Our favourite picture books. Just in time for Christmas.

A local bookshop asked us for our favourite children’s book recommendations! Well - we read A LOT of children’s books and we were delighted to share our list of favourites with them and I thought you might like them, too! Just in time for Christmas….

So drumroll please.

In no particular order…

1. Julian at the Wedding and Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love. She has completely changed how I think about children’s book production and diversity. She throws the rulebook out - and each page is a magical work of art! I turn the pages whenever I’m at a book shop and fall in love all over again @jesslovedraws.

2. I’m Sticking With You - Smriti Halls. A heart-warming story. I can read this one 1000 times and not get sick of it! It explores friendship and the balance of closeness and distance that we all face in our lives and has a memorable warm rhyme @smriti_halls_author - a crowd favourite.

3. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein - a classic. Though some hint at co-dependency themes the story of self-sacrifice and unconditional love through the ages makes me cry every time. Shel Silverstein has so many good ones…

4. What Do You Do With An Idea by Kobi Yamada - using an idea as a metaphor that transforms through the pages, @livethegoodstuff and Mae Besom allow children to imagine all of the things they can create and do with their lives. It makes life seem like one big adventure. To be fair, all of Kobi’s books should be on this list. I love them. all.. @compendiumliveinspired

And finally, the book that turned me into a writer and publishing house.

5. I Love You Forever by Robert Munsch - I read this one nightly with my mother as a child and I never felt as loved as I did in those moments. Even when you are naughty, you will always be deeply loved. This one has stayed with me forever.

Happy reading!