Category

Family

Goodnight World
by Nicola Edwards & Hannah Tolson

What’s your bedtime ritual with your child? Our routine is generally bathtime, pyjamas, milk, teeth, books and then bed although this sometimes gets shaken up a little if we’re away or one of us is ill. You may do something similar but equally your evenings may look very different to ours. ‘Goodnight World’ by Nicola Edwards and Hannah Tolson follows a group of children from around the world as they come to the end of their day.

The gentle rhyme guides us through the different things a child may do before going to sleep. We see a baby being rocked, a boy having a  bath and a group of children jostling around a sink brushing their teeth. We see siblings tidying up toys and snuggling up for a story, a child saying goodnight to an absent loved one on the phone and even a group in a tent, settling down to watch the stars.

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My Friends And Me
by Stephanie Stansbie & Katy Halford

Ivy and I are big fans of this colourful picture book which celebrates different kinds of families and the bond between parent and child.

Jamie lives with his grandparents and he thinks they are the coolest grown-ups he knows. He has lots of friends and he loves the fact that each of them has a different family set up, because it makes playing with them so interesting.

Kate has two dads who take her for brunch. Harry has one mum who is ace at baking cakes and pretending to be a pirate. Olivia has two mums and three siblings. Lily’s parents are separated so she has two houses and even two bedrooms!

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Children of the World
by Tessa Strickland, Kate DePalma & David Dean

We have so much love for this gorgeous book which takes you on a visual journey around the world.

Every child is unique but sometimes it can be difficult for kids to grasp just how different their own experience of growing up can be  compared to others. These beautifully illustrated pages feature children from all walks of life and offer a fascinating insight in to childhood experiences around the world.

It looks at different homes, families, bodies, clothes, skin colours, hats, leisure activities, working lives (including working children), food, methods of bathing, languages, names, religions and more. I can genuinely see the wonder on Ivy’s face as she picks through the information and asks questions about all the little details in the pictures.

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Find Out About: Families
by Pat-A-Cake & Louise Forshaw

Families come in all shapes and sizes and this little board book from Pat-A-Cake is a great way to introduce this concept to small children.

Each double page spread looks at a different aspect of family life and then introduces you to a child and their individual set up. There is then a question which encourages kids to think about their own family and how it may differ from others.

The book explores family size, different types of homes and environments, leisure activities, special holidays, job roles, celebrations, and family trees. It is very inclusive, with different races and religions represented along with single parents, step-parents, same-sex parents, foster parents and families with grandparents as primary carers. We see children in wheelchairs and children wearing glasses. It also features a parent who is unable to work due to illness, which is not something I have seen in a children’s book before.

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Freedom, We Sing
by Amyra León & Molly Mendoza

This powerful picture book encourages children to think about the concept of freedom and whether they are truly free.

A mother and her child dance through the pages as they discuss the world around them. Sometimes this world feels small as we wrap ourselves in the love of those dearest to us and othertimes it seems vast and unknowable.

In lyrical rhyme the child speaks to us of the lessons they have learned from their mother – that there are millions of children and parents under this same sky with different lives and different skin colours. Some people’s lives are more difficult than others, like whose who must escape from war to protect their families, but they all have hearts which beat the same way.

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Our Favourite Picture Books About Dads

Sunday, June 21st 2020 is Father’s Day in the UK, so to celebrate we have put together a collection of our favourite books about Dads.

It’s a varied list which includes books which make great gifts, bedtime stories with strong father figures and even some beautiful poetry.

We have dads of many different races, bearded dads, gay dads, tattooed dads, animal dads, flatulent dads and if you look closely you’ll even spot a book with a pregnant dad  (spoiler: he’s a seahorse – but still!).

We’d love to hear about your favourites too. What would you add to this list?

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Your Baby’s First Word Will Be Dada
by Jimmy Fallon

Ivy is 4 now but I can clearly remember the days when we were eagerly anticipating her first word. Would it be Mama, Dada or something else entirely? If this sounds familar, then you’re probably going to like this hilarious book from American comedian Jimmy Fallon.

The story follows a range of farmyard fathers as they try to get their children to say ‘Dada’. Naturally it doesn’t quite go as planned! As the dads say ‘Dada’ over and over again, the babies all insist on responding with their respective animal sounds.

This is a book of few words – in fact, until you get to the end of the book there’s only one word per page!

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Stella Brings the Family
by Miriam B. Schiffer & Holly Clifton-Brown

Stella has two dads. This has never been an issue but when her teacher announces they’re going to be throwing a special Mother’s Day party she finds herself in a bit of a pickle. She doesn’t have a mum so who is she supposed to invite?

As the other children play, Stella finds herself worrying about the party. She can’t concentrate on anything and she doesn’t want to eat. She doesn’t know how to explain that she doesn’t have a mum to bring to the party.

Eventually her friends ask her what the matter is and she tries to explain. The children are surprised and they have lots of questions. If she doesn’t have a mum then who makes her packed lunch? Who reads her a bedtime story? Who gives her kisses when she hurts herself? Stella explains that her two dads do all of these things for her and more. Plus she has Nonna, Aunt Gloria, Uncle Bruno and Cousin Lucy. She has a whole host of people who love her – but she still doesn’t have a guest for the Mother’s day party.

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What’s Next? by Timothy Knapman & Jane McGuiness

Baby Badger is extremely curious about the world. He explores every detail and corner of his underground home and then asks his Dad “What’s Next?”. His Dad explains that there’s a whole forest up above them so together they head out in to the dark.

Baby Badger sniffs and snuffles, learning everything he can about this new environment. He discovers soft moss and bluebell bulbs and his dad takes him to a spot where he can look at the stars and the perfect full moon. But inevitably, impatience sets in and Baby Badger asks “What’s Next?”. There are more things to learn and more things to see and he wants to do it all right now.

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That’s My Daddy
by Ruth Redford & Dan Taylor

This diverse and inclusive picture book encourages children to think about all the things which makes their dad unique.

Is your dad grumpy in the mornings? Does he have big feet? What colour is his hair? Does he give you a bath? What fun things do you do together? How does he get to work? Every page poses a question and then the lovely illustrations give your child lots of options to choose from.

The book features a huge variety of different father figures. There are dads from different cultures and races, dads in wheelchairs, dads in glasses, gay dads, beardy dads and tattooed dads. There’s even a dad with a blue mohican!

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