Being True To Yourself Archives - Page 2 of 10

Layla’s Happiness
by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie & Ashleigh Corrin

Everything about this beautiful book is joyful – from the sheer poetry of the text through to the bright and bold illustrations. I love stories which focus on specific emotions and this one is really special because it looks at happiness from the point of view of a child.

If you ask an adult what makes them happy then the answers are generally unsurprising – their family, their friends, travel, a good book, a hot drink on a cold day – but kids see the world differently and their answers reflect that.

Seven year old Layla loves life and as we follow her through the pages of this story she shares all of the things which make her happy. She loves the night sky, eating spaghetti with a fork and climbing trees. She loves to listen to her dad tell her stories about his childhood. She loves dancing in the garden, feeding the chickens and picking vegetables to sell at the farmer’s market.

Fri
16 ^th

Neither
by Airlie Anderson

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

If you’re looking for picture books which teach acceptance and encourage children to celebrate their differences then you NEED to have this story on your shelf. It’s such a simple story but it packs a very powerful punch.

In The Land of This and That there are two types of creatures – blue bunnies and yellow birds. Everyone is either one or the other, until the day an egg hatches and out pops Neither.

Neither isn’t a blue bunny or a yellow bird so everyone is a little confused. They see their green body, their bunny ears and their bird-like feet and they demand to know what they are. They cheerfully explains that they’re both but the creatures of the land declare this impossible. They can’t be both therefore they must be neither.

Tue
29 ^th

Songs For Our Sons
by Ruth Doyle & Ashling Lindsay

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

“So get ready for life, planet earth has been waiting, For the gift that is you and the hope you’re creating.”

Oh my goodness. Where do I start? Reading this book made my heart soar! Written in beautiful rhyme, it explores the joy a boy’s life can hold and encourages them to look to the future and the difference they can make to the world.

Will they be a showman, a sculptor, a nature explorer, a scientist? It doesn’t matter as long as they are always true to their own unique selves.

The message is loud and clear on every page – Embrace your emotions. Honour your heart. Never try to change yourself to suit others. Use words and ideas to solve life’s problems. Be kind. Don’t judge. Breathe.

Tue
08 ^th

Jasper & Scruff
by Nicola Colton

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

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…

Thu
03 ^rd

Elephant Me
by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

‘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!

Wed
19 ^th

Paris Cat by Dianne Hofmeyr & Piet Grobler

Posted by Shelley Edwards - 1 Comment

Cat lives with her large, noisy family in a smelly alleyway behind a fishmonger’s shop in Paris. Surrounded by fish bones and squabbling cousins, she finds herself dreaming of a bigger life. She wants to see more of this fabulous city and find out what it has to offer.

One night she slinks in to a crowded cafe where she sees Edith Piaf singing to a sophisticated crowd. Filled with confidence, Cat joins in but is quickly ejected for caterwauling. She finds herself outside in the rain so she climbs a fire escape and sneaks into a nice warm room to sleep.

When she awakens Cat realises she is in an atelier surrounded by busy seamstresses, taffeta, velvet and racks of beautiful dresses. She watches carefully and by the time the workers leave for the day she has formulated a plan. She gathers up scraps of fabric and using her new found knowledge she creates herself an outfit befitting of a high-society cat.

Tue
18 ^th

Super Milly and the Super School Day by Stephanie Clarkson & Gwen Millward

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Milly is very excited about going to school because it’s Superhero Day. She has fashioned a costume out of tin foil and a tea towel but she’s a little bit sad that she doesn’t have any REAL super powers. Or does she?

In the classroom Super Milly spots that William is sad because his dad forgot it was a dress up day. She hands him her superhero badge and tells him he can be Wonder William. She cheers up Fantastic Flora with some jokes. She settles a dispute between Amazing Archie and Spider Sid and she comes to Incredible Iqbal’s aid when his pet spider escapes during Show and Tell.

Tue
18 ^th

Frog Boots by Jill Esbaum & Joshua Heinsz

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

Dylan is utterly fascinated by poison dart frogs so when he spots a pair of boots featuring his favourite amphibians he jumps for joy. He thinks they’ll be absolutely perfect for his first day at school – but his mum isn’t sure because the boots are purple and sparkly. She tries to steer him towards a different pair but Dylan won’t be swayed.

He wears the boots home feeling taller and cooler than ever before and that night he discovers that the frogs even glow in the dark. He is so excited to wear them to school and show his new friends!

Unfortunately things don’t quite go as planned. The children in his class call them ‘girl boots’ and laugh in his face. Poor Dylan feels embarrassed and retreats in to himself. The boots get kicked to the back of his wardrobe and he spends the rest of the week at school avoiding eye contact and playing alone.

Tue
28 ^th

Slow Down Monkey!
by Jess French & Eefje Kuijl

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

It’s Monkey’s birthday and she’s planning a lavish party which she desperately wants to be perfect. She has asked her friends to look after the music, the cake and the decorations so she zips and zooms around the forest in a panic checking on their progress.

Unfortunately nothing is quite right, which sends Monkey in to a tizz. The birds are trying (and failing) to learn the drum beats she wanted, Bear has accidentally baked mud in to the cake and Tapir has got herself tangled up in the decorations. Monkey is in such a flap that she doesn’t stop to help. She just continues to swing around the forest, getting more stressed by the second.

Fri
24 ^th

I Will Be Fierce
by Bea Birdsong & Nidhi Chanani

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

I love picture books where the words and illustrations work in opposition and ‘I Will Be Fierce!’ is the best example I have seen.

The pictures show a young girl moving through an ordinary day at school but the words are those of a fierce knight going in to battle, determined to make the world a better place. The result is a powerful narrative which teaches children that they can be the hero of their own story.

At the start of the day we see the protagonist don her armour (a stripy jumper), fill her treasure chest (a rucksack of books) and head out in to the world. On her way to school she fearlessly faces monsters (dogs), giants (older children) and a dragon (the school bus). The day continues in this wonderful manner as we encounter more mythical beasts (like the Guardian of Wisdom – the school librarian) and battle against doubt and injustice.

Older Posts →

← Newer Posts

Category

Being True To Yourself