Image credit: Edinburgh Book Festival. Collaborative post. My favourite time of year is rapidly approaching! It's almost Augus...

Planning for the Edinburgh Book Festival

Wednesday, July 31, 2019 BookBairn 1 Comments

Image credit: Edinburgh Book Festival.


Collaborative post.

My favourite time of year is rapidly approaching! It's almost August which means it's almost time for the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Honestly I just adore it! But after several years of going to the book festival, well since I was a little girl and my mum took me, I wanted to share my experience and tips for arranging a trip.

This is how much I love the Book Festival! 2016

1 comments:

One of the things I know about reading with kids is that reading the same story over and over again is really great for langu...

Our Favourite Repeat Reads for Preschoolers

Monday, July 22, 2019 BookBairn 2 Comments


One of the things I know about reading with kids is that reading the same story over and over again is really great for language development, understanding and skills for learning to read. Another thing that I know is that there are some books that you don't want to read over and over. Let's be honest, those books 'disappear' quickly - behind the sofa, returned to the library or make their way out all by themselves. But on the flip side there are some books that I love reading again and again. Every read it gets better. So I thought it would be fun to put some of our favourites together. These books are great for taking on holiday too as you can pack a couple and read them all holiday and not get sick of them. I have put the details of each one below but these books are all brilliantly illustrated, have magical stories and also impart a little fun or a message that you want to enjoy from the story too.

Nibbles the Book Monster by Emma Yarlett


Conceptually clever and innovative, Nibbles works on multiple levels and that's why it makes a great book to read over and over again! This is an ingenious story about a little monster who can't help but nibble his way through books. He enters the worlds of three different fairytales and his invasion changes the story and messes with the characters. The illustrations are sensational! Nibbles is mischievous and yet is still adorable. The fairy tale characters are so expressive. And the detailed pages of illustrations of piles and piles of books are quite simply a dream! With layers of illustrations I'm still finding new things hidden even after the many many reads. It really is a brilliant book and has featured on our favourites lists so many times!


Billy and the Beast by Nadia Shireen



This book is BookBairn's choice for the list! And she's so right - I could (and have) read it over and over again!  When a terrible beast starts roaming the forest in search of tiny creatures to make a big bowl of monster soup, Billy and her Fatcat cannot let him get away with it. He's got boil in a bag bunnies, spicy mice and grated hedgehog all on his list but can Billy outwit this ferocious beast and save the inhabitants of the forest? Packed full of humour, fun illustrations and a heroine who stashes doughnuts in her hair for emergencies this is a brilliant new fable that will empower as well as make you giggle. We love stories that have a Mighty Girl at the centre of the story so it's a delight to read over and over.


Tropical Terry by Jarvis



This was an instant and firm favourite on BookBairn's shelf from the very first read and over 100 reads in it's still one of the most colourful and fun stories about a seemingly dull little fish called Terry. He has a great little team of friends - Cilla the crab and Steve the sea snail and they play lots of fun games. But that are not part of the 'cool gang' that live in Coral Reef City. And Terry just wants to fit in with these glamourous fish. So he, with the help of his friends, creates the most spectacular tail fin out of all the bits and bobs he can find and becomes 'Tropical Terry'. However, he soon learns being the shiniest sparkliest fish in the sea can attract unwanted attention. Eddie the eel fancies a bite of Terry for his dinner. But fortunately, the games that Terry has been playing with his old friends have made him super skilled in evading Eddie’s unwanted advances!  It makes me smile just to look at the stunning illustrations. And it has a lovely message about being true to yourself, not judging a fish by his fins and accepting others. Definitely messages that I'm happy to share with BookBairn over and over.

Mixed by Arree Chung



I must have read this book over 500 times and BookBairn loves it, I love it! This is a story of colour. In the beginning there were three colours: reds, yellows and blues and they lived together in colour harmony. But one day each colour proclaims themselves the best. And they each go their separate ways, dividing their once happy home into three separate neighbourhoods separated by walls and barbed wire fences. Until one day when two colours fall in love and decide to mix. Creating a whole new colour! And she's so cute. Cute enough to overcome the critics. And finally more colours decide to mix creating a wonderful rainbow of colours in the residents of the new town!  The illustrations are wonderful and unsurprisingly the use of colour is perfect against the black and white backgrounds. The colours really stand out! And the endpapers are my favourite! And with such a wonderful message I love that we've now read it so often that BookBairn can more or less read it to me!


