Here's a list of some of the top children's books for new readers. These books should all appeal to boys or girls and are perfect for reading to them before bed.

At this stage, pictures will still play a big part and all of these will be important in getting your children interested in books, rather than vastly improving their reading skills.

Burglar Bill, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
This classic story tells the story of Bill, who is a burglar until he accidentally burgles a baby!

Mixed Up Fairy Tales, by Nick Sharratt and Hilary Robinson
Traditional fairy tales, all scrambled up together with funny results.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Another classic picture book which follows a caterpillar as he eats his way through a number of different foods.

Little Mouse's Big Book Of Fears, by Emily Gravett
Follow little mouse as he confronts all his many fears from loud noises, to getting sucked down the plughole.

Banana, by Ed Vere
A well illustrated book about a monkey who tries all sorts of tricks to get hold of a tasty banana, but learns that surprisingly saying please goes a long way.

Giraffe's Can't Dance, by Giles Andreae
A beautiful book about a giraffe who can't join in the jungle dance because he doesn't know how to Tango, but learns that it's OK to be different and he can dance to other songs instead.

Alien's Love Underpants, by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort
This story is about a group of aliens who come down from space to steal people's underpants, because they don't have them where they're from - guaranteed laughs!

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
Max puts on a wolf-suit and goes looking for mischief, resulting in him getting sent to bed without any supper. In his room he imagines a magical forest filled with monsters big and small. This book is over 30 years old and is still enjoyed by children everywhere.

The Gruffalo, by Julia Donaldson
This book is perfect for reading aloud and you can even buy a book and tape set of it. The Gruffalo is a beast with 'terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws' invented by a little mouse to scare away his enemies - but perhaps he's not so pretend after all.

Fungus the Bogeyman, by Raymond Briggs
Fungus is a bogey that lives in the dark and disgusting Bogeydom. Children will love the repulsive detail given to describe Fungus and everything he does.

Where to next?

Fun ways to help your child learn
How much homework should they get?
Is your child dyslexic
If you've got books you'd like to recommend, add them in the comments box below

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