Tag

Emotions & Feelings

Perfectly Norman By Tom Percival

Perfectly NormanNorman is a normal little boy – but then one day he grows a pair of wings.

He tests them out and enjoys them enormously but as he’s never seen any other little boys with wings he is worried about what other people will think. He hides them under a big coat so that no one can see them – but constantly wearing the coat means he can’t enjoy all of the fun things he did before, like swimming and playing in the sunshine.

He grows to hate his wings but then realises that the wings aren’t the problem, the coat is. Having to pretend that he’s someone he’s not  is making him miserable. Is he brave enough to set his wings free and show his true self to his friends and family?

This is a fantastic book for any child who is worried about being a little bit different to their peers. It shows how having the courage to just be yourself can open up a whole new world .

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2m0Y4Iu

The Lion Who Wanted To Love By Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz

The Lion Who Wanted To LoveLeo is not like other lions. He doesn’t feel compelled to hunt other animals, he just wants to cuddle them and shower them with love. As he is a little unusual and isn’t bringing any food to the pride, he is forced to leave his family and go it alone.

Will his loving approach help or hinder him as the little lion tries to survive on the plains alone?

This is such a sweet book with a lovely message about the importance of kindness.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CuWHtn

Pom Pom Gets The Grumps By Sophy Henn

Pom Pom Gets The GrumpsPom Pom the Panda is having a bad day.He got out of bed on the wrong my side and now nothing is going right.

He can’t find his blanky, his cereal is all soggy, the sun is too shiny and the birds are too noisy. When he gets to school his friends try to cheer him up but he yells at them to go away. Will he be able to recover from the grumps and will his friends forgive him?

We love the cute illustrations in this one and the story teaches a good lesson about saying sorry.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CnlJdT

Penguin Problems By Jory John & Lane Smith

Penguin ProblemsThis little penguin has big problems.

He’s cold. It’s too early. It’s too bright. The sea is too salty. He looks silly when he waddles. He can’t fly. He looks the same as everyone else. No one cares about his problems.

Yup – this penguin is your toddler!

When his complaining gets too much, a wise old walrus steps in and tries to put his problems in to perspective and encourages him to marvel at the wonderful world around him.

Can the little penguin look outside of himself and see that things really aren’t that bad for him after all?

We love the illustrations in this one and Ivy adores the ‘pingwings’.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2kTt78P

Mog’s Christmas By Judith Kerr

Mog's ChristmasPreparations for Christmas are underway at Mog’s house and he is not a happy cat.

Everyone is busy, there are too many people in the house and to top it all off someone has brought a tree in to the living room. A tree!

He escapes to the roof but it begins to snow and he soon gets cold.

Will Mog’s family be able to coax him down and show him just how lovely Christmas can be?

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2BTJ49D

Not Quite Narwhal By Jessie Sima

Not Quite NarwhalNot Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima is a glorious little book about discovering your true self.

Kelp is born in the ocean and grows up believing he’s a Narwhal like his friends – but deep down he knows he’s a little bit different.

One day he gets swept away by a strong current and finds himself close to the shore. Up on a cliff he spots a majestic horned creature which looks just like him.

Is he brave enough to venture on to land and discover who he really is? And if he does, will he ever be able to return to his Narwhal friends?

This book carries such a great message about inclusion, diversity and being true to yourself.

Highly recommended – and the illustrations are some of the loveliest I’ve seen.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2BIhl8H

Guess How Much I Love You By Sam McBratney & Anita Jeram

Guess How Much I Love YouThis evening we’ve got a super cute classic – Guess How Much I Love You.

Little Nutbrown Hare is about to go to bed but before he goes to sleep he wants to tell Big Nutbrown Hare just how much he loves him. He stretches his arms as far as they can go and he hops as high as he can but Big Nutbrown Hare can stretch and hop a little higher.

A gorgeous book about trying to vocalise the extent of your love (which I actually bought for Ivy’s Daddy long before she was born because I’m a soppy so and so)

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2hu4Rfy

The Lion Inside By Rachel Bright & Jim Field

The Lion InsideAs a shy person with more than a pinch of anxiety, this is the book I wish I had read as a child and I hope it inspires Ivy in the future.

The story is about a tiny little mouse who is often overlooked because of his quiet little voice. He looks up to the mighty lion who lives nearby and wishes he could be big and brave like him.

One day he realises that in order to be who he wants to be he needs to find his courage, so he sets off to find the lion so he can ask him to teach him to roar.

But the meeting doesn’t quite go to plan. Could it be possible that the mighty lion is scared of mice?

We adore this one, and I’m not ashamed to say that the first time I read it to Ivy I cried at the end. Beautiful!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2zwAZUk

I Love You, Stinky Face By Lisa McCourt & Cyd Moore

I Love You, Stinky Face!This book is special to us as it’s the first one I ever read to Ivy when she was teeny tiny.

In the story a mother tells her little boy how much she loves him which triggers lots and lots of questions.

Would she still love him if he was a big scary ape? 
Would she still love him if he were a super smelly skunk?
Would she still love him if he was a swamp monster?

The answer to each question is of course YES and the mother explains what she would do in each scenario to show him how much she loves him.

In those hyper-hormonal first few months this book regularly reduced me to tears and it can still occasionally cause a little wobble.

Beautiful – and the illustrations are gorgeous too.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2gwOyyf