Early Stage 1 Reading List

In this unusual text, young listeners and readers follow a group of diverse kids trying to make sense of the world as they see it. Questions such as What do clouds taste like?, Do my toys miss me when I’m gone?, and I wonder if cars and trucks speak the same language remind us of a child’s unique point of view. Nothing is more powerful than seeing something for the first time, and these whimsical questions will encourage all readers to take a fresh look around them.

Exquisite artwork by rising star Kenard Pak follows the arc of a day, ending with a spread showing a group of children as different and varied as their questions.

Do you love thinking up new ideas? Do you jump from one idea to the next? Would you rather start tomorrow? Or is your brain just brimming with ideas, ready to burst?

Join Sozi, the enthusiastic star of The Best Book in the World, as she experiences the elation, struggle, and triumph of making ideas happen. It won’t be easy, but Sozi is ready for any obstacle that may stand in her way. Her Idea is a story for all ages and a tale about getting to THE END. Featuring immersive illustrations and bold colors, Her Idea is sure to captivate and inspire readers of all ages, encouraging creativity, and bringing the fruits of imagination to life.

Every day Mr Farmer tends his vegetables while Mrs Farmer milks Belinda the cow. There is always plenty of warm frothy milk for the dog, the cat, the pig in his pen, for cream and for butter for Mr Farmer’s bread. Then Mrs Farmer goes away for a while and Mr Farmer must milk Belinda.

In this sequel to “Mr McGee”, Mr McGee’s adventures take him underwater. Simple text and pictures make this story ideal for sharing with the very young.

Giraffes Can’t Dance from author Giles Andreae has been delighting children for over 15 years. Gerald the tall giraffe would love to join in with the other animals at the Jungle Dance, but everyone knows that giraffes can’t dance… or can they?
A funny, touching and triumphant picture book story about a giraffe who finds his own tune and confidence too, with joyful illustrations from Guy Parker Rees.

Come into the jungle for a noisy rhyming romp packed with favourite animals, from tigers to chimpanzees, brought to life with fun, vibrant artwork. This bestselling picture book from an award-winning creative team is a delight to read aloud and share with young children.

Dive into the ocean for a noisy rhyming romp packed with favourite sea creatures brought to life with fun, vibrant artwork. This bestselling picture book from an award-winning creative team is a delight to read aloud and share with young children.

Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are the best of friends. But they are different in almost every way…
Pearl likes solving mysteries and moves rather fast in the world.
Charlie likes taking baths and watching his garden grow.
So how can Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsely be such goods friends?

A delightfully uplifting tale about self-belief, courage – and above all – the power of friendship.

In the Jingle Jangle Jungle on a wet and windy day, Four little friends found a cosy place to play. Moose had marvellous antlers, and Lion, a golden mane. Zebra had fantastic stripes and Sheep… well, Sheep was plain. When four friends encounter a cranky bear, Moose, Lion and Zebra all think they know how to cheer him up. But it is plain, boring Sheep who has the answer!

“Bear is here…and here is Flea (but Flea’s a little small to see). This is Flea about to bite, but not because he’s impolite. He’s biting bear to say, ‘Hello!’, biting high and biting low.” There is just one creature bothering Bear: a persistent flea.
Bear tries to get away, but Flea just won’t leave him alone. When Bear finally gets rid of Flea, he finds that he misses him – and a new friendship is born.

This is a Mopoke. Mopoke loves peace and quiet. He is about to find out that you can’t always get what your want. Visually brilliant, and hysterically funny, Philips pictures tell a thousand words, with the support of some very sparse, but hilarious, text.

In this delightful tale about a youngster looking for the perfect pet, readers can lift the flaps to see the animals the zoo has sent.

Knocked from her mother’s safe embrace by an attacking owl, Stellaluna lands headfirst in a bird’s nest. This adorable baby fruit bat’s world is literally turned upside down when she is adopted by the occupants of the nest and adapts to their peculiar bird habits. Two pages of notes at the end of the story provide factual information about bats.

Eric Carle’s children’s classic is the story of a very small and very hungry caterpillar who manages to nibble his way through the pages of this enchanting book. Available now in a sturdy board book edition for babies and toddlers to chomp and chew!

The bad-tempered ladybird picks fights with every animal he meets, but soon learns the importance of friends and turns into a far nicer, happier bug.
The beautifully illustrated pages of this entertaining book demonstrate the sizes of the different animals and the sun’s path across the sky as time passes.

Early one morning a little spider begins to spin her web on a fencepost and she doesn’t stop until it is finished . . .
Alongside the visual excitement of Eric Carle’s vibrant collages of familiar animals is the tactile experience of feeling the spider’s web as it grows from a simple line into a complex and beautiful creation –a perfect story for reading aloud and sharing.

