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: The Scallywags Blow Their Top!

The Scallywags Blow Their Top!

Written and Illustrated by David Melling

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0-340-98816-9

Summary/Back cover:
Have you ever lost your temper?  The Scallywags are always in trouble for losing theirs.  But this time, the wolves finally meet their match...


Review:
Being the proud owner of a 2.5 year old who has learnt all about the art of tantruming, and is quickly learning how to boss his 8 month old brother around, this book came at an ideal time - the gist of the story is a bunch of wolves that argue with each other, but then end up being bossed around by a little sheep, and realise how unpleasant it is to others when they lose their temper.

This story had my son laughing, but then afterwards, we were able to talk about how it's not nice to be in a grump, and what we can do instead of having a tantrum in different situations.

If you're interested in buying a copy of this book, you can find it here at Fishpond.

My rating: 4 out of 5 - a good book, which my son really enjoyed over and over.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Spike's Best Nest

Spike's Best Nest

Written and Illustrated by Tony Maddox

Publication date: 1997
Publisher: Koala Books
ISBN: 0-86461-074-2

Summary/Back cover:
Spike wakes up one morning in a very grumpy mood. perhaps if he had a new nest he would feel more cheerful.

Wise Owl invites Spike to stay with him - but his hooting keeps Spike awake all night. Other animals offer to help. The green frogs even suggest he shares their lily pads. But there is something wrong with everywhere he stays.

Feeling cold and miserable, Spike finally realises which is the best nest for him...

Review:
This book instantly caught my attention as the illustrations are so cute! Spike the sparrow is adorable as is Wise Owl.

All the different animals appeals to my little one as he is a bit of an animal-nut and he delights in pointing out all the different types to me. This is a clear, straight forward tale about appreciating what you have, even if you have to go through all the other options first.

My rating: 3.7 out of 5

Review written by QTCass

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: Fizz the Fire Engine

Fizz the Fire Engine

Written and Illustrated by David Wojtowycz

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 1-84121-484-1


Summary/Back cover:
Emergency! A train is stuck in the tunnel . . . Fizz the fire engine wants to be a brave hero, but can he overcome his shyness to save the day? Full of noises, action and fun, this colourful first picture book is prefect for vehicle-crazy little ones.


Review:
This book immediately appealed to my two sons because of the content - a fire engine, complete with written sound effects!  It appealed to me before I'd even picked it up, due to being another Wojtowycz book - he's become a firm favourite in our household with adults and children alike.


The illustrations, it goes without saying, are just beautiful - vibrant colours, gorgeous animation of vehicles that will appeal to any child.  The storyline has a little 'moral' running through it, about how sometimes you need to overcome your shyness for the good of others.  My almost-3 year old hasn't picked up on this theme yet, as he's too busy waiting for the "Nee-nar, nee-nar, flash, flash flash!" lines in the book!


My rating: 4.5 out of 5 - definitely one to read your vehicle-mad preschool sons!


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Don't Worry Douglas!

Don't Worry Douglas!

Written and Illustrated by David Melling

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0-340-99981-3

Summary/Back cover:
Where do you go with a BIG worry?  Douglas knows he can count on Dad...

Review:
This is a gorgeous wee book about a bear who is given a new hat, and accidentally destroys it.  It is a perfect book for my almost-3 year old, as the moral of the story is that it's best to just own up and tell the truth - and it all turns out OK in the end.  As we read through this book the first time, my son was a bit worried about whether Douglas would be in trouble, but told me he should "get his Daddy to fix it" - and each time we've read the book since then, he shouts at Douglas on the 3rd or 4th page to "tell your Daddy to fix it!" - not quite the solution, but close enough for now!

This is a great book to read to preschoolers - the illustrations are lovely and clear, the text is perfect for littlies.  And I personally love the whole "you won't be in trouble if you tell the truth" moral that runs through the book.

My rating: 4.2 out of 5 - a definite keeper for our bookshelf.

If you'd like to purchase a copy of this book, you can find it here at Fishpond

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: The Penguin Who Wanted to Fly

The Penguin Who Wanted to Fly

Written and Illustrated by Catherine Vase

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Scholastic

ISBN: 0-439-84244-1

Flip-Flop is a little penguin with a big dream.  He wants to fly!  But even his snow plane can't give him wings.  Then he discovers that wishes can come true - sometimes in an unexpected way.

Penguins by nature a flightless, but that doesn't stop Flip-Flop from trying to fly.  After a few humourous attempts and help from his friend Polar Bear, Flip-Flop discovers that swimming is like flying and is something within his abilities.

Cute illustrations with scattered onomatopoeia makes for an interesting and fun read.

