Picture Books

We're Going On A Bear Hunt, Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury's wonderful picture book, is celebrating its 25th birthday this year! This is one of my family's favourite books, and for good reason. Listening to Michael Rosen talk about this children's classic on the radio the other night sparked a lot of discussion in this house about our favourite picture books.

I studied primary education at university and one of my curricular specialisms was English, so I got to spend an awful lot of time reading picture books under the guise of work. As a teacher, I delighted in sharing picture books with my classes, and as a parent, I've had the privilege of introducing my children to many of these treasures.

There are so many reasons why reading books with children is a good idea. To begin with, it's a lot of fun and some books manage to weave themselves into the fabric of your family's heritage. When I mentioned to my kids that Bear Hunt was 25, they immediately started reciting it in unison, so much a part of their childhood experience it has become. Sharing books helps children to become familiar with how texts work, which is how come you're able to read this now. Sharing books is also vitally important for children who have learning difficulties related to processing text: positive literary experiences - where stories are enjoyed rather than struggled with - help to lessen the fear and frustration which some kids associate with reading and writing.

When I asked my children what their favourite picture books were, they listed dozens of titles, but between us, we came up with a list of ten of the ones we liked best. Some are very old, and some are much newer, but if a book is out of print, you're very likely to be able to find it in your local library. So, without further ado, here they are (in no particular order).

1. The Story Of The Little Mole Who Knew It Was None Of His Business, by Werner Holzwarth and Wolf Erlbruch. I first came across this book in university, where it was read aloud to us with great gusto by one of the English lecturers. Hilarious and a little bit shocking, the 'business' referred to here is exactly what you're worried it might be. I always used to read this to my classes so that they'd think I was a really cool teacher.

2. Wonderful Earth!,  by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen. This has been around for a while, and it ties the biblical account of creation in with the importance of looking after our world. It has flaps and pop up bits - always winners.

3. This Is The Star, by Joyce Dunbar and Gary Blythe. This retelling of the Christmas story is my own personal favourite. It's a cumulative rhyme (it repeats itself but adds a line to the story with each verse, like The House That Jack Built), and the illustrations are stunningly beautiful oil paintings. Outstanding.

4. Green Eggs And Ham, by Dr Seuss. We had to include a Dr Seuss book here, but we had a hard time deciding which one. Love him or hate him, Dr Seuss books are ideal for helping young readers gain confidence.

5. Cockatoos, by Quentin Blake. Think of Quentin Blake, and you think of his fabulous illustrations for Roald Dahl's stories, but he has written lots of great books himself. One of number three child's favourites, Cockatoos is way better than your average counting book.

6. The Happy Rag, by Tony Ross. Not so well known as his Little Princess series, Tony Ross's The Happy Rag is a book which tells two separate stories that come together in a very clever way. Given that all my children have 'happy rags' in some form or other, this story has a special resonance for our family.

7. The Magic Sky, by Lucy Richards. Beautifully illustrated, this is a very sweet book about an impatient little polar bear.

8. Dear Zoo, by Rod Campbell. Both number two and number three child insisted I include this one. A child asks the zoo to send him a pet, but the zoo fails to come up with the goods.

9. Norman, The Slug With The Silly Shell, by Sue Hendra. The story of Norman the slug, and his snail wannabe antics.

10. A Kitten Called Moonlight, by Martin Waddell and Christian Birmingham. This is a story within a story, and another book with exceptionally beautiful illustrations.

Well, that was tricky but we hope there's something here that you like! What are your favourite picture books? Let us know below.