Ideas for World Book Day Reads

For Under 3’s

WAKE UP! LET’S PLAY, MARIT TÖRNQVIST, £7.99 FLORIS BOOKS This is a beautifully illustrated sturdy board book celebrating the endless possibilities of imaginative play. Both my daughter and I loved noticing detail in these joyful pictures of children engaged in various play activities - from playing in the snow and on the beach to having fun in the bath and playing with household objects. The range of detailed scenes depicted offer many opportunities for talking and language development - every time my daughter and I read this, we find something new to discuss. Victoria

LOOKING AFTER DADDY, EVE COY, £6.99, ANDERSEN PRESS Beautifully illustrated from cover to interior, it is enjoyable for both parents to share, not just dad! The storyline is delicate and a delightful role reversal throughout the pages. The parent and child’s perception of their day together is interchanged. Recommended for ages three upwards. Fun to read with my daughter as she joined in and added her own experiences about our days together. Stephanie

WHERE’S BUDDHA?, MARISA ARAGON WARE, £12.99, SHAMBHALA PUBLICATIONS INC A delightful little read with beautiful imagery and storyline that creates an interesting journey of unity through the different corners of the world and seasons of the year. Recommended for ages three upwards. Stephanie

For 3-7 year olds

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE COLOUR?, BY ERIC CARLE AND FRIENDS, £7.99, WALKER BOOKS This didn’t immediately appeal to me as I couldn’t really understand the premise. However both children pounced on the book and really love it! My seven year old daughter enjoyed it as it made her think about colours in a new way. The three year old just enjoyed talking about colours. So I think it would appeal to children of all ages. It was interesting to read about the life stories of the authors and artists featured. It will be a useful read in the future if my daughter continues down the art route as there are so many styles in there. Charlotte

ANIMALS IN THE SKY, SARA GILLINGHAM, £8.95, PHAIDON PRESS This is a beautifully designed book introducing the night sky to children that both my six year old and two year old enjoyed. We are shown the different constellations of the night sky and the animals that we can see in the stars. First there is a description of the animal and a picture of the stars. We then opened the fold out page to reveal the animal and learn a little more about the constellation. The children were both fascinated about how the animals can be seen in the sky and it’s also inspired us to go stargazing this winter. I would say the book is suitable for 18 months to five years old, especially for those children who find the night sky fascinating. Alyson

WE’RE GOING ON A BEAR HUNT LET’S DISCOVER BUGS, £5.99 WALKER ENTERTAINMENT What a super book! As soon as she saw it, my four year old was transfixed: flicking through the pages, spotting her favourite characters, naming beetles and bugs, counting spiders legs and hunting for the matching stickers. She especially enjoyed the stickers she could then colour herself! We have now spent countless hours talking about all things insect, learning new facts and lifting every stone and log we come across to see what creatures reside in their shadows. The beautiful illustrations using familiar characters and scenes from a classic children’s book lift the topic and give a new purpose to discovering the world of beetles, bugs and butterflies. A perfect introduction for younger children to ignite their natural curiosity. We look forward to exploring the other titles available. Rachel

BACKPACK EXPLORER, BEACH WALK, £9.99 STOREY PUBLISHING This is an easy reference book to pick up and read. It’s got lovely pictures in it which attracted my six year old (it was very pleasing to have some photos and some drawn pictures) and then enjoyed reading further facts together. There are some really good activities in here that are actually practical. It’s a good idea to have the activities, as often you can go to a beach and end up not spotting any of the creatures you attempted to find, so having extra things to do is a bonus. Love the extra details with stickers and magnifying glass. I would say this book would suit a child of any age as the pictures appeal to the younger child and then the facts and activities could be enjoyed by anyone of any age. The books cover suggests to me it is for younger children as quite cartoon like so is a little misleading, as I am sure older ones will enjoy as well. Maxine

OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST, KATE MESSNER AND CHRISTOPHER SILAS NEAL, £13.99 CHRONICLE BOOKS This is a gorgeous, well thought-out book. The illustrations are outstanding and really complement the story. We especially loved the changes in perspectives so you could see the Costa Rican rainforest from different angles. As a parent of a very inquisitive child, I really appreciated the glossary in the back of the book with descriptions of all the animals mentioned! This would be a great book for homeschoolers because there is a section for further reading and resources. For children four years and up. Jessica

THE BUTTERFLY HOUSE, KATY FLINT AND ALICE PATTULLO, £12.99 FRANCES LINCOLN CHILDREN’S BOOKS This book is beautifully illustrated. I have looked at it many times and so has my six year old. The pictures are stunning and has inspired my daughter to try and copy a few drawings. The facts/text is just the right amount of information. I would recommend this book and it would be a nice gift. Maxine

