Little Concepts: ABC Shapes

Little Concepts: ABC Shapes

Illustrated by Ingela P Arrhenius

Published by Walter Foster Jr.

An ABC board book that goes beyond squares and circles and reminds us that there are so many other shapes out there; from cubes to ellipse, helix to isosceles and quite a few more that I had forgotten about or didn’t even know of! 

Children (and I imagine adults too) will learn about unusual shapes along with the alphabet. Throw in some retro and distinctive stylish illustrations by Ingela Arrhenius and you’ve got yourself a winner! 

Each page spread highlights two letters, unconventional shapes and an engaging illustration which incorporates the two shapes that children can try and spot.

This is a fun and colourful, educational book that takes a different angle on learning the ABC!

Age 3+

Why it has been so long...

Why it has been so long...

I have already announced the following news through my Instagram account, but we welcomed another little girl into this world, last October; meet Erin, the newest member and little sister to Aoife. It feels like Erin has always been apart of our little family and Aoife adores her (I hope it lasts!). 

Adjusting to being a new mum of two has been hard work and I have struggled to get back into the swing of things when it comes to reviewing but now that I've sort of got the hang of things (it's all about routines), I'm hoping to crack on with this reviewing lark. I've been receiving some gems and can't wait to show you. 

Erin gives her seal of approval to another lovely addition to the range Can You Say It Too?  Stomp! Stomp! is by Sebastien Braun and published by Nosy Crow. A board back book with large flaps to lift which reveal a range of dinosaurs. Bright, colourful, and bold, it would be great for any little dinosaur fan. The Can You Say It Too? range, is ideal for children who are just starting to talk. 

I love seeing children reading and enjoying books!! But I especially love how Aoife is now enjoying revisiting her baby books and pointing out things to her little sister. Sister love x

I Thought I Saw a Lion!

I Thought I Saw a Lion!

Illustrated by Lydia Nichols

Published by Templar Publishing

If looking for some chunky and interactive board books for very little ones, then I recommend checking out Lydia Nichols illustrated board book series, I Thought I Saw a Lion! and I Thought I Saw a Dinosaur! Published by Templar.

I Thought I Saw a Lion! is a beautifully illustrated small board book with sturdy sliders to reveal a cheeky lion hiding in every scene. What a naughty lion; he's in the library, at the hair dressers and even at a restaurant. 'I thought I saw a lion..' is repeated on each spread followed by 'Is it in the....' allows children to join in. Featuring a lovely warm colour palette with a screen printed effect and some nice character design, it also has a nice retro feel. 

For ages 0 - 3 years, little ones will love trying to spot this cheeky lion. 

British Museum First Concepts + British Museum: Mummy

British Museum First Concepts Series 
+ 
British Museum: Mummy

Published by Nosy Crow

I was lucky to receive a selection of board books from Nosy Crow, a while back, who have been working with the British Museum in an exclusive partnership to create a range of children's books. As stated in their book description; the books draw on the British Museum's internationally recognised brand, its unparalleled collection of objects and its world class expertise.

British Museum First Concepts is a range of board books; 123, ABC, Opposites and Colours, all aimed at 0+ years. 

The 123 board book goes up to the number 20 and displays beautiful and interesting collections; from drawings and paintings of butterflies and geese, to mini fish and horse statues to a collection of odd looking hats among many more. With blocks of background colour, the objects are displayed clearly and allows the number and written number to stand out.  

The ABC book is displayed in a similar format and works just as well. Each letter is shown in upper and lower case with the word of the object displayed. 

There's a lovely high quality to this collection that makes them stand out from other ABC/123 books. Though aimed at age 0+, Aoife loves looking through this and talking about the objects shown. It's made me want to take her to the British Museum and try and find the items!

Each book in this series also offers a QR code at the back of the book for parents to scan on their smart phone to find out more about the objects displayed within the book.

Mummy is another board book, and part of The British Museum collection, with large lift-the-flaps and that offers an early introduction into ancient Egyptian life. The book follows a little girl who is looking for her mummy in different locations; market, River Nile, pond, tomb etc. With repetition of 'Where's my mummy?' per page, little ones are encouraged to join in and help look for the little girl's lost mummy.

