Books

What are the best books for kids?

We focus on books that have functional play benefits with younger children. Consider these factors before you buy any children’s books online in Australia.

Age and skill : Be very realistic to match the age and skill of the child with the recommended age rating of the book. Each book publisher specifies their target age group, and you should stick to that if possible. While well intending, you’ll do more damage than good and waste your money if you get this wrong.

Fabric Books : These books involve fabric pages with embroidery, printing, and movable parts. Each page tends to focus on a single activity or experience which might be sound, colour, shape, or action. They are intended to be both fun and an educational opportunity for a parent sitting with their child.

Wind-Up Books : What better way to explore a story than to act it out on the pages themselves. Wind-Up books include small toys that can power themselves along the tracks within the open pages by a clock-work mechanism.  The books tend to have only 8-10 pages, but each page is 5mm thick and includes a critical part and ‘track’ of the story. They’re a lot of fun.

Attention span : Our modern world doesn’t reward patience anymore, and our children are being conditioned to expect immediate satisfaction. Think carefully about the attention span of the kids who will be reading this book, and slowly extend their attention span rather than embarking on a novel with a child who’s addicted to their iPad … you’ll just be disappointed.

Developmental need : If your child has a specific developmental need (e.g. children struggling with night time routine), then look for a book that addresses that in a fun setting (e.g. Goodnight Bear)