A Walk in the Park

By Anthony Browne, Wikipedia 

Year: 2013 (this edition), First published in 1977

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 40634 164 5

This is a sweet tale of budding friendship set amid the starkly different social backgrounds of their families. The illustrations are intriguing with quirky little elements that pop up at odd places and  waiting to be discovered like little Easter eggs. What would you make of a stone chimney that casts the shadow of a man in a bowler hat? Or a fountain pool with a, presumably resident, hippopotamus?

Anyway, the story is about Mr. Smith and his little girl Smudge out on a walk with their dog Albert. As are, a Mrs. Smythe and her son Charles with their dog Victoria. Their mannerisms and clothes suggest starkly differences but the children and their dogs get acquainted pretty quickly.

Excerpt

While the dogs played, Smudge and Charles edged nearer and nearer to each other.

Mr Smith and Mrs Smythe looked the other way.

Smudge went on the swings, swinging higher and higher, as high as she dared. Charles was not so sure. 

Very Special Friends: Down by the River

By Jane Chapman 

Year: 2012

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84895 305 5

Here’s another magical book from Jane Chapman on friendship, happiness and the sheer joy of contentment.

Mouse awaits her Special Friends by the riverside. As she waits, Rabbit decides to wait with her. They are joined by Frog and eventually, Turtle. The four of them have a lovely day by the riverside and realize at the end that Mouse’s Special Friends never did come by.

But they did, didn't they? :-)

The book captures the passing of a beautiful day with elegant prose. And, the paintings make this book a collector’s item. Simply beautiful!

Excerpt

“Just the weather for waiting,” smiled Frog. “Can I join you?”

Sunshine speckled the trees.

Caterpillars munched lazily in the leaves.

A single cloud drifted in the blue, blue sky. 

Happy Birthday Santa!

Author: Gillian Rogerson

Illustrator: Ingela Peterson

Year: 2005

Publisher: Gullane Children’s Books, Great Britain

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 26

ISBN: 978 1 86233 761 9

We’re all used to stories and movies about Santa bringing gifts for children. This book, though, is a rarity, in that somebody actually looks out for Santa and brings him gifts in the middle of the night.

Meet Sylvie, an elf and Rudolph , a reindeer who suddenly realize they don’t know when Santa’s birthday is. Strangely, neither do the Chief Elf nor Rudolph’s old Uncle Bert at The Reindeer Retirement Home. The duo has quite an adventure but their persistence finally pays off.

I liked this book because it's about giving gifts to Santa when it’s usually the other way around. The story ever so subtly hints at determination and persistence, qualities that our children are rarely exposed to in this 'instant' age. 

Excerpt

Sylvie and Rudolph found the Wise Old Owl getting ready for a night out.

“Excuse me, Owl,” said Sylvie. “Do you know when Santa’s birthday is?”

“No, my dear, I don’t,” said the owl.

Sylvie and Rudolph sighed. 

Angelina Ice Skates

Author: Katherine Holabird

Illustrator: Helen Craig

Year: 1993

Publisher: Pleasant Company Publications, USA

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 26

Website: Angelina Ballerina

ISBN: 978 1 58485 660 2

New Year’s Eve is just around the corner and little Angelina and her friends are busy with preparations for a special ice skating show. As the rehearsals get underway, they find that they have a problem. The hockey players want to use the frozen Miller’s Pond at the same time too!

After a series of interruptions and an all-out snowball fight, Angelina decides to invite the errant players to join the show. And voila! They have a great show to usher in the New Year.

This book reminded me of the story in the Playground Problem. :-) There is wisdom in these books.

By the way, did I mention that Angelina and her friends are, ummm… mice?

Excerpt

When Angelina danced into the spotlight that night, she felt like a real snow queen. Spike and Sammy did exciting leaps and jumps together, and Henry was thrilled to be the King’s attendant, while Felicity, Flora, and Alice seemed to fly across the ice like delicate snowflakes. 

The Nutcracker – Usborne Young Reading

Retold by Emma Helbrough

Illustrator:  Anna Luraschi

Year: 2004

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd., London

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 48

ISBN: 978 1 40951 820 4

It is delightful to see a classic packaged just right so children can enjoy it too! Thanks to the Usborne Young Reading series. 

Meet intrepid little Clara, who sneaks in to take a peek at her grandfather’s present even though it’s just Christmas Eve. That launches her into a series of fantastical adventures which includes a battle against some mean mice, a visit with the Ice Queen and a trip to the Land of Sweets where dancers from around the world perform for Clara.