I was surprised by the hieroglyphs under each flap but it's a nice touch and a good discussion point with toddlers about other languages and symbols. With pretty illustrations that are simple but work really nicely with the theme - a lovely addition to the collection.

For more information on the Early Concept series, please click here.

Walk This Wild World

Walk This Wild World

Illustrated by Sam Brewster
Written by Kate Baker

Published by Big Picture Press

Walk This Wild World is a stunningly illustrated, lift-the-flap board book. Each page spread explores a new habitat and country and offers a variety of animals, reptiles and insects, and even plant life. Flaps of different sizes are spread out and offer interesting facts.

Sam Brewster's graphic style is distinctive and works extremely well with this style of book. From Peccaries and Kangaroo rats in the Sonoran dessert, to the blue morpho, the largest butterfly in the Amazon. You'll discover a huge selection of creatures in a variety of countries such as the Serengeti, the Spanish wetlands, the windy coast of the Hebrides, a vast green Russian steppe, to the snowy Himalayan peaks among a few others. There is also a world map at the end to show the journey that you have taken.

Though Aoife may be too young to understand the facts, she is still enjoying this book, finding the flaps and trying to learn the animal names. It's one she likes to pick up daily.

It's a beautiful discovery book, that's high quality, that any young or old animal lover will enjoy exploring!

Baby Touch and Feel I Love You

Baby Touch and Feel
I Love You

Published by DK Press

I Love You is the latest addition to the Baby Touch and Feel series by DK Press. A cute little board book, ideal for little fingers. There are a variety of touchy-feely areas to explore; soft felt teddy paws, shimmery hearts, furry puppies and rabbits among other textured surfaces. This little book explores love and friendship, perfect for Valentine's Day. 

This book has a nice feel to it, with a padded cover and a small format, it is a great size for little people to explore. It has bright and clear photography, and features a heart shaped mirror at the end for your little sweetheart! Not just for Valentine's, this would make a lovely gift to help little ones explore love, feelings and textures.

For more information, click here.

A Day with Dogs

A Day with Dogs

By Dorothée de Monfreid

Published by Gecko Press

Welcome to dog heaven! If you ever wanted a book packed full of quirky and humourous dog illustrations then this is the book for you! Meet nine funny dogs as they live out their everyday lives in this Richard Scarry-esque new picture book from Dorothée de Monfreid.

What do dogs do all day? This rich and playful album features a cast of funny dog characters enacting everyday scenes. A picture dictionary for the very young, with everything children need to know about the world around them.

From the start, children will learn different dog breeds and with the help of the dogs, they will help identify parts of a home, what a bathroom is used for, different sports, clothing and loads more! It's packed full of useful things and lots of humour!

The dogs are full of character and help educate younger children in all sorts. Dorothée's illustrations are fabulous, with lots going on and well laid out. Her dolls house style for a lot of the spreads is very detailed and well labelled. It's a purely brilliant teaching tool that will make learning fun - especially for children that shy away from educational titles.

Perfect for dog lovers and young children who want to learn with the help from some waggy friends, A Day with Dogs is available to buy now from all good booksellers and from the Gecko Press website here.

Can You Say It Too? Brrr! Brrr!

Can You Say It Too? Brrr! Brrr!

By Sebastien Braun

Published by Nosy Crow

Part of the 'Can You Say It Too?' series, Brrr! Brrr! is another great edition to this series of board books for young children and great for this chilly time of year.

Filled with artic animals and lift and see flaps, this is a great board book for little people to get their hands on. I adore Sebastien's illustrations in this series of books, he fills the spreads with beautiful illustrations of all kinds of animals that children may not be familiar with. In Brrr! Brrr! we are introduced to seals. penguins, killer whales, artic foxes, walruses and wolves. My two year old throughly enjoyed lifting the flaps to discover each hiding animal and read it several times afterwards. A great addition to anyones 'Can You Say It Too?' collection and for adding it to your child's educational bookshelf. 

Can You Say It Too? Brrr! Brrr! is available to buy now from all good booksellers and from the Nosy Crow website here.