LAST - THE STORY OF A WHITE RHINO, NICOLA DAVIES, £14.99, TINY OWL This book is poignant, memorable and beautifully illustrated. Inspired by the true story of Sudan, a white rhino, we read about his capture and how he was taken to a zoo in the Czech Republic. Five years later all the Northern White Rhinos in the wild had been killed. The book is written through the eyes of the Rhino; it tells of how he feels when he is captured and retells the story of losing his mother to poachers. Although there aren’t many words, it’s extremely powerful and the images got my six year old discussing what it may feel like to be in captivity. She loved the book and spent a long time interpreting the images. Alyson

MAKING THE MOOSE OUT OF LIFE, NICHOLAS OLDLAND, £6.99 PIKKU PUBLISHING This book contains the powerful message of making the most out of life and trying things outside your comfort zone… an important message for us all. My six year old was initially drawn to the title as she loves puns and the colourful and humorous illustrations drew her in further. The tale of Moose and his adventures on the desert island with Tuesday the turtle is a fun way to explore the idea of taking risks in life, trying something different and friendship. My two year old enjoyed the illustrations and pointing things out on the page; eventually she will understand the message too. The book is great for three to seven year olds. As my six year old said, if Moose can try something then anyone can! Alyson

BUTTERFLIES BELONG HERE, DEBORAH HOPKINSON AND MEILO SO, £13.99, CHRONICLE BOOKS Butterflies Belong Here is a good introduction to activism and shows how transformation can occur and how we can be hopeful for the future. The book is beautifully illustrated and the main story is interspersed with factual pages about the Monarch Butterfly and its journey in America and Canada. We also liked the story about the transformation of the girl from someone who didn’t feel like she belonged and wanted to blend into the background, to someone who inspired the community to change and protect the Monarch Butterflies. We saw her spread her wings and fly, just like the butterflies. The story is split into seasons so we can see and track her changes as well as the changes of the butterflies. Alyson

MEET THE PLANETS, CARYL HART AND BETHAN WOOLLVIN, £6.99, BLOOMSBURY CHILDREN’S BOOKS A lovely rhyme and enjoyed by both the seven and three year old. Fantastic bright colours, it reminded us a bit of Messy Monster in Okido. The rhyme goes through the sun and each planet and has a stanza with a fun and funny little description of each one. I think it’ll really help with remembering the planets and their order. Charlotte

HOW TO BE A BUTTERFLY, LAURA KNOWLES AND CATELL RONCA, £12.99, WORDS & PICTURES We loved this book. The story was simple enough for a three and five year old to understand but there were further messages that with time they will understand further. The illustrations are beautiful and educational with the Latin names included. We will be reading this book a lot! Lydia

HEDGEHOGS DON’T LIVE IN THE CITY, LUCY REYNOLDS AND JENNA HERMAN, £7.99 DOODLES & SCRIBBLES Mesmerising and fascinating at the same time. You can’t help but be drawn into the journey the characters take, the subtle message of slowing down and taking notice of what is around you is beautiful. The mix of illustration types is unusual but brilliantly nestled between the rhyming couplets. This story will be revisited and read throughout the year. Lauren

ELEPHANT IN MY KITCHEN, £6.99 EGMONT What a lovely story and message this book conveys in simple terms so that even my three and five year old can understand about animals, the planet and why we need to care for them. Lydia

For 8-11 years old

OWLING: ENTER THE WORLD OF THE MYSTERIOUS BIRDS OF THE NIGHT, MARK WILSON, £14.99 STOREY PUBLISHING This is the perfect book for anyone, old or young, with even a passing interest in owls. It’s an American book so the focus is almost entirely on the US and its feathered residents, but the majesty of owls is universal and there is much to learn about these remarkable birds. There’s at least a double page on each of the 19 species found in North America, richly illustrated with photos of owls doing what owls do whether that’s spreading their incredible wings, perching on a branch, huddling in a nest as owlets or swooping for their prey. My four-year-old, who enjoys the darker things in life, was particularly taken with the images of owls feeding, especially the one tearing the wing off an unfortunate gull and another with the rear legs of a vole dangling from its beak. These aren’t sugar-coated cuddly owls, this is nature, red in tooth and claw. There are also chapters exploring how to find owls and different ways of working with owls, the latter including the author and his wife Marcia who run US-based educational program Eyes on Owls. The opening line says You might not realise it, but you need to see an owl. And after reading this book, who could disagree? Hannah