Millicent Margaret Amanda (or Milly-Molly-Mandy for short) is a small girl who lives in an idyllic English village sometime in the 1920s, and when I was a small girl, living in suburban Melbourne sometime in the 1980s, I completely adored her.

Told in short chapters (perfect for reading aloud with the small ones in your household), the adventures of Milly-Molly-Mandy are delightfully innocent, simple and charming. As she and little-friend-Susan go about their days, there are no scary villains, no intense conflicts or unforeseen plot twists. Instead our heroine runs errands, saves her pennies, helps in the garden and goes to a fete. Young children will enjoy the routine and repetitiveness of Milly-Molly-Mandy’s days, learning empathy and generosity along the way.

These timeless, comforting stories encourage kindness, responsibility and respect and can be joyfully shared with children aged 3 and up or independently read by ages 7 and up. They may even help children discover their future career – my favourite chapter always was ‘Milly-Molly-Mandy Keeps Shop’, and now I manage a bookshop. Coincidence? I think not.

Kate McIntosh is the manager of Readings Doncaster