one thing for his birthday. Not a computer game, not new trainers, not a new bike, but a bucket. Inside it, he can see all kinds of magnificent sea creatures. Billy's bucket is special. 'You must never ever borrow my bucket!" he warns his Mum and Dad. But Mum and Dad are sceptical and, when Dad unwittingly uses the bucket to clean his car, he's in for a big surprise!
Aaaarrgghh, spider! by Lydia Monks
All Spider wants is to be a family pet. But the family whose house he lives in are terrified of him. Whenever he tries to show them what a great pet he would make, they simply cry, 'Aaaarrgghh, Spider!'. Themes of tolerance and misunderstanding make key discussion points for children in this book.
Good for PSHE
I will not ever never eat a tomato by Lauren Childs
This is a great book for tackling fussy eaters in a fun way. The story's central characters are Charlie and Lola. Lola does not eat a lot of things, so one day Charlie plays a good trick on her to get her to eat her supper.
Biscuit bear by Mini Grey
When Horace bakes a biscuit in the shape of a bear, little does he know that his edible treat is going to turn into Biscuit Bear! For in the middle of the night, when all is quiet, that is exactly what happens, and Biscuit Bear decides that it is time he made some friends of his own. So, with flour, sugar and butter, he does just that. In fact, he makes a whole circus of friends and the fun begins.
The Leopard's Drum by Jessica Souhami
audio version here
The Gigantic Turnip by Aleksi Tolstoy
This hilarious retelling of the huge turnip grown in a cottage garden will be enjoyed by small children. The old man and his wife tug and heave at the giant turnip, to be joined by various animals and birds, until it finally comes up.
Man on the Moon by Simon Bartram
The everyday story of an ordinary man? Well, sort of, Bob is the man on the moon, and he has a very special job, looking after the moon, cleaning it up, showing visitors around and selling souvenirs.
Can you find all the aliens? Bob can't.
Beegu by Alexis Deacon
Beegu isn't supposed to be on Earth. She is lost. She is a friendly little creature, but the Earth People don't seem very welcoming at all. However, so far she has only met the 'big' ones. The little ones are a different matter.
Slow Loris by Alexis Deacon
Slow Loris was slow, very slow. The visitors to the zoo thought he was boring. But Loris didn't care one bit.
To find out why, turn the pages of this magical book and be amazed: never judge a book by its cover.
The Snail and the Whale by
Slow Loris was slow, very slow. The visitors to the zoo thought he was boring. But Loris didn't care one bit.
To find out why, turn the pages of this magical book and be amazed: never judge a book by its cover.
The Snail and the Whale by
A snail longs to see the world and hitches a lift on a whale's tail. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the snail feels very small in the vastness of the world. But when the whale is beached in a bay, it's the tiny snail who saves the day.
Grace and Family by Caroline Binch
To grace, family has always meant her Ma, her Nana and a cat called Paw-Paw, so when Papa invites her to visit him in The Gambia, she dreams of finding the kind of fairy-tale family she has read about in stories. But, as Nana reminds her, families are what you make them.
The Story Tree retold by Hugh Lupton, illustrated by Sophie Fatus
Retold by a master storyteller, this collection of folktales from around the world includes firm favourites such as 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' as well as less familiar stories such as 'Little Cock Feather-Frock' and 'The Blue Coat'.
Tom's Sausage Lion by Michael Morpugo
No one believes Tom when he says he has seen a lion strolling through the orchard with a string of sausages dangling from its mouth. No one, that is, except Clare, the cleverest girl in Tom's class.
Traction Man is here by Mini Grey
With an action outfit for every occasion, Traction Man patrols the house. Whether he is saving toys (in latex space suit and Perspex helmet, teamed with Rocket Boots); searching the sink for the lost wreck of the sieve (in sub-aqua suit, fluorescent flippers and infra-red mask) or rescuing damsels in distress (in jungle pants, camouflage vest and a bandanna), Traction Man is never less than stylishly turned out and expertly accessorised. He is the last word in fashion flair-until, that is, the day that he is presented with an all-in-one knitted green romper suit and matching bonnet by his owner's granny. Can Traction Man overcome the humiliation of his desperately dowdy new look and rediscover the action hero within or will the burden of the knitted green monstrosity be too great?
Daft Jack and the Beanstalk by LaurenceAnholt
Daft Jack's mother is not pleased when he sells their cow for a tin of baked beans. But their future looks much brighter when they discover that it's a lucky bean tin and they've won a fantastic prize.
Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne
Handa puts seven delicious fruits in a basket to take to her friend, Akeyo. But as she walks, carrying the basket on her head, various creatures steal her fruits. A monkey takes the banana, an ostrich the guava, a zebra the orange, an elephant the mango, a giraffe the pineapple, an antelope the avocado and a parrot the passion fruit. Handa walks on, wondering which of the fruits her friend will like best, oblivious to the fact that her basket is now empty. But then, behind her, a goat charges into a tangerine tree and fills Handa's basket with the fruit. "Hello, Akeyo," she greets her friend. "I've brought you a surprise." But when she lifts off her basket, it's Handa who gets the biggest surprise.
Dogs' Night
It's Dogs' night in the Art Gallery, the dogs' secret, special night out. The dogs in the paintings are waiting impatiently for everyone to go home, so that they can climb down to the floor and chase each other around the Gallery. They do this every year, and no one has ever found out. But on this particular night the dogs get over-excited... and then very sleepy... and some of them end up in the wrong paintings!
Whoops! But it wasn't me by Lauren Child
Lola learns the hard way about telling the truth when she accidentally breaks Charlie's rocket, despite him warning her not to touch it! A perfect accompaniment to the popular BBCTV show, which is now available on DVD. The author Lauren Child has won various awards, including the Smarties Gold Award{ and the Kate Greenaway Medal{, as well as being shortlisted for the Children's Book Of The Year{. Ages: 2+.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
What is the perfect gift from the zoo? Look under the flap to see the animals that the zoo sends - one is too big, one is too jumpy, but the final one if perfect.
