Book Review: Africa, Amazing Africa, by Atinuke

Anyone who has visited my blog before will know I am a big fan of books about Africa. And I am a really big fan of books for children about Africa. And I am an even bigger fan of books about Africa that help to dispel the media and education- perpetuated misconception that Africa is a simply a place full of mud huts and poverty in desperate need of Western aid. This beautiful children's book ticks all those boxes, and some! I can't recommend it enough.
It is a book for young children (5-8 years) and has a simple format - 1 page of information about every country on the African continent. The Nigerian born author has found a unique interesting fact about each country and writes a short paragraph for each one, showcasing the diversity of the continent. While she does talk about poverty she also makes sure to point out that much of Africa is modern, dynamic, urban and forward thinking.
The illustrations by Mouni Feddag are gorgeous and there are fantastic maps to refer to as you read. My daughters aged 4 and 7 love this book. We read about one country each night at bedtime, and they have enjoyed searching for the countries on the map. Both girls have also taken this book into school, eager to share with the class the information about the country where they used to live.
This is a really great book -beautiful to look at and very informative.

Book Characters that your 2-year-old will love...

Two-year-olds love repetition. They will very happily read the same story over and over again long after it has started to drive the adult reader mad, and can sometimes request exactly the same bedtime story night after night for weeks on end. Although I have sometimes been known to hide books and / or pretend they are lost in order to alleviate this problem (bad mummy!) I have also found 2 less drastic solutions:

Firstly, the library! My two-year old loves the library and she totally gets the idea that she has to return her books in order to borrow more. And since we visit the library every week we have a regular change of favourite stories!

Secondly we find characters my daughter loves. That way we get new stories involving the same characters - a sure fire winner with kids and less repetition for the adult readers. Win-win.

So which characters does my two-year old love right now? There are 2 stand out winners here:

Pip and Posy by Axel Scheffler : a series of books about Pip, a rabbit and Posy, a mouse, two friends who engage in the everyday life of toddlers. They play the same games and take part in the same activities as my two-year-old so she can really relate to them. Each book contains a small drama of the sort that toddlers find really upsetting (for example in The Big Balloon, the ballon bursts and in The Super Scooter, Posy snatches Pip's scooter and rides off on it) and the two friends work together to find a solution. These are fantastic books for talking about emotions and for modelling how to handle those big toddler emotions. There is even a Pip and Posy book about using the potty (The Little Puddle) which has been a big hit in our household lately. These are lovely books with gentle stories of things that toddlers do and the trademark Axel Scheffler illustrations are, as always,bold, colourful and full of interesting details. It is well worth seeking these books out and they are helpfully available as both board books and paperbacks.

Wibbly Pig, by Mick Inkpen : a series of stories about a lovable pig, his stuffed toys and his pig friends. Wibbly is a great character for growing with your child. Some of the books,such as Wibbly Pig Likes Bananas and Wibbly Pig Likes Playing, are great for very young toddlers as they contain very little text (usually just one sentence on each page) but show Wibbly doing all the things toddlers like to do and asking questions to promote discussion and encourage children to voice their opinions. Then there are longer stories and even lift-the-flap books, such as Everyone Hide From Wibbly Pig. My daughter's current favourite is Is It Bedtime Wibbly Pig? because Wibbly finds lots of ways to put off bedtime in exactly the way that my daughter does and she loves to join in with what he says. That is the appeal of Wibbly Pig - he is fun, a little bit cheeky and gets up to all the same things that toddlers do. 

What characters would you recommend for 2-year-olds?

10 of the Best Julia Donaldson Books out there.

Julia Donaldson is just amazing. She is without a doubt our family's favourite author for birth - pre-school aged children and I sometimes wonder what children used to read before she started writing! There are often multi-buy deals available for her books on Amazon and she has written so many books that choosing from the range can be a little daunting. So I have put together a selection of our ten favourites for you.

The Gruffalo is probably Julia Donaldson's best known book and is deservedly a classic! The tale of the clever mouse who outwits the fox, owl, snake and Gruffalo is funny, witty enough for adults to enjoy  and has plenty of repeated refrains for the children to join in with. Great stuff.

Monkey Puzzle tells the story of a little monkey who has lost his mum. We follow him on a rhyming journey through the jungle as a butterfly helps him to look for her. There is plenty of humour and crossed wires as the butterfly continually shows him the wrong animal and many opportunities for vocabulary building as your child can name the animals the butterfly shows the monkey after joining in with the repeated refrain "no, no, no, that's a.." And of course, there is a happy ending!

Room on the Broom is another well known book by Julia Donaldson which has been made into a tv film, shown at Christmas a few years ago. This exciting story contains witches and dragons and a broomstick full of animals who manage to outwit the dragon and rescue their witch. This is a really good book for developing awareness of rhyme with children and they will really enjoy filling in the rhyming words at the end of each line ones they are familiar with the story.

A squash and a squeeze is a hilarious tale with a moral too. The old lady in the story learns to appreciate what she has when an old man gives her some unusual advice about how to make her tiny house seem bigger. This one had my kids laughing out loud.

The Smartest Giant in Town is the heartwarming tale of George, a giant who kits himself out in smart new clothes and then, on his way home, gives away everything he has to help the people that he meets. It has a lovely message about helping others AND a jaunty song to sing on every page - such good fun to read and the kids absolutely love the song!

All the above books were illustrated by Axel Scheffler whose pictures compliment the stories perfectly.

The next two books are illustrated by Lydia Monks, whose illustrations always contain a liberal helping of glitter to add sparkle and texture...

What the Ladybird Heard is the story of a farmyard full of animals who, with the help of a shy ladybird, foil the plan of two villains hoping to steal the fine prize cow. Children enjoy joining in with the animal noises and are most amused when the animals trick the would-be thieves.

The Singing Mermaid is currently the favourite book of my 4-year-old daughter and has been for many months. It tells the story of a mermaid who is tricked into joining a circus and then finally manages to escape with the help of her circus friends and a very clever seagull. 

Jack and The Flum Flum Tree is illustrated by David Roberts and is my personal favourite of Julia Donaldson's books because it is a very witty tale with a humour that both adults and children can enjoy. Jack's granny develops an illness that can only be cured by the fruit of the rare and exotic Flum Flum tree so Jack and his friends must set sail to find it. On the way they face many mishaps which are overcome using the bag of eclectic objects that Granny gives them as a farewell gift. And the best bit for the children is that the repeated refrain for them to join in with contains the phrase "Don't get your knickers in a twist"! Great fun!

Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose is illustrated by Nick Sharratt and is a simple rhyming tale of some animals preparing and eating a meal. My kids loved it because of all the funny things that the animals say to each other. They  really enjoyed joining in with it after a few readings, and had soon learnt the whole thing by heart! It is also great for building vocabulary and introducing adjectives.

One Ted Falls out of Bed, illustrated by Anna Currey, is a counting book following ted's attempts to get back into bed, with the help of all the other toys in the nursery. It has a strong rhyme, making it easy for children to join in with and really beautiful detailed illustrations. I like it because it is a counting book with a narrative, which makes it much more fun to read.

What are your favourite Julia Donaldson books?

Best books for two-year-olds

I recently wrote about our favourite books for one-year-olds so I thought it only natural to follow up with our favourite books for two-year-olds! A two-year-old will have a slightly longer attention span, so these books are slightly longer, with a slightly more detailed story, but most importantly they are fun to read for both adults and children. It is really important that you as an adult will enjoy these stories as you will be asked to read them over and over and over again.

Hairy MacLary from Donaldson's Dairy, by Lynley Dodd is probably the book I have read the most times to my children since becoming a parent nearly 10 years ago. Everyone in our family loves it. It helps that the main character Hairy MacLary reminds us of our own dog but even so this is still a fantastic book (and series - there are many more books about these characters, all sharing the fantastic exploration of language and rhyme). Reading this book aloud is a joy. Lynley Dodd enjoys experimenting with language and is not afraid to use long words that are not often found in picture books. The dogs who all meet up and go off on a walk are all lovable, individual characters and there is a repeated refrain for children to join in with. Fantastic.

Each Peach Pear Plum, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

This is a very clever book. The rhyming text encourages children to find a particular nursery rhyme or fairytale character who is hiding in the beautiful detailed illustrations. It is fun for children to join in with the simple text, but the real fun comes from poring over the pictures and talking about the tiny details as you search for each character. A great book for language development and developing observational skills.

Owl Babies, by Martin Waddell

This is a slightly longer book and it doesn't rhyme, but the story is one that children really engage with. Three baby owls wake up one night to find their  mother has gone. The story follows them and how they deal with their anxiety - 3 different characters react in 3 different ways - and of course their mother comes back in the end. Children find this story very reassuring- mummy may go away, but she always comes back in the end. There is also a repeated refrain to join in with... "I want my mummy!" And the illustrations are beautiful.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt, by Michael Rosen

This story is perfect for joining in with and acting out. It has everything: fun, excitement, adventure and even a hint of danger... Children love to run squealing from the bear at the end! The repeated refrain will stay in your head for ever, but it is a very useful one to have up your sleeve.. particularly on walks when the children might need a bit of entertainment...."We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. What a beautiful day. We're not scared!"

So much fun. And so many learning opportunities from drama to geography. A real gem.

Duck in the Truck, by Jez Alborough 

Another book beloved by my children, especially my son. When he  was 2 it felt like we read this book constantly. But it is fun. Duck gets his truck stuck in the mud and many other animals with their own modes of transport join in to help him free it. The rhyming is the real star of this book and helps children to join in as you read it.

So these are our favourite books for two-year-olds. What are your favourites?

Best books for 1 year olds

I love reading with one-year-olds. They are just starting to really take an interest in the story and pictures and may even be joining in with a few words. That is why repetition is the key in books for this age group. In fact, thinking about what makes a good book for one year olds I would say: repetition to encourage language development; flaps (nice sturdy ones that aren't going to get damaged by over-enthusiastic toddlers)for interaction and developing hand-eye co-ordination; a fun story; and colourful, interesting illustrations. The following books contain all or most of these elements and are tried and tested (and loved!) in our household of 4 children.

Children of this age don't need a vast library of books as they adore having the same story again and again, so a small number of good quality books is all that is necessary and these four titles would make a solid start to your home library.

I hope you enjoy reading them with your children and please comment with your own suggestions of fantastic books for one-year-olds.

Dear Zoo, by Rod Campbell

Large, bold illustrations in the centre of a white page really draw the eye to the animals in the pictures of this charming story. A child wants a pet and writes to the zoo. The zoo send him a variety of packages - lift the flap to discover what is inside each package - but each each one gets sent back as they are unsuitable. Until the zoo sends a puppy. Children love lifting the flaps and soon learn to join in with the words about why the animal was sent back - too big, too tall, too scary etc- and with the refrain "I sent him back". Really good fun and excellent for building vocabulary. 

Where's Spot?, By Eric Hill

Another lift-the-flap book, loved by generations of children. The puppy Spot has gone missing and his mummy is looking for him. Children lift the flaps to see if Spot is in each place and every time another animal is behind the door, under the bed, inside the clock etc and the answer is always a resounding "no!". This book was the first one that my daughter started joining in with, with a loud and clear "no!". Of course, Spot is found in the end, but with much fun along the way. 

Hippo has a hat, by Julia Donaldson

Characterised by Julia Donaldson's fantastic rhyming text and the bright and fun illustrations by Nick Sharratt, this book is sure to become a favourite. It is a delightful romp through a clothes shop with a group of animals trying on different clothes as they prepare for a party. It is great for building vocabulary (particularly animals and items of clothing) and is sure to make both child and reader giggle. It even finishes with the superb line "let the party start!". Great fun!

Peepo!, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

This has been a firm favourite in our house since the birth of my first child nearly 10 years ago. There is more text than in the other books suggested here, but the memorable rhyming text; repetition of key lines such as "here's a little baby, 1,2,3" and of course the iconic "peepo!"; beautifully detailed illustrations; and the clever hole in each page for you to peep through, manage to keep a child interested throughout what is actually quite a long book. This makes it a great book for encouraging an increased attention span in your child, at the same time as developing observational and vocabulary skills from looking at the gorgeous pictures. This is great fun to read together and talk about, but be warned: the rhyme will stay in your head for a VERY long time!

Our favourite counting books

My children love books. I have 4 kids and they all love books, reading and being read to. I want to share the love, so I am recommending our favourite counting books to read together.

There are many, many, generic counting books that contain pictures on each page of so many items that you are meant to count together with your child. But these are not the ones that set my world on fire. I like my counting books to have a story to go along with them so that the counting is almost incidental and you can still get caught up in the story. These choices all have a story and are all accompanied by amazing illustrations with many fun details to spot and talk about as well as named objects to count.

My one year old daughter loves all these books, for the rhythm of the story and for the pictures. She does not have many words yet but she does make noises to the rhythm of counting as we read these books and 'count' together. But these books really come into their own when you have a preschooler who is actually learning to count with 1-1 correspondence and they will properly count along with you.

My Granny Went to Market: a round-the-world counting book, by Stella Blackstone and Christopher Corr (Barefoot Books)

This book is wonderful on many levels. The story is fun and quirky - who wouldn't love a granny who flies around the world on a magic carpet collecting a variety of interesting objects? The pictures are intricate, colourful and detailed - my children spend a very long time analysing the details in each one and my one-year-old particularly enjoys searching for the different animals in each picture. 

Discussions about geography and different cultures and countries of the world are also bound to arise from this book. The first time we read it my older children rushed to get a map and trace Granny's journey and then a lovely discussion ensued about which countries we would travel to on our own magic carpet. My eldest (9) was even inspired to write her own version of the story. Definitely a favourite in our house!

One Ted Falls out of Bed, by Julia Donaldson and Anna Currey

The story is what drew us into this one. It is an exciting recount of a bear who falls out of bed and all the other toys in the room rush to help him back into bed before the child wakes up and they are discovered. It is great for reading aloud as there are many sound effects to be added! It is characterised by Julia Donaldson's fantastic use of rhyme and rhythm and the beautiful drawings of Anna Currey. This is a really fun book to read and my children get very caught up in the dilemma of whether Ted will make it back into bed or not.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle

This is a book that I remember fondly from my own childhood, but which is definitely still loved by children today. The interactive nature of the pictures is what does it for me, how you can put your finger through every single thing that the caterpillar eats (great for counting with 1-1 correspondence) and the bright and colourful illustrations. 

The story of the caterpillar who eats more and more outrageous things each day, before turning into a chrysalis and then a beautiful butterfly, is captivating for young children and again provides opportunities for so much more learning and discussions. You can use it to talk about life cycles, days of the week, or simply to expand vocabulary (particularly of fruit and other foods). A brilliant book.

One Mole Digging A Hole, By Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt

Another Julia Donaldson classic! This time her characteristic rhyme is accompanied by the bold and colourful illustrations of Nick Sharratt. My children find the exploits of the animals in this book, who are all gardening in some way or another, very amusing and there is always something to talk about in the pictures. 

Do check these out, and please recommend any of your own favourite counting books.

Happy Counting!