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Dear Red House,
My son is 20 months old and doesn't seem to have much of an attention span when it comes to books. I feel I need guidance on what books I should be reading to him. I've tried touch and feel books, but he just grabs the book out of my hand and loses interest. Please can you help?
Best wishes,
Kathryn
Dear Kathryn,
Thanks for your email. My advice is not to worry too much about your son's attention span as toddlers are often so busy exploring and rushing around that staying still for any amount of time, whatever the attraction, is hard for them to do at this age!
It is worth persevering with reading books though and your son will be able to concentrate for longer as he gets older. To help, I suggest picking a quieter time of day to share a book, for instance, just before he's ready for a nap or after a bath and a warm drink just before bedtime. Try reading one short book to start with and ask him to choose which one he would like to look at.
It's also a good idea to have a box of books around in the living room, so he can choose to look at a book whenever he likes. Busy toddlers often enjoy bright, colourful picture books with real life objects that they can name and recognise. Use these picture books to engage your son's attention and make reading a game where you point and ask him what the object is.
Good books for pointing and naming are: What's That?, a fun set of two board books which includes Big Machines and On the Farm and shows tractors, lorries and other exciting vehicles; another brilliant set is Touch and Feel Fire Engine and Touch and Feel Tractor, plus the Big Book of My World by Kali Stileman, which has lots of colourful pictures showing fire engines, lions, rockets and more!
Noisy books are frequently popular with lively toddlers and Baby Sounds: Giggle is a lovely little board book that shows some mischievous toddlers tipping their dinner upside down and similar naughty stunts. It has a noisy button on the cover which makes a cheeky giggle sound each time it's pressed. Funny Faces is another interesting and interactive book that includes pop-up masks featuring a pirate, a witch, a robot and a superhero which you can peep through to make your son laugh!
Sometimes finding a favourite character helps when you're trying to interest your toddler in looking at books. Some good ones to look for are Spot the Dog, Maisy (Learn with Maisy) and Elmer.
I do hope some of these suggestions help!
Happy reading,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
My son has just finished reading Wonder by R.J. Palaccio and Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. He loves books about children who are in some way perceived to be different, possibly because he loves his brother who has autism. He also loves adventure and he quite likes getting his head around challenging concepts. He's just started the second in the Mortal Engines series, but can you recommend any other titles that might appeal to him?
Best wishes,
Marie
Hi Marie,
Thank you for your question. Has your son read any of Frank Cotterill Boyce's books? They are quite funny and usually involve quirky families, oddball characters and a mixture of strange goings on with a contemporary tone. Some great ones to try are Millions (code ILN2), Framed (FXM) and Cosmic (OSM2). Another favourite author at Red House is Morris Gleitzman and his books also tend to revolve around unusual boy characters who don't fit the mould. Two Weeks With the Queen (code 6TWQ) is a good one, although it does tackle quite a sad subject about a boy whose brother is seriously ill. Colin, the hero of the book, decides that he is going to get help for his brother by contacting the Queen! It's definitely a quirky tale but very moving too. Another author your son might like to try is Louis Sachar. There are two books from this author on Red House - Holes (HOL2) and There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom (BYG2). This author offers a perceptive view of young teen and preteen children and he's a good storyteller too.
Let me know if you would like more suggestions. Hope this is helpful!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
My baby boy is 10 month old and I have never read to him before. I wanted just the right book to kick start. Could you please advise?
Best wishes,
Sweta
Hi Sweta,
It's great to hear that you're thinking about what to read to your baby boy. At ten months old, babies are beginning to get really interested in the world around them and love hearing their parents' voices when they read. Touch-and-feel books are great for babies to interact with: try our Touch and Feel Vehicles Set (TFE2) or our DK Touch and Feel Set (TFK2) which are full of interesting textures which your son will enjoy touching. Lift-the-flap and hide-and-seek books are also great for babies of your son's age: Ladybird Baby Touch: Peepo Mummy! (POM2) and Peekaboo Zoo! (ZOO2) are great for encouraging interaction and also have mirrors which babies always seem to find fascinating!
