Jez Alborough, Duck's Key: Where Can It Be?

HarperCollins, 9780007177653

Cheeky Frog hides Duck's key to his truck. Can you help him to find it? Lifting the flaps not only helps to find the key but also uncovers the rhyme in this vibrant and hilarious comedy.

Jonathan Allen, I'm Not Cute!

Boxer Books, 9780954737382

Poor Baby Owl! He's soft and fluffy and he's got big baby eyes and everyone says he's cute. But, inside, Baby Owl knows that he is a 'huge sleek hunting machine with great big see-in-the-dark eyes'. Or, maybe, he's both? How can Baby Owl convince everyone to take him seriously and still get all the love and hugs he wants from his mummy?

Ian Beck, Five Little Ducks

Orchard Books, 9781846165795

A first introduction to counting along with the traditional rhyme, 'Five little ducks went swimming one day...' and with Ian Beck's fluffy golden-yellow ducks leading the way. Every time the ducks go 'over the hills and far away' one of them fails to return. The clue is in the fox's tail poking cheekily into the corner of each spread. Ian Beck's illustrations are always reassuring, and luckily the last duck has more sense than all the rest put together. He manages to save himself and all the others as well.

Eric Carle (Illus. Bill Martin), Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

Puffin, 9780141501598

The big, bold illustrations, matched by a simple rhyming and questioning text which introduces each different animal, make this a perfect introduction to learning colours. From the brown bear of the title through nine animals including a red bird, a yellow duck, a green frog, a black sheep and a goldfish, there is an array of colour and shape that is a feast to the eye as well as a good way of teaching the names of the colours.

Trish Cooke (Illus. Paul Howard), Full, Full, Full of Love

Walker Books, 9781844287826

Jay Jay loves going to his Grannie's house for Sunday dinner. He loves the food - when it comes! - but even before that, he loves being in a house that is full, full, full up with Grannie's lovely things, her warm hugs and the happy faces of his smiling relatives. A wonderful celebration of a family gathering.

Trish Cooke (Illus. Helen Oxenbury), So Much

Walker Books, 9780744543964

An exuberant outpouring of love for the baby of the family. Each relative that arrives sweeps the baby up into a different kind of embrace. All of them shower him with hugs and kisses because he is loved ... So Much! This family's enthusiasm for their baby is infectious. Readers are drawn in and feel like celebrating too.

Lucy Cousins, Maisy's ABC

Walker Books, 9780744532296

Lovable Maisy introduces the alphabet through flaps and pop-ups. In just a few cheerful spreads, from an alligator, boat, crab and dolphin to a yoyo and zebra, every letter of the alphabet is revealed with a memorable image to match.

Lucy Cousins, Maisy Goes to the Library

Walker Books, 9781406306965

Maisy is on a visit to the library. She enjoys going there because it's a quiet place to sit and read, but she soon finds out that there are all sorts of other things going on in a library which are fun ... and she may have to find a different place to read. Maisy and her friends show that a library is an attractive place to be.

Penny Dale, Ten in the Bed

Walker Books, 9781406300352

A different set of ten roll out of the bed in this variation on a traditional rhyme. This time, it is ten soft toys that, one after another, tumble out of bed in a rollicking night-time adventure. There's lots of simple repetition in the words and busy detail in the pictures before they all jump back in again, making this perfect for beginner readers.

Polly Dunbar, Penguin

Walker Books, 9781406312461

'Hello, Penguin!' said Ben. Penguin said nothing. 'Can't you talk?' said Ben. Penguin said nothing. Ben tries everything he can to make his new friend speak but Penguin's beak remains tightly closed. What can Ben do? In desperation, he shouts as loudly as he can. Unfortunately, this attracts a passing lion who gobbles him up. Now Penguin shows how much he cares. Biting the lion on the nose, he frees Ben and is voluble about all he feels. In only a few words but through expressive illustrations, Penguin shows the quirks of friendship.

Sarah Garland, Doing the Garden

Frances Lincoln, 9781845077211

Warm and realistic illustrations convey the details of a day of gardening. Mum loads two toddlers into the pram and off they set to the garden centre. They buy seeds and plants and even a tree! After staggering home, they have all the fun of digging, sowing, and planting. What a busy day and how delightfully it ends with everyone flopped exhausted on the kitchen floor.

Emily Gravett, Orange Pear Apple Bear

Macmillan, 9781405090223

Teasingly simple, the four words of the title are repeated in a different order and in different relationships to each other in every picture. As they are changed around so their meanings may alter. The expressive cuddly bear, who changes colour according to his association with each fruit, gives a wonderful commentary on each picture.

Sarah Hayes (Illus. Helen Craig), This is the Bear

Walker Books, 9780744594812

'This is the bear who fell in the bin. This is the dog who pushed him in.' So begins a wonderfully dramatic adventure as the boy and the dog - now sorry for what he's done - do everything in their power to rescue the bear. And a messy business it is, as they have to search right through the bins to find him! Told in bouncing rhyming couplets, this search and rescue story with a delightfully happy ending is perfect for first reading.

