BookBairn

Don't we all love the excitement of a parcel hitting the doormat (or the sight of that little card saying your parcel has been left with a neighbour but not the one say that the post office is holding it hostage!)? We are very fortunate because we get lots and lots of book post. So I thought we should share some of our favourite books about letters and post!

Dear Dinosaur by Chae Strathie and Nicola O'Byrne

Ok, before I review, I partly chose this one because we had a lot of Chae Strathie books in our school library and my classes always loved them. (Chae Strathie lives relatively locally!) And this one did not disappoint. After a trip to the museum, Max becomes a little fascinated by the T-Rex and decides to continue learning about it and making friends with it through writing letters to him. And the might T-Rex writes back! With lift-the-flaps post that allow little ones to open the letters and cards as you read along, this is a charming story of friendship. The illustrations are adorable and made me want a T-Rex for a pet. BookBairn really enjoyed reading this one and I plan on popping it on the Favourites Shelf as soon as the festive books magically disappear. And it made me want to take BookBairn to the National Museum to see the dinosaurs!

The Day the Crayons Came Home by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

One of my favourite children's books of all time is The Day the Crayons Quit so when I saw the sequel in the Scholastic Christmas Book Shop I couldn't resist getting a copy! BookBairn is probably too young to appreciate it's humour yet, so I've kept this little treat for myself. And I laughed out loud whilst reading it, so I gave it to Daddy BookBairn and he sniggered his way through. What would crayons say if the could write letters to their artist child? Well, sometimes I bet they'd be very complimentary but other times... Who knew they had such a dry sense of humour? In this sequel, Duncan faces a whole new bunch of postcards from forgotten, misplaced and crayons in need of rescuing. The crayons will genuinely make you laugh out loud! And Oliver Jeffers illustrates them perfectly!

The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

This is such a brilliant Christmas classic! For those of you unfamiliar with the story, readers follow along with the postman on his journey to deliver Christmas letters, cards and gifts to many of the characters from fairytaleland finally ending in the North Pole. With witty rhyming prose and including some fairytale characters long-forgotten from my childhood I loved reading this again with BookBairn. And of course, as with all Janet and Allan Ahlberg's books, the illustrations are whimsical and packed full of detail to spend many wintry nights enjoying and discussing. BookBairn loves collecting the post as we open each envelope to the fairytale characters adn discovering what's inside. This quite simply is a perfect festive post story!

These brilliant books are just some of the 600 books in the Scholastic Christmas Bookshop which has brilliant recommendations for books for all ages. When I was contacted by Scholastic I found it really hard to choose from their vast selection and couldn't believe some of the offers they had. All the books featured in their Christmas Bookshop are discounted and, when you shop with Scholastic, you can stretch the season of goodwill to make it go a little further as Scholastic donate 25% worth of free books back to the shopper’s nominated school or nursery for every order over £10, which means schools can add to their library or class book shelves for free! To browse the full Christmas Bookshop, (search by age and type of book) check out www.scholastic.co.uk/christmas

And if you fancy winning some brilliant books check out the #GiveABook competition that Scholastic are running on their social media! Just tag Scholastic (@ScholasticUK) with your favourite book to give to a child, and why, using the hashtag #GiveABook by 15^th December and they'll select five favourite posts and donate £50 worth of books to a school or nursery of the winners’ choice.

*UPDATE* This competition is now closed and the winner has been notified!
***We have a copy of The Jolly Christmas Postman to giveaway. If you would like to win a copy please comment below with the book that you would give a child for Christmas. (Additional entries will be available so keep an eye out by following us on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.) UK residents only please. Competition closes Friday 15.12.17 (same day that the #giveabook competition closes). ***

Hope you enjoy some book post,

Mummy and BookBairn xx

*DISCLAIMER: This is a collaborative post with Scholastic Books - we received a donation into BookBairn's nursery's Scholastic account, the books reviewed in this post as well as a copy of The Jolly Christmas Postman for the giveaway. As always opinions are completely our own!