The illustrations are enchanting enough to pique your child’s curiosity and spur her on a fantasy trip, not that kids need any help in that area. :-)

Excerpt

“Clara, this is the Sugarplum Fairy,” said the prince. “She rules over the Land of Sweets.”

“I hope you have a sweet tooth,” said the Sugarplum Fairy, with a smile.

She led them into a grand hall, where the tables were covered with chocolate cakes, cookies and candy swirls. 

Anna Hibiscus’ Song

Author: Atinuke

Illustrator: Lauren Tobia

Year: 2011

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 40

ISBN: 978 1 40633 841 6

This is the first time I've read a children’s book by an author of Nigerian origin and I am enthralled by the joie de vivre that sparkles through the pages. 

Anna Hibiscus is the quintessential happy child who feels happy for no particular reason. Just like any other child.

She shares her happiness with the people of her homestead (it feels like a joint-family) and they all, in turn, try to help her find ways to let out all that happiness bursting inside her.

When Grandma is happy, she squeezes Grandpa’s hand, when her cousins are happy, they cartwheel, somersault or walk on their hands.

Anna’s mother, finally, helps her find the answer.  

I loved the amazing illustrations and the text, well, it just jumps out at you with happiness!

Excerpt

“Papa! Papa! What can I do?” laughs Anna Hibiscus.

“I am SO happy, soon I will pop like a balloon.”

“When I am happy,” Papa smiles, “I go to Mama and tell her how much I love her.”

Icky Little Duckling

Author: Steve Smallman

Illustrator: Tim Warnes

Year: 2011

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84895 133 4

Now this is a book that many parents will identify with. :-)

Meet neat and fastidious Mr. Rabbit who chances upon a perfect blue egg. He decides to take it home to add to his collection. However, much to Mr. Rabbit’s dismay, the egg hatches and an icky, little duckling emerges. It calls him ‘mama’.

Mr. Rabbit’s life is turned upside down!

This is a perfect book, a gem, if I may say so. The text is light and lively and the illustrations are 'just so' right. :-)

Excerpt

Back in his burrow, Mr. Rabbit scrubbed and polished until everything was as neat as before.

His books were just so.

His boxes were just so.

And his collection was tip-top, totally just so.

Who’s for dinner?

Author: Claire Freedman

Illustrator: Nick East

Year: 2012

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84895 488 5

Simply hilarious. Must read. And see, I might add – the illustrations are uproarious too!

City Fox lands up at a friendly little farm where Hen, Duck, Lamb and Bull live ‘hap-hap-happy’ lives.  

Terrified at the prospect of ending up as the City Fox’s meal, the farm animals come together to outfox the predator. :-)

Excerpt

Fox trembled in terror.

“You? A ch-ch-chicken?” he whimpered.

“But I thought foxes were meant to EAT chickens!”

Bull snorted and pointed his huge horns right at Fox.

“If foxes EAT chickens,” he bellowed “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?”

A Little Fairy Magic

Author: Julia Hubery

Illustrator: Alison Edgson

Year: 2011

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-1-84895-141-9

If only I could get one of the the pages of this book as a poster for my children’s room…

This has to be one of those dream books for little girls – it’s about little Phoebe, a mouse with a fairy costume and a magic wand. And, there’s actual glitter on the pages. The kids couldn't keep their hands off the book! 

Meet Fairy Fizzwhizz (ahem! Phoebe in real life) who sets out to become a fairy now that she has a costume. She tries to fly but lands with a bump. She tries to turn a ladybird into a parrot, but then it flies away.

She finally does make her brother happy in her role as a fairy and learns that being kind and thoughtful is ‘the best fairy magic in the world.’

Excerpt

Sam opened his eyes… and saw a sparkling new mast on his pirate ship.

“You really can do magic, Fairy Fizzwhizz!’ he laughed.

“I did, I did!” squealed Phoebe, and they sailed together until Daddy called, “Ahoy there, time for tea!” 

The Little White Owl

Author:  Tracey Corderoy

Illustrator: Jane Chapman

Year: 2010

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 24

ISBN: 978 1 84895 085 6

We’re all familiar with that one person in our circle who’s content with life and himself. And often, we find that even though we find this person a little out-of-place initially, eventually, we secretly aspire to be like him.

The Little White Owl is the story of a contented, happy bird who’s all alone in the world and his only possessions are a teddy bear and a clock. His favorite food is toast with strawberry jam. He has a favorite branch, too.

