Month

April 2019

Mindful Millie by Louise Tribble & Rhiannon Thomas

Mindful MillieSmall children seem to live at 100 miles an hour. These days Ivy talks non-stop and is always on the move. She bounces from game to game, dances, spins and generally makes me feel exhausted just looking at her! This is one of the many reasons that I love to sit and read books with her. For those precious moments, the world stops and it’s just me, her and the story.

If you’re looking for more of those calm moments then this book is a lovely place to start. Mindful Millie is an elephant who is very in touch with the world around her. When she goes for a walk she notices the colour and texture of the leaves on the trees. When she eats she thinks about each of the flavours she can taste. Millie wants to help her friends (and you) to do the same.

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Competition Time: Win A 6 Month Subscription to Little Box of Books

We’ve teamed up with the fantastic Little Box of Books on a very exciting competition! We’re offering you the chance to win a 6 month subscription to one of their diverse & Inclusive children’s book boxes, worth £129.99.

Each month, for the next 6 months, the winner will receive a box containing 3 books which are theirs to keep (that’s 18 books in total!). Each box is carefully curated to include multicultural & diverse characters, gender equality, different kinds of family life and more visibility for under-represented children.

Boxes are available for ages 0-3 and 4-7 so you can pick the one most suited to your child.

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How Big Is Our Baby? by Smriti Prasadam-Halls & Britta Teckentrup

How Big Is Our Baby?The prospect of having a new baby brother or sister can be both exciting and daunting for a toddler. A new playmate sounds fantastic but where will the baby come from and how will life change when it arrives?

When I found out I was having Ivy I bought a big book which told me what to expect from my pregnancy and beyond, and this gorgeous book is like a mini version of that for kids!

The early pages talk about what having a new baby means and how it might affect you. It addresses the fact you might be a little worried and emphasises that although life won’t be the same, it will be better because there will be even more love and cuddles.

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In A Minute Mama Bear by Rachel Bright

In A Minute Mama BearMost parents will be familiar with the sense of trepidation you feel when starting a busy day with a small child in tow. You know it’s *possible* that everything could go to plan, but realistically you’re going to be late for everything (if you even manage to get out of the door at all).

Such is the plight of Mama Bear who has a very long list of things she needs to achieve before the end of the day, starting with dance class and a trip to the supermarket.

Little Bella Bear has other ideas though. She wants to bounce on her bed. She wants to wear the red outfit and not the blue outfit. She wants to count the stairs slowly on her way down. She wants an elaborate breakfast (which she inevitably wouldn’t eat!). She doesn’t want to brush her teeth. She might want to use the potty though – but not until it’s time to leave, and not without reading at least 3 books whilst she ‘tries’.  Sound familiar?

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Ivy’s Guest Book: Jo Skundric, Co-Founder, Mini Motto Clothing

Mini Motto ClothingTell us a little bit about yourself and your family

I’m Jo and I have three boys, Ollie 12, Sam 9 and Matthew 6. I am married to Nick, who I met at University and after lots of years living in South London we decided to make the move to Surrey 3 years ago.  In November 2018 with my good friend Lynsey, I launched an online children’s clothing company called Mini Motto Clothing.

What are your sons’ favourite books?

For years Matthew has loved You Choose by Pippa Goodhart and illustrated by Nick Sharratt.  The book is full of amazing illustrations with only a few words.  It is very interactive as it introduces the concept of choices to children.  It has been amazing to see the change in Matthew’s responses over time.  At the beginning he would just make a choice but over time, he began to explain the reasons for his choices and then started making stories around the choices.

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