Kathy Henderson (Illus. Paul Howard), Look at You!

Walker Books, 9781406304596

Big bold illustrations, softly drawn, capture everyday moments in a baby's life in this life enhancing celebration of being a baby. The simple actions of putting on clothes, changing nappies and brushing hair are made fun while a whole spread records the simple moves as a baby lies, rolls, sits, crawls and, triumphantly, pulls itself up to stand.

Eric Hill, Where's Spot?

Puffin, 9780140504200

When Sally calls Spot for his supper, he's nowhere to be found. Sally searches everywhere. Opening the flaps she looks behind the door, in the cupboard, under the stairs. Each time, there is someone hiding but it isn't Spot. The delight of discovery is tempered by the disappointment that Spot is still missing. At last, he is found and Spot enjoys his dinner. A classic open-the-flap book which works because of its simplicity.

Shirley Hughes, Alfie Gets in First

Red Fox, 9780099256052

Alfie is determined to get home first. When Mum opens the front door he dashes inside and slams the door shut. Mum and Annie Rose are outside, Alfie and the front door key are inside, and Alfie can't open the door as the lock is too high up. How can Alfie let Mum in? Told from the two contrasting perspectives of Alfie inside and Mum, Annie Rose and a bunch of helpful neighbours outside, Alfie's resourcefulness is revealed. Shirley Hughes captures the high drama of a domestic incident.

Pat Hutchins, Rosie's Walk

Red Fox, 9780099413998

The words and pictures in this book tell different stories, making it fun to read on many levels. Rosie the hen sets off for a walk around the farmyard. She goes across the yard, around the pond, over the haycock, past the mill, through the fence, under the beehives and gets safely back home for her dinner. She has no idea what is happening just behind her ... Following the adventures (and misadventures) of both the hen and the fox is absorbing - and hilarious!

Mick Inkpen, Bear

Hodder, 9780340918180

A cleverly told story which gives the reader the right to decide what happens at the end. Bear just falls out of the sky. Soon the boy and the bear are inseparable - although Bear can be a bit of a handful. Then someone comes looking for him. Can the boy keep him? All readers will say YES and will love the option of doing so.

Satoshi Kitamura, Hello, Who's There?

Andersen Press, 9781842705872

Each time the little duck asks a question, you pull a tab and someone pops up to meet him. This is a charming introduction to insects, with a surprise element and a pleasingly reassuring ending. Very simple and very effective.

Annie Kubler, Peek-a-Boo! Nursery Games

Child's Play, 9781904550839

A feast of rhyming games full of 'actions' for playing again and again with babies. Using fingers and toes, hiding and seeking, patting and tapping, these rhymes are perfect for interacting with a baby and introducing all kinds of speech. Cheerful babies enjoying themselves as they demonstrate the rhymes bring the book to life.

Julie Lacome, Walking Through the Jungle

Walker Books, 9780744536430

This classic rhyming text perfectly captures the excitement of exploration. Sometimes frightened, sometimes bold, but always eager, the little boy sets out through this brightly coloured jungle. What can he hear? What can he see? And what scary thing might happen next?

Jo Lodge, Jungle Animals

Mantra Lingua,

Dual Language. Available in 20 languages

'As tall as a giraffe', 'As snappy as a crocodile' - a simple phrase accompanies each of these delightful pop-ups of the different animals in the jungle. Robustly made, these pop-ups will survive a lot of handling!

Marjorie Newman (Illus. Ken Wilson-Max), Just Like You Did

Bloomsbury, 9780747564263

The difficulties of being usurped by the arrival of a new baby are explored in a no-holds-barred but ultimately reassuring picture book. George doesn't want the baby to have his cot, he doesn't like the visitors coming and cooing all over the baby, he doesn't like his mum being too busy to play. In fact, he'd like to go back to before the baby was born. But that's not possible. Instead, Dad and Mum point out that the baby will change 'just like you did' and there will come a time when the two of them can be friends. Bold illustrations capture George's mounting anger and the parental reassurance that calms him down.

Catherine Rayner, Augustus and His Smile

Little Tiger Press, 9781845062835

Exquisite, impressionistic illustrations in the greens, blues and oranges of the jungle capture the sadness of Augustus the Tiger as he sets off to find his smile. Everywhere he searches, he finds something beautiful: birds nesting at the top of the tallest trees, swirling clouds above the highest mountains, tiny, shiny fish at the bottom of the deepest ocean. And he finds that enjoying them gives him his smile back.

