Change & choices books for children

Three baby owls wake up to find their mother gone. Sarah and Percy try to be brave, while little Bill just wants his mummy, until she swoops home. A reassuring classic for children starting nursery or finding goodbyes hard.

Try asking: “How did the owl babies feel when their mother came home?”

Chester Raccoon doesn't want to go to school, so his mother kisses his palm and tells him to press it to his cheek whenever he misses her. A sweet, practical idea many families use on the first day of school.

Try asking: “What could you do if you missed me at school?”

Unhei has just moved from Korea, and after children struggle with her name, she decides to pick a new one from a jar her classmates fill. A gentle story about belonging, being yourself and the importance of names.

Try asking: “Why did Unhei keep her own name in the end?”

A tiny caterpillar eats his way through the week, gets a tummy ache from too much cake, then waits in his cocoon before becoming a butterfly. A simple way to talk about growing up, change that takes time, and how our bodies feel after different foods.

Try asking: “The caterpillar had to wait inside his cocoon. What is something you are waiting for?”

A tiger turns up at teatime and eats everything in the house, even all the water in the tap. Sophie and her mummy stay calm, and Daddy has a good idea. A British classic that shows a family taking a very unexpected visitor in its stride.

Try asking: “What did Sophie's family do when there was no food left?”

Mouse is little and so is her house, but her apple is huge. She visits other creatures to see if she can share their homes, and all the while her apple is shrinking, because she keeps nibbling it. A clever peep-through book about change, homes and sharing.

Try asking: “Why did Mouse's apple get smaller and smaller?”

Lulu wants a cat more than anything, but first she has to learn what a cat needs. She reads books, gets everything ready and finally brings her cat home, then helps it settle in. A warm, everyday story about preparing for a pet, responsibility and first experiences.

Try asking: “What did Lulu need to get ready for her cat?”

When is the baby coming? What will we call it? What will the baby do? We don't really need the baby, do we? A little boy and his mum talk through the months before a new sibling arrives, with all the hopes and worries that come with it.

Try asking: “What did the boy wonder about the baby?”

Penguin Blue has a brand new kite, and on a windy day it carries him off, with his friends holding on behind. They land somewhere very far from home. A funny, rhyming adventure about homesickness, friendship and finding a way back.

Try asking: “Who held on with him?”

It's Spot's first day at school. He meets his teacher, plays with his friends, paints, sings and has a snack, and there are flaps to lift on every page. A simple, friendly lift-the-flap book that helps little ones know what to expect at nursery or school.

Try asking: “What did Spot do first?”

A busy beach becomes overwhelming because of its sights, sounds and sensations, and shows a simple way through it.

Try asking: “What could make this place feel easier?”

It shows that simply being there, without rushing to fix or explain, can be exactly what's needed after something upsetting happens.

Try asking: “What do you think would help the character feel better?”

A natural conversation starter for children who find change or unfamiliar situations difficult, told through a playful, rhyming story.

Try asking: “What is one new thing you could be brave enough to try?”

Stick Man is carried further and further from his family tree and keeps trying to get home. Useful for children who miss a parent at drop-off, or are away from home.

Try asking: “How do you think Stick Man felt when he was far from home?”

An old lady thinks her house is too small, until a wise man has her bring in all her animals. Once they leave, the house feels huge. A funny way into gratitude and changing how you see things.

Try asking: “Why did the house feel bigger at the end?”

Sam-I-Am keeps offering green eggs and ham, and his friend keeps saying no in every place he can think of, until he finally tries them and loves them. A funny, rhyming way to talk about trying something new before deciding.

Try asking: “He said no so many times. What made him try it in the end?”

From gum in his hair to lima beans for dinner, nothing goes Alexander's way, and he wants to move to Australia. A classic about a day where nothing goes to plan, and reassuring for a child convinced today is uniquely unfair.

Try asking: “What was the worst part of Alexander's day? What would have helped?”

Tad is the smallest tadpole in a big pond, and one by one her brothers and sisters disappear. Is Big Blub getting them, or are they going somewhere better? A big story about a tiny tadpole, growing up, and taking a leap into something new.

