Nanny Neuza’s Book Selection
When you’re a nanny who spend a lot of time with your nose in a book. Whether I’m reading bedtime stories, helping older ones to read their school readers, or spending time in a library between activities, it’s not difficult for me to get familiar with the children’s book genre.
A list of my favourite books for newborns right through to the 15 year olds!
Then again, I love reading so much myself that it’s not hard to cast my mind back to my favourite kids books from when I was young! Here I’ve put together my top list of kids books for the different ages; although all are worthy of a book feature in their own right.
My favourite books for the different ages groups are based on the following categories: educational value, illustrations, the ‘takeaway’ or positive message, how easy it is to read, how interactive it is, and whether the book featured a positive role model.
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Guess How Much I Love You
The book “Guess How Much I Love You” is just a classic! So lovely and so cute, I just can’t resist to put it on this list. The book was published in 1994 by the author Sam McBratney and illustrated by Anita Jeram and it tells a story of two Nutbrown Hares, daddy Nutbrown Hare and baby Nutbrown Hare. The narrative is based on just a simple question that baby Nutbrown Hare makes to dad “Guess how much I love you?”
Jungly Trails
The book “Jungly Tails” is an interactive book from Jelly Cats and its full of animal tails, differently textured and with no sharp corners, so fun and didactic.
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The Rainbow Fish
The book “The Rainbow Fish” from the author Mark Pfister and illustrated by J. Alison James is such a wonderful positive role model book. This book can bring so many philosophic discussions and opens awareness to selfishness and the importance of sharing. I really like the simplicity of this book.
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The Jolly Postman
The book “The Jolly Postman” is such a fun and interactive book from the author Allan Ahlberg and Janet Ahlberg. Kids just love opening the letters that the jolly postman delivers during an entire day of work.
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Matilda
The book “Matilda” from the author Roald Dahl is such a funny and easy to read book. It was published in 1988, but its writing and thematic continues modern that both kids and adults will enjoy reading. Matilda’s complete lazy and negligent parents, contrasts with her love of books and her forward thinking creating a strange atmosphere around the characters but the so funny Matilda and other like Bruce and Miss Honey make this reading so relaxed and funny.
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I Funny: A Middle School Story
“I Funny: A Middle School Story” is a hilarious book written by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein published in 2012 that tells us a story about Jamie Grimm that has been tragically paralysed from the legs down due to a car accident involving his entire family making him relocate city to live with his aunt and uncle. Although the tragic event in his live this kid is seriously funny and starts getting awards for it. He starts winning comedy competitions thought out several cities. This book shows perseverance, straight and positivity even when live brings us challenges hard to pass.
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Happy Nest: we definitely rate The Rainbow Fish for being a top children’s book for the early learning years. I received it as a gift when I was about 6 and it is still to this day one of the best gifts I ever got. I remember I also got the matching Rainbow Fish “Memory Game” and I loved playing (and winning) with my brother all the time. It was a great way to make learning fun! Share with us your favourite kids book for the different ages! You can find us on social media at @happynestuk.
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