Reception Booklist: 50 Recommended Reads

In every Reception or Infant class, you’ll find fans of Supertato and his hilarious crew of vegetable friends (not forgetting his nemesis, Evil Pea).

Written by husband and wife team Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, the books are enjoyed by readers who like a high dose of action and hilarious characters who mean business.

This is a tremendously popular story that has now been developed into a series of books and a TV show. It tells the funny tale of Supertato, the unlikely superhero who is on a mission to protect the other vegetables from the Evil Pea. A laugh-out-loud story that children want to hear again and again.

Making his first appearance in 1968, Elmer the Patchwork Elephant has been entertaining young readers for decades and remains one of the most iconic and well-known children’s book characters of all time.

The Elmer stories feature a bright and multicoloured main character who inspires readers to embrace inclusivity, connect with friends and find joy in celebrating difference.

A classic book for Reception and Early Years children.

We’ll never grow tired of this creative tongue-twister series of stories that make for perfect read-it-together books for families and classroom settings – it’s ridiculously good fun that takes ‘the cat sat on a mat’ to a whole new level of hilarity.

The award-winning series includes Oi Frog!, Oi Dog!, Oi Cat!, Oi Duck-billed Platypus! and Oi Puppies!, and each book is based on the premise of instructing a menagerie of animals where to sit, using rhyme (for example, hares sit on chairs and lions sit on irons). The funny interplay between the unconvinced frog (who does not want to sit on a log, by the way), and the experienced mat-sitting cat, is what makes this book such a hoot.

Children in EYFS love this book, which always gets little ones joining in with the wonderfully silly rhymes. It is a good book for Reception phonics learning and also just to read for fun. The illustrations are bright and colourful and it is exactly the kind of go-to story time treat that teachers rely on for guaranteed giggles for classroom story sessions.

This hugely popular picture book is part of the ‘Harry and the Dinosaurs’ series.

Harry finds a set of dinosaur toys and claims them for his own. The dinosaurs quickly become beloved and travel everywhere with Harry in his bucket. They soon go everywhere with him, until he loses them! When he encounters their finder, Harry has to prove they are really his.

Any child who has known the magic of imaginative play or felt the heartbreak of a lost toy will find instant appeal in this timeless tale, which was first published over twenty years ago.

Julia Donaldson’s bandit story is a must-have for EYFS and KS1 and a clever twist on the famous poem The Highwayman. The story follows a thieving rat on horseback who robs everyone he meets, stealing everything from a rabbit’s clover to a leaf from a line of ants. All is going swimmingly for him, until a duck eventually leads the baddie to his comeuppance.

The rhyming text moves at a suitably galloping pace and is built for reading aloud. Children love the repeated refrains of “I am the Rat of the Highway”, which is perfect for joining in with!

A high-energy and memorable story time choice, this story also makes for a great resource for exploring themes of greed and fairness.

The Panda-Badger introduces readers to Pablo, who lives in a seemingly fixed world badgers look like badgers and pandas look like pandas, and everyone knows where they belong. But Pablo is neither one nor the other! He is a unique mix of both. In a society that sees the world in binaries, Pablo’s very existence challenges the boundaries of belonging.

This story sensitively explores the idea that strengths and weaknesses are sometimes a matter of perspective. The badgers thrive in water, while the pandas avoid it. Pablo is in between. Where does someone belong when they do not neatly fit the categories that others rely on? How can Pablo stay true to himself when he feels pulled in opposing directions?

The book provides a platform for discussion about identity, diversity and empathy. This would be great to use a discussion starter for why someone might feel as though they don’t fit in and what others (friends, classmates, communities etc) can do to support those who are questioning the value of their identity.

Augustus the tiger has lost his smile and he now feels sad. This delightful book follows his journey through different landscapes to find his smile again. He looks everywhere he can think of to find his smile but is initially unsuccessful in his search. Only when he spots his reflection in a rain puddle does Augustus realise that his smile returns whenever he is happy – in this case because he has found happiness looking at the wonderful world around him.