It's that time of year when everyone starts to get excited, snow may start tumbling from the sky, trees are adorned with lights and you can hear the bells and songs of Christmas chiming everywhere. And yet... some people say "bah-humbug". I don't think Daddy BookBairn will mind me saying that he's a bit of a Grinch for much of this time of year: he hates getting the decorations out of the loft, he hates the shops being so busy and the seasonal commuters, he hates the pressure of buying gifts, he hates Christmas cards and wrapping presents. But he does love watching BookBairn enjoy Christmas - because that's what Christmas is really about. It's about meeting up with friends and family, it's about being amongst our loved ones.

When your #bookpost matches your jumper choice.

And deep down, I think that's what the story of The Grinch is all about. It tells the story of the Grinch who lives on the outskirts of Who-ville who hates Christmas: hates the noise, the feasting, the singing. So one year he decides to stop Christmas from coming. He dresses as Father Christmas, and dresses his dog as a reindeer, and sneaks down all the chimneys in Who-ville removing all the presents, stockings, turkeys and even the trees, until not a trace of Christmas is left. He even took the log from the fire! And yet the next morning, when he listens for the crying he expects, he hears merry singing. How can that be?

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.
"Maybe Christmas ... perhaps ... means a little bit more."

The Grinch, full of regret, finds his heart grows three sizes that day he returns all the toys, turkey and trimmings and joins in the festivities. Maybe Christmas isn't so bad after all?

But, for me this story, isn't just a tale about finding merriness in our family and friends this festive season. It's also about noticing the outsider. It's about making sure no one is left out. Every year we donate to our local Toy Drive which gives Christmas gifts and food hampers to those considered most in need in our local community. Nobody should be without a stocking, food and family on Christmas day (or any other day for that matter).

So to all the Grinches out there: join in the singing. And to the rest of us: let's help them feel welcomed.

To celebrate the Grinch turning 60 this year we have a copy to give away!!

*UPDATE* This competition is now closed and the winner has been notified!
***We have a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas to give away. If you would like to win a copy please comment below with your least favourite part of Christmas. (Additional entries will be available so keep an eye out by following us on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.) UK residents only please. Competition closes Friday 15.12.17. ***

Happy Grinchmas!

Mummy and BookBairn xx

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

Occasionally we get asked to review a book or be part of a blog tour and I'm always wary about doing so in case we don't love the book. Because fundamentally that's our guarantee - we only review books we love. But in this case I needn't have worried because BookBairn loves this book!! I popped it up on the Favourites Shelf to grab her attention and now we read it every day (sometimes twice or more!) and she may have found the giveaway copy we have and insisted we read it too - sorry it's not quite pristine but it comes with the BookBairn stamp of approval!

'Shark Dog' by Ged Adamson is a hilarious tale about a little girl who on an expedition with her dad discovers a curious but loveable creature. Part-shark part-dog, Sharkdog firmly thumps his way into their hearts. Sometimes when he's being a dog he's more like a shark and other times when he's being a shark he's more like a dog. But still he fits in, except at the beach: a fin sticking up out of the water sends everyone running. This is a delightful tale about what family means, about finding your place in the world, about what home really means! BookBairn's favourite part is, without a doubt, the illustration of Sharkdog playing with a stick, but he's got a whole tree in his mouth. She roars with laughter every time!

And we are delighted to welcome Ged to answer a few questions from BookBairn and I:

(Don't miss out on the giveaway at the bottom.)

Mummy's Questions:

Q: The book begins "my dad is no ordinary dad" - was this inspired by someone?

A: Not anybody specific. I just imagined a dad who’s an old school explorer and very British! I wanted him to be kind and fun to be around. He takes his son with him on his adventures. How cool would that be for a kid!

Q: Would you like to own a Shark Dog? Why or why not?

A: I’d love to have a Shark Dog! He’s such a friendly and curious animal. He’d be the perfect guard dog and he wouldn’t really have to do anything. People would be wary of him at first but then they’d see how really he’s just a sweet, happy dog.

Q: If you could create the perfect animal hybrid, what would it be?