One day he decides to explore the world a bit and finds “owls – lovely owls!” Brilliantly colored but prim and proper birds who always sit still for they do not want their feathers ruffled.

They initially attempt to chase the little white owl away because he has no colors. But the owl wins the others over with his fantastical tales of ‘castles, and knights and dragons.’

Soon, the colorful owls can’t seem to get enough of the little white owl. They even follow him to his home and discover that life can be fun if they only allow themselves to have a good time.    

I love the transition in the expressions of the colorful owls. In the first few pages, they are shown morose and burdened. Gradually, the veneer cracks in one, then two and by the last page all the owls are laughing and frolicking in the snow.

This book is just perfect in every way - a charming story and paintings that make you go back to the book, over and over again. 

Excerpt

So the little white owl closed his eyes and magical stories came pouring from his heart!

Colourful tales of castles and knights and dragons with fiery breath and blasting through moonbeams and counting bright stars and tumbling down like a snowflake!

Wild Things! Penguin in the post

Author: Lisa Regan

Illustrator: Kelly Caswell

Year: 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 24

ISBN:  978-1-40817-942-0

I loved this wildlife book for little children. Friendly illustrations, uncluttered text in an engaging font, neat little chapters each with a whacky “You will need” section are some of the reasons why you might want this book for your little one.

And besides, this book is a fund-raising initiative from the Zoological Society of London, a charity that provides help for animals while also running the ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo.

Other books in this series include

• Tiger at the door
•  Elephant in the attic
• Giraffe on a sleepover
• Hippo in the house
• Lion who came to lunch
• Monkey in the garden
•  Emu on the loose

Excerpt

Penguins spend most of their time in the ocean.

They eat and play in the water. They come to land to lay their eggs.

You will need

·         To move to the seaside

·         To love the water – as much as your pet!

The very lonely firefly – Puffin Young Readers – Level 2

By Eric Carle

Year: 1995

Publisher: Puffin Young Readers, USA

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-0-448-46132-8

Any story about fireflies is guaranteed to catch the attention of any child.

This is the story of a firefly that’s just been born and is looking for other fireflies. In the course of its search, he bumps into several lights – a candle, a torch and even fireworks! He does eventually find a group of fireflies and he’s now got friends.

This book belongs to the Puffin Young Readers series for little ones.

Excerpt

But it was not another firefly.

It was a car’s headlights flooding the night.

The firefly saw many lights and flew toward them. But they were not other fireflies.

They were fireworks sparkling and glittering and shimmering in the night. 

Other titles in this series

• Level - 1: A new friend
• Level - 1: At the beach 
• Level - 1: Ice Cream Soup
• Level - 1: Max has a Fish, Review here
• Level - 1: Nicky Upstairs and Down 
• Level - 1: Play with Blue
• Level - 1: Tiny goes camping 
• Level - 1: Tiny the Birthday Dog 
• Level - 1: Tiny the Snow Dog 

• Level - 2: Cowboy Roy, Review here
• Level - 2: Madeline and her dog, Review here
• Level - 2: Princess Buttercup, Review here
• Level - 2: Red, White and Blue
• Level - 2: Shape Spotters, Review here 
• Level - 2: Snug Bug, Review here
• Level - 2: Spider's Lunch, Review here
• Level - 2: The Cow in the House, Review here
• Level - 2: The Garden that we grew  
• Level - 2: Who stole the cookies?, Review here

• Level - 3: Agapanthus Hum and the Eyeglasses
• Level - 3: Amanda Pig on her own
• Level - 3: Why do birds sing?

Snuffle and the egg

Author: A. J. Wood

Illustrator: Jonathan Lambert

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 28

Publisher: Templar Publishing, UK

Year: 2008

ISBN: 978-1-74178-713-9

Say hello to Snuffle – as the book begins – a baby elephant as cute as a button, who chances upon an egg. Like every little one who knows that an egg must be handled carefully, if not at all, Snuffle tries his best but ends up, inadvertently, dropping the egg. That’s okay because the egg was ready to hatch anyway. The story ends delightfully.

The illustrator has captured the antics of little ones perfectly especially the part where Snuffle starts to run away when he drops the egg.

I would love to see Snuffle as a television series.

Excerpt

Snuffle picks up the egg very carefully.

He tries moving it around.

He balances it on the end of his trunk …

He blows it gently up in the air. 

Far away the fairies fly

By Jane Simmons  

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Orchard Books, London

Year: 2005

ISBN: 978-1-84616-217-6

Rainbows always cheer up little ones. This story is founded on just that fact.