This is a beautifully illustrated picture book with images that capture the emotions of the story and bring them alive for young readers.

There is a lovely trend for narrative non-fiction, and I think this book fits into that category perfectly. It is the story of the whale, and it is packed with facts, as well as a double page spread of facts at the end.

Yuval Zommer is an artist, each page filled with exquisite detail, designed to be gazed at and enjoyed as well as to inform. The colours are rich and alluring, and the pictures contain movement – most appropriate for a whale’s journey through the ocean. The text is simple but also informative with small repetitions throughout. In places the font moves with the pictures as if it was moving with the motion of the sea.

This book also contains themes of marine conservation, touching upon the impact of humans on the whale and the ocean in general. The depth of this text is that it can be used by a wide range of age groups as well as just being enjoyed for the wonderful illustrations.

The Snow Thief is a beautifully illustrated picture book that captures the magic and mystery of winter. The bright, detailed illustrations are engaging and provide plenty for children to explore, making it perfect for shared reading in the classroom or at home. They would be a great tool to support and promote discussion. Through the story, children can notice seasonal changes such as frost, snow and the way animals adapt to the colder months. This makes it a great resource for exploring weather, seasons and nature in the Early Years and Key Stage 1 curriculum.

This book works well alongside the others in the series to support building an understanding of the natural world across the year.

We can’t get enough of Pumpkin Soup and it is a real story time favourite for Reception and KS1 children.

Cat, Duck and Squirrel are friends who live in an old white cabin, making pumpkin soup together every day. One day, the strength of their relationship is put to the test when duck decides to switch roles and what follows is a compassionate adventure about friendship and belonging.

We adore the warm, vibrant colours of the illustrations, the rich language and captivating storytelling in this autumn-time classic.

These classic stories from Norwegian children’s author Alf Prøysen follow the adventures of Mrs Pepperpot, who magically shrinks to the size of a pepper pot at the most inconvenient times. Everyday tasks become big adventures and children love the funny escapades and Mrs Pepperpot’s no-nonsense approach to solving problems.

This illustrated version of a true children’s classic is brilliant for Reception-aged children.

A nostalgia-filled tale that adults love just as much as children, making it an all round winner for read-aloud story times in the Early Years. This classic reading book by beloved children’s author-illustrator Shirley Hughes was voted the public’s favourite CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal winner.

We are very fond of this lost-and-found story, in which Dave accidentally loses his favourite stuffed toy, Dogger. Shortly afterwards, Dogger turns up on a stall at the school fete, but there are a few bumps along the way before the pair are happily reunited.

This is a sincere toy-themed story about a very familiar scenario. Many children (and parents) will know the heartbreak of losing a favourite toy, and hopefully some will also relate to the joy of being reunited! Beautiful written and illustrated, this tender children’s picturebook is a must-read for young children.

How would you solve the problem if 1 million wasps invaded your town? The residents of Itching Down find a creative solution by trying to construct a giant jam sandwich to trap the wasps.

Some of the language and illustrations seem quaint to modern readers, but this adds to the retro charm of the book and the strong rhyming structure carries the story at a great pace. Children love the imaginative efforts of the townspeople (supersize food always seems to capture young children’s imaginations) and the story could lead into a host of creative activities including baking, designing, acting and drawing.

This classic rhyming picturebook and classroom favourite has stood the test of time and is still a big hit in Reception and KS1 classrooms.

Get pupils choosing, imagining and expressing their own preferences with this massively appealing picture book full of choices.

Each double-page spread is themed around a different choice to make and packed with all sorts of possibilities from the tame to the outright wacky; choose furniture for your ideal house, choose a pet (watch out for the dragon) and choose favourite food (the ice cream looks good but I’m not sure about the boar’s head!).

