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Fri
07 ^th

When I Grow Up… By Patrick George

When I Grow Up… by Patrick George is a very visual, interactive book so it’s quite difficult to do it justice with just words!

The book encourages your child to think about what job they might like to do when they are an adult and the fab transparent pages add an extra layer of fun.

First we see a picture of a girl who wants to be a pilot. On the opposite page is an aeroplane with big shiny windows. The windows are printed on a transparent page and when you flip this over they become a pair of an aviator sunglasses on the young girl, instantly transforming her in to a pilot.

Thu
06 ^th

The Singing Mermaid By Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks

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Our copy of The Singing Mermaid by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks looks a little the worse for wear as it’s seen a LOT of love in the 18 months we’ve owned it!

The story is about a mermaid with a beautiful voice. One day she is discovered by a circus owner called Sam Sly who convinces her to leave her lovely beach to join his circus and sing to the crowds. He promises that if she goes with him she will become rich and famous. Excited, she agrees to go despite the protestations of her friends.

She makes lots of friends at the circus but surprise surprise, Sam Sly does not turn out to be a nice character. He keeps her in a tiny fish tank and the riches he promised never materialise. Instead she feels trapped and longs to return to the sea.

Tue
04 ^th

The Watermelon Seed By Greg Pizzoli

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The little baby crocodile in this story LOVES watermelon. He eats it for breakfast, lunch and dinner and simply can’t get enough of its yummy taste – until one day he swallows a seed.

He starts to panic. What will happen to him now? Will a watermelon grow in his tummy? Will he turn pink? Will vines start to grow out of his ears? But then his tummy starts to grumble and he lets out a massive burp which releases the seed. Relieved, he vows never to eat watermelon again. But is is just too delicious to resist?

We love this simple story which addresses a common fear amongst small children. The illustrations (in a watermelon-esque palette of greens and pinks) are fantastic and really emphasise the crocodile’s many wonderful facial expressions as he goes through the cycle of panic and then relief.

Ivy’s favourite part is of course the giant burp, which she loves to join in with and exaggerate!

Buy it now: https://amzn.to/2wCgeX6

Sun
02 ^nd

Shark In The Park! By Nick Sharratt

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Shark In The Park! Timothy Pope has a new telescope and he’s taken it to the park to play. The park is nice and tranquil – there are birds in the trees, ducks on the pond and children playing happily. Yet, each time Timothy takes a peek down his telescope he shrieks in surprise as he can see a shark!

The clever paper cut outs let you see the ‘shark fin’ each time and then when you turn the page you can see what it really is. A cat’s ear, a birds wing and even a hair quiff can all look like a shark down the lens of Timothy’s telescope. It’s definitely Timothy’s eyes playing tricks on him because there can’t really be a shark in the park. Can there?

The repetitive nature of this book – and the little visual surprises – make it perfect for reading aloud to toddlers. We’ve now read it so many times that Ivy can anticipate what’s coming next and can recite part of the rhyme!

Fri
31 ^st

All Are Welcome By Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman

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All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold & Suzanne Kaufman is a fantastic book about diversity and inclusion which can hold Ivy’s attention for ages as the illustrations are super detailed!

The simple story follows a class of children as they go about their day. We see them arrive at class, go through their lessons, eat their lunch, have story time, play in the playground, get picked up by their parents and then go home for dinner before being tucked up in bed. It’s a very normal day for the average child.

What is wonderful is that each of the 30 children in the class is different and we see those differences celebrated throughout the book and reinforced with the regular refrain that ‘All are welcome here’.

Thu
30 ^th

“You’re Called What?!’ By Kes Gray & Nikki Dyson

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We love Oi Frog! and Oi Dog! so when we spotted this new one from Kes Gray we knew we had to get it right away. We’re glad we did because it’s hilarious!

The story takes place at the Ministry of Silly Animal Names where a little Cockapoo puppy is waiting to change his name because his friends make fun of him. However he soon realises that compared to some he’s actually quite lucky! Whilst waiting in the queue he meets a Blue-Footed Booby, a Tasselled Wobbegong, a Monkeyface Prickleback and lots more (real!) animals with crazy names.

The names get sillier and sillier until we meet a little wasp who has a name that literally can’t be said without laughing. Can you guess what kind of wasp he is?

Wed
29 ^th

The Girls By Lauren Ace & Jenny Løvlie

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Ladies – I guarantee that when you read this book you will want to buy a copy for each of your childhood friends. It is stunning!

The book is about a group of four little girls who find friendship under an apple tree. Despite having very different personalities, they share stories, adventures and scraped knees, forming a bond that will last a lifetime.

The character traits that we see in the girls as children follow them in to adulthood as we watch them chase their dreams and find love (and heartbreak). Their situations change and they don’t see each other as often as they’d like but their apple tree is always there, getting stronger and growing roots that reach ever deeper.

Tue
28 ^th

The Snail And The Whale By Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

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The Snail And The Whale is one of our favourite collaborations between Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. There’s a real sense of adventure but the rhyme is also very calming so it’s perfect for bedtime.

The story is about a little snail who longs to travel – but her family thinks she’s a little crazy and don’t understand at all! She’s determined to see the world so she hitches a lift on the tail of a humpback whale. On their magnificent journey the snail sees icebergs and volcanoes, beautiful beaches and strange animals. She is amazed at how big the world is and this makes her feel small and insignificant.

Sun
26 ^th

The Heart And The Bottle
by Oliver Jeffers

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There’s something incredibly special about Oliver Jeffers. All of his books seem to work on two levels. Children love them because the stories are simple and the illustrations are beautiful – but there is something deep in each story which really resonates with adults too. When I pick up one of his books and read it for the first time, I know that it’s probably going to make me feel a bit weepy and this one affected me more than any of the others.

The story is about a little girl who loves life. She loves to explore, she loves to learn and she sees wonder everywhere she turns. Pictured beside her (but not mentioned in the text) is her grandfather. Then one day she discovers an empty chair in her house, and the grandfather is no longer there.

Sat
25 ^th

Goodnight, Mr Panda By Steve Antony

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Steve Antony has only been on our radar for a few months but in that time we’ve bought (and loved) 3 of his books and have many more on the (frankly huge!) list of titles that we absolutely have to add to our collection at some point.

This is our first foray in to the world of Mr. Panda (there are 4 in the series) and Ivy is a big fan! This one follows Mr. Panda and his friends as they get themselves ready for bed.

Mr. Panda seems to know what he’s doing – he has a bath with his rubber duck, dries his fur, gets in to his pyjamas and brushes his teeth with minimal fuss but his friends are a bit more difficult. Hippo refuses to brush his teeth, Skunk won’t have a bath. The sheep don’t want to wear pyjamas. And the sloth? Too tired to move let alone get ready for bed! Finally everyone is ready but Mr. Panda has forgotten to do something very important. What could it be?

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