Tag the joys of reading

The Bookshop Dog

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The Bookshop Dog
Harriet Evans and Claire Shorrock
Little Tiger

Scamper absolutely loves his home with Paige at The Happy Tails Bookshop and can’t imagine a better place to live in the whole world. Everybody in the neighbourhood has made him feel welcome and he loves them all, Paige especially. To show his appreciation, the pooch decides to follow her example and he selects some books he thinks his friends might enjoy reading. This proves very successful: Scamper has helped all his friends

but is there a book that can put a smile on the face of the person who seems to have read every one already? His search of his friends’ abodes yields nothing suitable and it’s a down-hearted Scamper that returns to the bookshop but joy of joys …

What a delightful character is Scamper, especially in the way his observations enable him to find the right book for each person, even though it’s unlikely to be what they themselves would have chosen.
I love that reading and books are celebrated both verbally and visually at every turn of the page: listeners and readers aloud will love the wordplay and clever book titles – Mansfield Bark and Doggy Deeds of Derring Do – for instance. Claire Shorrock’s illustrations have lots of details that offer starting points for discussion and I absolutely love the exchange between Paige and Scamper near the end: “Reading takes us all on incredible journeys.” (Paige) and ‘reading is a way of coming home.’ (Scamper). So true, both.

Terry and the Brilliant Book

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Terry and the Brilliant Book
Nicola Kent
Macmillan Children’s Books

Meet best friends Sue and Terry. They absolutely love balls; balls to bat, bounce, bash and run and jump after.

Into their ball-filled life one day comes a book. It’s Sue’s surprising birthday present to Terry.

Initially neither knows what to do with it so Sue goes off to get yet another ball for Terry. When she returns however, Terry is lost in his book and just can’t put it down. (I know that feeling!)

The friendship is tested when things go wrong – first a cinema visit and then dinner.

That night Terry finishes his wonderful book and next morning the two resume their ball playing until …

Now it seems, Sue too has discovered the joys of reading

and it’s Terry’s turn to feel left out.

Can they get around this challenge to their friendship? Perhaps a visit into town might help …

This enchanting story about the delights of reading demonstrates that perhaps it’s not wise to become totally obsessed with one activity, especially when it damages something as important as friendship.

The splendid endpapers, indeed the entire book reminds me of a relation, his family and book-filled, ball-filled home. Herein the 3 year old boy is ball mad but now also loves books; and the 6 year old girl always seems to have her head in a book but finds time for lots of physical activities too.

A smashing book to open up discussion, at home or in school, about the story’s themes, which are highlighted in Nicola’s beautifully detailed illustrations; love her cheery colour palette too.

Shhh! I’m Reading

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Shhh! I’m Reading!
John Kelly and Elina Ellis
Little Tiger

I cannot imagine how many times I’ve uttered the title words to people in my time. Now though it’s Bella spending a wet Sunday afternoon engrossed in her book who resents being disturbed.

First to show up is Captain Bluebottom the Flatulent wanting her to join him for a Windy Pirates adventure. He receives a firm refusal.

Next comes Maurice Penguin announcing ‘Showtime’ and tempting her with a sparkly outfit. He too and his entourage are told to sit quietly.

Emperor Flabulon’s challenge receives similar treatment

and finally peace reigns allowing Bella to finish her book. Having declared it the best ever, she then invites the intruders to join her and go adventuring.

Their instant response comes as something of a surprise; or does it? …
Game, set and match to Bella! And to the power of stories, books and the imagination.

John Kelly’s funny tale will resonate with all those who like nothing better than uninterrupted reading time. It’s a smashing read aloud that celebrates the delights of losing oneself in a good book.

Elina Ellis captures both the humour of the chaos caused by the intruders and Bella’s responses to same with terrific brio and  reminds us that, with all good picture books, reading isn’t just about the words.

Maisy Goes to the Bookshop / Kiki and Bobo’s Super Surprise

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Maisy Goes to the Bookshop
Lucy Cousins
Walker Books
A book that promotes the idea of reading and bookshops for the very young – what’s not to love? And when it’s a child-friendly establishment (or in this case Maisy friendly) with a kindly bookseller on hand to help you make a choice once you’ve had a good browse, as is so at  ‘We Love Books’, you know you’re in one of the best possible places.
Then when you happen to bump into your friends, all enthusing about their choice of reading matter things get even better. There’s even a story time session …

and a café to complete the delights, before you head off to give another friend a very special present.
Lucy Cousins captures the magic of books and bookshops for pre-schoolers in her bright, engaging scenes of budding bibliophiles. Hurray for Maisy and friends, and child-friendly bookshops everywhere.

Kiki and Bobo’s Super Surprise
Yasmeen Ismail
Walker Books
Two friends return in another lift-the-flap fun story.
It’s a special day in Kiki and Bobo’s house, so they both think; far more special than waffle day, Bobo tells his friend as he departs to market.
Kiki meanwhile decides it must be her best friend’s birthday and sets about preparing for a surprise party. She bakes a cake, blows up balloons, hangs bunting and dons her best party clothes.
She of course, is not the only one preparing for a surprise party.
Bobo’s shopping includes lots of yummy food …

and a special present; and on his way home, he stops to pick a birthday bouquet for Kiki, who back  indoors, seems totally unaware that it’s actually her birthday that is being celebrated.
Let the merriment begin …

Gentle offbeat humour for the very youngest: it’s brimming over with flaps to explore, labels to read and yummy things to tingle the taste buds, not forgetting that BIG SURPRISE for one of the main characters that will be eagerly anticipated by knowing toddlers.

I’ve signed the charter  

The Covers of My Book Are Too Far Apart / Harvey the Hero

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The Covers of My Book Are Too Far Apart
Vivian French and Nigel Baines
Picture Squirrels
“Huh! Reading’s rubbish!” So says the angry-looking boy on the first page of this lively, enormously engaging, cartoon-style book. It tackles the ‘reluctant reader’ issues precisely and wittily; and the anti-reading comments will most likely be familiar to those of us who are teachers, as well as a fair number of parents.
Each ‘grumble’ is allocated a spread with a host of pro-reading people countering the moan with their own positive idea. Thus, the ”I don’t have time to read. I’m too busy!” guy is offered: on the bus, just before sleep, in the bath, instead of tidying a room, as an accompaniment to doing something boring such as shopping, and while the dinner’s cooking as possibilities.
The most important thing that Vivian French and Nigel Baines do is to make this a truly inclusive book with an extremely wide range of characters being featured: there are those who want to read but don’t find it at all easy …

but possibly my favourite spread starts with the opener “Pictures are for little kids” …

It’s great too that reading is interpreted broadly to include comics (love the superhero advocate who puts in an appearance at every possible opportunity); audio books, eBooks, picture books (at any age or stage) but most important of all is – and it’s the reason that every primary classroom should have at least one copy of this –

‘Reading isn’t a competition! It’s FUN!’

that and another fact many teachers tend to forget – that reading, at any stage, is a highly personal process: one size DOES NOT fit all. Inspired and inspiring both.

Harvey the Hero
Hrefna Bragadottir
Nosy Crow
Would-be superhero, Harvey is thrilled to be attending a book signing of Superhero Steve. But after the event, Steve drives off leaving his cape behind: Harvey resolves to follow him to the Big City and return the cape.
The Big City though is a bustling place and Harvey needs help – a map perhaps …
Seemingly he’s inadvertently helped in the apprehending of a thief …

In fact, during his search for Steve’s house, Harvey is responsible, unwittingly, for extinguishing a fire; and rescuing a little bunny.

Then, having returned the cape to his hero, Harvey returns home and gets the surprise of his life: could his dream of superherodom really be coming true?
Young superheroes and would-be superheroes of the human variety will delight in this tale of misadventure and applaud Harvey’s final rise to hero fame. Like Baxter’s Book, Hrefna Bragadottir populates her second story with a host of whimsical animal characters whose activities make both children and adults chuckle.

I’ve signed the charter