Ivy's Library - Page 13 of 79 - Bite-Sized Book Reviews for Kids

Wed
07 ^th

Surgery on Sunday
by Kat Harrison & Shane Crampton

Sunday has a tiny tear in her eardrum which requires an operation under general anaesthetic. She’s never been in to hospital before so she doesn’t know what to expect and is naturally very nervous. Perfect for little ones who may be about to go through a similar experience, the story outlines the day of her surgery and also her recovery.

From the strange gown and super-tight socks through to the IV insertion and the operating room, we see all of the detail through the eyes of a child. Sunday is a plucky little character with a big imagination so, despite her obvious nerves, her bravery shines through and she tries to be as positive as she can. Soon her ear is better and she is playing with her friends once more.

The book closes with Sunday’s ‘unofficial rules of surgery’ which are both practical and funny, including a little warning that you might get a cold bum because the hospital gowns usually don’t have a back!

Wed
07 ^th

The Wolf’s Secret
by Myriam Dahman, Nicolas Digard & Júlia Sardà

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This contemporary fairy tale about an unlikely friendship is breathtakingly beautiful and wonderfully atmospheric. If your child is a fan of intrigue and suspense then I would highly recommend The Wolf’s Secret.

In a forest far away lives an enormous wolf with deep, dark fur and big, golden eyes. All of the other animals fear him, but the wolf harbours a secret. He is in love with a young woman who lives in a wooden cabin hidden deep within the trees. Every day he secretly listens to her sing as she collects water from the well and tends to her sick father.

But then one morning the young woman fails to appear so the Wolf edges closer to the cabin. He sees his love sobbing on her father’s empty bed and her sadness consumes him.

Tue
06 ^th

Yawn
by Patricia Hegarty & Teresa Bellon

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You know how sometimes yawning is contagious? Well, when a little boy does a massive yawn at the start of this story he kicks off a chain reaction beyond his wildest dreams.

Once his yawn is out there in the world, everyone else starts yawning too. The boy passes his yawn on to a dog, who passes it on to a cat, who passies it on to a tiny mouse… Soon the whole town is yawning and it spreads through the countryside too.

Next the yawn goes international, passing through the pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal and even the North Pole. Peope start yawning on buses and trains and on ships and planes. The yawn even spreads on to a rocket and heads in to space!

Tue
06 ^th

Out of This World
by Pat-a-Cake & Kat Uno

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It’s World Space Week so I thought I would share this gorgeous little board book which is perfect for babies and toddlers.

Featuring bold illustrations and lots of eye-catching shiny sections, it introduces small children to some very big ideas. The pages are folded like a concertina and they are designed to be stretched out to create a frieze. You can use it to keep a baby entertained during tummy time by standing it up in front of them, and toddlers will enjoy sitting in the middle of it and interacting with the pages.

On one side of he frieze we see all of the planets laid out in order. Each of them has a very expressive face (which can be used to talk about emotions) and a descriptive name which tells us something about that specific planet – Little Mercury, Red Mars, Cold Neptune etc. As someone who was born in the seventies I love that there is also a little nod to Pluto as I refuse to accept that he’s been downgraded!

Mon
05 ^th

Seasons
by Hannah Pang & Clover Robin

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“Wow! Wow Mummy, wow!” – and that’s pretty much all Ivy said the first time we flicked through this stunning book together! I have to admit she’s right. It’s an absolute joy to behold and is jam-packed with amazing facts about nature.

This non-fiction book takes you on a mesmerising journey around the world as we learn the effects the seasons have on different environments.

First up is the European Oak Tree which should be very familiar to your child if you live in the UK. The clever laser cut pages show us the tree at different stages throughout the year and the text introduce us to the variety of tiny creatures which call it their home.

Mon
05 ^th

Everybody’s Welcome
by Patricia Hegarty & Greg Abbott

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In the middle of the forest stands a tiny little Mouse, daydreaming of her very first home. Her thoughts are disturbed by a Frog who explains that his pond has dried up so he has no place to go. Mouse takes this to be a sign and she suggests that they build a house together.

As construction begins, more animals appear and each has a sad tale to tell. There are rabbits who have been chased from their home by an eagle, birds who have had their tree chopped down and a big brown bear who feels isolated because his size scares people.

Mouse comforts each displaced creature in turn and invites them to be a part of her project. Soon they are all working together to build the perfect home, where they can all reside safely together.

Sun
04 ^th

I’ll Believe You When…
by Susan Schubert & Raquel Bonita

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I love language so this fantastic book of idioms makes me very happy indeed!

“Do you see a dragon?” asks a child at the start of this story. “A dragon? What dragon? I’ll believe you when pigs fly!” says his friend.

‘When Pigs Fly’ is a wonderful expression which we use in English when we think something will never happen – but what do they say in other countries to express the same sentiment? This book takes us on a little journey around the world to find out.

I won’t spoil the idioms for you as they are great fun but the countries included are the Netherlands, Spain, Nigeria, Turkey, India, the Philippines, Poland, Germany, Russia and Latvia. From whistling lobsters and upside down crows through to ice-dancing cows and tree-climbing fish, this eclectic and slightly bonkers collection of phrases is guaranteed to have your child laughing out loud.

Sat
03 ^rd

Our Favourite Picture Books About Families

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I’ve had quite a few messages recently from parents and teachers looking for books about different types of families, so I have created a list of our favourites.

There are 24 books in total and they cover a really wide range of family groups and family members. There are books about mums, dads, grandparents, siblings and new babies. There are books with two parents, books with single parents and books with same sex parents. There are also books about adoption and foster care, IVF and surrogacy.

Hopefully every child will see themselves represented within the pages of these stories and they will learn a little about other families too.

Fri
02 ^nd

Billy And The Balloons
by Elizabeth Dale & Patrick Corrigan

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Is it too early to mention Christmas? I’m writing this wearing a big jumper and woolly socks whilst rain hammers at the window so I am declaring it almost winter. 2020 has been utterly rubbish and I think we are all in need of some cheering up, so welcome to my first festive review of the year!

It’s Christmas Eve and Billy is watching his dad sell balloons as the last of the shoppers grab gifts for their loved ones. He really wants to help but Billy is quite small and his dad thinks he is far too tiny to hold on to the big bunch of colourful shapes.

Suddenly a powerful gust of wind bounces the balloons up in to the air and out of his dad’s hand. Billy jumps and grabs hold of the strings but he is so small that he is lifted off his feet. His dad grabs on to his ankles but he is lifted up in the air too!

Fri
02 ^nd

Q & A: Elizabeth Dale,
Author of ‘Billy and the Balloons’

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Hi Elizabeth! Can you tell us about yourself in 25 words or less?

I adore writing for children – the best job in the world! I’ve had 84 books accepted/published and my three daughters are chlldren’s authors too.

Your latest book, Billy and The Balloons, is hitting the shelves. Can you tell us how it came to be?

I wanted to write a picture book that would reassure children about something that might bother them, and I think being little is one of those things! So I hoped to create a book that was fun to read about it being good to be small, and as Christmas is such a magical time, I thought it would be great to set it then, as there would be scope for wonderful pictures, too. However Patrick Corrigan’s quite beautiful illustrations have far exceeded what I had imagined . I also have to thank the animals that tried to help Billy who somehow wrote themselves into the story!

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