Being a bookworm I love books of all shapes and sizes, I myself love to read and I’ve enjoyed sharing this passion with my children from a very young age and it’s been so wonderful to watch their own love of reading grow. Of all the books I’ve read children’s picture books have stolen a piece of my heart and remain one of my favourite types of books to read. There is something so magical about opening a new picture book and exploring this new adventure together with your children, seeing their eyes light up as they discover a new story to fall in love with.
I’ve chosen my favourite new picture books for this year from Pan Macmillan for children aged three to seven years, and I hope you will also love to read them together with your own children. So curl up and enjoy sharing the magic of reading, because I believe that “children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” (Emilie Buchwald)
The Hospital Dog (Julia Donaldson, Sara Ogilvie – R200)
The Hospital Dog is a new book from Julia Donaldson and Sara Ogilvie, the creators of the wonderful The Detective Dog. This charming picture book stars Dot the hospital dog and is a story about kindness, bravery and friendship. With gentle rhyme, a catchy repetitive refrain and beautiful colour illustrations it won’t take long for your children to fall in love with this heartwarming story of The Hospital Dog.
You can read my full review of The Hospital Dog here.
Will you be my friend? (Sam McBratney, Anita Jeram – R200)
From the creators of the classic Guess How Much I Love You? comes Will you be my friend?, a new adventure from Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram about Little Nutbrown Hare that promises to become a favourite for story time too. Your children will enjoy this charming tale about friendship which celebrates how playful and curious little ones are, with the new adventure on Cloudy Mountain brought to life through beautiful watercolour illustrations.
You can read my full review of Will you be my friend? here.
What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside (Julia Donaldson, Lydia Monks – R250)
What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside sees Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len back to their nefarious ways again, this time the troublesome duo is plotting to steal the mermaid’s hair. This hardback edition features glitter on every page, something which always delights the kids as they can explore the tactile textures on the pages. The fun rhyming story paired with the wonderfully bright illustrations combine to deliver another fantastic title from the powerhouse team that is writer Julia Donaldson and illustrator Lydia Monks. What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside is an excellent addition to this popular series and would make a great choice for storytime.
You can read my full review of What the Ladybird Heard at the Seaside here.
Don’t forget you can also check out the other awesome books by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks in stores too, some of our favourites include What the Ladybird Heard, Sharing a Shell and The Girl, the Bear and the Magic Shoes.
We are One (Refiloe Moahloli, Zinelda McDonald – R140)
We are One is the new children’s book from local author Refiloe Moahloli and illustrator Zinelda McDonald. It’s a book that celebrates our differences and similarities, offering the opportunity to discuss valuable lessons with our children in a gentle way. You’ll meet many diverse children as you read the story, with each spread highlighting how we may look different and sound different but how our hearts are the same. It is in its diversity that the book truly shines, this book is a great way to teach kindness to your children, and to show them how their actions can affect others.
You can read my full review of We are One here.
The Go-Away Bird (Julia Donaldson, Catherine Rayner – R169)
The Go-Away Bird is a beautiful new book from Julia Donaldson who has teamed up with illustrator Catherine Rayner this time. From the first time we read it we fell in love with the avian characters and the story they tell, with the repetitive rhyme that Donaldson is famous for meaning my daughter could recite many lines of the story after just one reading. The story is one of friendship and working together, and the beautiful water colour illustrations with bright dashes of colour help to bring this picture book to life. It’s an absolute must-have for your children’s bookshelf!
You can read my full review of The Go-Away Bird here.
You can also check out the other awesome Julia Donaldson titles in stores including The Gruffalo, The Snail and the Whale and Room on the Broom.
With this awesome line-up we just can’t choose our favourite…can you?
Thanks to Pan Macmillan for sponsoring this awesome guide!
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