The You Choose series of books have seen enormous popularity and are well-loved by children because of the premise of letting the reader choose items from an appealing illustrated scene on each page. Readers are invited to select their favourite food, destination, clothing, hobby and family from a mix of plausible and not-so-plausible cartoon options, illustrated by the inimitable Nick Sharratt. These engaging books have mileage to be read over and over again, and children love interacting with them together with friends or family as they discuss their choices.

There is nothing that can quite take the place of this fantastically engaging series!

Jill Murphy’s Large family has captured the gentle chaos of family life for over 40 years, celebrated in this anniversary edition with a beautiful gold cover.

Mrs Large just wants a moment of quiet, but her energetic children follow her everywhere, from the messy breakfast table right into the bubbly bathtub.

This series has earned its place as a must-have for Early Years story times. Gentle, funny, and timelessly relatable for both adults and children!

Waffles & Julius has been a smash hit at our library storytime sessions! Children love the floppy, lolloping Waffles who just wants a hug, and the aloof Julius, who really doesn’t.

The characters jump off the page with fun and silliness. It’s a fantastic book to read aloud and really give the characters voice. The simple line drawings and bright colours by Ed Vere are so attractive and exuberant – there’s no visual clutter at all which means Waffles and Julius tell the whole story with their body language and facial expressions.

Very much recommended for Reception and Y1 classes and for library borrowing.

Pearl loves her large, loving grape family. One day, however, she learns that she is actually a pea. Convinced that being a family means everyone looks the same, she goes in search of her pea family. With the help of her friends, she learns the real meaning of family isn’t always about looks.

This story is perfect for showing the real meaning of family. With so many different types of families, this book is great. The illustrations are adorable and child-friendly.

We absolutely love Barry Falls’ rhyming and joyful picturebook, Tiny McToot. It tells the fun tale of Tiny McToot, a surprisingly small giant who demonstrates that even the littlest can make a big impact.

The story’s vibrant rhythm and engaging illustrations make it an entertaining read-aloud, sure to bring smiles to EYFS and KS1 classrooms.

This book also carries an empowering message. It champions the idea that size doesn’t determine strength or significance, making it a brilliant choice for boosting confidence among the youngest children in the school. Tiny McToot is simply a really fun and uplifting story that children will want to revisit again and again.

A gently challenging picture book from the author of The Boy at the Back of the Class.

Adam is determined to befriend the new girl in his class, but she isn’t interested in the usual playground games. Through patience and a quiet act of kindness, he eventually reaches her on her own terms, proving that connection can take time and patience, and doesn’t have to be forced.

This illustrated story gives teachers and parents a way to introduce the topic of refugees to younger children, as well as exploring wider themes of welcoming others and giving people time to come out of their shell. The illustrations highlight the pair’s connection, while the practical tips at the back could be helpful for discussions about empathy and how to welcome newcomers.

Yazmin is so excited to meet her Nani for the first time and play superheroes with her, but when she arrives, communication proves difficult as Nani only speaks Punjabi. However, love has a language all of its own, and Nani creates Yazmin a new superhero doll that looks just like her! They begin using their imagination, sharing play and individual words, and they build a strong bond together, proving that communication is more than just spoken language.

I love the references to Yazmin’s Punjabi heritage – the inclusion of words such as khedo and khaao, applying mhendi and wearing the salwar kameez, as well as the Pakistani tradition of mothers making rag dolls for their children. The vibrant illustrations complement the superhero theme, and speech bubbles and clever text placement all combine to make this a very engaging read.

The back matter includes a glossary, brilliant instructions for creating a rag doll and a personal note from the author about the inspiration for the story.

For many children, moving to a new school, town, street or even within a block of flats, can be a daunting experience, not least because old friends may be lost and there is a fear of not making new friends. This book is perfect for children in situations of change (including class transitions) or for teachers and parents to explore with children what makes a ‘good friend’.

