When I find a good picture book I end up buying a few copies to give as birthday gifts too. Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam is one of these picture books that is just delightful. Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam are a pair of robber dogs. In the dead of night they creep around town with big plans to rob banks, book shops and bike shops. But… they are hopeless robbers! After one too many failed grand plans, Shifty McGifty & Slippery Sam realise that crime doesn’t pay but cupcakes do! The book is written in rhyming text and is a sweet and funny little story with a simple moral take out. The illustrations are playful and fun and this book is equally great to read to kids or let 5+ readers read by themselves.
Books are my favourite gifts to give kids. For birthdays, for Christmas gifts, for any occasion at all. With so many fabulous kids books out there, it’s not hard to find the perfect book for any child. Here I’ve compiled a list of some of our favourite books – some of which we already have and others that are on our wish list. I’ve mixed up the selection to include picture books, art books, activity books, educational books and more.
Anya’s Christmas gifts always include books and usually a selection of different types like the ones I’ve suggested here. The one that I am looking most forward to buying her this Xmas is The School of Art which I have browsed through and it looks great not just for kids but for adults too. The books I’ve picked are for a range of ages from toddlers to 10 year olds so there’s something for everyone. The ages though are just rough guides, not set in stone.
Here are my best kids books gift suggestions for this year:
While there are lots of fabulous kids picture books out there, I have not had too much luck finding fun chapter books for kids, especially ones with lots of pictures. Anya is at that age (6 years) where picture books are still of interest to her but she could do with longer stories and more text to develop her reading. Recently I stumbled across The Beast in My Belly and it was just the kind of book I had been looking for. It’s a short chapter book for kids with most chapters no longer than a page or two but it also has lots of fun pictures on every page. At 6, kids still really engage with pictures and like to look at them alongside reading the text and this book has plenty of both. Besides which it is a great little story too.
Rumble, rumble, rumble! It’s that noisy tummy rumbling feeling we all get when we’re hungry. We’ve all experienced it but what happens when you’re a small child and don’t know why it’s happening? What could it possibly be? The Beast in my Belly is a funny chapter book about how far a child’s imagination can go when they’re trying to figure out something they’ve never experienced before. The little girl in the book imagines all sorts of things that could be happening inside her belly each time it rumbles. She is convinced there is something sinister inside her belly and tries to tell the adults in her life but of course none of them believe her. The illustrations are quirky and unusual and really bring the book to life. The colours they’ve used in the drawings are stunning too.
The Beast in My Belly is a great short chapter book for kids around 5-7 years old to read to themselves. But it’s also a fun book to read out loud to younger kids. It’s great for plenty of giggles with lots of cute drawings and it’s just a sweet little book which we have thoroughly enjoyed.
One of my favourite places to discover new and unusual kids books is in museum shops especially here in the UK and in the US. You can find real gems that you wouldn’t easily come across elsewhere. Last week we visited Tate Modern and after admiring the art I made a beeline for the shop. I barely glanced at the adult collections, knowing that I was here to check out the kids books which didn’t disappoint. There were loads of fabulous books some of which I had already come across but many others that I was delighted to discover. I could have bought about 20 books but I had to hold back. There was one though that I couldn’t resist and that was Captain Coconut & the case of the missing bananas.
Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas is such a fun kids book – full of laugh out loud humour that kids (and adults) will love. Captain Coconut is a detective who is called in to solve the mind-boggling case of the missing bananas. But Captain Coconut is no ordinary dectective – he has a brain as fast as lightening or so he thinks. Mrs Y is distraught as she bought 14 bananas and 4 of these were eaten by her and her family. The next morning, instead of finding 10 bananas, there were only 6! Where have those 4 missing bananas gone? So Captain Coconut arrives and goes about solving the mystery with lots of silliness, fun and entertainment for the reader. Beyond the fun there are also some simple maths puzzles (about the disappearing bananas) that kids will enjoy solving with Captain Coconut. The graphic illustrations are so artistic and colourful using collage style art and there are lots of them so there’s plenty to look at on each page too.
