The best baby and toddler books selected by experts. This is the ideal age to get a child interested in books. Engaging, fun books give babies and toddlers a lifelong love of books.
“This book would be for children who are turning one. It’s a lift the flap book, which little ones always love. It opens up so many opportunities. There’s that whole peekaboo to the animals that are behind the flaps and the physical interaction with the book.” Read more...
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading
Marion Gillooly, Librarian
“It’s a book about sharing the abundance of good in the world. It cleverly illustrates the idea that the more you give, the more you get back. It’s very sweet, and it has glitter in it!” Read more...
The Best Books on Gratitude for Kids
Dana Sheridan, Librarian
“Hairy Maclary, a scruffy little dog, trots about town. On the way he gathers up lots of dog friends. It’s a rhyming text with repetition that builds.” Read more...
The best books on Pets For Young Kids
Catherine Rayner, Children's Author
Blue Chameleon
by Emily Gravett
When the chameleon meets a pink cockatoo, he also tries to mirror it’s characteristics. Young children recognize the bird, but then when they’re a bit older they think it’s funny that the chameleon’s doing an impression.
“My son was asleep within two minutes of it finishing, which is a very pleasant bonus for a parent.” Read more...
The Best Picture Books of 2017
Zoe Greaves, Children's Author
“This is a terrific way of introducing children to the diverse families that exist and to that whole notion that there is no such thing as a typical family. It’s presented in the way that every page is a family photograph, a framed photograph.” Read more...
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading
Marion Gillooly, Librarian
“This is a beautiful, kind of sensory experience, with a textured paper on the cover. It’s a great book about challenging people’s perceptions. It’s a story of acceptance, a story of respect and encouraging children to think for themselves and be themselves. That whole thing about how we make assumptions about what a lion is, and what a lion should do” Read more...
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading
Marion Gillooly, Librarian
“This is just a great book, because it has themes around dreaming, being what you can, what you want to be, dreaming big, having ambition and being excited about what’s important to you. Rocket, the main character, is excited about space and she engages with her community to try to get them all to come along to the park to look at the meteor shower.” Read more...
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading
Marion Gillooly, Librarian
“I love Just Imagine because it’s so full of colour. It allows the child to take what they want from each page. You can take one picture from any page in this book and create a whole new story. Or talk about your own experience, or talk about which one’s your favourite. Although this book is for children turning five, much younger children love this book as well because it’s so accessible. It’s funny, it’s quirky, it makes them think, it has variety and gives the child control over how they use this book, how they enjoy it. You can pick up this book every day and see something different in it.” Read more...
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading
Marion Gillooly, Librarian
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1
Kay’s Anatomy: A Complete (and Completely Disgusting) Guide to the Human Body
by Adam Kay & Henry Paker (Illustrator) -
2
Look inside Your Body
by Louie Stowell, Kate Leake (Illustrator) -
3
Body
by Stephanie Babin, Ilaria Falorsi (Illustrator) -
4
Pirate Pete's Potty
by Andrea Pinnington & Melanie Williamson (Illustrator) -
5
Anatomy for Babies
by Jonathan Litton & Thomas Elliott (Illustrator)
Best Human Body Books for Kids, recommended by Sonia Joseph
Best Human Body Books for Kids, recommended by Sonia Joseph
An understanding of the human body can help children nurture both physical and mental health, as well as build knowledge and vocabulary about this fascinating topic. Paediatrician Sonia Joseph talks us through her pick of five books about the human body for kids, with something for every age from baby board books to middle grade non-fiction.
Best Books for Preschool Kids, recommended by Janice Stewart-Yates
With travel restricted in much of the world due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it is more important than ever to open children’s minds through books. Janice Stewart-Yates, a passionate Montessori educator, shares her recommendations for books that bring the world to children. These are some of her favourite picks for preschool classroom story time, as well as for reading with her own daughter.
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1
Sleep Tight Very Hungry Caterpillar
by world of Eric Carle -
2
Families, Families, Families!
by Max Lang (illustrator) & Suzanne Lang -
3
How to Be a Lion
by Ed Vere -
4
Look Up!
by Dapo Adeola (illustrator) & Nathan Bryon -
5
You Choose Your Dreams: originally published as Just Imagine
by Nick Sharratt (illustrator) & Pippa Goodhart
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading, recommended by Marion Gillooly
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Inspiring a Lifelong Love of Reading, recommended by Marion Gillooly
Dolly Parton is an iconic singer and songwriter, but many children around the world know her as their librarian. Through the Imagination Library she nurtures a love of books in young children. Marion Gillooly, Executive Director, The Dollywood Foundation UK, talks us through the background of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and highlights five of her favourite books in the catalogue (which she admits was really hard: “all the books are my favourites”).