Macca the Alpaca is small, kind and friendly. His days are easy and carefree until he accidentally bumps head-first into Harmer the llama.
Harmer is big, unkind and never, ever friendly . . . Can little Macca find a way to teach Harmer a lesson he’ll never forget?

Macca and pal Al are the best of friends and LOVE spending time together.
When there is an opportunity to enter a talent contest, they just can’t resist.
But what will their act be? Will they shimmy and shake? Dance and prance? Whatever they choose it will surely be a performance to remember!

Poor Duncan just wants to colour in. But when he opens his box of crayons, he only finds letters, all saying the same thing: We quit!
Beige is tired of playing second fiddle to Brown, Blue needs a break from colouring in all that water, while Pink just wants to be used. Green has no complaints, but Orange and Yellow are no longer speaking to each other.
The battle lines have been drawn. What is Duncan to do?

A rhyming story of a mouse and a monster. Little mouse goes for a walk in a dangerous forest. To scare off his enemies he invents tales of a fantastical creature called the Gruffalo. SO, imagine his surprise when he meets the REAL Gruffalo…

The witch and her cat fly happily over forests, rivers and mountains on their broomstick until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand. Luckily, they are retrieved by a dog, a bird and a frog, who are all keen for a ride on the broom. It’s a case of the more, the merrier, but the broomstick isn’t used to such a heavy load and it’s not long before… SNAP! It breaks in two! And with a greedy dragon looking for a snack, the witch’s animal pals better think fast!

But one wild and windy night the Gruffalo’s child disobeys her father’s warnings and ventures out into the snow. After all, the Big Bad Mouse doesn’t really exist… does he?

The Gruffalo’s Child is the number one bestselling, much-loved sequel to the worldwide picture-book phenomenon that is The Gruffalo. Julia Donaldson’s trademark rhyming text and Axel Scheffler’s brilliant, characterful illustrations combine once more to ensure that the Gruffalo’s Child has followed firmly in her father’s footsteps and that her story is one that children will ask for again, and again… and again!

One little snail longs to see the world and hitches a lift on the tail of an enormous whale. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the little snail feels so small in the vastness of the world. But when disaster strikes and the whale is beached in a bay, it’s the tiny snail’s big plan that saves the day.

Stick Man lives in the family tree.
With his Stick Lady Love and their stick children three.
But one day, Stick Man is carried off by a mischievous dog who wants to play fetch! Things go from bad to worse as Stick Man is carried farther and farther away from home. Lonely and lost, Stick Man wants nothing more than to be home with his family for Christmas. And when he helps Santa Claus out of a bind, he finds the perfect ticket home!

Soar into space with a glorious love story of alien folk thats literally out of this world. The Smeds (who are red) never mix with the Smoos (who are blue). So when a young Smed and Smoo fall in love, their families strongly disapprove. But peace is restored and love conquers all in this happiest of love stories. Theres even a gorgeous purple baby to celebrate! With fabulous rhymes and breathtaking illustrations, this is a sure-fire winner from the bestselling creators of Stick Man.

A mother bird leaves her egg in the nest to go look for some food. While she’s gone, the egg hatches, and the baby bird sets off to find his mother – but he doesn’t know what she looks like. His search leads him to ask a variety of animals and machines, “Are you my mother?” Finally, a crane deposits him back in his nest, where his mother is waiting. Just the right amount of tension and the happy and secure ending make this an extremely popular story.

Koala Lou is the first born in a large family. She feels sad because her mother seems too busy to pay her any attention. Perhaps if she wins the tree-climbing at the Bush Olympics her mother might notice her again . . . Koala Lou starts her training right away!

For over 35 years, Possum Magic has captivated and enchanted children and adults. Mem Fox’s lovable characters, little Hush and Grandma Poss, and Julie Vivas’ exquisite illustrations weave a story of pure magic.

Monday
Morning: Slept.
Afternoon: Slept.
Evening: Ate.
Scratched.
Night: Ate.
A typical day. Don′t be fooled. This wombat leads a very busy and demanding life. She wrestles unknown creatures, runs her own digging business, and most difficult of all – trains her humans. She teaches them when she would like carrots, when she would like oats and when she would like both at the same time. But these humans are slow learners. Find out how one wombat – between scratching, sleeping and eating – manages to fit the difficult job of training humans into her busy schedule.

