Children’s Books You Ought To Buy For Your Child
Do you remember those storybooks that gave you a thrill when you were little? Nothing stops you from reliving those moments with your child. The books you read as a child are timeless, and can make up some of the collections of children’s books you ought to buy for your child.
Mine were the Ladybird books (Peter and Jane, the classic stories like Little Red Riding Hood), Disney story books, and Enid Blyton books
In today’s post, I’ll recommend some of my favourite children’s books, give you top picks from our experts, and a list of favourite books and helpful tips from my 10-year-old daughter, Laura.
Plus, the pros and cons of the different types of books.
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Some Books I Think You Should Buy For Your Child
| Image | Name | Features | Types of Book | Age | What I look About It | Price | Buy Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Fisher-Price 1-to-5 Activity Book,Suitable from Birth | Sensory Toy Book with Teether, Clacker, Mirror, Colours, Textures and Sounds | Cloth Book | From three months upwards | It engages the five senses of your child. Machine washable in mesh laundry bag on gentle cycle, air dry | £10.29 | Check current price |
 | Taggies Oodles Owl Soft Book “Oodles of Fun!” By Mary Mayer | Touch & Feel Soft Cloth Book with Crinkle Paper and Squeaker | Cloth Book | From three months upwards | It’s interactive It’s sensory It’s touch and feel Machine washable in mesh laundry bag on gentle cycle, air dry. | $17.99 | Check current price |
 | The Very Hungry Caterpillar By Eric Carle | Interactive Die-Cut Pages A picture book with illustrations. | Board Book Also available in: Kindle Edition Paper Back Audio CD CD-Rom | From zero- toddler | It’s great for teaching counting and days of the week. A classic story book. | New: From £11.51 Used £4.04 | Check current price |
 | Discovery: Moo on the Farm! | 10 button Sound Interactive picture books Animal farm book | Chunky Board Sound Book | From zero to three years old | It’s interactive It’s a fun fact book. It’s a picture book. | £8.99 | Check current price |
 | Look Inside Your Body By Louie Stowie | A flap book. It flaps beneath flaps and a cheeky peek inside a toilet cubicle. | Board Book Hard cover | From three years old upwards | It’s a informative book. An educational adventure into the parts of the human body, done in an interesting and entertaining way. | $27.91 | Check current price |
| No More Diapers (Big Steps) by Marion Cocklico | No More Diapers (Big Steps) by Marion Cocklico ) | A colourful book with flaps and pull-tabs | Board Book An Illustrated Book | From zero to two years old | It’s an award winning book (Best Baby Book). It’s the quintessential potty training book. Ideal for both boys and girls. | £ 5.42 | Check current price |
 | The Wide-mouthed Frog: A Pop-up Book By Keith Faulkner | A Pop-up Book | Hard cover | From toddler upwards | It’s excellent for reading aloud to your child. It’s humourous. A classic! | From £22.00 | Check current price |
 | Guinness World Records By Guinness World Records | A colour picture book of facts. | Hardcover | From seven years old upwards (my opinion) | It’s a generational best seller. Never goes out of fashion. It’s very informative. | From £9.00 | Check current price |
 | The Christmas Story: Experience the magic of the first Christmas by DK | A colourfully illustrated book | Avaliable in Board book Audio Kindle and paper | From zero- three years old | It’s a perfect way to introduce Christmas to your young child. | £6.47 | Check current price |
 | The Captain Underpants Color Collection (Captain Underpants #1-3 Boxed Set) by Dav Pilkey | #1 New York Times bestselling series A well illustrated book | Hardcover | From six years old | It’s very humourous Entertaining and a good read. Well illustrated to keep the young reader engaged | £20.68 | Check current price |
 | Famous Five X 21 Series Books Box Set Pack Collection By Enid Blyton | A timeless classic | Paperback | From seven years old | It’s captivating. Story telling in it’s finest form. | £39.99 | Check current price |
Books For Your Zero To Two Year Child
Cloth, board, and chunky board sound books are ideal for this stage because they can withstand the rough and tumble phase of your child’s life.
You would want books that are sturdy and won’t be worse for wear.
At this stage, the child’s need is rudimentary or foundational.
So, get books that focus on the early learning concepts like alphabets, counting, phonics, and all, things that generally prepare your child for reading.
Storybooks are very good. I’ll go for books that talk about going to places; books that talk about human connections, for example friendship, kindness, patience, diversity, and so on.
Books that prepare your child for milestone moments are a good resource to have as well. A book about potty training or introducing your baby to a new sibling if you get pregnant soon after is very helpful.
Educational books are books that pass information for example a book about parts of the body.
Personalised, audio and digital books are also great for your child.
Florence Omotayo Ajala, a doctoral researcher in early childhood studies at the Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, Republic of Ireland, believes that books are a powerful tool for informing and educating young children.
She said that teaching children about diversity is of immense importance, especially at this time.
