Friendship Archives - Page 5 of 8

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Friendship

Tue
31 ^st

Ivy And The Lonely Raincloud
by Katie Harnett

I definitely didn’t buy this one just because the little girl in it is called Ivy. Ok – maybe I did! But it turned out to be a good gamble as it’s a really lovely book with gorgeous illustrations.

The story starts with a little raincloud who is feeling lonely. The sun has come out so all his friends have gone away and he has no one to talk to. He sets off in search of a friend but no one seems to want him (and his raindrops) around.

He keeps searching until he spots a little girl who looks just as unhappy about the sunshine as he is. She’s grumpy in the market, grumpy on the tube and even grumpy when she gets home and tends to her garden. He starts to think that maybe the little girl is not really grumpy, just sad. He watches her in fascination as she looks after her plants, which seem to be struggling in the sun, and then he has an idea. If he rains on the plants and makes them grow, is it possible the little girl might smile again?

Tue
26 ^th

A Little Paper Caper By Oliver Jeffers

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We are huge fans of Oliver Jeffers and I had thought we owned all of his books, until Ivy spotted this one in our local bookshop and started gleefully shouting ‘Bear! Bear! Bear!’. This is a special board book version of an earlier work called The Great Paper Caper.

The animals in the forest are all very confused. Lots and lots of branches were going missing from trees and their beloved home is beginning to look a little forlorn. What is happening to all the trees? At first the animals all blame each other but it soon becomes clear they all have alibis. Until one day they find a paper aeroplane with Bear’s paw prints all over it.

Is Bear responsible for damaging the trees and lying to his friends? And what’s with all the paper aeroplanes?

Tue
19 ^th

This Zoo Is Not For You
by Ross Collins

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When Platypus arrives at the zoo on interview day the other animals assume that he’s there to apply for a spot at their establishment. Clutching an envelope and wearing a baseball cap and old woolly scarf, Platypus doesn’t seem to be quite what they’re looking for.

As he moves through each stage of the interview the different animals each take one look at him and decide that he’s definitely not up to the job. The panda doesn’t think he’s special enough, the flamingos think he’s ugly, the monkeys don’t think he is smart enough – and he doesn’t even get the chance to open his mouth and speak!

Annoyed, the platypus drops the envelope he was carrying and walks out of the zoo. When they open it they realise that he wasn’t applying for a job at all and their judgemental and rude behaviour will mean they miss out on some fun. Will they be able to convince Platypus to forgive them?

Sat
16 ^th

One Happy Tiger By Catherine Rayner

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We love ‘Augustus and His Smile‘ by Catherine Rayner so we were really excited to see this lovely counting book which features the same character.

The book starts with lovely Augustus sitting on his own feeling lonely, but as we slowly count from 1 to 10 he meets some new friends, including bugs, birds, butterflies and bees.

This feels like it has a little more depth than your average counting book because the themes of friendship and nature are central to the simple narrative. As always, Catherine Rayner‘s illustrations are breathtaking and the animals seem to jump off the page.

If you’re looking for a baby or toddler gift that is educational, sturdy and beautiful to look at then this would be perfect.

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2t0dcug

Wed
30 ^th

Mermaid By Cerrie Burnell & Laura Ellen Anderson

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Luka lives by the seaside and is fascinated by the ocean but his family don’t share his interest at all. He really wants to learn to swim but he doesn’t have anyone to teach him so instead he watches the waves and wonders what it might be like.

One day he spots a girl having fun in the water and she moves so gracefully that he thinks it must be a mermaid. He watches her for a long time until she swims up to the pier and is pulled gently out of the water by her father. He is so mesmerised by her that he barely notices the fact she uses a wheelchair on land – all he can see is her smile.

She tells him that her name is Sylvia and she offers to teach him to swim. By the end of the next day Luka is able to float on the waves all by himself and his family are very proud of his achievement.

Fri
25 ^th

Hug Me
by Simona Ciraolo

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Poor Little Felipe. All he wants is a little hug but his family are far too prickly and aloof. They are very concerned with appearances and don’t seem to notice that he needs some affection. It’s a tough life being a little cactus with a big heart!

He tries to make friends with a balloon and at first this looks promising but when Felipe tries to get close the relationship ends with a POP. Ashamed, he decides to leave home and start life anew.

He settles in to life as a solitary cactus but then one day he hears someone sobbing. Can he make them feel better with a hug and if so is it possible they could be friends?

Tue
22 ^nd

Space Tortoise
by Ross Montgomery & David Litchfield

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This lovely story is about a little tortoise who lives all on his own in a bin in a disused old park. He has a nice cosy home but his life is missing one thing – friends! He has searched all over the park but has never seen another animal so he feels very lonely.

One evening, as he sits holding a tiny candle and gazing out at the world, he spots lots of little lights in the sky. He wonders if it is possible there are lots of other animals up there also holding candles, and if so, how can he get to them?

The next day he finds a book about rockets so he fashions himself a space suit and sets off in the direction of what looks like a rocket in the distance. He braves a great desert (a sandpit) and sails across a wide ocean (a paddling pool) but when he gets there the rocket isn’t quite what it first seemed.

Wed
09 ^th

Sharing Time By Elizabeth Verdick & Marieka Heinlen

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I have been a big fan of the Toddler Tools books by Elizabeth Verdick ever since Calm-Down Time helped us with controlling tantrums. This other title from the series – Sharing Time – is the one we’re currently reading a lot and i’m hoping we’ll have similar success!

It shows how it’s fun to share some things (like hugs and see-saws for example) but more difficult to share others. Children worry about sharing their toys because they aren’t sure if they will get them back or if they will be broken.

Using calming language the books teaches children the words they need in order to be able to share things with their friends. It helps them identify the feelings they experience when they don’t want to share and offers a little breathing exercise they can do in order to regulate their emotions and move forward without a major incident. Ultimately it shows that we all have more fun when we play together nicely and share – something which is true for both toddlers and grown-ups alike!

Wed
11 ^th

Iris And Isaac By Catherine Rayner

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Iris 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?

Wed
04 ^th

The Butterfly Dance By Suzanne Barton

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Dotty 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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