Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Topic: Toys

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 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.

An informative and accessible non-fiction text that explores how toys have changed over time, organised into easy to navigate sections with a contents page, index, glossary and timeline.

With the power of Stanley’s imagination, a simple stick can become any kind of toy that he wants. This entertaining story with brilliant illustrations is a celebration of children’s imaginary play.

When the toy museum closes each evening, all the toys come to life. Bunting, the old toy cat, takes it upon himself to count and inspect the toys and give them a history lesson. But one night the toys decide to teach Bunting how to have some fun. This enchanting story has detailed illustrations and children will love to spot the different toys scattered throughout the pages.

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