Month

October 2017

Funnybones By Janet & Allan Ahlberg

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FunnybonesHappy Halloween!

Ivy is still a little young to understand this one but she loves the illustrations and enthusiastically hums along with the song (The leg bone’s connected to the – hip bone!).

This spooky little book tells the tale of a family of skeletons who live in the dark dark cellar of a dark dark house on a dark dark street. One night the skeleton family take their skeleton dog for a walk to the park and plan to frighten someone along the way.

It doesn’t quite go to plan though – with hilarious results!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2A2Cl9r

Room On The Broom By Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

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Room On The BroomAs Halloween approaches it only seems right to draw attention to this absolute classic from Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

A friendly witch flies on her broomstick on a windy day but the wind keeps blowing away her witchy essentials, including her hat and her wand.

Each time she lands to hunt them down a clever animal helps her and then joins her on her broom. She’s soon travelling with a veritable menagerie but then the broom snaps in two and they all tumble to the ground and land in the path of a hungry dragon. How will they ever escape?

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2z2Oayb

It’s OK To Be Different By Todd Parr

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It's Okay To Be DifferentIvy loves the illustrations in this colourful book which celebrates everyone’s differences.

Have big ears? That’s fine. Got an invisible friend? No problem. Come from a different place to your friends? That’s okay. Like to eat macaroni cheese in the bath? Cool!

It’s a really positive and happy book and you can’t help but smile when reading it. Nice work Todd Parr!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2zV6tDp

Not Now, Bernard By David McKee

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Not Now, BernardWe love this rather dark tale about the perils of not giving your children your full attention. Ivy always laughs at the repetition of the titular phrase and the dark humour definitely appeals to me.

It tells the story of a little boy who finds a monster in his garden and tries to tell his parents but they’re too busy to pay any attention. He attempts to befriend the monster but instead gets gobbled up.

The monster then enters the house, eats the boy’s dinner, reads his comics, plays with his toys and even sleeps in his bed – and the parents don’t notice a thing!

Definitely a case for social services if this was real life!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2xoIBGW

Hooray For Fish! By Lucy Cousins

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Hooray for Fish!Ivy loves the illustrations in this book by Lucy Cousins.

Join Little Fish as he introduces us to all his fishy friends. There’s Curly Whirly Fish, Twisty Twirly Fish, Upside Down Fish, Hairy Fish, Scary Fish and many many more.

It’s really colourful and is the perfect length (and rhythm) for a bouncy toddler!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2yNFolM

Aunt Amelia By Rebecca Cobb

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Aunt AmeliaEveryone needs an Aunt Amelia in their lives!

This gorgeous book is about a little boy and girl whose Mummy and Daddy leave them overnight with their Aunt Amelia. They are really unhappy about this as they don’t remember ever meeting an Aunt Amelia and they don’t want to be looked after. They especially don’t want to abide by the list of instructions that their parents leave behind.

However when Aunt Amelia arrives she is not at all what they expect and her interpretation of the list means they have a truly magical day.

Written and illustrated by the amazingly talented Rebecca Cobb.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2iwQp6A

Lost And Found By Oliver Jeffers

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Lost And FoundThere’s something about this book by Oliver Jeffers that is really calming. The combination of the beautiful illustrations and the minimalist text really works well.

A little boy finds a penguin and, worried that he looks a bit sad, he tries to help him find his way home. They journey together for thousands of miles but when they get there they learn a powerful lesson.

Home isn’t always where you’re from – home is where your heart lives.

This is a truly mesmerising little book about the power of friendship.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2yD5z0N

A Squash And A Squeeze By Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

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A Squash And A SqueezeOnce upon a time Julia Donaldson wrote children’s songs and ‘A Squash And A Squeeze’ was one of the most popular. She was contacted by a publisher who wanted to turn the song into a book and the rest, as they say, is history! She realised that her rhymes were perfectly suited to books and a legend was born.

The story is about a little old lady who complains that her house is too small. She asks a wise old man for advice and mayhem ensues as her house slowly fills with animals and seems even smaller.

What is the wise man’s plan and will it work?

Ivy loves this one and it’s my go-to book if she’s upset because it never fails to make her laugh.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2hXp5KR

I Love You, Stinky Face By Lisa McCourt & Cyd Moore

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I Love You, Stinky Face!This book is special to us as it’s the first one I ever read to Ivy when she was teeny tiny.

In the story a mother tells her little boy how much she loves him which triggers lots and lots of questions.

Would she still love him if he was a big scary ape? 
Would she still love him if he were a super smelly skunk?
Would she still love him if he was a swamp monster?

The answer to each question is of course YES and the mother explains what she would do in each scenario to show him how much she loves him.

In those hyper-hormonal first few months this book regularly reduced me to tears and it can still occasionally cause a little wobble.

Beautiful – and the illustrations are gorgeous too.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2gwOyyf

I Like Bees, I Don’t Like Honey By Sam Bishop & Fiona Lumbers

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I Like Bees, I Don't Like HoneyThis beautifully illustrated book teaches children that we’re all different and that’s what makes us special.

Each page shows a like or dislike from a different child – and they’re all from real kids who are thanked at the beginning of the book.

At the moment Ivy just likes the pictures and the rhymes but I can see how it would be great to encourage conversation with slightly older children.

As an added bonus, all royalties go to the NSPCC.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2gRXQ4K