Children's reading lists

The best new Ladybird books out in 2022

From books for first-time readers and bedtime stories to adventures with our favourite characters, we've put together a list of the Ladybird books to watch out for in 2022. 

Ladybird team
testA picture of a selection of Ladybird books on a light green-blue background surrounding green '2022' lettering
Image: Alex Francis & Victoria Ibbetson/Penguin

January

It’s the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year, and so Peppa and her friends have been invited to the palace for a spectacular garden party. They’re all so excited! But as soon as they arrive, things start to go wrong. The party planner appears to have got the date mixed up! Will Peppa be able to help save the day?

This touch-and-feel playbook is perfect for new readers. The Squirrels are looking for cuddly animals to stroke but they keep finding anything but! The animals are either too hard, or too spiky, or too sticky. Will they ever be able to find an animal that’s soft and fluffy?

Earn It! by Cinders McLeod (6 Jan)

In Earn It!, Bun wants to be rich and famous one day but in order to achieve that says her mum, she’ll have to work hard. That’s when Bun realises, she’ll need to start earning carrots now if she’s going to make her dreams happen. Young children will learn simple but important money lessons with this new series by Cinders McLeod.

February

Bluey: Grannies (3 Feb) 

Fans of the hit Aussie series will love this adorable story. Bluey and her sister Bingo are playing grannies. And whilst playing, they stumble upon a very important question: can grannies dance? Bluey isn’t so sure, but Bingo thinks they can. There’s only one thing for it; they need to call Nana and find out!

Is That You, Little Dino? by Rob Hodgson (3 Feb)

Little Dino is very good at hiding. So good in fact that Papa Dino is having trouble trying to find her! Can you help him with his search? Little ones will love this pull-and-slide flap book and there’s a ladybird to spot on every page too.

This new addition to the Baby Touch series is perfect for teaching babies all about love. Featuring heart-shaped holes to look through, textured patches to feel, and lots of different animals and objects to say ‘I love you’ to, this is a lovely book to snuggle down and read together.

Earn your most important badge of the year with Duggee and the Squirrels. It’s World Book Day and so, of course, reading a book is at the top of the list – but which story should the Squirrels read? A detective story? One about a clown? Or maybe a story about a potato?

March

First Festivals: Ramadan by Junissa Bianda (3 Mar) 

Ramadan is a very special holiday in the Islamic community. For one month, Muslims will fast from dawn until dusk and once that is over, families gather together and celebrate Eid. In this lovely picture book, children can read all about the different traditions and learn the significance of this important holiday.

Gretel the Wonder Mammoth by Kim Hillyard (3 Mar)

Gretel is the last mammoth in the world and after being frozen for some time, she’s finally managed to break free from her icy shell! Everyone is really welcoming and excited to meet her, but being the last mammoth on Earth can feel quite lonely sometimes… This touching story from Kim Hillyard teaches that it’s ok to ask for help when you need it.

Ten Minutes to Bed: My Sleepy Sticker Storybook by Rhiannon Fielding & Chris Chatterton (3 Mar)

Little fans of the Ten Minutes to Bed series will enjoy this fun sticker book. Featuring scenes with all the characters from the books, such as Twinkle the Unicorn, Splash the Mermaid, and Belch the Monster, there are over 100 stickers to use, plus a removable bedtime reward chart.

If You're Happy and You Know It by Laurie Stansfield (17 Mar)

We’ve all sung the classic children’s songs and now 10 of those songs, including Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, The Grand Old Duke of York, and Incy Wincy Spider, are all together in this new board book. Each song features illustrated instructions to help children learn the actions whilst they sing along.

Help your child get a head start on their pre-school and primary learning with the new Learn with Ladybird series. In this wipe-clean activity book, children aged 3-5 can start to practice writing their letters. As well as punctuation, handwriting, and grammar, the series also includes books on first sums, multiplication, and maths problem-solving.

April

My First 100 Words by Emilie Lapeyre (14 Apr) 

There are so many new words for little ones to learn. So, let’s start off with 100 of the most essential words! From animals and vehicles to clothes and food, this book is a great tool for expanding your child’s vocabulary and sparking their curiosity.

It's Time to... Clean Up! by Carly Gledhill (14 Apr)

It’s spring and so that means it’s time to clean up! This interactive board book is filled with different sliders and flaps for little hands to help vacuum, wash the dishes, and hang out the washing. In this new series, there’s also It’s Time to… Fix It! where kids can help do some DIY around the house.

Peppa is living the dream – she gets to be a zookeeper for the day! Zookeepers Mr Lion, Mrs Crocodile, and Mr Giraffe have taken Peppa are showing her the different things they do to ensure all the zoo animals are happy and healthy. From feeding the penguins to checking on the butterflies, follow Peppa as she has the most magical day.

May

Introduce first colours to your baby with this bright and beautiful board book from the Baby Touch series. Each page is a different colour of the rainbow and features illustrations that correlate with those colours as well as textured patches. It’s the perfect book for stimulating your baby’s senses.

Don't Wake Dad! by Eden Wells & Sharon Davey (12 May)

Obi and Nadia are throwing a surprise party for their dad to show how much they love him. But as we all know, bears need their rest, so these cubs must be extra quiet and make sure they don’t disturb him before they have everything ready. So shhh – don’t wake Dad!

It's Potty Time! by Amanda Jenner, Rose Cobden & Samantha Meredith (12 May)

For parents who may be teaching their little ones how to use the potty, this book is a wonderful tool to help children on their journey. Written with the UK’s leading potty training expert Amanda Jenner, each page includes fun rhymes and illustrations, as well as practical tips for parents. Get ready to say goodbye to nappies!

Fans of Bluey and her friends can now create their own games and stories with the characters. This book features 12 magnets of Bluey, Bingo, and their friends as well as different scenes for little ones on each spread for children to place the characters.

Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Fairy by Rhiannon Fielding & Chris Chatterton (12 May)

This new addition in the bestselling Ten Minutes to Bed series follows Poppy the fairy who is still getting used to her wings. Her friends can all fly really high, but Poppy’s wings are very small. She then spots a lost gnome who needs help getting back to his glade. Can Poppy use her wings to fly him to safety and get back home before bedtime?

June

Starfish Stretches and Bedtime Breathing by Sandra de la Prada (23 Jun)

We know the importance of mindfulness and you’re never too young to start practicing it. This tabbed board book includes simple stretches and breathing exercises that children can practice throughout the day. Written with a child development psychologist and mindfulness expert, this fun and accessible introduction will encourage focus and help children manage worries.

Welcome to Dinosaur School by Rose Cobden & Loretta Schauer (23 Jun)

It’s Jewel’s first day at dinosaur school and she’s feeling very nervous! There are lots of new dinos to meet, her classroom is much bigger than she thought, and the dining hall is really noisy. However, as the day goes on and Jewel settles into her new class, she begins to realise that school isn’t really that scary after all. This charming Jurassic-themed picture book is perfect for children who are due to start at primary school.

July

The Pirates on the Bus by Peter Millett & Tony Neal (7 Jul)

Ahoy me hearties! Are you ready for a swashbuckling adventure upon this here pirate ship? As little ones read aloud, they can also sing along to the tune of ‘The Wheels on the Bus’ as the crew of pirates make off with their treasure.

Can you help find Bluey and Bingo? Reminiscent of the Where’s Wally? Books, little readers will have loads of fun trying to spot the puppy siblings as they hide on the beach, in their backyard, and at the park.

That’s Not My Name by Anoosha Syed (28 Jul)

It’s Mirha's first day at school and she can’t wait to learn, play and make lots of new friends. But her classmates keep mispronouncing Mirha’s name, and so she goes home wondering whether she should change it… This sweet picture book will remind us all how important our names are.

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