Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: Seasonal Events

Daisy and the Trouble with Chocolate

Chapter book

Here comes trouble!

Daisy is usually happy with her strawberry Dip Dab lollies or Crunchy Cream biscuits, but when Easter comes round, it’s all about chocolate.

And the trouble with chocolate is, it’s TOO DELICIOUS. So when Daisy’s mum tells her they’re going to Chocolate Land as a special treat, she is REALLY excited!

PLUS she has been chosen to look after the class hamsters, Pickle and Pops! This could be the best Easter ever.

But the trouble with hamsters and chocolate is , the two shouldn’t mix…

On Your Marks Gets Set Gold

Antoine Corbineau & Scott Allen

Non-fiction

An exciting, laugh-a-minute guide to every Olympic and Paralympic sport

From boxing to boccia, find out just what it takes to become an Olympic and Paralympic star in this hilariously informative guide to the games. For each sport you’ll discover why it’s great, why it’s not so great, what skills and equipment you’ll need to start practising and even how to sound like a pro! You’ll learn about some of the greatest Olympians in history, events that might appear in the future and there’s a helpful guide to your chances of becoming a champion.

With bold, energetic illustrations and a text packed with weird, wonderful and wildly hilarious facts written by former sports journalist Scott Allen, this gift book is the funniest guide you’ll find to the next Olympics!

When I Grow Up I Want to Play…

Richard Merritt & Rosamund Lloyd

Non-fiction, Picturebook

This fun, dynamic book introduces children to the world of competitive sports! It covers some of the world’s most popular games, including football, tennis and volleyball. Packed with action flaps and simple facts, this book is perfect for curious minds.

Rules of Summer

Shaun Tan

Picturebook

Never break the rules. Especially if you don’t understand them. The boys hide from a giant red rabbit and outwit a crowd of scary eagles, but when their games become ever darker and sinister they learn that breaking the rules can be dangerous.

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Peggy Rathmann

Picturebook

When Cucumber Lost His Cool

Michelle Robinson & Tom Knight

Picturebook

A perfectly-pitched tale of fun and friendship, from master storyteller Michelle Robinson and illustrator extraordinaire Tom Knight.

Kevin the cucumber is so cool – everybody knows it! Whenever anyone gets hot and bothered, Kevin is always there to cool them down.

But when Kevin starts to feel like his friends are leaving him out, something happens that has never happened before:
KEVIN.
LOSES.
HIS.
COOL!

Will Kevin’s friends be there for him when he needs them most?

Rhyming text by Michelle Robinson is full of energy and rhythm. Bright, bold illustrations by Tom Knight bring the brilliant story to life.

This laugh-out-loud story is a super fun way for children to think about emotions – whether it’s their own or someone else’s.

Octopus Shocktopus!

Peter Bently & Steven Lenton

Picturebook

A brilliantly bonkers story about an octopus who lives on the roof, by two award-winning and bestselling picture book creators.

When a giant octopus arrives, the children LOVE their new friend; it makes the perfect slide and is fantastic at football! But some of the grown-ups aren’t so pleased. Will they drive it away . . . or will they realise just how helpful an octopus can be?

A warm and witty rhyming story about welcoming newcomers. Sunglasses at the ready – this book has zingy fluorescent ink on the cover and inside illustrations.

I Am A Tiger

Karl Newson & Ross Collins

Picturebook

A hilarious and original story about a little mouse with big ideas!

The bold little mouse declares “I am a tiger.” and manages to convince a raccoon, a fox, a snake and a bird not only that this is true, but that they are not what they think they are. When a real tiger turns up, can the persuasive and fearless little rodent manage to persuade the tiger that he is a mouse!

With vibrant artwork by award-winning illustrator Ross Collins, and delightful characters created by rising star Karl Newson, I am a Tiger is a story that will amuse and entertain everyone, from the smallest mouse to the biggest tiger.

We Feel Happy!

Katie Abey

Picturebook

A fantastic first book of feelings that introduces little ones to a wide range of emotions. Why are the animals happy? What has made them feel sad? What do YOU feel excited about?

We feel happy when reading our favourite book. We feel calm when we have a bath. We feel excited when we go to a party! We Feel Happy is the perfect book for starting a conversation about feelings with children. The animals are experiencing lots of different emotions, from the hippos who are excited to visit their friends to the shark who is grumpy about brushing its teeth.

Includes learning hooks such as counting, first words and recognising animals, interactive speech bubbles, prompts and ideas on how to process and understand our emotions and lots of interesting things to spot on every page.

David Goes to School

David Shannon

Picturebook

David’s teacher has her hands full. From running in the halls to chewing gum in class, David’s high-energy antics fill each schoolday with trouble — and are sure to bring a smile to even the best-behaved reader.

Best Books by Age

Popular Children's Authors

Topic: Seasonal Events

News: Reflecting Realities Report 2025: Summary of Findings

NEWS: The Children’s Booker Prize is Established

Stories That Make You Feel: Simon Stephenson on The Snowman Code

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review