A: It would have to involve a dinosaur. I’d love to see a Tyrannosaurus Rex in real life. But my hybrid would be with a giraffe but you wouldn’t actually see the giraffe part (I know I’m cheating!). It would be the temperament and vegetarianism of a giraffe. So he’d be a harmless T-Rex that eats plants instead of people.

Q: 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?

A: I’ve probably missed some out but...

Pandamonium At Peek Zoo by Kevin Waldron - brilliant, funny book. A family favourite.

Yeti And The Bird by Nadia Shireen - I love her humour so much.

Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton - truly original illustrator and we all think George is so cute!

Goodnight Already! by Jory John and Benji Davies - just hilarious especially when the duck looks through the window.

This Book Just Ate My Dog! by Richard Byrne - a clever idea that uses the physical book as part of the story. I love the big, stupid, sweet dog.

Last Stop On Market Street by Matt de la Peña - a wonderful, moving story beautifully told and illustrated.

My Friend by Beatrice Alemagna - this is so lovely and encapsulates everything that makes her the genius that she is.

Q: I’m sure there illustrators who have inspired you, can you tell us a few that you like the most?

A: My big influences are people like Ronald Searle and Charles Schultz. Ronald Searle was just jaw droppingly talented. When I was a kid, I got to know his work through things like the St Trinians films and the Molesworth books. He’s so massively imitated.

I was obsessed with Snoopy and Charlie Brown as a child. The other kids in school used to get me to draw them. I still have loads of Peanuts books.

There are lots of contemporary illustrators whose work I love - like Beatrice Alemagna who I’ve already mentioned; Isabelle Arsenault; Kevin Waldron; Fabi Santiago; Laura Callaghan; Reza Ferazmand (Poorly Drawn Lines); Johnny Sampson; Lauren Humphrey. I could go on, there are so many!

Q: If you could choose any book to create new illustrations for, which would you choose?

A: Ooh that’s a good question! I’ve always loved Charles Dickens and to illustrate something by him would be like a dream job. A Christmas Carol for example.

Emil And The Detectives by Erich Kästner would also be a good one.

I’m fascinated by clothes so a story that was set in, say, the 1960s or the Edwardian era would be a real pleasure to illustrate. All those great styles!

BookBairn's Questions:

Q: "Our Aquarium has dogsharks - is this like a sharkdog?"

A: Wow you’re so lucky to have an aquarium with dog sharks! They are similar to shark dogs but shark dogs are sort of rounder and they’ve got legs. I’m not sure who would win in a swimming race.

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

A: Orange is a very nice colour but I think mine must be green because I’ve got so many clothes that are green. There are colours that, when they’re together, I really like the combination. Like pink and brown. Or pink and orange. Or green and grey.

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

A: My favourite animal has to be a dog. They’re so friendly and lovable!

Q:“I like to draw faces just now. What are you drawing?”

A: I’ve just drawn lots of dinosaurs for a new story idea. I always draw a leg and a foot with a fancy shoe. I don’t know why. It’s just what I always doodle.

Thank you Ged for joining us and answering our questions! The wonderful news is that Ged sent us an additional signed copy for a giveaway!

*UPDATE* This competition is now closed and the winner has been notified!

***We have a been sent an additional signed copy of this brilliant book to giveaway. If you would like to win a signed copy of Shark Dog please comment below with an animal hybrid or combination that you would like to see in a story. (Additional entries will be available so keep an eye out by following us on Twitter, Instagram and on Facebook.) UK residents only please. Competition closes Monday 11.12.17 and I will aim to have it posted asap.***

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).

Happy reading!

Mummy and BookBairn xx

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

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… We are fast-approaching the season of the countdown. Children are getting more and more excited counting down the days, lighting candles, opening advent calendars of all shapes and sizes—my family will be having a book-a-day for our advent season. Parents are getting more and more frantic to get organised as the days disappear. It’s the time of year that everyone practices counting.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10… A study several years ago by researchers from the Institute of Education in London found that children who receive bedtime stories from their parents as infants perform better in vocabulary and spelling but also in maths. Reading supports numeracy. Books are full of numbers and images for counting.