Your son is also sure to enjoy you reading stories with rhyming text and simple stories: he may not understand the words yet, but he will love the sound of your voice when you read and will also enjoy brightly coloured pictures. Here are some Red House favourites: The Gruffalo (RUF2) is a modern classic that all children seem to adore; Peepo! (PEX2) tells the story of a baby's day with gentle illustrations and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (8VHC) is a bright and cheerful story starring a character that even small babies will soon recognise.
I hope this is helpful. There are lots of brilliant baby books on the Red House website so whatever you choose, you and your son are sure to have fun as you start him on his reading journey!
Daniel
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
I have a 9-year-old boy and he's just started to enjoy reading books. I'm not sure what to get him as he is easily spooked (he suffers night terrors and doesn't like anything scary).
He's just finished Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, which he enjoyed. Any suggestions welcomed!
Best wishes,
Michelle
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for your query. There are a lot of brilliant books to recommend for this age range and one of our favourite Red House authors who offers lots to choose from is Frank Cottrell Boyce. His books are funny, warm and contemporary and they feature the kind of likeable characters that boys and girls can easily identify with.
Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce is the tale of a boy with a quirky family who run a petrol station in a tiny Welsh village. The village is turned upside down when the National Gallery in London moves lots of famous paintings to a nearby safe location and the tale is funny but touching in equal quantities. Frank has also written a sequel to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again. This story also features a madcap family who embark on a crazy adventure involving a rust-bucket camper van with a mind of its own!
Other good lighthearted books for your son's age are David Walliams' Mr Stink, and Billionaire Boy. Giggles are guaranteed! Another author your son might enjoy is Morris Gleitzman. His book Too Small to Fail is a crazy adventure involving a boy and a camel farm. Although there are some sad bits, it's also really funny.
My last recommendation is the Enid Blyton Adventure Series two books in one. These gripping stories are great for reading aloud or for independent reading. I hope you find something helpful here.
Please do get back in touch if you would prefer some different ideas! Happy reading!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
I have a three-year-old and a baby aged 5 months. What kind of books can I read to them and how can I make them focus?
Best wishes,
Malacknez
Hi Malacknez,
Thank you for your query. Finding books to read aloud to your three-year-old and five-month-old sounds like a challenge but in fact a lot of fun books for preschoolers will be appealing to young babies as well, for instance, the bouncy verses of Julia Donaldson's The Highway Rat, The Rhyming Rabbit, Tiddler and The Gruffalo's Child are all good to read aloud to a baby but they are really entertaining and have enchanting stories for preschoolers, too. It's a good idea to get your three-year-old helping with their baby sibling and you could ask them to pick out a book that they think Baby would like to hear. Your little baby will love the attention they receive from you while you read and it's nice to make older brothers or sisters feel important and a bit clever!
Babies love listening to bouncy, rhyming verses and they're often soothed by the sing-song sound of Mum or Dad's voice when they read nursery rhymes out loud, while older children will be able to memorise and help "read" the rhymes too, so this will engage and involve your three-year-old at the same time.
We have a few classic nursery rhyme collections to choose from at Red House, and I recommend the Usborne Nursery Rhymes Treasury and Peter Rabbit Nursery Rhyme Time. The David Melling set of two little board books: Over the Moon and 5 Little Ducks is a perfect choice as the little board books include diagrams for the actions to some of the rhymes and I'm sure your older child will love to show Baby how these go! There are also hidden characters on every page which is a good feature for engaging older ones.
One of our Red House favourite characters with lots of appeal for preschoolers is the colourful patchwork elephant Elmer and the bright, simple pictures will delight babies as well as older children, so Elmer and Super El and Elmer's First Counting Book may be good for your youngsters.
Hope these suggestions help. Have fun!
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
I have a 2-week-old son and am concerned I'm not stimulating him enough. So far we have a fabric black and white book, a copy of Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak and a nursery rhyme and story book with CDs that I'm not that keen on. What should I be reading to him/encouraging him to look at?
Many thanks,
Pippa
Hi Pippa,
Thanks very much for your query and congratulations on the birth of your son! Here at Red House we’re convinced that it’s never too early to introduce your baby to books, so I think that it's brilliant that you're reading books to your baby. Here are some great ideas for books to share from birth to six months. At this age babies are just starting to focus on pictures, so strong illustrations are a must and black-and-white books are ideal as babies can see these images more clearly than colour ones. The Amazing Baby board books are good for this as they include strong black and white illustrations.
