Picture Book Picks
Looking for the perfect book to read to young ones who aren't quite ready for chapter books yet? We've got you covered with these recommendations from our staff!
Old Bear : An Old Bear and Friends Adventure
Author: Jane Hissey
Old Bear tells the classic tale of how a much-loved teddy bear is lost and finally found again. After Old Bear is packed away in a box in the attic, Bramwell Brown becomes determined to save his forgotten friend. And so, with the help of Little Bear, Duck, Rabbit and an assortment of other toys, he plans an ingenious rescue mission to save Old Bear from loneliness and bring him safely back home...
We adore Old Bear, and we're firm believers that this is one of those classic books every child should have a copy of! They're such wonderful stories, with absolutely adorable art! And who didn't have that one teddy bear they loved so much it got worn down?
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A Dress with Pockets
Author: Lily Murray
Illustrator: Jenny Løvlie
Lucy and Aunt Augusta are dress shopping. And, at the Fabulous Fashion Store, there are dresses to suit just about everyone. There are fancy dresses, frilly dresses, stripy dresses, silly dresses, sun dresses, fun dresses, blue dresses, green... But Lucy doesn't care about frills or lace. She wants a dress WITH POCKETS. And as she wades through the titchy dresses, witchy dresses, very, very itchy dresses, she starts to worry about where she's going to put her leaves, and nettles, and delicate petals, her magical spells and beautiful shells. The hunt is on: will Lucy find the dress of her dreams?
A lighthearted story with a subtle feminist undertone that celebrates the joy of pockets, and how they can unleash the inquisitive, adventurous spirit of all young children.
A Dress with Pockets is one of our favourite picture books to recommend! It's a super fun story, with great illustrations, and a brilliant message too! Perfect for those young ones who just love to pick up sticks and stones and all sorts of bits and bobs! We also recommend another book by the same team: The Girl Who LOVES Bugs (which is exactly what it sounds like!)
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Supertato: Tenth Anniversary Edition
Authors: Sue Hendra & Paul Linnet
Meet Supertato! He's always there for you when the chips are down. He's the supermarket superhero with eyes everywhere - but now there's a pea on the loose. A very, very naughty pea. Has Supertato finally met his match?
Supertato is a perennially popular series, with a perfect blend of humour and action! There are so many different stories in the series, so there's really something for everyone!
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Mary, Queen of Scots: Escape from the Castle
Author: Theresa Breslin
Illustrator: Teresa Martinez
The true story of the daring escape of Mary, Queen of Scots from the island castle in Lochleven is well-known throughout Scotland and the world. Multi-award-winning author Theresa Breslin, who has carefully researched Mary's life, has adapted this famous adventure into a picture book for children. Through stunning illustrations and a gripping story, both packed with historical detail, children will feel the tension of Mary's imprisonment and the excitement of her escape plans, gaining insight into this fascinating period of Scottish history.
A full and engaging historical tale for children from a fabulous Scottish storyteller, this is just one of a series of Scottish stories adapted for children! So, if you enjoy this one, you can also read about kelpies, Greyfriars Bobby, unicorns, Robert the Bruce, William Wallace, and more!
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Oi Frog!
Authors: Kes Gray & Jim Field
Jam-packed with the silliest of animals, this bestselling rhyming story will have the youngest of readers in fits of laughter.Cats sit on mats, hares sit on chairs, mules sit on stools and gophers sit on sofas. But Frog does not want to sit on a log. Jam-packed with animals and silliness, this original rhyming story is guaranteed to get children giggling!
Oi Frog is just absolutely brilliant - it's funny, it rhymes, and it's wonderfully illustrated! And this is just the beginning; there are more books in the series! So if this one is a hit, come on down to the shop (or get in touch by phone or email!) and ask for more!
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Percy’s Bumpy Ride
Author: Nick Butterworth
Percy the park keeper has been busy in his workshop for days. As his animal friends try to guess what he is making, Percy suddenly emerges sitting on top of a very strange machine. The animals jump aboard for what turns out to be a very bumpy ride…
Nick Butterworth's Percy the Park Keeper books are classics for a reason! Percy and friends have got up to all sorts of hijinks over the years, and we love every single story! If they've somehow passed you by, now's the time to do something about that and pick them up!
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Katie Morag And The Tiresome Ted
Author: Mairi Hedderwick
Katie Morag is mightily put out when her new baby sister is born and grabs all the limelight. She is so cross that she even kicks her trusty old one-eyed teddy bear into the sea in a fit of rage! But she soon starts to regret what she's done and misses dear old ted dreadfully. What will she do? Surely he is lost for ever...
The Katie Morag books are such lovely reads! Katie Morag is a fantastic character, one we can all relate to in one way or another, and Mairi Hedderwick's illustrations are just so stunning and evocative that we can never resist! Treat yourself to a classic bit of Scottish childhood and grab (at least!) one of Katie Morag's stories today!
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Dig, Dig, Digger : A little digger with big dreams
Author: Morag Hood
Join Digger at the roadworks where she decides she no longer likes digging down – she wants to dig UP! This is quite tricky for a digger used to going into mud, dark and worms – maybe some balloons will help? But Digger quickly discovers that adventures aren't fun without her friends and she needs to dig her way back... but how?
Morag Hood's books never fail to make us laugh, but they've also all got deeper messages! They're perfect for teaching young ones about important things like making friends and being kind, and they're fun to read too! Plus, who doesn't love reading about a digger?
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Tabby McTat
Author: Julia Donaldson
Illustrator: Axel Scheffler
"Me, you and the old guitar. How perfectly, perfectly happy we are. MEEE-EW and the old guitar. How PURRRR-fectly happy we are!" Tabby McTat is purr-fectly happy, singing along all day with Fred the busker. But when Fred gives chase to a thief, the two are separated. Will they ever find each other again?
You didn't think we'd have a list of picture book recommendations without at least one book by Julia Donaldson, did you? We love Julia Donaldson's books here, we've got a whole Gruffalo-shaped shelf full of them! And since we couldn't pick a favourite to include on this list, we chose at random, but of course Tabby McTat is a lovely story, and deserves to be read just as much as The Gruffalo or Room on the Broom! And, of course, there are plenty of other Julia Donaldson titles to read! So if you think you've read them all, think again!
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