It’s world book day today so I thought I’d share a few of my favourite children’s books from my daughter’s collection.
Penguin by Polly Dunbar
A truly excellent book about a small boy who receives a penguin as a present. He tries to interact with the penguin by talking, dancing, wearing a funny hat, but his penguin just stands still and ignores him. What is a boy to do? Go read the book and you’ll find out! It’s far too good a read for me to spoil the ending!
Stuck by Oliver Jeffers
An hilarious tale of a boy who flies his kite too close to a tree and gets it stuck. He tries throwing other things up in an attempt to knock it down, but wait and see what happens when the fire brigade gets involved! Just how far will he go to get his kite back?
The bog baby by Jeanne Willis
A beautifully written and illustrated tale of what happens when two little girls find an unusual creature and decide to keep it. This story always brings a lump to my throat and has caused me to shed a tear or two. One of the most perfectly written stories I’ve ever read. Don’t forget to look for bog babies with your kids so you can fill in the form on the last page!
A squash and a squeeze by Julia Donaldson
The gruffalo and room on the broom may be better known thanks to the Christmas specials over the last few years, but I love this simple tale of dissatisfaction and appreciating what you have. It’s about a woman who thinks her house is too small, but a local wise man has an interesting suggestion for her… Kids will love the lyrical rhyming and Axel Scheffler’s vibrant illustrations, and and grown ups can have fun finding the perfect voices for the characters (I use the Queen and Prince Phillip).
Into the woods by Chris Wormell
Three bears venture into the woods for a picnic, but is there danger waiting for them? A typical horror movie setup and a suitably dark and threatening wood makes this one for the older children (although my 3yo loves it!). Rollo, Pog and Bubba set off for a picnic, but soon find themselves lost and without food, and hunted by the big bad wolf. Dramatic tension grows with every page in this wonderful amalgamation of the teddy bear’s picnic and big bad wolf stories, and an unexpected intervention will leave the kids smiling at the end.
I hope you go and borrow these stories from your local library or buy them from a local independent bookseller if you have one, and that you enjoy them as much as my daughter and I have! Good reading!
SillyBeardyDaddyman 