A special thanks to Kim from BookBairn for our November @kidlitpicks theme! (It was my turn!!)

Counting with Barefoot Critters, by Teagan White

“Each rhyming verse leads on to the next. 1 through to 12 and a sweet goodnight.” — Summer from @readingisourthing

I Know Numbers!, by Taro Gomi

“If you have a little learner that’s getting digit-curious, check this book out.” — Katie from @afriendlyaffair

365 Penguins, by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joëlle Jolivet

“As with all the best learning opportunities, it's done in such a clever way that children will barely notice that they are learning.” — Claire from @alittlebookhabit

Eight Jolly Reindeer, by Ilanit Oliver and Jacqueline Rogers

"Young readers will love counting down from eight to one in this adorable board book featuring Santa's famous reindeer! ." — Leah from @astoryaday

10, 9, 8 ... Owls Up Late!: A Countdown to Bedtime, by Georgiana Deutsch and‎ Ekaterina Trukhan

“It is engaging for little ones –– with peep-through cut-outs and cheeky little owls to count as well as repetitive text that they will soon be able to join in with reading the story.” — Kim from @bookbairn

Numerical Street, by Antonia Pesenti and Hilary Bell

“It's quintessentially Australian and nostalgic through the architecture and details in the story, such as the myna birds throughout and the lamingtons/caramel slice/jam rolls and custard tarts at the bakery.” — De from @books_and_babycinos

Roar, by Stuart Lynch

“I couldn't resist the cute little dinos in this board book that introduces little ones to counting from 1-5.” — Carissa from @bookskidslove_

One Leaf, Two Leaves, Count with Me!, by John Micklos Jr. and Clive McFarland

“Fun fall counting book!” — Arielle from @childrensbooksgalore

Joey Counts to Ten, by Sally Morgan“Not just a counting book, this picture book can be used to discuss concepts of time of day, weather, sounds and sights.” — Rossa from @curiouslittlepeople

One Minute, by Somin Ahn“Young children counting down seconds and minutes will come to understand how relative time can be.” — Rossa from @curiouslittlepeople

Grandma's Tiny House: A Counting Story!, by JaNay Brown-Wood and Priscilla Burris

“This counting and rhyming book is by far the cutest thing I've seen all day!.” — Charnaie from @hereweeread

Cats Night Out, by Jon Klassen

"Dance through the night with some fabulous felines whose numbers increase two at a time." — Wendy from @homegrownreader

William's Winter Nap, by Linda Ashman and Chuck Groenink

“This bedtime tale and it's kind cast of characters is sure warm your winter chilled heart.” — Heather from @kidlitbookbits

One Family, by George Shannon and Blanca Gomez
"This book works on so many levels: it’s a simple counting story, a little bit of seek and find, and (my favorite!) a lovely introduction to and celebration of diversity in families.” — Anna from @kidlitcrafts

Let’s Count Kisses, by Karen Hull“This is a gentle bedtime story incorporating a lift-the-flap design, Australian animals and counting from 1 to 10.” — Shannon from @ohcreativeday

One Big Turkey, by Anne Vittur Kennedy

“It's simple and sweet rhyming text gets children counting everything they have to be thankful for, including food, friends, and full bellies!” — Michelle from @the.book.report

How Many Legs?, by Kes Gray and Jim Field

"The book introduces us to a myriad of crazy critters turning up to a party with a varying number of legs and asks us "How many legs?"." — Fiona from @fee_loves_

"The things that make me different are the things that make me me." —Piglet (A.A. Milne).

Books have a magical power to transport the reader into any world at any given point in time. We can sit at home and become completely immersed in somebody else's life. Best of all, books help to expand our understanding of different people and cultures as well as ourselves.

When we read a story as a child, it becomes a part of our own identity. Reading a diverse range of books exposes children to an array of characters with different perspectives. This helps give children a heart for everyone, thus assisting in developing empathy.

