Review, toddler books!

Okay, so I though I would start off with toddler books every child should have and enjoy!

I do buy quite a lot of books for Oscar. Every birthday, Christmas, and occasionally just because it's Thursday (or Wednesday or whatever day of the week it happens to be) I will buy him a couple of books to go on his own book shelf which we keep in his bedroom in story time area, which is the ONLY way i can seem to get him to go to bed, if we promise a story.
I'm soooo relived at this though as his daddy will refuse to read anything, so i'm very proud my son has taken such an interest in books.
So, anyway, I have compiled a short list of books which myself and Oscar enjoy reading very much and think every child should have whether they're boy or girl.(aimed at ages 1-5)

1-The Gruffalo -
This is our favourite bedtime story. We all shout out "THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A GRUFFALO!" Although I think the double-deceit the mouse pulls off may be too hard for youngsters to understand, us as parents enjoy the sneakiness of it and the simple rhythmical rhyming is fun for the children to enjoy. The book is great fun, has lots of imagination and is perhaps a bit cheeky. But this book has already become a bit of a modern classic and is a book that I believe my childrens children will be reading in the years to come. (though not too soon eh!?)

2-The Very Hungry Caterpillar-
This is the first ever book I bought for Oscar. He's pretty much ripped it to pieces since then because he chewed on it when he was younger. But still readable and he still enjoys it. The illustrations are simple, creative and fun. According to other reviewers of this book they think there is a "sinister undertone" as it encourages binge eating.  But I think 2 and 3 year olds really aren't going to notice this much, which is the age group I think this is aimed at.  It's finding out how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly and it's about the colourful pictures and the fun of watching the caterpillar eat and eat all the way through the book!

3-Goodnight Moon -
Such a great book to calm down a hyperactive child. Perfect for bedtimes. I think as a child gets older they don't want to go to bed anymore because that's just not fun! But they can relate to the mouse who procrastinates but of course eventually ends up going to sleep. The illustrations are cute and calming and one for the collection.

4- Love you Forever -
I first found this book whilst watching Friends on television. Joey reads it out to the rest of the group and I fell in love with it immediately. It's sweet, heart wrenching and beautiful. Everytime I read it I feel a tear! It's about a mother talking to her baby saying she'll love them forever, and she says this all the way until he's grown up. It's realistic and shows unconditional love which every parent and child feels and can relate to.

5- Meg and Mog -
I think I like these books because I remember reading them as a child. Meg is a witch and she lives with Mog.   Two guesses who mog is?! They're a bit more aimed towards girls, but it's not overly girlish, with bold colouring and fun story lines. I think it's also the type of book a child can grow up learning to try and read themselves. The stories are generally pretty simple and quite fun, with some bits your child will love shouting out and is easy to remember for your little one to join in.

So that's my list of 5. At some point I will go on to the types of books to start getting for older children. (I will have to do separate boys and girls lists I think!)
But start with those 5 books and you're off to a good'un. Your child is sure to enjoy them and you will more than likely end up reading them to your Grandchildren.

Books & Babies, xXx