Curl Up with A Letter for Bear

Yesterday we braved the elements and went to the Scottish Deer Centre. We spotted plenty of deer, elk, the Scottish Wildcat and were stalked the length of the enclosure of the wolves. Alas, we did not see the bears, they are hibernating. I can't blame them it is the time of year for snuggling up. BookBairn and I enjoy a daily hibernation under a blanket in front of the fire with a good book and have discovered the perfect wintry read. 'A Letter for Bear' by David Lucas is full of beautiful illustrations which will transport you through the 'wardrobe' into a winter wonderland.

This is the heart-warming tale of Bear who delivers letters, getting to know all the animals in his local woodland neighbourhood for whom he decides to throw a party. I won't spoil the ending other than to say that it will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy (think the 2013 John Lewis advert with the bear and the hare).

This is perhaps one of the most stylish and sophisticated picture books that we have read. Full of beautiful imagery in the text - 'a snowstorm of letters' and illustrations which wold not look out of place in an art gallery, it is a treat for the ears and eyes! Featuring a limited colour palette of blues, purples, pinks and oranges it is visually quite different from all the other books in BookBairn's library. When we read the book, she is captivated by the illustrations and reaches out to touch the snowflakes which are scattered across every page. I am also delighted by the fact that she is now able to turn the pages of both paperback and board books and she flicked through these pages enjoying the beautiful end-papers in particular.

This story brings back memories for me of curling up with my own mum, G'ma BookBairn, and reading 'The Jolly Christmas Postman' by Janet Ahlberg. Another Christmas book to re-discover with BookBairn when she is older and less-prone to eating the postman's letters. It has also reminded me of the joys of #happymail not simply because I was happy to get this book in the post but also Bear's joy at receiving cards in the post from the woodland creatures... I think I'll get writing those Christmas cards this week!

Christmas Countdown for little BookBairns

The countdown to Christmas is about to begin and this year the excitement of Christmas has been enlivend anew for me as it will be BookBairn's first Christmas! Suddenly, our old Christmas decorations and traditions seem dusty so I am inspired to bring back some sparkle to the festivities, starting new traditions and polishing up the dusty ones.

One tradition I am excited to throw some glitter on and bring some cheer to is to upgrade our Christmas countdown, especially since BookBairn is really too small for a chocolate advent calendar (don't worry I'll eat hers!). I hope to start a new BookBairn-family tradition by creating a book advent tree to countdown the days until Christmas.

To get started, I have been collecting Christmas and winter-themed books for a couple of months, and whilst it has been quite costly this year, I plan to put the books away at the end of the festive season and bring them back out again next year (and they will seem new again!) and over the years simply replace some books as BookBairn outgrows them. I should point out that not all the books are new and not all are festive (24 new books seemed far too indulgent, even for BookBairn). I have included a photo of the festive books I have included (if you are interested in doing something similar, I found the Book People website to be really good as it sells packs of books working out at around £1 a book or the Hive online bookstore which sells books cheaper than Amazon and contributes part of the sale to the highstreet/local bookshop of your choice). It has only taken two days worth of BookBairn's naptimes but I have finally lovingly wrapped all 24 books and piled them into a Christmas book-tree.

The plan is to open a book each day and savour some special time cuddled up together and enjoy the gift of an advent story. I hope that in the future our advent tree will become a family Christmas tradition that BookBairn and I will look forward to!



One from the cutting-room floor:

We're Going on a Bear Hunt!

"If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise... For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain because today's the day the teddy bears have their stories read!"

I recently bought a copy of 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury as it brought back memories of my own childhood acting out this campfire song as a family by swishing and swashing and splishing and splashing and tiptoeing not over or under but always through each obstacle on our way to catch that elusive bear. What a brilliant adventure story for the whole family, brought to life through actions and props along the way! I thoroughly enjoy Michael Rosen's version of the story which puts to use great onomatopoeic words and repetition, building up to that moment when the family come face-to-face with a bear. Like many great stories, this one is made better by a great storyteller - you really have to throw yourself into this story to bring it to life for children. For me, the illustrations are beautiful and artistic but not as exciting or colourful as this book deserves and did not particularly appeal to BookBairn. Perhaps she is spoiled by some of the fantastic illustrations from other stories we have read or it couuld be that she is still young (still loving her high-contrast baby books) she seems to prefer the bold, distinct and colourful pictures of other stories. It's not a bedtime favourite though because it's too wild and gets her over-excited pre-sleep. Better fun to be had when she is full of energy!

