Ivy's Library - Page 37 of 79 - Bite-Sized Book Reviews for Kids

Sun
11 ^th

Morris The Stealing Magpie by Nicola Parkhouse & Joseph Hopkins

Morris is a magpie with a penchant for all things shiny. Whenever he spots something made of silver, brass or gold he can’t resist picking it up and taking it to his nest. The problem is that all these beautiful items belong to other people!

He steals jewels from the Queen’s crown, wind chimes from a garden, a bell from a cow and even a musical instrument from a small child. It doesn’t matter to him that he made the little girl cry, he believes that all the shiny things should belong to him and therefore he should be allowed to just take what he pleases.

However, when Morris steals a silver alarm clock he gets a lot more than he bargained for. Sleep is extremely important to him, so he’s horrified when this shiny new object starts to ring loudly at 4.30 in the morning. Then 5.30. Then 6.30. Then 7.30….

Fri
09 ^th

Star In Your Own Story: (Add Your Name) Drives a Digger by Danielle McLean & Kathryn Selbert

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When I was a kid it really bugged me that I could never, ever find anything with my name on. For years I secretly coveted a tacky china mug or a fake leather key chain with ‘Shelley’ proudly emblazoned on it, but unfortunately it was never meant to be. The idea of an actual book featuring my name would have totally blown my mind, so I was delighted to discover this new series from Little Tiger. Each title comes with a set of alphabet stickers which allow you to personalise the story and become the star of your own story!

There are a number of books in this new series but this one is Ivy’s favourite. It places you front and centre at a busy building site where you are in charge of a shiny yellow digger. You need to gouge out the earth and dig a deep hole, but your progress is hampered when you hit a mysterious object with a loud clang! Can you recover it and find out exactly what it is?

Thu
08 ^th

Llamaste & Friends by Pat-A-Cake & Annabel Tempest

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A few weeks ago, Ivy and I were having a chilled morning in our pyjamas with no specific plans for the day – but then this book arrived in the post and everything changed. Suddenly our living room was an exercise studio and Ivy was in stitches trying to hold a Tree pose whilst I read to her about a yoga-loving llama!

Llamaste is a kind and calm creature who loves to practise yoga and look after her friends. The story follows her as she pays each of them a visit and helps them feel better using different yoga poses. A scared flamingo tries the Warrior pose and soon feels like a superhero. A cross tiger calms down using the Downward Dog. Each friend has a different worry for Llamaste to ease and each page encourages your child to consider their own emotions by asking them if they have ever felt this way.

Sat
27 ^th

Eve’s New Brother
by Sheju Adiyatiparambil-John, Judy Skidmore & Anastasiya Epishina

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Eve is very close to her two mummies, so when baby Stanley joins the family she isn’t quite sure what to expect. She hopes that he’ll play with her and share her love of trains, but she knows that babies cry a lot and she’s not looking forward to the dirty nappies!

The path they tread will be a familiar one for many parents of more than one child. Eve is initially excited about the new baby but this quickly turns to resentment as Stanley gets lots of attention for things she doesn’t deem that interesting. He can’t talk, he can’t play and he messes with her train set all the time. Eve decides that there’s only one thing for it – Stanley will have to go back to wherever he came from so that she can have her mummies back!

Then one day, Eve throws a ball and everything changes. Stanley wobbles towards it on uncertain legs, picks it up and returns it. A game! As Stanley’s ability to interact with the world grows, Eve realises that maybe there’s room in this family (and her heart) for a little brother after all.

Sat
27 ^th

My Favourite People by Rob Keeley & Simon Goodway

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The little boy in this book has lots of lovely people in his life and he wants to tell you all about his favourites! From Auntie Meg (who cuts his hair and has four cats) through to his teacher Mr. Martin (who wears cool clothes), we hear all about the diverse characters which make up the boys world.

Each of the people mentioned have a different job and play a different role in the boys life. Ivy and I talk about the equivalents in our own lives and then Ivy likes to list out all of her own favourite people (which naturally changes at least once a day!)

The story also encourages you to think about why you like people. What do they bring to your life that is special? Why are they your favourites? What would it be like to have all of your favourite people in one room?

Thu
25 ^th

Together We Can by Caryl Hart & Ali Pye

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Since Ivy started nursery in January we have had lots of conversations about friendship, and this gorgeous book from Caryl Hart and Ali Pye has helped pull all of those strands together.

The gentle rhyme explains what friends are and what you can do for each other to make your days a little brighter. From helping each other in the classroom through to scratching an itch they can’t reach, we see a diverse group of children revel in the company of their friends.

Sometimes friends are very similar to you and sometimes they’re different. Sometimes they live close by and sometimes they live far away. Whatever the nature of your friendships, we see that they enrich our lives in many different ways.

Mon
22 ^nd

Ivy’s Guest Book: Jess, Social Media Manager & Blogger at abouttheseboys.co.uk

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

Hi, I’m Jess and I live in Tonbridge, Kent with my lovely husband and our four sons Gabriel (8), Flynn (7), Theo (5) and Jude (2). I work as a social media manager and when the boys aren’t keeping me busy I blog about family life with my boys at abouttheseboys.co.uk.

What are your sons’ favourite books?

Books are a huge part of our lives and we have them everywhere! Gabriel and Flynn have grown out of picture books so I’m spending as much time as possible reading them to Theo and Jude, as I know how quickly this special time will go.

Sat
20 ^th

Can I Kick It?/Girls Just Want To Have Fun/ABC/Perfect Day/Race For The Prize by Pop Reads Publishing

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Every now and again a book pops through our letterbox which completely takes us by surprise. It doesn’t happen often, but when Pop Reads Publishing sent us a little parcel of their titles it completely changed our whole morning. When the post arrived we were quietly having breakfast in our PJs but within 10 minutes of opening this set of books we were having a mini disco in the kitchen and introducing Ivy to a host of new songs. Why? Because Pop Reads have created beautifully illustrated lyric books for kids!

The parcel contained 5 titles but Ivy’s immediate favourite was ‘Can I Kick It?’, a 1989 song from American Hip Hop collective A Tribe Called Quest. I part read/part sang the words to her and she loved the trippy, graffiti-style illustrations which ran alongside.

Wed
17 ^th

You’re My Little Cuddle Bug by Nicola Edwards & Natalie Marshall

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This adorable board book is perfect for a snuggly read before bed. The chunky pages are designed for very small children but Ivy is three and a half and still loves it!

The gentle rhyme celebrates the special bond between parent and child, as we see ladybirds, bumblebees, caterpillars and butterflies cuddle up with their nearest and dearest. I love the choice of language used to describe how the baby bugs make the parent feel. We have even adopted the phrase ‘You tickly pickle’ because Ivy thought it was hilarious!

The pages feature cutouts and raised sections to keep little hands busy and the durable format should foil even the most determined book chewers!

Tue
16 ^th

Whiffy Wilson: The Wolf Who Wouldn’t Go To School by Caryl Hart & Leonie Lord

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Whiffy Wilson is a little wolf who refuses to go to school. He doesn’t want to sit in a boring old classroom and learn his ABCs. He’d much rather stay at home and watch TV because that’s much more fun! This may sound a little naughty but Whiffy isn’t really a bad little wolf. Deep down he’s scared of going to school because he doesn’t know what to expect and he’s worried about getting things wrong.

This all changes when he pops next door one day and asks his friend to come and play. She’s in the middle of getting ready for school and insists that Whiffy comes along too. She drags him in to class and shows him the ropes – and soon Whiffy finds himself having fun. He paints pictures, makes biscuits, plays football and even gets a gold star from the teacher for making a flying car.

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