Thomas Cook recently approached Smallprint looking for book guidance whilst planning an exciting addition to their family holiday resorts. Knowing how important it is for families to spend quality time together on holiday, Thomas Cook will introduce book boxes in their Sunwing Resort Fanabe in Tenerife this summer, giving you the perfect opportunity to spend time reading with your children while you’re away!
As a family run independent children’s bookshop with a love of interactive titles, we are well placed to hand-pick the books to go into the boxes and we have loved hunting out books for all ages that provide sharing opportunities between families.
Seeing as it is World Book Day, we really don’t want to keep these recommended reads a secret; here’s a list of the titles featuring in the Thomas Cook book boxes, so you can spend quality time reading together at home, or on your next family holiday.
WEE GALLERY SLIDE AND PLAY JUNGLE, Wee Gallery, £8.99
“We believe that a love of reading starts from a young age and this is a perfect, hands-on introduction to books. The fun sliders elevate it from a board book to an interactive game; children will love watching the changing pictures and seeing cause and effect as they play.”
TOUCH THINK LEARN VEHICLES, Xavier Deneux, £9.99
“In our opinion, toddler books can be too jam-packed with features; this series is a favourite of ours for its simplicity and ability to teach children to trace a line rather than be too distracted by fluff, fuzz and noises. Adults love the iconic design and quality, while children find the bold imagery and bright colours addictive.”
OH NO GEORGE! Chris Haughton
“Chris Haughton has written and illustrated some great books, and this one is a big favourite of both adults and children which makes it a great one for sharing. There’s a good amount of repetition which helps children recall and take part; the humour is for both big kids and little ones too.” £5.99
“This original, silly, light-hearted book is great for grown-ups to read again and again; we must have shared it over 100 times! We love the way it breathes life into an object, drawing on child-like imaginary adventures; why shouldn’t crayons come alive and share their stories? A true icon with a firm place in many families.” £12.99
NIBBLES THE DINOSAUR GUIDE, Emma Yarlett
“Not only do most 3 to 5 year olds have a ‘thing’ for dinosaurs, but Nibbles is a lot like an energetic, cheeky child and that’s why he’s a favourite amongst pre-school kids. The flaps and cut-outs make these pages perfect for lively story times, and reading it aloud is equally as entertaining for the adults.” £12.99
ONE THOUSAND THINGS, Anna Kovecses
“The reason we’ve chosen this for 3-5 year olds is for the opportunity it gives to share and interact with children who are developing their vocabulary. We like to choose a page and talk about the things we can see, think about more examples, make up little stories and of course, do endless spotting together.” £12.99
STORY PATH, Madalena Matosa
“We’ve never seen a bad reaction to this brilliant book, which packs a punch for creativity and beautiful artwork. A perfect example of how a book should be, these pages are full of talking points to maximise shared storytelling and memory making." £12.99
DEEP IN THE FOREST, Josef Anton and Lucie Brunelliere
“Spotting is universally enjoyed by all children, and we love lifting the flaps to find what’s hiding underneath. Whether you read it in one go or linger on a page and play a game of I-Spy, this book is a visual feast with enough interactivity to keep all ages engrossed. We love the illustration and the way it encourages bedtime!” £10.99
BOOKS FOR 6-11 YEAR OLDS
PIRATES MAGNIFIED, David Long and Harry Bloom
“While many children of this age are happy to read alone, we enjoy sharing books to get kids talking, and this is one of those interactive ones that grabs everyone’s attention. So much to see that you’ll never get bored; lots to find out and a fun magnifying glass that reduces older children to excited adventurers; whatever their age.” £14.99
ILLUMINATURE, Carnovsky
“A magical book that produces excited ‘oohs and aahs’ at each turn of the page, Illuminature is a serious feat of clever design that has everyone under its spell. The fact-filled text keeps readers happy while the images come into their own as they transform in front of your eyes; kids have been known to save their pocket money for this one!” £20
MY BIG WORLD, Okido
“With lots of opportunity for shared or independent reading, this is a book for families to enjoy together. With quiz questions, spot the difference and things to make and do, there’s something to please everyone, and inspire all imaginations if adults engage their kids by asking open-ended questions.” £12.95
HILDA AND THE STONE FOREST, Luke Pearson
“A tale of mild peril, this is a book full of adventure with a popular graphic format that kids can delve into. Offering snippets of lively narrative and image over large paragraphs of text, this is a quick story that engages enthusiastic and reluctant readers alike.” £12.95
THE IRON MAN, Ted Hughes and Laura Carlin
“A modern classic, this book introduces the notion of global conflicts in an adventurous and imaginative way, and supports children’s developing understanding of the world. Written in beautiful poetic language, The Iron Man is a thought-provoking book that can rarely be put down once started!” £12.99
Books for 12 years +
PIERRE THE MAZE DETECTIVE: THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPIRE MAZE TOWER, Hiro Kamigaki and IC4 Design
“Part puzzle book, part story, this is a test of memory and a mystery that’ll steal away hours of your time. Something for older children and adults to enjoy together or alone, it is non gender-specific book of amazing quality that requires a keen eye to spot new things every time you look.” £14.99
ATLAS OF ADVENTURES, Lucy Letherland
“One for a whole family of keen travellers, this book is full of detailed pictures and info about different customs, cultures and activities from around the world. We love the amount that’s shoe-horned into each page, and there’s something new to keep all entertained, time and time again.” £20.00
