The story books we'd hand a browsing parent first: read-alouds from Julia Donaldson, Chris Haughton and Britta Teckentrup alongside quieter names worth knowing, for babies through to nine-year-olds.
The test is the third reading — a story has to survive it. Hardback, board book or paperback, they're chosen to be kept and passed on. Start with your child's age if the shelf feels big; it is.
