Toys

This is a highly recommendable, award-winning picture book that tells the story of a little girl whose favourite toy rabbit is kidnapped by order of the Queen, who likes the look of the toy for herself. Emily Brown is not willing to let her beloved rabbit go without a fight and goes on to teach the Queen an important lesson about the value of treasured toys.

We absolutely love this story from storytelling maestro Cressida Cowell, and grown-ups who love to read dramatically and ‘do the voices’ will have just as much fun as children listening.

A treasured toy-themed story about a child’s love for their favourite teddy. Lily has always loved her blue kangaroo toy best of all. When she acquires a set of new toys, Lily’s loyalty to Blue Kangaroo is put to the test.

This is a gentle and reassuring story that has been a favourite with Early Years children for decades.

This picture book tells the story of Tom, whose teddy is snatched in the middle of the night. Tom sets out to get to the bottom of the mystery and find the Teddy Robber himself. Can he save all of the missing bears?

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.

This is another wonderful story from popular picture book author Mini Grey (author of Traction Man). When a child’s toys are left out in the garden over night, they get unexpectedly beamed into space. The toys use their best storytelling skills to cope with their new surroundings and problem-solve their way back home. There are some great ideas for activities to go with this book on the Teachwire website.

When the toy museum closes each evening, all the toys come to life. Bunting, the old toy cat, takes it upon himself to count and inspect the toys and give them a history lesson. But one night the toys decide to teach Bunting how to have some fun. This enchanting story has detailed illustrations and children will love to spot the different toys scattered throughout the pages.

This is a high quality text full of detailed comic-style illustrations.

It follows the adventures of an Action-Man style hero with an outfit for every occasion. His daily superhero challenges include rescuing lost toys, diving in the sieve-wreck and saving distressed damsels.

Highly recommended for KS1 and filled with humorous details to pore over, this is a winner of a book.

This classic is a highly recommended choice of an early chapter book to dip into in storytime in KS1, with short, illustrated chapters that can read as individual stories or as a collection. Amelia Jane is a doll who likes to cause mischief in the toy cupboard when the humans are not around. Can the other toys keep up with Amelia’s cheeky tricks and help her to learn to be kind?

Barnaby Unboxed is another fantastic children’s book by the Fan Brothers. This, like their other offerings, is beautifully illustrated and full of depth that captures the interest of a wide age range.

The picturebook tells the tale of Barnaby, half mouse, half elephant, with a dash of flamingo. The story recounts the life of Barnaby and begins on the shop shelf of Perfect Pets, where he has lived for a long time. Finally, he is selected by a girl and life becomes perfect for Barnaby, until one day an even more perfect pet comes on the scene and he has to try to navigate a new life. He decides to step out on his own for a while and the second half of the story recounts his struggle to find where he fits in and the steps he has to take, with a little help along the way to try to find his way home and how he finally remembers who he is and his old life.

This heart-warming story is perfect to share at home or in class and is a good way of introducing themes such as identity, friendship and embracing uniqueness, as well as to accompany topics about toys. It could be shared with younger children or could be used as a stimulus for discussion on the themes with older pupils.

With the power of Stanley’s imagination, a simple stick can become any kind of toy that he wants. This entertaining story with brilliant illustrations is a celebration of children’s imaginary play.

This is a photo book that has become very popular in Early Years and KS1! It follows the story of a boy’s adventures with his toy bus, told through the voice of the bus itself. If you are looking for something a little bit different for your topic, we highly recommend this one!

Mia has just moved house and spots a dilapidated doll house on the side of the road in her neighbourhood. As she begins to repair and decorate it on her porch, other children come to join the play, bringing offerings – a lolly pop stick bed, a rug and cotton wool cushions – and all are made to feel welcome. Mia notices a boy watching from his window but is too shy to join in with their play. However, when the Autumn rain batters the house, he appears and helps her to fix it. She generously and cleverly suggests he looks after it over Winter, thus bringing him into the group of friends, that we see playing through the changing seasons.

A sensitively told story, with stunning illustrations, this would make a beautiful book for encouraging class and the whole school community, with the strong central message that every child is welcome and everyone has something to give and share with others.

An informative and accessible non-fiction text that explores how toys have changed over time, organised into easy to navigate sections with a contents page, index, glossary and timeline.