Try asking: “Where do you think Tad's brothers and sisters went?”

A funny list of things you must never do with a new baby, like lending it to a kangaroo or planting it in the garden, and the things you should do: cuddle it, sing to it and love it. A light-hearted way to help an older child get ready for a new arrival.

Try asking: “Which was the silliest thing not to do with a baby?”

Anna Hibiscus has two brand-new baby brothers! Everything is changing, and everyone is so busy with the babies that nobody seems to have time for Anna. A warm, funny story about becoming a big sister and finding your place again.

Try asking: “Why did Anna Hibiscus feel left out?”

Luna loves library day, because it's the day she spends with her dad. Together they explore the shelves and find magic and mystery, and a book that helps with something hard: her parents no longer live together. A tender story about separation and the comfort of books.

Try asking: “Why is library day so special to Luna?”

Otto is a Book Bear who lives in a book and loves being read. When nobody's looking, he comes to life. But when the family moves away and leaves his book behind, Otto sets off on his biggest adventure: to find a new home. A warm story about books, belonging and finding your place.

Try asking: “Where did Otto find a new home?”

Moving to a new neighbourhood means making new friends, and there are so many questions. How long will it take? Will they play how I want to play? Will they hug me when I'm sad, or give me space? A thoughtful, heart-warming picture book about what friendship really means.

Try asking: “What questions did the child have about making a friend?”

Noah's family have made a journey no one should have to make. They arrive in a new country as refugees, and Noah has to find his way in a new place and a new school. A gentle, hopeful story about home and healing.

Try asking: “What helped Noah feel at home?”

Starting school is a big milestone, and this hero is ready! He's dressed himself, eaten a pile of pancakes, and can't wait to join a whole new kingdom of kids. A joyful, confident story about the first day of school.

Try asking: “What was the boy most excited about?”

A stylish, relatable picture book about a child doing something on their own for the first time, and all the worries and pride that come with it.

Try asking: “How did it feel to do it alone?”

Big Bear and Little Bear are going on a Big Journey to find a new home. Over mountains and through storms, they draw on all their courage and love for each other. An uplifting, hopeful picture book from Michael Rosen.

Try asking: “What helped the bears on their journey?”

Badger is so old he knows he must soon die, so he prepares his friends. When he's gone they are grief-stricken, but one by one they remember the special things Badger taught them. A gentle classic for helping children understand death and grief.

Try asking: “What gifts did Badger leave his friends?”

Dadaji loves teaching others to paint, especially his grandson. After Dadaji dies, the boy can't bear to use his grandfather's favourite paintbrush. A beautiful story about grief, and how a loss can also be a beginning.

Try asking: “What helped the boy remember Dadaji?”

A girl loves her granddad, and they spend wonderful times together through the seasons. When he dies, she finds a way to cope by remembering him. A moving, lyrical and ultimately uplifting picture book from poet Joseph Coelho.

Try asking: “How did the girl remember her granddad?”

Emmy spends her nights hoping to see aliens on Cotton Rock. When a spaceship finally arrives, she gets her wish to leave with them, but soon she misses something important. An out-of-this-world picture book about family and belonging.

Try asking: “What did Emmy miss when she left?”

Lubna's best friend is a pebble she found on the beach the night her family arrived at a refugee camp. She tells Pebble everything. When a new boy, Amir, arrives frightened and alone, Lubna must decide if friendship means giving away the thing that comforts her most.

Try asking: “What did Lubna give Amir?”

Sunny the meerkat lives with his enormous family, and they're always together. Sunny wants some space, so he sets off to visit his relatives, sending postcards home. But nowhere feels quite right. A witty picture book with a lift-the-flap postcard on every spread.

Try asking: “Where did Sunny feel most at home?”

Where the willow meets the water, a tadpole and a caterpillar fall in love. "Promise me you will never change," says the caterpillar. The tadpole promises, but as the seasons pass his legs grow, then his arms... A clever story with a famously surprising ending.

Try asking: “Why couldn't the tadpole keep his promise?”

Nyla has to leave her home in the countryside for a new life in the city, and all she can think about is what she misses. When a comet crashes through the city streets and starts to glow and grow, she follows it somewhere that feels closer to home.

