One Sleepy Night

By Sebastien Braun 

Year: 2013

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 2 – 4 years

No. of Pages: 20

Book Type: Bedtime, Board Book

ISBN:  978 1 84895 512 7

This charming bedtime board book is beautiful. And, of course, the central character is a baby bear on his way to bed. They stop by one sleepy owl, two badgers and three fireflies before finally calling it a night.

The rhyming text is memorable too!

Excerpt

Three sleepy fireflies litter and peep.

Softly, the wind whispers, “Hush! Time for sleep!”

One little bear has a wash before bed. 

The Shape of my Heart

Text: Mark Sperring

Illustrations: Alys Paterson

Year: 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, London

Age: 2 - 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book, Educational

ISBN:  978 1 40882 705 5

This brightly colored creative book introduces little ones to all the shapes, sounds and flavors a child comes across during the day.

The book is adorable for its warm and caring approach to turn the ordinary into a colorful learning experience – the hands we hold one another with. :-)

Excerpt

This is the shape of my shoes.

Aren't they nice?

And this is the shape of your feet. 

10 Trim-the-Tree’ers

Text: Janet Schulman

Illustrations: Linda Davick

Year: 2010

Publisher: Alfred A Knopf, New York 

Age: 0 to 4 years

No. of Pages: 24

Book Type: Board book

ISBN:  978 0 37587 302

This is a simply fantastic Christmas book for the tiniest little ones. Understandably, it is a board book with delightful festive illustrations that make this one a keeper.

Oh and by the way, it also introduces numbers to little ones using all the Christmas elements and a menorah to round out the festive spirit.

The kids loved this book because it's absolutely cheerful and bright! :-)

Excerpt

10 little neighbors about to trim their tree.

They’ll dress for the occasion.

Turn the page and see.

1 shiny golden star at the very tip-top.

2 strings of flashing lights that just won’t stop. 

Cat Show (Puffin Young Readers – Level 2)

Text: Jayne Harvey

Illustrations: Tamara Petrosino

Year: 2003

Publisher: Puffin Books, New York

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture book, educational

ISBN:  978 0 44846 295 0

Here’s another “cat” book for young ones with plenty of familiar “first words” like number names and colors, to encourage them to read.

The story features the attempts of a bunch of kids’ to host a ‘cat show.’ They try to group the cats in various ways – size, stripes, color of eyes and finally, fur color but nothing works. When a mouse joins the show, pandemonium breaks out!

Excerpt

There are five cats with green eyes.

There are five cats with blue eyes.

Oh no! Some of the cats with green eyes want to run around. 

Other titles in this series

• Level - 1: A new friend
• Level - 1: At the beach 
• Level - 1: Ice Cream Soup
• Level - 1: Max has a Fish, Review here
• 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, Review here
• Level - 2: Madeline and her dog, Review here
• Level - 2: Princess Buttercup, Review here
• Level - 2: Red, White and Blue
• Level - 2: Shape Spotters, Review here 
• Level - 2: Snug Bug, Review here
• Level - 2: Spider's Lunch, Review here
• Level - 2: The Cow in the House, Review here
• Level - 2: The Garden that we grew  
• Level - 2: Who stole the cookies?, Review here

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

One, Two Buckle My Shoe

Illustrated by Eric Smith

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 20

Publisher: Armadillo Books, Leicester

Year: 2002

It’s just a popular nursery rhyme but it’s got a book devoted to it! 

Each line is complimented by a colorful painting and a clever thread runs through the illustrations to connect the lines of the rhyme which otherwise, seem quite disjointed. 

Clue: A little girl in red.

I could not help but notice the extraordinarily thick paper used for the book, obviously targeting a young audience but not young enough to merit board pages.   

Excerpt

Eleven, twelve, dig and delve

Thirteen, fourteen, maids a-courting

Fifteen, sixteen, maids in the kitchen

Seventeen, eighteen, maids in waiting

Nineteen, twenty, my plate’s empty!