Happy Hector (A Tilly and Friends Book), by Polly Dunbar

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

Hector the pig was spending time with his friend Tilly. He was the happiest he had ever been. Then all the other friends started coming in and asking Tilly to play too, until there was no room for Hector. Then he was the unhappiest he had ever been. Luckily Tilly and her friends know just how to cheer him up.

Happy Hector is exactly what a masterful book for young children looks like. The words may be minimal, but they are carefully chosen and thoughtfully arranged, and the illustrations show so much even though they are so simple. I can't say enough good things about this series!

Doodle Bites (A Tilly and Friends Book), by Polly Dunbar

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

Doodle woke up feeling bitey. Unfortunately her friends don't like it when she starts biting them! This delightful Tilly and Friends book by Polly Dunbar may be about a crocodile, an elephant, a pig and a bird, but it's a story many a toddler can relate to. It's no fun to be bitten or hit, but sometimes your friends just wake up feeling bitey!

I especially love how the characters work together to resolve the conflict and all remain friends.

Pretty Pru (A Tilly and Friends Book), by Polly Dunbar

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

Pru is a chicken. A fancy chicken. A VERY fancy chicken. She wears makeup and jewellery and bows on her head, and soon all her friends want to play dress up just like Pru.

Polly Dunbar said in an interview that her inspiration for this character came from how funny she thought it would be to have a chicken wearing lipstick because, well, chickens don't have lips.

What I especially like about Pru is that even though she loves makeup and dressing up in fancy things, she's also one of the most responsible of the friends. If someone gets hurt, Pru is the one to get the first aid kit and bandage everybody up or give them kisses. I like to imagine that Pru's personality is how a child would imagine a teenager to be.

Where's Tumpty? (A Tilly and Friends Book), by Polly Dunbar

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

Tumpty the Elephant is trying to play hide-and-seek with his friends. He's tried hiding by closing his eyes, by putting a box over his head, even by doing a handstand while closing his eyes. But nothing seems to work--everyone can STILL see him! 

This book reminds me of my own childhood when my best friend and I would try to hide from each other and, if all else failed, we'd close our eyes. It also gives a little more insight into the world of Tilly and her animal friends. If you look closely you can see toys on the shelves that look like the characters: a stuffed toy that looks like it could be a pink pig like Hector, a yellow wooden bird that could be the inspiration for Pru, and even a blue couch that looks suspiciously like Tumpty. Polly Dunbar's outstanding series blends perfectly the reality of children's toys with the imaginary world children create for them. She's the A.A. Milne of our time. 

Goodnight, Tiptoe (A Tilly and Friends Book), by Polly Dunbar

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

It's bedtime in the little yellow house. Tilly has tucked Hector in, helped Doodle brush her teeth, given Tumpty his bath and helped Pru put her curlers in. Everyone but tiptoe. He's wide awake!

This is one of Magda's favourite in the series. Actually her dad and I love it too! It's adorable and I love seeing the characters' nighttime routine.

Hello Tilly (A Tilly and Friends Book), by Polly Dunbar

Buy Now on Amazon.com

Buy Now on Amazon.ca

Tilly is a little girl who lives with her five friends in a little yellow house. They are: a crocodile named Doodle, a rabbit named Tiptoe, a pig named Hector, an elephant named Tumpty and a chicken named Pru. I love these books by Polly Dunbar! I can easily imagine Tilly's friends being the various stuffed toys she has in her room, brought to life by her own imagination. In fact, at the beginning and end of this story, Tilly is reading a little yellow book that looks suspiciously like the little yellow house where all her friends are meant to live. It's like The Matrix for the "under five" set.

Tilly and Friends series, by Polly Dunbar

Our current book obsession around here is the Tilly and Friends series of books, by Polly Dunbar. They are fantastic and amazing and Magda (as well as her dad and I) could re-read them a hundred times a day. Tilly is a little girl who lives in a little yellow house with her five friends--a crocodile named Doodle, a pink pig named Hector, an elephant named Tumpty, a dancing rabbit named Tiptoe and a very fancy chicken named Pru. The books have simple language and whimsical illustrations that are sure to delight even very young children.

Stay tuned for reviews of each of the six books in the series! In the meantime, check out Magda's homemade Tilly and Friends collection that she made with her dolls and puppets.