Review: The Wonky Donkey

The Wonky Donkey

Words and Music by Craig Smith

Illustrations by Katz Cowley

Publication date: 2009
Publisher: Scholastic New Zealand
ISBN: 978-1-86943-926-2

Summary/Back cover:
Just look at that donkey over there... Ha! It's a wonky donkey!
Award-winning song with hilarious illustrations that will have you laughing out loud!

Review:
How have we got this many reviews without reviewing The Wonky Donkey?! This is a firm favourite in our house, and is not allowed to be read - it has to be sung!  Fortunately, the book comes with a CD, so parents can learn the tune - but don't try to sing along with the composer, Craig Smith - he has a fantastic speed that he can say the words with! This story was originally the song, and later became the book.

Every Kiwi child should have a copy of this book - it's going to become one of those Kiwi icons in a few years, along with jandals, pavlova and Buzzy Bee!




My rating: 5 out of 5 - one to own, not just borrow from the library!


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Ducky Dives In!

Ducky Dives In!

Written by Richard Waring

Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 1-84362-193-2

Summary/Back cover:
Mucky Ducky loves mud! He really adores the squelchiest, squishiest, squashiest kind of muddy puddle...
But Mummy Duck likes to keep her little duckling out of mud and mischief, so how will she stop Mucky Duck from diving into the squelchiest puddle of all?

Review:
This story, I reckon, has a moral for Mums in it, rather than the kids!  Mucky Duck loves to jump in muddy puddles, but his mother is always trying to keep him clean and tidy - what mother of young children can't relate to that?!  In the end, Mummy Duck embraces her messy side, and ends up having a ball of a time with her young duckling.

I was attracted to this book because of the illustrator, and wasn't let down by the beautiful, bright pictures.  The story itself contains lots of those onomatopoeic words that kids love (and I love to read out loud!), so this book had us giggling throughout.

Definitely worth a read.

My rating: 4.7 out of 5


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Stuck in the Mud

Stuck in the Mud

Written by Jane Clarke

Illustrated by Garry Parsons

Publication date: 2007
Publisher: Penguin Books
ISBN: 978-0-141-50007-2

Summary/Back cover:
Early in the morning, down on the farm,
a new day was dawning, peaceful and calm...
... until Hen discovers that one of her chicks is stuck in the mud!
How many animals will it take to pull Chick out of the mud?

Review:
This book reminds me of the old song, There Was an Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly, who ends up swallowing animal after animal, each getting bigger than the previous.  The same thing happens here, as different animals try to help pull Chick out of the mud - my 2.5 year old enjoyed guessing (or remembering, as the case became!) which animal was going to appear next.

Written in a rhyming style and with gorgeous illustrations of, frankly, quite distressed looking animals, this is a story that's been read many times in our household.

My rating: 4 out of 5.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Where is the Green Sheep?

Where is the Green Sheep?

Written by Mem Fox

Illustrated by Judy Horacek

Publication date: 2004
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0152049072

Summary/Back cover:
There are red sheep and blue sheep, wind sheep and wave sheep, scared sheep and brave sheep, but where is the green sheep?

The search is on in this cozy, sheep-filled story from acclaimed author Mem Fox and popular Australian cartoonist Judy Horacek. Complete with sleepy rhymes and bright illustrations, this book is sure to delight children of all ages, from the very young to those just beginning to read.

Review:
This book has such a simple text base that it means preschoolers can learn to read it to themselves quite quickly - and it has the mystery of the missing green sheep throughout, which keeps the littlies guessing until the very end.

The entire book is made up of rhyming text such as:
Here is the blue sheep.
And here is the red sheep.
Here is the bath sheep.
And here is the bed sheep.
But where is the green sheep?

The repetitive nature of the text helps preschoolers to know what is coming next and to help read along.  My 3 year old enjoys telling me what sort of sheep is coming next by looking at the beautiful cartoon pictures, and my 1 year old enjoys pointing out the sheep on each page (not a hard task, as they're lovely, uncluttered pictures).

