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Do you visit your local library? I have to admit that until recently, we hadn’t visited our library very often. However, we’re now making a real effort to go at least every other week to stock up with some new stories.
Here are the books that 3-year-old Zak has borrowed this month. If you’re not able to borrow these from your library, you can click on the picture to see the book on Amazon.
The Smeds and The Smoos
by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
Has Julia Donaldson ever written a book that you haven’t loved? This one has been an enormous hit in our house and we actually had to renew it at the library to keep it a bit longer. This is a lovely story about two aliens who fall in love despite their families’ prejudices. It teaches children that just because someone looks different or does things slightly differently to you, this shouldn’t mean that you avoid them. And of course, there’s a happy ending!
Jabari Jumps
by Gaia Cornwall
I was really pleased when we found this one in the library as I have read it lots at school over the past few years and love the message. It was perfect for Zak, who can sometimes be hesitant about jumping in when we go swimming. This is a story about Jabari, who goes swimming with his dad and says that he is going to jump off the diving board. But the reality of it proves to be more scary than he thought. This has a great message about how it’s ok to be scared, but when you overcome your fears, the feeling of accomplishment is worth it.
Not Yet, Zebra
by Lou Kuenzler & Juli Woolf
Can you think of an animal for every letter of the alphabet? This book is about a little girl painting a picture of an animal for each letter, but Zebra is desperate to have his turn and doesn’t want to wait until the end. It’s great for exposing children to the alphabet and the order that letters come in. The whole way through, I was wondering which animal begins with an X. You’ll have to read the story to find out how the author got round that one!
Bugs
by Anna Milbourne & Sarah Allen
I’m always nervous about borrowing lift-the-flap books from the library, as I’m terrified that Zak will get excited and rip one of the flaps. But since starting at his outdoor nursery, he’s been very interested in bugs and jumped at the chance to borrow this one. It’s got lots of information about different bugs and insects with the usual great illustrations that Usborne books have.
The Queen’s Lift Off
by Steve Antony
The original book in Steve Antony’s series starring The Queen, ‘The Queen’s Hat,’ is one of the absolute favourites in our house, so we were very excited to find this one in the library. This story follows The Queen on an adventure into space, where she visits the different planets and we even meet an alien queen! What I love about these stories is the really simple structure, meaning that it’s easy for young children to retell the story themselves. This is a really useful early reading skill and Steve Antony’s books are perfect for this.
Maybe
by Chris Haughton
I love the style of Chris Haughton’s books – they’re instantly recognisable and are the perfect length for a bedtime story. This one stars a trio of monkeys who have been warned not to leave their tree because there are tigers about, but the temptation of mangos nearby is too great to ignore! The word ‘maybe’ is used throughout the story and provides some good opportunities for little ones to join in. Again, this is a really crucial early reading skill and this book is perfect for honing that.
Squishy McFluff – Tea with the Queen
by Pip Jones & Ella Okstad
We’ve never read any of the Squishy McFluff stories before, so this was a good find for us and definitely a series to keep an eye out for in future. This story is about a little girl and her imaginary cat who find themselves having tea with The Queen at Buckingham Palace. The Queen speaks quite a bit in this story, so make sure you can do a half-decent Queen impression of you choose to read this one!
How to Look After Your Dinosaur
by Jason Cockcroft
Imagine getting a pet dinosaur! If you decide to branch out from the usual house pets and get yourself a T-Rex, this manual is the one you’ll need. The illustrations really make this story come to life and there’s the obligatory page all about dinosaur poo that’s certain to appeal to many young children (and some grown-ups too!).
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