Category: Reading

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.

Pocket-sized Library Lists {printable}

By Mariah Bruehl, 14th May 2013

Annie from Alphabet Glue is with us to share a handy printable to help enhance the our beloved library visits…

As you and yours prepare for the upcoming lazy days of summer vacation and all that they bring, you may find that you have more time for trips to the local library. This is often the case at our house, and it seems that along with all the reading that happens, there is also a lot of trying to remember what we’d like to toss into the book bag on the next trip to the community library. Books get recommended by friends, or sighted in the window of the bookstore as we walk downtown. We might see or hear about something that seems great, and then in the haze of summer relaxation, forget it right away.

But here’s an easy solution: printable library lists, sized to easily slip into a pocket. Keep a stack handy, and use them to guide your book gathering all summer long. You can even check off the titles on them as you go, making sure that no good book gets forgotten!

To download the library lists, click on the image above. Enjoy!

Yoga Inspired Booklist

By Mariah Bruehl, 6th May 2013

Monique is with is today to complement her Yoga series with her favorite Yoga inspired children’s books…

As you have seen from my past Yoga posts, most of my inspiration for creating Yoga sequences for children comes from books. I love bringing the stories to life in such a creative, active way. This month, I thought I would share with you some books that have Yoga poses built right in. They are perfect for introducing Yoga to children and for when you’d like to have your child practice some Yoga but aren’t sure where to begin.

You and your children will have fun as you read them together and stop to try each pose. The poses are so well-illustrated that children can also look at the books independently and be able to try each one on their own. You might like to keep a few of these books handy for those times that call for refocusing a little one’s energy…

My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste – Introduces Yoga poses by relating them to familiar professions and activities

You Are a Lion by Taeeun Yoo – Children learn Yoga poses by pretending to be different animals

The Happiest Tree by Uma Krishnaswami – A young girl gains confidence and a better understanding of her body through the practice of Yoga and is able to remain calm as she takes on a new challenge

Stretch by Doreen Cronin – This book is not really about Yoga but is a fun one to read to encourage little ones to stretch and move

Like a Fish in Water by Isabelle Koch – Although more instructional, it contains lovely photos and easy to understand directions.

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.

From the Pinboards: Five Reading Nooks

By Mariah Bruehl, 25th January 2013

Here’s a little inspiration to kick off the weekend! Five cozy, orderly, reading nooks designed for kids: … Continue reading

Sight Word Bingo

By Mariah Bruehl, 22nd August 2012

Learning to read and write is a complex process that requires many different skills. Although it is complex, it can be a joyful and empowering experience for children…

Mastering the letter sounds and how to sound out words are important aspects of learning how to read. Yet, there are certain words that just don’t “play fair.” These “unfair” words are not intuitively phonetic, which makes them very difficult to read and write. For these tricky words it is best for children to simply “memorize” them visually so that they can begin to automatically and successfully read and write them. Many of these words are frequently used in reading and writing, so it is helpful to give children a nice repertoire of words that they have mastered.

One simple way to achieve this is by playing sight word bingo. This game is appropriate for children who have already mastered all of the letter sounds and are starting to read simple words.

Start with a simple game board, you can download one here.
Print out two copies of the game board, so that you can cut up the words of one and use them to pick out of a box or a bag.
For younger readers you can pick a word, read it out loud, and then give it to them so that she can visually match the word to their board.
For more advanced readers, pick a word and read it out loud. Do not give them the word, instead encourage them to match it through your auditory dictation.
This list of kindergarten sight words will come in handy if you want to add or change words.

Category: Reading

Here are some other great resources for fun ways to teach your children to read…