Picture Books (Part 2) - Browse Inside

Dear Mummies,
Here's some sample pages for your reference. Enjoy!

Picture Books

Crazy mamas went out to source for more books today and found this FANTASTIC BUNDLE at an UNBELIEVABLE PRICE which is simply irresistable.


About:-

Increased format reissue of this funny story in Tony Ross’s popular series about the Little Princess, who now appears in her very own animated television series on Five Life. Available for the first time as a paperback an CD.When things don’t go well for the Little Princess, she knows there is only one person who can make them better, so she yells, “I WANT MY MUM!” But when the Little Princess finally learns to cope on her own, how does the Queen feel?

Reviews:-

Little Princess [is a] role-model for children everywhere.” The Bookseller “Hilarious and a godsend to parents.

About:-

Reformatted edition of this core Percy title with a contemporary new cover design. Includes a surprise fold-out pagePercy the park keeper is having a day off. It is a perfect day for doing nothing. But Percy’s peaceful picnic is disturbed when a little rabbit meets with a nasty tumble into an old well. All the animals gather together with a huge rope to help pull the rabbit out. But all they tug from the well is the branch of a tree. But the rabbit has already found her own way out…through an passage under the ground and she’s at the end of the line with the other animals lending a hand!

Reviews:-

‘…it’s good for reading aloud to under-fives, and later the six-pluses will still want to read it themselves.’ The Independent on Sunday One Snowy Night ‘A heartwarming bedtime tale…’ Susan Hill, The Independent After the Storm: ‘…look no further for the best present for any child from two to six.’ Susan Hill, The Sunday Times Percy’s Bumpy Ride: ‘Imaginatively detailed illustrations and just the right amount of suspense.’

About:-

Left to his own devices, Paddington decides to surprise the Browns. In between baking them a chocolate cake, he sets about giving the house a "spring clean". Unfortunately, the two don't always mix!

About:-

When old Badger dies, his friends think they will be sad forever. But gradually they are able to remember Badger with joy and to treasure the gifts he left behind for every one of his friends. This sensitive book can help children come to terms with the death of those they love.

Review:-

A simple and beautifully told story about the death of Badger, and the subsequent grief felt by his friends. Death is portrayed as a relief and release for old Badger. His friends come to realise that their lives have been enriched by his friendship and with the passing of time they are able to remember him fondly and without sadness. A sensitive story giving a new angle to a subject that we all shy away from, particularly with children, though most children will have to deal with the death of a family member or loved one at least once during their childhood. Suitable from pre-school plus (Don't be surprised if you 'fill up' when you read it aloud !)

About:-

A brand new adventure, based on the world created by Jill Barklem but aimed at a younger audience with contemporary illustrations, and featuring the fearless Wilbur and his friend Primrose.There has been a flood in Brambly Hedge and Wilfred and Primrose are indoors playing hide-and-squeak with their new friends, Horace the Vole, and his baby sister, Sissy. Sissy is hiding inside a little basket boat, tied up outisde the front door. It’s tiring work waiting to be found and Sissy soon falls asleep… just as the boat’s rope comes loose… What can the hedgerow friends do to rescue little Sissy? An exciting adventure full of drama, warmth and charm.

About:-
Granny is coming to stay and Lulu's mother is just too busy to have time to play with Lulu. She is fed up. But what she finds under her bed changes all of that ...Lulu has the most wonderful surprise when she finds a fairy under her bed that will grant her three wishes. For her first wish Lula asks to be a fairy as well and she spends a magical day flying and playing with her new friend. But Lulu soon finds out that there are many dangers for fairies, like spiders webs and most frightening of all cats. For her second wish she asks to be her normal size again and then suddenly the cat doesn't seem so dangerous any more. The next day Lulu tries to tell her mother all about becoming a fairy but as usual she is too busy. In frustration Lula shout out "I wish you weren't always so busy!" and it is as if the world has slowed down. Lula Mum plays and reads stories. Lulu's third wish has been the best of all.

Review:-
Lulu needs her busy mother to sew her fairy costume, but there is never a good time to ask. Then Lulu discovers a real fairy under her bed, which grants her three wishes. Her first is to be a real fairy; the second is not to be a fairy any more as the cat looks about to pounce. She is just wondering whether she dreamt the whole thing when she wishes her mother were not always so busy. Suddenly her mum stops washing up and gives her children her time. Busy mothers take note. The beautifully observed illustrations include some amusing details. (4-7 yrs).

