Come on, Daisy

By Jane Simmons

Year: 2004

Publisher: Orchard Books, London

Age: 4 – 8 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 84362 272 6

Here’s another book for stragglers. Every family has one and this might serve as a cautionary tale.

Daisy and her mum are on their way back home. Mama Duck constantly cautions Daisy to stay close but she seems distracted by the frogs, the dragonflies and is soon engrossed in bouncing across lily pads. In all that splosh and splash, Daisy doesn’t realize that her mum’s far away and she’s all by herself. The frogs and the dragonflies have vanished too...

Of course, the story ends well, but, a lesson's learned as well.   

Excerpt

“You must stay close, Daisy,” said Mamma Duck.

“I’ll try,” said Daisy.

Doodleday

By Ross Collins

Year: 2011

Publisher: Gullane Children’s Books, London

Age: 4 – 8 years

No. of Pages:  32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 86233 847 0

It’s Doodleday and it’s hilarious!

Despite instructions from his mom to the contrary, mischievous Harvey decides to doodle a fly which comes alive and wreaks havoc in the kitchen. He then draws a spider, to eat the fly. The spider turns on Harvey’s dad, instead.

He then draws a bird to prey on the spider and that doesn’t work either. After some more misadventures, Harvey yells for his mum who rescues the town from Harvey’s doodles. :-)

Excerpt

Harvey couldn’t see what she was drawing.

What could swat a giant fly?

Eat a gigantic spider?

Bring down a monstrous bird?

Be more ferocious than a Giant Squid?

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.”

Whistle a Happy Tune and other stories

Author: C. Schmid

For Ages: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 16

Publisher: Sterling Publishers, India

Year: 2006

Lately, I've been hearing this phrase quite often - ‘intentional parenting’ which means just what it says. Sometimes, we get so overwhelmed by our everyday lives that we rarely have any quality time left to give our children much less to pass on essential life lessons to them.

This gem of a book might help with that. The book isn’t great to look at nor do the illustrations grab our attention but this book is a true treasure trove of wisdom.

There are seven short stories, each of which conveys an essential lesson that, if imbibed by our children, will set them on the path of true success.

Here are the stories:

• Whistle a happy tune: On patience
• Kindness always pays
• The Sun and the Rain: On appreciating good times and bad
• The Three Lovely Flowers: Lily for innocence, Violet for modesty and the rose as a symbol of charity
• The Rain Was a Blessing: On not grumbling and complaining
• The Miracle Field: On the merits of hard work
• The Echo of Love: On being kind, caring and helpful to others

Hans Christian Andersen Illustrated Fairytales – The Buckwheat

Translator: Hans Breitenstein

Illustrator: Tiziana Gironi

For Ages: 8 and above

No. of Pages: 24

Publisher: Scandinavia Publishing House, Denmark

Year: 2005

This exceptionally illustrated storybook tells the humbling tale of the buckwheat – proud and arrogant until its downfall. 

I did wonder, though, if little ones would understand the story. They did, even if pride and arrogance were words or traits they did not yet comprehend.

Excerpt

Now a violent thunderstorm was coming near. All the flowers of the field folded up their crowns or bowed their fine heads while the storm raged overhead. But the buckwheat remained stiff with pride.

“Close your flowers and bow your leaves,” said the old willow tree. “Do not look towards the lightning when the heavens open. Even men dare not do so because in the lightning you can see into God’s heaven, but this sight blinds even men. What might happen to us lowly growths of the earth if we dared do that, we who are far inferior.”

“Far inferior?” said the buckwheat. “Now, that is exactly what I want, to look right into God’s heaven.”

And so it did, in arrogance and pride. It seemed as though the whole world was on fire, there were so many lightning bolts.

Milly, Molly and the Stowaways

Author: Gill Pittar

Illustrator: Cris Morrell

Year: 2003

Publisher: Milly Molly Books, New Zealand

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-1-87729-759-5

Milly and Molly are inseparable friends who constantly learn new things about people, places and important values.

In this book, they are at a play on stowaways. The captain orders that the stowaways prove their worth to earn their keep. Each stowaway exhibits a unique talent but the captain is mystified why such talented people are aboard his ship. 

In a time of worldwide immigration in every direction, it is important that we teach our children to accept and appreciate diversity. This story is just about that.

The Milly, Molly series of books (over 30!) are designed to promote healthy character and develop strong foundational values among children. 

Excerpt

“But tell me one thing,” said the Captain.

“Why are you stowing away on my ship when you all have such beautiful talents?”

“We thought we could prove our worth before being returned to shore,” said the first stowaway. 

“You see, no one gives us a chance.”

Dawdle Duckling

Author: Toni Buzzeo

Illustrator: Margaret Spengler

For Ages: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Puffin Books, USA

Year: 2005

ISBN: 978-014240-277-1

It’s an idyllic life – Mama Duck paddling away (sporting a smart hat tied down with a purple sash!) and three little ducklings swimming behind. But wait, there’s a fourth little duckling that “dawdles and dreams, preens and plays, splashes and spins.”

Almost, every family has a dawdle duckling. It seemed a little extreme that I used this colorful, rhyming book to alert our family's dawdler but then there are worse things than crocodiles out there in the real world.  

Excerpt

Past the marsh with the cattails waving, one Mama Duck paddles and quacks.

One, two, three ducklings swim behind, but the fourth little duckling dawdles and dreams, preens and plays, splashes and spins, dunks and dips.

“Quack! Catch up!” says Mama Duck.

Dawdle Duckling nibbles a tasty fly.

“NO! Quack! Quack! I won’t catch up!”

Ballet Kitty

Text: Bernette Ford

Illustrator: Sam Williams

Year: 2007

Publisher: Boxer Books, Great Britain 

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages:  32

ISBN: 978 1 90541 771 1

This book ought to satisfy any little girl with its ballet and ballerina themed tale. :-)

Meet Kitty, a happy little, well, kitten, whose best friend Pussycat is coming to play. She puts on her ballet outfit except for her ballet slippers. They’re nowhere to be found! Kitty begins to feel a little grumpy. A tear drop rolls down her face too. She does pull on her trainers, though and has a fantastic day with her friend.

At the end of the day, when she’s beaming with happiness, she finds her ballet slippers, just where she’d put them away, the night before. Ooops!

I read this book more than a couple of times for my kids so they’d get the message. Hint! Hint! :-)

Excerpt

Then Ballet Kitty kicked off her trainers. She showed Princess Pussycat her best pirouettes, her perfect plies and her cutest curtsies.

Princess Pussycat tried a pirouette too. It wasn’t as pretty as Ballet Kitty’s. But that didn’t matter.