Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Puffin

Waffles and Julius: No Hugs Please

Picturebook

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.

Monkeypig

Huw Aaron

Picturebook

From the author of Unfairies and Sleep Tight, Disgusting Bob, comes a hilarious and beautifully illustrated picture book all about Molly: a fine specimen that one would find living in the jungle at home with all the other monkeys…except she’s not a monkey…she’s a pig-a monkey-pig! But isn’t she just what every troop of monkeys needs?!

This book shows that you can be who you want to be and others should accept you for who you are – not what you look like or how you eat a banana!

This is a great book to share with KS1. It is filled to the brim with a rich vocabulary that encourages discussion and exploration. A picture book worthy of every bookshelf — and one sure to make us smile.

Super Uma

Nakul P. & Rashmi Sirdeshpande

Picturebook

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.

Is This a Plum?

Dan Ojari & Finn Ojari

Picturebook

A classic in the making, this is an inspired book by father and son team Daniel and Finn Ojari (aged 8!). The pair came up with the idea when doodling together at the kitchen table, and noticing the remarkable similarities between objects – a plum and a hippos bum for example! The result is a laugh-out-loud funny, joyous reading experience for younger children, full of simple but gorgeous artwork. A cut out hole in a page reveals part of a drawing, making the reader think they see one thing, but turn the page and the whole object is revealed to be something entirely different!

The call and response structure of the book encourages reader participation, and young children will be unable to resist the challenge of guessing what the hidden image could be in each scenario. Each call rhymes with its response, cleverly and subtly engaging children’s language skills along with their powers of observation.

It’s a brilliant book – an irresistible concept, funny and beautifully presented. This absolutely deserves a place on every nursery and reception bookshelf!

PAWS: Gabby Gets it Together

Michele Assarasakorn & Nathan Fairbairn

Chapter book

An adorable graphic novel series about best friends, cute dogs, and all the fun (and trouble) that comes with them. This funny and heartwarming series is The Baby-Sitters Club for pets – and perfect for 8+ fans of Rollergirl and Lottie Brooks.

Meet best friends Gabby, Priya, and Mindy. They’re different in just about every way, but they have a few important things in common: they’re in the same class, they absolutely love animals, and for various super-sad and unfair reasons, none of them can own any pets. Sob!

But, as luck would have it, it seems their neighborhood is in need of some afterschool dog-walkers. So, just like that, PAWS is born! However . . . it turns out running a business is harder than it looks, especially when their adorable pup clients all have such different needs – and the girls can’t agree on how best to help them. When the girls’ fighting leads to a doggo crisis, their friendship threatens to tear apart – can they get it together, and save the day?

Malala’s Magic Pencil

Kerascoet & Malala Yousafzai

Picturebook

This picture book version of a well-loved autobiography tells the story of Malala’s journey from a young girl in Pakistan to a global activist. Growing up, Malala wished for a magic pencil to fix the problems she saw around her, but she soon discovers that her voice and a real pen are much more powerful tools for change.

The book handles big themes like equality and girls’ educational rights with a gentle and hopeful touch. The beautiful illustrations, with shimmering gold highlights, capture the hope and optimism of Malala’s message.

This is a must-have for the classroom simply to inspire, and also useful as a springboard for discussions in PSHE about equal rights and how one child really can change the world.

The Far-Out Five: Snot Jelly Island

Olaf Falafel

Graphic novel

The Far-Out Five, Jelly Snot Island, is a wonderful Graphic Novel. The story follows four friends who go to watch a magic show because the magician is so bad at magic that it makes it funny. The magician finally manages to do some magic, which results in the four friends and the magician being transformed into a unicorn, a wallaby, a bathtub, a goose and a seal!

The group is travelling around magical worlds, helping different people to defeat evil monsters while trying to find the magician’s wand to enable them to change back and return home.

This is a brilliant book for children in Years Three to Five. The fantastic illustrations bring the story to life. This would be a brilliant book for reluctant readers to encourage them to read a longer story. As the first in the series, it may encourage them to read more once it is finished.

This book could be a great stimulus for children to make their own fantasy world with a monster that needs defeating. Children would enjoy writing or creating the next adventure for these friends.

The First Christmas

Jan Pienkowski

Picturebook

Experience the true spirit of Christmas with this rich celebration of the nativity story – newly reissued.

With words from the King James Bible and stunning silhouettes by Jan Pienkowski, the master of dramatic design, the very first Christmas is brought gloriously to life.

A classic and the perfect Christmas gift.

How to Grow a Reindeer

Rachel Morrisroe & Steven Lenton

Picturebook

Join Sarah and Mr Pottifer in their magical plant shop, where fantastical creatures grow on trees!

It’s nearly Christmas Day when an unexpected visitor arrives – it’s Santa, and he needs their help!

His reindeer are in bed with Antler Flu and without them, he can’t deliver his presents on time. But growing well-behaved reindeer isn’t as easy as it seems. . . and before long the mischevious creatures have created a rather MERRY MESS!

Can Sarah figure out a way to save Christmas before it’s too late?

This rhyming story full of festive fun celebrates being different, and the importance of teamwork.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (Hardback Deluxe Collector’s Edition)

Rick Riordan

Chapter book

A gorgeous, foiled, clothbound edition of THE LIGHTNING THIEF with brand new interior art – a must-have for all Percy Jackson fans!

The son of a sea god has never looked so good!

Rick Riordan’s classic first novel, THE LIGHTNING THIEF, has been dressed up in a deluxe, clothbound edition with a foiled cover, stained edges, a marker ribbon, ten pages of new interior illustrations, and notes from Rick. The perfect edition to beautify any book collector’s shelf.

Return to the World of Percy Jackson in the best-selling, new adventure featuring the original hero in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Chalice of the Gods – out now!