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.

SO MUCH!

Text: Trish Cooke

Illustrations: Helen Oxenbury, Wikipedia

Year: 1994

Publisher: Walker Books, London

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 48

Book Type: Picture book

ISBN: 978 1 40630 665 1

This was our first experience of African-Caribbean life.

The book is centered around an adorable baby who's pampered and cuddled by a string of visiting relatives. One of them wants to squeeze him, another wants to kiss him. His doting grand-mammas want to eat him while a cousin wants to fight him. All because they love the baby SO MUCH!

The illustrations are striking in their attention to detail and each person is brought alive through the lyrical prose and paintings.

This book ought to be a collector’s item.:-)

Excerpt

Nannie and Gran-Gran came inside with their handbags cock up to one side and their brolly hook up on their sleeve.

“Yoooooo Hoooooo! Yoooooo Hoooooo!” they said. 

Harry and the Dinosaurs have a Happy Birthday

Text: Ian Whybrow, Wikipedia

Illustrations: Adrian Reynolds

Year: 2008

Publisher: Puffin Books, London

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Picture book

ISBN:  978 0 141 50051 5

Meet the delightful team of Harry and his adorable dinosaurs.

It’s birthday time.

When Nan bakes Mr. Oakley a cherry pie for is birthday, Harry decides to celebrate his dinosaurs’ birthday too as they turn a 100 million years old!

The vibrant colors and the lively text make for a memorable reading session. 

Excerpt

“Raaaah! We like eating cakes,” said Scelidosaurus.

“And we like ferns and gingko leaves!” said Tyrannosaurus. “Raaaah! They’re pre-historic!”

“I like being a decoration,” said Pterodactyl. 

Busy Bugs: A book about Patterns (Puffin Young Readers – Level 1)

Text: Jayne Harvey

Illustrations: Bernard Adnet

Year: 2003

Publisher: Puffin Young Readers, New York

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978 0 44845 816 8

The book cover calls it a ‘book about patterns’ and it is. The text showcases all the pretty patterns in nature – butterfly wings, the dots on a ladybird, spider webs, fireflies and more.

All of these facts are woven into a lyrical text that intertwines numbers and colors to spin a tale of fantasy and sheer natural beauty.

Excerpt

Here are eight bugs who like to sing.

They all line up from wing to wing.

One moth, one flea, one fly, one bee.




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?

The Pink Party

Author: Maryann Macdonald

Illustrator: Judy Stead

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 36

Publisher: Scholastic, New York

Year: 2012

ISBN: 978-0-76145-814-2

Childhood is usually about strong bonds of friendship, and sometimes this magical journey gets confusing when the little green worm of envy strikes at inopportune moments like at your best friend’s birthday party or when she gets a new toy. Every parent has been acquainted with this dilemma as a child and probably relives it again through their children’s eyes. Most of us, unwisely, choose to simply brush this matter away as childishness. NOT a good idea. Which is why, I recommend this book.

Meet Rose and Valentina, best friends, lovers of pink and all it's vibrant hues. They secretly aspire to make the whole world pink, even their teeth! Throw in a pretty bag, a hand-made lunchbox, a rocking chair, a magic wand, a princess dress, a crown - all in pink building up to a theme party to honor their favorite color, you have a recipe for envy. The author deftly handles the issue without compromising on the friends’ individuality or airbrushing their emotions.  

Excerpt

She rocked in her pink rocker on her porch and tried to feel better, even though she could hear her friends having fun next door.

She rocked and rocked until all of their friends had said goodbye. Then she heard a voice from the other side of the hedge.

“The party’s over,” Valentina said.

Rose pretended she didn’t hear. 

Arthur’s Fantastic Party

Author and Illustrator: Joseph Theobold 

Year: 2005

Publisher: Collins Big Cat, London

Age: 2 and above

No. of Pages: 24

Arthur plans to host an exciting party but only for fantastic animals. So who really are the fantastic animals? The three little pigs who love mud or the wolf who likes dressing up or the bear family that can cook good porridge? Oh dear!

I’d recommend this book to young readers for two reasons. One, the detailed illustrations and the bright colors make for a very happy reading time. Two, this story drives home the point that all of us are fantastic in our own way – something every child ought to know at a very young age before the world’s cut-throat competitiveness attempts to ruin the self esteem of the little one.

Excerpt

Arthur said, “Are you fantastic?”

“We make good porridge,” said the bears.

“Yuk! That doesn’t sound fantastic to me,” Arthur said. “You can’t come!”

That evening, Arthur put out the food and drinks. He was ready to party!

But something was wrong …

Don’t Wake the Bear, Hare!

