Any book which makes its reader twist, turn, jump and shout gets a huge thumbs up in our house. That's why we were so excited to receive these three titles recently... Crocodali by Lucy Volpin (Templar Publishing) Crocodali considers himself one of the world's greatest artists and YOU are privileged enough to be invited to … Continue reading Twist and shout!
"Once there was a soft brown toy called Dogger. One of his ears pointed upwards and the other flopped over. His fur was worn in places because he was quite old. he belonged to Dave." I'm fairly sure there aren't many children of the eighties who haven't heard the timeless and endearing story of 'Dogger.' … Continue reading ‘Dogger,’ by Shirley Hughes.
I am very pleased to introduce you to two lovely board books which would be purr-fect for any cat-lovers out there. Lois looks for Bob at the Park This adventure finds Lois down at the park, hunting for her friend, Bob. But where on Earth can he be? She searches high and low, up in … Continue reading ‘Lois Looks For Bob…,’ by Gerry Turley.
I am a huge fan of Zommer's beautifully-illustrated books so was thrilled to be sent a copy of his latest picture book for Templar - 'Big Brown Bear's Cave.' Big Brown Bear is looking for a new cave to call his own and is delighted when he quickly finds a dark and dusty cave which … Continue reading ‘Big Brown Bear’s Cave,’ by Yuval Zommer.
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.
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.
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.
"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.
Three brilliant choices for young fact fans. Non-fiction books can be the perfect way into reading for curious minds and reluctant readers. Our first selection is 'Pick me up! Dinosaur.' Part of a brilliant new series of books which encourage readers to take them and play. This one imagines what a baby diplodocus might have gotten … Continue reading Dinosaurs, Sharks and Woodland Creatures – Oh my! First non-fiction from DK Books.
Can you remember your first word? Cat? Mum? Dad? This eye-catching look-and-point book is perfect for building young children's vocabulary. All little children are endlessly fascinated by the world around them and want to know what things are. This engaging book is a mixture of vibrant realife photos and bright, colourful illustrations. Chat about what's … Continue reading ‘100 First Words,’ from DK.
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.
The next two books are from a new interactive book series aimed at toddlers and pre-schoolers. Both books have lots of fun interactive elements to physically engage young readers. There are plenty of glittery, bumpy trails for fingers to follow, encouraging the development of the fine motor skills needed for pre-writing. My three year old … Continue reading ‘Follow the Trail series,’ from DK.
Whilst my mum was having a Christmas clear out, she discovered a book I used to love as a child (The Bears' Christmas by Stan and Jan Berenstain, if you're interested!) This got me thinking about other books I loved when I was little, and here's what I came up with: Some of them have … Continue reading A Trip Down Memory Lane
The perfect autumnal read for leaf-lovers everywhere! The Little Adventurers are having a 'Bring in a Pet Day' but Sprat can't find his black cat, Shadow, anywhere. Determined not to be left out, Sprat uses his imagination and creates a pet that no-one is going to have - Leafy the Pet Leaf. As all his … Continue reading ‘Little Adventurers – Leafy the Pet Leaf,’ by Philip Ardagh and Elissa Elwick.
'I'm Naughty, Naughty Monster! Are you ready? Here I come!' Monster likes nothing better than rampaging through the woods striking terror into the hearts of its inhabitants. This carries on until Monster meets his match - an extremely unimpressed fairy with a rather fancy tiara, who is determined to teach Monster some manners. But will Fairy … Continue reading ‘Naughty, Naughty Monster,’ By Kaye Umansky and Greg Abbott.
Martha is a twitcher - she just loves to go bird-spotting in her garden every day. One day she gets more than she'd bargained for when she spots a rather large and funny-looking bird. She consults one of her books and discovers that what she's spotted is a Dodo. But everyone knows Dodos are extinct. … Continue reading ‘Hello, Mr Dodo!’ by Nicholas John Frith.
Library Girl and Book Boy 