The character in the book creates a new friend from a variety of art materials, and this is a worthwhile activity to do for children, enabling them to talk about friendships and what is important to them about either their friends or about a friend they would like to have. Clearly, sensitivity is key to sharing this book.

The illustrations are bold and vibrant with a wide representation of children shown in the pictures. There is plenty to talk about in the pictures, providing scope for discussion and questions. This is a simple book with a clear and easy message to follow and useful for any early years or KS1 class.

A gorgeous story book for younger children with themes of perseverance and learning not to give up, as well as STEM and engineering. Jabari wishes to make a flying machine that can really soar through the air in the garden. Just like many of the best inventions, it doesn’t work properly on the first attempt and a little trial and error is needed to tweak the design. Jabari is disappointed, but with a bit of encouragement from his family to keep on trying, he soon begins to see success.

Young children will be able to relate to the frustration of models and designs not working properly and the challenge of not giving up. Jabari’s father and sister offer fantastic encouragement and we also see familiar family dynamics as Jabari is not sure that he wants to include his sister in his game, but the teamwork pays off in the end. Jabari becomes a good role model when he adapts the attitude to keep trying to reach his goal, and readers celebrate with him when his success is the fruit of his tenacity.

The book could inspire some STEM-themed projects, research into some of the scientific figures mentioned to simply discussions on the topic of perseverance.

This heartfelt picture book tells the story of Aminah’s comfortable life – full of love, joy, family and sunshine. Versus a new adventure that is the complete opposite – cold, grey and strange.

Everything is just fine for Aminah until she is told she and her parents are leaving. This is not the adventure she craves, especially as her grandfather is not coming with her. Landing in a cold, dark and grey new place, Aminah longs for everything she has lost, especially her Da. Her warmth and happiness are gone. But despite being scared of new surroundings, Aminah is encouraged to look for the sunshine, because then she will feel her Da in her heart.

This beautifully written and illustrated picture book combines the right sentiment of being brave to give something new a go, whilst holding on to what you’ve lost. Being kind and patient with yourself can be hard, but it is all too often worth it. This book will encourage conversations about coping with change and finding ways to stay connected to our loved ones, no matter the distance. Perfect for any age, I know this will be welcomed into any household, classroom or library to share, discuss and above all cherish.

These stories are perfect very first chapter books for young readers. The text is larger and wider spaced than most chapter books and the pages are fully colour-illustrated with a bright and bold palette.

Princess Minna is an adventurous, modern princess who is full of life and keen to use her resourcefulness to help whoever is in need along the way. From dealing with dragons to saving a prince in distress, Minna always has an adventure to tackle head on.

Not short of funny moments, this early chapter book series makes for a highly entertaining reading book for children ready to move on from picturebooks to something short and illustrated with multiple chapters.

This is the first instalment of a charming new series by author Nicola Kent. Cat and Dumpling are best friends, but they’re very different. Cat is a dreamer who loves to knit, and Dumpling is a cautious planner who loves gardening. So when they are looking for their first home, it turns out it is in the SAME flat.

This is a perfect introduction to a short chapter book for early readers. The story tells of pranks and schemes that provide fun and laughter. Alongside beautiful full colour illustrations depicting best friends, Cat and Dumpling are loveable and charming from the outset. Will these opposites put their differences aside?

A gorgeous read-aloud classroom story or a short chapter book to stretch a newly independent reader. Keep a lookout for the next book in the series: Cat and Dumpling: The Talent Show.

We highly recommend the Marv series, about an ordinary boy who finds that his superhero skills are very much in need! This is a short, illustrated chapter book with a cool, male protagonist and a spirit of action-adventure.

The story starts with Marvin as an ordinary school boy. When he finds a superhero suit in the attic, he transforms and he must put his powers to the test to stop a villain from causing chaos and destruction (via zombies and giant toy pandas) at the funfair.

This early, colour-illustrated chapter book series is suitable for first chapter books to read together or as an independent read for children in the stages of advancing onto chapter books by themselves.

