Augustus and his smile

By Catherine Rayner

For Ages: 4 and above

No. of Pages: 32

Publisher: Little Tiger Press, London

Year: 2006

ISBN: 978-1-56148-510-9

Augustus the Tiger has lost his smile! He looks everywhere – under the bushes, on the tops of the tallest trees, on snowy mountaintops, even, at the bottom of the deepest oceans. He does find his lost smile but in the unlikeliest place of all.

This book has a message for children and grown-ups. It’s easy for us look for happiness everywhere else but the right place.   

The illustrations are quite clever from a grown-ups’ perspective but I’m not so sure if children might enjoy turning the pages of a book that is rich in  browns, blacks and dark hues of the rest of the spectrum.

Excerpt

Further and further Augustus searched.

He scaled the crests of the highest mountains where the slow clouds swirled, making frost patterns in the freezing air.

He swam to the bottom of the deepest oceans and splished and splashed with shoals of tiny, shiny fish.

He pranced and paraded through the largest desert, making shadow shapes in the sun. 

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

A Pet for a Princess: Step into Reading - 2

Text: Melissa Lagonegro

Illustrations: Atelier Philippe Harchy

Year: 2005

Publisher: Random House Children's Books, New York

Website: Step into reading

Age: 4 - 5 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Educational 

ISBN:  978 0 73642 280 3

This delightful Disney Princess book inspired by the beloved blockbuster Aladdin features Princess Jasmine and her very first encounter with Rajah, the pet tiger given as a gift by the king.

This is a Step into Reading Level - 2 book. The small sentences and full-page illustrations encourage children to indulge in reading.

Excerpt

Jasmine and Rajah did many things together.

They sat in the sun.

They watched butterflies.

They played lots of games.

Jasmine took good care of Rajah. 

Five-Minute Jungle Tales

Author: Jan Payne

Illustrator: Peter Rutherford

Year: 2002

Publisher: Parragon Books, UK

Age: 5 and above

No. of Pages: 46

ISBN: 978 0 75257 002 1

This fantastic mini-collection of jungle tales has to be among the best animal tales I've read so far. The animals’ roles and habitat are mostly intact and yet each tale is packed with humor, wit and pragmatism that make it relevant to children.

The tales feature a monkey who wants to grow tall, rather quickly, a hippopotamus whose best friend is a hermit crab, a crocodile who can’t stop smiling, a lonely lion, an annoying tiger who copies others and a forgetful elephant.

Now, that ought to pique your curiosity. This is a must-have. :-)

Excerpt

So they built another house, this time of bamboo.

“This won’t blow away ,” said Custard.

But an elephant appeared. And, oh dear! Bamboo is an elephant’s favourite food.

“Yummy!” said the elephant. “Thanks for bringing me my breakfast!” And he stuffed Custard’s house into his mouth!

Tiger Tom

Author:  Mary Green

Illustrator: Stephen Gulbis

Year: 2004

Publisher: Orchard Books, London

Age: 3 and above

No. of Pages: 32

ISBN: 978-1-84362-562-8

I’m a little partial to books that are lyrical especially if they have pages that look like they jumped out of an art gallery.

Tiger Tom is a perfect example as are some others like Said Mouse to Mole, Gruff the Grump and One Winter’s Night.    

A little girl looks out her window and sees a tiger basking in the moonlight. She silently watches him as he dances and sings, arches and leaps across her garden.

The next morning, she sees the tiger for who he truly is. And that’s where I stop. :-)

Excerpt

His mouth was as big as a treasure chest,

His pearly teeth stuck out.

His amber eyes shone like fireflies,

As his tail swished about.

He clambered along the jungle wall,

The light on his slinky back…