Category: Book Love

Picture Book Project: The Dot

By Mariah Bruehl, 24th September 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us to share some creative project ideas for one of our favorite children’s books, The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds.

I often encourage and nourish the notion of individuality and uniqueness in my children and by chance this week I stumbled upon a delightful picture book to assist in this process.

Have you ever read the book The Dot? The book by Peter H. Reynolds is about a little girl on a journey to discover her self worth and that she does have a talent to offer the world. Sometimes a little praise and encouragement is all that is required.

Here is a link to the story The Dot on You Tube and the book is available here or at your local boutique bookstore or local library. I shared the story with my littles and it opened the door to so many delightful activities. I would actually like to create a version of this video featuring my littles reading the book together with our dot art as the accompanying images. I think this would be a delightful gift for Grandparents or even for a class to do at school.

Here are some activities I plan on doing based on book. Do you care to join in? Do you have any ideas to add?

Set out a morning provocation of water color paints and ask your littles to create their own dot masterpiece. Present paper in a variety of sizes, textures and colors.

Set up a space outside with chalk for dots to be created. Capture these moments of playful learning with your camera. Print out the images and make cards to send to family (send as an email or make a virtual card with an app, such as RedStamp).

Create a Mandala.

Play with confetti.

Make pom poms.

Create a family piece of dot art on a large canvas.

Experiment with color mixing using primary colors.

Create a color wheel.

Make woven dots.

Encourage your children to make their own dot gallery. Invite family and friends over and host a dot exhibition selling your children’s art to family and friends to raise money for a charity. Prices could be as little as $2. Maybe even a silent auction could take place?

Search for dots in nature and take photos or go for a walk in the city and capture city circles.

Collaborative circle art

The littles and I created some adorable silk screen printed dots. The process is long when using a silk screen as you need have patience and wait for each layer to dry before you can add another dot, however it is a lovely activity to have going throughout the day, adding to every now and then.

If you’re looking for some Dot-Art inspiration, check out the work of Rachel Castle here.

You can also check out an interview with the author, Peter H. Reynolds, here.

10 Pop-Up Books Your Kids will Love

By Mariah Bruehl, 30th July 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share a fun list of lovely pop-up books. I can still remember my childhood favorites. They are a great way to engage young readers and to nurture an appreciation for the written word.

I just adore pop up books and over the years we have developed a lovely little collection. I find them engaging and believe they create an entirely new way to view a story, even one which you may have read over and over again. I find pop up books interactive and bold, perfect for encouraging little ones to think outside the square.

Here are some of my favorites that sit on our shelves.

1. The Sarah McMenemy city series. Just delightful and informative.

2. Popville | Anouck Boissrobert When this book first came out, it was everywhere and I put it on the list for our advent calendar straight away. We love it. There are no words, but the story of a small town changing over the passage of time is very moving.

3. Hansel and Gretel | Louise Rowe I adore the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel. The messages are at conflict with how we would talk to our children today, however the story of love and support between siblings is usually my focus. This edition is beautiful. Louise has paper engineered a few other classic fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty.

4. My Pop Up Body Book | Jennie Mezzles and Will Petty This is our second copy of this book. The first came to a rather sad end and we just had to replace it. Informative and ever so perfect for littles interested in how our bodies work. My five year old adores this book.

5. Yellow Square | David A Carter Yellow Square is the fourth installment from the creative David A. Carter. This book makes you think and explore as you navigate through the pages to find a hidden yellow square. There are a few pages where we simply cannot find it!

6. Out of Sight | Pittau and Gervais Over 50 animals are hidden on the pages of this book. It is filled with facts about the animals that we share this planet with. Using footprints, silhouettes, tails and noses to give you a clue as to who is hiding behind the paper flap.

7. Pop Up London | Jennie Maizels We have had this book since the lead up to the Summer Olympics hosted by London. Even though the Olympics have come and gone, this book still spends a lot of time on our kitchen table as we flip through the pages and talk about this amazing city. Perfect for any little with a love for travel and history. You can see an inside preview here.

8. We’re Going On A Bear Hunt | Michael Roson We have multiple copies of this book—as a book with audio, a board book, and as a pop up. This is magical and an absolute favorite. Again, another copy which we have had to purchase twice due to little fingers being too excited, but well worth it.

9. Lift the Flap Picture Atlas | Jane Chisholm A beautiful collection of maps of the world, illustrated with beautiful details and filled with facts that most littles would find interesting. I have used this book both with little R (aged 5) and at work with older children. A lovely addition to any home or school library. The illustrations by Alex Frith and Kate Leake are bold and bright and are what make this book so adorable.

10. Lost and Found | Oiver Jeffers This has been my favorite of the pop up book collection over and over again. I adore Oliver Jeffers and the paper engineering in this edition is refined, yet delightful. A little inside preview can be seen here.

Look what we now have for the littles bedrooms… these beautiful acrylic booksee bookshelves from Ubabub. I cannot wait to get them up on the wall!

Friendship Booklist (Part 2)

By Mariah Bruehl, 10th June 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share Part II of her book recommendations that cover the ever-important topic of friendship.

Previously I shared with you nine of my favorite friendship books (find them here). Today I am going to share more that are just perfect for helping littles develop the skills necessary to be a special friend.

1. Half a World Away | Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood This is one of the very first books I bought for Little R when he was first born. A close girlfriend had also given birth to a little boy called Louis and I thought this would be perfect. That was almost six years ago and I didn’t realize that it would be on our favorites list. This book teaches children that even when friends move away from each other, the beautiful bond they share is not necessarily broken.

2. Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley | Aaron Blabey Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley are the best of friends, but they are different in almost every way. How can you be such good friends with someone that is so very different? A delightful tale by Aaron Blabey about friendship and self belief. See a lovely handwritten interview with Aaron here.

3. Henry and Amy | Stephen Michael King Henry and Amy are so very different. He is messy and always seems to be doing the opposite of everyone else. Henry bumps into Amy one morning and thinks she is simply perfect. She can write her own name, knows left from right and can tie her own shoe laces. Meanwhile, Amy wishes everything she did wasn’t so perfect and wishes that she was creative and exciting, like Henry. These two are a perfect match for each other.

4. A Bear and a Tree | Stephen Michael King This is the perfect story to share in Autumn (although that has now long passed, in the Northern hemisphere at least). It is a story about the passage of time, the change in seasons and in friendship. What more could you ask for in a picture book? This book is thought provoking and open to so many different challenges based on questions. A fantastic book to use as a morning provocation. Unfortunately, it is not available in the US at this time.

5. The Little Prince | Antoine de Saint-Exupery A timeless classic, and the perfect friendship book to read as an early chapter book. I have not shared this with my eldest son yet (aged 5), however it is on the list. There are many beautiful versions available, including a pop up book that I would love to own.

6. A Ilha / The Island. The Island, tells the story of people on an island working together to create a bridge. It is all about friendship and striving to achieve a common goal. Simply a delightful book and I hope that an International publishing house picks up the rights and releases the story in English. The team from Planeta Tangerina actually constructed a bridge at a book fair in Lisbon. How amazing is this creation? The perfect provocation for developing friendships and community!

7. Stellaluna | Janell Cannon A delightful tale of a little bat who becomes friends with three baby birds. “How can we be so alike and yet so different and how can we feel so alike and yet be so different?” This story is read aloud here on Storyline by Pamela Reed, a member of the screen actor’s guild.

And lastly, a few websites to visit about friendship:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Twelve Books about Numbers

By Mariah Bruehl, 30th May 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share another a lovely list of recommendations for counting books…

My eldest is able to count confidently, but my littlest, aged 2, is just developing this skill…

Here is a list of our favorite counting books, ranging from timeless classics to newly released books.

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar | Eric Carle

We have multiple copies of this book! It is perfect for so many different areas of mathematics, be it numbers, time, color, repetition, pattern, science and life cycles. It is a beautiful book and Eric Carle’s clever and signature collage artwork inspires children all over the world.

2. Counting in the Garden | Patrick and Emily Hruby

A delightful counting book in which you can extend in so many different ways. When I read this book, we usually focus on sequential adding of the numbers, as well as cumulative adding. Therefore we count not only 1 onion then two turnips and three thistles as we find the hidden garden items on each page, but we also add them together,so one onion + two turnips = three vegetables. One onion, + two turnips + three thistles = 6 items hiding in the garden.

3. 10 Little Rubber Ducks | Eric Carle

A perfect book for introducing ordinal numbers as you follow the path of ten little rubber ducks as they are washed overboard a container ship during a storm.

4. The Poky Little Puppy | Jean Chandler

This book was mine as a child. When I had my first little boy, my parents gave this to me to read with him. A lovely counting book from 1 – 10.

5. A Child’s First 1 2 3 Numbers | Alison Jay

I am a fan of the beautiful illustration style of Alison Jay. Each page in this counting primer contains a little bit of the page before and a little bit of the page to come hidden in the picture. I adore looking for the little link. Alison also cleverly represents the number in focus again and again on the page. For example, in the three little pigs page, not only do we see three pigs, but they are accompanied by three tea cups and saucers, three apples, three umbrellas, three cushions, three cupcakes and the list goes on. It is a fun gave to play with the littles-seeing who can find another representation of the given number.

6. & 7. The High Street | Alice Melvin and Counting Birds | Alice Melvin

Alice Melvin’s artwork is simply precious and her books are adorable.

My little ones love Counting Birds. This rhyming primer introduces a lot of different birds we were not familiar with, as well as focusing on numerals from 1 – 20.

The High Street is a counting book, but also focuses on memory and list making. The main character, Sally, goes to the High Street to buy an eclectic list of items ranging from a Persian rug to a cockatoo. The pages open up to become a three page spread and it is simply beautiful. You could spend an entire afternoon looking at the beautiful details on each page. My little ones love books with additional little pockets and flaps and pop ups so The High Street is a favorite.

8. One Gorilla A Counting Book | Anthony Browne

This book is magical. The illustrations alone are worth seeking out. This is Anthony Browne at his very best. Our youngest (aged 2) adores this book and enjoys telling us who the primates are on each page. It would be wonderful to use as a provocation into a discussion on primates as the 10 representations are amazing and varied.

9. & 10. That 17th Hat | Trevor Eissler and Marloes de Vries and 4, 963, 571 | Trevor Eissler and Ruth Chung

June books, the publishing house of the above titles, state on their website that they ‘aim to delight and inspire children, while introducing families to Montessori education. They create books that honor children and the important work they naturally undertake in the demanding task of self-development.’

“That 17th Hat” and “4, 962, 571” are both strongly based in numbers and are perfect for children with a more concrete understanding of numbers. “4,962,571” is an excellent starting point for discussion about larger numbers and how to record them.

Both feature end pages which guide parents through the core Montessori principles addressed in the picture books. This video shares both titles being read by the author.

11. 10 Little Circus Mice | Caroline Stills and Judith Rossell

A delightful tale of mice teaching the friends of ten. Friends of ten being 10 + 0, 9 + 1, 8 + 2, 7 + 3, 6 + 4, 5 + 5, 4 + 6, 3 + 7, 2 + 8, 1 + 9, 0 + 10 .

12. Montessori Number Work | June and Bobby George

This book allows the reader to experience numbers in multiple ways. Not only can you count the numbers as quantities, but there are also sandpaper numerals to trace to help reinforce number formation.

10 Books about Nighttime

By Mariah Bruehl, 20th May 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to share another one of here inspiring book lists. This time her book recommendations are for the ever-important and oh-so-special, bedtime ritual….

Here is a collection of bedtime picture books recommended for children aged -9 months – 100!

Time for Bed | Mem Fox and Jane Dyer

We have two copies of this beautiful book, both a paperback and a board book. I must admit I adore board books, so I was delighted when they released it in this version. The illustrations by Jane Dyer are remarkable, and children and adults will quickly learn the story by heart.

The Rain Train | Elena De Roo and Brain Lovelock

This is a new book in our home and focuses on the sounds made throughout the night on a train journey. Soothing words and muted nighttime colors make this book delightful. I am a huge fan of books filled with onomatopoeias.

The Quiet Book | Deborah Underwood and Renata Liwska

This is a perfect book for winding down after a busy day. Each page depicts a certain type of quiet. This book really makes you slow down and smile. The illustrations by Renata Liwska are beautiful and the pale color palette is a delightful match to the written text.

When You Were Small | Sara O’Leary and Julia Morstad

An absolute favorite of mine! You may remember that I mentioned it in my books of love post earlier this year.

Goodnight, Me | Andrew Daddo and Emma Quay

From the day Little R was born, we have read this story each night. My husband knows it by heart and we adore it.

Tom and Tilly | Jedda Robaard

Tom and Tilly is an adventurous story about two friends, a bear and a boy. It follows them on a magical adventure in a beautiful little boat, which takes them all the way to bedtime. The book has a lovely little paper boat pattern at the end, which is lovely to create as part of the story telling. See an inside view here.

Good Night Moon | Margaret Wild and Clement Hurd

A timeless classic and a must have. We have both the Spanish and English versions and adore both so very much.

Guess How Much I Love You | Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram

Another classic that needs little introduction. We own multiple copies of this book.

Knight Night | Owen Davey

Knight night is delightful. It is the story of a little boy on his nightly adventure to bed. The illustrations are bold and the sepia tones give it a unique look.

Sleepy Bears | Mem Fox and Kerry Argent

This is a long picture book compared to the others I have mentioned, however, it is just too beautiful to not be included. It is the story of a mother bear and her cubs as they prepare for the arrival of winter. I love the line close to the beginning of the story…

“ but there’s plenty of time for your own special rhyme, if you climb into bed and snuggle in tight,

without any fuss and without any fight”

Bedtime stories are a central part of our nightly routine, which ensures that our little people are growing up with an in-depth love of literature. There are many other books besides these ten selections that we share at bedtime, but these always get a special request.

Some of these books we have had since before our eldest arrived, and others are very new to our home.

In our home, we follow the nightly rhythm of tea, bath or shower, warm milk, and then tucked in tight to bed for a story (or ten)! Sometimes it is so hard to leave a warm little person who is all clean and snuggled into bed.

Learning with Circles

By Mariah Bruehl, 15th May 2013

Joey from Made by Joey is with us today to share lots of inviting ways to engage our young mathematicians in meaningful and educational activities…

I just love it when art and learning go hand in hand! We have several of Ed Emberley’s drawing books, so when I saw the books “Picture Pie” and “Picture Pie 2“, I thought-what a great way of introducing all kinds of learning! Being a paper saver, I also love any opportunity to use up the small scraps of papers that we accumulate!

There are so many ways of using the activities in these books depending on your child’s age and abilities…

For early learners:

Adults can help children cut circles and shapes in a variety of sizes and colors. Matching colors and shapes is an excellent way of starting the first step of recognition. Finding other circles (and parts of circles) in your home or drawing pictures of items is another way to help your child recognize circles. Have your child watch you arrange the shapes and ask “What have I made with these shapes?”

*note: with young children always be cautious of choking hazards when collecting things for these activities.

For preschoolers/kinders:

With supervision, preschoolers/kinders can begin to trace/cut their own circles with child safe scissors, draw circles on paper and find items around the house or classroom. (have them collect items in a basket like a scavenger hunt!) Print the words: circle, half, quarter, third, whole, part, and divide on paper for the children to “read”. Use the paper circles and shapes to make patterns (for example: red circle, blue half, green quarter, red circle, blue half, green quarter) Believe it or not, understanding patterns is a very important step to learning math concepts in future grades.

For school aged children:

Children can begin to work more independently with the Picture Pie books by following the directions to make specific patterns. Working with and understanding how to divide the circles into halves, quarters, etc. and then combining those parts can aid in learning division and fractions. Hands on learning for these types of mathematical concepts are excellent as the children can see and manipulate the shapes themselves.

Supplies needed:

Circle punch (in a variety of sizes) *Note: children can cut the circles by hand or you can print the “Picture Pie Parts” from Ed Emberley’s website.

scissors

glue stick (for some of the activities)

Printables to use:

On Ed Emberley’s website there are free printable booklets that are available to download here. Each month offers different seasonal projects that use the Picture Pie method.

To print any of the projects into a handy little booklet:

:: select the project

:: click on the “printer icon”

:: select the “multiple” button

:: select “print on both sides of paper” and “flip on short edge”

:: select the “booklet” button

:: click print

Trim the pages down if you wish and round the corners (always a nice touch for children’s materials), staple down the spine and you are ready to start making art, learning and recycling!

I have also designed a few free printables that can be used for learning with different age groups.

*Note: you may need to download the file from Google Docs in order to see all of the shapes on some of the documents.

Learning with Circles for Early Learners

Learning with Circles for Preschoolers

Learning with Circles for School aged children

Friendship Booklist (Part 1)

By Mariah Bruehl, 30th April 2013

Friendship is something so important for little ones to be able to foster, nourish and develop. During the beginning stages of development, little children often engage in parallel play. As they mature, they seek out other children with like interests or personalities to form bonds with. I believe as parents and caregivers it is important to help them develop the skills of being a good friend and to show them how great it is to have someone special in their lives who they can truly call a friend.

Here is the first part of a two part series of books with a strong friendship theme:

Lost and Found | Oliver Jeffers – I have always loved this story and the movie is just as delightful. The story is so beautifully told that it captures the reader’s imagination immediately. We have the pop-up version, which is perfect in every way.
Marshall Armstrong is New To Our School | David Mackintosh – A new little boy, Marshall Armstrong, arrives at school and everything about this little boy is very different from the main protagonist. Sometimes different does not mean that you have nothing in common. Different can be just delightful. If you’re interested you can see an interview with David Mackintosh here.
A Hare, A Hound, and Shy Mousey Brown | Julia Hubery and Jonathan Bentley – Julia and Jonathan have created a special book which shows readers that you certainly do not need to be alike to be friends. Friends come in all shapes and sizes.
Max and George | Cori Brooke and Sue deGennaro – Max and George, is simply an adorable book. It would make the perfect gift for a child who has just started school. It is illustrated by the clever Sue deGennaro. Her lovely and unique style works beautifully with Cori’s words. I especially love that Max’s special friend is possibly imaginary (wink, wink). As Max becomes more comfortable, he reaches out and finds another special person to spend his days at school with. If you’re interested, you can see an interview with Cori Brooke here. You can also visit Cori Brooke’s website here.
The Moose Belong to Me | Oliver Jeffers – This is a tale about a little boy who would really like to own a friend called Marcel (or is that Rodriego or Domonic?). We certainly don’t own our friends, and this story illustrates that although you may love someone or something, you need to let them also be themselves. Very thought provoking.
Ted | Leila Rudge – Sometimes it takes a little while for you to find that special friend.
Little Tug | Stephen Savage – Little Tug may not be very tall or very fast, but he is a wonderful helper to all of his friends on the water.
The Very Hungry Bear | Nick Bland – This is part of a series of delightful titles by Nick Bland. This title is about a hungry bear who is very altruistic in the end and thinks of his new friend before himself. There is also an app!
Bear’s Best Friend | Lucy Coats and Sarah Dyer – Bear has a lot of friends, but he does not have that one special friend. Bear’s talent for topiary helps him find a new special friend.

Here are a few friendship activities to try:

Friendship high five : Trace around a child’s hand on paper and place a photograph of the them in the middle. On each finger record a fantastic friendship fact about that person.

Friend puppets: I did this with my littles (aged 2 and 5) a few years ago. I printed off a number of photos of family and friends and had them laminated. Then I attached a popsicle stick to the reverse to make a little friend and family puppet. These were simply perfect to encourage role-play and learning the names of family and friends for really little ones.
Who did you play with?: This is an activity, which can be done straight after school (or lunch if you are a teacher at school). Create a friendship journal to write a sentence or two about whom you played with and what games you played that day. Depending on each child’s ability, you could extend this by asking them to list any issues that arose and how these were solved. They could write about strategies that they put into place, or new and interesting facts they have found out about their friends, such as music they like or food they don’t like.

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A Travel Inspired Booklist

By Mariah Bruehl, 24th April 2013

Rebecca from Thirteen Red Shoes is with us today to with another one of her inspiring books lists. This time she is taking us all over the world with her favorite travel inspired picture books.

I am like the Bowerbird. When it comes to filling my home with things that I love, literature is at the top of my list. I seem to do this organically without even noticing until I look about me and there are beautiful books filling every possible place in the space.
Books about different countries and far off cities intrigue me and always seem to find me when I am pottering about my local boutique bookstore.

Over the last 18 months I have collected a lovely little library of books about the world, both fiction and non fiction, for my littles to enjoy. Some are more appropriate for when they are older (mine are aged five and two) but others are lovely picture books to share and enjoy at any age.

Below are a few of my favorites from our family library:

Berlin: A Three-Dimensional Expanding City Skyline by Sarah McMenemy. I adore this little pocket book guide to Berlin. It is tiny, small enough to fit in your handbag, but is expands to over 1.5 meters. Covering 12 must see locations including Potsdamer Platz, Gendarmenmarkt, Museum Island, and Alexanderplatz. Other titles include Paris, London, and New York.

Lonely Planet, Not for Parents Series. We have a few books from this series and they are delightful and brilliant research books for older children who are writing reports and gathering information. They have been created by the clever folks at Lonely Planet and the cities and countries covered range from London, Paris, to countries such as Australia, China, and the USA. Each title is full of quirky facts as well as detailed information including significant dates in the country or city’s history, native flora and fauna, and different events for which the city/country may be famous. These guides are full of photos and amazing facts that would be wonderful as a traveling companion for little ones. I am personally in love with The Not For Parents Travel Book as each page is dedicated to a different country. The book is divided into continents and then each country is represented with a map, flag, official language, population, currency, area and more. A brilliant resource for school aged children and inquisitive parents! I love flipping though books like this. There is also a sample free download available on iTunes. It is just a sample overview though, so don’t get too excited!

A Life Like Mine by UNICEF and DK Publishing. This is an amazing resource which i have used countless times in the classroom. This non-fiction text visits children from around the world sharing their interests and hobbies, family members, as well as daily rhythms. It is insightful and helps children relate to others whose life and circumstances may be so very different to their own.

This Is… series by Miroslav Sasek. I can’t get enough of this series. I adore the old school illustrations and the quirky dated facts and styling. At the back of each book is a new updated list of facts for those that are now outdated. We have 6 in the series, including, This Is The Way To The Moon (Little R’s favorite). I am always on the look out for more!

My Village by Daniellle Wright, illustrated by Mique Woriuchi. This is a delightful collection of 22 poems from around the World. From Iceland to Samoa, Iran to Switzerland. Each poem is written in both English and the original language. This is a beautiful, open ended and thought provoking book, which can be shared with many different age groups and at many different levels. I love the idea of sharing a poem and then finding it on a large world map pinned up on the wall or drawn with chalk. You could mark the location of each poem, over time, reflecting back on poems shared when a new mark is added.

Are We There Yet? by Alison Lester. A delightful book all about the people and places that make up the country of Australia.

Twelve Picture Books about Love

By Mariah Bruehl, 13th February 2013

Rebecca from ThirteenRedShoes is with is with another one of her wonderful lists! Today she is sharing her favorite, love themed, children’s books.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, it is always lovely to share books which inspire kind, loving, honest and good thoughts. The following titles all tell the story of love in their own unique way. Be it between a Father and his children, a Grandparent and Grandaughter or between a stick man and his stick family! I adore a story abut love and these are some of our family favorites from our home library:

1. The Heart and the Bottle by Oliver Jeffers – The Heart and the Bottle is a story about loss and love by the wonderful Oliver Jeffers, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last year with my Little R. This book brings a tear to my eye, each and every time I read it. We have the version with the audio CD included. The amazing voice of Helena Bonham Carter reads the story with such eloquence and emotion that it is certainly not only for the littles. There is also an iPad app , which I would love to download for the boys this Valentine’s Day. You can find more information about the app here.

2. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney – In Australia, this story is a classic and every child receives at least one copy when they are born, or even earlier! The story is about Little Nut Brown hare and his Father Big Nut Brown hare and a game they play to see who loves who the most. A delightful tale that shows how difficult it is to measure love. We have three or four copies alone, including an audio version. I love audio books!

3. I Love series by Anna Walker – Anna Walker has created a lovely little series, each title based around different family members. There’s Mum, Dad, Grandmother, Grandson, and the list goes on. Her illustrations are beautiful and suit the simple text perfectly. See Anna’s blog for some lovely inspiration.

4. & 5. My Dad and My Mom, both by Anthony Browne – These titles both have a lovely flow and have been read so often that both my husband and I know them by heart. Anthony’s illustration style is so very original and is adored by children around the world.

6. The Shape Of My Heart by Mark Sperring and Alyson Paterson – This title is new on the market, only released this month. The illustrations are bright, bold and ever so adorable. The world is full of lots of different shapes, but the most important shape of all is the shape of your heart. We love is book!

7. Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler – Stick Man lives in the family tree with his Stick Lady love and his stick children three and suddenly he is not there any more! This is a story of adventure, as we follow Stick Man on his journey home to his greates love: his family.

8. The Potato People by Pamela Allen – This is a beautiful story about a Grandmother and her Grandson. They love spending time together. When they are separated, Grandma misses her Grandson so very much and longs to be reunited.

9. When I Was Born by Isabel Minhos Martins and Madalena Matoso – This is a story about all the things that you are exposed to as you grow up by those who love you. When I Was Born was originally published in Portugal, but now has been released in numerous languages.

10. When You Were Small by Sara O’Leary and illustrated by Julie Morstad – Little F, aged two, adores this book! At the moment it is part of his nightly bed time story request. It is the story of a Dad sitting down each night and sharing stories with his son of when he was small.

11. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox Helen Oxenbury – In my eyes, Mem Fox can do no wrong. Her books are precious and so beautiful to read. This book is the perfect gift for a new baby.

12. Ivy Loves To Give by Freya Blackwood – Freya Blackwood is an amazing children’s illustrator and now, also a children’s author. This book is all about the love of giving and receiving. The main character, Ivy, loves to give, but sometimes her intentions, which are well meaning, can be a little bit muddled.