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Ajala’s Pick Available On Amazon
Handa’s Surprise could be used to instruct children about diversity as the story is based in Kenya, mathematical concepts, animals, and so on. The Three Little Pigs could be used to teach about hard work and tolerance. Goldilocks And The Three Bears could be used to teach about respecting privacy.
Books For Your Three To Six Year Old Child
At this stage, your child will be making a gradual transition from cloth, board, and chunk board sound books to books with a more structured layout.
You’re building up on what the child already knows, only this time, you’ll be introducing books with more content.
I would go for picture and pop-up books, once the child is two going on three. The idea is for the child to talk about the pictures in the book.
Pop-up books are three-dimensional which makes them fascinating. They’re visually stimulating and would give the child so much to talk about.
From age four upwards a more structured pattern can be introduced.
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The Oxford Reading Tree series (Biff, Chip, and Kipper stories) is independent education consultant, Ruth. D. Whyte’s top pick. Available on Amazon
Books about their favourite superheroes and favourite shows also make for good reading for children this age.
Your child is also beginning to gain a better understanding of special festive occasions. This will be a good time to read them your special Christmas stories.
Personalised books are also a thrill to children at this stage. Books with pictures, illustrations, and pop up are always a thrill for children.
Audio and digital books provide a different kind of reading experience for your child. You can throw them into the mix for variety.
Another question should be whether to buy a hardback or paperback books.
UK mum and Senior Assistant Head Teacher, Mrs. Morayo Amao, puts it down to price, durability, and storage.
She said that hardbacks are more expensive; they take up more space but are durable. Paperbacks can serve you well if you protect them with book covers.
Note: Your child’s favourite books can work when they are little to when they begin to sound out words, and read for themselves, implying that a book can serve you for a long time.
These are just my own suggestions. Every child is different, there are no right or wrong approach to these things.
So don’t restrict yourself so much. There are no hard and fast rules as such when it comes to the choice of books.
Books For Your Seven To Ten Year Old
At this stage, your child is beginning to discover authors for themselves, and now know the types of genre he or she will enjoy.
Top Tips From Laura
- Give different books a chance.
- Once you find an author you like, you will never be short of a book to read.
- At the same time, explore other authors as you don’t get stock in a particular thought frame.
- If you come across a new word, underline it or write it down so that you can check for the meaning later.
- The library is a resource for free books.
- Reading never gets old.
Also: click now to watch Ibi Speaks With Laura about her reading journey on Facebook Live
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Laura’s Top Picks Available On Amazon
Click on the links below:
The Pros And Cons Of The Different Types Of Children’s Books
# Cloth Books
I like cloth books because they are soft (quilted) and colourful. They come with features like sound, mirrors, and teethers, which makes them attractive to young children.
You can get plain styled ones as well as interactive, 3D, and the fun and games design styles.
Cloth books are perfect for children between zero to – two plus years and works well for visual and kinesthetic learners.
They are a good way to introduce books to your infant.
Pros And Cons Of Cloth Books
Pros
They are durable
They last long
They are manageable
They are easy to clean and maintain and wash well too
They don’t rip apart like traditional books because they are made of cloth. You will get a lot of use out of them
Cons
Be aware choking hazards
With small children, you can’t be too careful. Be mindful of small parts. Our babies like to nibble away at things. Never leave them alone unattended.
Verdict
I think that they serve their purpose well, and are excellent as your toddler’s first books. I highly recommend them.
Helpful Tips
Cloth books are machine washable. You can also wipe them clean with a sponge except if your baby drools on them a lot.
However, I would advise that you wash them on the delicate mode or put them in a laundry bag during your wash.
Tumble dry in low temperature or air dry so they don’t shrink.
#Board Books
Board books sturdy, very durable, and won’t be worse for wear. Like I said earlier they can withstand the rough and tumble phase of your infant’s life.
They are easy to maintain. You can wipe them clean when they are dirty, and are typically ideal for your zero – three year old.
Pros and Cons Of Board Books
Pros
They are sturdy which means they can withstand the constant tugging and pulling
They are durable, they are thick, they don’t tear easily, which makes that last longer than the traditional paper books.
They are good value for money, you can get a lot of use out of them and can be used for more than one child.
Cons
Be aware of choking hazards. Infants have the habit of nibbling away at things. I will be careful and would never leave an infant unattended.
They may cause injury. Anything has a likelihood of causing harm to your baby, especially when they are still very tender.
Board books are hard, I’m concerned that they may cause facial injury to your baby if he or she accidentally hits it hard on their face.
So, watch out and never leave your baby unattended.
Verdict
I like board books because they are easy to maintain.
They are the most common form of books introduced to infants. They are durable and give you good value for your money.
# Chunky Board Sound Books
These are pretty much like your board books; only the pages are chunky. Some also have an extended panel with interactive buttons that makes sounds.
I love these books. Because they are interactive, they create fun and excitement for your child.
They are suitable for children between ages one to three plus years. I like them, they are bright, colourful and good for all types of learners.
Pros And Cons of Chunky Board Sound Books
Pros
They are very interactive, they encourage hand to eye coordination and listening too.
