1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle (Puffin, £5.99)Not many children’s books achieve worldwide sales that would humble a U2 album, but Eric Carle’s classic picture book about a caterpillar munching his way to becoming a beautiful butterfly has sold 22 million copies.Carl...

11. Peepo! by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (Puffin, £5.99)First published in 1981, this wonderful boardbook appeals rather like The Very Hungry Caterpillar – you simply can’t beat a hole in the page for toddler enjoyment. In Peepo!, a baby glimpses his small domestic world through a l...

91. Little Miss Muffet Counts To Ten by Emma Chichester Clark Red FoxA clever twist on the nursery rhyme, in this pretty picture book, the spider persuades Miss Muffet not to run away and in return two, three, four and more other creatures arrive and reward her bravery with trea...

41. The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame Egmont, £5.99 It might be 100 years old, but this novel about Ratty, Mole, Badger, Toad and the other animals of the riverbank is an evocation of rural England that still captures the imagination

51. Mister Magnolia by Quentin Blake Red Fox, £5.99Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake has written some wonderful books for small children. Mister Magnolia is a poetic joy in which our hero possesses lots of wonderful objects, animals and even two sisters, but he only has one boot!Buy...

21. Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson (Walker, £4.99)Sarah, Percy and Bill wake up one night to find their mother isn’t there. Their loneliness makes them anxious and the fluffy white owls begin to fret, but are overcome with relief and joy when mummy owl comes back...

61. Eat Your Peas by Kes Gray and Nick Sharratt Red Fox, £5.99Kes Gray's award-winning picture book gave rise to a series of books about Daisy, the spirited little girl, who doesn’t like much of what she’s given for tea – and will not be tempted by anything.Buy Eat Your Peas

81 The Enormous Crocodile by Roald Dahl Puffin, £5.99Despite there being an abundance of child-eating in Roald Dahl’s books, they continue to be extremely popular with children. In this story a mean croc in the muddiest river in Africa is out to find as many juicy little children...

71. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann Egmont, £4.99 The zoo keeper is doing his last evening round and saying goodnight to various animals, but there’s one gorilla who isn’t ready for bed and who releases all his other furry friends… Peggy Rathmann's charming book is also ava...

31. Mog The Forgetful Cat by Judith Kerr HarperCollins, £5.99If family cats are independent creatures who wander off and do their own thing, Mog is no different. Often the moggy is daydreaming her way into a series of adventures, and in this book, Judith Kerr's first ever Mog sto...