Available in multilingual versions (arabic, french, urdu, panjabi)
I like books by Anthony Browne
In 'I Like Books', Anthony Browne portrays many different kinds of books - funny books, scary books, books about monsters and pirates, and lots more. The central character is an appealing chimp.
Grammar: adjectives
Gorilla by Anthony Browne
This is an attractive, newly-designed paperback edition of one of Anthony Browne's most popular picture books, Gorilla. It is the classic tale of a lonely girl, a friendly gorilla and their amazing night out
In a Minute by Virginia Miller
Bartholomew wants to play but George is very busy. He carries logs, hangs out the washing and sweeps up. But when the work is done, what will they play? Bartholomew knows exactly what he wants to play and George won't be too happy when he finds out.
Harry by the Sea by Gene Zion
Harry, the black and white dog with a nose for mischief, is back. On a trip to the seaside, he gets tangled up with a bunch of seaweed and comes out of the sea looking like a monster. As usual with Harry, he creates a lot of havoc before finding his own family again.
Borka by John Burningham
Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton
Russell the Sheep is just a little bit out of step with the rest of the flock. All the sheep are falling asleep - except Russell. He's tried everything - but he's still wide awake. What's a sheep to do?
A Baby for Grace by Ian Whybrow and Christian Birmingham
In this moving and enlightening picture of how a young child reacts to the arrival of a new baby in the family, we see how Grace attempts to be helpful but is thwarted in her attempts to gain approval and attention, until her daddy lends a hand.
Daft Jack and the Beanstalk by LaurenceAnholt
Daft Jack's mother is not pleased when he sells their cow for a tin of baked beans. But their future looks much brighter when they discover that it's a lucky bean tin and they've won a fantastic prize.
Handa's Surprise by Eileen Browne
Handa puts seven delicious fruits in a basket to take to her friend, Akeyo. But as she walks, carrying the basket on her head, various creatures steal her fruits. A monkey takes the banana, an ostrich the guava, a zebra the orange, an elephant the mango, a giraffe the pineapple, an antelope the avocado and a parrot the passion fruit. Handa walks on, wondering which of the fruits her friend will like best, oblivious to the fact that her basket is now empty. But then, behind her, a goat charges into a tangerine tree and fills Handa's basket with the fruit. "Hello, Akeyo," she greets her friend. "I've brought you a surprise." But when she lifts off her basket, it's Handa who gets the biggest surprise.
Dogs' Night
It's Dogs' night in the Art Gallery, the dogs' secret, special night out. The dogs in the paintings are waiting impatiently for everyone to go home, so that they can climb down to the floor and chase each other around the Gallery. They do this every year, and no one has ever found out. But on this particular night the dogs get over-excited... and then very sleepy... and some of them end up in the wrong paintings!
Whoops! But it wasn't me by Lauren Child
Lola learns the hard way about telling the truth when she accidentally breaks Charlie's rocket, despite him warning her not to touch it! A perfect accompaniment to the popular BBCTV show, which is now available on DVD. The author Lauren Child has won various awards, including the Smarties Gold Award{ and the Kate Greenaway Medal{, as well as being shortlisted for the Children's Book Of The Year{. Ages: 2+.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
What is the perfect gift from the zoo? Look under the flap to see the animals that the zoo sends - one is too big, one is too jumpy, but the final one if perfect.
Available in multilingual versions (arabic, french, urdu, panjabi)
I like books by Anthony Browne
In 'I Like Books', Anthony Browne portrays many different kinds of books - funny books, scary books, books about monsters and pirates, and lots more. The central character is an appealing chimp.
Grammar: adjectives
Gorilla by Anthony Browne
This is an attractive, newly-designed paperback edition of one of Anthony Browne's most popular picture books, Gorilla. It is the classic tale of a lonely girl, a friendly gorilla and their amazing night out
In a Minute by Virginia Miller
Bartholomew wants to play but George is very busy. He carries logs, hangs out the washing and sweeps up. But when the work is done, what will they play? Bartholomew knows exactly what he wants to play and George won't be too happy when he finds out.
Harry by the Sea by Gene Zion
Harry, the black and white dog with a nose for mischief, is back. On a trip to the seaside, he gets tangled up with a bunch of seaweed and comes out of the sea looking like a monster. As usual with Harry, he creates a lot of havoc before finding his own family again.
Borka by John Burningham
it is about a goose who is born without feathers. Pink, naked and vulnerable, Borka watches with eager anticipation as her mother knits her a jumper to keep her warm. Alas, it takes so long to dry after a swim that Borka, mocked by her siblings, never learns to swim properly, or to fly. As winter draws on and the other geese get restless, the mood is captured in a stunning landscape - a sophisticated semi-abstract view of louring clouds over a flat, wet marshland whose enamelled emerald green is magically overlaid with a speckled veil of rain.
Avocado Baby by John Burningham
Avocado Baby by John Burningham
When the weedy Hargraves have another baby, they're concerned that it's going to be just as weak and pathetic as them. Then one day they feed it avocados.
Russell the Sheep by Rob Scotton
Russell the Sheep is just a little bit out of step with the rest of the flock. All the sheep are falling asleep - except Russell. He's tried everything - but he's still wide awake. What's a sheep to do?
A Baby for Grace by Ian Whybrow and Christian Birmingham
In this moving and enlightening picture of how a young child reacts to the arrival of a new baby in the family, we see how Grace attempts to be helpful but is thwarted in her attempts to gain approval and attention, until her daddy lends a hand.
