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.

Bedtime, Billy Bear!

Author: Miriam Moss

Illustrator: Anna Currey

Year: 2007

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978 0 23001 464 0

This charming bedtime tale encompasses most concerns of a child – going to bed without mama, having a sitter, fear of the dark, imagining noises. And, it's all packed elegantly into a heart-warming story centered around a family of bears.

Billy Bear’s mom is going out for her pottery class and he can’t quite get himself to sleep.

It’s adorable and so typical of a little one when they transfer their fears on to their favorite toy, in this story, Rabbit. 

Lucy, his sitter, kindly explains that his mom will be back, like always.

The illustrations and the story do reach out to you.

Excerpt

Mum read Billy a story and then kissed him goodnight.

“You’ve forgotten to sing our song,” said Billy.

“I’ve got to go to pottery now,” said Mum. “But here’s Lucy. She’s going to sing with you tonight.”

Mum tucked Billy in.

“Goodnight, Billy. Sleep tight!” she said.