This is a story about a boy whose head is always full of wonder. We follow him on an average-seeming school day, where his daydreams transform the world around him. Unfortunately lots of other people – the park keeper, the bus driver, the lollipop lady – all tell him to get his head out of the clouds. It is only in art class that he realises he can bring the wonder out of his head for the whole world to enjoy.

Eva takes a walk with her mother and encounters a range of mysteries: from gravity, to life cycles, to the vastness of the universe. She learns that it’s okay to say “I don’t know,” and she discovers that there are some things even adults don’t know—mysteries for everyone to wonder about together! I Wonder is a book that celebrates the feelings of awe and curiosity in children, as the foundation for all learning.

The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big furry, stripy tiger!
This inimitable picture book is perfect for reading aloud, or for small children to read to themselves time and again. First published in 1968 and never out of print, it has become a timeless classic enjoyed and beloved by generations of children.
The magic begins at teatime!

Visit a perfect beach where you can swim, surf, splash through the waves, build sandcastles, beachcomb, explore rock-pools, muck about in boats, fish from the jetty, and build a bonfire under the stars. Visit Magic Beach, where adventure begins…

“A told B, and B told C

“I’ll meet you at the top of the coconut tree.””

Countless children — and their parents — can joyfully recite the familiar words of this beloved alphabet chant. The perfect pairing of Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault’s lively rhymes, and Caldecott Honor artist Lois Ehlert’s bright, bold, cheerful pictures made “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” an instant hit and a perennial favorite.

Exuberantly coloured artwork and favourite animals make this rhythmic story the perfect introduction to looking and learning about colours. Each spread leads seamlessly into the next and young children will delight in Eric’s colourful collage of animals and simple repetitive language.

Sometimes, when you love someone very, very much, you want to find a way of describing how much you treasure them. But, as Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare discover, love is not always an easy thing to measure. The story of Little and Big Nutbrown Hares’ efforts to express their love for each other has become a publishing phenomenon.

A delightfully duckish picture book of farmyard disaster. Duck can see that something is falling from the sky. He tries to warn the other farmyard animals by telling them to “Duck!” but they won’t listen …A hilarious picture book of farmyard disaster by award-winning author Meg McKinlay and emerging illustrator Nathaniel Eckstrom.

The most beautiful fish in the entire ocean discovers the real value of personal beauty and friendship.

Stinkbug can really stink. But when it starts bugging his friends, Stinkbug wonders if it’s time to stop doing what stink bugs do best…
A funny bug story, from the much loved, multi-award-winning Tohby Riddle

Follow and join in the family’s excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river and squelch through the mud in search of a bear. What a surprise awaits them in the cave on the other side of the dark forest.

Maurice Sendak said: “Max, the hero of my book, discharges his anger against his mother, and returns to the real world sleepy, hungry, and at peace with himself… from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustration as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things”.

Every day the boy would come to the tree to eat her apples, swing from her branches, or slide down her trunk . . . and the tree was happy. But as the boy grew older, he began to want more from the tree, and the tree gave and gave.
Since it was first published fifty years ago, Shel Silverstein’s moving parable for readers of all ages has offered an affecting interpretation of the gift of giving and a serene acceptance of another’s capacity to love in return.

Every day Amos McGee spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favour.
A delightful picture book about true friendship.

In this classic Australian picture book, a dingo catches a wombat and wants to cook him in a stew. But all the other bush animals have a plan to save their friend. They trick the dingo into using mud, feathers, flies, bugs and gumnuts in his stew, and the result is something the dingo will never forget!

Three baby owls, Sarah, Percy and Bill, wake up one night in their hole in a tree to find that their mother has gone. So they sit on a branch and wait. Darkness gathers and the owls grow anxious, wondering when their mother will return. But, at last, she does, and they joyously welcome her home.

When the driver leaves the bus temporarily, he gives the reader just one instruction: “Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus!” But, boy, that pigeon tries every trick in the book to get in that driving seat: he whines, wheedles, fibs and flatters. Will you let him drive? Told entirely in speech bubbles, this is a brilliantly original book.

Merging expressive cartoon network-esque illustrations with beautiful black and white photographs of Brooklyn, this funny story tells how Trixie and Knuffel Bunny’s trip to the laundromat with Dad goes terribly wrong when Trixie realizes some bunny’s been left behind…! Her attempts to alert Dad all the way home are unsuccessful, until Mum points out that Knuffel Bunny is missing and the family hotfoot it back to the laundromat. Fortunately, KB is safe, if a little wet…

Gerald is careful. Piggie is not. Piggie cannot help smiling. Gerald can.
Gerald and Piggie are best friends.
In We Are in a Book! Gerald and Piggie discover the joy of being read. But what will happen when the book ends?