Mrs Mole I'm Home by Jarvis



We initially picked this up in the library and have pretty much read it every day for a month. We loved it so much I renewed it and renewed it and then I bought a copy. She loves Morris and his escapade to find his way home without his glasses to help him see where he is digging. She finds it so funny that his glasses are balanced on his head throughout the story. The illustrations are packed full of fun details and BookBairn particularly enjoys spotting all the books in the owl residence (one of them has her name on it) and tracing the maps of where Morris has been digging. It's a lovely story packed full of humour and I have enjoyed reading it over and over so it's got to be pretty good to keep our attention that long.

Dinosaurs Don't Draw by Elli Woollard & Steven Lenton




This is the story of Picasaur who comes across a small piece of chalk and is destined to create. But his parents are not impressed. Dinosaurs stomp. Dinosaurs roar. Dinosaurs do not draw. Picasaur can't resist the urge to create and when he crosses path with anything that resembles paint, chalk or drawing material he creates his own dino-graffiti! But when a nasty T-Rex comes prowling, Picasaur's drawings save the day by scary away the T-Rex with a dinosaur even more fearsome. The main little dinosaur, Picasaur, is just adorable and his family of triceratops are friendly despite their anti-drawing mentality and his cousins and friends are a variety of multi-coloured delights. But brilliantly, when Picasaur draws on rocks, caves, and stones, his illustrations stand out from the rest. They look spectacular and don't for one second blend into the story. And through this you get a feel for the different art supplies that Picasaur uses and his own creative flair. Written in rhyme, this story really is a wonder to read aloud! And I love that it celebrates creativity!




I hope you enjoy reading these over and over again! They are fab! If you are looking for more of our very favourite repeat reads check out my Amazon shop and click on the section for Toddlers and Preschoolers.

Happy reading again and again and again...
Kim and the bairns x


Disclaimer: We were sent some of these books free for review purposes by the publishers (except Mrs Mole I'm Home and Mixed which I bought myself). Words and opinions are my own. If you click on the title or image of the book you will be sent to amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-70p per book) from amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our 'For Our Readers' section.




Read With Me

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Under the Same Sky Look Up! The Darkest Dark The Moon Starry Skies Super Space Solar System Astronauts To the Moon When We ...

Book Poetry - Space

Sunday, July 21, 2019 BookBairn 1 Comments


Under the Same Sky
Look Up!
The Darkest Dark
The Moon
Starry Skies
Super Space
Solar System
Astronauts
To the Moon
When We Walked on the Moon
Once Upon a Star
Stardust
The Big Beyond

1 comments:

*Updated Post So the summer holidays have started in Scotland and that means six (or seven) weeks of full-time fun and play. It al...

Going to School Picture Book

Friday, July 19, 2019 BookBairn 10 Comments



*Updated Post

So the summer holidays have started in Scotland and that means six (or seven) weeks of full-time fun and play. It also means there are only a few weeks until some little children start school for the first time. And if you want to prepare them for that, reading Going to School books are a great way to talk about it.

Generally I don't find "my first.." sorts of books to be all that exciting. Useful, practical, but not exciting. Not true for Going to School by Rose Blake. This is really brilliant. It is an exploration of a day in the life of a little girl at school following her all day from her journey to school to when she gets picked up at the end of the day. And it highlights almost every important feature of the day! We also meet a whole cast of her classmates for vary in all shapes, sizes, colours and ambitions!


The day starts with everyone walking, scooting, cycling, busing, driving... to school and entering the classroom to hang up their coats and bags at the pegs. And this page is perfectly depicted (except the cloakroom is a lot tidier than I have ever seen one). Miss Balmer has written the timetable on the whiteboard and discusses the plan for the day with the children and then they are off on a journey of fun learning! The book shares some of the main subjects taught in school from geography, PE, science to maths and literacy but it also shows multiple activities on each page so you get a feel for various sort of science lessons that Miss Balmer has done with the children or a selection of activities that the children use the computer for. Similarly at play and lunch times the children are all doing different things so you can get a feel for the variety that happens in school.


And this is the charm of the book. Whilst it is told from the viewpoint of one character, there is so much going that you can discuss! So even if you don't ride your scooter to school you can spot a child getting there the way you do. Or doing an art activity that you enjoy. Or acting out one of the many jobs the children want to do when they are older. You can easily find yourself, or your child in this book. I would love to think that I was a little like Miss Balmer when I was teaching - she just seems awesome and it's no wonder her class adore her.


And I just want to have a special mention to the text about reading time because it sings to my soul: "Your imagination can take you to lots of exciting places when you're reading!" Could this book be any more perfect?


