Little Feminist Book Club: The Little Feminist Board Book Set

Monday, January 29, 2018 BookBairn 18 Comments

Male characters are twice as likely to take leading roles in children’s picture books according to recent research by the Observer newspaper. Not only that male characters were given more speaking parts, were portrayed in more masculine roles and, shockingly, in a fifth of books (of the top 100 sellers in 2017) there were no female characters at all. Where female characters were portrayed in books they are less likely to have a speaking part. Male characters are eight times more likely to be a villain (despite the fact that the best villain of all time, in my opinion, is a female - who isn't terrified of Cruella DeVille?) and have more stereotypical masculine roles.

And yes I know you're thinking a lot of children's picture book characters are animals - but even here we seem to encounter an inherent sexism: where gender was revealed it was 73% more likely to be male; and males were more typically embodied as powerful, wild beasts like dragons, bears and tigers where females tended to be smaller creatures like birds and cats.

Before I get to riled I should state that of the top 100 books sold last year, only half of the titles were published in the last five years. Meaning we have the power of our purse to change these awful statistics by buying more of the brilliant flurry of newly published titles that celebrate boys and girls equally.

So I'm starting a new series here on the blog: The Little Feminist Book Club. And it's not just for girls. It's important for our little boys to read about strong female characters too. It's all about creating empathy in our little boys as well as empowerment for little girls.

So I'm starting off by sharing this awesome little board book box set with four books featuring sixteen amazing women! The 'Little Feminist Book Set' by Emily Kleinman and Lydia Ortiz celebrates some truly wonderful and inspiring women in a way that even the littlest reader can appreciate. Divided into four categories: pioneers, activists, leaders and artists.

Artists: Maya Angelou, Lucille Ball, Frida Kahlo and Ella Fitzgerald prove that girls can take the spotlight, they showed that all girls are beautiful and that we all have a story.Leaders: Cleopatra, Queen Elizabeth I, Indira Gandhi and Hilary Clinton proved that girls can be in charge, they are powerful and that "girls rule".Activists: Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, Gloria Steinem and Malala Yousafzai defied the system, proved that girls have a voice and that we deserve equal rights. Pioneers: Marie Curie, Sally Ride, Amelia Earhart and Billie Jean King proved that girls are explorers, winners, clever and can shine bright! What a wonderful collection of women to be introduced to before you can even read. Inspiring, strong and wonderful.

The illustrations are absolutely perfect. They are bright, colourful and simplistic enough for the littlest readers turning our heroes into characters they can enjoy. They are instantly recognisable and, whilst simple, they are incredibly stylish. These are a great place to start sharing books about mighty girls and women to your little readers, boys and girls. (There's also a jigsaw puzzle and set of cards that I'm going to get my hands on soon because I adore the illustrations so much!)

"Here's to Strong Women.

May we know them.

May we be them

May we raise them." - Unknown

And may we raise our boys to respect, admire and love them.

Next month I'm going to be reviewing 'Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls' - a book that has been widely celebrated but also criticised. I'd love for you to join me in a Twitter chat on Sunday 25th February at 8pm to discuss the book - you'll find it under #littlefeministbookclub

Happy Reading,

Mummy and the little feminist book club xx

18 comments:

Reading Your World

Saturday, January 27, 2018 BookBairn 6 Comments

Today is a celebration in the children's book world of 'Multicultural Children's Books Day' encouraging parents, teachers, caregivers (and anyone who reads aloud to children) as well as children themselves to read books from all over the world. And I've been inspired by 'gathering books' blog's 'literary voyage around the world challenge' to set ourselves the challenge to read books from as many different countries as we can.

We are aiming to reach the first level of the challenge: literary hitchhiker (25-40 countries). And we will be sharing books based on the country of the author, illustrator or even the setting of the story or character's nationality. And we will be keep a track of all the countries we have visited on our social media using the hashtag #bookbairnreadstheworld so you can journey along with us.

I've also picked up this lovely scratch map so we can keep a record of all the countries we have read in a visual way for BookBairn. And I'n really excited. So pack your bookcase and come on a reading journey around the world with us!

Happy book journeys,

Mummy, BookBairn and The Wee Page Turner xxx

6 comments:

My Colourful Chameleon Blog Tour + Giveaway

Saturday, January 27, 2018 BookBairn 14 Comments

I often get nervous about agreeing to take part in blog tours because we only ever review books on the blog that BookBairn or The Wee Page Turner (or sometimes me!) really truly love. It's our guarantee of quality to you. But I needn't have worried in this case because BookBairn truly enjoys reading (and reading and reading) 'My Colourful Chameleon' by Leonie Roberts.

