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+

Clap, Clap!

Clap, Clap!

By Madalena Matoso

Published by Flying Eye Books

Clap, Clap! is the latest release from Flying Eye Books. An interactive book that wants young readers to use their imagination and their hands, one on each side to create a unique storytelling experience.

The book invites the reader to open and close the book on each page to emphasise the action, such as someone knocking on the door, two friends hi-fiving in the park, a butterfly flapping it's wings and a boy banging his drum. There are 15 experiences, with the number printed clearly in the top right corner. 

I was able to explain to Aoife and the knocking on the door page caught her attention. I was rather impressed she was able to open and close the book to make it look like the man was knocking. Clap, Clap! is recommended for ages 3-5 though I think children from possibly 2 would be able to understand the idea.

Clap, Clap! is filled with bold colours and large images. I like Madalena's colourful style, which looks good against the white background; it has a nice clean look which works with the curved corners and thick paper. I rather like this idea, it's something different and looks good!

Clap, Clap! will be available from the 16th February, for more information, click here.

Dot. - Vol. 3 The Numbers Issue

Dot. - Vol. 3 The Numbers Issue

By The Anorak Press

I reviewed Dot. Vol.1 back in July, it was a new creative magazine for little ones, aimed at girls and boys under the age of 5. Printed quarterly, Vol. 3 is out now and it’s all about numbers. 

Vol. 3 features a story featuring DOT, comic strips, children's number rhymes, a drawing section and a 'Let's eat!' and 'Let's Cook!' page. There's a fun learning about numbers section covering numbers from 0-9, each page lists fun facts and a drawing space to turn the number into an animal. 

As like the previous two magazines, the shapes and colours issues, these magazines are stunningly illustrated with bold and colourful shapes. Any magazine that encourages learning through play is a hit for me!

This magazine range is fun, intelligent and creative and would make a great alternative to an activity book - you can find DOT distributed through bookshops, kids boutiques, school libraries, and the newsstands. If interested, you can find out more about the Dot. magazine here.

Ten Spooky Skeletons

Ten Spooky Skeletons

By Garry Parsons
Published by Caterpillar Books

It's nearly that spooky time of year again and if looking for some creepy books for your little ghouls, then check out this counting hardback, Ten Spooky Skeletons. It's a peek-through picture book with lots of bone shaking skeletons and a fun glow in the dark front cover as well as a glowing surprise at the end.

We join the skeletons as they go searching for some skelly friends. From playing pirates to circus antics, and even magic tricks, children will enjoy seeing what these silly skeletons get up to.

There are die-cut holes on each page to develop and continue the counting story. The holes are all different sizes and not always easy to spot, which is great as children will love trying to spot them first. I read this to Aoife as she always enjoys books with die-cut holes in and likes to feel the page looking for them and poking her little fingers through them.

Ten Spooky Skeletons is fun and flows well when reading out loud. Great for Halloween or reading at bedtime and seeing the glow in the dark skeletons. I find the skeletons rather cute and don't think they'd be too scary for your little ghosties.

Join the fun and count along with these comical skeletons and enjoy the super-spooky fright at the end! Ten Spooky Skeletons is available in all good bookshops and online here.

Tree

Tree

By Patricia Hegarty and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup
Published by Little Tiger Press

Tree is the stunning, illustrated book by the award winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup. The book explores the beauty of the changing seasons shown by following the life cycle of a tree. 

It starts in winter, and we see Owl watching from his home, high in the trunk of a tree. Snow is falling and the trees are bare but with Spring on the way, the ice begins to melt and bear cubs begin to play. Blossom begins to fall, leaves are growing and squirrels scamper all over the tree. The forest is now abloom with flowers and summer is on it’s way with the tree now filled with birds singing (more animals are joining Owl in his tree). Its summer time now and bees are humming.

It starts to get cooler and apples tumble to the ground. The autumn leaves turn red and gold and nights are getting cold. It isn’t long before Winter returns when the North wind begins to blow and brings the snow. Once again Owl is left alone in his tree but he has seen it all before.