Good luck to any little ones starting school this year! 
Kim, BookBairn and The Wee Page Turner xx



Disclaimer: This book was sent by the publisher for review but I gave my copy away to a friend when her little boy started school so I bought myself a copy! Words and opinions are my own. Please read our Review Policy  if you want to know more. If you click on the image of the book below you will be sent to Amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link.  This means that if you choose to purchase on Amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-90p per book) from Amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog post please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our For Readers Section.

10 comments:

And after saying last month I would write more blog posts I have actually managed it! Yay! So lots of Space books have popped up to cel...

Kids Love to Read #44 & Giveaway

Monday, July 15, 2019 BookBairn 8 Comments



And after saying last month I would write more blog posts I have actually managed it! Yay! So lots of Space books have popped up to celebrate the anniversary of the Moon Landings and we have shared our favourites!


So I have lots of posts that I could link up this month to the Kids Love to Read link-up!

If you share or review children's books or are raising a reader whilst writing a blog then our co-hosted monthly linky with  Laura's Lovely Blog and Acorn Books is perfect for you! Kids Love to Read is a link-up to share blog posts written by other bloggers that star wonderful children's books. It's a great way to find new blogs to read and new book recommendations too, as well as invite people to come and read your own blog.

So if you write about your favourite children's books I would love it if you link-up your post! And I'm looking forward to reading them all!


Last Month's Favourites


Last month my favourite post came from Beachwood Schoolhouse who shared a list of 25 Picture Books for the Summer - I love reading seasonal picture books and this list included so many books that we haven't read yet! 

Laura's favourite came from the lovely Sarah over at Let Them Be Small who shared a lovely book about whales as part of her #nonfictiongems series - it looks like a beauty!



Linky Rules:

– Write about reading with children, share your love and your children’s love of books, what do you love to read together, how do you encouraging reading and books with your little or not so little ones? Books you love or book reviews.
– This Linky is open every 3rd Monday of the month for one week.
– Grab the Kids Love to Read badge and pop it in your post. It's linked at the end of the post for you.
– Use the #KLTR hashtag on Twitter and Instagram.
– Share the love – try and read & comment the host’s posts and on 2 other blogs listed on the Linky.
We look forward to reading your posts! And don't forget to enter the competition below!
Kim and the #KLTR team x



You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!
Click here to enter

Giveaway


Each month, to encourage reading with kids and to go along with our #KLTR Linky, we host a Book Giveaway.
We have a fabulous giveaway this month of Field Trip to the Moon which is a book we have enjoyed reading in celebration of the anniversary of the Moon Landings.

*Terms and conditions: Entries are open to UK and Ireland residents. The competition closes on the the 10th August 2019. Winners will be announced on social media and contacted via email. If the winner does not respond to the email in two weeks, a new winner will be randomly chosen.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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8 comments:

Next week (on the 20th) marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Moon Landings so if you want to brush up your knowledge before then, or h...

Books About the Moon

Tuesday, July 09, 2019 BookBairn 3 Comments


Next week (on the 20th) marks the fiftieth anniversary of the Moon Landings so if you want to brush up your knowledge before then, or have a little one who is fascinated by the event then we've picked out some of the best Moon non-fiction for you. There are lots of wonderful picture book adventures about the Moon (we shared our favourite Space adventures last week - some of which are specifically Moon adventures) but there are so many I couldn't share all of them - I did share some of our favourites some time ago in a post To the Moon and Back but as I say the Moon holds such a fascination for many of us it's no wonder that there are so many children's stories about its gaze, glow and wonder.

But without further ado...

Little World: To the Moon by Allison Black & Stuart Atkinson



This is one for the very littlest readers in your house - it says on the back for children aged 2+ but as you know we believe in reading to children from the earliest possible chance so for us this is perfect for babies too! With a gentle narrative, this book is a lovely introduction to a guiding children on their first space adventure. But best of all, they get to take part in the adventure by pushing, pulling and sliding the moving mechanisms to explore the story. And we adore the double fold-out blast off return to Earth scene at the end. This has a soft colour palette to making it perfect for bedtime and night-time moon gazing! It is super for curious little ones to get in on the Moon Landing anniversary action and learn about the world around them (and beyond!).


The Moon by Hannah Pang & Thomas Hegbrook



This book is stunning. Before I begin I want to say that it's aimed at kids older than 8+ and I usually share books aimed at BookBairn's age so I wanted to let you know before you get excited about this beauty. But it's just too good not to share with you. This book is a beautiful tribute to the wonder of the Moon. It will take you on a journey of discovery of the history of man's relationship with the Moon. Highly informative with stunning illustrations this is the perfect book for any want to be astronomer, astronaut, mathematician, poet of artist alike as is it's subject. The Press Release describes it as "a comprehensive guide to all things lunar" but it is so much more beautiful than that. And usually when I get a book aimed at older than BookBairn I find it a good home with the appropriate aged child or give it to a school, but not this beauty - it's been saved in the for future box. But if you have a child who is all excited by the Moon Landings and is a little older then this book truly is the most beautiful and fascinating way to learn about it! 