This lovely book tells the story of a little girl and her pet chameleon who just keeps disappearing. Her mum thinks her beloved pet is a pest when they lose it on a daily basis because, of course, it just keeps changing colour. Quite frankly, mum has had enough and she wants to get rid of the chameleon for causing so much trouble. But when she takes her chameleon to school for show and tell things go from bad to worse and the teacher thinks it's trouble too. So they take the chameleon to the vet who reveals to the parents the natural instincts of a chameleon. So will it get to stay? Written in delightful rhyme this is a lovely read aloud story and little ones will enjoy spotting the colour-changing chameleon on each page (and grown ups you will enjoy hearing your little ones attempt to say 'chameleon'). The illustrations are simply adorable and the changing coloured chameleon is irresistible - why wouldn't you want to keep him? BookBairn is now fairly insistent on a pet chameleon! A wonderful book that we were lucky enough to have been sent two copies of by mistake so look out for the competition on our Instagram account.

We were lucky enough to get to know Leonie Roberts over the last few months and she was kind enough to answer some of mine, and of course BookBairns questions.

Mummy's Questions:

Where did you get the idea for My Colourful Chameleon?

I was living and working in Italy at the time and one day I was walking home in the sunshine and the idea just popped into my head. I had to rush home to get it written down.

In BookBairn’s room we have a ‘Favourites Shelf’ of her favourite stories, which picture books would you have on your Favourites Shelf at the moment?

I would have Oi Frog by Kes Grey, Be Brave little Penguin by Giles Andreae and The Princess and the Christmas rescue by Caryl Hart.

I’m sure there are writers who have inspired you, can you tell us a few that you like the most? We know you love Roald Dahl already!

I would say that Jill Murphy and Giles Andreae have inspired me the most because I never get tired of reading their work. In terms of learning about rhythm and rhyme of course I have studied the fabulous books of Julia Donaldson.My favourite of hers is The Smartest Giant in Town because I like the singing part.

We love the illustrations in the book - how did that collaboration with Mike Byrne come about?

I submitted my story to the publisher and then it was their job to match the story with an illustrator. I was very very happy that they chose Mike as I love his style. We haven't met in person but I hope that one day we will get the chance to.

What are you working on next? Can you give us a sneak peek into your next story?

At the moment I am working on two non-rhyming picture book stories. They involve dinosaurs and aliens. I am also trying my hand at writing for older children.

And now BookBairn's Questions:

"We have a rabbit. He doesn't change colour. He is black. Do you have a chameleon?"

No I don't have a chameleon because I found out that they are quite tricky to look after and that they don't really like to be touched. I have a dog called Chester who loves to be patted and he snuggles up with me on the sofa.

“Orange is my colour. What’s your best colour?”

My favourite colour is blue. I think that this is why most of my clothes are blue.

“I like a lion best. What’s your favourite animal?”

I like most animals but my favourite animals (apart from dogs) are giraffes because they have lovely faces.

"The chameleon is good at hiding. I am good at hide-and-seek. Are you good at hide-and-seek?"

I used to be good at hide and seek but I don't think there are many places that I could hide any more because I am fairly tall now and can't get into small spaces.

Thank you for Leonie for joining us and answering our questions!

To read the other blog posts in the tour, check out the banner below to find out when and where to be (and I'll also be sharing on our Twitter). And don't forget to keep and eye out for our competition!

Happy reading!

Mummy and BookBairn xx

*DISCLAIMER We were sent two copies free for review purposes, words and opinions are our own. And we are going to post out the extra copy to one lucky UK-based winner.

14 comments:

Book Giving Day Reveal!!

Monday, January 22, 2018 BookBairn 4 Comments

We are delighted to be able to exclusively reveal the printable bookmarks and bookplates that you can download to use as part of your Book Giving Day plans. Aren't they wonderful?

I love the book giving dragon that Elys Dolan has designed: he (or she?) is cute and quirky and clearly feels the characters of fairytale land need more books - I mean, who doesn't need more books?! It's such a cute concept! You can find them on the 'Book Giving Day' website.

I will certainly be printing some off and sharing as part of our book giving day plans, speaking of which...

