April 2020

Month

Sun
05 ^th

I Can Only Draw Worms
by Will Mabbitt

It’s rare that I sit down to write a review and don’t really know what to say. This book has no clear story and the only illustrations are crudely drawn worms – yet somehow it’s completely brilliant and we just can’t stop reading it!

So what exactly is it about I hear you ask?

Well, it’s about worms.

And counting.

And counting worms.

Because the author can only draw worms.

And that is about all I can tell you! One of the worms has glasses and one of the worms gets accidentally cut in half. One of the worms even has a flying unicorn and travels to outer space – except the author can only draw worms so we have to imagine the rest…

Sat
04 ^th

I Ate Sunshine For Breakfast
by Michael Holland FLS & Philip Giordano

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Ivy and I have spent all afternoon in the garden so this feels like a very appropriate choice for today! This beautiful non-fiction book celebrates plants from around the world and it has taught us lots of fascinating facts.

Split in to four chunky chapters, this illustrated compendium looks at all aspects of plant life. In the early sections we learn everything a child could possibly need to know about what plants are, how they grow and why they matter. But it was the second half of the book which completely captured Ivy’s imagination, as here we discover how plants sustain our everyday lives. She was amazed to discover there were plants in her toothpaste, in her clothes and even in her medicine!

As an added bonus there are 12 DIY projects included. We’re planning to try them all over the coming months but I think we’ll start by making a plant maze and and a wild weed bottle garden. The invisible ink project looks fun too!

Fri
03 ^rd

When Grandma Gives You A Lemon Tree by Jamie L. B. Deenihan & Lorraine Rocha

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When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. But what do you do when your Grandma gives you a lemon tree for your birthday and you’d secretly been hoping for a drone or a remote control car? You definitely shouldn’t pull a face and you certainly shouldn’t drop it off a bridge!

The little girl in this story is quite confused about her unusual gift but she has good manners so she knows how she should react (and also how she shouldn’t!). She manages an excited face and she maintains her smile until Grandma falls asleep, but she really doesn’t have a clue what to do with her lemon tree.

However as the pages progress we see her build a special bond with her new present. She keeps it in the sun, waters it and makes sure the neighbourhood slugs maintain a safe distance. She keeps it warm in winter, repots it and slowly watches it grow. And when she gets her first batch of lemons, Grandma is the first person she wants to share them with.

Thu
02 ^nd

Avocado Asks: What Am I? by Momoko Abe

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Avocado lives on the fruit and vegetable aisle at the supermarket. Life is nice and simple until one day the nature of his whole existence is thrown in to question by a small child. She points at him and asks her mum whether an avocado is a fruit or a vegetable.

Suddenly Avocado is thrown in to confusion. He doesnt know the answer. How can he not know who he really is? Determined to dscover his true identity, Avocado turns to his friends for help.

First stop is the vegetables, who decide he can’t possibly be one of them because he’s not leafy or crunchy and he has a big stone in his middle like a fruit. So next he visits the fruit, but they say he’s not one of them either. He’s not sweet or juicy and he wouldn’t taste right in a fruit salad.

Wed
01 ^st

Picture Books Which Will Make Kids Laugh Out Loud

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Since the UK lockdown was announced I have had lots of messages from parents who are looking for new books to entertain their little ones. To lighten the mood, I have put together a selection of all our funny favourites. Let us know if there are any you would add to our list!

The Book With No Pictures by BJ Novak – Without giving too much away, the basic premise is that the person reading the book has to read every single word out loud, whether they want to or not. Read the review.

Daddy Fartypants by Emer Stamp & Matt Hunt – Daddy Fartypants has a problem. He farts ALL THE TIME! And what’s worse is that he never owns up. Every time he does a bottom burp he blames someone else, whether that’s a tiny baby, a snail or a bear on the telly. Read the review.

Wed
01 ^st

The Memory Tree
by Britta Teckentrup

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This beautiful book from Britta Teckentrup helps children process grief after a bereavement.

When Fox lays down in his favourite forest clearing and takes his last breath, the other animals are bereft. He was such a huge part of each of their lives and they are not sure how they will be able to move forward without him. As snow falls on Fox and covers his body, his friends gather in a circle and sit with him in silence.

After a long while, Owl speaks. He shares a story from his youth about chasing autumn leaves with Fox. Mouse goes next, remembering how much Fox liked to sit and watch the sunset. One by one each of the forest animals raises their voice to speak out about the treasured memories they have of their wonderful friend.

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