Babies also enjoy hearing you read rhymes and stories – they might not be able to understand the words but they like to hear your voice and enjoy songs and rhyming text. They learn a lot about language and get a lot of stimulation from the attention you give when you read too!
The Let's Look board book by Emily Bolam is a beautiful colourful book that young babies love and it's great for pointing and naming objects, which helps when you're reading to babies. Our David Melling Set of two books is good for simple nursery rhymes as it has the actions illustrated on the page, too, and the Very Hungry Caterpillar is a lovely book to engage your baby’s attention, while Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes by Raymond Briggs and Peepo are perfect for reading aloud.
The Amazing Baby series has been specially designed to appeal to young babies – try Amazing Baby One Little Bunny! or our set of two Amazing Baby board books. Baby Sounds: Kiss is a fun book as it has a noisy button to press that makes a sound like a loud kiss when you press it.
Finally, our Dear Zoo buggy book is perfect for attaching to your baby’s pram or cot so they always have a book to look at!
I hope you enjoy sharing some of these books.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Hi, I'm really interested in the Young Writers' competition and I had a few queries about it, although I wasn't sure if I can I ask on here, or is if this is only for book reading advice. I love creative writing, although I always get stuck for ideas for what to write, and I never enter competitions because I'm usually too nervous about submitting my work. The description of the competition guidelines seemed quite vague; if I were to write a story, could it be only a chapter, rather than a whole story (I've found I never can finish a story I've written)? Also, could I potentially send more than one document, for example, a chapter I've written and a poem? I'd really like to enter but I'm lacking ideas, any feedback would be much appreciated, Thanks, Ella
Hi Ella
Thanks for your interest in the Red House Young Writers' Yearbook competition. It's great that you're thinking about entering and you certainly shouldn't be nervous about sending in your work! We receive a wide variety of entries and one of the pleasures of judging is seeing all the different styles and subjects that young writers use. What you choose to send in is up to you: we are happy to read extracts from a longer story or novel, although the most successful entries tend to be those that feel like a satisfying whole. You can also enter more than once, so feel free to send a poem as well as a story if you like.
Because the competition is all about encouraging young writers' creativity, we try not to advise on what you should write about. Do have a look at the author pages in the Read section of My Red House though, because the authors we've talked to are very good at discussing how they find the inspiration for their stories!
We look forward to reading your work!
Best wishes,
Daniel
Red House Team
Hi there,
My little boy was two in December and has loved books since he was very young. We get through about six books a week from the library and he is a very bright little boy. So much so that you can read him a story a couple of times and he then recites it back to you completely out of the blue days or even weeks later.
He knows his alphabet (in order) and can count past 50. Can you give any advice on what else we can do and how to support his learning please? We are not pushing him in the slightest - he will choose reading etc over many other activities! I would be very grateful for your advice! Thanks in advance
Zoe
Hi Zoe,
Your son sounds wonderful and you're obviously doing all the right things by taking him to the library and reading lots of books to him. The best way of encouraging his literacy skills is by doing just that - reading aloud and sharing books and showing him how much fun there is to be had from reading books!
It's also really stimulating for your toddler if you talk to him lots, ask him questions about the books you're reading, and point out objects that you see everyday when you're out and about in the shops etc.
I would recommend looking out for book-related events, such as storytelling sessions in the library or free book signing and book activities hosted in any local bookshops to keep him inspired. If you're near any mother and toddler groups, then these usually have book corners and will offer different books to explore. You could also try some fun letter games to encourage his early writing and reading skills. You can buy magnetic or foam letters and make simple words with them, like 'cat' or 'dog'. If you don't want to buy a set, then make your own by cutting the letters out of card.
You can also try making your son a 'little book of me' with photos of him, his family, toys, holiday snaps etc and sticking them on to paper and stapling together with his name on the front. This will make a lovely book to share together and you can point to the letters of his name to encourage reading skills. Toddler flashcards, such as the Read with Biff, Chip & Kipper Phonics Cards - Alphabet Games (APG2), can be lots of fun and even though they're aimed at 3 year olds, they come with ideas for simple word games that might appeal.
