Suggested reading for Reception and Year 1: Spring Term
Here are some of our favourite books that are perfect for pupils in Reception and Year 1 to read during the Spring term.
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You Choose In Space
Author: Pippa Goodhart Illustrator: Nick Sharratt
Publisher: Puffin
Interest age: 3-6
Reading age: 5+You choose how this story unfolds, so a new adventure can be enjoyed each time of reading. A spectacular book to stimulate creative storytelling and language development, full of vibrant illustration. Not to be missed!
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Little Red Reading Hood
Author: Lucy Rowland Illustrator: Ben Mantle
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
Interest age: 3-6
Reading age: 5+Written in witty verse and accompanied by colourful illustrations, this wonderful contemporary tale is great to read aloud and ideal to show young children that stories have the power to take readers on all sorts of exciting, imaginative journeys.
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Ella Bella Ballerina and The Magic Toyshop
Author: James Mayhew
Publisher: Orchard Books
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+This charming picture book with timeless illustrations is ideal for children who love ballet, theatre and a touch of magic.
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Chibi Samurai Wants a Pet
Author: Sanae Ishida
Publisher: Little Bigfoot
Interest age: 4-7
Reading age: 7+Little Kunoichi is a ninja-girl-in-training and has a very special pet – a fearless, powerful, super-duper Ninja Bunny. A charming picture book, combining the search for a suitable pet with a fun look at selected aspects of Japanese folklore and culture.
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Rapunzel
Author: Bethan Woollvin
Publisher: Two Hoots
Interest age: 4-7
Reading age: 6+Bethan Woollvin, winner of The Macmillan Prize for Illustration for Little Red Riding Hood, gives a 21st century twist to the traditional tale of Rapunzel: creating a strong, independent heroine who prefers to escape with a pony rather than a prince.
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This Zoo is Not For You
Author: Ross Collins
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Interest age: 2-5
It is interview day at the zoo! Gentle humour, rhyming text and fabulous illustrations combine to create this wonderful picture book, which highlights the importance of being open, friendly and welcoming to all.
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The Wildest Cowboy
Author: Garth Jennings Illustrator: Sara Ogilvie
Publisher: Macmillan
Interest age: 4-7
Reading age: 5+The Wild West isn’t usually a setting for many picture books (at least in the UK), which seems a shame based on this riotous, colourful adventure, which fuses the joy of fancy dress with the dusty remoteness of a pioneer town.
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Stardust
Author: Jeanne Willis Illustrator: Briony May Smith
Publisher: Nosy Crow
Interest age: 4-7
Reading age: 5+A little girl keeps hearing that her sister is a ‘star’. Desperate to be a star too, the little girl makes a wish, but then her grandad tells her all about how the world began... A gentle story of sisters and stars, which captures the busy scenes of family life.
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Still Stuck
Author: Shinsuke Yoshitake
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Interest age: 3-4
A boy wants to get ready for his bath on his own, but his top gets stuck over his head. What if he is stuck forever? This charming, funny picture book shows the boy realising that everything is OK – and thinking of all the advantages of this new point of view.
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Bathroom Boogie
Author: Clare Foges Illustrator: Al Murphy
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Interest age: 4-8
Reading age: 6+Bathtime gets boisterous when no-one’s at home: flannels, toothbrushes, loofahs and even the power shower boogie the day away to DJ shampoo’s groovy beat! A cracking comical story for young children, for whom bathtime will never be the same again…
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Come All You Little Persons
Author: John Agard Illustrator: Jessica Courtney-Tickle
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Interest age: 4-8
Reading age: 6+Captivating and vibrant illustrations complement the lyrical text in this joyous, inclusive story by celebrated poet John Agard. Perfect for reading aloud at bedtime, this book celebrates childhood and the natural world in all its rich diversity.
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Perfectly Norman
Author: Tom Percival
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Interest age: 4-6
Reading age: 5+Norman has always been normal, perfectly normal… So he is very surprised to have wings suddenly one day! This is a sweet and truly uplifting story that celebrates diversity in a subtle but unique way.