This book is definitely a winner here, and I've seen it for sale in our local bookshop with a soft-toy green sheep - that would go down very well, here!

A book worth having on your bookshelf - it comes in both paper-pages and board-book copies, so even your littlest people can read it to themselves.

My rating: 4.3 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Old MacDonald's Farm

Old MacDonald's Farm

Illustrated by Donovan Bixley

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Hachette New Zealand
ISBN: 978-1-86971-230-3

Summary/Back cover:
Old MacDonald has a beautiful New Zealand farm - and on that farm he has some very remarkable animals!  What are they up to now?

Review:
This book is simply beautiful - the words are simply the traditional "Old MacDonald had a Farm" words, but the illustrations tell a story in their own right, of the farmer being woken by a cat, having his breakfast made by a dog, the pigs pampering themselves, the sheep shearing each other (in a salon-style scene) and the cows preparing a morning snack for themselves.  There is so much iconic Kiwiana that I doubt I've seen it all yet - but there's also a picture list of Kiwiana inside the front and back covers.  Maybe this is a clue to look for these things throughout the book?

If you love singing Old MacDonald to your children, I definitely recommend this book - it even has the sheet music to Old MacDonald at the back of the book, so you can grab your nearest instrument (of your choice) and play along.

My three year old adores this book - last night he went off to bed last night singing away to himself, and then started saying "Oh!  What a clever doggy!" - it was at this stage that we realised he'd taken the book to bed with him and was 'reading' it to himself, not just singing a remembered song.  My one year old spent a lot of time reaching out to touch interesting things on the page - there's a lot of detail in each illustration, but they are clear and easy for young eyes to identify known objects in.

Overall, a lovely piece of Kiwiana - a great one as a gift for overseas visiting children, and definitely one for your own Kiwi bookshelf.

If you're interested in purchasing this book, you can find it here at Fishpond.

My rating: 4.8 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Ed's Egg

Ed's Egg

Written by David Bedford

Illustrated by Karen Sapp

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: QED Publshing
ISBN: 978-1-84835-750-1

Summary/Back cover:
Ed loves living in his egg because it's warm and safe.  What happens when his egg cracks?  Will he come out and play?

Beautifully illustrated, QED Storytime introduces young children to the pleasures of reading and sharing stories.  Supporting notes for parents and teachers are also included.

Review:
This book is gorgeous!  It features a young chick who really doesn't want to leave his egg, but pieces of it keep breaking away as the story continues, until all he is left with is one little piece on his head.  The chick soon comes to realise that change is inevitable, and that there's still warmth and happiness to be found outside his comfort zone.

My three year old really enjoys this book - beautiful bright illustrations, and simple words with plenty of funny sound ("Hoppity Hopping" is his favourite one).  There are three other books in this series - Daisy Dinosaur Gets Lost, How to Catch a Falling Star, and The Wishing Stone.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Topsy and Tim At the Farm

Topsy and Tim At the Farm

Written by Jean and Gareth Adamson

Illustrated by Belinda Worsley

Publication Date: 2010
Publisher: Ladybird Books Ltd
ISBN: 978-1-40930-336-7

Summary/back cover:
Topsy and Tim have all sorts of new experiences – just like you! Read all about the twins’ exciting day out at the farm.

Review:
Topsy and Tim are a series of stories about girl/boy twins who live in a village in the United Kingdom and go through the same sort of experiences most children encounter. Some of the other books in the series are Topsy and Tim Start School, Topsy and Tim Have a Birthday Party, and Topsy and Tim Learn to Swim.

In Topsy and Tim At the Farm the children accompany their mum to her friend’s farm, where the children collect eggs, dodge angry geese and help a calf learn to drink milk.

At the end of the story there is a basic puzzle that is suitable for even my two year olds to try, although probably better suited to the 3+ age group.

My rating: 3.8 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Have You Seen My Potty?

Have You Seen My Potty?

Written by Mij Kelly

Illustrated by Mary McQuillan

Publication date: 2007

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

ISBN: 978-0-340-91152-5

Summary/Back cover:

This is the story of Suzy Sue, who has something very important to do!  

The truth is she needs to do a poo... Will she find her bright red potty in time?

Review:

This is the toilet training book that I've been looking for for months!  I was so pleased to stumble upon this wee gem - it's about a young girl who needs to do a poo in her potty, but it's gone missing.  In fact, the farm animals have taken it, and are using the "poo-pot" and raving about how wonderful it is, whilst not knowing what this "potty" is that Suzy Sue is looking for.

Eventually, she gets the job done... and, as an added bonus, my 2.5 year old actually got a poo in the toilet after a read-throughs of this book. So thank you to Mij and Mary for creating the perfect toilet training book!!

A definite must-have for parents of toddlers - we've only got this book out of the library, and I'm reluctant to return it, as it's become a very well-read book here.  I think I'll have to find a copy to have permanently in our bookshelf here, especially as the 10 month old will no doubt go through the toilet training stage in a wee while, too!

It's funny, it's clever, the illustrations are gorgeous (I love the look of concern on Suzy Sue's face, getting more and more anxious as the book goes on), and it's rhyming as well, which always makes for a winning children's book in my eyes.

My rating: 5 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Millie Moo

Millie Moo 

Written by Camilla Moody

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Priddy Books
ISBN: 978-1-84915-301-0


Summary/Back cover:
Help Millie Moo find her farmyard friends in this wacky touch and feel picture book, packed with crazy characters, funny rhymes and lots to find and do!


Review:
Lucy got this book for her first birthday - it is the perfect size for her to turn the pages and hold.
It is filled with bright illustrations, learning about animals, colours. Not a story just two lines about what's happening on each page - perfect for short attention spans.

I give it a 10/10 because I love the illustration so bright (I often choose a book by its cover!)


Review written by Pineapple

Review: Farmyard Hullabaloo

Farmyard Hullabaloo

Written by Giles Andreae

Illustrated by David Wojtowycz

Publication date: 1999
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-84121-563-1

Summary/Back cover:
The rooster wakes the farm up
With a cock-a-doodle-doo!
The sheepdog won't stop barking,
And the cows begin to moo...


Come into the farmyard for a noisy, rhyming animal romp your little ones will love!

Review:
This is a book I've been keen to read for quite a while now - Giles Andreae is a firm favourite author in this household (with children and parents alike!), and my 2.5 year old has been pointing this particular title out in the back of other Andreae books for ages now, as one he wants to read.

Written in the same style as Commotion in the Ocean, this book is a collection of individual poems, for each animal on the farmyard.  My son enjoys telling me what the animals are before I read the poem, and has taken to guessing what the next animal over the page might be.

This style book works well for us, as it means I don't feel like I'm "breaking" the flow of the story when my son wants to ask questions or point out interesting things before we turn the page - it is also a book that he is learning to "read" to himself - I've heard him sitting and quietly saying "cock-a-doodle-doo" and "funny floppy neck" (that'd be the turkeys, by the way) as he flicks through the pages.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Hamish the Highland Cow

Hamish the Highland Cow

Written and Illustrated by Natalie Russell

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0-7475-5938-4

Summary/Back cover:
Hamish is a highland cow and is very hairy.  He hates having baths and NEVER cuts his hair.  Hamish is often very SMELLY, until one day his friends decide they have had enough.  They hatch a plan that involves a hairdresser and Hamish's favourite sweets - toffees!


An exuberant story with bold, bright illustrations from a very talented artist.


Review: 
This book is perfect if you have a child that is reluctant to go to a hairdresser - the book ends happily with Hamish having received a spruce-up.  The illustrations are lovely and bright, and the story quite sweet - but it didn't catch my 2.5 year old's imagination for too long (incidentally, we have no problems with him at the hairdresser, so we didn't use the book for that purpose - just as a reading book).  My 9 month old enjoyed the story though, and kept reaching out to touch the bright pages.

