Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: EYFS Topics

Following on from Never Show a T-Rex a Book and Never Teach a Stegosaurus to Do Sums, this latest what-if dinosaur adventure has captured the imaginations of little ones afresh.

The story invites the reader to suppose what could happen if a big fun-loving dinosaur let her artistic side go wild. From crayons and paint to full colour explosions – anything could happen! Young children love the larger-than-life character and can relate to the sheer joyfulness of getting vibrant and messy with art projects. Adults who have ever set foot in an EYFS classroom while the paints are out will find plenty of familiar scenes to smile about too.

Amid the host of dino-themed books available, we especially enjoyed this series. It is refreshing to have a female dinosaur as a lead character, doing something other than marauding after prey!

A super-fun ode to boundless creativity.

Our feisty heroine Eliza Jane isn’t your average child. Instead of a cute, fluffy bunny, she has her heart firmly set on a prehistoric pet. Join Eliza Jane and her parents on a marvellous magical tour of their local dinosaur department store.

From huge, stomping sauropods stretching their necks to a pair of loved-up Ankylosaurs called Maud and Frank, there are plenty of amazing dinosaurs for Eliza Jane to choose from. But this wild child is hatching a fantastic plan of her own.

With the rich and vivid art of bestselling illustrator Richard Merritt and a witty rhyming text by picture book author Lily Murray, this truly wild picture book will appeal to dino-loving, adventurous children everywhere.

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.

Molly’s toy rabbit, Tatty Ratty, is lost again. Might he be driving a train?…or sailing on a pirate ship? An imaginative and heart-warming story, with glowing illustrations from Helen Cooper, twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal.

This fast-paced story by the well-loved children’s author Julia Donaldson follows the story of the unlikely hero Superworm as he is put under a spell by the Wizard Lizard. The rhyming narrative and bright, detailed illustrations make for a popular and enjoyable story time. There is also a Read & Respond guide available from Amazon.

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?

Part of the popular Kipper series, this story is a big hit in EYFS and one with plenty of parts that children love to join in with. When Kipper finds that something has nibbled a hole in his toy box, he sets about to solve the mystery and find out what has been happening with his overcrowded toy collection.

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?

This uplifting tale about holding on to your dreams is set among the Turkana people from north-west Kenya. Etabo’s deepest wish is to become a camel racer. When his father is forced to sell the family camels to have enough money to buy water, Etabo begins to wonder if his hopes are dashed forever. Then he receives a precious gift of a toy camel that brings his dreams alive once again. Through its beautiful illustrations and charming story, this toy-themed story book opens a window into another culture while encapsulating a theme that will resonate with anyone who knows how it feels to hold onto their dreams against all odds.​

When Mary is unwell and cannot play outside with the other children, her toymaker father lovingly creates dolls that look like her friends to keep her company instead. Years later, Mary finds the dolls in her father’s old toy shop and the toys become a symbol linking past and present.

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