15 replies to this topic

[Steve]

Hi -
It can sometimes be a struggle to find children's favourites in Big Book format on Amazon. So we've listed a few of them on our Book Recommendations page, which you can get to by clicking here. All of them are tried, tested and cherished in our nursery, and are probably familiar to you.

As usual, Amazon is just a handy link. If you have your own supplier give them a call - if Amazon can get hold of them, so can they. :)

We'll probably add to this list when we have time. Let me know if you find it useful - we'd be happy to include recommendations from you, but want only to include books that you've tried and your children have enjoyed.

Steve

[sue zubair]

A Big Book that our pre-school group love is 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury - published by Walker Books. The pictures really come to life in the big book format.

A Big Book my own children aswell as the pre-school group enjoy is 'Pass the Jam Jim' by Kaye Umansky and Margaret Chamberlain - published by Red Fox. They love the rhyming text and joining in with the the repetitive phrase "Pass the jam Jim. Jam,Jim,jam!"

[Steve]

Yup - both excellent books Sue! (My son's name is Jamie so it was inevitable someone bought us this one for him. And it led to his first nickname - JimJam!

Thanks for those - I'll see if I can dig them out at Amazon and add them to the books page.

Steve.

[StrawberyTwirl]

Try your local library for big book loan, they usually lend long term, two months or so. They might not have the book in stock, but will be able to obtain it from elsewhere in the county. Surrey have 20 or so..... has really extended our choice, and saved money!

[ASPK]

Thanks for the tip, Strawberry Twirl, and welcome to the forum!

[aliamch]

Our favourites include

This Is The Bear

Handa's Surprise

Peace At Last

The Tiger Who Came To Tea

and of course The Gruffalo

I think most of these can be found on Amazon but I got mine from a local discount book shop for a fraction of the price.

Karrie

[kermit21]

I love reading Each Peach Pear Plum, The Train Ride, Walking through the Jungle, Pass the Jam Jim, anything with rhythm and rhyme really!

[Marion]

Rumble in the Jungle is always a firm favourite.
Winnie the Witch
Hairy McClarey
All the Elmer books

[Wolfie]

Titch - Pat Hutchins.....our children spend ages looking at and talking about the pictures when we use the big book format!

[lynnm]

That trusted old favourite The Rainbow Fish. How I wish I could have written something like that. Every time I read it to a class they see something different.

I also have a big book called The Hunter by Paul Geraghty (I may have mis-spellt his surname) The illustrations are breath taking and you can hear a pin drop in the class room when the poachers arrive! Wonderful story.

[Suzanne W]

How do you 'look after' your big books? I have several of my own and I am always worried they are going to get damaged when I transport them around. It seems very easy for them to get bent and creased. I know the educational suppliers do plastic type hanging folders for them. I wondered if there was any sort of reinforced bag people use?

[Sue R]

A book I've used for years now is 'Dear Greenpeace' - I first came across it as a Big Book, but now have just an ordinary version, as I left the BB at a previous setting.

It's a great book, written in the form of letters to and from Greenpeace and a little girl called Emily who has a Blue Whale in her garden pond (!) It introduces ideas of environmental awareness as well as 'letter writing', offers great opportunities for all sorts of discussions and holds the children enthralled. The last group I used it with wanted to write to Greenpeace themselves, which we did and received a lovely reply.

Sue

[Peggy]

Suzanne W, on Jan 26 2007, 10:59, said:

How do you 'look after' your big books? I have several of my own and I am always worried they are going to get damaged when I transport them around. It seems very easy for them to get bent and creased. I know the educational suppliers do plastic type hanging folders for them. I wondered if there was any sort of reinforced bag people use?

MY big books are stored in a holder specifically made for big books. It is leather, with reinforced edges to a zip closure and has a carrying handle. I aquired them on purchase of my preschool from previous owner. I will have a look to see where they come from. I do recall seeing them in a catalogue at a cost of about £50.

Peggy

[hali]

we have big plastic bags with like coat hanger hooks at the top from one of the educational suppliers :D

[Suzanne W]

Ah, Peggy thanks! I could use one of those art portfolios which is very similar to what you describe. My oldest son had one when he did art 'A' level - it may be under his bed somewhere.