This month, the @kidlitpicks book club is featuring books about EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES. It is our hope to create a collection of books that celebrate the diversity of people around the world so that all children might see themselves reflected in stories as well as read about people they’ve never met.

What are some of your favourite books that celebrate diversity?

Join in by sharing books that embrace our differences by tagging #kidlitpicks_diversity

Happy Reading,

Mummy, BookBairn and The Wee Page Turner xx

Time for one final Christmas Gift Guide and this time it's for the big kids! As you know, my expertise lies in baby and toddler friendly books but I do occasionally come across a book aimed at older children that I just love. That's not to say these aren't great for younger kids but I think older children might get the subtleties of these a bit more.

This Book is a Planetarium by Kelli Anderson

Before I begin I should say that this is a pricey book. But it is worth every penny. Much more than a book - who knew humble paper could be so versatile! This is hands down one of the most amazing books I have seen this year. Because it’s not only a book: it’s a working planetarium projecting the constellations, a code cracker, an infinite calendar, a musical instrument, a speaker for playing music amplified from your phone and a spiralgraph! Defying all expectations of what paper can achieve! And perfect for Daddy BookBairn’s Christmas or Papa BookBairn or any big kid who loves a gadget! Honestly, this is just amazing!!! Round of applause to everyone involved in producing this one. I’m astounded!

Big Words for Little Geniuses by Susan and James Patterson and illustrated by Hsinping Pan

"Bibliomania (bib-lee-oh-MAY-nee-ah) You have bibliomania if you love to collect as many books as you can." - sound like anyone you know?

This is just genius! Actually genius! It's even in the title. Now BookBairn is a smart cookie and I like words (does that make me sound like a geek?) but many of these are new to me. Instead of typical ABC word books - Apple, Ball, Cat... this books chooses not to dumb it down for our little wordsmiths with Arachibutyrophobia, Bibliomania, Catawampus... So much fun! The illustrations are spectacular and parents will learn a thing or two too. Now it's perhaps more fun for grown ups than kids but I think big kids will enjoy having a go at saying the big words and she certainly find it funny when grown ups trip over saying them! A great gift for bookish parents like me to share with their little geniuses!

Secrets of our Earth: A Shine-a-Light Book by Carron Brown and Wesley Robins

This is such a brilliant series of books and there's a perfect book for every interest. I chose this one to share because it features two of BookBairn's favourite things - humpback whales and wind turbines (Daddy makes them at his work). These are great non-fiction books where every page is missing part of the illustration and to reveal it all you have to do is shine a torch underneath the page and voila it appears! Pack full of facts and an interactive element that will be just as fun for older as younger readers you won't even notice that you are learning along the way. We have picked up a couple of these to give this Christmas and with so many to choose from there's one for everyone! We are pairing ours with a torch so that kids can get stuck in on Christmas morning and find those hidden pictures! (You can find the whole series here.)

Nibbles: The Dinosaur Guide by Emma Yarlett

You know how much we love Nibbles! He's the little yellow monster with an insatiable appetite and his favourite thing to nibble on is books! And this time he's chomped his way into a book all about dinosaurs. But this time he comes up against creatures far more fearsome than those in fairytales. What will happen when he stumbles into chapters about triceratops, velociraptors and the T-Rex? Who will be top of the food chain? Such a fun and clever book which is great for a wide audience of readers as it works on many different levels. The illustrations are delicious, the jokes are laugh out loud and you can learn a thing or two about dinosaurs. BookBairn loves this one but it will appeal to older kids too. We are giving a copy to a big little dinosaur fan that we know who has just learned to read himself (so proud of you toots!) and I hope he will enjoy reading this one on his own!

Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers

What do you need to know about living here on Earth? The basics. In Oliver Jeffers newest picture book he explains those basic fundamental things for his newborn son. And he covers it all so beautifully, our solar system, land, water, humans, animals, life, questions, answers. And as always he illustrates it beautifully. This might be my favourite book of the year. (But I'll save that for another blog post!). If you don't buy a copy of this for a big kid you know you need to buy a copy for yourself. And get yourself a nice cup of tea and sit and enjoy every page.

