Pooh and the Storm that Sparkled

Text: Isabel Gaines

Illustrations: Studio Orlando

Year: 2000

Publisher: Random House, USA

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 38

Book Type: Picture Book, Reading for beginners

ISBN:  978 0 73641 147 X

This book belongs to the Winnie the Pooh First Reader series designed to encourage and engage young readers to learn to read through the adventures of beloved Pooh.

Pooh and Piglet are intrigued by a strange kind of storm brewing behind the Great Hill. They decide to warn the others. They are worried when they hear that Tigger, Kanga, Roo and Christopher Robin are on a picnic on the Great Hill. The kind-hearted friends rush to rescue them but are in for a spectacular surprise. :-)

Excerpt

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM - BOOM!

Pooh woke up with a start.

“What was that?”

Eeyore Finds Friends

Text: Isabel Gaines

Illustrations: Josie Yee

Year: 1999

Publisher: Disney Press, USA

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 38

Book Type: Picture Book, Reading for beginners

ISBN:  978 0 78684 259 5

This book belongs to Winnie the Pooh First Reader series designed to encourage and engage young readers to learn to read through the adventures of beloved Pooh.

Eeyore discovers that it is ‘Twos-day’ and wanders around the Hundred-Acre Wood to find a friend to share the day with. Eeyore is perplexed as Gopher has planned to spend his day with Rabbit, Owl is having tea with Kanga and Tigger is playing with Roo in the meadows.

As expected, he finds Piglet at Pooh’s house and they’re just about to tuck into a pot of honey. Kind-hearted Pooh has forgotten that it's Twos-day and decides to call it Fun-day, instead. 

Excerpt

One lovely spring morning, Gopher popped out of a hole right beside Eeyore.

“Say, sonny,” said Gopher, “why are you alone? Don’t you know today is Twos-day?”

The Rainbow Club (Understanding Bullying)

Text: Annette Aubrey

Illustrations:  Patrice Barton

Year: 2007

Publisher: QED Publishing, UK

Age: 5 – 10 years

No. of Pages: 24

Book Type: Life Skills, Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 84835 005 2

This insightful and sensitive book on bullying attempts to explore the underlying causes of bullying and the varying responses and reactions that children commonly manifest.

This book is aimed at very young children where bullying often begins with children looking for a common ground to feel comfortable with one another. In the context of this book, it is as innocuous as the color of their attire on field trip day.

This book is a great way to help children who might turn out to be potential bullies by holding up a mirror to them as well as for those who might be bullied.

Excerpt

Chloe and Tommy were best friends.

They loved to find new things to do. 

Do Your Ears Hang Low?

Illustrations: Caroline Jayne Church

Year: 2002

Publisher: The Chicken House and Scholastic Inc., USA

Age: 2 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 0 43951 840 7

This little book features the beloved, traditional children’s song “Do Your Ears Hang Low?” devoted to their best friends, dogs and now made famous by Barney and Friends.

While the song itself doesn't really seem to mean much, the illustrations in the book add a deeper meaning and an interesting narrative to the song. 

Excerpt

Do your ears hang low?

Do they wobble to and fro?

Can you tie them in a knot?

Can you tie them in a bow?
 

Valentine Friends

Text: April Jones Prince

Illustrations: Elizabeth Schlossberg

Year: 2007

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., USA

Age: 3- 5 years

No. of Pages: 24

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 0 43979 999 7

It’s Valentine’s Day. All the little friends get together to make cards and bake yummy valentines to share with one another.  

They learn the meaning of love through their giving and sharing. 

This is an easy-to-read book for beginners with short two-word descriptions for each page as you can see from the excerpt below.

Excerpt

Dog draws.

Cat cuts.

Pig pastes.

Pets on Parade (Leapfrog)

Text: Jillian Powell

Illustrations: Gwyneth Williamson

Year: 2008

Publisher: Franklin Watts, Australia

Age: 6 – 10 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 0 74967 960 6

A “Bring Your Pet to School” Day turns into a comical event with the dogs playing, cats chasing pet mice and a snake slithering about until Miss Brett realizes that it was perhaps not a smart idea after all, and calls for an abrupt end to the mayhem.

The illustrations are charmingly comical with lively text suited for young readers.

Excerpt

It was “Bring Your Pet to School” Day.

Most children bought a pet.

Hide & Seek

By Il Sung Na

Year: 2011

Publisher: Meadowside Children’s Books, London

Age: 4 - 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 84539 545 2

It’s time to play in the forest. The animals decide to play hide-and-seek. Of course, it was the chameleon’s idea, who is after all, an expert at hiding in plain sight.

The Elephant counts from 1 to 10. He finds all the animals except Chameleon.

We loved this book because we got to look for Chameleon, who was cleverly concealed by the author, on every page! :-)

Excerpt

At the edge of the vast rain forest, where sunlight shines through the leaves, the animals gather together.

Something is about to happen!

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.

Dream Animals – A Bedtime Journey

By Emily Winfield Martin

Year: 2013

Publisher: Random House Children’s Books, New York

Age: 5 - 9

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Bedtime, Picture Book

ISBN:  978 0 44981 080 4

This enchanting bedtime book about children’s journeys to Dreamland employs lyrical text to weave a web of dreams and twilight magic.

The illustrations are a combination of pencil sketches and elaborate finely detailed paintings that seem to be infused with life.  

Simply beautiful! :-)

Excerpt

There are animals from long ago

And twice as far away.

Their maps are made of starlight

And can’t be seen by day.

The Crunching Munching Caterpillar

Text: Sheridan Cain

Illustrations: Jack Tickle

Year: 2002

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 – 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 85430 641 3

The kids loved this book. There were lots of primary colors, an adorable smiley-faced caterpillar and plenty of “noise” words where they got to ‘buzz’ with a bumble bee and more.

It’s the quintessential tale of transformation where a caterpillar dreams of flying and is given that magical touch by nature (metamorphosis, of course!) to make his dreams come true.

By the way, the corner of the book looks like it's been chomped off... a nice touch, me thinks! :-)

Excerpt

Caterpillar was always hungry.

For weeks he crunched and munched his way through the fresh, juicy leaves of a blackberry bush.

Friends in the Snow

Text: Daniel Postgate

Illustrations: Sam Childs

Year: 2012

Publisher: Scholastic Children’s Books, London

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture book

ISBN: 978 1 40711 539 9

Here’s another delightful book that celebrates a child’s unique ability to imagine much like Bruno’s Box. I liked this book also because it encourages children to explore their creative instincts and to be bold about their expressions. 

Brave little Lucy is startled by the white monster on the stark white bedroom wall. After failing to ignore the monster’s grunts and howls, she befriends him and takes him for a walk to discover new friends.

The adventure doesn't end … :-)

Excerpt

The penguin looked north, south, east and west.

He saw that Lucy was quite right, there was nothing but white.

“Then I’m King of Nothing,” said the penguin. “And Nothing will have to do.”

Why Leopard has Spots (Tinga Tinga Tales)

By Claudia Lloyd

Year: 2012

Publisher: Puffin Books, UK

Age: 4 - 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type:  Picture Book

ISBN:  978 0 14134 216 0

This was our very first Tinga-Tinga tale and we were thrilled by it!

According to the book, Tinga-Tinga Tales are ‘inspired by traditional animal stories from Africa and the Tingatinga artwork of Tanzania.’

The tale of how the leopard got her spots is a story of courage and kindness. It’s also a story of self-acceptance and confidence.

Puff Adder has been squished by Elephant. Leopard comes to Puff Adder's aid who in turn, gratefully, shares his spots with Leopard, turning her into a beautiful and unique animal.

A beautiful book.

Excerpt

”Oh, I wish I could have a new skin and pretty colors like you,” said Leopard. “My coat is as plain as plain can be.”

“Well, maybe I can help you,” said Puff Adder.

The Quangle Wangle’s Hat

Text: Edward Lear, Wikipedia

Illustrations: Louise Voce

Year:  2006

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd., London

Age: 4 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 40630 042 0

Kind and gentle Quangle Wangle is lonely on the top of the Crumpetty Tree. He wishes for some 

friends.

His wish comes true when Mr. and Mrs. Canary ask if they can build a nest on his lovely hat. He generously agrees and soon many other friends come his way including a Blue Baboon who plays the flute and the Fimble Fowl with a corkscrew leg.

The fanciful animals illustrated in full color and rhyming text makes for an intriguing reading session. And, oh yes, please be prepared for a lot of “what” and “why” questions. :-)

Excerpt

And at night by the light of the Mulberry moon

They danced to the Flute of the Blue Baboon

On the broad green leaves of the Crumpetty Tree.

No Babysitters Allowed

Text: Amber Stewart

Illustrations: Laura Rankin

Year: 2008

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, New York

Age: 3 – 7 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book, Bedtime

ISBN:  978 0 74759 847 3

No Babysitters Allowed addresses the common concerns of a child who’s not happy to see his parents go out for the evening and even less happier to have a babysitter.

Ordinarily, brave and bold Hopscotch is fearless but when he realizes that his parents are going out for the evening, he “doesn’t feel brave at all.”

His babysitter, Mrs. Honeybunch, soon befriends little Hopscotch and they have a great time playing, painting and reading.

Excerpt

Hopscotch and Rabbity pressed their noses to the goodbye window, still waving long after Mummy and Daddy had turned the corner out of sight. 

Yummy Yummy Food for my Tummy

Text: Sam Lloyd

Illustrations: Jack Tickle

Year: 2003

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 4 – 8 years

No. of Pages: 28

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN: 978 1 85430 898 6

Two islands, two chimps and plenty of sharks – that’s what this colorful book is about.

And yes, the sharks seem to have bitten a chunk off of the book, too. :-)

George and Jess are two lonely chimps on their islands. They use their ingenuity to brave the threats of hungry sharks to, finally, meet up and have a great party with music, dancing, yummy banana milkshakes and coconut cake.

This book is bound to be a winner, both with kids who are fascinated by sharks and those who see them as villains.

Excerpt

But there was a problem.

In the deep blue sea between the two islands were sharks!

“Yummy, yummy, yummy, food for my tummy,” the sharks sang when they saw the little chimps.