Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: EYFS,KS1

Food Glorious Food Topic (KS1/EYFS)

Recommended children’s books about food

Immerse yourself in the delicious topic of Food Glorious Food!

This collection of books about food combines rich illustrations and fascinating facts with an array of world cuisine to bring the EYFS Food Glorious Food topic to life. From a curry-loving penguin to a giant jam sandwich, this list of children’s books about food features farm-to-fork fact books alongside a love letter to chocolate cake. So what are you waiting for? Dig in!

This topic booklist is aimed at children aged 3-7. For books about food and digestion for older children, try our Food & Digestion Topic (KS2) booklist.

Mavis the Bravest

Lu Fraser & Sarah Warburton

Picturebook

With the tagline “There’s a bright spark of braveness inside us all!”, who could fail to be won over by this book?

Told in rhyme, this is an utterly delightful story. The quality of the rhyme is just wonderful; when rhyme works like this, nothing forced, just clever use of language, you can tell this is a book that is destined to be a classic.

The story is about finding courage, told through hilarious farmyard escapades with a fun cast of characters. The chicken who knits (her friend Marge wears a fantastic jumper!) is scared of everything. She is such a wonderful character, the reader can’t help but fall for her. The chicken with the tractor ranks as my favourite; no-one would mess with her. It brings to mind the Aardman films with Shaun the Sheep and the Chicken Run, mainly because of the force of personality that shines out from the illustrations.

There is something to enjoy in this book for all ages and I am very much hoping we will see more of Mavis in the future.

Life Cycles Topic

Best children’s books about life cycles

Hatching, growing, changing… this list brings you the best children’s books about life cycles. Featuring butterflies, seeds, eggs and more, this collection covers the life cycles of a huge range of creatures and plants. From favourite stories to fascinating non-fiction texts with vibrant illustrations, children in the Early Years and KS1 will love exploring the science of how all sorts of organisms change and grow with our list of recommended children’s books about the topic of life cycles.

Books about Colours

Recommended children’s books about colours

Lose yourself in the glorious world of colours. This collection of books about colours mixes vibrant illustrations, heartwarming stories and fascinating science to offer a range of perspectives on the EYFS colours topic. Rainbows and crayons feature alongside favourite characters to bring the colours topic to life. Brighten up your classroom with this list of the best children’s books for learning about colours.

Festivals and Celebrations Topic

Best children’s books about festivals and celebrations

Let’s celebrate! Featuring fun picturebooks and fascinating non-fiction texts, this collection of the best children’s books about festivals and celebrations offers a colourful and insightful global journey. Learn about festivals from a range of cultures and traditions and extend your children’s understanding of important religious celebrations with this list of books for Early Years and Key Stage One classrooms, designed to bring the topic of festivals and celebrations to life.

As We Grow

Libby Walden & Richard Jones

Picturebook

No one knows what lies ahead or who they’ll grow to be, It’s all a part of growing up – the journey to be me!

In this stunning picture book, Richard Jones’ enchanting illustrations sensitively depict each stage of life and the journey of transformation that we undergo as we grow up.

Ergo

Alexis Deacon & Viviane Schwarz

Picturebook

From award-winning picture book makers Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz comes an enlightening new story about discovering the world – and your place in it.

For budding philosophers of all ages, this is the uplifting story of Ergo the chick. Ergo wakes up and sets about exploring her world. She discovers her toes. She discovers her wings and her beak. She has discovered EVERYTHING! But then she considers the wall. And something outside the wall goes BUMP. What could it be? The only way to find out is to peck peck peck through to the other side…

This is an inspiring story told with heaps of humour. Like its predecessor, I Am Henry Finch, Ergo is a book for everyone – from the very young to the very old. It is for dreamers, philosophers, artists, the foolish and the enlightened. A profound picture book experience told with simplicity and style.

Where, Oh Where, is Rosie’s Chick?

Pat Hutchins

Picturebook

Rosie has lost her baby chick. She looks under the hen house. She looks behind the wheelbarrow. But little baby chick isn’t there. But watch out Rosie – there’s someone following you, and it’s not just your baby chick!

The funny sequel to the much-loved and bestselling Rosie’s Walk, with the same element of danger and surprise that children so enjoy.

The Egg Book: See How Baby Animals Hatch, Step By Step!

Non-fiction

Learn about the remarkable beginnings of life with this adorable book of baby animals hatching from their eggs.

Find out all about how eggs hatch step by step in this fascinating baby animal book for children. Many animals start life inside eggs and this book explores these magical capsules in detail, with stunning photographs of the moment the creatures emerge.

Featuring more than 20 animals – including a penguin, a tortoise, and even a slug – this book documents the moment of hatching in detail. Children aged 5-7 can learn how birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and invertebrates hatch from their eggs, as well as what happens inside an egg’s shell.

The Woolly Bear Caterpillar

Julia Donaldson & Yuval Zommer

Picturebook

From Julia Donaldson, bestselling author of The Gruffalo, and award-winning illustrator Yuval Zommer, comes a charming minibeast Cinderella story.

Crawling through the garden, the little Woolly Bear Caterpillar wonders what kind of moth she will become. Bonny and bright, stunning and smart, but not kind, the other caterpillars laugh at the small, plain Woolly Bear. There is one thing that they are sure of: Woolly Bear could never be as dramatic and beautiful as them! But could one little caterpillar be about to undergo a truly terrific transformation?

Brilliantly written and stunningly illustrated this engaging picture book comes complete with a non-fiction mini book about caterpillars and moths written by a nature specialist.

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Topic: EYFS,KS1

Recommended children’s books about food

Best children’s books about life cycles

Recommended children’s books about colours

Best children’s books about festivals and celebrations

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