About:-

A story about perseverance, sharing and friendship by the author of Dinosaurs After Dark, and brilliantly illustrated by Nathan Reed.He's made a car for Ralph and a boat for Alice. But when Winston tries to construct something really BIG he realises that he can't do everything by himself. Then, with help from Ralph (who is best at carrying large bits and pieces) and Alice (who is best at finding small bits and pieces), he discovers that putting things together…together…is what friends do best!

Review:-

This is a great book for small children from age 2 upwards. The book has a good story but it's the illustrations that really make it, they're bright and bold and the detail in some of the pictures is amazing. I bought it for my 3 year old son and he loves it!

About:-

An absolutely delightful adventure on the African plains with the most irresistible, and richest, crocodile in the world.You might have everything your heart desires – your very own cinema, a luxury swimming pool, hordes of motorbikes, cars and aeroplanes, and a butler called Jenkins. But something could be missing – and when you spy animals splashing and splosing at a waterhole, you just might begin to get an idea of what it is…

Review:-

There were only a very few rich animals in the world, and the richest by far was a crocodile, ' Postgate begins, introducing his nattily attired reptile hero. The crocodile cocks a toothy satisfied smile at readers, but in truth, he isn't happy--not like the animals he spies through his telescope...The message that money can't buy happiness is as old as the hills, but Postgate makes it bloom anew.

About:-
Meet Tiny – the pint-sized, prehistoric hero! He may be very small, but he’s got a very big heart!When Tiny the dinosaur hatches out of a great, big egg, no one can believe their eyes… he is so small! Tiny grows –a little – and tries to make friends with the other young dinosaurs but they laugh and say that he isn’t big enough to play their games. But what Tiny lacks in size, he more than makes up for in spirit…

Review:-

Praise for Alan Durant's picture books: Dear Tooth Fairy: "This book is fabulous. Children will be fascinated." BBC Parenting Big Bad Bunny: "Had all my testers whooping with laughter! Big Bad Bunny is the best bad guy ever." The Guardian. Angus Rides the Goods Train: "Moving and resonant." The Mail on Sunday Mouse Party: "Readers will want to rave on with this one until they drop." The Observer Always and Forever: "A wonderful and moving story! The illustrations are fantastic." BBC Parenting

In this readable but ultimately forgettable story, a diminutive lime-green dinosaur follows in the literary footsteps of many other small but mighty characters who aid someone larger or more powerful. The tiny dinosaur, cleverly called Tiny, is cruelly taunted by the larger dinosaurs because of his size, so he finds a new friend, a bird named Archie. The pair of friends devise their own games and entertainments, happily spending time together. When Tyro the T. rex stomps so hard he cracks the (evidently fragile) ground, Tiny and Archie lead him to safety. The logistics of this rescue are hard to see in the illustrations because the cracks in the surface are rendered as flat gray lines that seem neither deep nor dangerous. Several spreads are confusing due to the inclusion of multiple images of the three main characters without clear delineation between scenes. Tiny and Archie do have a certain charm, both in their visual depiction and in their play together, but not enough to overcome the several mystifying spreads and the pat ending. (Picture book. 4-7)

About:-

Farmers Big and Bluster are bickering over who has the biggest and best cornfield. Meanwhile, Farmer Smarts is quietly confident that his is the best, but he’s not saying anything…One day all three farmers find MICE all over the fields! So they decide to take control of the situation by building mousetraps. Farmers Big and Bluster, in their extravagant, bombastic way, both go to town trying to outdo each other by building huge machines to trap the mice. The mice carry on munching regardless… Meanwhile, Farmer Smarts has got himself a FAT CAT who is the most successful mousetrap of all…

Review:-

James Sage and Russell Ayto's Fat Cat is a quirky and humorous tale, detailing Farmer Bluster and Farmer Big's inept attempts to rid their fields of an infestation of very cheeky mice. The farmers compete with each other to build a series of increasingly outlandish Heath Robinson-type contraptions, much to the mice's amusement. However, none of them have reckoned on their neighbour, Farmer Smarts' simpler and more effective solution-Fat Cat, "a cat with attitude". And the reason behind the champion mouser's ample girth is revealed towards the end.
Ayto's imaginative illustrations are highly detailed, including lots of lively dialogue between the characters. The farmers' bizarre inventions will especially appeal to young readers who love mechanical drawings and gadgetry. Ages 4-7

