Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: Seasonal Events

Starting School

Picturebook

A classic picture book by Janet and Alan Ahlberg, all about a class of children starting school. The story walks through the experiences of the first term of school for a group of children, exploring the different activities and equipment they come across. A gently positive story that also explains that starting school is about more than just the first day!

Story Path

Kate Baker & Madalena Matoso

Picturebook

Travel along the story path and discover an enchanted world where fairy princesses battle with monsters from the deep and vampire cats zoom through the galaxy on silver unicorns.

This innovative twist on the classic quest tale allows young readers to choose their own characters, settings and plots at every turn. With a simple, easy-to-follow structure and bold, quirky imagery by award-winning illustrator Madalena Matoso, this is an imaginative storytelling experience for children of all ages.

Who will you meet? Where will you go? What will you do next? It’s all up to you…

Lulu’s First Day

Anna McQuinn & Rosalind Beardshaw

Picturebook

Lulu is going to preschool for the first time. She has visited school before with Mummy, but this time she will go on her own.

She’s excited, but a bit nervous. She gets dressed, packs her bag and makes sure she has her cat Dinah with her. When Lulu gets to school, she quickly settles and makes a friend with Mummy watching close by. When Mummy leaves, Lulu is nervous, but soon finds her way forward on her new adventure.

We highly recommend this starting school book and the whole Lulu series, which gently reassures preschool children about all sorts of relatable scenarios from getting a pet and planting flowers to starting school and shows them how to tackle new challenges head-on.

When a Dragon Goes to School

Caryl Hart & Rosalind Beardshaw

Picturebook

A fun and gentle introduction to expectations about what to do when you go to school. When a dragon goes to school, will she stamp her feet, hide from the teacher or throw crayons around? Or will she choose to put her belongings on her peg, enjoy the toys and books and eat her lunch politely with her friends? A lovely exploration of how to enjoy the routines, relationships and responsibilities that come with being big enough for school.

Mouse’s Big Day

Lydia Monks

Picturebook

It’s the first day at school for Mouse and she has already decided that she doesn’t want to go. The teacher sets a challenge for the new children and before long, Mouse finds out plenty of interesting and fun things about her classmates. A gorgeously bright and cheerful picture book exploring feelings of shyness about starting a new setting, from the illustrator of What the Ladybird Heard.

Topsy and Tim: Start School

Belinda Worsley & Jean Adamson

Picturebook

Familiar favourite characters Topsy and Tim make the transition from their nursery to primary school. The twins demonstrate a positive attitude and enjoy meeting their new classmates and teacher. A reassuring story exemplifying typical first day experiences.

I Have to Start at School Today

Ged Adamson & Simon Philip

Picturebook

Starting at school is a big adventure, especially when a cheeky older brother tells you some wild stories about it. What if there is a big bear not sharing your chair, or a grumpy rhino at the gate with a secret password that you haven’t learned, or a bassoon-playing baboon making an awful racket? Fortunately, a wise Grandma is on hand to alleviate worries and give a positive spin to the imaginative tales. A funny and light-hearted take on first-day-of-school worries.

I Am Too Absolutely Small For School

Lauren Child

Picturebook

Lola thinks that she is too small for school. Besides, she already knows her numbers to ten – which is all she needs – and she doesn’t need to learn to read words because she has plenty of books in her head. With a little help from big brother Charlie and invisible friend Soren Lorensen, Lola finds that her first day is not quite as scary as she had imagined.

Whiffy Wilson: The Wolf Who Wouldn’t Go To School

Caryl Hart & Leonie Lord

Picturebook

Whiffy Wilson is sure he doesn’t want to go to school. Worried that he doesn’t belong there because he doesn’t know how to read and write already and that the other children may not like him, Whiffy thinks that school is definitely not for him. But when his friend Dotty gently takes him along, Whiffy realises that at school the children learn through play and that there are lots of new friends just like him. He even gets to play football! It doesn’t take Whiffy long to realise that he loves school after all.

The Kissing Hand

Audrey Penn

Picturebook

A tender picture book about a little raccoon called Chester, who is feeling anxious about starting school, wishing instead that he could stay with his mother. Mummy raccoon gently encourages Chester and shares a spcial technique called ‘the kissing hand’ to help him remember how much she loves him whenever he misses her at school. This picture book would particularly suit children with separation anxiety.

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