Ivy's Library - Page 21 of 79 - Bite-Sized Book Reviews for Kids

Sat
04 ^th

Isadora Moon Goes To School
by Harriet Muncaster

Hopefully by now you will have read my announcement from earlier this week – I am going to start reviewing Early Chapter Books alongside Board Books and Picture Books as we have recently started reading them at bedtime!

I am starting with Isadora Moon as this was the first chapter book we tried and Ivy is OBSESSED. We read the first book – Isadora Moon Goes To School – over 3 days and she loved it so much that I ordered the rest of the series.

Isadora Moon is a very special little girl. Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire, which makes her a vampire fairy! She lives with her family and her very special friend Pink Rabbit.

In this first story, Isadora is ready to start school but she doesn’t know which one she should attend. There are schools for vampires and schools for fairies, but there aren’t any for vampire fairies!

Sat
04 ^th

Early Chapter Book Reviews Are Here!

Posted by Shelley Edwards - 1 Comment

The eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that I have recently made a change to my logo. It used to say ‘Bite-Sized Book Reviews for Babies and Toddlers’ but now it says ‘Bite-Sized Book Reviews for Kids’.

Why?

Well, I opened this account back in September 2017 and started my blog in February 2018. Back then Ivy was just 2 so board books and picture books were our sole focus. Now she’s 4.5 and our reading landscape has shifted a little. We still read just as many board books and picture books, but a few months ago we started devouring chapter books at bedtime.

Thu
02 ^nd

There’s Room For Everyone
by Anahita Teymorian

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This gorgeous book from Iranian author Anahita Teymorian is a timely reminder of the difference which kindness and compassion can make to the world.

The story is narrated by an old man as he looks back over his life and shares the lessons he has learned. First he speaks of his childhood and observes that although his mother’s womb was small, there was enough space for him to grow. The house in which he grew up was also small, but there was enough room for his family and his toys and the love they shared.

As he moves through his life he sees that the sky is large enough to hold the moon and the stars, the library has room for all of his favourite books and the sea is vast enough to hold the largest whales. Nature has provided enough space for the world to thrive.

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?

Tue
30 ^th

Tiny Jumps In
by Inshra Sakhawat Russell

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Tiny is a little girl who lives on the shores of a mysterious lake. She watches the water as it laps on the shore and feels a deep desire to explore it but she knows that first she must prepare. She starts to take swiming lessons and she immerses herselves in books and tv shows which will help her achieve her goal.

Finally the day comes when she feels she is ready to jump in. She packs up the things she will need and heads to her chosen spot. She tests the water with her toe and checks that it is deep enough for her to jump in to and then she carefully climbs a tree whose long branches lean out over the lake.

She has thought about this moment for so long – but suddenly Tiny is filled with doubt. What if she can’t do it? What if something scary lives beneath the surface? What if? What if?

Fri
26 ^th

First Day Critter Jitters
by Jory John & Liz Climo

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It’s the night before the first day of school and all of the animals are feeling a bit nervous.

Sloth is worried that he’s going to be late. Snake can’t get his backpack to stay on. Mouse is scared that he’s too little for big school. Kangaroo is feeling anxious about being away from his mum. Parrot is feeling skittish because he talks too much. Mole thinks his sight might let him down. Bear thinks he should probably just sleep instead and Rabbit has too much energy and is concerned she won’t be able to sit still.

Each of their worries is different but each one is valid – after all, they are about to start a whole new chapter in their lives.

Wed
24 ^th

Freedom, We Sing
by Amyra León & Molly Mendoza

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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.

Tue
23 ^rd

Hope the Rainbow Fairy by Rosie Greening & Lara Ede

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Inspired by the rainbow art which children have been displaying in their windows during the current situation, this story is all about connecting communities with kindness.

Hope is a Rainbow Fairy and it’s her job to spread colour and joy around Fairyland. She loves to wave her magic wand and make her fellow fairies smile with bright yellow sunshine and vivid green trees, but then everything changes when Fairy Flu hits and everyone has to stay indoors.

Hope starts to worry that, without her, the land will be colourless and everyone will be sad. In a bid to cheer people up, she tries sending rainbow lollies to her friends in the mail but they melt en route and when she sets up a colourful quiz online the ‘Wi-Fly’ cuts out. She even tries to magic the Fairy Flu away but her powers just aren’t strong enough.

Mon
22 ^nd

Ivy’s Guest Book: Rachel Notarbartolo,
Owner & Designer, Ivy White

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

Hi, I am Rachel! I am the owner of Ivy White, a luxury stationery and design studio. I am a graphic designer specialising on branding for small businesses and creating beautiful wedding stationery. I absolutely love my job! Having a home business is also great as it allows me to be with my little ones more.

I live in Windsor with my husband and our two children, Eva who is 4 and a half (the half is very important!) and Leo who is 2 and a half.

What are your children’s favourite books?

Eva loves so many books its hard to choose. She adores fairy tale stories, any princess falling in love with a prince and living happily ever after is right up Eva’s street. One book she does always go back to that isn’t a Disney tale is Room On The Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. It’s a funny, rhyming story of quick wits and friendship. It starts with the witch and her cat flying happily around on their broomstick until strong winds hit, leading them to make new friends along the way and a dragon!

Fri
19 ^th

Interview: Ruth Redford,
Author of ‘That’s My Daddy!’

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Hi Ruth! Thank you so much for chatting to me about your latest book ‘That’s My Daddy!’’

Could you give us a quick overview of what the book is about?

It’s all about daddies and is a celebration of them everywhere, in all shapes, sizes and forms. We wanted to encourage children to identify their daddies in a fun and interactive way. It covers everything from favourite foods, what they’re like in the morning, to jobs and hobbies and what they do around the house. Hopefully it’s silly and fun but also a really nice book to share and talk about what your daddy is like.

What inspired you to write this story?

I came up with the idea for That’s My Daddy when I was out running one day, one of the lines popped into my head and it developed from there, it was initially called The Daddy Catalogue! I did a first draft of the text and left it in my collection of unpublished stories for about six months. Then I happened to glance at it and thought there is something here so I sent it out on submission to a couple of publishers.

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