Night-time Around the World: Moon by Britta Teckentrup & Patricia Hegarty



I just adore this series of books by Britta Teckentrup as they are incredibly beautiful. So many of the pages would make stunning artwork for your walls never mind beneath the pages of a picture book. In my post, 'When Illustrations Become Art', I said: 

"For BookBairn, there is, without a doubt, nothing more important to her when reading books than the illustrations. She feels them, touching the pages, she pours over them turning page after page after page. She can't read the words. And as much as she enjoys listening to stories read aloud to her, it's primarily the illustrations that determine her favourites."


And I think this is probably true for us grown-ups too! Night-time Around the World: Moon is an atmospheric book that will take you on a journey through the dusky peek-through pages under the light of a shimmering moon from woodlands full of night-time creatures, to antarctic skies, to sunny beaches and to (my favourite) the northern lights. Featuring animals as diverse as jellyfish, turtles, bears, penguins and puffins to name a few, this really is a mesmerising book. The die-cut pages means that little ones can see the shape of the moon change before their eyes. The rhymthical text of Patricia Hegarty should not be forgotten amongst the stunning artwork as it too is beautiful. But mostly this series is intricate, innovative and incredible! This really is breath-taking. And if you don't want a copy for your kids - make sure to get one for you!

When We Walked on the Moon by David Long & Sam Kalda




Another book aimed at older readers (which we have also stashed in our for future box), it tells the story of the Apollo Missions. This is a lovely book which focuses on the stories of the astronauts, looking beyond the facts to the human stories behind the missions. They are incredible, hilarious and terrifying in equal measure and share the vivid colour of the heroic triumphs of the six manned moon landings. I love the blend of narrative and fact sharing - a very appealing read! With sharp and crisp illustrations suited to a more grown-up audience (of children aged 7+) this is a beautiful (and oversized) book. If you have ever looked up at the Moon and wondered about the moon then this is for you!

Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker & Dow Phumiruk



You quite possibly never would have heard about the accomplishments of Katherine Johnson had her life not been depicted in the film Hidden Figures. And thank goodness we have, for now we know that without the mathematical genius of Katherine we might never have put a man on the moon fifty years ago! Based on interviews with Katherine and her family, the author has brought to life the story of a little girl who loved numbers, who fought for her place, to go on to make an enormous contribution to history. This is a gentle but bold story that will stay with little ones long after the Moon has 'gone to bed' and will inspire them to count, calculate and dream big! The illustrations are a beautiful depiction of Katherine's life and the endpapers are some of my favourites ever!


I hope that has you wanting to blast off into a Moon adventure! And if it's got your little one excite dabout Space why not check out our blog post of the most fascinating Non-Fiction Space books that we've read?!
Happy exploring!
Kim and the bairns x


Disclaimer: We were sent all these books free for review purposes by the publishers (except Goodnight Spaceman which we borrowed from the library). Words and opinions are my own. If you click on the title or image of the book you will be sent to amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link. This means that if you choose to purchase on amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-70p per book) from amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our 'For Our Readers' section.



3 comments:

I thought since we are half-way through the year I would do a little reading wrap-up and look-ahead of the books that I have read and p...

Mid-Year Reading Wrap-Up

Thursday, July 04, 2019 BookBairn 2 Comments

I thought since we are half-way through the year I would do a little reading wrap-up and look-ahead of the books that I have read and plan to read in 2019. 


The books which have impacted me most:



Turning the Tide on Plastic by Lucy Siegel: Having read this book at the beginning of the year, I realised that simply recycling some of the plastic that we bring into the house isn't enough anymore. We need to try to stop it crossing the threshold. And we have made big improvements, which you can read about in my blog post 'Reducing our Family's Plastic Consumption'. This book was a huge influence on how I tackled the plastic in our home and I found the way it blended fact and advice that I could learn from and put into action a really easy (though in some ways troubling) read. If you are interested in this topic this is a great book to read to get you motivated!

Fierce Fairytales by Nikita GillI was so moved by this book I got literal goosebumps whilst read, cried tears and think it is perhaps the most powerful collection of poetry and best thing I have ever read! Putting a feminist twist on fairytale characters as well as empowering poems about life. I am going to re-read this one again soon and I'm also going to start reading some of them poems aloud to BookBairn as I want her to absorb these wonderful messages.

