Family

So Much! by Trish Cooke and Helen Oxenbury

This is a beautiful big book, with a wonderful warm heart. It's the story of the gradual gathering of a large family, through the eyes of the baby. Helen Oxenbury's illustrations are as emotive as ever and Trish Cooke's lyrical words are a delight to read aloud.

Where's My Mom? by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

A poor lost monkey is befriended by a mother butterfly who has a little difficulty in understanding that he looks just like his Mom. The story may be about tramping through the jungle looking for your parents, but the page to page hilarity of the butterfly getting it wrong always amuses the preschoolers, especially when she mistakes the Mom for the "elephant, again!".

Ben and Gran and the Whole Wide Wonderful World by Gillian Shields.

This one may be difficult to source in America, but try your local bookstore, they'll certainly try to find a supplier for you. Ben lives on one side of the world and Gran lives on the other side, although sending messages is fun, it's no substitute for seeing your favourite person. So Gran goes on an epic journey to get to Ben whilst Ben prepares for her arrival. This is a great book to read to a transportation loving toddler, as Gran uses any means necessary, including camel and high speed express train to get to Ben.

Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen.

Sometimes families go on adventures together and in this popular version of the traditional story it's the Dad who takes the lead. It's illustrated by Helen Oxenbury who apparently enjoyed the subject matter being people and not anthropomorphic animals. There is a real sense of family adventure here and we can all understand why the bear looks so sad and lonely on the last page.

Mama Do You Love Me? by Barbara M Joose.

Toddler's love to push their parents and test the limits of the love. This charming book with an Innuit theme, calmly explains that Mama's love knows no limits, even if you turn into the meanest polar bear there ever was.

The songs will be This Train is going to Grandma's and will visit the grandparents of everyone who wants to tell me where they live, Deep Down in My Heart and Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. The poem will be Everybody Says by Dorothy Aldis.