3.5/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: Toby's Flying Lesson

Toby's Flying Lesson

Written and Illustrated by Cyndy Szekeres

Publication date: 2000
Publisher: Little Simon
ISBN: 978-0-6898-2649-8


Summary/Back cover:
Meet Toby, a mouse who likes to sing and romp, read, and play. Every day is a new adventure as Toby discovers the many wonderful things about being a preschooler. Toby is curious, kind, and extra special -- just like you!


Review:
Book seven of eight that follow Toby mouse, all of the books have a moral to them, this one is that everyone has something that they can do well even if they can't do what others can. Lovely book aimed at 1-4 year olds


Review written by Laugan

Review: If Big can... I can

If Big can... I can

Written by Beth Shoshan

Illustrated by Petra Brown

Publication date: 2007

Publisher: Little Bee
ISBN: 978-1-84539-308-3

If Big can run...
then I can run.
If Big can jump...
then I can jump.

A delightful celebration of friendship from the author of 'That's When I'm Happy.'

A gorgeous book of a little koala who attempts everything his big bear friend does and is not always successful. He goes and does things that he can with his little stature but realises that Big can't join him. In the end, he comes to the conclusion that it is the most fun when they do things that they can both do together.

Cute illustrations and a simple writing style combine to make this book enjoyable to read. But in this household with a little brother who shadows his big brother's every move, it takes on a special meaning. Big has now been renamed for the big kid in our household and is often top of the pile of the ones big bro will happily read to his little buddy, a sight that always makes this mama happy.

5/5


Review written by QTCass

Review: The Cake That Little Bear Made

The Cake That Little Bear Made

Written by Mike Berry

Illustrated by Kate Leake

Publication date: 2009
Publisher: Caterpillar Books Ltd
ISBN: 978-1-84857-11-2


Summary/Back cover:
Little Bear made a wonderful cake-scrumptious and sweet with sprinkles on the top!
"Please can I have some?" chirped the bird.
Little bear shares his cake with the bird, the cat, the dog and the horse, but will he share it with greedy Big Bear?
A funny book about sharing with a sparkly, disappearing cake and a pop up surprise!


Review:
This is currently a favorite in the house-so much so Lara can recite the book.
There is many things I love about the book. There is rhyming (which makes for lots of fun), a cut out cake-that gets smaller through out the story, fun animals, and a huge pop out on the last page. 
Little Bear has baked a cake, but before he gets to eat it he shares with the cat, the bird, the dog, the horse and Big Bear. The story covers sharing, and very importantly-manners. 
I highly recommend this book :)


Review written by WellyMel

Review: Hey! What's that Nasty Whiff?

Hey! What's that Nasty Whiff?

Written by Julia Jarman

Illustrated by Garry Parsons

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Children's Books
ISBN: 978-1-407109-96-1

Summary/Back cover:
Helpful Hyena is tired of cleaning up everyone else's mess, so she takes a break. But when the poo starts to pile up, her friends soon realise that it's up to everybody to look after our planet...  And they all discover that anything is possible - with a little help from your friends!

Review:
The title of this book is what made me grab it off the library shelf, and it certainly made my 2.5 year old laugh - mostly because of the pictures of a hyena with a vacuum cleaner!  This book is aimed to make children learn the "pick up after yourself" message, but I'm not sure it completely hits that mark - I turned the final page, expecting there to be more story, and was disappointed to find that the story didn't really 'finish'.

However,despite that, the story is quite cute, and is written in a rhyming fashion.  A couple of quite funny verses that my son didn't get the rhyming humour of were:

"I finish up their dinners.
I sweep up all their crumbs.
We two care for Planet Earth
While they sit on their - "


"Tums," agreed Hyena


and...

Vulture said, "Let's go on strike,
Stop doing what we do.
They might appreciate us
When they start to smell the..."


"Rubbish?" said Hyena


Definitely worth a read if you find it at your local library, and great if you need to teach your children how to tidy up after themselves (because, frankly, what children don't need to learn that lesson?!)

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Plummet

Plummet

Written by Tony and Jan Payne

Illustrated by Emily Bolam

Publication date: 2004
Publisher: Orion Children's Books

ISBN: 1-84255-169-8

Summary/back cover:
A Flying Frog who can't fly? Whoever heard of such a thing?
Plummet has become just that - a frog who can't get airborne.  And it's making him very sad.  Until he meets a fabulous Flying Frog called Be-Bop.  Can she help Plummet to get off the ground?
The sky's the limit in this inspiring story of frogs, friendship and flying.

Review:
This is a sweet wee story, which effectively shows how strange some things are named - Flying Frogs that don't actually fly - so is a good way to introduce some other oddities in the English language to your toddler (clotheshorse, which isn't actually a horse; dust bunnies that aren't actually bunnies; etc). It also shows that we can sometimes do things, even if we think we can't, because we've been trying to achieve something different.

My 2.5 year old liked this story, but did immediately launch himself off the edge of his bed, in order to become a flying frog - so do watch out for that, if you have a suggestable child!

My rating - 4/5.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Snap

Snap

Written by Damian Harvey

Illustrated by Lucy Richards

Publication date: 2007
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-84362-865-1

Summary/back cover:
Snap might look different to all Mother Duck's other little ducklings, but she thinks he is just adorable!
Families come in all shapes and sizes. This beautiful book celebrates the love that makes every family special.

Review:
This is a gorgeous wee book about a Mother Duck that finds a crocodile (or alligator?) egg and adopts it as her own.  My 2.5 year old finds it highly amusing that I kept calling the crocodile a 'duck' through the story, but he agreed that Mother Duck loved the crocodile, and the crocodile loved the ducks back.

I love the message in the story - the other animals laugh at Snap, because he doesn't look like the rest of his family, but Mother Duck repeats a number of times, "Some ducklings are different, but to me they're all wonderful."

A gorgeous wee read, I rate this one 4.5/5


Review writteb by Bronwyn

Review: Hannah Bandanna's Hair

Hannah Bandanna's Hair

Written and Illustrated by Nikki Slade Robinson

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Scholastic New Zealand Limited

ISBN: 978-1-86943-962-0

Summary/Back cover:

Fruffled and Frizzled, teased and tizzled

Knotted and knitted, wholed and whizzled

A little girl battles with her hysterically hazardous hair, until Aunt Tallpoppy comes to the rescue.  Discover what happens to Hannah and her tremendous tresses.

Review:

I have two nieces who have near untameable hair - we call them our little Afropuffs.  When I spotted this book, I knew it would be perfect for them.  

Nikki Slade Robinson is a graduate of Wellington Polytech's Diploma of Visual Communication Design (Illustration) course, which is evident in these gorgeous illustrations, which is mostly drawn with a few still-life additions (Hannah's teddybear in particular).

Wildly imaginative adjectives (herbaceous hair!) combine with the illustrations to give Hannah's hair a life of its own.  As she becomes frustrated with it, her Aunt Tallpoppy steps in and shows her how to be proud of her bold, stand out in a crowd hair.  And here we find the lesson of learning to love what you have and to make it work for you.

This wonderful book will appeal to fans of the movie Tangled, bold hair or not, and parents will love the message it conveys. 

5/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: Corduroy

Corduroy
Written and illustrated by Don Freeman

Publication date: 1968
Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN: 0-14-050.173-8

Summary/Inside Cover:“’A winning, completely childlike picture book in which a stuffed bear waiting hopefully in a toy department finds a home with a little black girl who wants Corduroy so much that, when her mother refuses to buy him, she comes back the next day with her own money. Endearing, brightly colored pictures together with
the text affectionately recount Corduroy’s adventures.” – Booklist’

I first encountered this book when a friend lent me the second-hand copy she owned. The first time I read it to my sons I cried. I’m pretty sure that I welled up the second and third times, too. Thankfully, I can now get all the way through without my voice croaking. It was with a heavy heart, though, that I returned the book to my friend. My husband and I sadly resigned ourselves to the reality that we’d probably never find a copy of this book for ourselves, since it is so old.

I couldn’t believe my luck when one day, whilst in the bookstore on a different book-hunt, I saw Corduroy on the shelf! It was one of those moments when you take the book to the counter without a second of hesitation, gladly handing over your money because you’re just so pleased to have found something you thought you’d never possess.

Whilst the story never states outright that the little girl who falls for Corduroy is African American the illustrations do. I’m stoked to see a book of its generation featuring an African American main character and quietly commenting on race relations but not in a way that inappropriately addresses political issues in a
children’s story. It’s simply a beautiful tale of finding someone who loves you no matter what, just the way you are.

Corduroy is a delightful story, with lovely illustrations (my favourite is the one with his ears sticking out from under the bed covers). It is a classic that transcends time and even in 2011 every modern child I’ve known who has had this story read to them, loves it. I can’t recommend this book enough. Please, please find a copy and read it to your child ASAP.

5/5


Review written by team_s

Review: Too Tight, Benito

Too Tight, Benito
Written by Janeen Brian
Illustrated by Judith Rossell

Publication date: 2008
Publisher: Little Hare Books
ISBN: 978-1-921049-86-6

Summary/Back Cover:
“Benito Bear has grown too big for his old cubby-hole. But when he goes looking for a new one, the cubby-holes are too high, too tiny, too smelly or too wet.

