Gift Guides 2019 - children's books

One of our favourite weekend activities as a family is to visit a bookstore. Especially during the colder months but even during beautiful summer days, we cannot walk by a bookstore without entering. It is most likely something we handed down to our children because I always loved a good book and being in a shop full of them feels like paradise.

Which brings me to the next step – walking out empty-handed is nearly impossible. I cannot resist a good read and my eldest announces every other day that she just finished a book. This means: We need supply!
On a side note: We do get books from the local library too but once in love with books you know how hard it is to resist.

Plus: I love to give books. As presents for small and big. Sharing a good book with a good friend makes me happy. Gifting a beautifully illustrated children’s book with a heartwarming story makes me happy again.

And sitting down, reading a book, is nearly a gift these days with all the screens. And yet so important.

Therefore I compelled a Gift Guide with Children’s Books for this year. It was very hard to bring it down to 12 so consider it the best of the best:

1. This is a series highly recommended by my 12 year old, because ‘A Place Called Perfect’ is one of the best books in the world! It is filled with action and twists and turns. And if you love adventures and reading, then you’ll love this book. This book is about a girl called Violet who moves to ‘Perfect’ because of her Dads new job. 9-12 years.

2. We LOVE all the Crayon books and this is another amazing story and a must-have for the Christmas time. An absolutely wonderful book with cute little surprises and interacting pieces to take out and use! It’s best enjoyed after reading the other Crayons books (but not a must) because there are a couple of running gags from the series that pay off beautifully here. All ages.
Other crayon books: The Day The Crayons Quit and The Day The Crayons Came Home

3. Such a beautifully illustrated kids book, with a lovely and important written message within it. And all children (and adults) should have a copy of this. Most significantly, it teaches about respect and tolerance. After all, I love Oliver Jeffers’ books, and this is one of the best children’s book I have ever seen. From 3 years.

4. Dive into the world of business with this lively introduction, with bright, info-graphic pictures. Describing in a child-like manner how to start your own business, manage your money and beat the competition. Serious things made easy to understand. It explains things like global supply chains and interest rates as well. This book is perfect for kids or teens who want to start/understand a business. In short: Pure inspiration! From 8 years.

5. Bursting with eye-popping and informative lists from around the world. This book will keep your curious child entertained for hours. Discover Ancient Greek monsters, presidential pets, dizzying mountain peaks, super-fast animals … and what not to mention at a donkey’s house. 6-10 years.

6. This a big favourite in our house. And a very lovely and heartwarming story, reminding us to appreciate what we have around us! The illustrations and design are magical.
Moreover I love that the story is told mostly through the pictures leaving lots of room for having a conversation about what is going on. A book where your imagination can run wild as the artwork and the words complement each other perfectly. A message of family which makes it a lovely Christmas present. From 4 years.

7. How about living in a house with chicken legs which picks itself up and runs around the world while you sleep at night? It really sparks the imagination but the books has some real life lessons to be learned too. For example: Not to take your loved ones for granted, that the pretty girls are not always the nice girls and that the grass is almost certainly not greener on the other side. This book will make you question what’s important in life and what isn’t. And it explores love, friendships and the complexities of human relationships. 9-12 years.

8. My 9 year old boy loves this extraordinary compilation of 100 stories of famous and not-so-famous men from the past to the present day. There are people he admires and that do great things at the moment. And there are people he knows about and that did awesome things in the past. And some of them he discovered for the first time through the book.
Because Daniel Radcliffe, Galileo Galilei, Nelson Mandela, Louis Armstrong, Grayson Perry, Louis Braille, … all dared to be different. In essence, this book will educate and entertain, while also encourage and inspire. 9-12 years.

9. An unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. A family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. It is a series and the last book (4) was just published this year and read by my teen in about 3 days (one has to go to school too!). From 9 years.

10. Such a classic. And a book that is a firm regular in our house. Again, and again, and always funny. So much giggling.
Therefore I had to put it here because if you do not own it yet, please buy it!
In short, a fantastic kids book that stimulates great discussion about reading the expression of the bear to determine how he feels. Hilarious, for young and old! All ages.

11. In this wonderfully illustrated celebration of the world we travel far and wide – to Hong Kong, the Amazon, Antarctica, or India. From the villages, towns and cities where most people live, to the deserts and vast oceans that cover the surface of the planet. And there is so much to find in this book, every time we read it we find something new. Again, the illustrations are engaging and beautifully drawn. Pro: The book is suitable for many different ages, from spotting things, to starting to read it, or discovering facts. Altogether it is packed full of many interesting, weird, and wonderful things. All ages.

12. A 3D pop-up book that redefines how we tell a story. The Carousel of Animals is a book, a mobile, and a magical menagerie, expertly crafted for an interactive storytelling experience that can be enjoyed time and time again. In fact, a lion riding a dog, monkeys boxing a kangaroo, a fox steering a fire engine… . From 3 years.