Animals Archives - Page 17 of 25

Billy And The Beast By Nadia Shireen

This one was only published a few weeks ago but I have read it so many times since it arrived that it feels like we’ve had it forever.

Billy and Fatcat are taking a walk through the woods when they stumble across a nasty beast who has hatched an evil plan. He has captured a fox, a hedgehog, 2 mice and 3 super cute bunnies and he plans to boil them up in to soup.

Quick-thinking Billy soon has the Beast in a tizz but, armed with only the items she has stashed in her amazing afro, can she save the animals from the soup before it is too late?

We love this book. It has all the right ingredients for a great children’s story – a feisty female protagonist, a feline sidekick, a scary monster and a whole host of adorable woodland animals!

Tue
12 ^th

Mopoke By Philip Bunting

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Until we bought this book I had no idea what a Mopoke was, but a quick google search informed me it’s a type of owl which is native to Australia!

The little Mopoke in the story just wants to sit on his branch and relax – but the author has other ideas. Each page features a different play on the word Mopoke, with a funny visual to match. Our favourites are the Mo’poke who sports a natty moustache and the ‘Fropoke who has an amazing afro.

The illustrations are fantastic and make both myself and Ivy laugh. If you watch the poor little Mopoke’s eyes you can see him slowly getting more and more frustrated until he finally loses his cool.

It’s such a simple book but we seem to find a new and amusing detail every time we read it. Recommended!

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2l5xaiQ

Sun
10 ^th

You’re Safe With Me By Chitra Soundar & Poonam Mistry

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When night falls in the Indian forest it is time for the baby animals to go to sleep. However on this particular evening a storm is brewing and the noises make the little ones afraid. Suddenly the forest is full of unfamiliar noises and their imaginations run wild. The trees are swooshing, the wind is howling, lightening is flashing and thunder rolls in the sky.

Fortunately Mama Elephant is there to calm their fears. Each time they are woken by a noise she gives a lovely description of what is happening and why. For example the wind huffs and puffs because it is tired from all the hard work it has been doing gathering seeds from faraway lands and bringing them to the forest. She finishes each little story with a soft whisper of “You’re safe with me”.

Sat
02 ^nd

What The Ladybird Heard By Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks

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‘What The Ladybird Heard’ is one of our favourite books by Julia Donaldson and we’ve been reading it since Ivy was just a few months old.

The story is about a tiny ladybird who lives on a farm. All of the animals around her are very noisy but she just quietly goes about her business, not saying a word. Then one night everything changes. She overhears a conversation between two burglars (the wonderfully named Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len) and discovers their evil plot to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow.

She goes to the other animals and for once she speaks up, telling them about her fantastic plan to thwart the burglary. The animals listen carefully and they all agree to play their part, which involves impersonating each other in order to confuse the thieves.

Thu
31 ^st

Parrots Don’t Live In The City By Lucy Reynolds & Jenna Herman

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This fab book was recently recommended to us by one of our Instagram followers and it has quickly become one of our favourites because it is easy for Ivy to relate to. We live in South East London where there is a very large population of wild green parrots (rose-ringed parakeets, to be precise!) and they often come and sit in the trees in our garden. We have lots of fun trying to spot them amongst the leaves and this book now lets us extend the game inside!

The story is about a brother and sister who are playing with their kite in a city park. Jack spots what he thinks is a parrot flying in to one of the trees but Emily doesn’t believe him. She tells him that he couldn’t possibly have seen one because parrots live in the jungle and not in the city! After an unsuccessful search Jack admits he must have been wrong and goes back to playing with his kite. Suddenly his kite hits a tree and a whole host of green birds come bursting out. Could Jack have been right all along?

Wed
23 ^rd

My Colourful Chameleon By Leonie Roberts & Mike Byrne

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This colourful book by Leonie Roberts and Mike Byrne is about a little girl with a pet chameleon. She loves her pet but he causes lots of trouble because he’s constantly changing colour and getting lost!

The little girl tries to explain that chameleons are supposed to change colour but her mummy just doesn’t understand and threatens to take him away. After the chameleon gets lost at school and gets her in to trouble with her teachers, her mummy decides enough is enough and takes him to the vets.

Will the little girl have to say goodbye to her lovely pet or will the vet be able to help?

The tight rhyme scheme, cute story and fantastic illustrations make this a great book for toddlers – particularly if they are already a fan of lizards!

Tue
22 ^nd

Space Tortoise
by Ross Montgomery & David Litchfield

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This lovely story is about a little tortoise who lives all on his own in a bin in a disused old park. He has a nice cosy home but his life is missing one thing – friends! He has searched all over the park but has never seen another animal so he feels very lonely.

One evening, as he sits holding a tiny candle and gazing out at the world, he spots lots of little lights in the sky. He wonders if it is possible there are lots of other animals up there also holding candles, and if so, how can he get to them?

The next day he finds a book about rockets so he fashions himself a space suit and sets off in the direction of what looks like a rocket in the distance. He braves a great desert (a sandpit) and sails across a wide ocean (a paddling pool) but when he gets there the rocket isn’t quite what it first seemed.

Fri
11 ^th

Never Ask A Dinosaur To Dinner By Gareth Edwards & Guy Parker-Rees

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This funny book by Gareth Edwards and Guy Parker-Rees always makes Ivy laugh. It follows a little boy as he goes through elements of his day – but he has chosen some rather crazy animal friends to help him with each task!

He eats his dinner with a dinosaur who gobbles everything up before he gets a chance to eat a single bite. He uses a tiger as a towel when he gets out of the bath – and unsurprisingly the tiger is a little cross! He even tries to use a giant bison as a blanket which proves a little uncomfortable.

Follow him as he discovers why dinosaurs, sharks, beavers, tigers, bison and owls don’t always make the best companions.

The rhyme scheme is really bouncy which makes it a lot of fun to read and it’s also a good book for discussion. A barn owl might not be the best thing to cuddle up to at night because of his sharp claws and nocturnal habits – so what might make a better bed fellow?

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2G8vahE

Thu
10 ^th

Under The Same Sky By Britta Teckentrup

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This beautiful book from Britta Teckentrup takes us on a journey around the world and shows us animals in many different habitats all united by one common thread.

Whether you’re a deer in the mountain or a bunny in a field you still play the same games under the same sky. Whether you’re a dolphin in the ocean or a bird in flight you still sing the same songs under the same sky.

The poignant illustrations and the cleverly arranged cut-out sections draw your child in and encourage them to peek through to the next page, whilst the thoughtful text teaches an important lesson. We are all different but we all share the same hopes and dreams for ourselves and our loved ones. If we unite and celebrate our similarities and differences then the world will be a better place for all of us.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2KObDXo

Tue
08 ^th

The Princess And The Pony By Kate Beaton

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This book has caused a lot of laughs in our house since we first bought it, mainly because it features a farting pony and what toddler wouldn’t find that funny?!

Princess Pinecone lives in a kingdom full of fierce warriors and she wants to be one to, but she has one big problem. She is tiny and adorable, which makes being a warrior a little tough!

For her birthday she requests a big, strong horse to ride in the next great battle, but her parents don’t get it quite right. They buy her a cute, round pony with flatulence issues who eats everything in sight. Dismayed, Princess Pinecone tries to train him up but the poor little pony is hopeless.

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