But all this bear-hunting has got me thinking...
There are so many iconic picture books featuring bears and (not that we have any favourites) here are some of our most beloved bears.

The quintessentially British 'Paddington', created by Michael Bond, has sought refuge in our hearts and found a home for life. An almost-fairytale story of a lovable bear who is seeking a new home after stowing away on a ship to escape his native Darkest Peru (which was devastated by disaster). Arriving at Paddington Station, he has nothing but his suitcase, an almost-empty jar of marmalade and a label reading 'please look after this bear. Thank you.'. We would certainly welcome him into our BookBairn household with open arms! The version that we have is rather lenghty in text for BookBairn at the moment, but it would be hard to shorten it without losing the meaning of the story, so probably one for when she's older. The illustrations by R.W. Alley certainly capture the endearing nature of this much-loved bear and are absolutely delightful! I also can't help but mention that this story is particularly poignant in the current climate as the first planeload of refugees fleeing Syria arrived in Scotland this week. This story would be a great way to discuss this subject with younger children. More than fifty years has passed since Paddington was welcomed with open arms and has certainly found refuge in many hearts. We cherish him in our house!

Another bear who has charmed his way out of the book shop and into our lives is 'Hugless Douglas' by David Melling. The first in a fantastic series of books introduces Douglas as an enormous bear cub with an even bigger heart. All he wants is a hug. And the book describes his bear hunt to find the perfect one. This blundering , bumbling bear could not be more irresistible. The illustrations are truly wonderful with a whole cast of characters to adore. The bright, colourful and expressive artwork will appeal to youngsters of all ages! If Douglas is ever looking for a hug again, he can just pop round our house and I know a wee BookBairn (and her mummy) who would willingly oblige!

And finally, we can't talk bears without mentioning Winnie the Pooh! Our favourite cuddly wuddly honey-fiend of a friend! I love these stories, and although they are much too long to appeal to BookBairn at the moment, she does have a fantastic 1 2 3 counting book featuring illustrations by Andrew Grey which are true to the original characters by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard! What a great gift from a well-read friend (thank you!). This is a great book for introducing all the characters from the stories to BookBairn as well as introducing counting skills. For me, Winnie the Pooh will always be my favourite bear!

I wonder which bear will be BookBairn's favourite when is grows up. Perhaps one of these charismatic characters? Or perhaps she will prefer a new, yet-to-be-created bear? Who knows? All I know for certain is that we will be on a bear hunt to find it!

We would love if you could join us on our bear hunt by commenting below with your favourite bear!

A Christmas Gift

Last week we posted about a brilliant charity fundraiser for Children in Need but we are acutely aware that charities closer to home need our support too. A friend has done a fantastic job over the last few years setting up and running a local toy drive every Christmas-time, encouraging us all to buy an extra gift this Christmas (what's one more in that huge pile of shopping, right?) and donate it so that children and young people in need living in North East Fife have a stocking of presents on Christmas morning.

We have bought a pile of books to donate this year and hope that they will go a small way to giving back to our community.

For more information on the Toy Drive, check out their facebook page by clicking on the picture above.

A Story Book Classic - The Very Hungry Caterpillar

There are times when I have found myself reviewing books because we have recently bought them or been sent them or we are reading them a lot or they fit with a life event but sometimes there are those classic books which go, not forgotten, but under-appreciated for more shiny, sparkly, lift-the-flappy, or otherwise interactive books. I want every so often to put these children's classics back in the spotlight because, after all, they are the ones we read and enjoy over and over again, bedtime after bedtime, generation after generation!

One such classic that we read at least once a week is 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' by Eric Carle. What makes this so perfect for us at bedtime is that it is short and sweet! The illustrations are bright and cheerful and I love the food pictures with caterpillar-nibbled holes in them. BookBairn's fingers are just the right size to wriggle into these cut-outs too! I have mentioned in blog posts before that sometimes illustrations can be over-complicated by fussy backgrounds and unnecessary details that make pages a visual overload for little readers. Set against a plain background it is clear what we are reading about and I'm sure that it will help BookBairn connect words and pictures more easily when she becomes able.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is also a popular book for use in nurseries and primary schools so you will, no doubt, come across it through your children's reading journeys. It is perfect to introduce the concept of metamorphosis as part of minibeasts projects alongside the use simple numbers, the days of the week and discussion of healthy and unhealthy food choices it is a smorgasbord of learning opportunities! There are so many crafts to try out too, a quick google search returns hundreds of brilliant activities to try at home too. This famous little caterpillar has grown arms and legs (as well as wings) and there is a fantastic variety of merchandise out there too: BookBairn loves the pram toy with a jingly bell inside but not such a fan of the puppet book - I always get his head stuck as we turn the pages. Best stick with the classic version we think!