Tree has die-cuts on ever page and creates a layered effect throughout the book, allowing animals to appear on the tree as the seasons change. There is a hole showing Owl, starting with the cover and throughout the whole picture book, this makes it look like Owl is looking out from his home, a hole in the trunk. The illustrations are truly lovely within the book, and the pages are filled with lots of activity for children to explore. There is so much to discover in the backgrounds and in the trees and the beautiful illustrations work really well with the lyrical rhyming text.

This book is recommended for ages 3-5 and would make a lovely gift for any child. It would also make a great first introduction in learning about the seasons and how they may affect nature and the trees around us. This peek-through picture book will be available from the 10th September, available in all good bookshops or online here.

Katie McGinty Wants a Pet!

Katie McGinty Wants a Pet!

By Jenna Harrington and illustrated by Finn Simpson
Published by Little Tiger Press

Jenna Harrington’s debut book, Katie McGinty Wants a Pet! will resonate with any child who has ever wanted a pet and for any parents who have been nagged for one! This debut book is funny and concerns a little girl wanting a very unusual pet though the front cover does give it away.

Katie McGinty desperately wants a pet, more than anything in the whole wide world. Finally she's big enough and drags her Daddy, excitedly, to the pet shop. Her Daddy wants to know what kind of pet she wants and suggests normal pets, such as a hamster, or a cat, or even a little dog like granny’s, but no, no, no, that’s not what Katie McGinty wants at all. What Katie McGinty wants more than anything is a ZEBRA! 

Katie’s Daddy shakes his head in disbelief and explains to Katie that they can’t have a zebra because they live in Africa where it’s hot and it’s far too cold here. But Katie has it all thought out and replies that Granny can knit the zebra a warm, wooly jumper and he can wear Mummy’s ski boots. Daddy doesn’t think they can buy a zebra in a pet shop and asks Katie what they would feed him, where would he sleep and how would they wash him, as they have too small a garden and he can’t sleep in the shed.. but Katie has thought this through and replies that the Zebra will eat their dinner; fish fingers and spaghetti with them at the table. He will sleep in her bunk bed and she knows he won’t fit in the bath but she can wash him at the swimming pool. 

When they reach the pet shop, Katie’s Daddy explains that he knows she really, really wants a zebra but they just can’t have one… However we notice that on the pet shop window are signs that read "special sale", and when they exit the pet shop, they exit with not just one zebra but two zebras!! Lucky Katie, it was a buy one zebra, get one free day!

Katie McGinty Wants a Pet! is a funny and fantastical tale about wanting a pet. It’s filled with lovely, warm and fun illustrations with a charming feel to the book. Jenna Harrington has captured the characteristics of children so well, as children always have an answer for everything and especially when they want something very much. This book is recommend for ages 3+ and is perfect for any animal loving child. Available in all good bookshops and online here.

The First Slodge

The First Slodge

By Jeanne Willis and illustrated by Jenni Desmond  
Published by Little Tiger Press

This new picture book from Jeanne Willis and Jenni Desmond winds back the clock to the beginning of time, where a creature called a 'Slodge' is discovering the world for the first time. The first sunrise, the first sunset, the first star and the first moon. And as it discovers it it also starts to lay claim on everything it comes across too. Mine, mine, mine! But that doesn't last long...

The First Slodge discovers that her fruit has had a second bite taken out of it and before long a Second Slodge is on the scene. And so the arguments start and the fighting (in this case the first ever fight) over the fruit ensues. With a fight throwing the fruit down a hill, a chase after it begins. 

  

But the fruit ends up in the sea and the First Slodge dives after it, only to find that the sea is also occupied by a more terrifying creature (called The First Snawk) than the Second Slodge, who wants to eat the First Slodge for its supper! Luckily the Second Slodge comes to the rescue and through this act of kindness the Slodges kiss and make up.

I loved this original take on the sharing fable and how it teaches its reader that the world belongs to everyone. Jenni's illustrations are beautifully rendered in pencil and watercolour and really bring The First Slodge to life. A great read for teaching children early on that sharing is very important, especially when it comes to being a good sibling or friend! The First Slodge is available to buy from all good bookshops and on the Little Tiger Press website.