Try asking: “What did the comet help Nyla find?”

Grandad tells his granddaughter about the adventures he used to have with Gramps in their camper van. Since Gramps died, the camper has stayed in the garage. Together, they decide to bring it back to life. A prize-winning story about love in all its forms.

Try asking: “How did they bring the camper back to life?”

A young boy and his mother talk about the journey they're about to make. They'll leave their town; it will be sad but a little exciting. They'll walk and walk. Each page asks the reader: what would you do? A gentle picture book about the refugee experience.

Try asking: “What would you take on the journey?”

Finn lives by the sea. His grandfather used to tell him about a place where the ocean meets the sky. So Finn builds a boat and sets sail to find it. A stunning picture book about memory, grief and imagination.

Try asking: “What did Finn find where ocean meets sky?”

Idris is a child refugee, born into a world of tents and fences. He has no memories of the world outside. Then the Wisp arrives on the breeze, and everyone who holds it remembers and hopes again. A moving story of hope.

Try asking: “What did the Wisp bring?”

What is it like to leave everything behind and travel to somewhere strange? A mother and two children set out on such a journey, filled with fear of the unknown but also great hope. Based on Francesca Sanna's interactions with people forced to flee.

Try asking: “What did the family hope for?”

The Colour Monster is starting school, but what is school? A spooky castle? A place in the clouds? On his first day he finds out, from music and lunchtime to making new friends. A warm, colourful book for children who are nervous about starting school.

Try asking: “What did he do on his first day?”

"A bear on Paddington Station?" Paddington has travelled all the way from Darkest Peru with only a suitcase and a label: Please look after this bear. The Brown family take him home, and chaos follows. The very first Paddington book, perfect as a first chapter book to read aloud.

Try asking: “What did the label on Paddington say?”

Nature-loving Timi is unsettled by a new baby sibling, so he tends a tree growing in his local library. But the tree is magical and growing FAST, and the library is going to close. Can Timi save his tree and the library, and bring his community together? An early reader with illustrations.

Try asking: “How did Timi try to save the library?”

The inspiring true story of Baroness Floella Benjamin: from Trinidad to London as part of the Windrush generation, to the House of Lords. Follow ten-year-old Floella as she and her family sail from the Caribbean to a new, cold and sometimes unwelcoming country.

Try asking: “What was hard about Floella's new life in England?”

Every kid in Lola's school is from somewhere else. When her teacher asks the class to draw where their families came from, Lola can't remember the Island she left as a baby. So she asks her family and neighbours, and their memories bring it to life.

Try asking: “How did Lola learn about the Island?”

Sona Sharma's house is full of people who joke often and argue sometimes. Then Amma tells Sona she's going to have a baby. Is that good? Sona isn't sure she wants to share her family. A warm chapter book about becoming a big sister, set in India.

Try asking: “How did Sona feel about the new baby?”

Isadora Moon is special because she's different: her mum is a fairy, her dad is a vampire, and she's a bit of both. Which school should she go to, fairy school or vampire school? A sparkly first chapter book about being yourself.

Try asking: “Which school did Isadora choose?”

Imagine if, on an ordinary day, war came and turned your town to rubble. Imagine going on a long, difficult journey all alone, then being turned away from school because there's no chair for you. A powerful picture book about a child refugee.

Try asking: “What did the children do with the chairs?”

After a big storm, Stanley Lambchop wakes up completely invisible. At first it's brilliant: he helps catch some bank robbers and helps his brother with magic tricks. But being invisible isn't always easy, and Stanley starts to wonder if he'll ever reappear. A funny early chapter book from the Flat Stanley series.

Try asking: “What was good about being invisible?”

A lighthouse keeper looks after his lighthouse through storms and calm seas, writing in his logbook and guiding ships safely home. As the seasons pass, his life changes, and so does the lighthouse. A beautiful Caldecott Medal winner about hope, change and the passing of time.

Try asking: “What did he write in his logbook?”

Isadora Moon is half fairy and half vampire, and her family go camping by the seaside. Some things are not quite normal, but there's roasting marshmallows on the campfire and even a new friend who is a mermaid. A charming first chapter book about being different and trying new things.