When the right cubby-hole turns up… it’s not where Benito expects!

A heart-warming story about the classic search for the thing that was never lost, by award-winning author Janeen Brian and illustrator Judith Rossell.”

Reasons why I love this book:
#1: This is a soothing story for settling the children before their naps/sleeps;
#2: The final illustration has sleeping animals in it, which adds to its appeal as a bed-time story;
#3: It has a good moral. Not in a preachy way, but I have a pet peeve of stories that in some way condone cheating or other bad habits in order that the protagonist succeeds at the end;
#4: BEAUTIFUL illustrations;
#5: Although this is a beautiful story for reading any time of year, I particularly enjoy reading it around Autumn/Winter. Sometimes it can be tricky to find books that relate to the seasons, so I treasure this one for being set at a particular time of year. The illustrations in tones of brown, yellow and green evoke the change of season that is prompting Benito to hurry to find a new cubby-hole to bunk down in for the winter.

A lovely story that you’ll enjoy reading over and over and that your children will delight in hearing over and over.

5/5


Review written by team_s

Review: Some Dogs Do

Some Dogs Do

Written and Illustrated by Jez Alborough

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Candlewick
ISBN: 9781406310542

Summary/Back cover:
All dogs walk and jump and run, but dogs don't fly - it can't be done...
Or can it?

Review:
This is a book all about holding onto your dreams no matter how crazy they seem to others. Every time I read it, I feel a little bubble of hope and happiness in my chest. It is rhyming, beautifully illustrated and purely positive.

Rating - 4/5

Review written by LatteJunkie

Review: I Udderly Love You

I Udderly Love You

by Kate Toms

Publication date: 2009
Publisher: Ice Water Press

ISBN: 978-1-92171-821-2

Summary/Back cover:

"I love you so much that I think I may burst!"

A reassuring story about unconditional love, told with a bit of whimsy and illustrated with delightful characters.  You'll find the message utterly moo-ving!

As the name implies, this story has the cute gimmick of being told from the first person perspective, with that first person being a cow.  Where possible, words have been "cow-ified"; moo-sic, moo-vement, moo-dy. And combined with a rhyming text result in a playful and fun story. 

The illustrations are sewn-felt collage and are so gorgeous it never fails to make me rue the fact that I can't sew and won't be able create something similar for a child's quilt.  I'm a bit of a sucker for this style of illustration and am always on the lookout to add to the few that we have.

Nice quick, amusing read along with the lovely illustrations have this on high rotation in our household.

4.5/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: Clumsy Crab

Clumsy Crab 

Written and Illustrated by Ruth Galloway

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Koala Books
ISBN: 0-86461-515-9

Summary/Back cover:

Nipper hates his huge clumsy claws.  They're no use at all - they just get in the way.  He'd much rather have tickly tentacles like Octopus and Jellyfish or flippety fins like Turtle and the fish.  But one day when he's playing with his friends, Nipper finds his claws are very useful after all.

A gorgeous, bright book that tells the story of Nipper the crab who hates his claws but when he and his claws are the only ones that can help save one of his friends, he comes to appreciate his claws. 

The lovely moral of  'everyone has a special something', woven into this story, makes it a great story-time book for older children and the brightly coloured illustrations and flowing narrative along with the punches of onomatopoeia keep the little ones interested too.

Rating: 4/5

Review written by QTCass

Review: The Beginner's Bible

The Beginner's Bible

Timeless Children's Stories

By Zonderkidz

Illustrated by Kelly Pulley

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Mission City Press
ISBN: 978-0-310-70962-6

Summary/Back cover:
Introduce children to the stories and characters of the Bible with this best-loved Bible storybook. With vibrant art and compelling text, more than 900 Bible stories come to life. Kids aged 6 and under will enjoy the fun illustrations of Noah helping the elephant onto the ark, Jonah praying inside the fish, and more as they discover The Beginner's Bible just like millions of children before.

Both of my boys have been given one of these books by our church when they were baptised, and they are just the most beautiful wee bibles you've ever seen. The stories are selected and summarised to a children's level - for example:

"On the fifth day, God made swishy fish and squiggly creatures to live in the ocean. Then God made birds to fly across the sky."

Every page has a vibrant picture on it, related to the text, and it is a very easy book to read - although it is 508 pages long, it is a very quick book to read, and wouldn't take more than about half an hour, if you were to read front to back (although, the Bible is not intended to be read like that, so I've never read the whole lot to my boys at once - I just choose a selected story or two, and then talk about it more.)

My rating: 5 out of 5 - as far as a beginner's Bible goes, this is one of the best ones I've seen. Thoroughly recommended for those that want to find a Bible for their pre-schoolers.

Review written by Bronwyn