Friday, May 17, 2024
Ad: Sponsored Post I’ve been talking a lot recently about modern versions of classics but I hadn’t thought about nursery rhymes… until this ...
Ad: Sponsored Post
I’ve been talking a lot recently about modern versions of classics but I hadn’t thought about nursery rhymes… until this brilliant picture book - This is the Ship that Jack Built by Peter Millett & Sam Caldwell - sailed onto my radar!
Monday, June 20, 2022
Our puppy has moved in! For all those asking he’s a nearly six-month old cockapoo called Bertie and we are smitten!
Our puppy has moved in! For all those asking he’s a nearly six-month old cockapoo called Bertie and we are smitten!
Tuesday, June 14, 2022
AD: Sponsored Post Have you ever thought about how much is going on in a toddler’s mind as they not only learn the sounds of language but ...
AD: Sponsored Post
Have you ever thought about how much is going on in a toddler’s mind as they not only learn the sounds of language but also that when put together those sounds make words and those words have meaning? And at the same time their brains are learning how lots of things work?
As Michael Rosen points out in the introduction to his latest poetry collection Ready for Spaghetti, it’s utterly mind-boggling!
Saturday, February 23, 2019
You know that we love a book with a mighty girl at the centre and share lots of them as part of our Little Feminist Book Club posts ...
You know that we love a book with a mighty girl at the centre and share lots of them as part of our Little Feminist Book Club posts so I was really excited to see a book starring lots and lots of mighty chicks and wanted to share it for our 'book of the week' feature on our social media. But I also wanted to share it here!
Chicks Rule by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen & Rene Kurilla is one of our favourite books at the moment! From Maker Chick to Baker Chick to Soccer Chick and Rocker Chick all the chicks in town are horrified by and standing up to the “No Chicks Allowed” rule! Nerdy Chick isn’t standing for this senseless rule and won’t let it stand in their way to achieving her dreams of launching a rocket into space! She turns to her fellow chicks for help. And together they lift each other and prove once and for all that chicks are truly out of this world!
I love that this is a book about a group of chicks working together to achieve their goal. There are lots of great books about mighty girls but those girls are often flying solo against the system and I think it's important to share a message that whilst we are mighty on our own in our own right, we are more powerful when we work together.
Written in the most wonderful rhyme and packed full of humour and fun, l love reading this one aloud! I love that this book has a huge cast of characters with all different passions and with all different interests as well as all different colours of feathers. The illustrator has very cleverly created a diverse coop of chickens!
The
illustrations aren’t the kind that I’m usually drawn to but we love the bright
colours and cartoon/comic style. I am
totally won over by them! Showing you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. And
you shouldn’t judge a Chick by her feathers! I cannot say how much love I have
for this book! And BookBairn wants it read over and over again so I will happily
oblige!
If you love a book about a mighty chick, or even better a team of mighty chicks that work together to achieve their goal then this is a must-have for you bookshelf!
Chicks Rule!
Happy Reading,
Kim and the bairns x
Disclaimer: This book was sent by the publisher for review. Words and opinions are my own. Please read our Review Policy if you want to know more. If you click on the image of the book below you will be sent to Amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on Amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-90p per book) from Amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog post please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our For Readers Section.
Thursday, February 07, 2019
One of the magical things about picture books, and books in general, is when the characters take hold of us and become more than simp...
One of the magical things about picture books, and books in general, is when the characters take hold of us and become more than simple creations on a page but actually become real and enter our hearts. There are many wonderful characters and I think each of us will feel a special attachment to more than one (I've always loved Charlotte from Charlotte's Web so much so that BookBairn is named after her) but for children it's wonderful to watch them make a new friend in the pages of their favourite stories.
They are often the stories that we end up reading again and again. And there has to be a little bit of magic about that particular character if they are to stand out amongst the rest.
For us, that character is Nibbles the Book Monster, affectionately known as Dimbles as BookBairn has loved him since before she could quite grasp saying the word 'Nibbles'. We have written about Nibbles many times on the blog:
A Bookish Few Weeks - where we met Nibble's creator Emma Yarlett
Nibbles has a firm place in our hearts and BookBairn was lucky enough to be sent a Nibbles plush by the publisher who she now sleeps with every night. To say we love him selling it short!
Nibbles is a book nibbling terror who has now munched his way through countless fairytales and even a dinosaur anthology. He has an insatiable appetite for books and munches his may through BookBairn's bookshelves on a daily basis.
And now he is back nibbling his way through a book of numbers. Little ones can count along with Nibbles as he chomps his way from one to ten! From the first page flap, to all the delightful little finger-sized cut-out holes in each page (corresponding to the number of bites Nibbles has taken), there's so much for little ones to explore. With bright and inviting colours and tactile holes to count together this is a number book that provides more than simple number teaching. The rhyme scheme makes it enjoyable to read aloud and allows little ones to predict the next number in some pages. BookBairn alos enjoys that Nibbles, like in the previous books, has nibbled a hole in the back of the book and escaped! But even more than that she likes to read the book backwards, counting down the numbers and shutting Nibbles back into his crate on the final page. Such a versatile little book! And as it's a board book The Wee Page Turner is safe to explore the pages too!
 |
| Baby BookBairn enjoying Nibbles. |
Conceptually clever and innovative, the Nibbles series works on multiple levels - little ones like The Wee Page Turner enjoy following the mischievous little character and feeling the cut outs and peeking through the pages. And older children like BookBairn will recognise the numbers, dinosaurs or fairytales (depending on the book) as well as adoring Nibbles's trouble-making as well as make fun nibbling sounds as you read!
The illustrations are sensational! Nibbles is mischievous and yet is still adorable. He will charm his way into your heart as he has ours.
And if you want a whole set of the Nibbles books, a beautiful tote bag (we use ours for swimming!) and a cuddly Nibbles of your own - check out our Instagram post going live at 8pm this evening! *EDIT Giveaway now closed***
Who is your favourite book character? We would love to know!
Happy book-nibbling! And watch out for a book monster on the loose!
Kim, BookBairn, The Wee Page Turner and Dimbles xx
Disclaimer: these are all our choices. Some were sent from publishers (others are books that I have bought myself) but they were not sent in connection with this post. Their inclusion here is my choice. Because I really do think they are great. Please read our Review Policy if you want to know more. If you click on the image of the book below you will be sent to Amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on Amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-90p per book) from Amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog post please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our For Readers Section.
Saturday, April 07, 2018
In the first few months of your baby's life their eyesight is still developing. To begin with their sight is blurry and they can only...
In the first few months of your baby's life their eyesight is still developing. To begin with their sight is blurry and they can only focus on people or objects that are 20-30cm away from them. The perfect distance to lie on the floor beside them and look at a book. It is not until 2-3 months old that their sight is developed enough to differentiate between colours and even at this stage they will find similiar colours, like red and orange, difficult to differentiate. That's why you often see black and white books for babies. And these are great. But they are also often rather dull for you as a parent to read, even if your baby loves them. So I've found some great alternatives that use contrast colours, simple colour blocking and uncluttered backgrounds that your baby will be able to enjoy looking at but you will find more interesting to read with them!
Here are our favourite high contrast books for babies (and toddlers, even at 3 years old BookBairn still loves lots of there):
Baby's First Playbook: Peepo by Jo Lodge
Not really a story book, more a first word and exploration book, the characters are incredibly appealing with their cute and funny expressions and clear lines complimented by bold colours, which are perfectly designed to engage little ones as their eyesight develops. The thick and sturdy tabs reveal illustrations of babies in Jo's distinctive style that appeals to little readers and are set in frames of high contrast patterns and shapes. And just to top it off, there's a mirror on the final page that babies can spend hours exploring and adoring their own little faces. It really is a magic book for babies and will keep them busy for hours. (BookBairn enjoyed the first in the series long beyond babyhood, you can read our review of it here!) Basically any of Jo's books would be perfect for your littlest ones! And her paper engineering skills are second to none so you will have lots of fun playing with these books!
 |
| The Wee Page Turner loves to kiss the baby in the mirror. |
Blocks by Irene Dickson
Telling the story of two children learning to share this book is great for siblings! Featuring primarily red and blue colours against a plain white background this book is great for engaging little readers with the key elements of the story. BookBairn loves this as much as her little brother so it's appeal goes further than just babies. It has a great little cliffhanger that BookBairn is just beginning to understand and she gives me a cheeky grin at the end every time. My only reservation about recommending this one is that it's a slightly oversized board book so it is very heavy which means that it isn't great for babies to read by themselves. However, that just means babies need their parents to cuddle up with them to share this adorable story! Or maybe even bigger siblings? This would be perfect for an older sibling to give to a younger one!
