One of the things I was looking forward to most when I was pregnant for the first time was being able to read to my baby and hopefully pass on my love of books right from the start. Well, my daughter soon put paid to that idea as she would scream merry hell if we…
Rabunzel by Gareth P Jones and Loretta Schauer
‘You offered to save me from my mother’s high hutch. I don’t really need saving, though, thanks very much.’ This is what we like! A very funny re-take of the classic Rapunzel tale, with a kick-ass heroine who can take care of herself with her own brand of ‘carroty karate’ (which I SO wish I…
Your Mind is Like The Sky by Bronwyn Ballard and Laura Carlin
This has been such a useful book for us during lockdown 3. My daughter and I have dipped into it regularly to help us manage our ‘raincloud’ thoughts: yesterday neither of us did very well, but today has been better. Don’t let the ‘first mindfulness book’ fool you, it’s not just for traditional picture-book-aged children…
Big Emotions Series by Eva Eland
I take my hat off to picture book authors who have the emotional intelligence and skill to take difficult topics and distil them in such a way that young children can understand them. These superb books are a fantastic example of this, helping children to explore and better understand their emotions, as well as offering…
Have I Ever Told You? by Shani King and Anna Horvath
I saw this lovely, lovely book on Instagram recently and I’m so glad that I got hold of a copy. It’s the perfect book for connecting with children: reinforcing what you love about them and how much you care, building their self-esteem, encouraging them to reach for their dreams and reminding them to love, respect…
The Littlest Yak by Lu Fraser and Kate Hindley
This fabulous book has only been here less than a day and I’m already a little bit (OK, a lot…) in love with it! Gertie, the littlest yak, is desperate to be just like the big yaks and does everything she can to speed up the growing process. Being small has its advantages, though, and…
Why? A Sciencey, Rhymey Guide to Rainbows by Billy Dunne and Rhys Jefferys
If, like me, you’ve internally cringed when a youngster has repeatedly asked ‘why?’, then you definitely need this rhyming picture book in your life! While out on a walk, Dad is very pleased with himself after explaining to his daughter how a rainbow is made, but when she continually responds with ‘why?’ after every explanation,…
Reading Roundup: 1/2020
We’re at that time of the year when the blog slows down a little due to the summer holidays; however, as always, I will be sharing our weekly reading roundups so that I don’t miss featuring some fantastic books. First up is this new compilation of 8 stunningly-illustrated, adbridged Dickens stories. My 8-year-old, in particular,…
The Knight Who Might by Lou Treleaven and Kyle Beckett
We’ve enjoyed a number of Lou Treleaven’s stories over the years, and so when the lovely Katie at Maverick asked us if we would like a sneak peak at Lou’s new picture book, which is brilliantly illustrated by Kyle Beckett, we jumped at the chance! The Knight who Might features a knight who tries so…
Trailblazer: Lily Parr, the Unstoppable Star of Women’s Football by Elizabeth Dale
It’s midway through the second half and time for our stop on the Trailblazer blog tour! Written by Elizabeth Dale and illustrated by Carolina Coroa, Trailblazer tells the inspirational story of Lily Parr, footballer extraordinaire and one of the pioneers of the women’s game. Bearing in mind I have a football-obsessed, factual book-devouring son (Hugo),…