1 year and up

Where are Baby's Easter Eggs?  

by Karen Katz  

Easter is coming up, and I just have to introduce you to our playgroup's favourite Easter book.

This lift-the-flap book from the popular "Where are Baby's ...?" series is particularly bright and colourful.

The children can't wait to lift the sturdy flaps as they look for Baby's Easter eggs, and delight in counting them, when they finally find the shiny eggs on the last page. And just like that, they learn some new Easter vocabulary, too.

A sweet and brightly coloured, engaging lift-the-flap Easter book for children from 1 to 4.

Tweenies - Ready to Play

& Song Time

(from the CBeebies / BBC series)

A classic BBC children's series, the Tweenies - Bella, Milo, Fizz and Jake, along with the dog Doodles and the playgroup managers Judy and Max - capture every child's heart in no time.

Who wouldn't want to join this colourful group in their cheerful playgroup for some informative field trip, arts & crafts or story time as well as lots of singing and dancing?

The best of "Song Time" from the Tweenies for everyone who loves to sing and move to the music. Entertaining as well as instructive.

Something Special

(Justin Fletcher)

Playgroup just wouldn't be playgroup without Justin Fletcher. He's with us every semester. Surely, you all know "Let's Make Music" or "You Won't Be Cold Anymore", to name just two of his songs.

This CD includes various well-known English children's songs as well as some "Justin originals".

Typical Justin sound with spoken sentences thrown in every now and then to make it authentic and appealing to children.

Frosty the Snowman

by Jack Rollins, Steve Nelson and

Sam Williams

Children love English Christmas songs. But do they understand what the songs are really about?

This book with its lovely illustrations helps even the youngest to follow the well-known song and its story through the pictures.

A book accompanying the Christmas song with lyrics and beautiful pictures to help understand the story about Frosty.

The Gruffalo

by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

The story about the courageous little mouse is always fun to read.

For the little ones, there's a lot to discover in the beautifully and lovingly painted pictures on every page. And the mouse's clever way of protecting himself from bigger or stronger enemies also appeals to older children.

As always with these authors, the rhymes are easy for the children to memorise.

A beautiful story about how imagination and cleverness can make up for the lack of size and strength.

from 0 years

Noisy Touchy-feely Santa

by Sam Taplin and Janet Samuel

A classic Usobrne book, designed with loving attention to detail and a sound panel with matching sounds for every page.

Babies and pre-schoolers alike can't get enough of pressing the buttons in order to hear Santa's jolly laugh or his boots crunching in the snow.

Spreading its lovely Christmas magic, this book has been an integral part of every Christmas playgroup for years.

from 0 years

My First Gruffalo: Touch-and-Feel

by J. Donaldson and A. Scheffler

Who is brave enough to kiss the Gruffalo good night?

A really cute touch-and-feel book with a lot of different textures and a very simple telling of the Gruffalo story.

Perfect for all young Gruffalo fans to introduce their little siblings to the wonderful world of The Gruffalo.

3 years and up

Peace at Last

by Jill Murphy

The beautifully illustrated tale of tired Papa Bear's many attempts to find a quiet spot to sleep never fails to make children laugh.

Also a good book to casually introduce new words regarding the different rooms of a house.

A lovely bedtime story - warm, funny and soothing, and a good way to practice house and garden vocabulary.

For more information click here:

4 years and up

1001 Things to Spot at Christmas

by Alex Frith and Teri Gower  

Children love spy books, and the 1001 Things to Spot series not only helps their focusing skills but encourages their counting as well.

While all books in the series show loving attention to detail, the Christmas version is especially elaborate and festive.

A beautiful spy and counting book. Keeps children entertained while waiting for Christmas.

For more information click here:

If you want to order from amazon and do so via my link,

you are supporting the English Playgroup which will receive a little commission.

Your purchasing price will of course not be raised but stay unaffected by this.

8 years and up

Vergiftete Muffins: ein deutsch-englischer Kinderkrimi

by Renate Ahrens  

This exciting detective story is ideal for first-time English readers, as the main language is German with only the conversations with native speakers being written in English.

Furthermore, readers won't need dictionaries, since all of the English paragraphs are discussed and explained in German by the protagonists immediately afterwards.

Perfect for everyone who wants to grow into English reading rather than start with a whole English book right away.

