Being True To Yourself Archives - Page 7 of 10

The Dot
by Peter H. Reynolds

We love this book by Peter H. Reynolds and i’m not ashamed to say it made me cry the first time we read it!

Vashti is a little girl who thinks she can’t draw. Whilst all of her friends paint and create in art class, she just sits and stares at the plain white paper, defeated. Her teacher challenges her to draw a dot in the middle of the page and then asks her to sign it. She jabs a dot with her pen, signs her name and then skulks out of the classroom.

The next week when she walks in to the art room she sees her dot (and signature!) on the wall, displayed in a lovely shiny frame. Inspired, she sets out to draw a better dot and then a better dot and then an even better dot than that. Soon she’s so good at drawing imaginative, colourful dots that the schools puts them on display at an art show.

Thu
12 ^th

Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

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I have been reading this wonderful book to Ivy since she was just a few months old and this is our second copy as the first was so well-thumbed that it had started to fall apart! It’s written by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees.

Gerald is a giraffe whose skills include standing still and eating leaves from tall trees. They don’t include running and they most definitely don’t include dancing, which is a shame as every year all of the animals get together for the Jungle Dance and everyone has to take part.

On the night of the big Dance, Gerald watches the warthogs, rhinos, lions, chimps and baboons take to the floor to roaring applause, but when his turn comes the reaction is very different. As soon as everyone sees him they start to laugh and call him names because they know he is so clumsy. Devastated, Gerald takes off in to the jungle where he meets a wise old Cricket who teaches him that everyone can dance – they just have to find their own song.

Tue
10 ^th

My Little Book Of Big Freedoms By Amnesty International & Chris Riddell

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This beautiful little book from Amnesty International and Chris Riddell seems very appropriate right now given all of the things which are going on around the world.

‘My Little Book of Big Freedoms’ is a simplified version of the Human Rights Act with fantastic illustrations which will help your child understand each point. Showing 16 different ‘freedoms’ including family, love, hope, mercy and knowledge, it highlights why our human rights are so important and why we all need to work together to protect them.

The format takes a heavy topic and makes it really accessible for children. For parents it offers a great introduction to human rights and I would imagine it’s also a very useful tool for primary school teachers. It’s definitely one that should feature in school libraries.

Thu
28 ^th

When I Grow Up By Tim Minchin & Steve Antony

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The first time I read this book aloud I found myself practically singing the words because of the way they flow and bounce along. I later discovered this is because they are the lyrics to an actual song from Tim Minchin’s musical version of Matilda (which I haven’t seen yet but it’s definitely on my list).

The words take you on a journey through adulthood as imagined by a child. When there are so many rules imposed on you by grown-ups it’s easy to believe that when you become one yourself you can just do whatever you want with no consequences. The children here look forward to a future where they know the answer to every question, eat sweets and treats every day, stay up all night and watch cartoons until their eyes go square!

Fri
22 ^nd

Ish
by Peter H. Reynolds

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Ramon loves to draw, and does so whenever he gets the opportunity. However one day his older brother takes a look at one of his pictures and laughs at him. Ramon had been trying to draw a vase of flowers but his brother can’t tell what it is so he scrumples up the paper and throws it away. He tries many more times but can’t seem to get it right so, with his brother’s laughter still ringing in his ears, he decides to give up drawing forever.

His little sister Marisol wants to see what he has been drawing but, presuming that she just wants to laugh to, Ramon gets defensive and shouts at her. She runs away with a drawing in her hand and when he chases her he is surprised to see that she has his vase drawings all over her bedroom walls. She loves the images and this makes him see them in a different light. It is a vase-ISH, and this is what Marisol likes.

Wed
20 ^th

Beautiful By Stacy McAnulty & Joanne Lew Vriethoff

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I spotted someone talking about this book over on Instagram a few weeks ago and liked the look of it so much that I just had a to buy a copy. Thank you to The HSP Bookshelf for bringing it to our attention!

Little girls are constantly told that they are beautiful and of course this is true, but this comes with a lot of pressure for girls to conform to society’s idea of beauty. This empowering book takes the concept of beauty and turns it on its head.

The words give a very old-fashioned view of what it means to be beautiful – you should be well dressed, good with make up, well behaved, smiling and sweet smelling. However the wonderful illustrations tell a different story and give you a thoroughly modern and healthy take on beauty.

Sat
09 ^th

Tyrannosaurus Drip By Julia Donaldson & David Roberts

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Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson & David Roberts is one of our favourite dinosaur books. It tells the story of a gentle little duckbill dinosaur who accidentally ends up hatching in a Tyrannosaurus nest. He tries his hardest to fit in with the family he believes to be his but he is just too different. His sisters are big and strong with sharp teeth and a love of hunting whereas poor little Drip is gentle and kind and just wants to eat some veg.

When his family start to pick on him for being different he decides to run away and he finds himself swimming with some Duckbill Dinosaurs in the river, unaware that they are his real family. Drip finally feels like he belongs and plays happily with his new friends. When he spots his reflection he is shocked to discover that he was never a Tyrannosaurus at all!

But then a storm comes and knocks over a tree, giving the nasty T-Rex family direct access to the Duckbill’s home. Quick-thinking Drip comes up with a plan but will it be enough to save his new family?

Sun
03 ^rd

Prince & Knight By Daniel Haack & Stevie Lewis

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I think representation is SO important in children’s books so when I spotted this LGBT-friendly book I knew we had to add it to our library.

Prince & Knight is a beautiful fairy tale set in a magical world of castles and dragons which has a wonderfully diverse twist. The prince of the realm has come of age so his parents set about trying to help him find a bride. He meets many, many ladies but none of them catch his eye. He’s looking for something different but he just doesn’t know what that is.

Whilst they are on their travels, the kingdom is attacked by a mighty dragon and it seems like all may be lost. The brave Prince rides off on his horse and soon come face to face with the fire-breathing monster – but it seems that he will not have to fight this battle alone. A magnificent Knight appears and they work together to bring the evil dragon down.

Fri
25 ^th

Hug Me
by Simona Ciraolo

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Poor Little Felipe. All he wants is a little hug but his family are far too prickly and aloof. They are very concerned with appearances and don’t seem to notice that he needs some affection. It’s a tough life being a little cactus with a big heart!

He tries to make friends with a balloon and at first this looks promising but when Felipe tries to get close the relationship ends with a POP. Ashamed, he decides to leave home and start life anew.

He settles in to life as a solitary cactus but then one day he hears someone sobbing. Can he make them feel better with a hug and if so is it possible they could be friends?

Thu
03 ^rd

A Rule Is To Break By John Seven & Jana Christy

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We love this little guide to anarchy which encourages your child to test their boundaries and not to follow the status quo.

It shows how it’s healthy to question authority and to ask why when someone asks you to do something. It suggests getting muddy and messy to build things and grow things and to figure out how things work. It tells you that you should always think for yourself.

The core message is that a little anarchy is a good thing. It doesn’t encourage your child to be naughty – although it does suggest they make a lot of noise and try staying awake all night to see how it feels! – it just highlights that life is better when you try new things, embrace change, listen to others thoughts and walk your own path.

The cheeky illustrations are perfect for the subject matter and always make Ivy giggle – there’s a bare bottom on one of the pages which cracks her up every time!

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2JQxn3D

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