We have also been working behind the scenes on our own book giving day plans as I accidentally made plans for the morning of the 14th so we won't be doing our usual book hiding in local parks. Though we might have been chancing our luck weather-wise and will plan something like this for the summer, there's also the issue that we gave away over 150 books in November so our supplies are a little depleted at the moment. So I thought long and hard about what we could do instead...

And...

We are going to be hosting a 'Book Giving Day Week of Giveaways'! Ok so that's a bit of a mouthful (and a bit of an oxymoron) but, in short, to celebrate Book Giving Day we are working with a series of publishers to run a week's worth of giveaways with a new giveaway each day! So far we have lots of great books, and we expect to get a few more over the next few days. But it looks like we will be able to have a #bookgivingweek and that's how you can find it over on Twitter and Instagram (some on either platform depending on the publisher's preference although I will promote on both so you don't miss out!). Once the goodies are finalised I'll let you know more details!

Happy Book Giving,

Mummy and the bairns xx

4 comments:

Celebrating the Bard! And a gift for you!

Monday, January 22, 2018 BookBairn 4 Comments

As many of you will know we, the BookBairns, live in Scotland, and this week we celebrate one of the most beloved writers from our country, the Bard, Robert Burns. We love books which celebrate the Scots language and ones that share images of our beautiful homeland and I love the books produced by Scottish publisher - Floris Books and the imprints Picture Kelpies and Wee Kelpies.

So of course, we are very excited to share some of their beautiful picture books to celebrate Burn's Night. And make sure you check our social media for a giveaway of one of these fabulous books!

Ally Bally Bee (traditional rhyme) with illustrations by Kathryn Selbert

Also rather tasty apparently.

For any Scottish BookBairn readers out there you will no doubt be familiar with this much-loved Scottish rhyme. Originally an advertising jingle for 'Coulter's Candy', an aniseed tasting sweetie, this little ditty has been sung to many generations of bairns all over Scotland. Included my little brother, Ally. So it's a song I have sung often. It's a simple one about getting a few pennies to buy some sweeties. This new edition also includes the verse about growing up and 'going to sea' to make pennies to buy sweeties too. It's a lovely edition, with lift the flaps on each page to further reveal the next scene of the story or to show you where the sweeties are hiding. The Wee Page Turner loves this - he's already very familiar with the song as I have been singing it to him since he was born - but he can now lift the flaps in the book too, making it a more engaging book for him to play with on his own. But mostly he enjoys reading (or singing) it on his "mammy's knee". A perfect baby book for bairns!

Speed Bonnie Boat (traditional Scots folk song) with illustrations by Alfredo Belli

This is another book inspired by a traditional Scottish folk tune, and again it's one that we sing daily. (It wasn't until writing this post that I realised how many Scots folk songs I sing at home!) Speed Bonnie Boat is BookBairn's lullaby of choice. We used to sing Edelweiss from The Sound of Music but since hearing Speed Bonnie Boat at Bookbug rhyme time at the library she has insisted on this one every since. So I was very excited to get the picture book. It's essentially a song about Bonnie Prince Charlie and his efforts to evade capture by the Brits following the defeat at Culloden. Whilst this is a song we perhaps sing frequently to our bairns, I suspect many of us only know one or two verses and as you delve further into the lyrics you will realise that the song is quite dramatic. So it's only appropriate that this picture book is seeped in drama too. The illustrations show the power of the waves and storms, giving the whole journey the drama that it needs. It also includes a little Scottish history. This really is a lovely book but BookBairn is probably a little young to fully appreciate it so we'd recommend holding off until your bairn is school-age.

We're Gangin on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, translated by Susan Rennie

You will probably know this story. It's 'We're Going on a Bear Hunt' but in Scots. Such a lovely translation of a brilliant adventure rhyme. This family of brave bear hunters trudge through muckle forests, and skirlin snawstroms, claggie mud and a deep cauld river in search of a glowerin bear. (My spellcheck just had a melt down.) If you're naw a Scots reader, a great way to start is by reading familiar stories in Scots (I had a good giggle at the expense of two very English students in a St Andrews bookshop trying to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stane - there attempts were rather amusing). This is such a brilliant story and jings your kids will love hearing you trip over the Scots words. BookBairn actually enjoys this version more than the original - I thinks Scots words are a bit more descriptive and onomatopoeic than the original - and we will definitely be enjoying this one over and over again!

Ahhhhhh! A bear!