About:-

Here comes Duck in his truck, the wonderful new character soon to be the focus of a whole new series. But watch out for that rock Duck … too late Duck’s truck is stuck in the muck!The truck is well and truly stuck, but luckily help is at hand in the form of a Frog. When the Frog and the Duck fail to eject the truck, they enlist the help of a Sheep who just happens to be passing by in his green jeep. But even the might of the sheep can’t move the truck. Fortunately, there is a nearby lake and at this very moment a clever goat floats by relaxing in his boat. He devises a cunning plan which does indeed set the truck free… but with unexpected and hilarious consequences.

Review:-

This is the duck driving home in a truck. This is the track which is taking him back. This is the rock stuck by the truck and this is the muck where the truck becomes stuck." Thus is the scene set for a comic escapade involving a sheep in a jeep and a goat in a motorboat, trying all a manner of tricks to free the cantankerous duck. Alborough's text is perfect for reading out loud, and the mix of close-up and panoramic illustrations give an animated, live action feel.

Poppy and Max

Crazy mamas got this series, Poppy and Max by Sally Grindley from the Book People sometimes ago, which is unavailable now. It is published by Orchard Books for children about 5+. This is an easy to read short stories for readers taking their first tentative steps into a world of books, perfect for reading together.

Sally began writing in 1984 while she was working for a children's book club. Since 1995 she has been writing full time and has recently won the Smarties Prize. She now has some fifty titles in print. 'Shhh' won the Children's Bok Award in 1992 and was shortlisted for the Smartie. s'Wake Up Dad' won the 1989 Best Books for Babies Award and 'There's a Monster Who Eats Books' in our House was Highly Commended in the 1997 Right Start/Petit Filous award, shortlisted in the 1998 Sheffield Children's Book Award and selected by the Young Book Trust in 1998 as one of the '100 best books'. One of her successful POPPY AND MAX series was chosen for the Richard and Judy book award.

Titles are as follows :-
POPPY AND MAX AND THE FASHION SHOW
POPPY AND MAX AND THE LOST PUPPY
POPPY AND MAX AND THE SORE PAW
POPPY AND MAX AND THE BIG WAVE
POPPY AND MAX AND TOO MANY MUFFINS
POPPY AND MAX AND THE SNOW DOG
POPPY AND MAX AND THE RIVER PICNIC
POPPY AND MAX AND THE NOISY NIGHT

Here's a sample from POPPY AND MAX AND THE LOST PUPPY :-

Charlie and Lola

My boi R and me are GREAT fans of Charlie and Lola by Lauren Child, an English author and illustrator. Charlie and Lola is a series of picture books with different plots, each starting off with Charlie saying, "I have this little sister, Lola. She is small and very funny." Her other well-known novels include Clarice Beans.

Charlie and Lola is fun filled and imaginative animated series for young children, age 4-8. It focuses on the relationship between brother and sister. CHARLIE and LOLA, and tells the story of how they handle the little issues that they, as young children, encounter everyday, along with their bestest friends; Marv, Lotta, Sizzles and Soren Lorensen.

CHARACTERS:-

CHARLIE is 7 year old. He hangs out with Marv, his best friend, who isn't imaginary. He likes playing football, making rockets and racing cars. Charlie also likes Lola, his younger sister. Lola makes him laugh - she's illogical and funny. Together they can go anywhere and be anything. He looks out for Lola and inspires her. He has all the time in the world for her...unless she breaks his ultimate favourite toy.


LOLA is 4, going on 5. And she knows her mind. She likes pink milk, swimming with whales and her bestest friend Lotta. She also like Sizzles, Marv's Dog. Oh and don't foret Soren Lorensen, her imaginery friend. No one can see him except Lola. She knows what she likes and dislikes, and feels extremely, ever so strongly about it.

She doesn't like mushrooms, numbers bigger than ten or itchy jumpers. And she will not ever, never eat a tomato. Lola's not deliberately difficult.....she's just working out who she is and where she fits into the world. She loves her brother, Charlie.