Try asking: “What was different about their trip?”

Bea Black has just moved to Little Spellshire, a town with a magical secret. When her dad accidentally enrols her at the local witch school, she has to get to grips with some very interesting new classes, fast! A funny, magical illustrated diary.

Try asking: “How did Bea end up at witch school?”

Elen is furious when she's sent to stay with a grandmother she hardly knows on a tiny island. Gran doesn't seem to want her either; she just gives Elen a map and tells her to explore. Then there's an odd boy on the beach with a puffin... A gentle island adventure.

Try asking: “Who was the boy with the puffin?”

For as long as she can remember, Lucy has wanted to see Lob, the mysterious green man who lives in Grandpa Will's garden. You have to be very special to see him. When life changes, Lob sets out on a journey of his own. A gentle story about nature, grief and magic.

Try asking: “Who is Lob?”

Pizazz is a superhero, like, actually, with powers and stuff. But it's not as fun as it sounds: her costume is embarrassing, she's the new girl at school and she just wants to fit in. A super-funny illustrated series.

Try asking: “Why doesn't Pizazz like being a superhero?”

Omar has a big imagination, an invisible dragon and a new school, where a bully makes things tricky. A tender, funny story about friends, family and being a Muslim boy, with cartoon illustrations.

Try asking: “How did Omar's imagination help him?”

At home, Maggie is the odd one out: her parents are busy with a new baby and her twin brothers have each other. She just wants a pet of her own, but she turns out to be severely allergic to anything with fur. A coming-of-age graphic novel about allergies, family and friendship.

Try asking: “How did Maggie cope with her allergies?”

Danny Chung loves drawing more than anything, certainly more than maths. Then his tiny, ancient grandmother arrives from China, speaking no English, and has to share his bedroom. A prize-winning, funny story about family and finding common ground.

Try asking: “How did Danny and Nai Nai connect?”

On a rainy day, the Cat in the Hat turns the house upside down while the fish keeps saying no, then tidies it all just in time. It opens up talk about choosing what to do when no grown-up is around, and whether to tell Mum what happened.

Try asking: “The fish kept saying no. Who do you think was right?”

Harris is going out, and George the dog promises to be good. But there's cake in the kitchen, a cat to chase and earth to dig. It's hard work being good all the time, especially for a dog like George! A laugh-out-loud, Kate Greenaway-shortlisted book about temptation.

Try asking: “Was it hard for George to be good? Why?”

Panda and Penguin love their old sofa, but when the springs poke through and the cover tears, it's time to go shopping. They look at sofas that are too big, too small, too hard, too soft and too arty, until they find the perfect one. A funny story about choosing together.

Try asking: “Why didn't they like the other sofas?”

A tiger discovers it's easy to pass himself off as a rug in the rajah's palace, where he enjoys midnight feasts and plays with the children. Then burglars break in, and he has to decide: stay in disguise, or save the rajah's family? A funny classic about a big decision.

Try asking: “What did the tiger decide to do when the burglars came?”

When Michael was a boy, his favourite treat was his mum's chocolate cake. One night he creeps downstairs for just a little bit... and then a little bit more. Michael Rosen's famously funny performance poem, as a picture book for the first time.

Try asking: “What happened when Michael crept downstairs?”

Imagine you could go anywhere, meet anyone and do anything. Where would you live? Who would be your friends? What would you eat? A hugely popular book packed with detailed pictures to choose from, a new story every time you read it.

Try asking: “What did you choose this time?”

Hansel and Gretel are lost in the woods, but Cleo is here to help, and she won't fall for the witch's mean tricks... or will she? Can Cleo and her new friends escape before they're baked into sticky toffee children? An inclusive, funny fairy-tale adventure.

Try asking: “How did Cleo outsmart the witch?”

Peter Rabbit's mother tells him not to go into Mr McGregor's garden. But Peter is naughty and squeezes under the gate to eat the vegetables, until Mr McGregor spots him. Beatrix Potter's classic tale.

Try asking: “Why did Peter go into the garden?”