If you have any classic books that you love please feel free to comment below, we would love to know what you are reading too!

Children in Need Special

It's BBC Children in Need and this year you can get double the feel-good factor when you support this fantastic cause! This year, and for the first time ever, some of the most famous names in music, sport and TV have contributed their imaginative ideas to a picture book, from which profits will go to Children in Need.

'The Curious Tale of Fi-Rex' is a hilarious story written as a game of consequences with each celebrity (or group of celebrities) were given some character details and the final line from the preceding page. The result is exactly what you would expect from a game of consequences slightly disjointed, but ultimately hysterical nonsense! It is all brought together by the wonderful illustrations of Julia Patton, featuring circus lions playing football, Keith Lemon as an umpire, a half-boy half-banana, two animal pop groups (Pond Direction and Quack That) and a Beetle.

This book is clearly not aimed at BookBairn so I will take it upon myself to share my opinion. I absolutely adore Julia Patton's illustrations and they amazingly bring the whole story together. I don't want to give away to much but an adventure into 'the Land of Your Imagination' with twists and turns galore will certainly keep you on tenterhooks. Here are some hints about what to expect. I know a few dinosaur-fans who will love the fact that the main protagonist is half-girl half-T-Rex and the crazed adventures will have kiddies in hysterics. Fans of boy bands will love the One Direction page, fans of man bands will be unable to resist the Take That section, featuring a flying Gary Barlow-duck, and the older generation will have great fun spotting the Beatles references in the Paul McCartney penned section. Sports fans will enjoy the footballing lions, tennis court and jumping of the diving board scenes contributed by Wayne and Colleen Rooney, Andy Murray and Tom Daley. A book for the whole family! Personally, I will definitely be using it in school to get a game of story-writing consequences going on.

Simply, this is an easy book to enjoy as a family! And to contribute to charity fundraising thrown in to boot.

On the Night You Were Born

A Sweet Little Bunny: Miffy!

Full disclosure before we begin: I love Miffy! Always have. Always will. In fact, I now look back and wonder why BookBairn doesn't have a Miffy-themed nursery? I blame baby-brain. I digress.

Much to my delight, this year is the 60th anniversary of this cute little white rabbit and she is everywhere! We even went to meet Miffy at the Edinburgh Book Festival, sadly we have no photograph as BookBairn fell asleep (never work with animals or small children, they said). But she did get a delightful yellow balloon to match her M&S Miffy vest (which, yes, I bought in sizes for next summer too!).

The Miffy books, by Dick Bruna, are ideal bedtime reading for BookBairn. The stories are short and written in rhyme and the illustrations are deceptively simple and brightly coloured. We started with the original 'Miffy' story and haven't stopped. The collection is growing rapidly. Recently re-translated by Tony Mitton, the classic Miffy stories have been reworked and republished (with the original illustrations! Thank goodness). I must confess that whilst some of the new translations are true to the original voice, for me, some lack the continuity of the story and others grasp to maintain the rhyme ("The cock and hen came by to see. Their little chicks came too. Even the cow was keen to look at baby Miffy. Moo!" - seriously? Moo!) I have bought mostly modern versions for BookBairn but recently bought a haul of Miffy books on Ebay for Christmas gifts (spoiler for those who know me with wee bookbairns of their own - sorry) and am comparing the texts and swapping some of the modern ones with the originals. But, in all honesty, I know I am being picky. And BookBairn loves the illustrations either way!

The Miffy stories are perfect pre-nap stories as they are short enough to keep a sleepy BookBairn's attention but also appeal to me, which, as selfish as it could sound, is important given that we could be re-reading them over and over. In fact, we read Miffy on a daily basis. We also have copies of some of the newly published books 'Peekaboo Miffy' and 'Look and See Miffy' which were released alongside Miffy activity and sticker books to appeal to a modern audience of readers. These books are great fun too! And maintain the distinctive palette of bright primary colours and the cast of characters from the Miffy series. The lift-the-flap book 'Peekaboo Miffy' is super and has lovely large flaps which BookBairn can handle whilst 'Miffy Look and See' has peek-through holes which are large enough for her use to turn pages (she is too little to answer the who's next type questions in the text but this will no doubt be good for toddlers).

