Home for a bunny

I recently started reading this book to my three year old son. I used to LOVE this book as a small girl so I really wanted to share it with him. It is the illustrations that delight me, especially the page when the brown bunny meets the white bunny - oh my heart almost skips a beat at the beauty of these drawings and then the last page….snifff. So did he like it? I think so  - his little face lit up when the bunnies met one another and tonight he wanted to read it again. Look at the cover and decide for yourself.

Who’s in the loo?

What coud be funnier to a three to five year old than a book about poo, wee and going to the toilet? The story has a great rhythm and your little one will love guessing who is in the loo…is it a tiger who needs to tiddle? My little one sniggers every time at the mole who has fallen into the toilet bowl…ick! For me though the best thing about this book is the ending - a bit of a twist and one for the mums and dads. So if you don’t mind a bit of toilet humour this book could be perfect for your preschooler.

Charlie Chick

Now I adore this book. It was one of my sanity savers after having my first son. He was such a wriggler but would sit still (ish) when I read this book. He would also laugh each time at Charlie’s hug pop-up beak. The text is simple, the colour vivid and the pop-ups amazing. Amazing pop-ups however don’t stay that way for long; particularly as there are things to grab onto such as Charlie’s feet and tummy. I ended up buying another copy as it soon became a sea of sticky-tape. I recently bought another copy for my new babe who also has good hand-eye co-ordination (this time I bought the bigger version with sound). You could borrow a copy from the library but I suspect little hands would have been there too.

Another train book

Sorry but yes….when Q was younger he went through a definite train phase and while we have a few ‘Thomas’ books I just couldn’t stand the stories so I searched and search for some other train books and this one ‘All Aboard’ is one such book. There are a few great things about this book; firstly the faces on the train - your little one can spot the cat in carriage, the person who is scared of tunnels, the face with sunglasses etc… and secondly you will need to twist and turn the book to follow the train on its journey. I also love the fact that it introduces perspective ‘is this a field of cotton wool or just fluffy sheep.’ If you have a little train mad babe and are looking for something a little different then try getting a copy. 

Toby’s train

You should see our copy of this book; its’ spine broken, the pages tattered and the sound button worn - a well loved book. The ’story’ is a simple one but both my babes have loved that fact that from a very early age they can successfully turn the pages AND press the sound button. I also love the fact that the book is in a shape of train. There are three other books in this series all equally sweet.

A wolf tale

Now we have been going through a bit of a wolf phase at our house - my fault I think - but I am enjoying it as it means lots of great dramatic reading  - often with a bit of gobbling at little toes! But the favourite wolf story at the moment is ‘Mr Wolf’s Pancakes’. This is a wonderful story for a three year old with a sense of wicked humour: Poor Mr Wolf wants to make pancakes and askes for help from his nursery rhymne neighbours. But his neighbours are rude and only decide to help him once he has finally made the pancakes. It is old story beautifully illustrated - lots of fun.

Noisy it certainly is.

This is one of my babe’s favourite books. It is big and bright and he loves pressing the sound button. The Baby Touch series are great for little ones because of their bold colours and varied textures - and best of all they are very sturdy. My reservation with this book is that it is titled ‘Noisy’ but really the only nosiy aspect is the sound button that only plays ’I'm a little teapot’.  If you are looking for a sound book there are others on the market that offer a greater selection of songs - if you like the Baby Touch format the Rhyme Book is worth reading.

Who sank the boat?

Now I love Pam Allen..there is something so fun and warm about her illustrations  - and this book is no different - a pig with an umbrella, a sheep knitting - and oh the expressions on the cow, just beautiful. So I do love this book and it is considered an Australian classic. It is perfect for a younger auidence due to the repititive text and has a lovely surprise ending but if you too love Pam Allen she has some quirker titles that have more music to them.

Clive eats…

This was a present from an Australian friend. It is a lovely book that demonstrates that we all have similarities and differences. While not a book that my son picks out regularly from his bookcase, he picks it out often enough for me to know that he likes the concept. I’m not sure I would have bought it myself.

Night night baby

This is quite a sweet book and one my little boy loves because of the big pull down flaps. My reason for buying it was that I loved the cute baby on the front (see cover). The text does rhyme but is quite forgettable. There is also a mirror at the end however it is in the shape of a star and not as big as you might expect from the layout of the other pages. If you already have a few favourite bedtime books then I am not sure I would buy this book -  unless like me you find the illustrations too attractive to pass by, or you can’t bear to borrow a slightly worn copy from the library.