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My child hates reading!

le toboggan has books for readers

“My child hates reading!”

I cannot tell you how often I hear this statement, but I don’t believe it’s true.

When a child tells me they don’t like reading, I simply ask: “If you could choose any book at all, what would it be?”

Their answers vary—sometimes they pick a comic, a non-fiction book, or a story with illustrations embedded in the chapters. And you know what? That is perfectly fine.Let them choose. When a child chooses their own book, their motivation skyrockets.

They aren’t just decoding words; they are exploring a topic that genuinely interests them.

Whether they are navigating a second language or mastering their first, autonomy is key. We often lament the fact that they aren’t reading “age-appropriate” classics (or maybe that’s just me!), but the specific material matters less than the act of reading itself.

By letting them cultivate the habit now, you’ll see them progressively become more curious, discover new genres, and eventually even attempt the classics.

Supporting Their Journey

At the end of the day, a child reading a comic book is still a child immersed in a story—one that could easily lead to the next!

By embracing every type of reading material, we remove the pressure and replace it with pure enjoyment.We’re here to help your child find that “spark” book—the one they want to read under the duvet with a torch.

From visual board books to engrossing independent reads, our collection is designed to celebrate every kind of reader.

Let’s stop worrying about what they are reading and start celebrating the fact that they are reading.

If you need help finding your child’s next favourite book, let us know or come and see us at the bookshop!

Let them choose. When a child chooses their own book, their motivation skyrockets. They aren’t just decoding words; they are exploring a topic that genuinely interests them.

Whether they are navigating a second language or mastering their first, giving them autonomy is key. It doesn’t matter what they pick up.

We often lament on the fact they are not reading age appropriate literature classics (or maybe just me 🙁 ), but it does not matter what they read as long as they read. Let them cultivate the habit of reading and you will see that they will progressively become more curious, discover more genres and maybe attempt the classics.

Supporting Their Journey
At the end of the day, a child reading a comic book is still a child immersed in a story that can lead to another! By embracing every type of reading material, we remove the pressure and replace it with pure enjoyment.

We’re here to help your child find that “spark” book—the one they want to read under the duvet with a torch. From the most visual board books to engrossing independent reads, our collection is designed to celebrate every kind of reader.

Let’s stop worrying about what they are reading and start celebrating the fact that they are reading.

Let us know if you need help with your child’s next read or come and see us at the bookshop.

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‘La soupe au caillou’

la soupe au caillou le toboggan

In French, from 3yo.

A fox wanders in the main square of a village. He sets a large pan over a fire and starts cooking. A wary hen approaches and asks him what he is cooking. He answers a soup of stone but it would taste so much better if he had a bit of salt. Then hen offers to bring him some. The other animals, scared for the hen, approached the fox and ask him the same question. One by one they will bring a different ingredient. Soon the soup is ready, they all sit around the fire and share a bowl of soup together.

What ingredients will you use for your own La soupe au caillou ?

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‘Kaa Mwenye Kujali’

in Swahili, from 4yo.

Colin is a crab and always helps his friends. He decides to build a pavilion for his garden but it seems that the project is too much for a single crab. He feels discouraged and wants to give up. Colin’s friends decide to help him as he did so many times and together they finish Colin’s project.

Kaa Mwenye Kujali is a sweet story on friendship and it is alright to accept help.

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‘Mia y Puik, dia de pesca’

Mia y puik dia de pesca le toboggan

In Spanish, from 3yo.

Gorgeous comic book for very young readers. The illustrations are simple and fun and the text is not overwhelming. Mia and her friend Puik are at home. They want to play outside but the rain is too heavy. They must find ways to play indoors. Little by little, they make up games using empty boxes and other items around them. They go fishing, they play hide and seek. With a little imagination they are having so much fun.

Mia y Puik dia de pesca is the perfect book for a rainy day to find play idea for your little ones.

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‘Le chat botte’

le chat botte le toboggan

In French, from 3yo.

A poor man has inherited a cat from his father. He is desperate, what is he going to do with a cat? He will soo learn that the cat is very intelligent and will make him rich. The cat uses his skills to rob an ogre, have his owner saved by the king and marry the princess.

What tricks Le chat botte has up his sleeves or down his boots?

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‘Luna y Piñón: La ardilla de las campanas’

Luna y Piñón: La ardilla de las campanas le toboggan

In Spanish, from 7yo.

Luna and Piñon are two siblings. Luna, the sister is adventurous and Piñon, the brother, is quieter. Luna loves jumping from roof to roof and Piñon prefers staying in their tree. They both love the bells of the Tower Saint Martin. A hot August day, a mysterious darkness plunges the town into darkness. The squirrel siblings have to save the day.

This is an entertaining story with a hybrid format with mix of comic and novel. Young readers will not fin it too overwhelming because of the various illustrations and chapters. The story explores the themes of friendship, survival and imagination.

Help save the town with Luna y Piñon, la ardilla de las campanas.

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‘Abbracciami piccolo koala’

Abbracciami piccolo koala

In Italian, from 6mo.

Would like to hug a koala? This board book with its finger puppets is so cute and will entertain your child for a long time. This books offers tender cuddles.

See what other animals you can hug with Abbracciami piccolo koala.

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‘Die Rüpelbande’

die rupelbande

In German, from 3yo.

Another classic by Julia Donaldson. A little girl moves to a house in the forest. The forest is inhabited by a witch, a troll and a ghost. They are not happy with the newcomer. A little mouse makes a deal with them. Whoever can get the little girl’s scarf, gets to stay in the forest. The three monsters take turns one by one to scare the little girl away and take her scarf but nothing seems to work. The little mouse is clever and with a trick gets the scarf. Since the little mouse is the winner, the three monsters have to leave the forest.

Find out which trick the little mouse used in Die Rupelbande.

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‘I grandi personaggi da piccoli’ 

I grandi personaggi da piccoli

In Italian, from 7yo.

This is a great book to learn about famous historical figures, such as scientists, painters, singers, writers… The format is really orignal. It is a highly engaging book to learn about famous people and their achievements. It starts with a description of the person and gives lots of fun facts. Read clue after clue until your child guesses who it is. If they do not know, there is a flap to lift with the answer.

Read I grandi personaggi da piccoli and learn about 24 famous people.