Here is the special announcement I was referring to on Monday. Anthony will be writing a few guest posts, he’s taking on the topic of children’s books; something I don’t like writing about as I don’t know enough. Over to you, Anthony.

Reading together, parent to child, is always going to be among the foremost of all the special experiences of childhood.  Many people’s earliest memories are of being read to by their mother or father.  The special mix of being snuggled in a cuddle or a cosy bed, combined with entering a wonderful imaginative world of adventure and possibility, is unique.  Furthermore, research has shown that simply listening to someone reading to them increases activity in the language centre of a child’s brain, helping them acquire language themselves and to lay down verbal memory. Other benefits have been identified as a strengthening of relationship between parent and child, enhancing communication skills and embedding a sense of being well equipped to deal with new experiences having approached them via an imaginative route first.  For a parent, there is also the element of heritage – handing down to your child the love of a book that you were read to when you were their age, that they in their turn will one day be reading to a child of their own. The mark of an inspiring children’s book is one that endures as the top reading pick through the generations. Here are five titles worthy of the accolade “Timeless Classic.”

1. “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.

Over 19 million copies of this story of the night Max put on his wolf suit and made mischief have been sold since it was first published in 1963. Max, in his costume, wreaks chaos in his house and is sent to bed without any supper. His bedroom is magically transformed into a jungle and he sails to an island inhabited by wild beasts, which he first intimidates and then is crowned by them as King Of All Wild Things and asked to stay forever.  But Max “was lonely and wanted to be where someone loved him most of all.” The fact that someone is his mother, and that she had a hot supper waiting for him after all, encapsulates the poignant message that your parents will still love and forgive you, no matter how naughty you are.

2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

There can be very few people on this earth unfamiliar with the tale of the colourful caterpillar that eats his way through all manner of foodstuffs before pupating and emerging as a butterfly. This book is a winner on all counts – from its marvellous illustrations to its potential for interacting in counting games as the litany of foods eaten unfolds, to its satisfying denouement with the transformation from caterpillar to beautiful butterfly.  There are very large board book versions of this story, which are great for propping up in front of a high chair or play pen, so that your pre-schooler can enjoy looking at the colourful illustrations between readings.

3. Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

This wonderful picture book is the perfect bedtime story for a heavy- lidded child still clinging to the last vestiges of daytime.  The gentle lulling tone, the softness of the story of a child saying goodnight to all the sweet objects and beings in her room and – finally – “Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere” – is like sleep-hypnosis for the very young.  The gentle rhythm of the language and softness of the images makes it impossible to feel other than safe and sound at the end of the day. Indeed, many a reader has ended up accidentally falling asleep alongside their child after the whisper of the last word on the page has barely left their mouth.

4. Diary Of A Wombat by Jackie French

Published in 2002, it is easy to predict that this award winning picture book illustrated by Bruce Whatley is destined to join the ranks of stories that are read aloud to generations to come. Mothball the wombat’s diary covers eight days in his life, during which he plays havoc with a local family – not out of any malice but because he is seeing life through his wombat eyes and doing just what comes naturally.  The result is full of humour, charm and warmth that will raise a giggle from even the most serious of kids.

5. The Cat In The Hat by Dr Seuss

The exotic and charismatic cat of the title holds all the power in this, the first of Dr Seuss’s Cat In the Hat series which has taught generations of children to read.  Written in upbeat rhyme, it is the perfect read-aloud book which narrates a rainy day in which two bored children are left alone by their mother. Enter the eponymous cat and life becomes a little wild and more than chaotic.  Reactions to the exploits of the exuberant figure who performs all sorts of whacky tricks are typically divided among children who take gleeful delight at the cat’s outrageous anti-authoritarian antics and those who literally squirm in anticipation of the return of the children’s mother to a totally upturned domestic scene – wherein comes one of the best last lines of any book ever – “Well, what would YOU do if your mother asked you?”

Anthony Smith is the Chief Operating Officer of an Australian childcare management company, Guardian Child Care Alliance.  As a parent himself, Anthony recognises the importance of reading to children allowing them the freedom to thrive and in an educational and nurturing environment.