THIS IS MY ROCK

This is my Rock

By David Lucas
Published byFlying Eye Books

The latest release by Flying Eye Books is THIS IS MY ROCK by the talented David Lucas, a timeless story about sharing.

 

 

THIS IS MY ROCK is about a little goat claiming the top of a mountain top, he won’t even let the other goats anywhere near the top, saying 'Not your rock'. He warns off an eagle, a brown bear and even fights off a pack of wolves, telling everyone that ‘This is my rock. Not your rock.’ When the goat is finally alone, he enjoys some yodelling and some tippity tapping.

 

But being all alone isn’t all it's hyped up to be, especially at night when it’s very cold (and scary!). When the sun rises, little goat knows what he must do. He finds his friends and tells them that the rock is ‘Our rock.’ They soon race to the top where a little bird has now claimed it! Doh! I must admit that this is the first time that I have come across David Lucas’ work and wow, I adore his illustrative style and his use of patterns (going through a pattern phase at the moment). After reading about him on his website, I love his decorative style, and with this book being printed in 4 spot colours (a process that mixes pantone inks and prints in layers to create a unique colour palette), the book has a lovely style and appearance and that 'must have' feel about it!

 

I also recently read an interview with Lucas on the Nobrow site, where Lucas shares his stories of his 5 other brothers. He admits that the eldest goat in the story is his brother, who sadly passed away when he was in the middle of this book. It was only later on that he noticed that he'd given the oldest goat his brothers’ scarf - with the same colours as the one his brother wore throughout his twenties, which he had completely forgotten about. I highly recommend having a read over on the nobrow site.

THIS IS MY ROCK has a simple moral of sharing which would make a great gift for any young book lover but also for siblings! Things can be much more fun when they are shared with your friends. THIS IS MY ROCK is available now to buy on the Flying Eye Books website here.

Pom Pom Gets the Grumps

POM POM Gets the Grumps

By Sophy Henn 
Published by Puffin

 

Have you ever had one of those mornings where you wake up on the wrong side of the bed? Well that’s what happens to Pom Pom, and nothing is right.
 
Pom Pom is a new character from Sophy Henn, her first book, Where Bear? was reviewed by me last year. You may also recognise Sophy’s unique and fun illustrations on the World Book Day website, check out her lovely illustrations here.

  
One morning, Pom Pom gets out of the bed on the wrong side and then nothing seems right. He can’t find his blanky, his baby brother is playing with his favourite toy very loudly, and his mummy is singing silly songs all throughout breakfast. Even his cereal was soggy and there were bits in his juice. “Harrumph!’ said Pom Pom which he constantly says throughout the book to everything going wrong. Pom Pom can’t even get his hair right and even on his way to school, the sun is too sunny and the birds are being too noisy. 

When he gets to school, everyone is having fun in the playground except Pom Pom. His friends come to ask him to play ball, “No” he huffs. How about we watch ants? “No” he grumbles. He even shouts “No” when asked to play catch before finally losing his temper and yelling “Go Away!” at the top of his voice! And unsurpisingly they do go away. Pom Pom is left all alone. He didn’t feel like shouting any more. His friends had only tried to be nice. Pom Pom knows he's been silly and goes to apologise to everyone, luckily he has nice friends who accept his apology and suggest a new game.

I really like Sophy Henn’s bright, contemporary illustrations and like Where Bear? her characters are very cute, you’ll even spot a reference to Where Bear? early on in this book. I recently visited a book shop and spotted this book straight away with its bright and simplistic cover, it definitely stands out on displays from ebrything else that's out.

The recommended age for this book is 3-5 years and this funny take on toddler tantrums will definitely strike a chord with parents. I happened to read this book aloud to my (nearly) 9 month old daughter and when making loud exaggerated “Harrumph!” sounds, she would laugh and give me a big smile.

This isn’t the last we seen of Pom Pom, he will be back in Pom Pom the Champion, due out this September. Pom Pom Gets the Grumps is available in all good bookshops and online from Puffin.