2 years and up

Little Red Tractor

created by Colin Reeder

There are no villains in this charming British children's TV series, the closest thing being a smug modern farmer whose high-tech machinery often gets him into trouble.

And then there's Stumpy, the lovable miller, who amuses the children no end, driving his quadbike Nipper really badly.

This is one of the few kids' DVDs that have both a German and an English sound track, so there's no need for expensive import from the UK.

Children just love the feel-good stories about friendship and adventure in the idyllic village of Babblebrook.

Gabriele Schuchlenz is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme

designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.de.

Previous recommendations:

For more information click here:

8 years and up

The 13-Storey Treehouse

by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton

A fun, if a little whacky book about two boys and their fantastic and absurd adventures in their self-designed treehouse equipped with all the fixtures and amenities a boy could wish for.

With its balance of text and cartoon-like drawings, the book manages to captivate even the less avid readers.

A "cool" book that even unenthusiastic readers get engrossed in.

0-2 years

That's not my puppy...

by Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells

With its simple pictures and only one special material per page, this book encourages even the youngest to touch and discover without being overwhelming.

And slightly older children love to look for the mouse that is hiding on every page.

This classic is still my favourite in the Usborne Touchy Feely series.

3 years and up

The Smartest Giant in Town

by J. Donaldson and A. Scheffler  

The charming story about George, the kind-hearted giant, enthrals both kindergarten and primary school kids.

Repetition and rhymes help with memorising new vocabulary.

A heart-warming story - and a good way to casually introduce and practice clothes and animal vocabulary.

Previous recommendations:

Previous recommendations:

Gold

(Justin Fletcher)

All his hits on 3 CDs, the "classics" as well as a lot of funny cover versions.

From "The Macarena" to "I Like to Move It" to "La Bamba", Justin has adapted the lyrics of various well-known hits to turn them into typical Justin-style children's dance hits.

The perfect dance music for little Justin fans' New Year's Eve party.

For more information click here:

Previous recommendations:

The Fire Engine Book  

Tibor Gergely / Golden Books  

Old but still good - this book, which was first published in 1950, captivates little fire fighter fans today just as much as it did then.

With its exciting, detailed pictures that make you feel right in the middle of what's happening as well as a little explanatory text, this sturdy picture book has been among our favourite books in playgroup for years.

A fascinating picture book for all fire engine lovers, big or small.

For more information click here:

Previous recommendations:

3 years and up

Another Monster at the End of this Book

by Jon Stone and Michael Smollin  

No matter how often you read this book, children will love it again and again.

A sequel to the hilarious story about Sesame Street's Grover, who desperately tries to keep the children from turning the pages, because he is so scared of the monster at the end of the book.

The children, of course, can't get enough of turning the pages anyway.

A fun and enjoyable interactive book that will keep children in fits of laughter.

4 years and up

Winnie And Wilbur in Winter  

by Paul Korky and Valerie Thomas  

The "Winnie the Witch" series is equally popular with kindergarten and primary school children. While the short and funny stories are great to read to the little ones, older children are perfectly able to read the simple texts accompanied by detailed pictures on their own.

This particular book tells the story of magic meddling with the weather and indirectly explains why we actually need winter.

An easy and entertaining introduction to the popular "Winnie the Witch" series.

For more information click here:

0 years and up

Say Hello to the Snowy Animals  

by Ian Whybrow and Ed Eaves  

Since it's still winter, this book is a lovely way of introducing animals living in the snow and the noises they make.

The short and simple rhymes are easy to remember, and the velvety surfaces of the animal pictures give the book a "touchy-feely" quality that already the youngest children love.

An adorable "touchy-feely" book about animals with really beautiful pictures that will take both children and their parents on a journey through winter wonderland.

Previous recommendations:

3 years and up

PAW Patrol - 5-Minutes Stories Collection

(Random House / Nickelodeon's TV series)

The perfect book for all the little PAW Patrol fans in my groups.

Nine short stories about the adventures of Chase, Marshall, Skye & Co. Ideal for bedtime or short breaks.

With its tales of friendship and teamwork featuring the "paw-some" heroes on their exciting rescue missions, this book will also charm those who don't know the TV series.

Nine lovely 5-minute stories featuring the four-legged heroes from the popular TV series "PAW patrol".