Try labelling your son's boxes of toys so that some words, ie 'cars' 'books' 'toys' etc become really familiar and when you're reading one of his favourite stories, pause before the punchline so that you son can say what happens next. You could also try making some homemade books by cutting out pictures from a magazine and sticking them onto paper and writing the word underneath in clear, lower-case letters. Toddlers of this age love books that have lots of pictures that they can point to and name, so the Big Book of My World by Kali Stileman (BMY2) is a good one to share and Spot's Little Learning Library (SLG2) is a good value set of first concept books to teach youngsters about first words, shapes, colours and numbers.
Giving books as a gift is, according to research, a good way of encouraging children's love of reading, so check out our Red House collection and have lots of fun reading together!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
My ten-year-old has Asperger syndrome, which is a form of autism. She loves reading, and has a really high reading age. She finds many of the books at school too babyish, yet she has a high anxiety level and finds anything dark too scary (so no vampires or werewolves!). And she doesn't get teen romance. At the moment she is really keen on Animal Ark and the Famous Five. Please could you advise us about suitable books to buy?
Thanks,
Pam
Hi Pam,
Thanks for your message. One of our favourite authors at Red House is Michael Morpurgo and as your daughter enjoys books such as the Animal Ark series, she may well enjoy his animal stories. He is very simply just a brilliant storyteller and although some of the subjects are quite sad, they're not dark or gruesome. We can recommend An Elephant in the Garden, Alone on a Wide, Wide Sea, Born to Run and Running Wild, not forgetting the bestselling War Horse!
For a lighthearted detective story, your daughter might like Ruby Redfort Look Into My Eyes by Lauren Child, the author of well known picture books Charlie and Lola. Ruby Redfort is the author branching out for older readers and it has a strong minded girl heroine who is a bit of a part time detective! Lots of fun!
I would also recommend Frank Cottrell Boyce's books as they are truly funny adventures with good plots and interesting characters. They include, Millions, Cosmic and Framed. He also wrote a sequel to the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang story which is not long out. It's called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again. It's a funny, lively and interesting book and the sort of read that anyone who enjoys Famous Five adventures might enjoy.
Another last favourite worth mentioning is Sky Hawk, which is a lovely story of two children who find an osprey nesting close to where they live in the Scottish highlands. It does have a sad bit in it but it's not dark or frightening.
Hope you find something out of these suggestions that might appeal to your daughter.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Hello Red House,
I am a first time mother to a 6 months old boy. He is a very active baby, so could you please advise me about which books I should read to him? Thank you.
Domenica
Hi Domenica,
Here at Red House we know that babies love books and by the time your baby is six months old, they may be able to grasp and hold a chunky board book and they’ll enjoy touchy-feely textures and interactive features such as flaps to lift or holes to poke a chubby finger in!
Books are a great way to engage babies' attention, even when they're very lively and energetic. Choose books that have an interactive feature such as flaps to lift or mirrors to look into to capture their interest.
Some of our Red House favourites are: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has bright, bold illustrations and holes that will intrigue your young one; Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, which has lovely bouncy verses and fun holes to play peepo with your baby; Peekaboo Zoo, which has flaps to lift and cute cuddly looking animals to charm and Amazing Baby: Animal Babies, which has lovely touch and feel animals on each page.
Older babies will also enjoy listening to classic nursery rhymes, especially if you add actions or bounce your baby on your knee in time with the rhythm of the verse. The Nursery Rhymes Treasury is perfect for this and has over 65 different traditional nursery rhymes to choose from.
Happy reading!
Best wishes
Dear Red House,
What books are good to start reading to my baby. My baby is due in the next few weeks and I would like to get a few books in ready. Thank you,
Claire
Hi Claire,
Thanks very much for your query. I think it's brilliant to be getting organised early and thinking about baby books now as there's so much advice these days about the importance of reading to little ones from the start and how this encourages good communication skills!