While her family sleeps in their pods on a spaceship, Astra wakes up hungry and asks the Nom-O-Tron for the ultimate cake. Big mistake. A hilarious, action-packed space adventure full of aliens and cake-based chaos.

Try asking: “What went wrong with Astra's cake?”

Young reporter-in-training Kate and her mouse Rupert are on a train to the North Pole, where something strange is going on. A brilliant illustrated mystery adventure with a curious heroine.

Try asking: “What mystery did Kate solve?”

Connor and Ethan are spending their summer on Starville, the world's first orbiting city. Dog lost in space? Extra head? Pocket money stolen by a green blob? You need the Space Detectives! An immensely silly illustrated mystery.

Try asking: “What mystery did the Space Detectives solve?”

When Joe tells a reporter what he'd do if he ran the country, the video goes viral, and before long people want him to be Prime Minister! A funny story about an ordinary boy with the most important job in the land.

Try asking: “What would you do as Prime Minister?”

Meet Agent Weasel, woodland super-spy. Can he foil the dastardly Fiendish Fox Gang once and for all, and still be home in time for tea and biscuits? A funny illustrated adventure for reading alone or together.

Try asking: “How did Agent Weasel foil the Fox Gang?”

HELP! Anisha's super-dramatic Aunty Bindi is getting married tomorrow, and someone has kidnapped the groom! Anisha must solve the mystery before the wedding. A prize-winning, funny mystery full of family chaos.

Try asking: “Who kidnapped the groom?”

When Peter and Judy start playing a mysterious board game, lions, monkeys and monsoons appear in their house. They must finish the game to make it all stop. The Caldecott Medal-winning picture book that inspired the films.

Try asking: “Why did they have to finish the game?”

Miss Ottoline Brown is an exceptionally inquisitive Mistress of Disguise, and her partner in crime is Mr Munroe, a small hairy creature from a Norwegian bog. Together they set out to catch a gang of jewel thieves. A quirky, beautifully illustrated mystery.

Try asking: “Who was the yellow cat?”

Violet Remy-Robinson is a Sherlock Holmes in the making. When the Count and Countess move in next door, a precious pearl goes missing, and Violet is on the case. A delightful young detective series.

Try asking: “Who took the pearl?”

When Emil's money goes missing on the train to Berlin, he's determined to get it back, and teams up with a gang of local children to track down the thief. A classic children's detective story.

Try asking: “How did the children catch the thief?”

Chaya steals from the rich to help the poor in her village. But when she steals the queen's jewels and her friend is blamed, she must flee into the jungle on a stolen elephant. A thrilling, award-longlisted adventure set in a Sri Lanka-inspired land.

Try asking: “Why did Chaya steal?”

It's the end of chocolate! Jelly and her family discover that chocolate is about to disappear forever, and there's a plot behind it. A laugh-out-loud, chocolatey adventure for fans of Roald Dahl.

Try asking: “Who was behind the Chocoplot?”

Harrison Beck is dragged on the last journey of the Highland Falcon, a royal steam train, with his travel-writer uncle. When a priceless brooch goes missing, Hal must find the thief before the train reaches its final stop. A prize-winning train mystery.

Try asking: “Who stole the brooch?”

Omar's family mosque needs a new roof, so he comes up with brilliant plans to raise money, including a talent show at school. It's a huge success, until the money goes missing. Omar uses all his super-spy imagination to find out who took it, and the answer surprises everyone. A funny, warm chapter book full of doodles.

Try asking: “What were Omar's ideas for raising it?”

A tiny fish has stolen a hat from an enormous fish, and he's sure he'll get away with it. The words say one thing, but the pictures show something else. A very funny Caldecott and Kate Greenaway winner about owning up, and reading what the pictures tell you.

Try asking: “Why did the little fish think he would get away with it?”

Jemima Puddle-Duck wants to hatch her own eggs, so she flies off to find a secret nest. A charming gentleman with sandy whiskers offers her a cosy shed, and Jemima trusts him completely. Luckily, Kep the farm dog works out what is going on. Beatrix Potter's classic about trusting the wrong person.

Try asking: “Who did she meet in the woods?”