As part of Miffy's birthday celebrations, the TV channel Tiny Pop have started showing a new TV programme called 'Miffy's Adventures Big and Small' at 7pm and 7.30am. Well, I was never too keen to plop my wee one in front of the TV but, now I'm actually a mum, seven minutes peace seems like heaven! And even as young as BookBairn is, she will happily sit for seven minutes and watch. The show features rather cute computer-generated (although it has a Wallace and Gromit plasticine-look about it) Miffy and friends and certainly captures the essence of the Dick Bruna illustrations. The show also has an incredibly catchy theme-tune, which I find myself singing long after BookBairn is in bed but it grabs her attention as soon as it appears. It also generally has another song featured during the episode which maintains her attention when it might be beginning to waver (she's easy to please really, a song or a book can cure most grumpy moments!). It is bright and colourful and similarly to the books the shows feature simple backgrounds, allowing attention to focus on the characters. She loves it! And I enjoy the peace (I can now down a scalding hot cuppa in seven minutes).


***We are very excited to run our first competition! If you would like to win a sensory Miffy toy (perfect in time for Christmas), please comment below. (Additional entries will be available so keep an eye out by following us on twitter and on facebook.) UK residents only please. Competition closes 14.11.15.****

Good luck! Mummy and BookBairn
UPDATE - Competition is now closed. Thanks to all who entered! Mummy and BookBairn x




*DISCLAIMER* - We were provided the Miffy toy in exchange for reviewing the Tiny Pop TV show. I had always planned to write a Miffy post (having so many books) and all words and views are my own.

One of a Kind: A Personal Book

I have planned for some time to make a photo book for BookBairn with photographs of all the members of her immediate family and, fortunately, I recently received a message from love2read asking us to review our experience of creating a personalised book. I was delighted! Exactly what I was looking for. Our family doesn't live locally but we are fortunate that they visit often. Still, I thought it would be nice to have all the family photos in a book together. Also, BookBairn's Aunty has just moved to New York for the foreseeable future so it's great that she can see her whenever she wants in the pages of this book.


The process of creating the book was straightforward with lots of options and templates to choose from. As I said, I had planned a 'My Family' book for a while so I selected that template. However, there are plenty templates to choose from, varying from books for specific family members (gran, cousin, pets) to memory books for special events and celebrations (my year, my birthday, my Halloween). The book consists of ten main pages and we are fortunate that this suited the size of our family perfectly. Our main difficulty came when choosing which photos to use: the book is best suited to landscape photos, and if you're anything like us, lots of your photos are snapped on iPhones and therefore are primarily portrait. A wee photo-shoot later and we had our perfect shots! I could add the text that I wanted underneath easily meaning I could include each family members name under their pictures, adding to the longevity of the book. Hopefully, she will be able to recognise their names as she gets older. Our only real issue was when it came to creating the cover as the process automatically selects the first four pictures from the book so we had to do a bit of shuffling pages around as I didn't want to feature one set of grandparents on the cover and not the other. Not that they would have bothered particularly but it would have bothered me. A quick re-shuffle was easy and all done! Apart for taking some new photos, the process took less than half an hour. And even better, the book arrived in the post two days later. Brilliant service!

The quality of the photo-printing is excellent and even though we used iPhone photos the clarity and colour is superb. I had, initially, been concerned that the book was not a board book and therefore wouldn't be as durable but the thick glossy pages make it strong and light! The perfect combination for BookBairn to hold and play with herself!

Well, if you've been reading our previous posts, you'll know that BookBairn loves to read and loves books. But reading this for the first time was one of the best reading experiences that we've had so far. She, literally, squealed with excitement! As we turned each page she touched the photos and grinned in delight! I couldn't have expected a better reaction. She knew that this book was one of a kind and unique. She recognised the faces. Honestly, I cried with happiness. What a special book! BookBairn has begun to wriggle, squiggle and shuffle around the room and, despite having several toys to choose to play with, she picks up this book.  It may have been a coincidence but when she picked it up upside down she put her wee brain to work to turn it around so that the photos were the right way up. She talks to the pages. It's her favourite book at the moment. And it will always be a special book.



*DISCLAIMER* I was given our book for free for review purposes, however all words and opinions are my own.