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.

Sherman is a Slowpoke

Text: Mitchell Sharmat

Illustrations: David Neuhaus

Year: 1988

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., New York

Age: 6 - 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture book

ISBN:  978 0 59040 938 7

This is the first time, I've seen a sloth (that too the pre-historic kind!) as the central figure in a children’s book. Naturally, the slow pace of the animal is used to create some hilarious situations.

Meet Sherman the sloth who has spent all his life eating and sleeping around the family tree. When he meets Alice, another sloth who goes to Mr. Mammoth’s school, Sherman wants to join too. He wants to learn to think, too. :-)

Except that it takes more than a day to get there and his parents aren't too keen on his new idea, either.

Sherman makes it to school and despite jibes from his class-mates, he has a thought too. It’s what he wanted to learn!

Excerpt

“Sloths are always happy,” said his father, “as long as the leaves are green and the water is clean.”

“I want more,” said Sherman.

“I want to do things. I want to think. I want to go to school!”

Milly, Molly and the Queen’s Visit

Author: Gill Pittar

Illustrator: Cris Morrell

Year: 2003

Publisher: Milly Molly Books, New Zealand

Age: 5 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978 1 87733 655 6

Website: Milly and Molly

The queen’s coming to town!

Milly, Molly and friends help the Mayor spruce up their town for the regal visit. They sweep leaves, trim hedges, polish the brass, pick up litter and paint doors.

When the Queen arrives, she’s very impressed with the spotless town and invites the children to have lunch too!

Like most Milly and Molly stories, this book has a message – ‘diligence, care and perseverance in carrying out a task.’

Excerpt

“Right,” said the Mayor. “We must have our town looking spotless, with not a leaf out of place.”

Harry was given a spade and a wheelbarrow. It was his job to tidy all the edges. Poppy was given a dustpan and brush. She was asked to sweep the council steps.