This picture book provides a beautifully illustrated introduction to Chinese New Year.

The night before the celebrations, Mai-Anne explains that the Lunar New Year is about to arrive and that her family enjoys a special set of traditions. Mai-Anne helps to clean and decorate the house and is excited when her grandmother (Nai Nai) arrives in time for the most important dinner of the year – fish for good luck, noodles for a long life, dumplings for blessings and nian gao for success. After dinner, Mai-Anne and Nai Nai settle down together and Nai Nai recounts the important story of the Great Race. Along with Mai-Anne, the reader learns about the story of the twelve animals who race to cross the river. Then Mai-Anne enjoys a special family Dragon Dance, eats sweet tangerines and wears a special red outfit for luck.

This is a lovely picture book to read at Chinese New Year but also all year round too as a book that celebrates family moments, bonds with grandparents and the joy of special traditions. The illustrations and text are both warm and celebratory in tone. It also features a non-fiction section on the final pages with more information about Chinese New Year and the dragon dance.

Martha loves making maps and readers will love exploring them!

Starting in space, zooming down to street level and then inside a home, Martha Maps it Out is a great introduction to finding your way around. In standard picture book story format, it’s also fact-filled and informative. The book certainly suits curious minds who will enjoy exploring the detail to find facts on each double page. We particularly liked the clear labelling and use of colour throughout. The presentation is fun with an illustration style reminiscent of Lauren Child’s collages. There are even interactive mazes in the end-papers!

This geography-themed children’s book would be a great addition to any school library or reading corner and is ideal for children to explore alone, or in small groups as a discussion starter. It could be used to support KS1 topics in geography and maths, such as local area mapping, towns and cities, geographical scale and as a general introduction to map work. A really fun book for young readers.

Invited to meet local beekeeper, Zora, Lulu is buzzing with excitement, keen to learn all about bees and the delicious honey they make. Up on Zora’s rooftop garden, Lulu watches the bees foraging amongst the flowers, understanding how vital they are for pollination. It is essential to be safe when looking inside the hives, so Lulu puts on a special suit whilst Zora opens them up and points out the important aspects, such as the queen and the complex structures the bees make. Afterwards, they taste the honey the bees and Zora explains how to help them, by planting flower seeds. At home, that is what Lulu does, filling her flowerpots with colour.

Illustrated in Rosalind Beardshaw’s signature naturalist, softly coloured style, warmth and friendliness emanates from the pages, and features lovely images including Lulu dressed as a bee. The endpapers also add to the story, showing the progression from a row of sad, almost empty flowerpots to the same one ones brimming with blooms, buzzing with bees.

This is a gentle, warm introduction to the complex world of bees, which makes a good introductory story for a topic on the subject. Highly recommended for the school library and classroom bookshelf.

This book is a perfect addition to any library or classroom. The stunning illustrations complement a really heartwarming story about Nuha who travels to Oman to spend a summer. She is apprehensive and anxious about the trip and it all feels very far away from home. When she mislays her beloved doll Mary, she wonders if she will ever be able to enjoy her time in a place that feels very different to her usual surroundings. As the story unfolds, Nuha starts to appreciate Oman and the sights, smells and tastes and replaces her beloved doll in the Souk. The ending of the book has some information on some of the places visited and information on the arabic words and phrases used in the text.

Once I Was a Tree uses fabulous illustrations and just the right amount of toilet-humour to explain the life of this book, once a tree and formerly a seed that came out of a squirrel’s bottom!

There are references to seed dispersal, plant life-cycles and deforestation that will help readers consider aspects of how humans utilise natural resources and how they can be respectful of the world around them.

If you enjoy funny picture books that explain how things work, you will enjoy this picturebook.

Inspired by his father’s passion for trees, Ken Wilson-Max’s picturebook is a delightful introduction to conservation and care for the natural environment.

