TV & Movie Characters Archives

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
by Peter Bently & Steve Antony

This gorgeous adaptation of Ian Fleming’s original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang story has made me super nostalgic. I loved the movie as a kid so it has been wonderful watching Ivy absorb the story then wing her way around the house pretending to fly, yelling ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ as she goes!

Fortunately there is no evil childcatcher here to give her nightmares as the movie strayed considerably from the original story.

Jeremy and Jemima Pott live in a rundown house with their mum and dad. They don’t have much money until one day their dad invents ‘Toot Sweets’ which become an overnight sensation. Now considerably richer, they set off to buy a car and are all drawn to a sad-looking racing vehicle which is rusting in the corner of the garage.

Wed
01 ^st

I Am Too Absolutely Small For School
by Lauren Child

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If your child is nervous about starting school then this reassuring story might be just the thing you’re looking for – especially if they are fans of the Charlie and Lola cartoon.

Little Lola is about to start school but she really, really, really doesn’t want to go. Although she is a big girl she’s definitely too small for such a big change, plus she has so many important things to do at home that she doesn’t think she’ll have time. Lucklily, big brother Charlie is on hand to try and change her mind.

If she can only count to to ten, what will she do if eleven elephants want her to give them each a biscuit? If she doesn’t learn her alphabet then how will she write a letter to Father Christmas? And if she doesn’t learn to read, then how will she be able to understand the secret messages written on the fridge?

Sat
07 ^th

Maisy Goes To London By Lucy Cousins

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Ivy has lived in London her whole life (and I have been here for almost 18 years) but we still love to take a tourist day and explore the city as if it’s all brand new. This Maisy book from Lucy Cousins is perfect for tiny tourists who are planning a trip to the city and it’s guaranteed to get them excited about all the sights they will see.

Maisy and her friends visit London for the day and they tour all of the major attractions including Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Nelson’s Column and Big Ben. The book provides small facts about each so that little ones know what to expect and it also addresses things which they may find difficult about the city at first – including the noise, the bright lights and the fact the underground can get pretty crowded.

Sun
01 ^st

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

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Ivy’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?

Wed
28 ^th

We’re All Wonders By R.J. Palacio

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Anyone who has read Wonder by R.J. Palacio or seen the recent movie adaptation will be familiar with the story of Auggie – a small boy with a facial disfigurement who enters a mainstream school. If you haven’t read it then it’s highly recommended!

This version of the book is suitable for little children and let’s them see what life is like when you don’t look like everyone else.

Auggie explains how he likes to do all the same things that other children do but because he looks different then people stare and sometimes they are mean to him. He shows you how this makes him feel and how he deals with it.

He knows he can’t change the way he looks but he wants to try and change the way people see because he thinks it will make the world a better place.

We love this one and it’s an excellent book to start a conversation with a pre-schooler about empathy and how we should treat those around us.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2COJJ8v

Sun
21 ^st

The Little Book of Duggee Hugs

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As 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

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TV & Movie Characters