My rating: 3 out of 5 - beautiful pictures, but the story is nothing overly special, I didn't feel.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Spot Can Count

Spot Can Count

by Eric Hill

Publication Date: 1999

Publisher: Puffin

ISBN: 978-0-140-56701-4

Spot the dog is a classic, and this lift-the-flap book follows him around the farm counting animals. There isn’t really a story per se, it begins with Spot telling his dad that he can count to ten and then the rest of the book follows the formula: “How many … are in the …?” and you lift the flap to find the answer. This book is a great introduction to numbers, counting and farm animals. Kids always love the interactive experience of lifting the flaps. Beware with younger children, though. It pays to have a glue-stick and some cellotape handy for the inevitable flap repairs you’ll be making!

My rating:  3.8 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Market Day

Market Day

Written by Heather Amery

Illustrated by Stephen Cartwright

Publication Date: 2002

Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd

ISBN: 0-7460-48971

Summary/back cover:

This series of delightful short stories has been especially written, with the help of a language expert, for young children who are just beginning to read. With the help and encouragement of an adult, beginner readers will be able to achieve the pleasure and satisfaction of reading a whole book for themselves.

Market Day is one of the stories in the Usborne Farmyard Tales series. There are 20 stories, in total. They are short and easy to read and as the back cover summary suggests, they’d be ideal for children first learning to read. My children aren’t at that stage, yet, but I find this story (and the two others we own from the series) good for helping them learn new words. The pictures and the writing complement each other so it’s easy for children to make the connection between what I’m reading them and what they’re seeing in the pictures.

With the farming theme running through the stories they would be particularly good for children who have family that run a farm or lifestyle block with animals.

Another attractive feature of these books is the little yellow duck to search for on every page. Oh, and they’re as cheap as chips – you might even be able to find them in the supermarket!

My rating:  3.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Ducks Don't Wear Socks

Ducks Don't Wear Socks

Written by John Nedwidek

Illustrated by Lee White

Publication date: 2008

Publisher: Viking Juvenile
ISBN: 978-0670061365

Summary/Back cover:

Emily is a serious girl. Duck is definitely not serious. Emily thinks a duck wearing socks is no laughing matter. She tries to explain this to duck in a serious manner, but he just won’t listen! Can Emily get duck to realize that ducks don’t wear socks (or ties, for that matter), or will Duck change Emily’s serious ways?

I borrowed this book from the library, soley because of the title. Ducks and socks are two of my son's favourite things at the moment so I thought he'd enjoy this one. It tells the story of Emily, a very serious little girl, and her encounters with Duck, who is not serious at all. Duck runs around wearing ties and socks (hence the title) and serious Emily thinks this is all very strange. Gradually, bit by bit, Emily loses her seriousness and starts to embrace the fun things in life with Duck's influence.

Very cute book, and I love the illustrations.

4 out of 5

Review written by Carrie

Review: Splish, Splash, Flappy Ducks

Splish, Splash, Flappy Ducks

Written by Ann Tobias

Illustrated by Dubravka Kolanovic

Publication Date: 2005
Publisher: The Five Mile Press
ISBN: 978-1-74124-911-8

Summary/Back cover:
The rain poured down.
"It's a beautiful day," said Mama Duck. "A perfect day for little ducklings to play outside."
But the little ducklings have other ideas about being outside in the wet and the rain... until the sun comes out!

This is a beautiful wee book, made just that little bit more special with fuzzy bits - all the pictures of ducks in the book are fuzzy to touch, which appeals to my 2 year old greatly. He'll touch the duck, then touch another part of the page and say "Fuzzy... smooth" - great sensory learning happening there!

The story follows three ducklings who are sent to play outside in the rain. The ducklings grumble for a while, and talk about why they don't like the rain (one of them sneezes, which causes a fit of fake-sneezes in our house), but finishes with the ducks happy that the sun comes out for them to play in.

This is a lovely wee book that says it is for ages 5 and up, but is very suitable to read babies and toddlers, too. It would be a great first-reader though, so I guess that's why it has those ages on it?

It gets a bit confusing talking about Fluffy, Flappy and Fancy duck with their fuzzy feathers if you read the book multiple times in a sitting, but beyond that, this is a very easy book to read aloud to small children.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn