After a month off, I am back with my ‘Favourite Books’ series, and it’s nice to have some new ones appearing after Christmas. Everyone knows that reading is good for children, but recently I’ve realised how useful books can be for parents in helping children make sense of new experiences, unfamiliar situations and relationships. They definitely help me out – not only with that, but with my non existent imagination!
Oh Dear Geoffrey – Geoffrey the giraffe is clumsy. He tries to fit in with the animals living below, but it always ends in disaster. He finally realises his height is beautiful and if he stretches his neck above into the trees – he will find a whole host of new friends.
Augustus and His Smile – Augustus the tiger has lost his smile. He can’t find it anywhere and it’s making him sad. He has a big stretch and goes off to find it. He discovers many beautiful things along the way and his smile appears unexpectedly.
Sixes and Sevens – Quentin Blake books are a huge hit in our house. My mum gave the boys ten more for Christmas and ‘Sixes and Sevens’ is the one they love the most. It is all about a boy who takes his raft down the stream and picks up lots of unusual passengers.
Where’s the Pair? – I knew Win would love this book as he loves Britta’s popular book ‘The Odd One Out’. Find an exact match on each page – birds, otters, bears with scarves, dogs, frogs, yaks and so much more. The four of us spent ages looking for the pairs the first time we read it!
An Evening at Alfie’s – Alfie’s parents are out for the evening and he is being baby sat by his neighbour. He hears a dripping sound outside his bedroom and the whole evening turns into quite an adventure. Win still loves all things Alfie, and I rather like Alfie too.
Dinosaur Christmas – Win received this from Father Christmas at nursery. It describes how Father Christmas used dinosaurs to pull his sleigh before reindeer and the problems that came with each different type. It’s really fun.
Cops and Robbers – A gang of robbers is planning a crime one Christmas Eve. They are going to steal as many toys as possible. It looks like they are going to get away with it until brave Officer Pugh appears on the scene. The rhyme and repetition makes it such a pleasure to read and the illustration is incredibly funny!
The Happy Lion – The lion at the French zoo is the favourite of all the townspeople, and he is greeted daily by many if his friends. One day he finds the door to his enclosue open and decides to visit all of his friends. He doesn’t understand why those that he calls friends are now fleeing in terror? The illustration is fabulous.
The Gruffalo – Such a classic and loved by children everywhere.
A book that never fails to attract attention is: “Where The Wild Things Are”. It’s a firm favourite with both of them, and I love it too.
E xx
