Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Rebecca Cobb Books

The Ice Cream Crocodile

Picturebook

A fabulously winning story about a crocodile who will not be sidelined, from the extraordinary team behind There’s a Tiger on the Train.

Elvis loves the circus life – The thrills, the skills, the treats, the wide-eyed crowds that cheer out loud, the rows of polished seats.

But Sidney, the ringmaster, only lets fluffy and feathery animals perform on stage. Can Elvis the crocodile show his star potential?

Colour and charm pour out of every page of this stunningly illustrated and utterly heartwarming story.

This is the first picturebook from award-winning author Sarah Crossan. A Totally Big Umbrella is a heartwarming story about Tallulah, who doesn’t like the rain. The rain ruins things for her. So to overcome her dislike of the rain, she carries around an umbrella to avoid it ruining her days.

However, walking around with an umbrella has its challenges! Soon Tallulah comes to realise that by worrying so much about the rain, when no one else is affected by it a much, she is missing out on so much more.

This is a great story to explain big feelings to smaller children and how sometimes it can take time to overcome these feelings, but sharing feelings ensures that people can help us manage them. An important lesson for all of us!

A sensitive and thoughtful story all about anxieties and the impact they can have before overcoming them. The book would be useful for PSHE and discussions about feelings and anxiety with children. An easy read with fantastic pictures to help tell the story and all of the emotions involved.

A Wild Walk to School

Rebecca Cobb

Picturebook

Getting the kids to school on time can be filled with hurdles – Rebecca Cobb perfectly captures the epic adventure it can be in A Wild Walk to School, a witty story full of imagination!

From the Waterstones prize-winner and best-selling illustrator of The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson.

It’s time to walk to school and mum wants the children to get there on time. But what Mum doesn’t realise is that the hill is in fact the tummy of a sleeping giant and it’s important to tread carefully when the floor turns to lava! It’s just as well Mum has these two Brave Explorers with her . . .

A charming, relatable and beautifully illustrated story that’s full of fun: recognisable to children and their grown-ups everywhere!

That Christmas and Other Stories

Rebecca Cobb & Richard Curtis

Picturebook

From international film phenomenon, Richard Curtis, and awardwinnning illustrator, Rebecca Cobb, comes three heartwarming tales of magical Christmases.

Gathered together for the first time in a beautiful treasury, The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas make the ultimate Christmas trilogy – filled with joy, drama and all the trimmings.

Have you been naughty or nice? Will Father Christmas visit and will there be snow? Celebrate all kinds of Christmases in these funny festive tales…

The books have now been woven together into a major animated Netflix film.

There’s a Tiger on the Train

Mariesa Dulak & Rebecca Cobb

Picturebook

This is a really good book to read to your little one, or to the whole class. It is written mainly in rhymes and the illustrations bring the story to life. The message about the dad being too busy on his mobile phone to take any notice of his son is also topical. On a train journey to the seaside, the dad and little boy are joined by all sorts of animals that the boy is fascinated by – and the dad does not notice! This leads to a fun adventure with the boy and the tiger. This is a story about connection and imagination, and there’s a message for adults too, here – don’t miss those early years of fun with your child!

For more information and ideas for using the book with children, check out author Mariesa Dulak’s guest post on the BooksForTopics blog.

Elisabeth and the Box of Colours

Katherine Woodfine & Rebecca Cobb

Chapter book, Dyslexia-friendly

Elisabeth loves to paint, just like her papa. She spends hours making her own pictures of everything she sees – and the more colourful, the better!

But when she goes away to school, she finds herself in a world of grey: grey buildings, grey uniforms, grey rooms. She misses Papa and all the colours of home. And one winter morning, she gets some terrible news that makes her days darker than ever before. Will Elisabeth be able to find the colour and joy in her life again?

A touching tale about friendship, family and finding joy in the darkest of times. Inspired by the childhood of French portrait artist Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun.

The Paper Dolls

Julia Donaldson & Rebecca Cobb

Picturebook

The Paper Dolls is a stunning, lyrical story of childhood, memory and the power of imagination from Julia Donaldson, the author of The Gruffalo , and award-winning illustrator Rebecca Cobb.

A string of paper dolls go on a fantastical adventure through the house and out into the garden. They soon escape the clutches of the toy dinosaur and the snapping jaws of the oven-glove crocodile, but then a very real pair of scissors threatens . . .

The Paper Dolls is a beautiful and evocative story from Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb, the bestselling creators of The Everywhere Bear.

Hello, Friend

Rebecca Cobb

Picturebook

A beautifully illustrated, wittily observed picture book about kindness, empathy and friendship from the award-winning Rebecca Cobb.

Hello Friend! tells the story of one big-hearted and enthusiastic little girl who is insistent on making friends with a certain little boy. And why wouldn’t he want to be friends with her? She’s very good at sharing – even if it’s a sandwich that he doesn’t like. And she’s certain that playing outside is their favourite thing to do, even if he is not so sure. But while he doesn’t seem keen on many of the things that she loves to do, there is one thing he’s very keen on after all . . . being friends.