100 books every child should read - Part 1: Early years

The Twits, by Roald Dahl
(Puffin, £4·99)

Mr and Mrs Twit pass the time playing nasty tricks on one another. They're both horrid. In his hairy beard, Mr Twit "was always able to find a tasty morsel to nibble on".

	Sendak's paintings sing and his text is a joy: the classic Where the Wild Things Are

Burglar Bill, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
(Puffin, £4·99)

"I'll 'ave that," is the catchphrase of the rogue who stars in this engaging and beautifully illustrated tale. When Bill accidentally burglarises a baby, it turns out to be a blessing in a stolen basket. "Runfrit, Boglaboll!"

The Tiger Who Came To Tea, by Judith Kerr
(HarperCollins, £5·99)

Newsnight's Emily Maitlis has a theory that this book is an allegory about sex. Most children understand it as the story of a tiger that eats its hosts out of house and home. Debate continues.

Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak
(Red Fox, £5·99)

When Max engages in mischief, he is sent to bed without his supper. That's just the start. Sendak's paintings sing, and the text is a joy.

The Tale of Samuel Whiskers, by Beatrix Potter
(Frederick Warne, £4.99)

Tom Kitten learnt nothing from his parents about the consequences of curiosity. Abducted by a psychotic rat, he comes within a whisker of being turned into a pudding. Nightmares guaranteed.

Yertle the Turtle, by Dr Seuss
(Collins, £4·99)

Theodor Geisel's response to Hitler was more oblique than Stauffenberg's, but as effective. Yertle, king of the pond, commands all the turtles to stack themselves up so he can be top of the heap. Someone's riding for a fall.

Fungus the Bogeyman, by Raymond Briggs
(Puffin, £5·99)

What boy won't thrill to the world of the Bogeymen, all snot, armpits and boils? This gave Raymond Briggs's green crayon the workout of its life.

The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew It Was None Of His Business, by Werner Holzwarth and Wolf Erlbruch
(Chrysalis, £4·99)

A big show-off, but he knows how to have fun: Dr Seuss's The Cat in the Hat

Someone's dropping lands on poor mole's head. Who's the culprit? A farmyard investigation is conducted with Germanic seriousness. Mole's revenge is sweet.

Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson
(Macmillan, £4·99)

Punchier than The Gruffalo, this has children chanting along as a witch and her animal friends see off a dragon in search of "witch and chips".

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
(Puffin, £5·99)

"In the light of the moon, a little egg lay on a leaf…" so begins this classic board book, its pages drilled with holes as the caterpillar eats his way through the week.

The Cat in the Hat, by Dr Seuss
(Colins, £4·99)

"Look at me! Look at me! Look at me now!" The cat's a big show-off, but he knows how to have fun, and his chaotic antics delight.

Charlotte's Web, by EB White
(Puffin, £5·99)

White's 1952 masterpiece describes the friendship between a lonely pig and a talented spider. This poignant tale teaches lessons about love, death and differing life expectancies.

The Story of Babar, by Jean de Brunhoff
(Egmont, £5·99)

When Babar sees his mother shot he reacts as any modern child might: a few tears, then off on a shopping spree. Nice green suit, though.

Winnie-the-Pooh, by AA Milne, illustrated by EH Shepard
(Egmont, £11·99)

Visit Hundred Acre Wood, and meet Pooh, Piglet and Christopher Robin, based on AA Milne's son. This classic story hasn't aged, and EH Shepard's understated illustrations remain the best.