In May this year, Brown Bear turned fifty! To celebrate, Puffin Books have released a special anniversary edition, complete with an audio CD narrated by none other than the mighty Eric Carle himself! A truly gorgeous book with snappy rhythmic text in a repeated format making it perfect for little ones to join along to. … Continue reading ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?,’ by Bill Martin Jr and Eric Carle.
'Grab your hard hat, tie your boots. Pack your lunch. Let's get to work!' Dog and his friend, Bird, have a busy day ahead of them. Planning, digging, hammering and sawing - there's lots of work to be done. But can they finish their job before the sun goes down? Jarvis' exhuberant illustrations leap off … Continue reading ‘Ready, Set, Build!’ By Jarvis and Meg Fleming.
This hide-and-seek dinosaur story would make a perfect Father's Day gift for all the Papasauruses out there. Babysaurus loves playing hide-and-seek with Papasaurus but one day he hides a little too well and Babysaursus can't find him, no matter how hard he tries. Starting to get a bit worried, Babysaurus asks his prehistoric friends for … Continue reading ‘Papasaurus,’ by Stephan Lomp.
Duck wants to join a club but finds that he lacks the necessary qualifications. What should he do? Duck wanted to make some new friends so he took the sensible step of deciding to join a club. Unfortunately, his inability to roar meant that he was laughed out Lion Club. The fact he had arms … Continue reading ‘Can I Join Your Club?,’ by John Kelly and Steph Laberis.
Introducing Emma Jane, her aeroplane and all the animal friends she collects on her whistle-stop tour around the world. Emma Jane is a girl who likes adventure. As she sets off in her plane one evening, little does she know that she's about to head off on a round-the-world trip. The first big city in … Continue reading ‘Emma Jane’s Aeroplane,’ by Katie Haworth, illustrated by Daniel Reiley.
Ernest the Earwig has been thinking. And he's not happy. All sorts of creatures appear in books, but not earwigs. Why not?! Outraged, Ernest decides to right this wrong. After a restless night's sleep, Earnest heads off to the local bookshop and straight to the children's literature section. He then seizes his chance to slip … Continue reading ‘The Importance of Being Ernest the Earwig,’ by Nanette Newman, illustrated by Lindsay Branagh.
Ahoy me hearties! There be treasure in these pages! This is the tale of a boy and his plucky sea dog who set sail to find the hidden treasure of Pirate Frank. They sail the stormy seas, trek over snow-capped mountains and brave a gooey swamp, all to reach the tree which marks the spot. … Continue reading ‘The Treasure of Pirate Frank,’ by Mal Peet & Elspeth Graham, illustrated by Jez Tuya.
In today's political climate, we are constantly being told how different we all are from each other. That's why I was delighted to be sent this clever book which not only celebrates our differences but also points out how we are all the same. This book was inspired by Matt Lamothe's own experiences as he … Continue reading ‘This Is How We Do It – one day in the lives of seven kids from around the world,’ by Matt Lamothe.
Travel the world from the comfort of your chair with this gloriously illustrated book from Marc Martin. An absolutely delightful guide to the world for young explorers. You'll be taken from the favelas of Rio de Janeiro to the frozen continent of Antarctica via Hong Kong and Ulaanbaatar. The pages are full of fun and … Continue reading ‘Lots,’ by Marc Martin.
2017 is a year of celebration for beloved author and illustrator, Shirley Hughes. The summer sees her celebrating her 90th birthday and this year is also the 40th anniversary of her classic children's book, 'Dogger.' 'Alfie and Dad,' is a beautiful collection of stories, perfect to kick off this special year. This book is full … Continue reading ‘Alfie and Dad,’ by Shirley Hughes.
I was delighted to be invited to participate in the blog tour for this beautiful mother-daughter collaboration. The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea, in a box on the living room floor. They sailed away for a year and a day and these are the things that they saw... Join two curious children on … Continue reading ‘The Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat,’ by Coral Rumble, illustrated by Charlotte Cooke.
This book rocked up at exactly the right time as my youngest son is currently obsessed with playing his drum kit and dancing around to his favourite Black Sabbath songs! Jimmy lived in the nicest village you ever did see - the prettiest park, a perfect police station and the most super school. The only … Continue reading ‘Jimmy Finnigan’s Wild Wood Band,’ by Tom Knight.
"This bear, that bear, likes-to-wear-a-hat bear. Brown bear, clown bear, about-to-fall-down-bear." Little Bear's off to watch the bear parade - what do you think he will see? A whole procession of different bears pass before his eyes and Little Bear loves each and every one of them. But soon the day draws to a close … Continue reading ‘This Bear, That Bear!’ by Sian Wheatcroft.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Superbat! I was absolutely thrilled to be sent a copy of this super book to review; everybody loves superhero books so I'm always on the lookout for new titles. This is the tale of a bat who wakes up amongst his friends one night and … Continue reading ‘Superbat,’ by Matt Carr.
I'm delighted to bring you not one, but two, brilliant picture books in this post. And one of them has just been nominated for the Waterstone's Children's Book Prize 2017! The Bear Who Stared Bear liked nothing better than to come out of his cave in the morning and stare, and stare, and stare.... The … Continue reading ‘The Bear Who Stared,’ and ‘The Lumberjack’s Beard,’ by Duncan Beedie.
This glorious book has just been published with a new cover after the release of Sharon's second book, 'Snail Mail.' Lucy Lady Bird is feeling sad as her spotty friends keep telling her she doesn't belong with them as she has no spots. She flies off to be alone but keeps bumping into some of … Continue reading ‘Lucy Lady Bird,’ by Sharon King-Chai.
For this blog post, I have chosen two fantastic books which celebrate the importance of being yourself and pursuing your dreams. 'Duck Gets a Job,' by Sonny Ross Duck wants a job. All his friends quack on and on about how amazing their jobs in the city are. Duck thinks their jobs sound a bit … Continue reading It’s Good to be You!
My last festive review for the year, but a great one. There's still time to grab yourself a copy before the big day. Princess Eliza is an inventor. There's nothing she likes better than making new gadgets and toys but her parents would rather she was out making new friends. Eliza tries hard to make … Continue reading ‘The Princess and the Christmas Rescue,’ by Caryl Hart and Sarah Warburton.
"When a child loves you...REALLY loves you, then you become REAL." This beautifully re-illustrated volume is the first title in a new series if classics for Nosy Crow Publishers. The gorgeous fully-foiled cloth binding and cover make it the perfect Christmas gift for old and new fans alike. Fed-up of being teased by Boy's mechanical … Continue reading ‘The Velveteen Rabbit,’ by Margery Williams, illustrated by Sarah Massini.
Stockton is a very clever cat and he knows it. Playing the violin, juggling, rhythmic gymnastics, all come easily to him. But knitting? Now that's a different matter entirely! Stockton has a very fancy party to go to and he simply must knit himself a fancy scarf to wear. If he's as good at knitting … Continue reading ‘I Am a Very Clever Cat,’ by Kasia Matyjaszek.
Library Girl and Book Boy 