Jamie finds it hard to sleep with the sound of the howling winds and rumbling thunder. Lucy, his sister, decides to take him to a place with no thunder.

They have a series of adventures until they finally reach Fairy Castle. They help the fairies paint bright sunshine everywhere until the sky is lit with a brilliant rainbow and the storm is gone. 

This ought to make a good bedtime tale for little ones who are scared of the dark and thunder.'

Excerpt

They reached the door.

“It’s shut!” said Lucy, pushing hard. “It’s too big!”

“Everyone push!” shouted Jamie. He threw himself forward and they all pushed …

and pushed and slowly the huge door began to creak open…

… and they tumbled into the light. There were fairies everywhere! 

Shaggy Dog and the Terrible Itch

Author: David Bedford

Illustrator: Gwyneth Williamson

For Ages: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 30

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Year: 2001

ISBN: 978-1-84506-313-9

Meet adorable, hairy and itchy Shaggy Dog. He tries to get his friends to help scratch his back but unfortunately, their assistance comes with conditions attached. He rounds up the sheep for Farmer Gertie, washes Merv’s pots and pans. They scratch his back but the relief is temporary until Shaggy Dog walks into Mary Lou’s Poodle Parlour.  

I thought this book was quite clever, in that, the reason for the itch is never once mentioned but the illustrations give away the culprit.

Excerpt

Shaggy Dog washed towers and towers of pots and pans. Bubbles covered his legs and got into his mouth, and when he had finished, his paws were all wrinkly.

Merv used a long fork to scratch Shaggy Dog’s back.

“Ooh, ooh!” said Shaggy Dog. “That’s much better.” 

Pig’s Eggs

Author: Elizabeth Partridge

Illustrator: Martha Weston

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 28

Publisher: Golden Books, New York

Year: 2000

ISBN: 978-0-30710-232-4

Pig and Hen are good friends and budding artists. They love painting pictures of each other. When, one day, Hen doesn't turn up for their painting session, Pig finds her sitting on eggs. Pig decides to wait with Hen until the eggs hatch.

However, when Hen is out to lunch Pig decides to do something unusual that annoys hen but eventually, results in a pleasant surprise. 

This is an engaging story of friendship with a lesson on forgiveness, a trait children ought to learn early in life.

Excerpt

Pig painted Hen in her vegetable garden.

“Beautiful,” said Hen.

They even went on vacation together so they could paint lots of pictures of each other under the bright tropical sun. 

Bears!

By Paul Stickland

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 26

Publisher: Ragged Bears Publishing, UK

Year: 2001

ISBN: 978 1 85714 222 8

Every once in a while, one comes across a must-have book. Well, here’s a beautiful one.

Bears is a endearing story about a happy little boy who, one night, finds himself playing host to countless warm, furry bears who are ‘happy as can be’. They've apparently come for a party and soon the house is jam-packed with bears until the little boy calls his parents to help organize the astonishing gathering.

The book captures the vivid imagination of little ones with exceptional paintings that stretch from corner to corner and glow with warmth and bliss. Hues of cozy yellows and snug purples paint a picture of unique contentment with life that mostly children seem to possess. The lyrical prose simply makes this book a winner.         

Excerpt

It started out with just a few

and then their numbers grew and grew,

until you really couldn’t hide

from bears who now were here, inside. 

Looking After Gran - Read at home - Level 4

Author: Roderick Hunt

Illustrator: Alex Brychta

Year: 2005

Publisher: Oxford University Press, UK

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 30

ISBN: 978 0 19838 417 5

Website: Read at Home series

The lovable Read at Home series features Floppy, an intelligent and industrious canine.

This story was supposed to be about Gran looking after Floppy while his family is away on a vacation but the tables are turned rather quickly!

The book offers an interesting challenge too – a game to spot the 10 even numbers hidden in the pictures. 

The illustrations are friendly and filled with colorful characters.

Other titles in the Read at Home series include:

• Funny Fish
• Silly Races
• Dad’s Birthday
• Poor Old Rabbit
• I Can Trick a Tiger
• Floppy and the Bone
• The Old Tree Stump, Review here
• The Real Floppy
• The Spaceship
• Hungry Floppy
• Husky Adventure

Excerpt

Gran was away for a long time. The tide started to come in. A wave splashed the front wheel.

Then a wave splashed the back wheel.

“Gran has parked too close to the sea!” thought Floppy.

“I must find Gran,” thought Floppy.

He ran into town as fast as he could.