Michael Rosen (Illus. Adrian Reynolds), The Bear in the Cave

Bloomsbury, 9780747577652

Complete with audio CD, here comes a long-awaited near-sequel to the best-selling, much-chanted We're Going on a Bear Hunt. This time it's the Bear who goes out exploring. Lured by the sound of the city in his ears, Bear sets off to find out what makes it hum so, but the noise and bustle disturb and disorientate him. Luckily a group of children befriend him and soon he is hurrying home past the cars 'whooshy whooshity woosh', on the train 'chuff chuffity chuff', to play peacefully by the waves 'Splishity splashety splish'. Despite Bear's disquiet, Adrian Reynolds' illustrations are as benign for the city as for the seaside, investing both with a robust vigour that matches the rhythmic text perfectly.

Michael Rosen (Illus. Helen Oxenbury), We're Going on a Bear Hunt

Walker Books, 9780744523232

The classic rhyming story of a family on a bear hunt. Full of optimism, they set out, spurring themselves on with the oft-repeated refrain, 'We're not scared ...'. Through the long grass 'Swishy swashy, swishy swashy', the deep cold river 'splash splosh', the thick oozy mud 'squelch squerch', they go until they come across the bear. Terror! A mad dash home but safe at last and with the front door shut tight just in time. Perfectly matched pictures make this an amazingly dramatic story.

Tony Ross, Three Little Kittens and Other Favourite Nursery Rhymes

Andersen Press, 9781842707050

This is an excellent first collection of classic nursery rhymes with witty illustrations by Tony Ross. The lost mittens of the Three Little Kittens of the title poem are a joy to search for, while the Black Sheep casually selling his sacks of black wool makes the unlikely surprisingly convincing. Perfect for reading aloud and sharing with eager listeners.

Jane Simmons, Come on, Daisy!

Orchard, 9781843622727

Daisy the duckling loves to wander off on her own and dream. She can always find something interesting to do like bouncing on lily pads so she never listens to her mother calling. But then something BIG comes rustling through the reeds. Daisy is scared. What can it be? Luckily, it is only her mummy come back to keep her safe. Beautiful watery illustrations give this loving story a delightful background.

Mandy Stanley, How Do You Feel?

HarperCollins, 9780007165780

Bold, bright and robust, this is a useful board book for exploring a range of emotions. The rabbit feels hip-hop hungry, the cheery looking crocodile feels snip-snap happy. Peacock feels proud and poor old bear feels sad (boo-hoo). Each picture gives the opportunity for thinking and talking about the different emotion that is shown.

Jess Stockham, Looking Good! (Just Like Me!)

Child's Play, 9781846430473

Designed for the very young, with robust flaps that will withstand a lot of use, this is an introduction to different parts of the body. Fox has a pointy nose, Lizard has little fingers and toes and, when the reader opens the flap, the baby underneath has them too. Charming bold illustrations make connections for the reader.

Elfrida Vipont (Illus. Raymond Briggs), The Elephant and the Bad Baby

Puffin, 9780140500486

The Bad Baby and the Elephant go boldly down the road taking something delicious from every shop they pass, and the Bad Baby never once says 'Please'. As a result, all the shopkeepers come running after the troublesome pair as they go, rumpeta, rumpeta, rumpeta through the town. But they never meant to be bad and soon they are forgiven, especially when the Bad Baby's mummy makes a feast of pancakes for everyone. A delightful repetitive text makes this fun to read again and again.

Martin Waddell (Illus. Barbara Firth), Can't You Sleep, Little Bear?

Walker Books, 9781844284917

Little Bear is frightened of the dark in the cave, so frightened that he can't go to sleep. Big Bear tries everything he can think of to help him to settle but not even Big Bear's biggest lantern can reassure Little Bear. Then Big Bear has an idea. He shows Little Bear the big moon outside the cave that is watching over them and keeping them safe. At last, Little Bear falls into a deep, deep sleep. Wonderful illustrations show the tender relationship between Little Bear and Big Bear against a cosy bear-cave background.

Fiona Watt, Sleepy Baby

Usborne, 9780746063675

Wonderful touchy-feely patches, including a cosy blanket, woolly socks, silky soft toy rabbit ears and even a nappy, make this irresistible for very young hands. Sleepy Baby is getting ready for bed. Sharing in his activities is fun and a great preparation for every baby's bedtime!

Sarah Williams (Illus. Ian Beck), Ride a Cock Horse

Oxford, 9780192763204

An invaluable collection of classic rhymes for sharing with a baby. Patting, clapping, bouncing - all these rhymes have an interactive element so parents and babies play a role in the story or poem. Brief guidance helps those unfamiliar with them to know what actions to do! Ian Beck's enticing illustrations flesh out the stories behind the rhymes.

Cliff Wright, Bear and Box

Templar, 9781840115918

White bear, black bear and brown bear have fun with a green box in this attractive introduction to colours. There's a red wheel, a blue bath, a yellow flag and purple wings. What can bear make? A glorious sledge. Together, all three bears slide off down the hill.