Ivy's Library - Page 26 of 79 - Bite-Sized Book Reviews for Kids

Tue
05 ^th

Nothing Is Scary With Harry by Katie McElligott & Jennifer A. Bell

Does your child have a favourite blanket or soft toy which they can’t live without? If so they’ll definitely identify with the little girl in this beautiful story.

Katie has a yellow blanket called Harry. When she’s cuddling Harry the world seems less scary so she takes him everywhere with her. He accompanies her on trips to the doctor, snuggles her during loud thunderstorms and nestles in her bag during difficult school tests. She’s ready to take on the world with Harry at her side because he comforts her and makes her feel safe and strong.

However not everybody understands Katie’s relationship with Harry. An old lady at the supermarket tells her that blankets are for babies, a boy at school points at her and laughs, and eventually even Katie’s mum thinks that perhaps it’s time for Harry to be packed away.

But brave Katie stands her ground and eloquently explains why she thinks Harry should be able to stay. In fact, Harry stays with her for many years, until one day she passes him on to someone very special indeed…

Mon
04 ^th

Ivy’s Guest Book: Nicky Woodward, Operations Manager, Enso Martial Arts

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

Hi Shelley! My name’s Nicky and I am a mum of two toddlers, Milo (3) & Summer (1). I run a children’s martial arts company with my husband, Lee in the North West of England. Lee has studied martial arts since he was young and I have followed with his passion since we got together 22 years ago! We originally met at university in Preston where we both studied graphic design, which is our other passion.

What are your children’s favourite books?

Summer has just started to enjoy books, but at the moment she only understands the pictures and shouts out the words. She loves ‘Ten Wriggly Wiggly Caterpillars’ by Debbie Tarbett. It has raised caterpillars throughout that she likes to count and a fantastic pop-up butterfly page at the end. Milo understands a bit more now and we are starting to help him recognise the letters and words in books. His current favourite is ‘Dave’s Breakfast Blast Off!’ by Sue Hendra. The toilet humour makes him laugh every time!

Fri
01 ^st

My Dad Used to Be so Cool
by Keith Negley

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As children it can be hard for us to believe that our parents ever had lives before we came along. Even as an adult I can’t quite picture the younger versions of my mum and dad in full colour – he on a scooter with hair to his waist and she in a Mary Quant dress, twirling the night away at the local ‘Palais de Danse’. That’s why this book, about a dad who used to be a rock star, is so much fun!

The little boy in the story has heard that his dad used to be cool, but he’s really not so sure. As he watches him fold the washing, vacuum the study and tie his shoe laces he wonders what on earth happened. His dad was in a rock band and now he’s just dad. He thinks something massive must have occurred to bring about this change but he can’t work out what!

Fri
01 ^st

Waiting for Wolf
by Sandra Dieckmann

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This stunning picture book helps children understand their grief after a bereavement and teaches them that, although sometimes difficult, life will go on.

Fox and Wolf are the best of friends and do everything together. They laugh, they talk, they swim and explore. Life is beautiful when they are in each others company. But then one evening, as the sun sets and the stars come out, the old Wolf wraps a paw around Fox’s shoulder and tells him that tomorrow he will be starlight.

The next day Fox heads to Wolf’s den to play, excited to see if he is shiny like a star, but Wolf isn’t there. Fox searches all day but cannot find his friend so he heads up in to the mountains and pulls the stars down from the sky. He wraps them around himself like a blanket, but still Wolf does not come.

Thu
30 ^th

Soul Pretty by Linda Giacomino & Paula Romani

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This pretty little book teaches children about values and what it means to be beautiful on the inside.

The delicate illustrations show a young girl as she makes a journey on her bicycle. As she navigates the hills, valleys and tiny cobbled streets of her life we learn how to stay positive, how to treat others well and how to shine in a world which sometimes seems to be working against you.

Each page takes a different value and breaks it down so a child can understand what it means and the benefits it can bring. It covers integrity, harmony, honesty, optimism, attitude, self-respect, sincerity, wisdom, charisma, grace, gratitude, self-acceptance, confidence, loyalty, love and patience – all values which I am sure we’d like to instil in our children as they grow up!

Tue
28 ^th

I Can Do It! A Book of 5 Fastenings by Patricia Hegarty & Hilli Kushnir

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If you’re looking for a book which will both keep your pre-schooler entertained and teach them some new skills then I can highly recommend this one!

Each double page spread introduces a different kind of fastening which they have probably encountered in everyday life. The simple instructions show your child exactly what they need to do to open and close them, and then there’s an actual fastening which they can try for themselves.

There are 5 sections, which allow them to button a shirt, zip up a hoodie, do the velcro on a coat, push a popper on a backpack and tie up a shoelace. It starts easy but gets progressively harder as you move through the pages.

Tue
28 ^th

It’s A No-Money Day by Kate Milner

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This sensitively written book explores the topic of poverty in a way which is easy for small children to understand.

The mum in this story works very hard but despite this, like so many people, she struggles to pay her bills. Life is a constant juggle, and on this particular day there is no money and no food in the cupboard so she and her daughter need to visit a foodbank.

The little girl is upbeat throughout and she sees the positives in every situation. She tells us about all the fun things you can do on a no-money day, like reading a library book, practising your singing or trying on the clothes at your local charity shop. She enjoys the visits to the foodbank because she gets some squash and a biscuit, and she likes to talk to the volunteers about the cat she hopes to have one day.

Mon
27 ^th

Ivy’s Guest Book: Georgina Durrant, Founder, The SEN Resources Blog

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

I’m Georgina, I’m a mum of two little ones under 6 and a former teacher/Special Educational Needs Coordinator. I now run The SEN Resources Blog which is a site for parents and teachers of children with Special Educational Needs. My website provides advice, recommended resources, learning activities and (most recently) home learning videos for those who are now home schooling due to the school closures.

What are your children’s favourite books?

My eldest’s favourite book is Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs. He mostly loves non-fiction books so we were delighted when one of his friends bought him this book and it became such a hit. It felt like when we were reading these books together that we’d suddenly made the jump from toddler books into more grown-up childrens books. He loves that they are a bit scary…and obviously that they include dinosaurs!

Mon
27 ^th

Competition Time: Win a 12 Month Subscription to Wonderbooks

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You may remember that a few weeks ago we reviewed Wonderbooks, a fantastic new children’s book subscription service from Save the Children UK. We’re excited to tell you that we’ve teamed up with them on a very exciting competition!

We’re offering you the chance to win a 12 month subscription to their fantastic service, worth £108.00.

The winner will receive 1x Wonderbooks parcel per month for 12 months. Each parcel contains a new book inspired by the real-life stories of amazing children Save the Children has worked with around the world, plus a Grown-Up’s Guide, packed with activities and additional resources to help you start interesting conversations about the topics explored in the stories.

Thu
23 ^rd

Our Favourite Picture Books About Friendship

Posted by Shelley Edwards - 2 Comments

There are lots of lovely books available which celebrate friendship and help children learn how to form healthy relationships with their peers. Here we have compiled a selection of our favourites.

Big Hid by Roisin Swales – A beautifully illustrated tale about 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. Can Little help him feel better? Read the review.

Bob Goes Pop! by Marion Deuchars – When a rival artist comes to town Bob is not impressed. Locked in competition, the pair try their best to outdo each other, but soon discover that life might be better if they work together instead. Review coming soon.

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