In fact, I think I'll do that right now.

Check out our previous gift guides: babies, toddlers, grown ups - click on the appropriate title. Happy gift shopping! And remember to treat yourself too!

Happy Christmas Shopping,

Mummy and the elves xx

Disclaimer: these are all my choices. Some were sent from publishers but they were not sent in connection with this post. Their inclusion here is my choice. Because I really do think they are great.

It's December so now we can finally crack out the festive books! Except of course, most of ours are wrapped up as part of our Advent Book Tree. Fortunately I took a few photos of those festive gems that are hidden inside. Here are the 24 books that BookBairn is set to unwrap this month... (I hope she might let her brother have a go at ripping the paper too but I doubt it!)

Last Stop on the Reindeer Express - Maudie Powell-Tuck & Karl James Mountford

Mia's dad can't make it home for Christmas so she wants to find a way to at least get a card to him via a mysterious postbox. And off she is whisked on an unforgettable adventure but will she reach her dad in time? And little readers can join in the journey via peek-through pages and hidden flaps! This is a festive adventure that evokes all the magic of Christmas but at it's centre is family - and isn't that just the way it should be?! And you can see from the cover that it's beautiful! Intricate illustrations and rich colours make you feel like Christmas is just jumping off the page!

Make and Play Nativity - Joey Chou

This is such a brilliant festive activity book where children can assemble their very own nativity scenes. Featuring all the main characters from the nativity story, children press-out and slot together the pieces to bring the story to life! The illustrations are just lovely and will be great for teaching BookBairn the story (it's only her third Christmas so I doubt she remembers it). I cannot wait for her to unwrap this! I really really can't!

Listen to the Christmas Songs - Marion Billet

BookBairn adores this series of books and I'm certain she's going to love this one too. Starring six festive songs - We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Jingle Bells, He Has a Red Red Coat, O Christmas Tree and Santa Clause is coming to town. Not just the music but the words too - older kids can read along and younger ones can learn the song by listening. The illustrations are lovely! So deceptively simple but utterly charming!

The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker - Jessica Courtney-Tickle

Another musical book but this one evokes my own childhood of going to the ballet at Christmas time with my mum. The story of The Nutcracker is a perfect read at Christmas and what could help bring it to life better than if you read along whilst listening to Tchaikovsky's beautiful music? Follow little Clara on her magical adventure and watch the battle between the nutcracker and the mouse king, meet the SugarPlum Fairy and journey to the Land of Sweets, all the while pressing the musical note buttons to hear 10 seconds of music from the ballet. It is also beautifully illustrated and will fill little ones with wonder! I love this one so much that I have added the rest of The Story Orchestra series to my wish list!

Also in our advent tree:

Guess How Much I Love You in Winter - Sam McBratney & Anita Jeram
Miffy in the Snow - Dick Bruna
The Christmas Bear - Ian Whybrow & Axel Scheffler
Winter - David Carter
Let it Glow: A Winter Walk - Owen Gildersleeve
Snow - Sam Usher
That's Not My Santa - Fiona Watt & Rachel Wells
Nativity Flap Book - Sam Taplin & Rosalinde Bonnet
Dear Santa - Rod Campbell
Bizzy Bear: Christmas Helper - Benji Davies
A Letter for Bear - David Lucas
Away in a Manger - Igloo Books
Christmas Treasure Book - Roger Priddy
Little Christmas Tree - Jessica Courtney-Tickle & Ruth SymonsPop-Up Peekaboo Christmas - DK Books
Countdown to Christmas - Stuart Lynch
It's Christmas - Tracey Corderoy & Tim Warnes
Jack Frost - Kazuno Kohara
Bear and Hare: Snow! - Emily Gravett
Snow - Walter de la Mare & Carolina Rabei

I hope you enjoyed seeing what is hidden inside our book tree! And even more so I hope BookBairn will enjoy unwrapping each one. And so the season begins...

Do you have a favourite festive read?

Happy unwrapping,

Mummy x