Hungry Harry

By Joanne Partis

Year: 2000

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 – 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN: 978 1 85430 635 9

Little Harry, the frog, is hungry. When he asks his mum for dinner, she encourages him to find his own food.

He’s excited about it until he realizes his prey is quite clever. The dragonfly is too quick, the caterpillar too hairy and the snail lives in a hard shell.

However, his first day of finding his own food ends up to be fulfilling adventure when he finds a picnic! :-)

Excerpt

Harry Frog was feeling hungry.

“What’s for dinner?” he asked his mum.

Dog Fish

Text: Gillian Shields

Illustrations: Dan Taylor

Year: 2008

Publisher: Simon and Schuster, UK

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 41691 043 5

Here’s a humorous look at one of the salient conversations that happen all around the world in almost every home – a child asks for a pet and the parent hmmms and haws. The middle ground that they arrive at is often fascinating.

It’s how the little boy in this story came up with the intriguing title – Dog Fish.

Excerpt

Then she says in her soothing-and-explaining voice, “But, sweetheart, wouldn't the dog be bored all day, when I’m at work and you’re in school?”

So I think a bit more and say, “It could read the paper?”

Noddy Goes to Sea

By Enid Blyton

Year: 1959

Publisher: BBC Books, London

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 60

Book Type: Chapter book

ISBN: 978 0 56336 834 2

Website: Noddy.com

Noddy’s golden heart lands him on a ship! 

Tubby Bear has run off to sea and life away from home isn't as much fun as he thought it’d be. Noddy who’s followed him on to the ship, is promptly recruited by the captain as a cabin boy and is well-liked by the sailors. He also gets to meet some merfolk too.     

Excerpt

A sailor took Noddy down into the ship, and gave him a cabin-boy’s uniform.

“I want to wear my hat with the bell,” said Noddy. “This round cap-thing doesn't fit me. It will fall off every time I nod.”

Animal Neighbors - Duck

Author: Stephen Savage

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Hodder Children’s Books, London

Year: 2005

ISBN: 978-1-43584-988-4

The Animal Neighbors series which includes books on bats, swallows and toads, is a good way to introduce children to the animals they see around them.

This book on ducks, specifically the prolific mallard duck, traces its journey from birth with brief snippets about food, habitat and threats.

The language is a bit grown-up so parents will need to be around for the reading when it’s for children younger than 8. The threats section has some disturbing (for very young kids) pictures that might need to be explained by parents to their younger children. (I skipped the page. I was not sure if my tiny tots (2 and 4 years old) were ready to see pictures of dead ducks.)

Excerpt

In towns and cities, mallards can be found on ponds and boating lakes. These ducks are quite happy to live close to humans, where there are fewer natural predators and more food is available, and they nest and rear their young there. 

Water World – Pop-up fun

By Christian Riese Lassen

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 12

Publisher: The Book Company, Australia

Year: 2002

ISBN: 978-1-74047-180-0

This brilliantly illustrated and arranged book by the famed Christian Riese Lassen is a collectible. Nevertheless, it is a pop-up book for little ones, so how long the book lasts is anybody’s guess.

The words are lively and get the children excited. The book features a pod of dolphins and then a pod of killer whales and several brightly, colored coral fish.

This has to be classified as a ‘happy’ book for it is guaranteed to transform your emotions, no matter what your age.

Excerpt

A mighty whale bursts from the water shooting into the air with a KERPOW!

KERSPLASH!

What a show-off!

Two whale babies stay close to their mother, rolling and spinning in a BUBBLING FIZZ.

Little by Little

Author: Amber Stewart

Illustrator: Layn Marlow

For Ages: 3 to 7

No. of Pages: 28

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Year: 2008

ISBN: 978-0-54506-163-6

Meet Scramble, an otter, that errr… cannot swim! He can do forward roly-polys, slippery rock hopping, mud sliding and everything else that an otter ought to do but swim.

That is, until his sister has a brainwave.

‘You have got to start small,’ she says. Soon Scramble can swim and even tumble under-water.

The story did make me wonder if this story can be used to motivate children to learn swimming. Just a thought.