My Luve's Like a Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns and illustrated by Ruchi Mhasane

This version of Robert Burn's famous poem has been given a new, and beautiful, twist as it depicts the special love between a parent and child. Each line has been given a new meaning through the soft and whimsical illustrations. The line "O my Luve's like the melodie that's sweetly play'd in tune" is accompanied by a mother and daughter at a children's music class; the line "And I will luve thee still, my dear, till a' the seas gang dry" is shown through the illustration of a family enjoying the day at the beach. And the bittersweet part of the poem that has been given a whole new meaning for me are in the lines "And fare thee weel, mu only Luve! And fare thee weel, a while!" as the mother drops her precious little girl off at school/nursery; followed by "And I will come again, my Luve, tho' it were ten thousand mile!" as she picks her daughter back up and gives her a huge cuddle. This book has given me a whole new perspective on a poem I have known my whole life, and that's the magic of this picture book. We have a copy of this lovely book to give away on our Twitter page so please pop over to enter so you can add this beautiful story to your bairn's bookshelves!

We will be celebrating Burn's Night on Thursday with a meal of haggis, neeps and tatties and of course enjoying these lovely stories! In my first year of writing the blog I reworked the Selkirk Grace for BookBairn's so I'm going to share it again:

BookBairn Grace

Some hae books and canna read

And some wad read that want it,

But I hae books that mammy reads,

Sae let the lord be thankit.

Slainte,

Mammy, BookBairn and The Wee Page Turner xxx

*Disclaimer: we were sent these bonnie books for review by the publisher, including a copy of 'My Luve's Like a Red, Red Rose' for a giveaway. The words and opinions are, as always, my own.

4 comments:

White Out! Snow Day Reads!

Thursday, January 18, 2018 BookBairn 4 Comments

We finally got some snow!!! After what feels like living in the only part of the UK that didn't get any snow this winter we got one heavy snow shower that let us have a morning's play in the snow before it started to melt (and freeze making the pavements like an ice skating rink). So as the snow fell we curled up and read some books that built the excitement (because there wasn't really enough to build a snowman - and that's really hard when you have to carry a baby around with you who was less than impressed with the world of white!). So here are our favourite snowy reads!

Snow by Sam Usher

This mini-hardback version of the book is perfect for BookBairn to turn the pages of herself making it her favourite of the bunch to read by herself. It's all about the anticipation of playing in the snow. The little boy wakes up to a world of white and is desperate to be the first to make footprints in the crisp layer of white. But Grandad is taking ages to get ready. So they wait and wait until it seems like everyone is at the park first. But once they get there they have a wonderful time playing together and Grandad wins the snowball fight. "Some things are definitely worth waiting for." And the illustrations are wonderful too - capturing the thrill of a world covered with snow.

Mice Skating by Annie Silverstro and Teagan White

For most little mice, winter means burrowing down and nesting. But Lucy loves the feeling of the snow crunching under her little paws and wearing her favourite woolly hat. But Lucy's favourite thing to do is to go ice skating. And she just can't understand why her mousey friends don't want to join her. So she knits them all little hats and makes them all ice skates of their own but will she be able to convince her friends to join her? The illustrations in this are a modern day take on the mice I knew and loved from Brambly Hedge. And you can't help but love little Lucy - she's so cute and her enthusiasm is contagious! Such a heart-warming story on a cold day!

A Letter for Bear by David Lucas

On a snowy day like yesterday I do feel sorry for the postmen (and women) who have to trudge out in all conditions to make sure we get our book post. You may have noticed on our Instagram that the postman parked opposite our house yesterday to ensure we got our letters delivered. Bear is equally as conscientious a post-bear making sure that all the letters get delivered around his neighbourhood. But he never gets any of his own! Until he decides to host a little party. The illustrations in this are absolutely captivating and I love all the winter creatures that star in this story. We reviewed this one when BookBairn was just a baby - you can read it here (and check and see if you think BookBairn and The Wee Page Turner look alike!).

Bunny Slopes by Claudia Rueda

Want to try you hand at skiing? BookBairn certainly likes helping Bunny ski in this lovely interactive book where little ones have to do as the book tells them to make the snow fall, make bunny slide downhill and dodge the holes. BookBairn really enjoys seeing the reactions when she turns the page to see her actions have made something happen in the story. Bunny is a delightful character and by the end you will want to have a hot chocolate with him!

