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Tue
25 ^th

Taking Time
by Jo Loring-Fisher

Reading this book with Ivy feels a little like meditation. The gentle words and muted colours calm us both, making it perfect for a snuggly read at the end of the day.

The gentle rhyme asks us to take time to be still and to observe the world around us. Listen to bird song. Feel the beat of your cat’s heart as it purrs. Look at the vastness of the sky and the stars. Listen to the waves as they lap the shore. It also encourages us to look deeply at each other and to find new ways to be kind and to cherish those around us.

The text is minimal but the illustrations speak a thousand words. Each double page spread shows a child from a different country observing their environment and there is so much detail to explore and discuss. We see diferent types of clothes and modes of transport, cultural traditions and breathtaking landscapes. The countries included are the UK, Alaska, Ecuador, Norway, Russia, Egypt, Tanzania, India, Nepal, China and Japan, so the range is really broad.

Mon
24 ^th

Goodnight World
by Nicola Edwards & Hannah Tolson

Posted by Shelley Edwards - No Comments

What’s your bedtime ritual with your child? Our routine is generally bathtime, pyjamas, milk, teeth, books and then bed although this sometimes gets shaken up a little if we’re away or one of us is ill. You may do something similar but equally your evenings may look very different to ours. ‘Goodnight World’ by Nicola Edwards and Hannah Tolson follows a group of children from around the world as they come to the end of their day.

The gentle rhyme guides us through the different things a child may do before going to sleep. We see a baby being rocked, a boy having a bath and a group of children jostling around a sink brushing their teeth. We see siblings tidying up toys and snuggling up for a story, a child saying goodnight to an absent loved one on the phone and even a group in a tent, settling down to watch the stars.

Thu
20 ^th

My Book of Feelings
by Nicola Edwards

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Ivy and I were very excited when this board book landed on our doorstep as it has a built-in emoji spinner! Amusingly, I wasn’t allowed to even touch it for the first 15 minutes because Ivy wanted to play with it by herself, twirling the faces and looking at the pictures inside. Definitely the sign of a good read!

The toddler-friendly introduction explains that the expressions on our faces will often change to reflect our mood. By observing these changes we can tell how someone else may be feeling.

The emoji spinner features six faces, each representing a different emotion – happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, calmness and confusion. As we move through the book your child is presented with lots of scenarios and then invited to choose the face which they think best represents how they would feel. How do they feel when it rains? How do they feel when they dance? How about when they eat a tomato?

Wed
19 ^th

Paris Cat by Dianne Hofmeyr & Piet Grobler

Posted by Shelley Edwards - 1 Comment

Cat lives with her large, noisy family in a smelly alleyway behind a fishmonger’s shop in Paris. Surrounded by fish bones and squabbling cousins, she finds herself dreaming of a bigger life. She wants to see more of this fabulous city and find out what it has to offer.

One night she slinks in to a crowded cafe where she sees Edith Piaf singing to a sophisticated crowd. Filled with confidence, Cat joins in but is quickly ejected for caterwauling. She finds herself outside in the rain so she climbs a fire escape and sneaks into a nice warm room to sleep.

When she awakens Cat realises she is in an atelier surrounded by busy seamstresses, taffeta, velvet and racks of beautiful dresses. She watches carefully and by the time the workers leave for the day she has formulated a plan. She gathers up scraps of fabric and using her new found knowledge she creates herself an outfit befitting of a high-society cat.

Wed
19 ^th

The Three Billy Goats Fluff
by Rachael Mortimer & Liz Pichon

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Ivy really enjoys traditional fairy tales so I love it when we discover alternate versions with interesting twists! This new take on ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ had her giggling from start to finish.

When Mr Troll moves in to a brand new pad he’s looking forward to some luxury living, but instead he finds himself under a bridge frequented by a very noisy family of goats – the eponymous Billy Goats Fluff. The trip-trapping of their hooves keeps him awake 24/7, leaving him sleep-deprived and very, very grumpy.

He puts up a carefully worded sign but this doesn’t work so he soon finds himself shouting at the goats and threatening to eat them unless they stop waking him up. The three little billy goats are scared so they head home to tell their mum all about the nasty old troll.

Tue
18 ^th

Super Milly and the Super School Day by Stephanie Clarkson & Gwen Millward

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Milly is very excited about going to school because it’s Superhero Day. She has fashioned a costume out of tin foil and a tea towel but she’s a little bit sad that she doesn’t have any REAL super powers. Or does she?

In the classroom Super Milly spots that William is sad because his dad forgot it was a dress up day. She hands him her superhero badge and tells him he can be Wonder William. She cheers up Fantastic Flora with some jokes. She settles a dispute between Amazing Archie and Spider Sid and she comes to Incredible Iqbal’s aid when his pet spider escapes during Show and Tell.

Tue
18 ^th

Frog Boots by Jill Esbaum & Joshua Heinsz

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Dylan is utterly fascinated by poison dart frogs so when he spots a pair of boots featuring his favourite amphibians he jumps for joy. He thinks they’ll be absolutely perfect for his first day at school – but his mum isn’t sure because the boots are purple and sparkly. She tries to steer him towards a different pair but Dylan won’t be swayed.

He wears the boots home feeling taller and cooler than ever before and that night he discovers that the frogs even glow in the dark. He is so excited to wear them to school and show his new friends!

Unfortunately things don’t quite go as planned. The children in his class call them ‘girl boots’ and laugh in his face. Poor Dylan feels embarrassed and retreats in to himself. The boots get kicked to the back of his wardrobe and he spends the rest of the week at school avoiding eye contact and playing alone.

Mon
17 ^th

My Friends And Me
by Stephanie Stansbie & Katy Halford

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Ivy and I are big fans of this colourful picture book which celebrates different kinds of families and the bond between parent and child.

Jamie lives with his grandparents and he thinks they are the coolest grown-ups he knows. He has lots of friends and he loves the fact that each of them has a different family set up, because it makes playing with them so interesting.

Kate has two dads who take her for brunch. Harry has one mum who is ace at baking cakes and pretending to be a pirate. Olivia has two mums and three siblings. Lily’s parents are separated so she has two houses and even two bedrooms!

Mon
17 ^th

Find Out About: Saving Our Planet by Mandy Archer & Louise Forshaw

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It’s never too early to get kids thinking about the little things we can all do which make a difference to our planet. This lift-the-flap board book from Pat-A-Cake is perfectly pitched to teach your little ones the basics of key environmental issues.

Each double page spread tackles one issue and then introduces you to small child who wants to help. We then learn three ways in which they can effect change and see which option they choose. As an example, Harry learns that vehicles pollute the air but he wants to help jeep the air clean. His Mum explains that instead of using the car for their trip to the park they can walk, cycle or scoot. Harry considers each of the options and then decides he would like to walk.

Mon
03 ^rd

Our Favourite Picture Books about Starting School

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Ivy starts reception in September so in recent months we have amassed a lot of books to help prepare her for this exciting (and potentially nerve-wracking!) experience.

There are hundreds of books out there about this topic so I have put together a collection of our 24 favourites to help you choose the ones which are best suited to your own child.

Along with books which are specifically about the school experience, I have included titles which focus on other helpful topics like making friends, showing kindness and helping to ease any worries they may have.

We’d love to hear about your favourites too. What would you add to this list?

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