Picture books toddlers ask for twice
Books that survive the fifth reading in a row, which is the only test that counts.
Where the Wild Things Are
Sendak. Ten words a page, and a supper still warm at the end of it.
Goodnight Moon
Brown and Hurd. A room, a list, a lowering light. It works like a switch.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Carle. Holes to poke, days of the week, and an ending they see coming.
The Gruffalo
Donaldson and Scheffler. Rhymes you will learn by heart, whether you like it or not.
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt
Rosen and Oxenbury. Built to be performed: swishy grass, thick mud, the run home.
Press Here
Tullet. A book pretending to be a tablet, and beating one.
Dear Zoo
Campbell. Lift the flap, wrong animal, try again. The first one they do alone.
The Snowy Day
Keats. Cut-paper snow, one small boy, a stick in a pocket. Nothing happens.
Each Peach Pear Plum
The Ahlbergs. A hide-and-seek rhyme through nursery tales; the pictures play too.