Pyjamarama: fun books to read with children in Reception
Reading books to children has lots of amazing long-term benefits. Sharing a story or a fascinating information book is a great way to bond, and it improves children's overall wellbeing. But, most importantly, it's fun! We hope you enjoy reading these brilliant books together.
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Gina Kaminski Saves the Wolf
Author: Craig Barr-Green Illustrator: Francis Martin
Publisher: Little Tiger
Interest age: 4-5
Reading age: 6+Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood with a neurodivergent protagonist.
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Big Bad Dragon Club
Author: Beach
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Interest age: 2-5
Reading age: 5+A funny picture book about dragons learning they don't always have to be bad!
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Geoffrey Gets the Jitters
Author: Nadia Shireen
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 4-5
Geoffrey’s jitters are out of control! How can he get rid of them? Told with humour and great empathy, this picture book from the author-illustrator of Barbara Throws a Wobbler is both funny and helpful.
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This Rock is Mine
Author: Kaye Umansky Illustrator: Alice McKinley
Publisher: Alison Green Books
Interest age: 4-5
Reading age: 4+This is a fabulously funny picture book by the author of Ten Fat Sausages brimming full of Michelle Robinson’s trademark silly humour. So The Thunk is a beast, a bit like a skink, although more like a skunk on account of the stink, thought to be extinct but young explorer Hector Voltaire who’s had his fair share of other kids saying his head’s full of air, i…
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The Thunk
Author: Michelle Robinson Illustrator: Deborah Allwright
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Interest age: 4-5
Reading age: 4+This is a fabulously funny picture book by the author of Ten Fat Sausages, brimming full of Michelle Robinson’s trademark silly humour.
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Whose Dog is This?
Author: Andrew Sanders Illustrator: Aysha Awwad
Publisher: Macmillan
Interest age: 7+
Reading age: 7+It’sonly been ten minutes since Albert’s dad left the living room, but in that time, chaos has occurred! Dad comes in to find a flustered Albert lying amongst toppled-over furniturewith mud and macaroni cheese covering the walls. Albert blames the mess on the dog in the room. But wait a minute – Albert doesn’t have a dog...Whose dog is this?
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Femi and the Mindfulness Machine
Author: Flo Fielding Illustrator: Sawyer Cloud
Publisher: Doring Kindersley in association with Woke Babies
Interest age: 4-5
Femi’s wind machine for Science Day doesn’t always work. Gran has some useful advice – but what will happen at school when it matters? With techniques to calm anxiety, and gorgeous illustrations, this picture book will stimulate conversations about feelings.
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The Egg Incident
Author: Ziggy Hanaor Illustrator: Daisy Wynter
Publisher: Cicada Books
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 7+Humphrey the egg isn’t allowed to do anything energetic – especially not climb walls. But when he and his new friend are locked in the park, he has to escape somehow! A very funny graphic novel that will have children giggling out loud.
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Space Pirate Bears
Author: Alastair Chisholm Illustrator: Jez Tuya
Publisher: Walker Books
Interest age: 6-7
Reading age: 7+A funny and inventive picture book that celebrates the power of storytelling. One dreary day Dad tells Jamie and Abby a story about a band of intergalactic heroes - the Space Pirate Bears - who must defeat evil Doktor Drab and save the galaxy from dullness...
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My Family Your Family
Author: Laura Henry-Allain Illustrator: Giovana Medeiros
Publisher: Penguin
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 6+An accessible, useful non-fiction guide to all types of families.
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Who’s Afraid of the Light?
Author: Anna McGregor
Publisher: Scribble
Interest age: 4-5
Meet Fergus, who is a real deep-sea creature. But we can only see his eyes. What could he be? An enjoyable anarchic mash-up of fiction and non-fiction, with facts at the end, and a surprise reveal.
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Who Rules the Rockpool?
Author: Matty Long
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Interest age: 6-8
Reading age: 7+Crab boasts that he is the ruler of the rockpool, as he’s so brave and strong, but Prawn insists that there’s more to survival than just being tough. An entertaining picture book with colourful, cartoon-like illustrations and plenty of witty one-liners.
