Tag

Reviews

If I Had A Dinosaur By Alex Barrow & Gabby Dawnay

Posted by - No Comments

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.

Mini Myths: Good Job, Athena! By Joan Holub & Leslie Patricelli

Posted by - No Comments

Good Job, Athena!We recently discovered the Mini Myths series and we’re busy collecting the whole set! Each book takes a well-known tale from Greek mythology and distils it in to a simple modern day story which is relevant relevant to toddlers.

This particular book takes the myth of Arachne and Athena (about hubris and boastfulness) and turns it in to a story which would be very familiar to most pre-schoolers.

In this re-telling Athena is very good at tying bows. Arachne is not as skilled at bow-tying but would very much like lovely bows on her shoes. Athena is a good friend and she ties some nice bows for her. Arachne boasts to the whole class that her bows are the best but she fails to credit poor Athena for having tied them. What will happen when another child in the class asks Arachne to pass on her skill? Will she be able to admit that Athena actually did all the hard work?

We love the simple but spellbinding illustrations (by Leslie Patricelli) and the easy to digest parable. Other myths in the series include Pandora, Hercules, Medusa, Midas, Icarus, Aphrodite and Odysseus.

Buy it now:  http://amzn.to/2FUotRg

Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Moon By Callie Chapman & Bronwyne Chapman

Posted by - No Comments

Callie ChapmanWe’re really excited about reviewing this book as it’s a little bit special. Not only does it feature one of our favourite things – unicorns – but the author is only 7 years old!

When she was just 6, Callie Chapman won a contest with her story about a magical unicorn called Glitter and her best friend Ellie. This was published as a book (Glitter The Unicorn) and since then Callie has added two more to the series (Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Beach and Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Moon). We have all three and Ivy loves them!

Glitter The Unicorn Goes To The Moon is the newest title (and our favourite) so we’re reviewing that one here.

Continue Reading…

The Way Back Home By Oliver Jeffers

Posted by - No Comments

The Way Back HomeThe Way Back Home is one of our favourite books by Oliver Jeffers. It’s a beautifully illustrated story but it’s also so much more. It covers off lots of important themes – like friendship, courage and helping other people – but still delivers an exciting story filled with space travel, aliens and even landing on the moon!

One day a little boy finds an aeroplane at the back of his cupboard so he decides to try it out. He flies so high that he ends up in space but then suddenly he runs out of petrol. He finds himself alone and scared on the moon. How on earth will he get home?

Unbeknown to him, a little martian is also having engine trouble and soon there are two of them on the moon. The boy and the martian are two very different creatures but they both have the same problem. Can they work together so that they can each get back home?

Highly recommended (and if you’re a fan of Lost and Found then there’s a little treat as the tiny penguin features in the illustrations too!)

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2HDXWIq

George Saves The World By Lunchtime By Jo Readman & Ley Honor Roberts

Posted by - No Comments

George Saves The World By LunchtimeOne morning, George gets out of bed and declares that today he is going to be a super hero and he’s going to save the world. His Grandpa thinks this is a fantastic idea and promises to help him to not only save the world but to do it by lunchtime!

He’s keen to get started but Grandpa has some things for him to do around the house first. Together they recycle the packaging from breakfast rather than throw it straight in the bin. Then they hang out the washing rather than putting it in the tumble dryer. This is followed by a bedroom-tidying session where Grandpa encourages him to bag up all of the toys he doesn’t use any more so they can donate them to charity.

This isn’t what George had planned at all and he starts to get grumpy. He wants to go out and be a hero, not stay at home and do chores! But Grandpa carefully explains to him how each of these little actions affect the world, and how much better the world would be if everyone followed their lead. George discovers he’s actually been saving the world all morning and he didn’t even realise it!

