June 2020

Month

Sun
07 ^th

My Daddy Rules The World by Hope Anita Smith

This beautiful book of poetry is a celebration of dads everywhere.

From dancing and wrestling to bedtime stories and learning to ride a bike, each of the 16 poems highlight the joy of the little meaningful moments we share with our dads as children.

He’s tickly like an octopus and wise like an owl. He snores when he sleeps but he makes breakfast like a pro. He makes you feel brave and he teaches you new skills. He knows the names of all your friends and he knows just what to do when you have a problem. Your daddy rules the world.

The poems are touching and poignant. Some make you laugh out loud whilst others encourage you to pause for thought. All of them are wonderful but there are two which stand out for me. The first is ‘Love Letter’ where we see a child writing to a father who is far away. The second is ‘Some Dads’ which has a beautiful line about stay at home fathers.

Sat
06 ^th

The Fabulous Lost & Found and the Little French Mouse by Mark Pallis & Peter Baynton

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Mr and Mrs Frog run a charming little Lost & Found shop in the middle of a large city. Their tiny premises is overflowing with lost items which they hope to reunite with their owners. One day a mouse enters and asks them for help – but he can only speak French.

He is desperately looking for his ‘chapeau’, but as Mr & Mrs Frog can only speak English they are confused. . They muddle around the shop, pulling out objects at random and waving them questioningly at the mouse. Each time the mouse shakes his head. He’s not looking for ‘un parapluie’, ‘un manteau’, ‘des lunettes de soleil’ or ‘un pantalon’. He definitely hasn’t lost any ‘fromage’ or ‘un ordinateur’ or ‘une banane’.

All the mouse wants is his ‘chapeau’ – but how can he explain that to Mr & Mrs Frog?

Fri
05 ^th

The Perfect Shelter
by Clare Helen Welsh & Åsa Gilland

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

The sun is shining, the picnic has been laid out and a family of four are enjoying the perfect afternoon in the woods near their home. When Mum and Dad reach for their books, the two sisters decide to build a den. They gather sticks and leaves and they sing joyfully as they work. But as the younger girl adds the final touches, she realises there is something wrong with her sister. She looks pale and she doesn’t have the energy to finish their game.

The little girl learns that her sister is sick and soon visits to the woods are replaced with hospital visits and waiting. The perfect shelter which they had built just a short while ago falls in to disrepair as the seasons change.

When the snow comes her sister seems a little brighter, even though she must stay in her bed and wear a scarf on her head. Together they cuddle and whisper, making secret plans in the way only sisters can. They might not be able to build the perfect shelter outdoors right now, but if they work together they might just be able to create something even better…

Wed
03 ^rd

Interview: Esther Marshall,
Author of ‘Sophie Says I Can, I Will’

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Hi Esther! Thank you so much for chatting to me about your new book ‘Sophie Says I Can, I Will’. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

Thank you so much giving me this platform to talk about my book, Sophie Says I Can, I Will. I am also a first-time mum to little Asher who is now 20 months old. I am the founder of a charity called sTandTall which aims to help anyone who has been through abuse and bullying get back on their feet and sTandTall again. I am a keen advocate for equal rights and equal opportunities and have a passion for Diversity and Inclusion which is what I do for my day job.

Wed
03 ^rd

Sophie Says I Can, I Will
by Esther Marshall & Buzz Burry

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

We recently interviewed the author about the inspiration behind this book. You can read what she had to say by clicking here.

When little Sophie starts pondering her future she is too excited to sleep. She lies under the covers, eyes wide open, thinking about all the things she might achieve in life. Excited, she leaps out of bed – she simply has to tell her parents right now!

With her mum and dad listening, Sophie lays out her plans. Perhaps she could be a pilot and fly through the clouds, or an engineer who designs planes. Or how about a lawyer, a doctor, a teacher, a CEO, or a coder? Maybe she could do something sporty and win medals for her country. Sophie truly believes that she can be whatever she wants to be. There are so many options – how will she choose?

Mon
01 ^st

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Seahorses are special because, unlike most animals, it is the male of the species which gets pregnant. When it’s time to mate he puffs out his tummy and the female lays her eggs in a little pouch where they are then fertilised. He carries the eggs until the baby seahorses are ready to be born.

This beautiful board book follows Mister Seahorse from conception to birth as he meets a whole host of other sea creatures who are preparing for the arrival of their own little ones. As we follow his journey we discover that he is not unique and that many other male fish go to great lengths to keep their young safe.

Mr. Stickleback builds a nest for Mrs. Sticklebacks eggs and then hovers over it, protecting them. Mr. Tilapia carefully carries eggs in his mouth so they are safe from predators. Mrs. Kurtus lays her eggs on Mr. Kurtus’ head and he carries them there until they are ready to hatch. Mr Pipe has a line of eggs running right along his belly and Mr. Bullhead is the primary carer of his brood once they are welcomed in to the world.

Mon
01 ^st

Ivy’s Guest Book: Michelle Wiseman,
Founder, Little Wise Toys

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

My name is Michelle. I am based in South East London and live with my nine year old daughter who goes by her very own business name of Little Wise Junior (she is my Artistic Director too!). I am also the creator and owner of Little Wise Toys where I have designed and developed a range of screen-free educational and home learning toys for young children aged 3-6 (with a new product for 6-12 year olds focused on emotional development in the pipeline).

As Michelle’s daughter is in a slightly older age bracket than the usual focus of this blog series, they’re both going to cast their minds back to some of the early books they used to enjoy together in the pre-school years. Little Wise Junior is going to kick things off…

← Newer Posts