Little Miss Bossy and the Magic Word

Concept: Roger Hargreaves

Author and Illustrator: Adam Hargreaves

For Ages: 5 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Egmont UK Ltd., London

Year: 1998

Website: Mr. Men

Meet Miss Bossy. Like her name suggests, she is pushy and rude. It means she also uses words like nonsense and shut up. And she hasn't learned to say the magic words- ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’. By the end of the book, she does begin to use them but her bossiness – well, you’ll have to find out for yourself.

The book uses non-fussy, smiley-face illustrations to complement a simple story that conveys a clear message.

A caution here. If your children haven’t been introduced to ‘Nonsense!’ and ‘Shut up!’ then please do take the time to explain their inappropriateness.

Excerpt

It was Mr Small who decided that something had to be done.

He went to see Little Miss Magic.

And once he had explained the problem, she agreed to teach Miss Bossy a lesson.

“… and I think I know just how to do it,” she replied. 

Big Hug: The Jungle House

Author: John Grace

Illustrator: Stuart Trotter

Publisher: Ladybird Books, UK

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 26

ISBN: 978 0 72141 433 8

Big Hug is a gentle blue bear who lives on Coconut Island.

Max the Cat and Billy the Rabbit set up a jungle house which is occupied by a mean-tempered elephant. They enlist the help of many friends to get the elephant to leave the house but the angry giant is in no mood to listen. Until Big Hug gets help from a little friend. :-)

The Big Hug series from Ladybird Books is ideal for pre-readers and beginner readers. What makes the text stand-out is the presence of repetitive phrasing and the use of several easy words to encourage children to read.

Excerpt

Max and Billy went to see the tiger.

He was very brave.

They told him about the elephant with big ears.

Tiger went to the jungle house. “Roarr-r!” went the tiger. 

Other books in the Big Hug series include

• A Busy Day
• A Quiet Walk
• Hide and Seek Counting 
• Rainbow Colours

Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose

Author: Julia Donaldson

Illustrator: Nick Sharratt

Year: 2005

Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books, London

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 24

ISBN: 978 1 40502 190 6

It’s a dinner party unlike any other. The guests are an odd assortment ranging from Seal to Shetland Pony to Hyena.

Some are hungry and some, angry. The others are greedy or just plain fussy. It's hard to imagine a good ending after the chaotic meal, but surprisingly, it does. And you know what they say - all’s well that ends well. :-)

This is a non-cluttered book with each page featuring an animal and just one pertinent sentence in rhyme. This book might be good for beginners.

Excerpt

“I’ll lick the bowl,” says furry Mole.

“I’ll like it cleaner,” laughs Hyena.

“It’s all gone,” says sad white Swan.

“I’ll eat the cloth,” says happy Moth. 

Milly, Molly and Henry

Author: Gill Pittar

Illustrator: Cris Morrell

Year: 2003

Publisher: Milly Molly Books, New Zealand

Age: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN:  978-1-87733-657-2

The more Milly and Molly books I read, I am impressed.

This book is about Milly and Molly’s true-to-self friend and classmate, Henry.

He’s just an ideal child – polite, unafraid, confident and not shy to express himself.

In a world that increasingly seeks to conform our children into a mold, this book breaks free of the traditional mindset and celebrates a child for who he is. Kudos Gill Pittar, for this path-breaking book.

I would like to read this book to my kids a few more times.

Excerpt

He laughs loudly at the funny parts and cries openly through the sad bits.

Reading to the class is a breeze and making mistakes not a problem.

Henry takes math in his stride and plays patter ball one handed.