9 years and up

Watch out! - In London auf Verbrecherjagd:

Ein deutsch-englischer Rätselkrimi

by Christian Tielmann  

A suspenseful book for children aged 9 and up. It is basically written in German, interspersed with short English sentences that are - quite cleverly - translated or explained immediately afterwards, so there is no need for a dictionary.

The book consists of many short chapters, and the individual criminal cases are entertaining and thrilling.

An easy and enjoyable read for children who like detective and mystery stories, no matter their level of English.

For more information click here:

Previous recommendations:

For more information click here:

9 months and up

Dig Dig Digging

by Margaret Mayo and Alex Ayliffe  

A wonderful book for all fans of vehicles and construction. All the favourites are there: tractor, digger, crane, bulldozer and more.

Children love spotting all the details in this brightly illustrated book just as much as joining in with all the different sounds in the fun, rhyming text.

The perfect book for all machine-obsessed boys and girls - from babies to pre-schoolers.

3 years and up

Go Away, Big Green Monster!

by Ed Emberley

This is an awesome interactive book that helps children chase away their fears. Even after decades, its die-cut pages never fail to fascinate.

Turning the pages, the children see the monster grow before their eyes until they can take charge and make it disappear again.

The book also encourages speaking English, as the children keep shouting "Go away!". And on top of that, it's also a fun way to repeat the most important words around the face.

A fun and fascinating interactive book to help children overcome their fears and at the same time repeat basic vocabulary around the face.

4 years and up

The Story of the Easter Bunny

by Katherine Tegen and Sally Anne Lambert

An innovative Easter book that inventively explains how the Easter Bunny came to be.

The story of the old couple who give Easter baskets to their neighbours every spring and rely more and more on their rabbit's help as they get older, is a heart-warming and quite plausible explanation for how a little bunny became a legend.

An imaginative and beautifully illustrated Easter book for children from 4 to 8 years.

Previous recommendations:

For more information click here:

0 years and up

Baby Touch: Peekaboo  

by Ladybird  

With its bright colours, various textures and large flaps, this book, just like all the others from the Baby Touch series, is an ideal introduction to the world of books.

Even the youngest babies will enjoy exploring the sturdy pages and discover what's behind the flaps with their parents, or even on their own.

A great touch-and-feel book for babies and toddlers aged 0 to around 2 years.

2 years and up

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go

by Richard Scarry

An absolute must-have for all vehicle-obsessed girls and boys, this delightful book by the one and only Richard Scarry offers lots to discover on every page.

The detailed pictures and funny situations featuring all - possible and impossible - kinds of vehicles will entertain kids as much as parents.

The ultimate book for little vehicle fans who love a fun mixture of fact and fantasy.

7 years and up

A Child Through Time  

by Phil Wilkinson and Steve Noon

Filled with fun facts, this phenomenal history book covers key curriculum topics in a new light, inviting kids to explore history through the eyes of children.

The wonderful pictures by the award-winning illustrator will take you on a journey through the lives of 30 everyday children from the Ice Age to modern times.

A fascinating and informative book that will grab your attention again and again as you continue to discover ever new details.

Previous recommendations:

For more information click here:

0 years and up

We're Going on a Ghost Hunt:

A Lift-the-Flap Adventure

by M. Mumford und C. Zamazing

A fun and not scary Halloween book with sweet illustrations, one of eight great books in the interactive "The Bunny Adventures" series.

Even the youngest "readers" will love looking under the flaps and giggle delightedly at the cute ghosts hiding there.

A lovely interactive Halloween book that will delight young explorers from baby to kindergartener.

3 years and up

Room on the Broom

by J. Donaldson und A. Scheffler

This lovely story about friendship and readines to help others is one of my absolute favourites - and not only at Halloween. Every kid just loves the friendly witch, her animal frieds, and the not so scary dragon.

Like in all the books by the same authors, the witty, catchy rhymes and cute, detailed illustrations are top tier.

A sweet and entertaining (Halloween) story by the unparallelled creators of "The Gruffalo".

5 years and up

Little Monsters

by David Walliams und Adam Stower

A highly entertaining book about a little werewolf with a big problem. He's simply not scary, which makes him the odd one out at monster school.

However, this funny story also has a clear message. Being the odd one out is quite okay. In fact, with the right friends by your side, it can be actually cool to just be yourself.

A fun book to read to your kids, but thanks to the included CD also ideal to practice first reading.

My most recent recommendations for you: