You Choose: A new story every time – what will YOU choose? (You Choose, 9)

Product Information

Dressing Up - have a selection of all sorts of outfits, including hats and shoes, to dress up in. Give the children things to dress up for - a fancy dress party, a ball, going to work etc. You may have more than one hospital or clinic to choose from. But the options will be the same if you book online or over the phone.

Counting - make sets of things from the book (vehicles/clothes/animals) and play some counting games. You could play a game where you can only choose things beginning with a particular letter, the first letter of your name for example. Or maybe the chosen things must all have a predominant colour. Have a day when the children choose everything that goes out - or just in one area of the setting. This will require some negotiation and turn taking - all important skills! There are three other You Choose books now. You Choose in Space follows the original format but places everything in an extra-terrestrial setting. You Choose Your Dreams stimulates imaginations by asking how it would feel to be gigantic or tiny or a wild animal or made of cheese. And the sequential nature of You Choose Fairy Tales increases the storytelling possibilities. Books are absolutely crucial in getting us to think about new worlds': we speak to the award-winning author, Onjali Q Rauf

And finally, if you just can't quitemove on from You Choose, how about just experiencing it differently? 'Just took my little one to see the Nonsense Room Productions stage show of this,' Nicola on Facebooksaid. 'She loved it - they really bring books to life. It's fab. Helps them want to read, too!' Sounds pretty good to us... The classic Would You Rather... by BookTrust Lifetime Achievement Award winner John Burningham presents children (and adults!) with a thought-provoking array of unusual choices in a slightly different way - from 'would you rather eat supper in a castle, breakfast in a balloon, or tea on the river?' to, 'would you rather be made to eat spider stew, taste slug dumplings, chew mashed worms, or drink a snail shake?' Emphasise choice in everyday situations - e.g. which colour apron would you like/would you like milk or water to drink/shall we read this book or this one? You Choose is great fun to peruse by yourself but it works particularly well as a book to be shared. That’s because it’s impossible to look at the book with another person and not have a conversation about the pictures. Perhaps because we tend to talk more freely when looking at something else rather than each other, we’ve often been told how helpful the book is for speech development, increasing vocabulary, enhancing communication skills and as a bonding tool. Here are some ways it has been enjoyed, as related to us over the years. Lots of these ideas have come directly from children.

You could choose things for each other, or for someone you both know, or for an imaginary character like a pirate or a princess. There's also a recent addition, More Would You Rather, in which John imagined even more squeamish and delightful choices! If your child enjoys flip books...If you've been referred to a specialist through the NHS e-Referral Service, booking your appointment online is easy, safe and secure. Take photos of the children and make frames for them together, just like the pictures in the book. Display them with some of the children's ideas about friends.

Odd one out - Invite the children to make an interactive 'odd one out' display, using all sorts of groups of animals, with an odd one out. Use hoops, boxes and baskets to display the groups in. The children could have fun mixing up the groups and changing the odd one out. Of course, the pictures provide numerous possibilities for additional things to discuss, too. ‘How would it feel to have a wizard as a relative?’ ‘Would you rather live in a cave or a treehouse?’ ‘If you had a pet dragon, what name would you give it?’ ‘What kind of person would wear pointy shoes like those?’ In their different ways, all four books enable the reader to learn and spot a variety of types of thing, from daily activities to types of clothes and different kinds of vehicles. For older primary children...Now accompanied by You Choose Your Dreams and You Choose in Space, there are even more amazing choices for preschool children. But if you feel like moving on, here are some suggestions - and we'd love to hear yours! If you feel like moving on to picture books... KarenFarishsuggested trying The Runaway Dinnerby Allan Ahlberg, while fabulous author Perdita Cargillopted for Sally Gardner's The Fairy Catalogue: 'I think that one was still being secretly enjoyed at the same time as I, Coriander! Great writer to get hooked on.' Speak to a GP if you want to be seen at a hospital or clinic. They'll help you decide what care is best for you and make any necessary referrals. Why not try Dorothee de Monfriend's A Day With Dogs, Natasha Durley's Creature Features, Susan Steggall's The Life of a Caror Katie Abey's We Wear Pants?

If you were hungry, which of the delicious-looking foods would you eat? Which of the jazzy clothing options will you choose? Where will you choose to live - a fairy castle, a windmill, the Taj Mahal? I would wear... - get out the dressing up clothes and invite the children to choose what they would wear to a party. Take a photo of each child and make a book of them all dressed up, with captions: 'Jordan would wear a bear suit'.

Follow us

You could play ‘I Spy’ or counting games with the book. ‘How many birds can you see on the “Pets” spread?’ ‘How many four-wheeled vehicles are there on the “Transport” spread?’ ‘How many vegetables can you spot in the “Food” spread?’ Sorting - use a doll's house and furniture as an opportunity to talk about sorting into rooms, counting and organising.