 |
As you can see the Wee Page Turner has no problem
with the larger pages. |
Playtime with Ted by Sophy Henn
Part of a wonderful series of books, starring the terrifically imaginative little toddler Ted, 'Playtime' is a great story for little readers. Ted finds a box to play in and under each flap you reveal what he imagines the box is: a submarine, a racecar, a rocket. But BookBairn's favourite is the big yellow digger whilst The Wee Page Turner prefers zooming to the moon on a rocket with Ted. Ted is irrestible in his red and yellow wellies with his orange and turquoise bobble hat (I'll be he chose his own outfit that day!) and his animal friends are as cute and cuddly as can be. Sophy Henn does a wonderful job (again!) capturing the world of a toddler and bringing it to life in the pages of her books. And her illustrations are great for little ones with enough details to discuss but without overfilling the page with superfluous extras. Sophy Henn's books feature on our Favourites Shelf on a regular basis so well worth keeping an eye out for her books in the library or bookshops.
I Love My Daddy by Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway
The ' My Little World' series succeed in creating great books for babies again and again! But our favourite is 'I Love My Daddy' by Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway. We love these books with the finger-holes to add a fantastic textural element. Each page features a die-cut star that gradually gets smaller and smaller as you turn the pages, The Wee Page Turner loves to touch and play with this star using it to lift the pages in order the turn them by himself. The characters in the story are adorably illustrated using bright colours and soft lines, each with large smiles! The children in the book are all enjoying spending time with their dad and celebrate their dads by sharing why they deserve a shiny star. It's a great story for reading if you are on maternity leave and Daddy has gone back to work and you want to share a little bit of Daddy appreciation with your little one whilst he is working.
Hush Baby Bear is Sleeping by Surya Sajnani (Wee Gallery Books)
For me, Wee Gallery books are the exception to the black and white books. These are far from dull. The illustrations are simply adorable and most have an additional mechanism like sound, lift-the-flaps, or paper mechanisms to make the book more engaging than simple primer texts. This one is our favourite as it has little tabs down the side that make the sound of the corresponding animal in the illustrations. With a simple storyline this is a great book for little ones to begin to understand that books are stories with meaning. It tells the tale of Little Bear who is trying to sleep. But all the animals are making noises and could wake him up. The final page shows Mama Bear checking on her little cub and is accompanied by a snoring sound. Little ones will love this and it is one that BookBairn chooses again and again for her little brother's bedtime story. The only criticism is that the buttons are quite tricky to push and The Wee Page Turner can't do that himself yet so it's more fun reading this one together.
 |
| The Wee Page Turner turning pages. |
Springtime by Jane Foster
I love Jane Foster's designs, her Black & White baby book is one of the few that I really appreciated when reading with The Wee Page Turner as it is incredibly stylish and full of things that are actually black and white and not just made so for the sake of creating a first baby book. But I must admit I love this one a little bit more! It celebrates Spring which is a wonderful season full of discovery and new beginnings, not just chocolate eggs. Sharing vocabulary such as blossom, tulips, lamb, chicks, rainbow and bumblebees you can talk to your little one about how the world is changing in this new season. It would be a great one to pop in the buggy or a changing bag so you can spot these things whilst out and about. As I say the real charm of these books is in the fantastic artwork. The lines are bold and thick and the colours bright and cheerful making them great first books for babies developing their eyesight as well as slightly older toddlers who will love making connections to the real world.
 |
| The Wee Page Turner loves this rainbow page! |
Look, There's a Tractor by Esther Aarts
A lovely bright book about a farmer who is trying to find his hen. Each page features die-cut holes that little fingers can explore and use to turn the pages as well as peep through to spy what's coming next. The Wee Page Turner is absolutely fascinating by finding the deep blue tractor on each page running his little fingers over it every single time. It rally stands out to him - and that's where the high contrast colours really help him to focus. Even though he is older (almost one) and his eyesight is fully developed, he still finds high contrast colours more interesting. The illustrations in this are just lovely and provide lots of things to look at and talk about beyond the simple storyline. A wonderful first adventure!
 |
| Here he is spotting that tractor! |
So that's a little list of favourites for you! All of these would make great new baby gifts and are an excellent starting point for your baby's library. It's never too soon to start them on books. (And to be honest I found it a great way to pass the time when mine were both really little - it's hard to really play with a baby and books give you something fun to do with them!)
Happy first stories!
Mummy and The Wee Page Turner xx
 |
| Pin for Later. |
DISCLAIMER: Most of these books were sent to us from the publishers for review (I bought Playtime with Ted and I Love My Daddy and Peepo was sent from the illustrator). Our words and opinions are, as always, our own.
