Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home > Books

Age Group: EYFS

Picturebook

A charming new Christmas story from acclaimed author Pippa Goodhart and artist Ema Malyauka – for ages 5 and over.

Christmas is the most magical time of the year, and Old Bear is excited to spend it with her friends! If only these spindly spiders would stay out of the way! The tree is decorated perfectly for the party, but whilst Old Bear sleeps, the spiders come out to play, decorating the tree with their wondrous webs! Will Old Bear and friends see the beauty in the spiders’ hard work?

Old Bear is nostalgic for the Christmasses of her childhood, when everything felt magical – maybe she can recreate that feeling with her friends this year by throwing a party! Shooing away the pesky spiders, Old Bear decorates her house from top to toe, with a glorious Christmas tree, delicately iced cookies and colourful paper chains. While she sleeps soundly that night, the spiders, sad that they haven’t been invited, decide to peek at the jolly decorations and weave their winding wondrous webs. Morning dawns and Bear is distraught – what will her friends think?! But when the spiders beautiful work is revealed in the sunlight to the party guests, it evokes the magical Christmas feeling Bear was craving all along.

Picturebook

A laugh-out-loud Christmas cracker of a story, There Was a Young Reindeer who Swallowed a Present from Kaye Baillie and award-winning illustrator Diane Ewen is the perfect festive gift!

Everyone’s heard about the old lady who swallowed a fly, but now it’s time to meet a little reindeer who, on the most important night of the year (Christmas Eve!), swallows a present. And he doesn’t stop there! Soon he’s gobbled down an elf, a bauble, a tree . . . what will he swallow next?

A funny, cumulative rhyming story children will love, packed with elves, stockings, a very full sleigh full of gifts and, of course, Santa Claus! And one very hungry little reindeer — keep an eye on the presents under your tree!

Picturebook

Merrylegs wishes he was different. He’s just a boring riding-school pony, stomping and clomping round day after day. But with a little magic he discovers that when you love yourself, you can see the world with fresh eyes!

A future classic celebrating the power of self-belief.

Non-fiction

Why do horses wear shoes? How do horses ‘speak’? And why can’t horses burp? Answering twenty curious questions about the equine species, this book is a charming blend of zoology, history and popular culture that celebrates why horses have been such beloved companions for centuries. Featuring a myriad of different horse breeds, readers will discover what’s so unique about a horse’s body and its behaviour, and why they deserve to be well cared for.

Non-fiction

Travel the world in this awe-inspiring new gift title from the British Museum featuring 50 spectacular new festivals that you won’t want to miss!

It’s time to celebrate as you explore some of the world’s most exciting festivals from different countries, cultures and religions around the globe. From the familiar to the unexpected, discover how and why festivals bring people together to enjoy all kinds of sensational celebrations.

List of festivals included: Arbor Day, Argungu Fishing Festival, Barriletes Gigantes, Bloemencorso Zundert, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Constitution Day, Crepissage De La Grande Mosquée, Cure Salée, Dia de los Muertos, Diablos Danzantes del Yare, Diwali, Duanwu, Easter, Eid, Festival of Giants, Festival of Near-Death Experiences, Fiesta de la Tirana, Gion Festival, Golden Stilt Festival, Guca Trumpet Festival, Guy Fawkes Night, Halloween, Heiva i Tahiti, Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, Indian Market, Inti Raymi, Juneteenth, Kurentovanje, Kuru Dance Festival, Lajkonik, Las Parrandas, Lotus Lantern Festival, Moussem of Sidi Hmad Mghani, Naadam, Nowruz, Oruro Carnival, Pchum Ben, Pesach, Quebec Winter Carnival, Rio Carnival, Tango Festival, Thanksgiving, The Great Ethiopian Run, Toraja Funeral Rites, Vaisakhi, Venice Carnival, Waitangi Day, World Science Festival, Yam Festival

Picturebook

Miko likes things to be perfect. When she makes lopsided sushi for her grandmother’s birthday, she replaces it with perfectly formed sushi created by a restaurant robot. Upon delivering her gift, Miko discovers that kokoro (heart) – not impeccability – is the key ingredient to the perfect present. Sprinkled with engaging onomatopoeia, this unique title is infused with Japanese culture and delivers a universal message about the value of intention. A do-it-yourself sushi recipe is included.

Picturebook

Hana has a humongous collection of hijabs and accessories – and her hijab is always styled superbly. But when her overflowing collection gets a little out of hand, Hana knows something needs to be done . . . and comes up with a clever plan for sharing her talents and possessions with her community! Young makers will chuckle along with this humorous tale of creative problem-solving and learning to help others.

Picturebook

During her town’s Ganesha Chaturthi festival, young Prema comes up with an innovative plan to save the river from pollution. Persevering through multiple obstacles, she convinces her friends to help her create natural clay Ganesha statues to replace the plaster ones that harm the river when they dissolve. Created by an author and artist from different parts of India and set in modern-day India, this inclusive tale of activism, ingenuity and sustainability is sure to inspire young readers. Endnotes include information about Ganesha Chaturthi, a recipe for homemade sculpting dough and instructions for making an earth-friendly statue

Non-fictionPicturebook

Explore Christmas traditions from 13 different countries! Rhyming text and detailed illustrations make the book accessible to younger readers, while educational endnotes about the 13 celebrations add interest for older children. Gold ink and festive illustrations capture the joy of the season and make this book a beautiful gift in itself. Engaging and informative for anyone who wants to learn about the holiday.
Features Christmas traditions from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Australia, Italy, Serbia, Mexico, India, Iceland, Egypt, Argentina, Philippines, Lebanon, Canada

Best Children’s Books about Diverse Families 

Families come in all shapes and sizes! Our All Different Families booklist is designed for anyone seeking to promote diversity and inclusion in their personal or school settings, including parents, teachers, and those looking for personal development.

This varied booklist of picturebooks and chapter books includes relatable stories representing children from a whole variety of family structures, as well as books that will help all children to encounter and understand a range of family types that may not look like their own.

From stories of foster families like The Star Outside my Window and The House with a Dragon in it, to families featuring same-sex parents like Who’s Your Real Mum and My Daddies, there’s something for all primary ages on this booklist.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments