September 2020

Month

Tue
15 ^th

Loretta’s Gift
by Pat Zietlow Miller & Alea Marley

When Loretta discovers that her Aunt Esme and Uncle Jax are expecting a baby her whole world changes. Her family explain to her that babies are a celebration of love, life and hope and soon the whole household buzzes with activity as they prepare for the new arrival. Nappies are purchased, a cradle is built, a nursery is prepared and little woolly hats are knitted. There is even a baby shower with a huge stack of gifts!

Loretta is a kind and thoughtful girl so naturally she wants to give the baby a gift too – but she just can’t think of anything appropriate. She doesn’t have enough pennies in her money box to buy anything and when she tries to make something she ends up just making a mess. What can she possibly give to someone as precious as a new baby?

Fri
11 ^th

Oi Aardvark!
by Kes Gray & Jim Field

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If you’ve been following us a while you’ll know we are huge fans of the Oi Frog & Friends series from genius duo Kes Gray and Jim Field. We have all the books in the series and Ivy literally jumped for joy when the latest was delivered to our door.

A quick recap in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years and haven’t encountered these joyful stories before… Frog, Cat and Dog are 3 friends with a penchant for rhyme and a slightly unhealthy preoccupation with seating arrangements. Cat started the trend in book 1 (Oi Frog!) when she insisted that frogs can only sit on logs then Frog took up the baton in book 2 (Oi Dog!) and has been a tiny bit obsessed ever since.

Thu
10 ^th

How To Drive A Roman Chariot
by Caryl Hart & Ed Eaves

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Albie is an ordinary boy who has some extraordinary adventures! The first Albie book was released 10 years ago and we have amassed quite a few of them of late. Ivy really enjoys the way he is whipped away to different time or location whilst doing normal everyday things.

In this latest installment, Albie’s mum takes him to see some horses in a field. Whilst they’re there it starts to rain so the little boy shelters in a nearby barn – but inside he discovers a girl wearing a dress from Roman times.

Albie soon finds himself roaring through the backstreets of Ancient Rome as he and his new friend Julia try to stop a runaway chariot from crashing into the crowds of people at the market. The girl successfuly grabs the reins and takes control of the horses but they accidentally turn in to an arch at the side of a very large building.

Wed
09 ^th

Owl Always Love You: A Bedtime Book of Love!
by Patricia Hegarty & Bryony Clarkson

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Books about sleep are always great for calming over-excited kids before bedtime and this particular one is ridiculously cute and very soothing.

“Time for bed, my little one, another day is through. As we snuggle up together, you know owl always love you.”

Written in gentle rhyme, this chunky board book takes us on a tour of the forest as all the baby animals settle down to sleep. We see little owls, bunnies, dormice, hedgehogs, squirrels and songbirds be coaxed in to bed by their grown ups and snuggle down for the night.

With glossy pages, raised sections and clever cut outs, this is a warm and cozy story for curious toddlers to explore. The pages are brimming with love plus the gorgeous illustrations give you the opportunity to talk about different kinds of animal homes and habitats.

Tue
08 ^th

Jasper & Scruff
by Nicola Colton

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It’s time for another chapter book review and this one had Ivy and I in fits of giggles!

Jasper likes to think of himself as cut above your average cat. He lives in a fancy apartment surrounded by books and fine art and his taste in bow ties is impeccable. Jasper has everything he needs except the ‘right’ kind of friends. He dreams of joining an elite group of felines called ‘The Sophisticats’ because members are invited to all the best parties and dine at the nicest restaurants in town.

He carefully crafts a letter inviting a select group of The Sophisticats to his home for dinner and is over the moon when they accept – but things don’t quite go to plan…

Mon
07 ^th

An Engineer Like Me
by Dr Shini Somara & Nadja Sarell

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Zara is an incredibly curious little girl. She loves learning about how things work and her super smart Gran is always on hand to answer her questions.

When they go for a walk to the shops Zara sees lots of interesting things which spark some in-depth conversations. How do lifts work? How can cranes lift such heavy things? How do roller coasters stay on the track when they go upside down? How do escalators run? What is wi-fi for? Her gran patiently answers each question with lots of detail to satisfy the little girls curiosity.

Gran also tells Zara about some famous engineers who have helped shape the world we live in, including Leonardo Da Vinci and Rahman Khan. Zara is particularly interested in the story of Alicia Boler-Davis whose childhood was very similar to hers. She loved problem-solving and fixing things as a little girl and went on to work as an Engineer at the General Motors car company.

Mon
07 ^th

Wise Before Five
by Libby Walden & Ekaterina Trukhan

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Today is the big day! Ivy had her very first day at school. She went through the gate full of smiles ready for her big adventure so I have all my fingers and toes crossed that the transition is a smooth one.

One of the books we’ve been reading over the weekend to prepare her is this gorgeous hardback called ‘Wise Before Five’ which I spotted over on Instagram and simply had to buy. It has helped reassure her that she actually knows lots of things and is more than ready for school.

Featuring a diverse cast of children (including a child in a wheelchair and a child with a hearing aid), this essential guide to being almost five covers a wide range of topics whilst quietly celebrating the joy of being unique.

Fri
04 ^th

A Story About Afiya
by James Berry & Anna Cunha

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Afiya is a little girl with a very special white dress. As she explores the world around her, little snapshots of her environment and her experiences imprint themselves on the fabric like memories.

When she walks through a field of roses, her dress looks like a beautiful bunch of flowers. When she goes to the zoo, her dress takes the form of leaping tigers. And when she visits the sea, the dress looks like a pool of sparkling fishes.

Every night the dress is washed so that each day starts with a fresh ‘canvas’ but Afiya holds on to each precious moment.

Written by the late James Berry OBE, an award-winning Jamaican poet, and illustrated by outstanding Brazillian artist Anna Cunha, this whimsical story is absolutely breathtaking. Afiya is such a joyful character and I love the fact that we can see her collecting childhood memories with the help of her favourite piece of clothing.

Thu
03 ^rd

Along Came A Fox
by Georgiana Deutsch & Call Johnson-Isaacs

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It’s the perfect night for finding fireflies so Bramble the fox heads out on a little adventure to find some – but where are they hiding?

She joins forces with her friends, Hazel the hedgehog and Twig the owl, who suggest that she look near the lake. Bramble bounds off in to the darkness because foxes never get scared, but when she peers in to the deep pool she lets out an almighty ‘EEEEEK!’ and falls on her bottom. There is another fox in the water staring straight back out at her! Bramble is embarrassed. How dare this nasty fox catch her unawares and make her fall over! Soon she finds herself yelling at the water, telling the fox that he is very rude indeed – but the audacious creature keeps on echoing her replies.

Thu
03 ^rd

Elephant Me
by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

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‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’ is one of our all-time favourite books so we were extremely excited to get our hands on this new one from the same team. I am happy to report that it didn’t disappoint and we’ve been reading it on repeat for days!

It’s the day of the Elephant Games which means that all the baby elephants have to perform for the King. In line with tradition, if they manage to impress him with their special skill then he will award them with their Elephant Name.

Nina goes first and she chooses to display her strength by ripping a tree from the ground with her trunk. King Elephant Mighty is amazed and he names her Elephant Strong. Norcus bellows so loudly that he gains the name Elephant Noisy! As each elephant steps forward in to the limelight, the King spots that one little elephant is cowering at the back of the line. Poor Num-Num hasn’t found his special skill yet and when he tries to perform some tricks everyone laughs at him – even the King!

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