This recently launched picture book is uplifting and joyful. It encourages the reader to imagine a world where everyone looks the same, all the food tastes the same, where we all speak the same language… wouldn’t that be so boring?
The book goes on to celebrate diversity and inclusivity in an engaging and fun way that kids will absolutely relate to. It encourages children to be curious about the diverse world we live in and to enjoy our differences.
Written by Uju Asika and illustrated by Jennie Poh, this book is beautifully written and illustrated, bursting with colour and joy! If you have any kiddies in your life, this book is unmissable.
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.
What are your six and seven year olds reading at the moment? Have they started enjoying chapter books or do they still love their picture books too? My seven year old is starting to enjoy chapter books, but she still loves her picture books. After finishing a chapter book I notice she always goes back to picking up a handful of her picture books and none more often than this one.
I think Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth is one of her favourite picture books which I realised I hadn’t shared here. Once you see the book, it’s not hard to see why kids would love it so much. The story is simple and sweet. Ganesha is just like any other kid except he has the head of an elephant and he rides around on a little magical mouse. And like most kids, he loves sweets. When his sweet tooth gets the better of him, he is unable to resist a super jumbo jawbreaker laddoo (an Indian sweet). As he bites in to it his tusk breaks off. With the help of a wise poet and his mouse friend, Ganesha learns that what seems broken at first can be quite useful after all. Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth is loosely based on a classic Indian tale but the author has reinvented the story in to something funny, sweet and engaging for kids.
While it’s a sweet story, it’s the illustrations that really stand out. The pages are bursting with colour and the illustrations are so detailed making the characters come to life. It’s hard not to fall for this book, no matter what age but I think it’s a must have picture book for 4-7 year olds. What are your kids reading at the moment? I’m always looking out for unusual and interesting kids books so I would love to know in the comments.
UK readers can find Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth here but if you’re in the US, find it here.
What do you do with an idea? How many times have you let an idea slip by just because people told you it wouldn’t work? I know that I have pushed aside ideas many times because people have laughed at it or because I didn’t believe enough in myself to pursue it. We all have ideas, big and small, but often we are scared of them and don’t know what to do with them. Will people laugh at our idea, will they think it’s weird or worse will they think we’re weird? Do we have the determination and confidence to develop it? This kids book called What Do You Do with an Idea? is all about an idea and what can happen when you have one. It’s written in a very simple, easy to understand way for kids with beautifully simple drawings to match.
What Do You Do With An Idea is a kids book that is just as much for adults. It’s a great reminder for any age that ideas are to be treasured, nurtured and believed in but more than the idea, it’s also about believing in yourself and having the confidence to look beyond the meanies who try and put you and your idea down.
I bought this book a couple of weeks ago and read it to Anya expecting her to love it just as much as I did. She didn’t. She didn’t dislike the book but I think she didn’t fully get it. This book is recommended for three years and over but I think for younger kids it’s a cute picture book but not much more beyond that. Even for Anya who is six, I think we need to talk about the book a bit more for her to fully appreciate it. But don’t let that put you off as this book as it’s a keeper. What Do You Do with an Idea? is a book to pull out whenever you or your kids are struggling with an idea and self-belief. I am so glad I bought the book and will be keeping it and bringing it out every so often to read to Anya and I know she will appreciate it more in time, especially as she gets older and maybe starts having more doubts about things.
Anya has been asking a lot of questions about infinity lately. I’ve tried explaining the concept to her but it isn’t an easy concept for a six year old to understand – I only just about understand it myself! :). Her interest in infinity started when she asked what the biggest number in the world was. I told her about infinity and for a while she thought that the biggest number in the world was infinity because she just couldn’t grasp the idea that numbers never finish. But then I came across this book called Infinity and Me and it seemed like just the book to help in explaining infinity to children.
Infinity and Me is about a little girl who gazes up at the night sky and starts to feel very small in the vastness of the sky. She begins to wonder about infinity and just what exactly infinity means. She starts asking everyone she meets and soon realises that maybe there are infinite ways to explain infinity. Infinity and Me is a very simple and sweet book with illustrations that are equally adorable. It’s a great first book to give some meaning and relevance to the concept of infinity to kids. While the main character in the book happens to be a girl, I think this book is equally suited for boys as it is for girls. Any child curious about infinity would enjoy Infinity and Me.
Now that Anya is six, I have been introducing quite a few longer, chapter books to her as I think she is ready to follow more involved stories. Some have been really good, others not so much. While we are experimenting with these longer books, we are definitely not ready to give up our picture books anytime soon. Anya is still young and loves looking at pictures in books especially ones where the pictures tell part of the story or add an element of humour and fun. Some picture books can be a bit babyish but there are plenty of far more sophisticated ones that are actually aimed at older kids like 6-7 year olds. Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers is definitely one of them.
You wouldn’t expect anyone to be recommending alphabet books for 6 year olds but this is no ordinary alphabet book. Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers is a collection of short stories based around the letters of the alphabet. The stories are very short and even though they appear simple, they are packed with humour, wit and unexpected twists. The words used in the book like ‘E for Enigma’ or ‘V for Victor the Vanquished’ are interesting new words and the accompanying illustrations are really fun too. One of my favourite stories is the one about ‘Danger Delilah’. It’s a book that Anya and I have read together but she has also been picking it up and reading it to herself. I’m a big fan of Oliver Jeffers and this latest book is no exception. It’s now on my list for birthday gifts too.
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:
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...
