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Animals

Rhyming Stories: Pip The Dog & Freddy The Frog By Axel Scheffler

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Rhyming StoriesThis brightly coloured little board book is perfect for babies and toddlers alike as it features a really strong rhyme and an array of really cute animal characters.

There are two separate short stories in this one, each one about an animal who loves being noisy.

The first is about Pip the Dog, who loves to bark all the time. He’s at his happiest when playing chase and woof-woof in the park but also enjoys scaring the local cats and even the postman with his loud bark!

The second story is about Freddy the Frog, who loves to croak all day long and catch flies with his long tongue. He likes to play bounce in the pond with his friends but he’s also partial to a little nap on a lily pad.

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A Hole In The Bottom Of The Sea By Jessica Law & Jill McDonald

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A Hole In The Bottom Of The SeaThis lovely book is based on the traditional folk song of the same name. This beautifully illustrated print adaptation has a twisting, turning rhythm which gradually gathers pace and takes you on an adventure to the bottom of the sea.

Featuring a whole host of underwater creatures – including a shark, an eel, a crab, a snail and a squid – it explains the underwater food chain in a really simple way.

The weeds absorb the sun. The snails eat the weeds but are then in turn eaten by the crabs. The crabs are eaten by the squid, then the squid are eaten by the eels and ultimately the eels are eaten by the sharks. The illustrations are soft and gentle to avoid any potential anguish over the animals all eating each other!

The book comes with a bonus CD which features both an audio version of the song plus a video animation. And if (like us) you happen to lose the CD then the video can also be found on YouTube here.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2GDjEjH

The Earth Book By Todd Parr

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The Earth BookThis fantastic book by Todd Parr is all about the little things that we can do to make a big difference to the earth. The concepts are explained in a really simple way so that your child can see a tangible reason for being environmentally friendly.

Tell a child that they have to colour on both sides of the paper or that mummy has to take her own bags to the supermarket and they probably won’t understand why. This book connects those actions to preserving trees and shows you that without trees then owls won’t have anywhere to live.

We love Todd Parr’s bold illustrations and Ivy loves naming all of the colours as we move from page to page. A gorgeous introduction to the wonders of the earth and why we should preserve it. This book is a New York Times Bestseller and we can see why!

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2GxHb5h

The Butterfly Dance By Suzanne Barton

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The Butterfly DanceDotty and Stripe are caterpillars and they have been friends for as long as they can remember.  They love spending time together and having fun munching on leaves.

When they both transition in to butterflies they are excited to meet up and show off their new wigs. Dotty has beautiful blue wings with multicoloured dots and Stripe has striking red wings with lovely orange stripes.

They are very excited to fly off together in to their new lives but are shocked to discover that all of the grown up insects tend to stay with their own kind. The ladybirds stay with the ladybirds and the dragonflies stay with the dragonflies. The red butterflies all hang out by the thistles and the blue butterflies like to dance among the poppies.

What will this mean for Dotty and Stripe’s friendship? Will they have to say goodbye or can they still be best friends?

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Just Like Me! By Joshua Seigal & Amelie Faliere

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Just Like Me!This book is fantastic for alleviating boredom when you’re stuck indoors with a toddler and it’s lots of fun for parent and child alike.

The two main characters – a little girl and a fluffy green monster wearing a rather fetching hat – invite their animal friends (and you) to copy them in a game called ‘Just Like Me’.

Clear some space on the floor and get your toddler to repeat all of the actions which the characters make. From rubbing your tummy and licking your lips to jumping up and down picking your nose, each page invites you and your child to do something silly that will make you laugh.

I find that the more exaggerated I make the actions then the more Ivy laughs and she loves getting involved. It also references lots of parts of the body so it’s a great way of learning some new words whilst having fun.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2uI3yzB

 

Zoo Poo by Richard Morgan

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Zoo PooWe’re not quite ready to start toilet training yet but I’ve recently bought a selection of books which address the topic to ease Ivy in to the idea.

This is the first one that we’re reading together and it’s a fantastic (and frankly hilarious!) way of introducing poo in to conversation in a fun way.

Zoo Poo takes you on a little journey around the zoo and shows you how each animal poos. Kangaroos do it while they hop, birds poo from the sky and elephants do poos that are bigger than you!

The illustrations are really fun and we always giggle our way through the book as Ivy find the poo on the page and yells ‘poo poo’!

The book then shows how humans poo on the loo and even includes some useful tips for parents.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2pWcITs

The Race That Stops The Outback By Doug Bray & Hammans Chan

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The Race That Stops The OutbackThis lovely book was a Christmas present from an old friend and made its way to us here in the UK all the way from Australia!

Rusty is a small kangaroo who loves to race and his ultimate goal is to take part in the biggest competition of all – The Race That Stops The Outback. However when he tells the other kangaroos his plan they all laugh and tell him he”s not tough enough to do it because he’s too small.

Determined to prove them wrong, he turns to his friends for help and they suggest that he try something a little different. All of the kangaroos will be hopping but if he could learn to run then maybe he could move twice as fast! It’ll be tough but Rusty is up for the challenge.

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Augustus And His Smile By Catherine Rayner

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Augustus And His SmilePoor Augustus the tiger is sad. He’s lost his smile and he can’t find it anywhere!

Determined to find it, he sets off on a quest which takes him to the top of the tallest trees, the bottom of the deepest oceans and the peaks of the highest mountains. Will he find his smile at the end of his journey, or is it just possible that it has been with him all along?

Ivy loves tigers and the beautiful illustrations (by the author, Catherine Rayner) in this book mean she pulls it down from our shelf to be read again and again. The pictures are simple but you can really feel every emotion that the tiger feels.

The story is  a lovely exploration of the wonder of nature which ultimately shows that it’s the simple things in life which makes us happy.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2GgYWlm

Juniper Jupiter By Lizzy Stewart

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Juniper JupiterJuniper Jupiter is a superhero. She’s kind, brave, smart, sneaky and speedy – she can even fly! She doesn’t think it’s a big deal though – it’s just who she is. She’s just an ordinary little superhero who lives with her family and her dog, Peanut.

Being a superhero can be fun but it can also be lonely so she decides to advertise for a sidekick so she will have someone to share her adventures with. She sets up some auditions but no one is quite right for the role.

Then just as she’s about to give up she spots the perfect candidate. Is it possible that her sidekick has been by her side all along?

We love this beautifully illustrated story about every day superheroes and the power of friendship.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2pE3OL7

If I Had A Dinosaur By Alex Barrow & Gabby Dawnay

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If I Had A DinosaurIvy loves dinosaurs so I always get excited when I see a dino book we haven’t read yet.

This particular book was inspired by the discovery of the bones of  a massive Titanosaur in Argentina in 2014. It’s believed to be the largest dinosaur to have ever lived. What would he have been like as a pet?

The little girl in the story would really, really like a pet dinosaur. She imagines how much fun it would be to take him for a walk in the park or even take him to school!

She sensibly thinks of all the things the dinosaur will need – like food, a dino-flap to get in and out of her house and also somewhere to sleep. She decides that a dinosaur would definitely be the best pet she could ever have.

Cleverly though, the gorgeous illustrations tell a slightly different story. We see squashed cars, giant poops and it’s apparent that the dinosaur is far too large to fit anywhere comfortably!

A fantastic book for dinosaur lovers, but also a useful tool for explaining to your child why a particular pet might not be right for them.

Buy from Bookshop.org and support independent bookshops: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/155/9780500651506

Buy from Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2prLFPM

Note these are affiliate links and Ivy’s Library will receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through them.