This is a fantastic little book to introduce a small child to all the little things they can do to reduce their footprint on the planet. As well as the engaging story and the fantastic illustrations the books is packed with simple tasks your toddler can do to help save the the world themselves!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2tJ8vrf

She Persisted Around The World by Chelsea Clinton & Alexandra Boiger

Posted by - No Comments

She Persisted Around The WorldOur pick for International Women’s Day 2018 is the fantastic new book by Chelsea Clinton – ‘She Persisted Around The World’.

Featuring the stories of 13 inspiring women, the aim is to show little girls that whoever you are and wherever you live you can achieve their dreams and help change their world. All you need is the courage to believe in yourself and to take that very first step.

The book will introduce your little one to familiar faces like J.K. Rowling, Malala Yousafzai, Marie Curie and Viola Desmond, along with some less familiar but equally amazing characters such as Kate Sheppard, Wangari Maathai, Leymah Gbowee and Yuan Yuan Tan.

This is an important book and I’m really excited to have this in Ivy’s Library. Although she’s still a little young to understand the impact these women have had on the world she is drawn to the beautiful illustrations and is listening to the inspiring stories as she strokes the pictures. I hope they stay with her and encourage her to take big steps out in to the world.

Highly recommended!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2G3U3ww

Mad About Dinosaurs By Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz

Posted by - No Comments

Mad About DinosaursWe love a good dinosaur in this house so it’s no surprise that this book is a popular choice.

The bouncy rhythms and brightly coloured illustrations are perfect for toddlers who like to yell ROAR!

Every page features a mini rhyme about a different dinosaur. All of the well-known ones are in there so your child’s favourite will hopefully be featured.

Personally we like the big purple stegosaurus and the chicken-sized microraptors!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2FqudSf

Princess Scallywag And The Brave, Brave Knight By Mark Sperring & Claire Powell

Posted by - No Comments

I naturally gravitate towards stories with strong female characters and this quirky book turns the usual princess/knight dynamic upside down.

The kingdom is plagued by dragons and appears to be in need of a brave knight to solve the problem.

An enterprising young knight appears and the queen tells him that if he can get rid of the dragons then he may have her daughter’s hand in marriage.

The knight is horrified saying he’s heard disgusting things about how stinky and mean the princess is and he wouldn’t marry her in a million years.

The queen is angered and tells the nearest dragon that he will just have to marry her instead. Terrified at the prospect of marrying this horrible-sounding princess the dragon quickly flies far away.

The dragon problem is solved but what about a husband for the princess? Hmm. Hang on. Let’s take another look at that knight. Is it possible he’s a she? And is it possible she’s not a knight at all?

A fab, funny story about a very smart mother/daughter duo. Recommended!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2I8H11I

Be Brave Little One By Marianne Richmond

Posted by - No Comments

Be Brave Little OneThis beautiful little book about courage is perfect in every way.

It shows your tiny reader all the ways in which you can be brave – from the loudest actions to the tiniest little steps.

Whether it’s exploring unknown places and situations or simply plucking up the courage to talk to another child, being brave (and being brave enough to show your feelings and follow your heart) is always to be commended.

The gentle illustrations and lovely message make this ideal for a toddler who is beginning to learn about emotions.

It would also be a beautiful gift for a new mum and baby.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2FZ8SRe

Abigail By Catherine Rayner

Posted by - No Comments

AbigailAbigail is a beautiful giraffe who loves to count – however the things she wants to count won’t keep still!

A ladybird scuttles away when she tries to count his spots. Then she tries leaves but the zebra gobbles them up faster than she can count them. As each attempt at counting is scuppered she starts to get frustrated and when night falls she is ready to give up.

However when they look up, Abigail and her friends discover that nature has given them a whole sky full of twinkling stars which they can count together.

The illustrations in this one are breathtaking and there’s a fantastic fold out page where you can stretch Abigail’s long neck up to the sky. Ivy was super excited when she discovered that page and now she squirms in anticipation as we get to the end of the story.

Gorgeous!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2oOzTyt