International Book Day 2019 Our Favourite Books for Parents & Toddlers
Last International Book Day we published an article recommending the best books for parents and their toddlers. This year, we’re going to do the same! Why? Because it’s a good excuse to add to our own reading lists and because books are one of the only things you can buy that make you richer... (Who actually said that first, we’d love to know!).
We’ve split the list up into books for parents and books for toddlers because, although our recommended books for toddlers seem great, Mummy or/and Daddy probably want their own books!
Although you certainly don’t have to be a parent to enjoy the following books… here’s our recommended list.
Books for parents
Step by Step - Simon Reeve
If you’re an adventurer in practice or just one at heart - TV adventurer Simon Reeve’s autobiographical book Step by Step could be your next favourite read. Take a journey through the personal story of a man who had to overcome his own demons and challenges before embarking on a career that’s taken him “across jungles, deserts, mountains and oceans, and to some of the most beautiful, dangerous and remote regions of the world.”
'Simon Reeve, a man whose very name is a guarantee of interesting television. Outstanding.' - The Observer
'In the last decade, he's made a name for himself as British TV's most adventurous presenter. He's hunted with the Bushmen of Kalahari, hung out with biker outlaws in Australia and been taught to fish by the president of Moldova.' - Radio Times
Becoming by Michelle Obama
This was one of the most anticipated autobiographies of the year and it’s received rave reviews from the press and the public. Michelle Obama’s debut gives us insight into an extraordinary life filled with meaning and accomplishment. The first African American to become First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama worked hard to help create the “most welcoming and inclusive White House in history” whilst standing up and advocating for the rights of women and girls in the U.S and around the world.
The story begins with her childhood on the South Side of Chicago and with “unerring honesty and lively wit” takes us through her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to life at The White House. Public and private disappointments are shared “in her words, on her terms” it is the “deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations - and whose story inspires us to do the same.”
'A genuine page-turner, full of intimacies and reflections' Evening Standard
'A polished pearl of a memoir' New York Times
Books for toddlers
Hop Little Bunnies
This is a great book for Easter, beautifully illustrated with lots of sleepy animals you can wake up by lifting interactive flaps on the pages. Hop with bunnies, cheep with chicks, baa with the lambs and mew with the kittens. Illustrated by Laura Hughes from the bestselling We’re Going on an Egg Hunt and available at Waterstones.
Colours by Matchstick Monkey
Of course, we had to mention Colours. We may be biased but it is genuinely because we love it, and so do our kids.
As well as being a fun story that toddlers can follow and engage with easily, it’s also a great tool for helping toddlers to develop pre-writing skills. Tactile and fun, the bold illustrations and colourful glitter finger-trails on each page are made for little hands. Following the monkeys on their race through the jungle helps to teach children about colours and encourages the development of hand-eye coordination.
Baby Shark
Anyone with a toddler must have heard the infuriatingly catchy Baby Shark song. If you haven’t, I’m not sure if I should tell you to check it out as it’ll stick in your head - and never leave! The simple silly story and the recognisable tune has proven so popular, you can now follow the adorable under the sea adventures of this family of sharks in a new book.
The story is as silly as the song, but it’s sure to get everyone in your household to join in! With informative picture guides to help readers mimic and act out the hand/foot movements, it also encourages your children to develop fine motor skills.
Although many of us are lucky enough to be able to read books, not everyone has access to books. If you’d like to help others who don’t have access to books to read. Every time you buy a book at Better World Books.com you also donate a book to someone in need. Helping to fight to reduce global poverty through education.