Anya adored this book and after we had read it together, she went off to read it by herself. Every so often I would hear her laughing out loud. It’s a book that is ideal to read to younger kids and but also great for slightly older kids to read by themselves – like around 6-7 years. Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas is the first book in this series but there are more cases coming soon – I can’t wait. This book is such a joy so if you are looking for something fun and a little bit different, then do check it out.
I absolutely love kids books and can spend hours upon hours choosing books for Anya and then enjoying them with her. We all know that it’s important to encourage our kids to read but to develop their interest and keep it going it’s so important to pick the right books for them. Apart from searching online, I tend to ask friends and colleagues for recommendations, browse real bookshops in London and on holiday (where I have found some gems) and I even ask on my facebook page which gets me some fabulous suggestions. Over the years we have discovered many fab kids books in this way but there have been some disappointments too. While I love searching for kids books, sometimes I wish there was a less time consuming way. And that got me wondering about a kids book subscription box as there seem to be monthly subscription boxes for everything else these days!
I went searching and I found some – yay! In the UK there is The Willoughby Book Club where you can subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months and it’s aimed at children from 5-12 years of age but they also offer toddler and baby book subscriptions. You just answer a few questions about your child and the books are tailored to their age and interests. In the US you have Giftlit which works in pretty much the same way but has a few advantages. I especially liked that with Giftlit you get to see the books you are getting before you order and having briefly browsed their selection I have to add that it looks really good. So if you don’t like the sound of one, you can substitute it with another and you can also return books. This ensures you only get and keep books you and your kids love. Lastly again in the UK is Prudence and the Crow who specialise in vintage books for kids and adults. You don’t get to see the books which is a shame but I still like the idea behind the service.
I haven’t tried any of these book subscriptions yet but I am very tempted. I love the idea of a kids book subscription box because of the element of surprise and also any kid would love to receive a monthly package in their name. The anticipation would just add to their excitement of reading and enjoying the book. And especially for those months when you don’t have time to search and find books you know you’ll at least receive one in the post. Apart from your own child, these book subscription boxes would make great gifts too. Have you tried one? Where do you look for inspiration for your kids books? Do you know of any other services? I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas in the comments.
We are complete bookworms in this house. I would go so far as saying almost more then adult books, I adore kids books and get excited every time we get a new one. Christmas is the perfect excuse for me to go a bit over the top buying new books for Anya. Last week I shared some great activity books for kids so today I wanted to share some story books. Most of these books are suitable for around ages 4-7 years but of course can be read out loud to younger kids too. Some of them are old classics like Puss in Boots and Aesops Fables but I’ve picked new and exciting editions which bring something different. We already own some of these books and love them and the rest are on our wish list:
I recently came across this book – Melvin the luckiest monkey. I checked out the author Claudia Boldt and found that she creates the cutest drawings in soft colours that aren’t just for her range of kids books but they’re also used to create adorable stickers, place mats and other stationery. The stories look like they’re fun to read and often have messages on life lessons like friendship or creating your own luck or beauty being in the eye of the beholder. I especially love the illustrations in Odd Dog which is all about a dog who prefers apples to bones. You can get Claudia’s books on Amazon
Yesterday my daughter had a play date with another little girl and they got hooked on the colour green. The two girls kept saying ‘green’ louder and louder and then bursting in to fits of laughter. They then started adding an extra word and coming up with things like ‘green toast’, ‘green dog’… the idea being to pair it with something that most definitely isn’t green. This produced more laughter and eventually the inevitable bathroom humour ensued followed by the loudest giggles ever! I don’t know how 4 year old minds work but I do know this little game tickled them pink! While I didn’t take part in the game, it did get me thinking of the colour green and I realised I’d never done a green post. I always think that green isn’t a colour I’m naturally drawn to but then again there are so many shades of it that there really is a green for everyone (my personal favourite is mint green) and so I thought it would be fun to look for a few things in different shades of green and here’s what I found:
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
