Family

Picture book favourites Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd team up to celebrate the relationship between a child and their father in this delightful board book.

Frank and his grandpa have different coloured skin – but they both love exactly the same things!

This is just the book to explain to inquisitive children what going on inside mum during pregnancy.

Roy and Silo are two boy penguins who live in the zoo in New York’s Central Park. This is a really delightful story and the message behind it is subtle. It’s a true story, and you can learn more about it in a note at the end.

Wake up, it’s mummy time! A warm and reassuring picture book about the everyday life of a stay-at-home mother and her two children over the course of a day.

This reassuring and stunningly illustrated book tackles the subject of temporary separation – a situation which all children are likely to experience, be it Mum going to work or first day at Nursery.

The hour is late and Mr Bear is tired. But he just can’t sleep – however hard he tries, all he can hear are the noises in the house.

Written in the voice of a loving stepmum, this is a warm hug of a book. This would be a good book to read with a child whose family might be changing. 

Come rain or shine, follow this little boy through the four different seasons as he enjoys precious moments with his beloved grandmother.

The dad in this book is very bearish – he loves honey, chases his little boy around while growling, and naps everywhere. And there’s nothing like a grizzly bear hug from your dad to make you feel safe. A charming picture book celebrating all the bear-like dads out there.

Josie doesn’t look like her mum, and worries that she should. But her family show her that all families are different, and all are special. A beautiful book full of empathy and heart. 

Tia’s parents are separating, and she doesn’t know how to feel about it. A sensitively told book, with lovely illustrations, that could be a useful way of discussing different family situations with young children. 

This rhyming picture book celebrating same sex parents is a gentle and sweet read, with the added bonus of including mention of a gay couple adopting their daughter.

Florrie has a home with her mum and a home with her dad – and she loves them both! An uplifting picture book to soothe worries about separation or divorce.

This joyful picture book celebrates what makes us who we are, from the qualities we inherit from family to our cultural heritage and personal experiences. With lyrical text and stunning illustrations, this is an unusual, thought-provoking and uplifting tale.  

This friendly, practical picture book has lots of information for young readers, making it a good place to begin a conversation about families. Warm and inclusive. 

At Aunt Amelia’s house, even the chores are done in an unusual way – from watering the garden from a hot air balloon to cleaning the windows on climbing ropes. This magical, delightful and beautiful book from Rebecca Cobb has the feel of a modern classic.

The delightful sequel to Haddow and Adeola’s My Dad is a Grizzly Bear features a powerful, energetic mum who is very much the centre of the family, cheering on her children and loving everyone fearlessly. 

This brilliantly fun story about a day out gone awry – and two seriously committed pirate mums – is a lovely book to read aloud, with a heart-warming message.

A true tale of a young girl in Iran, who idolises and follows her grandmother everything, this is a beautiful ode to family and lifelong memories, illustrated with wondrous and intricate detail. 

Zahra hates long walks, so when Uncle Jerome picks her up from school and suggests they take ​‘the long walk home’, she is less than thrilled. But when birds become pterodactyls, Zahra begins to see this walk is like nothing she’s ever experienced before. Huge fun.

A little monster gets sad that she doesn’t have any siblings until Dad reassures her that families are measured by love and not numbers.

A lovely picture book celebrating the relationships we have with our cousins, whether they are nearby or far away.