Month

November 2019

The Blanket Bears by Samuel Langley-Swain & Ashlee Spink

When a child is going through a difficult transition or is about to experience something new, the first thing we do is look for a book which can help guide them through it. That’s easy enough if you want to talk about starting school or moving house, but there are some topics which just aren’t covered in mainstream books – like adoption.

Written by an adoptive Dad, ‘The Blanket Bears’ follows two little cubs as they go through every step of the adoption process.

When we first meet the bears they are cold, alone and losing their fur. They are found by Tilly, a social worker bear, and taken to a foster home to be looked after until a Forever Home can be found for them. Their foster carers look after them very well and make them adorable little onesies out of blankets to keep them warm until their fur grows back. Eventually a Forever Family is found for the bears and they slowly make the transition to their new home.

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Around the World in 24 Hours: An Advent Calendar Story

It feels a little early to be mentioning Christmas, but this book is designed to be used as an advent calendar from the beginning of December so you’ll want to get your hands on one pretty soon!

This gorgeous, personalised gift book follows Santa’s journey as he travels around the world delivering presents. Written in rhyme, it’s designed to be read one page per day in the run up to Christmas and features lots of interesting facts about the festive traditions in different countries.

Did you know that in Tahiti the children leave out mangoes and peanut cookies for Santa and his reindeer? or that in Latvia children traditionally have to recite a poem to receive a present? Nope – me either and it’s fascinating stuff!

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Ivy’s Guest Book: Julie Comfort, Publisher & Editor, Rabbel

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

I’m Julie Comfort. Originally from the US, I have lived all over the world including San Francisco, Indonesia, Austin, Costa Rica, Mexico, New York, and now Berlin, where I am putting down roots with my Danish partner and our two wonderful daughters, Tully (12) & Nova (1.5). I work as a freelance experience designer and brand strategist and am also the publisher and editor of Rabbel, the creative print magazine for fierce-hearted girls.

Since we are a multi-cultural family, we have a pile of books in three languages: English, Danish, and German. I try to read the Danish picture books with my daughter as it helps me improve my Danish as well.

What are your children’s favourite books?

My older daughter loved Wildwood by Colin Meloy. We read it together when she was about 5 or 6, and then she reread it herself last year. My younger daughter hasn’t gravitated toward a favourite yet.

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Mum’s Jumper
by Jayde Perkin

This sensitively-written story traces a young girl’s journey as she works through her grief after losing her mum.

A smiling visit to hospital is followed by a phone call in the early hours. A little girl learns that her mother has passed away. Struggling to understand, she moves through the next few weeks in a blur of tears and flowers. At the funeral she overhears snippets of grown up conversations about cancer and she also hears people talking about her. She feels lost and afraid and her grief follows her round like a dark cloud. She worries that nothing will ever be the same and she feels angry all the time.

But then one day, as she and her father are looking through her Mum’s things, she finds her Mum’s favourite jumper. She wraps it around herself and inhales its special smell. She wears it every day.

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