They give value for money, I would say they are worth the money you spend.
They are fun,our child learns through play.
They are easy to clean, just wipe and you’re good to go.
Cons
Be aware of choking hazards. The little bits like the batteries and sound buttons and also the material on the extended panels can break, making them a choking hazard for your child. Never leave your child unattended with these books.
They are noisy. The sound from the book can become a nuisance to you sometimes, especially when they start to malfunction.
They have durability issues. While the pages of the book are sturdy and durable, we can’t always say the same about the sound buttons on the book. They are usually the first to go. And once they go, your child’s interest in the book may begin to wane, unless of course, you can improvise the sounds.
Verdict
I would say, go for them. I had them for my children as well. I would just have a few though.
#Audio Books
Audio Books are excellent for parents who are a little shy, or don’t have a flare for the dramatics of reading aloud to their young children.
Mrs. Amao is of the view that audio books are ideal for babies in the womb on wards.
I think it is good for parents who are not confident readers. Both parent and child are engaging and learning at the same time”
mrs. morayo Amao
She explains that audio books put life in the stories by invoking passion and enthusiasm in a non-robotic way.
Children learn by listening to people. By listening, they pick up on how words are pronounced naturally.
Pros and Cons of Audio Books
Pros
They sustain the interest of your child because the book literally comes alive!
Audiobooks are descriptive too, which makes the stories engaging for young children.They are quite engaging especially when they have songs.
They help children develop emotional skills; the voice is used as a tool to express feelings and emotions.
They are suitable for all ages, from babies in the womb to adults. Many people listen to audiobooks.
They are durable ,they don’t get torn and ripped into pieces.
They are ideal for parents who are not confident about reading to their children.
Cons
According to Amao, audio books don’t aid your child’s reading skills because they don’t teach your child how to read.
She said that when children listen to audio books, they don’t decode words, see paragraphs, or sentence structures.
Verdict
I think audio books have their place. They are very handy for listening in the car.
Bedtime stories can be played at night to help your baby drift into sleep faster.
Children find them exciting and funny, especially with the dramatisation and music.
I would recommend them.
#Digital / e-Books
Digital books are here to stay. In today’s world, it’s impossible not to have a digital library.
I think digital books have their place and have also become incorporated into the school curriculum.
They are very interactive, engaging, and bring a story to life! Stories are animated and narrated in a way that keeps your child engaged.
Again, a story could be presented in diverse ways like a read-along, or fun and games.
UK early childhood education consultant, Ruth D. Whyte, while welcoming the benefits of e-books, is quick to say that, they should never replace traditional books or hard copies.
Traditional books are necessary for the physical development of children.
She says: “Children still require flipping through the pages of a book.”
Parent’s must provide a structure around the use of digital books, suchas time management-screen time and parental control
Ruth d. Whyte
Whyte’s Top picks
Free online resources like the oxford owl.co.uk. You can access their free e-books collection, including the Oxford Reading Tree series you would need to register first though.
There are free to download books on Kindle on Amazon.
Pros and Cons of Digital or e-Books
Pros
They are a lifelong collection, because they are digital, they can be stored away on iCloud or any other storage platform., so they aren’t damaged or stolen so to speak.
No need to worry about storage space, for mums who have limited storage space, e-books are excellent since you don’t have to worry about space.
There is no shipment cost. You get them in an instant.
You can access them at any time, they are digital, they are readily available on-demand on your mobile devices.
You have language options. You aren’t restricted to just one language as you have several language options.
They are good value for money. You get good value for what you pay for as there are a variety of activities to keep your child engaged.
Cons
Children don’t get to interact with the pages of a digital book as they would with a traditional book like flipping through the pages.
You pay for subscription charges. Unless a book is paid for in a onetime purchase, you would have to do monthly subscriptions to gain access to your collections. If you fail to pay, you lose your membership and access to your collections.
Digital dilemmas. You must have parental control on your devices to protect your young child from unwanted pop-ups.
Use must be limited. Parents must manage and set screen time limits for the child. Children shouldn’t be on mobile devices for hours on end because of the strain it puts on the eye.
Verdict
Again, I think they have their place and have come to stay. I used digital books for my last child too.
It’s easy to build a digital library for your child, once that’s done the books come very accessible.
E-Books don’t get worn or tear which makes them a good resource for the long haul.
Helpful Tips
There must be screen breaks. Two hours a day is plenty.
The child must not hold the device close to their face.
You should encourage your child to look away from the screen and blink occasionally to rest their eyes.
Remember to update the apps as the need arises.
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Conclusion
Mums, it’s been a very exciting series for me.
In this four-part series, you have learned about the importance of reading to your child early, knowing when to read to your child, and choosing the right types of book for your child.
Keep reading.
Remember that a book in the hands of a parent is much more than words written on paper, it’s a seed that stems out to become much more.
Do you have any personal experiences you would like to share? Please leave a comment below.
Thank you and keep safe.
Very educative and enlightening. I strongly recommend for parents with young children.
I thank you Sunny. I am glad that you find this information useful.