Text: Steve Smallman

Illustrator: Caroline Pedler

Year: 2010

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 28

ISBN: 978 1 84895 032 0

Here’s another adorable grumpy bear story. :-) (One of my favorites - Gruff the Grump.)

All the little animals of the forest are getting ready for Spring Party Day. They include badger, fox, hare, mice and the ants too!

They tiptoe around and organize the party very quietly so as to not disturb the hibernating bear. If he does wake up, he’s going to be very hungry and grumpy.

Best of all, this story is told in catchy, rhyming verse with illustrations that are witty and colorful. And, oh yes, there are plenty of opportunities for your little ones to engage in sounds – grr… humph… zzzzz…:-)

Excerpt

The lanterns were carefully hung in the trees.

The mice tied up ribbons that danced on the breeze.

They brought in the very last blueberry tart

And their party was now almost ready to start!

The tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse

By Beatrix Potter

Year: 1910

Publisher: Frederick Warne (Penguin Group)

Age: 7 and above

No. of Pages: 58

Website: Peterrabbit.com

ISBN: 978-0-72324-780-7

I read this book for my kids and I was reminded of those magical, good old days of reading Enid Blyton and watching Wind in the Willows on the television.

Meet Mrs. Tittlemouse, a very tidy wood mouse who takes pride in her well-kept home. Her tidy home, however, invites a lot of unwelcome attention from untidy and uninvited visitors: beetles, ladybirds, spiders. She gets rid of all of them quite unceremoniously. Until, she meets her match in Mr. Jackson, a toad who enjoys visiting Mrs. Tittlemouse, uninvited, of course. She tries her best to get rid of him without much success. That is, until she hits upon a brilliant solution.

Excerpt

The he squeezed into the larder. Miss Butterfly was tasting the sugar; but she flew away out of the window.

“Tiddly, widdly, widdly, Mrs. Tittlemouse; you seem to have plenty of visitors!”

“And without any invitation!” said Mrs. Thomasina Tittlemouse.

They went along the sandy passage – “Tiddly widdly – “Buss! Wizz! Wizz!”

Princess Buttercup: A Flower Princess Story – Puffin Young Readers Level - 2

Author: Wendy Cheyette Lewison

Illustrator: Jerry Smath

Year: 2001

Publisher: Puffin Young Readers, New York

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-0-448-46123-6

Princess Buttercup is a classic fairy tale of frolicking innocence and fantasy from the Puffin Young Readers series.

It is the first day of spring and six Flower Princesses wake up to a beautiful morning. It is also the perfect day to host a party. Princess Buttercup is asked to pick flowers for the party. She follows a butterfly into the woods and soon she is lost. She then hits upon an ingenious idea to find her way back to the magic garden.

Excerpt

Soon the butterfly sees the buttercup,

Down, down it flies.

Now the butterfly is just over her head.

She grabs hold of it and …

Whee! Off they go!

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
• 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
• Level - 2: Red, White and Blue
• Level - 2: Shape Spotters
• Level - 2: Snug Bug
• Level - 2: The Garden that we grew  
• Level - 2: The very lonely firefly
• Level - 2: Who stole the cookies?

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

Baby Bear’s Birthday Hiccups

Author: Penny Little

Illustrator: Lara Jones

Year: 2008

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, London

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-0-230-53176-5

Little Baby Bear’s birthday party is almost over when he’s suddenly hit with a bad case of hiccups.

There follows a series of well-intended remedies. Mummy Bear rubs his tummy, Little Leopard tickles him, Little Hippo gets him to hold his breath and more.

Finally, it’s time for bed and that's when the perfect hiccup cure arrives.

Excerpt

“What you need is to calm down,: said Nanny Giraffe softly.

“And Nanny Giraffe’s kisses are the cure for hiccups.”

She bent down low and gave Baby Bear …

One

Two

Three big kisses!

“All gone?” soothed Nanny Giraffe.

“Hic!” went Baby Bear.

Little Fairy Can’t Sleep

By Daniela Drescher

Year: 2007

Publisher: Floris Books, UK

Age: 6 and above

No. of Pages: 20

ISBN: 978-0-86315-825-4

This bedtime storybook is enchanting. The story, the words, the paintings – all of them weave that perfect magical moment where one feels tender happiness and warm camaraderie.

Faith, the little fairy can’t get to sleep because there’s magic in the air. She wanders through the night in search of the magic which happens to be a midsummer night’s party.

Excerpt

The crickets were chirping loudly, the fireflies were flickering brightly, and the full moon smiled down on Faith’s bed of flowers.

It was impossible to sleep. There was rustling, crackling and crunching all around … and magic was in the air.

What was going on? The little fairy got up and flew off into the night.