Saturday, July 01, 2017
We have just had the most fun this morning. It was a grey and very un-summery sort of day but I decided to get the double buggy out in a...
We have just had the most fun this morning. It was a grey and very un-summery sort of day but I decided to get the double buggy out in an effort to get The Wee Page Turner to nap for more than twenty minutes! First we headed to the swings (obviously) but then I had a little trick up my sleeve.
There is an abandoned yellow digger on a local woodland walk near our house. Toddler jackpot right? And being the book-loving mummy that I am I took a very appropriate book along with us.
'Diggersaurs' combines the fascinations of most children under 5: diggers and dinosaurs! Firstly I want to talk about the illustrations in this book because they are just ingenious. Brilliantly blending dinosaur species with construction vehicles, Michael Whaite has created characters that are irresistible. Did you ever notice that crane with their long necks resemble the diplodocus? Or that the jaws on an excavator look like T-Rex's sharp teeth? Each character is such a clever mix of dino and digger and is illustrated in bright and bold colours, making them perfect for discussing colours. When I asked BookBairn which was her favourite she said "I like the yellow and orange best. [The Wee Page Turner] likes green. Mummy what's your best colour?" What a great discussion starter! Each diggersaur is also labelled with a number consecutively from one to twelve. So it's also great for talking about numbers too. One of the other delightful things about the diggersaurs is that they aren't gender specific so they can be both boys and girls which is great because we all know little girls like dinosaurs (and diggers) as much as little boys do!
The background illustrations are equally as fascinating. Each page has two tiny builders - a boy and a girl - who get up to little adventures of their own. It's so clever that the diggersaur is undoubtedly the star of the show but the background details are still worthy of attention.
The text is written in rhyming couplets over two pages and is full of bounce and rhythm. It is a brilliant story to read aloud! Both Daddy and I love reading it and I think even the digger enjoyed hearing the story too.
This is truly a wonderful book! And perfect for toddlers who love diggers, dinos and a good story (which in my experience is pretty much all children under the age of five!).
*UPDATE* This competition is now closed and the winner has been notified!
***We have a been sent an extra copy of this brilliant book to giveaway. If you would like to win a paperback edition of Diggersaurs, please comment below. (Additional entries will be available so keep an eye out by following us on
Twitter,
Instagram and on
Facebook.) UK residents only please. Competition closes 8.7.17.***
Love Mummy and BookBairn x
*DISCLAIMER* I was given our book for free for review purposes, however, all words and opinions are my own.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
So Olympic season has begun and it's probably the only time I really get into watching sport on TV (except Wimbledon - who doesn't...
So Olympic season has begun and it's probably the only time I really get into watching sport on TV (except Wimbledon - who doesn't get swept up in that?) and I've already enjoyed watching a lot of the swimming, gymnastics and athletics so far. It's a shame that time zone wise it doesn't work out all the well for watching it live but I hope it won't damper by enthusiasm.
I love how inspiring Olympic athletes are (unless they are doping - obviously). But the true athletes are incredible to watch. The amount of discipline and determination - I feel bad eating cookies as I type this. (Not really - I never feel bad eating cookies!) I read recently about the story of Yusra Mardini who won her butterfly heat representing the refugee team; an incredible young woman who to prevent her boat (full of twenty people) capsizing jumped in and swam for three and half hours towing the boat before finally reaching land. Words cannot describe my admiration for this incredible young woman.
Another athlete set to inspire little ones is Mo Farrrah who literally picked himself up after a fall and went on, pushing himself to his limits, to win another gold medal! Mo is also looking to inspire young readers to achieve their dreams in his new picture book 'Ready Steady Mo!'. Written with the support of Kes Grey (who co-wrote My Most Anticipated Book of the Year, Oi Dog!) and illustrated by Marta Kissi, Mo wants all little ones to don their trainers and run!
This is a fabulous rhyming tale that will sweep you away with it's energy and rhythm! This is such a fun book to read: they rhymes roll of the tongue and will have you racing through the pages. The book has a very simple premise and is more of a poem than a true story but that doesn't take away from the fun reading it. On the first spread we are introduced to 'little Mo' who engages the reader in a few questions about what they like to do and how they get there. Suggesting that you "run!!!!" "Run in your slippers, run in your vest, run in your onesie, run and get dressed." Run everywhere. Except in school, of course. Mo reminds little ones not to run in class. My favourite page shows a path and the words travel round: "run in a straight line, run round some bends, run with your family, run with your friends." The words loop the loop as you run around the bends - so cute! Mo encounters a menagerie of animals on his run and you run alongside cheetahs, whales, dogs penguins, even a snail! And in the end, as you run out of energy and cool down on the spot, he says if you run out of puff you can do the Mobot! Fabulous. And full of energy.