Here at Red House we’ve always been convinced that it’s never too early to introduce your baby to books, so we've got some great ideas for books to share from birth. At this age (and up until about three months old) babies are just starting to focus properly, so strong illustrations are a must; black-and-white books are ideal as babies can see these images more clearly than colour ones. A good book that fits this description is Baby's Very First Black and White Books: Babies and it's a very reasonable £2.49. Another one in the same series is Baby's Very First Black and White Books: Faces. These two little books are nice and sturdy, which is also a bonus!
Very young babies also enjoy listening to the familiar sing-song rhythms of nursery rhymes especially when they're read by the familiar voices of Mum and Dad. Your baby might not be able to understand the words but they'll love to hear your voice and will respond to the rhythm of the text. Usborne's Nursery Rhymes Treasury is a classic collection and has appealing illustrations that will enchant your baby when they're older too. There's also a good value nursery rhymes set which includes two delightful board books that not only remind you of the words to familiar rhymes but also give you the actions too - the David Melling set of Over the Moon and 5 Little Ducks.
Peepo is another favourite with Red House customers as it has a hole cut in the pages and so it's good for playing peepo and engaging the attention of young babies. It also has a nice bouncy rhythm for reading aloud. I would also definitely recommend having a bath book, such as Baby's Very First Bath Book: Toys or Bubbly Bath Buddies: Chloe the Crab and a soft fabric book, which can double as a cuddly comforter too. Little Panda, a soft cloth book with a fleecy cover and a nice environmental message is a perfect choice.
A last suggestion, if you haven't already bought one, is to get a keepsake Baby Record book, such as the Mother Goose's Baby Book. You'll be amazed at how quickly the first few months pass after your baby arrives and it's lovely to have a record of all the first milestones, such as first smile, first tooth appearing, plus photos and little treasures kept in one place.
I do hope these suggestions are helpful and let me know if I can offer more advice.
Happy reading!
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
I'm looking for books for my daughter to read. She has just turned seven and I wanted to reward her for getting moved up two reading groups at school today!
Best wishes,
Daisy
Hi Daisy,
Thank you for your query about books for your seven-year-old daughter. There's a great range to choose from for readers 7+ with an enormous choice of funny - the hilarious Mr Gum books, by Andy Stanton; girly - Coco Simon's The Cupcake Diaries; or best-loved classics such as Roald Dahl's Matilda or George's Marvellous Medicine. Another of our Red House favourites for this age group is Ottoline and the Yellow Cat by Chris Riddell with its fantastic illustrations and clever heroine.
If you wanted a good value collection of stories designed specifically to boost the confidence of newly independent young readers, then the TreeTops collection and The Gaskitt Stories Collection (written by Allan Ahlberg) are both perfect, with great illustrations, lots of interesting stories and fun characters.
Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are extremely popular at the moment with this age group and they're packed with crazy doodles, cartoony illustrations and funny catchphrases. Finally, if your daughter loves animals, then Archie: Hero in Training by Sam Hay is a sweet and inspiring book about a puppy who learns to become a guide dog.
I hope that some of these suggestions hit the spot!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Hi Red House,
Can you recommend any good books for a 13-year-old boy?
Reece
Hi Reece
Thanks for your question. There's some great fiction for teen boys at the moment whether you're into fantasy adventure stuff such as the Inheritance books by Christopher Paolini, contemporary thrillers such as Shelter by Harlan Coben or futuristic fiction such as The Hunger Games trilogy. The Inheritance books start with Eragon and include Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance. This very popular series is about a farmer's son and his discovery of a dragon egg, which hatches out into -yes, you guessed it - a strange dragon who becomes a friend. There's tons of epic adventures and mega battles and the books are completely gripping.
The Harlan Coben book - Shelter - is a gritty, contemporary novel about a 15-year-old who is on a mission to find his missing girlfriend and gets drawn into a seedy world of gangsters and corrupt police officers.
Futuristic novels where technology has taken over and the world has become a bit lawless are really popular with teenagers too. A book by Michael Grant, called BZRK is a brilliant and compulsive read. It's the first book in a compelling new series which is all about how technology has got out of hand and microscopic robots are actually crawling around in people's brains. It's great for any readers who are into video gaming and action thrillers but it's not for the faint hearted!
