Category

Emotions & Feelings

Be Brave Little Penguin by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees

Posted by - No Comments

Be Brave Little PenguinThis sparkly book is very popular in our house at the moment.

The story is about Pip Pip, a tiny penguin who is scared of the sea. All of his penguin peers laugh at his fears and soon he becomes lonely and sad.He plays by himself on land so that he doesn’t have to go near the water.

One day, following some gentle encouragement from his mum, he tip toes to the edge and leans forward. Can he overcome his fears and jump?

An inspiring little story about courage, with lovely illustrations and some extra sparkle.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2n2Oczz

The Little Book of Duggee Hugs

Posted by - No Comments

The Little Book Of Duggee HugsAs it’s National Hugging Day we have been reading The Little Book Of Duggee Hugs.

I’m not usually a fan of tv/movie tie-ins as I find they’re often sloppily written but this is a really cute little book that feels like a natural extension of the Hey Duggee brand.

If you’ve been living under a rock (or you’re not from the UK) then it’s possible that you won’t have heard of Duggee. He’s essentially a scout master with a small band of animal charges (The Squirrels) and in every episode he teaches them a valuable life lesson so that they can earn a badge. Each episode ends with the Squirrels giving him a hug before their parents come to take them home.

It’s Ivy’s favourite show and I’m also a big fan as it’s educational, teaches some great lessons on friendship and it’s both funny and smart.

The book is about the Duggee Hug and outlines all the scenarios when a hug might make you feel better. It’s like a tiny self help book for toddlers!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2rrCOli

Norton And Alpha By Kristyna Litten

Posted by - No Comments

Norton And AlphaNorton is a little robot who collects things from the industrial landscape in which he lives. He picks up cogs, wheels and springs and takes them home to use in his inventions.

He makes all sorts of useful gadgets and even manages to build himself a companion – a little robot dog he calls Alpha.

But then one day they find a flower growing all by itself and they are completed baffled. What does it do and why is it there? Norton and Alpha make it their mission to find out.

This is a beautifully illustrated book with a lovely message about finding joy in small things.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2mkFVpf

The Bear Who Stared By Duncan Beedie

Posted by - No Comments

The Bear Who StaredThis gorgeous book by Duncan Beedie is about a big old bear who can’t help but stare.

The animals who live near his cave all dislike him because they think he is really rude. However what they don’t realise is that poor Bear is just a little shy and socially awkward. He wants to get to know his forest friends but he clams up and doesn’t know what to say – hence the stares. A chance encounter with a little frog gives him the confidence to try something new.

Is it possible that a simple smile could help him make friends?

The illustrations in this one are gorgeous (and as a fairly socially awkward grown up I absolutely love the story and message behind it).

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2Detljk

Perfectly Norman By Tom Percival

Posted by - No Comments

Perfectly NormanNorman is a normal little boy – but then one day he grows a pair of wings.

He tests them out and enjoys them enormously but as he’s never seen any other little boys with wings he is worried about what other people will think. He hides them under a big coat so that no one can see them – but constantly wearing the coat means he can’t enjoy all of the fun things he did before, like swimming and playing in the sunshine.

He grows to hate his wings but then realises that the wings aren’t the problem, the coat is. Having to pretend that he’s someone he’s not  is making him miserable. Is he brave enough to set his wings free and show his true self to his friends and family?

This is a fantastic book for any child who is worried about being a little bit different to their peers. It shows how having the courage to just be yourself can open up a whole new world .

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2m0Y4Iu

The Lion Who Wanted To Love By Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz

Posted by - No Comments

The Lion Who Wanted To LoveLeo is not like other lions. He doesn’t feel compelled to hunt other animals, he just wants to cuddle them and shower them with love. As he is a little unusual and isn’t bringing any food to the pride, he is forced to leave his family and go it alone.

Will his loving approach help or hinder him as the little lion tries to survive on the plains alone?

This is such a sweet book with a lovely message about the importance of kindness.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CuWHtn

Pom Pom Gets The Grumps By Sophy Henn

Posted by - No Comments

Pom Pom Gets The GrumpsPom Pom the Panda is having a bad day.He got out of bed on the wrong my side and now nothing is going right.

He can’t find his blanky, his cereal is all soggy, the sun is too shiny and the birds are too noisy. When he gets to school his friends try to cheer him up but he yells at them to go away. Will he be able to recover from the grumps and will his friends forgive him?

We love the cute illustrations in this one and the story teaches a good lesson about saying sorry.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CnlJdT

Penguin Problems By Jory John & Lane Smith

Posted by - No Comments

Penguin ProblemsThis little penguin has big problems.

He’s cold. It’s too early. It’s too bright. The sea is too salty. He looks silly when he waddles. He can’t fly. He looks the same as everyone else. No one cares about his problems.

Yup – this penguin is your toddler!

When his complaining gets too much, a wise old walrus steps in and tries to put his problems in to perspective and encourages him to marvel at the wonderful world around him.

Can the little penguin look outside of himself and see that things really aren’t that bad for him after all?

We love the illustrations in this one and Ivy adores the ‘pingwings’.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2kTt78P

Mog’s Christmas By Judith Kerr

Posted by - No Comments

Mog's ChristmasPreparations for Christmas are underway at Mog’s house and he is not a happy cat.

Everyone is busy, there are too many people in the house and to top it all off someone has brought a tree in to the living room. A tree!

He escapes to the roof but it begins to snow and he soon gets cold.

Will Mog’s family be able to coax him down and show him just how lovely Christmas can be?

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2BTJ49D

Not Quite Narwhal By Jessie Sima

Posted by - No Comments

Not Quite NarwhalNot Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima is a glorious little book about discovering your true self.

Kelp is born in the ocean and grows up believing he’s a Narwhal like his friends – but deep down he knows he’s a little bit different.

One day he gets swept away by a strong current and finds himself close to the shore. Up on a cliff he spots a majestic horned creature which looks just like him.

Is he brave enough to venture on to land and discover who he really is? And if he does, will he ever be able to return to his Narwhal friends?

This book carries such a great message about inclusion, diversity and being true to yourself.

Highly recommended – and the illustrations are some of the loveliest I’ve seen.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2BIhl8H