The illustrations in the book are bold and vibrant, set on bright coloured pages with simplistic backgrounds the attention is on little Mo and his running buddies. The feeling of movement is captured in the images with props and 'speed lines' and a building group of runners as we turn the pages. My particular favourite is the page where the children are running along with kites following int he sky behind them. It gives it a real sense of speed and movement. I also love that the book features characters from all different backgrounds, obviously Mo himself is originally from Somali and the children who run alongside him are all different colours and ethnicities. (You will know I like seeing books that are representative of society with characters from all different backgrounds if you read my post We Need Diverse Books.) And the final page of all the children (and alien and some animal) who joined Mo on his run all doing the Mobot is a lovely uplifting image that children can copy as they read.
Generally, I avoid 'celebrity' published books - I'm a bit of a book snob about it more than anything else, not having read many either for children or adults (there's an interesting discussion here if you are interested). I think I worry that a 'celebrity' written book may simply be a great name on a cover to sell books but lacks much of a story inside. And there are so many good books to read I don't want to take the risk. But I digress slightly from topic...
Whilst endorsed and starring a celebrity in Mo Farah this book is anything but lacking! It is funny, charming and encourages little ones to exercise and families to read together. Brimming with energy this is a fun book for little readers and runners! On the opening page, Mo writes a letter to the reader saying that he loves to see his kids reading and enjoying a good book and that he can't wait to find our what you think of his. Well, Mo, we loved it! Great job. Congratulations on your race win Mo! And on the book - it's a gold medal from us!
Ready Steady Go on read this book with Mo!
Mummy and BookBairn
*DISCLAIMER* I bought this book myself. I even pre-ordered it!
Click on the image (right) to find this book on amazon.co.uk *This post contains Affiliate links.
Saturday, July 30, 2016
For most people, this weekend sees the release of their most anticipated book of the year. The publishing and bookseller industry has been...
For most people, this weekend sees the release of their most anticipated book of the year. The publishing and bookseller industry has been completely focused on it. And yes, it's pretty awesome! And yes, I'll be getting a copy (Daddy BookBairn has consented to additional book expenditure for that purpose). And yes, I'm talking about 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'. But no, it's not my most anticipated book of the year.
I'm talking about 'Oi Dog' by Kes and Claire Grey with illustrations from Jim Field. I cannot express my excitement that it was released this week. Ever since discovering 'Oi Frog' I've been eagerly anticipated another release from this perfect book-creating partnership. I got all excited over the rumours of Oi Dog a year ago, and then devastated when I thought these were just rumours and not actually true, and then the elation to learn that 'Oi Dog' would be a real book! Honestly, it's too exciting.
It has taken me a couple of days to get a copy (yes, I know I could have pre-ordered it online but I wanted the thrill of seeing it on the shelves) and I managed to pick up the last copy in a local bookshop to my absolute joy!
As you can imagine, we have lots of books around our house and whilst BookBairn really enjoys them and gets excited by book-post, she is generally quite happy to read the same books over and over again. And she does love 'Oi Frog' but I was so surprised by her reaction to this new book. When I brought it home (I say that and it sounds like I'm bringing home a new baby to the family! - haha!) she took it straight from me and scurried through it's pages. She asked me to read it. She asked Daddy to read it. She looked through it again. She ran from room to room carrying it everywhere (this is a real hazard when you are as little as BookBairn because a hardback children's book really impedes your view) and eventually she put it on her 'Favourites Shelf'. It's now part of her book family! And it has pride of place! I think that's a pretty awesome reception!
'Oi Dog' is the much-anticipated follow-up to 'Oi Frog' by Kes Grey and Jim Field and it is truly fantastic! In the first book, Cat sets the world to rights ensuring that everyone is sitting in the right spot - cats on mats, frogs on logs and so on. Frog gets a pretty raw deal when asks "what do dogs sit on?" I'm sure you can imagine - and if you can't you need to get a copy of this book.
With the help of Kes and Claire Grey, Frog has decided to re-write the rules! And some animals don't fare too well this time around. Jim Field's illustrations are packed full of humour and his characters of Frog, Dog and Cat are so wonderfully expressive and endearing it's pretty hard to resist them!