Snow by Walter de la Mare and Carolina Rabei

This new take on a poem by Walter de la Mare really brings to life the wonder of snow! The poem is quite whimsical for children of BookBairn's age (and mine) but it's the illustrations that are truly wonderful. We treat this more like a wordless picture book - discussing what the children are doing in the snow and using lots of words to describe the scenes and the feelings that it evokes. Wordless picture books are something I'm not entirely comfortable with as I don't always feel like I know what to say, what to ask so I'm going to make it a goal this year to read more with BookBairn. I'll let you know how we get on!

I hope you have enjoyed a sprinkling of snow! And have a nice hot chocolate to warm up and curl up with a favourite read!

Happy snow day reading,

Mummy and BookBairn xx

Disclaimer: These books were sent by publishers for free for review purposes our words and opinions are, as always, our own.

4 comments:

Book Giving Day 2018 Plots and Plans!

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 BookBairn 6 Comments

You know that we are big supporters of Book Giving Day having given away stacks of books over the last two years! This year I have something special planned (and I hope it will work out as I plan but it's still early stages).

In the meantime, I am delighted to announce that we will exclusively be revealing some of the wonderful downloadable freebies to help support giving books on Book Giving Day next week! So keep an eye out for that.

But for those who don't know, what is Book Giving Day?

International Book Giving Day is a 100% volunteer initiative aimed at increasing children’s access to, and enthusiasm for, books.

Now in it’s 6th year International Book Giving Day continues to grow from strength to strength reaching places such as Nepal, India, Canada, South Africa, UK, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Nigeria, Fiji, Czech Republic, USA, Cambodia, Hungary, Philippines and Romania.

On the 14^th February, #bookgivingday, participants are encouraged to give books to children,

This can takes many forms, the only limit is the imagination. Books have been sent to child refugees in Calais, France; a new library was created in Cape Town, South Africa; in Uganda the Mpambara-Cox Foundation gifted books to children, for many it was the first time they have been given a book of their own. In 2014 Scholastic Australia went to the Melbourne Children’s Hospital and gifted a book to every child. People continue to be creative in so many different ways, all keen to share the love of books.

How can you take part?

International Book Giving Day’s focus is on encouraging people worldwide to give a book to a child on February 14^th, #bookgivingday

We invite individuals to …

1) gift a book to a friend or family member,

2) leave a book in a waiting room for children to read

3) donate a gently used book to a local library, hospital or shelter or to an organisation that distributes used books to children in need internationally.

In addition, we encourage people to support the work of nonprofit organisations (i.e. charities) that work year round to give books to children.

This year's illustrator collaborator!

Elys Dolan’s poster features an array of fun, book loving characters. Eagle eyed readers will spot some familiar, much loved characters from her illustrated novel, Knighthood for Beginners, (Oxford University Press, 2017). With its fun design and brilliant attention to detail, Dolan’s poster is sure to catch lots of attention.

The poster is available to download, from the Book Giving Day website.

Libraries, schools & bookshops are encouraged to download, print and display Elys Dolan’s poster (and soon to be released bookmark and bookplate), to celebrate the love of reading & encourage others to give books to children on International Book Giving Day, 14th February 2018.

“We can’t wait to see Elys Dolan’s poster in the wild, spreading the word about International Book Giving Day. She has done an amazing job, and we’re incredibly grateful for her involvement.”

Emma Perry, #BookGivingDay

And we can't wait to hear about and see lots of wonderful books being given away to children to celebrate! Keep an eye out on Monday for our exclusive reveal of the book giving day goodies!

Happy book giving,

Mummy and the bairns

6 comments:

Mummy and BookBairn Book Group - The Humans/Here We Are

Monday, January 15, 2018 BookBairn 4 Comments

BookBairn and I have been enjoying books along similar themes again recently so I thought I would share in another 'Mummy and BookBairn Book Group' post. Both books we have been reading share a perspective of what it is like to live on our planet. "Our world can be a bewildering place, especially if you've only just got here" (from the blurb in 'Here We Are')is a good summary of both the books we have been reading.

First, I've been reading "The Humans" by Matt Haig, which is not a book that I would have thought I would have picked up had it not been recommended to me by readers I trust on Instagram. (Bear with me in the description - the concept didn't sound like my cup of tea either but just wait...) The Humans is the story of an alien who is a doppleganger for a British mathematician that has discovered something that the aliens wish he hadn't so they eliminated him and sent an agent to discover who else knew about his discover and in turn eliminate all evidence. But as the alien integrates into our human society and life he learns lots about humanity. I loved this! The insights about humanity from an outsiders perspective (via Matt Haig's brain) are absolutely fascinating. And so on point. Some of the things we do are nonsensical but they are part of social customs that we just do. Because most things we do are in pursuit of joy, of love, of happiness.