The Wordsmith by Patricia Forde: this book is probably not a book that I had particularly high expectations of but I found it fascinating and gripping! It's a Middle Grade (ages 8-12) dystopian story where the vocabulary of the population is limited to fewer and fewer words. Following an ecological disaster, the people who survived and gained entry to the 'Ark' are controlled by a enigmatic leader who sees language as a huge problem and sets out to limit words in order to limit protest, expression, and even free-thinking. And he's planning something even bigger. I loved this and found the way the story unfolded truly masterful. 

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo: I have wanted to read this one for quite a long time as I'm a bit of a neat-freak and I enjoy decluttering but I feel like my job is never done. And following the TV show I picked up the book and got reading and organising. It's something that I feel I can do to make our home a tidier, cleaner and calmer space. And has made me think about what I value and what 'sparks joy'.


Last year I managed to read over 100 books but this year I decided to slow things down and take the pressure off (although last year I didn't push myself to reach 100 until December when I knew I could squeeze a few extra books in just to reach the target) and it's just as well because this year I haven't been reading nearly as much, and if I'm honest I haven't been enjoying the books I am reading as much as I did last year. I'm not quite sure why that is but my concentration for reading has waned over the last couple of months. So I've decided to take my own advice from a blog post I wrote last year, Finding Time to Read as a Busy Mum, and make sure I prioritise reading rather than just reading when I'm really tired and ready for bed. And also by choosing to read books which I am really excited for!



No Ballet Shoes in Syria by Catherine Bruton - my lovely friend BookLoverJo sent me this for my birthday and I cannot wait to read it! An important book with a powerful message for young readers and a subject area that I find myself extremely concerned about at the moment.

A Pinch of Magic by Michelle Harrison - coincidentally also sent to me by BookLoverJo but I mostly want to read this one because of the beautiful cover, and I know Jo totally knows my book taste so it's bound to be wonderful!

Wild Embers by Nikita Gill - having been so moved by her Fierce Fairytales mentioned above I immediately went out to buy her next collection of poetry. I have waited to read this one as I want to sit and devour it in one sitting without any interruptions.

I also have to sections of my bookshelf stacked full of books that I haven't yet read. So I'm trying to work my way through those as I want to have that section in half by the end of the year and that also means not buying new books if possible - though I'm making an exception for one of the books below! 

I also thought that in order to boost my love of stories again I would re-visit some old favourites!



An Encyclopedia of Early Earth by Isabel Greenberg - I read this one last year and I really adored it. I loved the clever twisting of original creation stories and other myths and legends, I loved the artwork and I cannot wait to read it again. I had borrowed this one from my library as graphic novels can be quite expensive if you aren't sure you are going to love it so I will be buying a copy to sit alongside One Hundred Nights of Hero by the same author-illustrator.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker & Jon Klassen - I really loved this MG novel about a boy and his pet fox and how they are torn apart when his country is ravaged by war. It's an astounding story of friendship and one that I feel the need to revisit. 

Chocolat by Joanne Harris - I have loved this book for a long long time. It is perhaps the very first grown-up book that I actually loved an appreciated and I studied it for my Specialist Study in English. And I read that Joanne Harris has written a fourth book starring these same characters and I really want to read that. It feels like the right time to read it again. (Also it's a perfect cosy read with a hot chocolate in the autumn!)

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - I remember really enjoying reading this one when I read it for a book group several years ago and I'm just really drawn to the story again so I have bought the audiobook using my Audible Subscription so I can listen to it on the go.


So that's my plan for the rest of the year! Well of course I do plan on reading more than just these eight books but I want to give myself more flexibility to read things that I really appeal to me at the time. I find that helps me to read more. 

What is on your 'To Be Read' pile? 

Happy Reading,
Kim



BookBairn's bookshelf: read

The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil
Home Fire
Becoming
A Keeper
No. More. Plastic. What you can do to make a difference
Skycircus
Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
I'll Be Gone in the Dark
The Wordsmith
Fierce Fairytales: Poems and Stories to Stir Your Soul
The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
The Burning
Book Love
Don't You Forget About Me
Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste
The Wonder
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda
The Tattooist of Auschwitz
A Boy Made of Blocks


BookBairn's favorite books »


Disclaimer: these are all my choices and bought with my own money or borrowed from the library. If you click on the image of the book below you will be sent to Amazon.co.uk using an affiliate link.  This means that if you choose to purchase on Amazon.co.uk, I will receive a small sum (around 20-90p per book) from Amazon at no extra cost to you. I understand that you may not want to use an affiliate link, but if you like reading our blog post please just think of it as a small tip for a tip-off to an awesome book. And know that your support means I can buy more books! For more information check out our For Readers Section.


2 comments: