Look What I’ve Found

By Nick Sharratt, Wikipedia

Year: 2008

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Age: 2 - 4 years

No. of Pages: 20

Book Type: Novelty Lift-a-flap Book

ISBN:  978 1 40631 681 0

This colorful lift-a-flap book is ideal for tiny tots. The book introduces us to a little girl at the beach as she finds interesting things at the beach - shells, sand dollars and more.

The illustrations are neat and the flaps are cleverly placed.

A big thumbs up!

Excerpt

At the seaside Daddy and I went exploring.

I ran ahead and look what I’ve found!

Dear Father Christmas

Text: Jeanne Willis, Wikipedia

Illustrations: Rosie Reeve

Year: 2008

Publisher: Puffin Books

Age: 4 - 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book, Christmas

ISBN:  978 0 14150 209 0

This warm festive book is essentially a kind little girl’s Christmas letter to the Christmas Father. (Hmmm… The book doesn’t use the name Santa Claus, once!) Her requests are quite nice, refreshingly so.

She doesn’t ask for toys (she has enough, she says) but for genuine and heartfelt wishes. She’d like a little baby brother and for her Grandma to come and stay with her forever and so on.

There’s a little twist at the end, too. :-)

Excerpt

Dear Father Christmas,

I’ve been very, very good ….

I’m writing you this letter

Because Mummy said I should.

Henry’s Holiday

Text: Gillian Shields

Illustrations: Rosie Reeve

Year: 2009

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Book, London

Age: 3 - 7 years

No. of Pages: 30

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN: 978 0 23073 633 7

Books that feature penguins on ice are always welcome. :-)

Meet Henry, a sweet little penguin who dreams of living on a tropical island because he just feels too cold on the ice!

His wish is fulfilled but he soon misses the love and friendship at home and, of course, the icy chill!

Excerpt

The island was full of palm trees and coconuts and pineapples. Everything was bright and warm and colorful. Henry was DELIGHTED.

But when he waddled up the beach, the sand wasn't soft and smooth and slippery like the snow.

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. 

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.

Little Miss Scatterbrain sets off for the sun

Concept: Roger Hargreaves

Author and Illustrator: Adam Hargreaves

For Ages: 5 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Egmont UK Ltd., London

Year: 1998

ISBN: 978-0-74983-314-5

Website: Mr. Men

Meet Miss Scatterbrain, a simple soul who’s very, very scatterbrained and gets everything mixed up. So when she decides to go on a holiday she enlists the help of her friends to ensure a smooth trip. But then, yes, you guessed that right, poor Miss Scatterbrain has another misadventure!

This book is from the 1990s. So I had to explain what a radio was to my children.

Excerpt

This story is about the time that she went on her summer holiday.

Little Miss Scatterbrain, as you can imagine, is not very good at organizing holidays.

The year before last she went skiing, but ended up on the beach. 

Election Day (Robin Hill School) – Ready-to-Read: Level 1

Author: Margaret McNamara

Illustrator: Mike Gordon

Year: 2004

Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, NY

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 0 68986 425 6

Website: Ready to Read

Mrs. Connor’s class has a new student, Becky. It’s also Election Day for the class president and after lunch the children give speeches. Nick promises a candy machine, Emma vouches for no home work and Nia vows that summer vacation will be six months long. The children cheer with loud Hoorays!

Mrs. Connor looks at Becky. It’s her first day at school but she knows she’ll make a good class president.

This is an encouraging book for little ones from the Ready-to-Read series featuring easy words and phrases to motivate new readers.

Excerpt

Becky took a deep breath. She got up from her chair.

“I cannot promise candy machines, or less homework, or more vacation,” she said.

“I can only promise to do my best.” Becky sat down. 

The Bobbsey Twins: Freddie and Flossie at the Beach

Author: Laura Lee Hope

Illustrator: Chuck Pyle

Year: 2005

Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, USA

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978-1-41690-268-6

Website: Ready to Read

This is a Ready-to-read series Pre-Level  1 book. It’s a fantastic book for new readers and encourages little ones to pursue reading thanks to the use of familiar words and phrases that are repeated several times through the book. The sentences are very simple too!

Freddie and Flossie are at the beach with Snap their energetic dog. They splash about in the waves, play tag, build sand castles until it’s time to go.

By the way, the illustrations explain what the text of the story skips out.

Excerpt

They build a sand castle.

Snap helps.

Oh no! 

They play tag.

Snap plays too.

Oh,no! 

Tilly’s Holiday

Author: Nadine Walter

Illustrator: Marjolein Pottie, Wikipedia

Year: 2005

Publisher: Myriad Books Ltd., London

Age: 5 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978 1 84746 113 1

Tilly the fly is bored and decides to go on a holiday against the advice of her friends. She seems to have an answer for every obstacle on the way to the holiday.

After some misadventures, including landing in a cowpat and later into a dog’s soup bowl, Tilly finds friends and a place to be.

Excerpt

The ball of wool suddenly bounces up and spits at her.

“Hisss! Hisss!” It’s a cat!

A big ginger cat with twitching whiskers.

“Oh no!” Tilly says as she is knocked on to the sitting room carpet.