“And I knew the point of love right then.The point of love was to help you survive.The point was also to forget meaning. To stop looking and start living. The meaning was to hold the hand of someone you cared about and to live inside the present.”

But sometimes we don't really make much sense, right? If you can suspend your disbelief and get past the alien concept of this book you will just love it!

BookBairn has been loving 'Here We Are' by Oliver Jeffers which has the subheading "Notes for Living on Planet Earth". Jeffers wrote this wonderful book for his newborn son in the hopes of passing on some words of wisdom about life on our planet.

"Your head will be filled with questions, so let's explore what makes our planet and how we live on it. From land and sky, to people and time, these notes can be your guide and start you on your journey."

This is one of the most beautifully illustrated Olive Jeffers books (which is an incredible feat as his artwork is sensational). He explores the land, sea and sky through beautiful artwork annotated with hilarious handwritten notes. Then pages filled with humans of every shape, size and colour and animals from all over the globe. These are BookBairn's favourite pages. She loves describing what she can see - pointing at everything! He explores the contrasts of life on Earth: day and night, moving slowly and moving quickly. And finally he shares the concept he most wants to pass on: "be kind".

My favourite part of the book is the last of several quotes at the end of the book. It's by Oliver's Dad (all-round good human):

"There are only three words you need to live by, son: respect, consideration and tolerance."

And this for me is pretty wonderful. He's so right. And the fact that this is the advice his father passed on to him and he included it in a book that he wrote for his own son is just so perfectly poetic. I love it.
This is a book that everyone should own. It's beautiful, and it's genius and it's going to be my go-to new baby gift.

These two books will make you question, wonder and gasp at their perfectly accurate depiction of life on Earth.

Happy reading,

Mummy and BookBairn xx

*Disclaimer: The Humans was a library book that I sadly returned recently - I might buy a copy when the urge to re-read inevitably arrives. We own Here We Are. And no one will prise it out of our hands. Buy a copy. You won't regret it.

4 comments:

Non-Fiction for Tots: Animal Habitats

Saturday, January 13, 2018 BookBairn 6 Comments

If you are a regular reader you will know that one of the things I love to share most are great non-fiction books for tots! Long-gone are the days of stodgy and heavy non-fiction books that have facts and photos. Non-fiction for children in general, and specifically for toddlers, has developed into a stylish and engaging genre in children's book publishing.

And this brilliant series by Madeline Rodgers is the perfect example of how non-fiction for toddlers can be graphic and exciting to explore! Aimed specifically at toddlers, each book in the series features five animals from six different environments and all are explored through rhyme and pictures. Explore the polar regions in 'The Polar Pack' meeting penguins, polar bears, snowy owls, a walrus and reindeer. In 'The Safari Set' you can follow a hippo, giraffe, elephant, lion and zebra across the plains of Africa. 'The Jungle Crew' features a monkey, tiger, tree frog, parrot and toucan swinging, prowling, jumping and flying through the heights of the jungle rainforest. And three new releases - 'The Forest Folk', 'The Marine Team' and 'The Sky Guys' extend the series across a variety of environments from the depths of the ocean, the coral reef, the forests of America, the woodlands of the UK; and share birds as varied as flamingos, owls and pelicans. These books really have all the world covered!

Each animal stars across four pages with a short-playful rhyme that tells children a little about the creatures they are exploring! And the final page in the board book has each animal saying hello and telling a short fact about themselves.

The illustrations are vibrant and modern that will fascinate young readers and the colourful and bright depiction of the environments will more than likely have them wanting to explore the world! They are a brilliant design-led collection that will entertain as much as the educate.

And BookBairn can testify that these are well designed for tots: the board books are super-durable and can endure even the hardiest reading - from being used to make a tower to being stepping stones for BookBairn's play - she loves them to play with as much as she enjoys the illustrations and rhyme inside. She particularly enjoys looking at the back cover and seeing which animals will be inside and then trying to find them inside.

We were accidentally sent two sets of these books so I donated them to BookBairn's nursery when they were doing a project on animal habitats and they have been a huge hit! I love it when we can put the perfect books into little hands. That's what it's all about!

Happy reading, book-tower-building, stepping stone playing and animal spotting!

Mummy and BookBairn xx