I wonder if you've also seen the hype around a new film out on March 23rd called The Hunger Games? The film is based on a trilogy of books by Suzanne Collins which have been bestsellers at Red House for ages. The whole set of three books costs just £6.99, so it's great value and once you've read the first book in the series, you'll definitely want to read the other two!
Hope some of these suggestions appeal. Let me know what you think!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Hi Red House,
I'm looking for books to start introducing the potty to my 17-month old. I won't be training him until he's closer to 2 but would like to start talking about it with him. Can you recommend anything?
Thanks,
Sarah-Jane
Hi Sarah-Jane,
Thanks for your question. We've got an article in My Red House which is all about books that can help introduce the subject of potty training to toddlers. Click here to view the article
I really hope you find it useful! The article includes simple tips about the signs to look for that reveal when your toddler is ready to be potty trained and a list of fun picture books to introduce the subject to toddlers, as well as books for parents that look at the best way of approaching potty training.
One of our favourite potty training picture books at Red House is I Want My Potty! by Tony Ross, which is a hilarious tale about a stroppy little princess who has the whole palace running round in circles when she needs her potty.
Let us know how it goes!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
My son will be three years old in April. Which books should I be reading to him now?
Thanks,
Jas
Dear Jas,
Your son will no doubt love the attention you give when you sit down to share a book together and there are tons of beautiful and appealing picture books for three year olds to choose from. Well known favourites for this age are Thomas the Tank Engine stories (we have a good value collection of 65 books to buy in a handy storage box) and Paddington Bear but new kids on the block include The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child. The team who created these lovable and funny stories are one of our Red House favourites for 3 year olds. Their stories are all in bouncy rhyming verse and have funny and clever illustrations. As well as The Gruffalo, we love Zog, The Highway Rat, Tiddler, which has lots of interesting and hidden fish to look for in each picture, and Tabby McTat with its sweet message about friendship.
Harry and the Bucketful of Dinosaurs by Ian Whybrow is the first in a series of books about a boy who is fascinated by dinosaurs. The pictures are bold and bright and the stories are warm and funny. Monstersaurus by Claire Freedman comes highly recommended for 3 year olds as it's a good length to keep youngsters interested and the character of Monty is comical and silly and his madcap inventions are guaranteed to make young readers giggle.
Finally, The Selfish Crocodile by Faustin Charles is a witty story about a tiny mouse who turns out to be the bravest creature in the jungle when the mean crocodile desperately needs help!
Hope these ideas appeal to you and your son!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
I read to my children every night my daughter is 3 and my son is 5 and a half. But the older child gets bored with the 'baby stories' and the younger is not engaged in the 'older ' stories. Could you reccomend some bed time stories that both ages could enjoy?
Thanks,
Jay
Hi Jay,
Thanks for your query. That does sound like a bit of a juggling act but don't worry, the interest gap between them will close as they get older.
In the meantime, I would recommend Julia Donaldson books such as Follow the Swallow and Spinderella about a football loving spider as they’re aimed at the 5+ range but have brilliant illustrations and lots of appeal for 3 year olds as well.
Another Red House favourite is the Dirty Bertie series by David Roberts as these are simple chapter books but they have funny illustrations to look at and the stories have a wacky sense of humour that will appeal to younger children! Charlie and Lola books by Lauren Child are great picture books for pre-schoolers but your 5 year old may enjoy them too as they show an older brother who usually manages to come up with a clever solution to his little sister’s stubborn behaviour.
Owl Babies by Martin Waddell is a picture book for 3 year olds but has a longer story that will appeal to older children too. And what about trying a book of funny poems, such as Michael Rosen’s Mustard, Custard, Crumble Belly and Gravy as they’re short so they don’t require a lot of attention from your 3 year old but they’re full of jokes and dottiness to delight your older boy.
Hope this helps!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
My son is 8 months old. What books would you recommend for him?
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
By the time your baby is eight months old, they're probably keen to grasp and hold a chunky board book and they’ll enjoy touchy-feely textures and interactive features such as flaps to lift or holes to poke a chubby finger in!
Some of our Red House favourites are: The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which has bright, bold illustrations and holes that will intrigue your young one; Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg, which has lovely bouncy verses and fun holes to play peepo with your baby; Peekaboo Zoo, which has flaps to lift and cute cuddly looking animals to charm and Amazing Baby: Animal Babies, which has lovely touch and feel animals on each page.
