It’s never too early to discover the delights of a wonderful book. Read aloud by a parent at bed time or tackled by a child, running a small finger beneath the words as they discover the magic they contain, our early books are often the ones we remember (and keep) forever. Here is a small selection of books that are suitable for four to five year olds.
The Cat in the Hat, Dr Seuss
When Sally and her brother are left alone, they think they’re in for a dull day – until the Cat in the Hat steps in on the mat, bringing with him mayhem and madness! This is the classic book that every child should have the joy of reading.
(64 pages with illustrations)
Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
One night Max puts on his wolf suit and makes mischief of one kind and another, so his mother calls him ‘Wild Thing’ and sends him to bed without his supper. That night a forest begins to grow in Max’s room and an ocean rushes by with a boat to take Max to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things and crowns himself as their king, and then the wild rumpus begins! (48 pages with illustrations)
Lullabyhullaballoo, Mick Inkpen
The sun is down, the moon is up, and it is past bedtime. But outside the castle there’s an awful lot of noise! Will the princess ever get to sleep?
(40 pages with illustrations)
Fantastic Mr Fox, Roald Dahl
Mr Fox is so clever that every evening he creeps down into the valley and helps himself to food from their farms and those GHASTLY farmers can’t catch him! Now the farmers have hatched a plan to BANG-BANG-BANG shoot Mr Fox dead! But, just when they think Mr Fox can’t possibly escape, he makes a FANTASTIC plan of his own . . .
(112 pages with illustrations)
It was a dark and stormy night, Janet Alhberg
A small boy who has been kidnapped by brigands, passes a dark and stormy night in their cave weaving incredible stories of their own exploits for them. Through the stories he solves his own problem and manages to escape.
(80 pages with illustrations)
Dilly the Dinosaur, Tilly Bradman
In his first four stories, Dilly the Dinosaur gets up to all sorts of mischief. When he decides he doesn’t want to wash any more, Dilly ends up becoming a very smelly dinosaur indeed! And when he’s told he can’t have his birthday every day he gets very grumpy. And you know what happens when Dilly gets grumpy… Cover your ears, here comes the ultra-special, 150-mph SUPER SCREAM!
(64 pages with illustrations)