Eve is lively and thoughtful, living at the edge of a big, old forest. She loves everything about it, the trees most of all, especially the Baobab, the African “tree of life”. On her birthday, Eve and her parents visit Grandma, deep in the forest, where she gets a magical surprise. Unwrapping the bark from around a parcel that Grandma has carried to a special place, she finds a Baobab seedling to plant and take care of. Following family tradition, it will grow next to the trees that her father, grandma and great-grandma nurtured, connecting her forever with the forest she loves.

The bold, rich colours used to illustrate the book joyfully conjure the heat, the vibrant flowers and the many shades of green to be found in the forest.

This is the story of Tad, the smallest tadpole among her siblings. Tad desperately tries to keep up with the others, not wanting to get left behind – especially as she has heard that ‘Big Blub’ is lurking in the depths of the water. Over time, Tad watches her siblings grow and change, and eventually make the leap out of the water as they become fully grown frogs. When the time comes for Tad to follow in their path, it will take a heap of courage to embrace the next adventure and leap into life.

This is a vibrantly illustrated nature story by Benji Davies, with plenty to spot and count. A good book for Reception or KS1 about life cycles, growth and change or facing new challenges.

Super Uma is a colourful picture book featuring a superhero called Uma.

Uma loves spreading happiness and helping others alongside her Nani and her unicorn sidekick, Chip. Uma lives in a city called Sparkleopolis, a colourful and dynamic place to live. But one day, the city begins to lose its sparkle. Uma discovers what took the sparkle out of the city and uses kindness and understanding to ensure everyone is happy.

This is a story about empathy and inclusion. Many children will see similarities with their own feelings around loud noises, bright colours and the need for a quieter, less stimulating environment, like the tiger does. There is diverse representation throughout this uplifting and engaging book.

A unique and interesting story about a little girl who helps the sky to reframe her discouraged feelings.

Isla loves the sky and sees its beauty no matter what. She thinks the sky is beautiful on thundery days, on rainy days and dull days, and on cloudy nights – not just on days when it is bold and bright. So Isla paints the sky and all its beauty. But Sky, who is personified in the story, can hear people complaining when she isn’t feeling bright and so she decides to try as hard as she can to smile all the time and make every day be bright, blue and brilliant (even when she is feeling stormy) because the people only seem to like her when she is happy.

However, all of Isla’s paintings start to look the same – she misses seeing all the different moods and colours of the sky. She sets about to convince Sky that it’s okay not to feel sunny all the time and that she should let all of her feelings show, whatever the weather.

This is an absolutely beautifully illustrated and captivating book, which shares the very important message about accepting and naming emotions, and helping others to navigate their own storms.

This is an absolutely lovely story about a relatable experience (school trip), told with a dash of pizzazz, a sprinkle of empathy and a dollop of awe and wonder.

Luna’s school trip captures all the excitement of wandering through a massive art gallery. While Luna is busy soaking up the masterpieces, she notices her classmate Finn isn’t having such a great time, turning the story into a gentle look at empathy and how our home backgrounds shape how we see the world. Luna and her mum are kind to Finn, which brings joy to all involved.

The textured pages are where the wow factor sits, reminding readers of that delight of encountering worlds of art for the first time. The illustrations tell of the absolute joy of a gallery trip. It introduces names like Van Gogh and Louise Bourgeois without feeling overly educational, making it a great pick for EYFS or KS1 to explore both art and the emotions it can stir.

Simply beautiful.

Where do ideas come from? Maybe they grow in the ground like a seed. Maybe you bake them like a bun. Perhaps you can catch a shimmering idea from the sea, or pluck a ripe one from the branches of a tree . . .

Follow a little girl as she curiously tries to find the answer to this very big question. A clever and colourful book for younger readers which brings together adventure, a range of contexts and subjects.