Older babies will also enjoy listening to classic nursery rhymes, especially if you add actions or bounce your baby on your knee in time with the rhythm of the verse. The Nursery Rhymes Treasury is perfect for this and has over 65 different traditional nursery rhymes to choose from.
Happy reading!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House,
I have a 2 year old daughter, but I have no idea what books to get her. can you suggest some books?
Thank you,
Ashona
Hi Ashona,
Thank you for your query. Toddlers are always on the go, so sitting down with your youngster to share a book is the perfect time to have a quiet moment together. Some of our Red House favourites are The Very Hungry Caterpillar which is a bright colourful book with holes where the caterpillar has chomped through a feast of food, and The Gruffalo Board Book by Julia Donaldson, which is a bouncy rhyming book that allows mum or dad to use lots of funny voices when they’re reading.
Your toddler will also love the rhyming verse and beautiful illustrations in Julia Donaldson’s A Squash and a Squeeze, which has a noisy collection of animals to imitate in it, and Tales from Acorn Wood: Fox’s Socks by Julia Donaldson, which has flaps to lift in search of the missing sock.
If you’re keen to introduce your toddler to simple first concepts, such as opposites, colours and numbers, then Learn with Maisy by Lucy Cousins is ideal! And Goodnight Buster! is a lovely choice for bedtime as it’s a touch and feel book all about winding down for sleep.
Finally, The Tiger Who Came to Tea is a classic story book that has lots of toddler appeal and will be a favourite for years to come!
Happy reading!
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Hi there,
My daughter is about to turn 3 months old and I was wondering if you could recommend any books or authors to me as I have no clue as to what's good for her. I love to read to her but not sure what.
Thanks, Gary
Hi Gary,
Thanks for your query. Here at Red House we’re convinced that it’s never too early to introduce your baby to books, so here are some great ideas for books to share with your 3 month old daughter.
At this age babies are just starting to focus on pictures, so strong illustrations are a must; black-and-white books are ideal as babies can see these images more clearly than colour ones. Babies also enjoy hearing you read rhymes and stories – they might not be able to understand the words but they like to hear your voice and seem to enjoy songs and rhyming text. The Amazing Baby range of books are ideal for young babies and there are a selection on the Red House shop site, with a good value set of two board books Little, Big and Round, Square at just £2.99. Your little one may also like Amazing Baby: Animal Babies or Amazing Baby: Five Little Ducks.
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes by Raymond Briggs and Peepo are perfect for reading aloud as they have a sing-song rhythm that babies are fascinated by. A fun way of engaging your baby's attention at this age is to make reading a game so Baby Touch: Peepo Mummy! and The Very Hungry Caterpillar are an absolute delight that will appeal now and for a long time to come!
Finally, our Dear Zoo buggy book is perfect for attaching to a baby's pram or cot so she always has a book to look at!
I hope you enjoy sharing some of these books.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
Dear Red House
I would like to introduce reading aloud a story to my baby's bedtime routine, but he is only 6 weeks old. Have you got any suggestions for some books that I could start with?
Many thanks
Kiran
Hi Kiran,
Thanks very much for your query and congratulations on your new baby son!
Here at Red House we’re convinced that it’s never too early to introduce your baby to books, so here are some great ideas for books to share from birth to six months.
At this age babies are just starting to focus on pictures, so strong illustrations are a must; black-and-white books are ideal as babies can see these images more clearly than colour ones. Take a look at the Amazing Baby collection of books, as they are ideal. Babies also enjoy hearing you read rhymes and stories – they might not be able to understand the words but they like to hear your voice and seem to enjoy songs and rhyming text, so a book of simple nursery rhymes is a good idea, too.
A finger puppet book is a great way to engage your baby’s attention and a book with an interactive feature, such as Peepo, is a fun one to read.
Finally, our Dear Zoo buggy book is perfect for attaching to your son’s pram or cot so he always has a book to look at!
I hope you enjoy sharing some of these books.
Best wishes,
Charlotte
Red House Team
(December 2011)
T: 0845 606 4280 * F: 0845 606 4242 * Online enquiries form
