Tag

Animals

Never Ask A Dinosaur To Dinner By Gareth Edwards & Guy Parker-Rees

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Never Ask A Dinosaur To DinnerThis funny book by Gareth Edwards and Guy Parker-Rees always makes Ivy laugh. It follows a little boy as he goes through elements of his day – but he has chosen some rather crazy animal friends to help him with each task!

He eats his dinner with a dinosaur who gobbles everything up before he gets a chance to eat a single bite. He uses a tiger as a towel when he gets out of the bath – and unsurprisingly the tiger is a little cross! He even tries to use a giant bison as a blanket which proves a little uncomfortable.

Follow him as he discovers why dinosaurs, sharks, beavers, tigers, bison and owls don’t always make the best companions.

The rhyme scheme is really bouncy which makes it a lot of fun to read and it’s also a good book for discussion. A barn owl might not be the best thing to cuddle up to at night because of his sharp claws and nocturnal habits – so what might make a better bed fellow?

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2G8vahE

Under The Same Sky By Britta Teckentrup

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Under The Same SkyThis beautiful book from Britta Teckentrup takes us on a journey around the world and shows us animals in many different habitats all united by one common thread.

Whether you’re a deer in the mountain or a bunny in a field you still play the same games under the same sky. Whether you’re a dolphin in the ocean or a bird in flight you still sing the same songs under the same sky.

The poignant illustrations and the cleverly arranged cut-out sections draw your child in and encourage them to peek through to the next page, whilst the thoughtful text teaches an important lesson. We are all different but we all share the same hopes and dreams for ourselves and our loved ones. If we unite and celebrate our similarities and differences then the world will be a better place for all of us.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2KObDXo

The Steves By Morag Hood

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The StevesThis isn’t the book I was planning to review today. We only bought this one yesterday and I usually like to have a book in the house for a few weeks before I write about it so that I can get a proper feel for it. This story is a little bit different though. It’s captured Ivy’s imagination to such an extent that I felt the need to share it with you straight away!

At the start of the story you meet a puffin who introduces himself as Steve – but on the very next page we meet another puffin, who is also called Steve! The two puffins are not happy about this development. They each want to be Steve and they don’t want to share the title.

What follows is a madcap competition to prove which one is the most Steve – the very Stevest of Steves there can be. They compare birthdays, heights, speed and fishing abilities and when none of these provide the right outcome they start trading insults instead.

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Forever… By Emma Dodd

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Forever...This little book about a parent’s love for their child is super cute and may have made me well up a little the first time Ivy and I read it together!

The gentle rhyme reassures your child that you will always be there for them in their life no matter what they are going through. Whether they are happy or sad, smiling or scared you will always walk besides them and help them in any way that you can.

The illustrations are delightful and really evoke the spirit of the book. Our version has shiny silver patches for the snow which Ivy really likes.

It’s not explicit within the book (but then i’m no polar bear expert!) but the back cover says that this is a daddy polar bear which is a lovely touch as so many of these types of books feature a mother instead.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2Hzc5La

 

The Gruffalo By Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

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The GruffaloToday’s book needs no introduction as it’s a modern classic. I’m sure most of you already have this in your child’s library but a collection of children’s book reviews doesn’t seem complete without it!

An enterprising young mouse is taking a little walk through the wood when he encounters a number of creatures who are keen to make him their dinner. Thinking on his feet he explains to each of them that he can’t stop because he is off to meet a Gruffalo. What’s a Gruffalo? the fox, the owl and the snake each ask in turn.

As he describes this imaginary, terrifying creature the details become more and absurd. He has terrible teeth, a poisonous wart on his nose, orange eyes and purple prickles all over his back! Scared of the mouses terrifying friend, the animals decide to let him go on his merry way.

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Flora And The Chicks By Molly Idle

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Flora And The ChicksLittle Flora has found a nest of eggs and they’re starting to hatch. When the mother hen wanders off Flora tries to scoop up the little chicks and transfer them to a large bowl but their wriggling and flapping make it a challenging task. Can your little one help her count them in?

This wordless lift-the-flap book has gorgeous illustrations and the cheeky rabble of wandering chicks never fail to amuse Ivy as they refuse to stay put. Flora is a determined little girl though and, unflustered,  she tries her best to round all ten of them up.

How does she manage to do this so gracefully? Look closely at the illustrations and you’ll spot that she’s actually performing a number of dance moves as she gathers up the chicks – a lovely detail if your toddler happens to go to a dance class and can recognise the positions!

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Don’t Wake Up Tiger! By Britta Teckentrup

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Don't Wake Up Tiger!A small band of woodland animals are on their way to a party but they’re in a hurry because they’re running late. They’re almost there when they come across a big sleeping tiger who is blocking their path. They need to get across him without waking him up – but how? With a cunning plan of course!

Fortunately they have lots of balloons for the party so they agree to take it in turns to float across the tiger holding on to a balloon. Your child is encouraged to help by doing things like blowing on the balloon to make it go faster and stroking the tiger’s nose to keep him nice and sleepy.

Will their plan work and will they all make it to the party on time?

Britta Teckentrup‘s gorgeous illustrations are on point as always, and the simple story and gentle interactions make this a must for any toddler library. This is one of our favourites.

 

Buy from Bookshop.org and support independent bookshops: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/155/9780857638601

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With My Mummy By James Brown & Cally Johnson-Isaacs

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With My MummyThis is a really cute book which captures the essence of the mother-child relationship really well. It takes you through a regular day from the point of view of the child and shows all the ways in which mummy makes their day special – whether it’s carrying them home from the shops because their legs are tired, fixing a favourite toy or splashing in the bath.

Each page features a different animal family and the beautiful illustrations really draw you in and help create a lovely warm setting for the story. Our favourites are the foxes in the park and the grumpy little elephant waiting for his dinner.

Lots of the activities are ones which many mums may not look forward to doing with their child in tow, for example doing the supermarket shop, but the child’s narrative is a nice way of reminding us of something important. No matter how badly we may sometimes think we’re doing at this difficult job called parenting, our children always think we’re the best! 

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Iris And Isaac By Catherine Rayner

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Iris And IsaacIris and Isaac are beautiful polar bears and they are best friends. However their inability to share causes them to have  a little falling out. Iris makes a snow nest which is a bit too small for both of them to snuggle up in. They each try to squish their big bottoms in, trying to get a bigger space for themselves but they end up destroying the whole nest and walking away from each other in a huff.

However they soon discover that life can be pretty sad without someone to share it with. When Iris spots a flock of snowy white ducks in flight she wishes she could tell Isaac about it – and Isaac spots the northern lights he wishes Iris was there to share the moment with him.

Can these lovely bears learn to share so they can be friends again?

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The Ugly Five By Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

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The Ugly FiveAlmost everyone has heard of the Big Five – the largest and most dangerous animals in Africa – but what about the Ugly Five? Julia Donaldson shines the spotlight on this lesser known group in this heartwarming story.

The lappet-faced vulture, the spotted hyena, the wildebeest, the marabou stork and the warthog are not going to win any prizes for their beauty. With their gnarled faces, distinctive odours and questionable table manners, they repel the other animals they meet.

However as they wander the savannah they meet a group who think they are the kindest and most beautiful animals in the world – their babies! Their little ones gather together and highlight all the reasons they think their mummies and daddies are wonderful and it really is quite lovely I may have shed a little tear the first time I read it…

This is a fantastic story which reminds parents and children alike that even at your worst, you are somebody’s whole world and to them you will always be beautiful.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2qkagqd