Category

Friendship

Snow Fight: A Warcraft Tale By Chris Metzen & Wei Wang

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Snow FightIvy’s daddy has been playing World of Warcraft (an MMORPG or massive multiplayer role-playing game) since it launched back in 2004 so when he spotted this book he immediately bought it for our library.

The story takes three popular characters from the game – Varian, Thrall and Arthas – but shows us them as children on a normal winters day. It cleverly takes the essence of their in-game personalities and perfectly translates them in to little playground versions.

Friends Varian and Thrall are contemplating a snowball fight when neighbourhood bully Arthas turns up to spoil their game. He throws a large and painful snowball which prompts Varian to retaliate. Unimpressed, Thrall shows them that the game is a lot more fun if they can all just play nicely together. But can Varian and Arthas put their differences behind them?

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The Race That Stops The Outback By Doug Bray & Hammans Chan

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The Race That Stops The OutbackThis lovely book was a Christmas present from an old friend and made its way to us here in the UK all the way from Australia!

Rusty is a small kangaroo who loves to race and his ultimate goal is to take part in the biggest competition of all – The Race That Stops The Outback. However when he tells the other kangaroos his plan they all laugh and tell him he”s not tough enough to do it because he’s too small.

Determined to prove them wrong, he turns to his friends for help and they suggest that he try something a little different. All of the kangaroos will be hopping but if he could learn to run then maybe he could move twice as fast! It’ll be tough but Rusty is up for the challenge.

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Triangle By Mac Barnett & Jon Klassen

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TriangleWe knew that we had to buy this book when we spotted that Jon Klassen was the illustrator as he is one of our all-time favourites. This collaboration with Mac Barnett has weird and wonderful illustrations and a very funny little story.

Triangle is a mischievous little guy and one day he leaves his little triangular house and heads out to play a trick on his friend Square. When he arrives he hides outside Square’s house and hisses like a snake. Square is scared of snakes so he panics but then spots his friend Triangle who cannot stop giggling at the trick he has played.

Square chases Triangle all the way home, but once they’re there sneaky Square manages to have the last laugh (or does he?).

We love this quirky little book and it looks great on our shelf too!

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2I7vtL2

Juniper Jupiter By Lizzy Stewart

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Juniper JupiterJuniper Jupiter is a superhero. She’s kind, brave, smart, sneaky and speedy – she can even fly! She doesn’t think it’s a big deal though – it’s just who she is. She’s just an ordinary little superhero who lives with her family and her dog, Peanut.

Being a superhero can be fun but it can also be lonely so she decides to advertise for a sidekick so she will have someone to share her adventures with. She sets up some auditions but no one is quite right for the role.

Then just as she’s about to give up she spots the perfect candidate. Is it possible that her sidekick has been by her side all along?

We love this beautifully illustrated story about every day superheroes and the power of friendship.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2pE3OL7

Mini Myths: Good Job, Athena! By Joan Holub & Leslie Patricelli

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Good Job, Athena!We recently discovered the Mini Myths series and we’re busy collecting the whole set! Each book takes a well-known tale from Greek mythology and distils it in to a simple modern day story which is relevant relevant to toddlers.

This particular book takes the myth of Arachne and Athena (about hubris and boastfulness) and turns it in to a story which would be very familiar to most pre-schoolers.

In this re-telling Athena is very good at tying bows. Arachne is not as skilled at bow-tying but would very much like lovely bows on her shoes. Athena is a good friend and she ties some nice bows for her. Arachne boasts to the whole class that her bows are the best but she fails to credit poor Athena for having tied them. What will happen when another child in the class asks Arachne to pass on her skill? Will she be able to admit that Athena actually did all the hard work?

We love the simple but spellbinding illustrations (by Leslie Patricelli) and the easy to digest parable. Other myths in the series include Pandora, Hercules, Medusa, Midas, Icarus, Aphrodite and Odysseus.

Buy it now:  http://amzn.to/2FUotRg

Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Moon By Callie Chapman & Bronwyne Chapman

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Callie ChapmanWe’re really excited about reviewing this book as it’s a little bit special. Not only does it feature one of our favourite things – unicorns – but the author is only 7 years old!

When she was just 6, Callie Chapman won a contest with her story about a magical unicorn called Glitter and her best friend Ellie. This was published as a book (Glitter The Unicorn) and since then Callie has added two more to the series (Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Beach and Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Moon). We have all three and Ivy loves them!

Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Moon is the newest title (and our favourite) so we’re reviewing that one here.

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The Way Back Home By Oliver Jeffers

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The Way Back HomeThe Way Back Home is one of our favourite books by Oliver Jeffers. It’s a beautifully illustrated story but it’s also so much more. It covers off lots of important themes – like friendship, courage and helping other people – but still delivers an exciting story filled with space travel, aliens and even landing on the moon!

One day a little boy finds an aeroplane at the back of his cupboard so he decides to try it out. He flies so high that he ends up in space but then suddenly he runs out of petrol. He finds himself alone and scared on the moon. How on earth will he get home?

Unbeknown to him, a little martian is also having engine trouble and soon there are two of them on the moon. The boy and the martian are two very different creatures but they both have the same problem. Can they work together so that they can each get back home?

Highly recommended (and if you’re a fan of Lost and Found then there’s a little treat as the tiny penguin features in the illustrations too!)

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2HDXWIq

The Squirrels Who Squabbled By Rachel Bright & Jim Field

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The Squirrels Who SquabbledWe are big fans of Rachel Bright and Jim Field so we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new collaboration and we’re happy to say that it’s fab!

Cyril and Bruce are Squirrels who both have their eye on the last pine cone of the season – but for very different reasons. Cyril has partied his way through the year and hasn’t collected any food for the winter. Bruce, on the other hand, has amassed large stocks of food but is worried it won’t be enough.

An epic squabble ensues which puts both of their lives in danger. Can these two squirrels put their differences and work together to survive?

This is a gorgeous tale about friendship and sharing, with a big splash of adventure thrown in for good measure.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2otV4Xt

Sloth Slept On By Frann Preston-Gannon

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Sloth Slept OnToday we visited the zoo with Ivy for the first time and she loved seeing all of the animals. In the gift shop I let her pick a book for her collection and she chose this lovely one about a sloth.

Three little children are playing in their garden when they discover a strange animal sleeping in the tree. What on earth is it and where did it come from?

They try asking grown ups but they’re too busy. They look in their books but they can’t find any animals that look like him. They use their imaginations and wonder if he came from space or if he’s a hairy pirate or a brave knight.

Will they ever find out what he is and where he comes from? And if they do, how will they get him home?

The illustrations are gorgeous and the book features lots of interesting facts about sloths for your little ones to learn!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2EQdJ9h

Big Hid By Roisin Swales

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Big Hid‘Big Hid’ is a beautifully illustrated tale of the friendship between Big (a tortoise) and Little (a squirrel). Together they have many adventures but one day Big just doesn’t feel like doing anything anymore. He pulls in his head and his arms and his legs and he disappears in to his shell.

Little tries everything he can think of to make Big come out but nothing works. He misses his friend a lot so decides to just sit on top of him and give him a big cuddle. Could this be what Big needs to bring him back out of his shell?

This is a really simple but poignant tale about friendship.

Everyone gets sad and needs a little time alone sometimes – and when you think you might be ready to face the world again a big hug from your best friend can make all the difference.

This is currently Ivy’s favourite book. Every time I ask her to pick a book she yells ‘TORTOISE’ and grabs this off the shelf.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2oczINg