I genuinely don't want to say too much to spoil this book. I simply implore you to buy it so you can enjoy it for yourself! I simply want to say that this was my most anticipated book of the year and it hasn't disappointed. It has exceeded all expectations! And I think it is my 'Book of the Year'! Certainly, so far! If you have any book-pennies to spare. This is the book you should buy!
It's the first time BookBairn has ever chosen to put a book on her Favourites Shelf. That's high-praise indeed!
Mummy and BookBairn xx
P.S. I realise there were a lot of !!!! in this blog post - I'm just too excited!
*DISCLAIMER* I bought 'Oi Dog' and it was worth every penny!
We are linking up with Mama Mummy Mum for #readwithme
A Book Munching Buddy
For me, Wee Gallery books are the exception to the black and white books. These are far from dull. The illustrations are simply adorable and most have an additional mechanism like sound, lift-the-flaps, or paper mechanisms to make the book more engaging than simple primer texts. This one is our favourite as it has little tabs down the side that make the sound of the corresponding animal in the illustrations. With a simple storyline this is a great book for little ones to begin to understand that books are stories with meaning. It tells the tale of Little Bear who is trying to sleep. But all the animals are making noises and could wake him up. The final page shows Mama Bear checking on her little cub and is accompanied by a snoring sound. Little ones will love this and it is one that BookBairn chooses again and again for her little brother's bedtime story. The only criticism is that the buttons are quite tricky to push and The Wee Page Turner can't do that himself yet so it's more fun reading this one together.
I love Jane Foster's designs, her Black & White baby book is one of the few that I really appreciated when reading with The Wee Page Turner as it is incredibly stylish and full of things that are actually black and white and not just made so for the sake of creating a first baby book. But I must admit I love this one a little bit more! It celebrates Spring which is a wonderful season full of discovery and new beginnings, not just chocolate eggs. Sharing vocabulary such as blossom, tulips, lamb, chicks, rainbow and bumblebees you can talk to your little one about how the world is changing in this new season. It would be a great one to pop in the buggy or a changing bag so you can spot these things whilst out and about. As I say the real charm of these books is in the fantastic artwork. The lines are bold and thick and the colours bright and cheerful making them great first books for babies developing their eyesight as well as slightly older toddlers who will love making connections to the real world.
A lovely bright book about a farmer who is trying to find his hen. Each page features die-cut holes that little fingers can explore and use to turn the pages as well as peep through to spy what's coming next. The Wee Page Turner is absolutely fascinating by finding the deep blue tractor on each page running his little fingers over it every single time. It rally stands out to him - and that's where the high contrast colours really help him to focus. Even though he is older (almost one) and his eyesight is fully developed, he still finds high contrast colours more interesting. The illustrations in this are just lovely and provide lots of things to look at and talk about beyond the simple storyline. A wonderful first adventure!
There is an abandoned yellow digger on a local woodland walk near our house. Toddler jackpot right? And being the book-loving mummy that I am I took a very appropriate book along with us.
Another athlete set to inspire little ones is Mo Farrrah who literally picked himself up after a fall and went on, pushing himself to his limits, to win another gold medal! Mo is also looking to inspire young readers to achieve their dreams in his new picture book 'Ready Steady Mo!'. Written with the support of Kes Grey (who co-wrote My Most Anticipated Book of the Year, Oi Dog!) and illustrated by Marta Kissi, Mo wants all little ones to don their trainers and run!
Generally, I avoid 'celebrity' published books - I'm a bit of a book snob about it more than anything else, not having read many either for children or adults (there's an interesting discussion here if you are interested). I think I worry that a 'celebrity' written book may simply be a great name on a cover to sell books but lacks much of a story inside. And there are so many good books to read I don't want to take the risk. But I digress slightly from topic...
I'm talking about 'Oi Dog' by Kes and Claire Grey with illustrations from Jim Field. I cannot express my excitement that it was released this week. Ever since discovering 'Oi Frog' I've been eagerly anticipated another release from this perfect book-creating partnership. I got all excited over the rumours of Oi Dog a year ago, and then devastated when I thought these were just rumours and not actually true, and then the elation to learn that 'Oi Dog' would be a real book! Honestly, it's too exciting.
I genuinely don't want to say too much to spoil this book. I simply implore you to buy it so you can enjoy it for yourself! I simply want to say that this was my most anticipated book of the year and it hasn't disappointed. It has exceeded all expectations! And I think it is my 'Book of the Year'! Certainly, so far! If you have any book-pennies to spare. This is the book you should buy!
