Today’s post written by Angela

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If you are looking for a gift to give your, or others’, children this Christmas you cannot go past a book. Inspiring wonder and joy while educating and entertaining, the same book has the capacity to be enjoyed by the smallest baby through to the tween years: nothing endures and becomes as loved as a favourite book.

Storytelling is an age old past-time, and the best stories enter folklore and become universally known and loved; word of mouth recommendation is a sure way to find out what the best stories are. In June this year almost 2,000 of you, our readers, told us what your favourite books for kids are, and we are pleased today to present the KidStyleFile Reader’s Choice Top 40 Children’s Books.

We’ve provided links to purchase all the books in your top 40 at a discount at Fishpond Books. Fishpond have a flat rate postage of $5 for orders under $50, and free for orders over $50, Australia-wide. Fishpond provide a fast and reliable service, and you still have time to order from them for Christmas. Rejoice!

Please note that prices are correct at time of publishing, but may be subject to change by the seller.

Click here to view the KidStyleFile Reader’s Choice Top 40 Toys for 2009.

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1     The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, $16.99 $14.99

The Very Hungry Caterpillar (The Very Hungry Caterpillar)

2     Where Is The Green Sheep? by Mem Fox $14.99 $11.95

Where is the Green Sheep? [Board book]

3     Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak $19.99 $14.95

Where the Wild Things are

4     Hairy Maclary From Donaldson’s Dairy by Lynley Dodd $13.99

Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy (Hairy Maclary and Friends)

5     Possum Magic by Mem Fox $19.99 $14.95

Possum Magic

6     Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney $12.99

Guess How Much I Love You

7     The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson $19.99 $14.97

The Gruffalo

8     Time For Bed by Mem Fox $14.99

Time for Bed [Board book]

9     The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton $14.99

The Magic Faraway Tree (Faraway Tree S.)

10    Green Eggs And Ham by  Dr Seuss $9.99

Green Eggs and Ham

11    The Charlie & Lola series by Lauren Child $21.99

My Extremely Smallish Little Library (Charlie and Lola) [Board book]

12    That’s Not My… by  Fiona Watt & Rachel Wells $14.99 $11.97

That's Not My Teddy (Usborne Touchy Feely Books) [Board book]

13    Ten Little Fingers And Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox $24.99 $19.97

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

14
Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill $12.99

Where's Spot? [Board book]

15    The Cat In The Hat by Dr Seuss $9.99

The Cat in the Hat

16    We’re Going On A Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen $16.99 $14.97

We're Going on a Bear Hunt

17    Harry Potter series by JK Rowling $133.99 $111.99

Harry Potter Paperback Boxset #1-7

18    The Tale Of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter $12.99 $10.97

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

19
Who Sank The Boat? by Pamela Allen $17.99 $13.44

Who Sank the Boat?

20
Goodnight Moon by  Margaret Wise $14.99

Goodnight Moon [Board book]

21    Dear Zoo by  Rod Campbell $12.99 $9.95

Dear Zoo [Board book]

22    Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet & Allan Ahlberg $16.99 $14.97

Each Peach Pear Plum

23    The Maisy series Lucy Cousins $16.99

Out and About with Maisy

24    In The Night Garden series by  Andrew Davenport $13.99

Where is Igglepiggle's Blanket? (In the Night Garden)

25    Peepo by Janet & Allan Ahlberg $16.99 $14.95

Peepo!

26    Thomas The Tank Engine by  Rev. W V Awdry $124.99 $99.97

Thomas the Tank Engine: Ten Classic Tales

27    Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by  Eric Carle $14.99

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

28
Diary Of A Wombat by Jackie French $14.99 $11.95

Diary of a Wombat [Board book]

29
Kisses For Daddy by Frances Watts $14.99 $11.95

Kisses for Daddy [Board book]

30    Madeline by  Ludwig Bernelman $22.99 $16.31

Madeline (Picture Puffin S.)

31    Mr Men Books by Roger Hargreaves $13.99

Mr. Jelly (Mr. Men Classic Library)

32    Olivia by Ian Falconer $12.99

Olivia

33    Winnie The Pooh by A A Milne $39.99 $29.97

The World of Pooh: The Complete Winnie-The-Pooh and the House at Pooh Corner

34    Mister McGee And The Biting Flee by  Pamela Allen $14.99

Mr. McGee and the Biting Flea (Picture Puffin S.)

35    Alice In Wonderland by   Lewis Carroll $18.99

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland: AND Through the Looking Glass

36    Charlie And The Chocolate Factory by   Roald Dahl $19.99 $16.97

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

37    Giraffes Can’t Dance by    Giles Andreae $16.99 $14.95

Giraffes Can't Dance

38
Pippi Longstocking by  Astrid Lindgen $17.99 $13.99

Pippi Longstocking

39    Rumble In The Jungle by   Giles Andreae $16.99 $14.97

Rumble in the Jungle

40    Animalia by    Graeme Base $22.99 $17.97

Animalia

Fishpond Books charge $5 flat-rate postage for orders under $50, and post free for orders over $50, Australia-wide.