Top toddler reads

From greedy caterpillars to rhyming g riddles and more

Keep bedtime as painless as possible by reading these awesome picture books to your little bookworm

READING WITH PRESCHOOLERS can be one of life’s great joys – if the material is right. Re-reading the same tedious stories every bedtime is the bane of many parents’ lives, but snuggling down with a small person plus an engaging text and/or some beautiful illustrations is a real treat.

Every child is different in their reading habits and tastes – some have devoured Roald Dahl’s back catalogue with their parents before starting reception, others still enjoy picture-based books.

These brightly coloured picture books are ideal first reading for tiny tots between two and five. Because, what’s better than snuggling down with your toddler at bedtime with a good story? Happy reading.

Boogie Bear By David Walliams

The literary juggernaut that is David Walliams continues with Boogie Bear, the tale of a polar bear and a brown bear who end up realising that their differences are only fur-deep and making multi-hued baby bears together. An unlikely way to introduce the concept of inter-racial harmony perhaps, but a sweet and entertaining one, and in my experience young children do love Tony Ross’s humorous illustrations.

Green Eggs and Ham By Dr. Seuss

Who doesn’t love Dr Seuss? And this book about not liking green eggs and ham is a brilliant rhyming classic that is as fun now as it was the first time you read it. I do not like them, Sa Sam, ,a I am!

I am BBear By Ben Bailey Smith

We inte interviewed the awesome Ben Bailey Smith ( (aka Doc Brown) in the February issue of Time Out UAE Kids. Smith is a rapper by trade, trad and it shows in the rhythm of this simple, irreverent book about a mischievous purple bear. There’s an online version set to mus music that will be stuck in your head for weeks once you watch it.

Sheep in the Jeep By Nancy E. Shaw and Margot Apple

Full of fun rhymes, this is a book that your toddler will want to hear again and again... and probably again and again. And... you get t the e idea. dea

“Be warned. This fun read is likely to inspire many a bear hunt of your own”

The Napping House By Audrey Wood and Don Wood

We absolutely love how this story builds momentum, making tiny tots wonder and really think about what’s coming next and ultimately what will happen in the end.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle

Yup, as you might have guessed from the title, the caterpillar is hungry... really hungry... starving in fact! And the little guy eats his way through page after page of yummy food until... well, we won’t spoil it for you. And just like him, when it comes to this book toddlers simply can’t seem to get enough.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt By Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury

Be warned: This fun read is likely to inspire many a bear hunt of your own, which is fine as long as you don’t actually ever find one.

What is poo? By Katie Daynes

Let’s face it, the lowest common denominator inat tor usually works pretty well when appealing to young children, so what could possibly be more fun than a lift-the-flap book about poo? It’s actually quite educational – dinosaur coprolites and composting both make an appearance – and is ideal for scatalogically minded preschoolers, particularly when potty training.

Where’s My Teddy? By Jez Alborough

If your toddler’s got a favourite toy, blanket or anything else they can’t live without or get to sleep without, then chances are they will be able to relate to this book, which is all about looking for a lost teddy bear.

Yummy Yucky Leslie Patricelli

Little people put everything in their mouths, even things they aren’t supposed to. Read this book with them to explain the difference between yummy and yucky and then they can stop experimenting on her own... you can but hope anyway.