SOREN LORENSEN is Lola's imaginery friend. When someone else is in the room, he's transparent and only Lola can communicate with him. But when they are left alone, they can talk openly and put the world to rights - in a little person way.


MARV is the same age as Charlie and his best friend. They go to the same school and they live in the same block of flats. He lives downstairs and has a very stupid sausage dog called Sizzles. Marv and Charlie love playing football in the park and making things together - assault courses for dog training, castle and outer space music.


LOTTA lives down the road, in a little house. She's the same age as Lola. and they met on their first day at school. They have a very giggly, over excited relationship - chatting and holding hands a LOT.

Mudpuppy Puzzles

Mama L promised to share some of gal S's favourite toys in my earlier blog. So here goes...

I introduced puzzles to gal S when she was going 3. We started with the simple, jumbo sized, regularly shaped (usually comes in 24pcs) ones, then moved on to the large 36 pieces and now, she does the 100 pcs with her papa. I'd searched hard for nice puzzles and tried a variety of puzzles with gal S. Our favourites are definately the ones from mudpuppy. Its just amazing to observed how gal S fumbled at the beginning with the new puzzle, and then eventually be able to pick up each piece and simply put them in the correct places. And I never understood why she never start with the "frame" of the jigsaw puzzle like adults would? **scratch head**


Mama L simply LOVED the mudpuppy jigsaw puzzles for their quality and variety. Its simply great that their puzzles relate to the books that gal S had read and loved, like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Rainbow Fish, Where Wild Things Are, etc. Gal S also likes the Around the World puzzles as she learns where penguins lived, where the pyramids are found, etc

Walker's Books

Another Crazy Mamas' favourites are the titles from Walker's Books. The titles from Walker's books teach the first magic of words through songs, rhymes, pictures and patterns. One of the all-time favourite is "We're going on a Bear Hunt" I don't think there will be any kids who will NOT fall in love with the story and the catchy tune.

It's one of the story with a catchy tune, that Mama L use to keep gal S occupied while waiting for the train or the bus. Great way to keep her happy, especially when Mama has her hands full. "Little Rabbit Foo Foo" is another story with a wonderful catchy tune about a naughty rabbit who goes around bobbing animals on their heads, before he was turned into a goonie (even though Mama was a little stumped when gal S asked, "What's a goonie?").

Gal S also loved the "Ravenous Beast", which gobbles everyone up, to prove that he's the hungriest of them all.

Little Tiger Press Picture Books

Crazy Mamas are NUTS over the books from littletigerpress. We can never get enough of the books for their exquisite storyline, wonderful illustrations and layout.

Mama L picked some of gal S's favourite reads to share with all. The Lamb Who Came For Dinner, started off as a typical wolf wants to eat lamb story, but along the way, the wolf's conscience got to him, and he started to care for the helpless little lamb. I also took the opportunity of the story to teach my gal S to take care of her little brother. The Biggest Baddest Wolf, is about Harum Scarum the wolf, who wanted to be nasty to everyone as he's the biggest baddest wolf around, but has a unknown weakness, aka his teddy. Ouch! is one of the amusing stories about the little hedgehog who ended up with more stuff stuck on his back, while trying to get off the apple that fell on his back and got stuck there. Gal S like the central character, the little hedgehog and kept pestering Mama to get more of the little hedgehog's titles like One Snowy Night, One Winter Day and One Rainy Day.

Mama L's favourite is The Three Horrid Little Pigs and the Big Friendly Wolf. An absolute quiky twist to the all-time favourite "Three Little Pigs" story. You never know what to expect in the story.


The Lamb Who Came For Dinner

When a hungry old wolf gets an unexpected visit from a little lamb, he starts planning a delicious hotpot. But the lamb doesn't want to be the wolf's dinner, she wants to be his friend...

The Biggest Baddest Wolf
Harum Scarum’s idea of fun is to scare people. Well, he is the biggest, baddest, hairiest, scariest wolf in the city! But after a really good day of scaring little children, old people, and even a builder, Harum Scarum gets back home to find he’s lost his teddy. Oh no! He’ll do anything to get him back…

Ouch!
Hedgehog has just finished building a cosy nest ready for winter when… OUCH! …an apple falls from a tree and sticks in the spines on her back! Squirrel tries to remove the apple but things don't go quite as planned and soon Hedgehog has a juicy red apple AND three brown nuts stuck on her back…

The Three Horrid Pigs and the Big Friendly Wolf

Mother Pig has had enough of her three horrid little pigs. So she packs their bags and sends them on their way. The first two little pigs build their houses by stealing straw and pinching twigs. While the third little pig is so lazy, he moves into the hen house! What horrid little pigs they are! Will the big, friendly wolf help them see the error of their ways?This is a wonderfully quirky twist on a classic fairy tale from an award-winning picture-book creator.

Cheers

Mama L

Enid Blyton - All Time Favourite

Our all time favourite author - Enid Blyton. Mama W has been thinking... maybe is time that I should introduce Enid Blyton's books to my boi R. And happened to see this title - The New Adventure of the Wishing Chair - The Island of Surprises , so mama decided to give it a try. This series is recommended for age 5+, the content and words are great for children who are ready to go beyond the Usborne books. Although the choice of words used are simple, the story is interesting and easily digest by readers. Thus, it gives them confident to read and want more books.

About :- Jack and Jessica find an old rocking chair in the shed of their new house. Suddenly, a pixie called Wishler appears and says he was trapped in the chair. He wants to go home, so soon they're off to the Island of Surprises on the magical wishing-chair. But there they meet a rather naughty wizard named Flick and they discover that surprises aren't always nice.

Cheers,

Crazymama W

Oops!

Dear ALL,

Crazymamas have this wonderful book to share - Oops! Both our children LOVE this book very much, even mamas LOVE it too. Boi R loves the part where Mister Wolf was banned from store, park and school. The tricks that Mister Wolf thought of to capture Preston Pig are funny too.

Introducing... A Preston Pig Story

Preston sets off to take a basket of food to his granny's, wearing a red coat and hood, and looking very much like Little Red Riding Hood. As ever, Mister Wolf is in hot pursuit, but he can't think which story Preston's red coat and hood reminds him of, and consequently can't remember what he is supposed to do...

Here's some review by others:-

Review 1:

This has been the bedtime story book of choice of my young daughter for the last 3 weeks.
She absolutely loves it although I must admit that I am now dreaming about falling chimney pots and Cunning Wolf Tricks.
She now knows all of the words and tries to get into character when reading with me.
I am now on Amazon looking for more Preston Pig and Colin McNaughton desperately trying to expand my literary repertoire.

Review 2:

My four year old son really enjoys this book, he finds it very funny. It really appeals to a four year olds' sense of humor. There are also things going on in the illustrations to talk about. As a parent, this is one that I enjoy reading too.

Review 3:

My five year old son loves this book and can tell the story almost word perfect. He loves the story and the wonderful illustrations and is always asking for more Preston Pig books. He loves the accidents that keep happening to Mister Wolf and never tires of the story. I would highly recommend all the Preston Pig books.

Review 4:

I work in a school and the children love all the Colin McNaughton books and 'Ooops!' was missing. The children loved this book just as much as the others - a great success.

Love,

Crazymama W

Cultivate Your Child To Read

Dear Daddies and Mummies,

Crazymama W would like to share this article that I found in the Little TigerPress website.

Helping your child learn to read
Your child is learning from the day it is born and, as a parent, you can make a huge difference in teaching your child good language skills that will help them to make sense of their world.

SHARE
Even very young children can get a sense of enjoyment out of sharing the experience of reading a book with their parents. Children learn to talk before they learn to read, so reading a book together is a great way of talking to your baby about lots of different things. Baby will find the experience enjoyable and learn how books work at a very early age. Best of all, sharing a book together is a fantastic way of being close to your child.

TIPS for SHARING books with your child:

• Pick a peaceful place to read the book so that you and your child don’t get distracted.
• Let your child hold the book and turn the pages with you – they will soon understand that you read a book from the front to the back.
• Talk about the pictures in the book and point out images that your child knows. For example, if there is a picture of a car, ask your child questions like “What colour car do we have?” and “Where do we like to drive in the car?”

LISTEN
Children learn to talk by listening to the people around them. By frequently reading and talking to your child, you will encourage them to respond and join in with their own opinions. Listening and offering praise to your child is a great way of boosting their confidence in their reading skills.

TIPS for LISTENING to your child read:

• Make sure you give your child plenty of time to answer when you ask them a question.
• Teaching your child rhymes and poems is a great way for them to practise familiar language sounds.
• Use books to encourage your child to talk about their feelings and fears about new situations and experiences.
• Let your child make up stories about the characters in the book or ask them what they think will happen next.

TEACH
Even though your child will be taught to read at school, learning to read needs more practice than they will be able to get during the school day. Parents play an incredibly important role in helping their child improve their vocabulary and reading skills, and it’s never too early to start. A recent study showed that children who read to their parents improved their reading more than those who were getting extra support from a teacher in school.

TIPS for TEACHING your child to read:

• Practise the letter-sound relationships your child will learn at school.
• Sing the alphabet while pointing to each letter on an alphabet chart.
• Encourage your child to read all sorts of different reading material – newspapers, magazines, the internet, as well as books.

ENJOY
The most important thing to remember is that reading should be fun! If your child sees reading a book as a chore, they are unlikely to get much out of the exercise. There are lots of games you can play to make reading with your child a pleasurable experience that you will both enjoy.

TIPS for ENJOYING reading with your child:

• Sing along to nursery rhymes and use funny voices and sounds. As your child gets more familiar with the rhymes they will begin to join in.
• Novelty books with pop-ups, flaps and textured finishes can be a great way to get your child interested in books.
• Encourage your child to act out their favourite stories and, as they get older, write their own.
• Make a collage of the alphabet by cutting up old papers or magazines. For example, if your child loves animals, try making an animal alphabet – a is for antelope, b is for bird, etc.

Usborne Wind-up Tractor Book - with Wind-up Models

CrazyMamas just felt in LOVE with this book. The illustrations are simply irresistable. Two mamas are so fascinated that we just picked up and go without giving second thoughts to it. Wow!! our older children adores it. Even my boi E (10+ months old) loves watching the tractor going round about the tracks.

This is how it looks inside....

Interested mummies, can visit this link:- http://seeinside.usborne.com/default.asp?id=2481&site=4

Cheers, CrazyMama W

My 3+ gal S's All-Time Favourite Books

I started reading with my gal S when she was a baby, it was amusing to see her run over every time to get her red toy car, when the boardbook about 'What I want to be' talked about becoming a racing driver. Initially, we started with books with characters that are familiar to her, like Elmo, Big Bird, Thomas the Tank Engine, Bob the Builder, Little Einstein, Dora the Explorer etc. We then moved on to other book collections from Dr Seuss, Eric Carle, Child's Play, etc.

Eric Carle's is one of her (and mama's too) favourite authors. 'Head to Toe' is the book that she proudly proclaimed that she could "read" all by herself. It is always amazing how kids can seemed to remember the sequence of the book after reading it just once. This is an interesting book, as S had fun doing all the actions while reading the book. She enjoyed ALL of her Eric Carle's books, and simply loved the boardbooks editions, with the cutouts, sounds and foldouts. 'Papa, please get the moon for me', 'The Very Clicky Beetle', 'The Very Hungry Catapillar', 'The Secret Birthday Message' are some of S's favourites reads.

Usborne, I think every mommy and daddy out there would had heard of the famous Usborne books. Usborne Phonics Readers were S's all time favourite for quite a while. We had read them countless times, over and over again. Now, she had moved on to the Usborne Reading Programme doing the First Reading Level 3 and 4, and Young Reader Series One. S loved the maps drawn at the front of the First Reading Level 3 books, influence of Dora the Explorer I guess..

Dr Seuss, is another mommies' favourite, I first introduced S to Dr Seuss with the Flip-A-Flap Collection, and we both enjoyed the use of humour, rhyme and illustrations of Dr Seuss. She had moved on to the beginner books, i.e. blue back and green back books.

MathStart is another of S's favourite series. It was fun as math concepts like addition, subtractions, multiplication, sets, capacity, etc are introduced through interesting stories

I'll upload more of S's favourites books, and some of S's favourite Chinese books in a later post.:)

Do we do any other stuff besides reading, you might ask? Of course!! S enjoys Gym, Ball, Music, Art and Craft, Logico, Lego, Puzzles, Mazes and lots more. I'll try to share some of her favourite activities in another post.

Cheerio,

Crazy Mama L