As the little girl sets out to catch ‘a super-shiny, sparkling, brand-new’ idea, she asks advice from those she meets along the way. Children are sure to have plenty of their own thoughts about where ideas come from – perhaps they might be inspired to start a notebook like hers, allowing them to draw, note, write and scribble as ideas and thoughts come to them.

The lovely illustrations (drawn as if in a child’s hand) complement the narrative, and the cute squirrel companion added a touch of humour with its antics.

This lively poetry collection is a brilliant follow-up for those who, like us, loved A First Book of Dinosaurs. Simon Mole uses his poetic skill to give a voice to everything from ants to scorpions, through a mix of poetic styles from snappy haikus and rhythmic verses that are perfect for reading aloud.

The language is playful, making it a fantastic EYFS and KS1 resource for exploring alliteration and onomatopoeia. Children who love minibeasts will also adore the bold and bright illustrations, which show bugs larger than life against vibrant backgrounds.

This is a real celebration of the tiny but mighty world of creepy crawlies, and will inspire children to get out into the garden to go hunting for bugs of different shapes and sizes.

This beautiful book has a dreamteam of components: Nicola Davies, Mark Hearld, poetry and nature. Together they create something that belongs in multiple genres. It’s a poetry book, an art book – Hearld’s woodblock prints are one with the words – and an information book.

The book poetically guides young children through the seasons, and the poems about British wildlife, weather and trees depict how special each one is, while gently informing. An essential addition to any library or classroom, and a fine multi-topic book for any age group.

A meticulously detailed and fun way to learn about cities across the world in this vibrant, playful information text. Almost a modern version of Where’s Wally or Richard Scarry, Tengiz takes a double page for each city; full page city illustrations presented in colourful building blocks with rivers and waterways weaving through.

The cities are populated with a raft of weird and wonderful characters, some human, some animal-like. The text reveals smatterings of foreign languages, as well as dotted information about food and drink, the city’s history, green spaces, famous landmarks, and incidental details, such as the numbers of stray cats in Rome.

This lively and beautiful book will capture imaginations, provoke curiosity and provide hours of looking. Cities include Mexico City, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Budapest, Seoul, Tokyo and Istanbul, New York, Rome, London and Amsterdam. The contents page shows where in the world the cities are. A fantastically intriguing book – joyful!

In this human anatomy fact book for younger children, Dr Emily shows us just how extraordinary our ordinary bodies are.

Beautifully laid out, with big bold central illustrations, the book swiftly dives through the elements that make up our amazing bodies, from bones to muscles, organs, digestive system, senses and the brain. With just enough detail to be truly informative, such as detailing the functions of each organ, key muscles and bones, a dissection of a brain, a diagram of the heart and ear, there are also enough cute illustrations of children and dogs for it to be attractive rather than dry.

The end explores staying healthy, how the body deals with sickness such as exploring scabbing over grazes for example, this is an excellent primer for curious future doctors (and everyone small who wants to know more about their bodies!).

We are big fans of non-fiction books that get the level right for younger children, and this is an absolute gem!

Each page is themed around a ‘why’ question, and answers the questions in an encyclopaedia style format, with small chunks of text, images and large, clear photographs. We love the child-friendly language, the dip-in-dip-out nature of the book and the fun questions that will really appeal to curious little ones (such as ‘Why does popcorn pop?’, ‘Why does an octopus have suckers?’ and ‘Why do astronauts wear suits?’).

This book would make an excellent gift for a young child or a popular browsing choice in Reception classroom reading corners.

Aimed at young children, this book would be a perfect way to introduce the basics of water, including oceans, habitats, the water cycle and weather. We love this series, which also includes Wonder World: Earth.

This science and geography encompassing book is written with younger readers in mind, providing a great foray into non-fiction for early years children. The illustrations are bright and bold (who wouldn’t want to dive into that cover?!) and the technical vocabulary is reinforced at an age appropriate level. I can see lots of opportunities for reading across the curriculum, as well as learning opportunities that could be inspired by this text.