It’s inspiring in its own way especially for little children as they now begin to cope with the rigors and challenges of school. ‘Starting small’ can be an incredible learning for children as they learn to overcome obstacles in academics and relationships.   

Excerpt

So, on that Monday, Scramble started small. He hopped along the river bed, keeping his toes off the bottom just that bit longer every time.

On Tuesday, he did higher hops and floating (with holding on) in between.

On Wednesday, Scramble did floating with no holding on.

And, on Thursday, he did a little kicking and then a lot of kicking to the Halfway Stone. 

Little Yellow Digger

Author: Nicola Baxter

Illustrator: Toni Goffe

For Ages: 5 and above

No. of Pages: 28

Publisher: Ladybird Books, London

Year: 1997

ISBN: 978-0-72141-930-5

Our car fills up with excited squeals and shouts every time the kids spot a digger or an earthmover. Which is why I picked up this book. Needless to say, everyone was thrilled.

Meet the Little Yellow Digger, a hard working machine of steel with a gentle soul. He takes his orders from a very busy but clever Man with the Plan.

The Little Yellow Digger faithfully follows his instructions, interruptions notwithstanding from curious passers-by who want to know what the digger is up to. Of course, he doesn’t have the big picture yet but he entertains theories from others – a pond for a fierce Digger-crunching Shinkle Shark or a trap for a Many-headed Mud Monster and more!

The pictures are embellished liberally with humor and happiness which makes this book a keeper.

And no, I’m not going to play spoilsport here! :-)

Excerpt

“Just leave it to me!” said the Little Yellow Digger. “Does that mean …”

But the Man with the Plan had gone off to have a cup of tea.

So with a clank, clankety clank the Little Yellow Digger carried all the earth and all the grass over to the lorries.  

Bright Stanley

Author and Illustrator: Matt Buckingham

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 22

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Year: 2006

ISBN: 978-1-58925-059-8

Meet Stanley who belongs to a shoal that’s the ‘brightest, sparkliest fish in the whole of the deep, dark sea.’

It shows too. Little Stanley is illustrated with shiny, golden scales that little ones will love to see and play with.

He has a little encounter with a mean ole’ shark but comes through safely.  

Our 4-year-old wanted me to read it to her everyday that we had the book. (it was borrowed from the State Library.) So a good choice for little ones, especially those who are inclined to shiny and sparkly stuff.

Excerpt

CLONK!

Stanley crashed head-first into something very hard.

“Jumping jellyfish!” he cried. It wasn’t one of his friends at all, but his own reflection in a shiny pearl!

Stanley rubbed his bumped nose, feeling a little dazed. He didn’t notice a dark shape coming up behind him. 

Max has a fish – Puffin Young Readers – Level 1

Author:  Wiley Blevins

Illustrator: Ben Clanton

Year: 2012

Publisher: Puffin Young Readers, USA

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-0-448-46294-3

The Puffin Young Readers is a fantastic series for young readers.

The book on Max and his fish is a sweet, simple story with beginner-level words. The longest sentence has only seven words and that appears only once. The rest are much smaller.

Excerpt

The fish looks at Max.

And looks at Max.

And looks at Max.

But the fish cannot dance. 

Other titles in this series

• Level - 1: A new friend
• Level - 1: At the beach 
• Level - 1: Ice Cream Soup
• 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
• Level - 2: Red, White and Blue
• Level - 2: Shape Spotters
• Level - 2: The Garden that we grew  
• Level - 2: The very lonely firefly

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

In comes the tide

By Colin King and Valerie King

Publisher: Ladybird Books, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 28

ISBN: 978-0-721-41916-9

This book belongs to the Ladybird Picture Book series. It features a humorous story in rhyme bolstered by very clever illustrations that make you want to visit the pages over and over again.

There are a few big words that will need some explaining but it’s a cheery book for your children's bookshelf. 

Excerpt

In comes the tide, splashing pirates of old,

Out goes the tide, leaving cargoes of gold.

In comes the tide, with sea horses prancing.

Out goes the tide, crusty lobsters are dancing.