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Not Harry Potter: Reading other kids' books from England

by Julie Tilsner (Subscribe to Julie Tilsner's posts)
Mar 2nd 2007 2:40PM

3Comments

Filed under: Day Care & Education, That's Entertainment

Of course Harry Potter. That's the definitive children's literary import from England, well known even to those who don't read.

But I want to hip you to a few lesser known gems from the across the pond. My kids' father, Luke, is English, which means my kids have a set of grandparents (two sets, actually), a great-grandmother, and various aunts and uncles with an interest in their reading.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea (By Judith Kerr, 1968 Collins Picture Lions, [HarperCollins,] London). One of Luke's favorite books growing up. A darling story for the 2-6 set. Sophie and her Mummy are just sitting down to tea when they hear a knock on the door. It's a huge tiger! He asks if he can join them for tea, and then proceeds to not only gobble down the tea luncheon, but all the food and drink in the house! Now there's no dinner for Daddy. Oh no! Daddy gets home from work and has a solution: Let's go down to the cafe for dinner. They do, and the next morning Mummy goes to buy new groceries, and Sophie daydreams about the Tiger. Will he ever return? He never does.

"I always loved the idea that they dressed up and got to go to a cafe for dinner," says Luke. "It seemed so exciting when was little."

This book has been a best-seller for more than 30 years now. And for good reason. Check it (and its recommendations) on Amazon.com/UK.

Now we are Six (By A.A. Milne; 1927, Methuen Children's Books, Methuen & Co., London) -- No thanks to Disney, Americans have an acquaintance with a Winnie the Pooh that bears little resemblance to the original A.A. Milne character. This is a volume of poetry written by Milne, who also wrote Winne-the-Pooh and the House at Pooh Corner. (He also has another volume of poetry, When we Were Very Young.) This is a book of very charming, very clever poetry for little ones. I know. Yes, it's dated and quaint, and yes, poetry and American kids don't seem like a natural fit, but I've found that kids will quiet down and listen if read to outloud. Here's a very small sample:

A Thought
If I were John and John were me,
Then he'd be six and I'd be three.
If John were me and I were John,
I shouldn't have these trousers on.

Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh appear throughout as well. Our copy has an inscription from my daughter's great grandmother, so it's extra special.

Dogger (Shirley Hughes, 1993, Red Fox, London) -- An absolutely wonderful story set in an English town about a little boy, Dave, and what happens when he loses his little stuffed dog. Many heartwarming lessons are learned about family and responsibility. Always chokes me up. My kids demanded repeated readings.

I'm realizing that there are far too many good books to recommend! Stay tuned for another round of favorite kids' books. Not necessarily from England though.

Tags: books, England, getting kids to read, GettingKidsToRead, kids and reading, KidsAndReading

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