the budding bookworm

The Baby's Catalogue

2012-02-13T21:00:00.000Z

The Baby's Catalogue
Author/Illustrator - Janet & Allan Ahlberg
Published by - Puffin

Probably most people have already come across this delightful book. Since the first edition was published in 1982 it has become a classic that can be found on baby's bookshelves everywhere and it is featured on almost any list of books recommended for very young children.

From start to finish it captures life with young babies, mostly through the illustrations as there are very few words. It features five families beginning at 4am when three babies sleep, one is feeding, one crying and the last one peering from his cot ready for the day. At 7 a.m. one Dad brushes his teeth, another makes tea and a third changes a nappy. Meanwhile one Mum heads to work in her car, another is talking on the phone and another reading the newspaper. The day progresses through the book showing breakfast, dinner, tea, bath time and bedtime, and in between we glimpse siblings, toys, pushchairs, gardens and books.

Scarlett and I have enjoyed sharing this book since she was very young. On the surface of things it is really quite a simple book, but it is such fun looking at the pictures in detail, they are warm, gentle illustrations with real humour. I love the final picture, it's five past midnight and a bleary-eyed, pyjama-clad Dad is cradling a crying baby. Scarlett loves the 'accidents' page..especially the baby who has fallen into the toilet.

As there is no written story sharing the book is all about conversation, talking about what you see on the page. When she was younger Scarlett liked to match babies to high chairs, she talked about which baby would eat which breakfast or she would count things in the pictures. Now she likes to try to read some of the words herself, and still enjoys making up her own stories about what might be going on. Four years on she still picks it from the shelf really often; within it's familiar pages she finds comfort, laughter, questions and an excuse to talk to us about when she was a baby.

Here Comes Frankie!

2012-02-09T13:23:00.000Z

Here Comes Frankie!
Author/Illustrator - Tim Hopgood
Published by - Macmillan

In a very quiet house on a very quiet street called Ellington Avenue, lives a very quiet boy with his very quiet parents. Their cat Ella doesn't miaow, their dog Duke doesn't bark. Peace and quiet reign. Even the clock has 'lost its tick-tock'.

One day all this quiet gets to be too much for Frankie and he announces in a loud voice that he is going to learn to play the trumpet. Despite his parents efforts to dissuade him, Frankie comes home with his new instrument and after he manages to squeeze out his first squeaky note life is never the same.

Up to this point in Here comes Frankie the illustrations are mostly in muted colours, what Tim Hopgood describes as the 'quiet colours used in this book'. Colours shown on the front endpaper - murmur, hush blue, pin drop pink.

Frankie's first notes bring forth an array of vivid new colours and an amazing and exciting burst of energy. Not only can he and his parents hear the notes he plays, they can also see and smell them. They are synaesthetes. The first troubled notes bring with them pickled onions and dirty dishwater, but as he practices and gets better the colours and smells improve with the music, and a wonderful fruit cocktail of colour fills Ellington Avenue - strawberry, cherry, coconut and mint. The dog starts to bark, the cat starts to miaow and Frankie's parents start to dance.

Scarlett first brought this book home from the library when she was about 2 years old and despite being for children a little older than that, it was an immediate hit with her. The details she missed out on at the time didn't spoil her enjoyment and she has found more and more to enjoy with each visit. We have borrowed it time and again over the last two and a half years, she never tires of it. She enjoys finding the different flavours on the pages, it is easy to make her laugh when reading it aloud and the sheer exuberance of the illustrations in the latter part of the book is a feast for her eyes.

The mood change brought about by the music is tangible, shiny patches add to the vibrancy of the whole story, and the loud colours are gorgeous - Summertime Yellow, Quincy Tangerine, Nina and Courtney Lime. And the idea of being able to smell and see these sounds is wonderful. Music can bring such pleasure and joy, lighten a persons mood and this message comes across loud and clear. I love the jazz references throughout, which reflect Hopgood's own love of that musical genre. It feels as if every aspect of the book has been carefully mixed together, that inspired thought has gone into every detail.

Hopgood won the Best Emerging Illustrator Booktrust Early Years Award in 2008 for this book, and it is easy to why, it is very fresh in style and storyline.

As well as being great encouragement for any child wanting to learn to play a musical instrument, it's a reminder to parents that sometimes we get wrapped up in our own lives and forget to give our children the freedom to express themselves, make a bit of noise or pursue something they really want to do. Frankie's parents spend their time reading and doing crossword puzzles, whilst Frankie gets bored; once he's hooked up with his trumpet the whole family is given a new lease of life.

Yippee for this book, it's brilliant!

See Inside How Things Work

2012-02-06T20:46:00.000Z

See Inside How Things Work
Author - Conrad Mason
Illustrator - Colin King
Published by - Usborne

Colourful, detailed, fascinating and jammed-packed with information for curious minds, we love this series of Usborne books. Each book boasts numerous flaps to lift - in the case of How Things Work there are over 90. And each flap reveals the inside workings of anything from an enormous crane to an escalator, from a hovercraft to a water pistol.

Starting with the 'simple machines' that are used in the development of all the things that follow - a cog, a pulley, a wedge, a lever - this book helps me answer all the kinds of questions I usually flounder with.

There is way more textual information in here than a four year old can grasp, but the illustrations go a long way to explaining everything and Scarlett enjoys looking at the pictures, lifting the flaps and talking about the books with us. And the bright illustrations are humorous too, with the little characters busy on every page.

Movers and shakers includes cranes and a cement mixer, there are cars, bikes, aeroplanes, hot air balloons. All things watery include a toilet, a water slide and a tap. Musical instruments get their own section, and our current favourite is the bit on everyday inventions which includes a light bulb, a hair dryer, a zip, a corkscrew, a toaster and velcro.

Last week our four books from the series kept the family entertained - Grandad went under the ocean, Dad learned about planet Earth, Nanna brushed up on her engineering and Scarlett took a look around the body.

This Is London

2012-02-02T14:29:00.000Z

This Is London

Author/Illustrator - M. Sasek

Published by - Universe

We went on a trip to London last July, Scarlett's first visit to a big city. It was a wonderful weekend, literally full of wonder. From the moment we stepped onto the platform in Paddington Station where the Great Western Railway Band were playing to the last scurry through the London Underground passageways back to our homeward bound train just two days later Scarlett's senses were bombarded by things she had never before imagined.
Buildings so tall they touch the sky, underground trains whooshing between stations, an open air nightclub, Tower Bridge opening to let a boat pass under, fox cubs rummaging on wasteland at night, rows of bikes chained up, the sparkliest jewels ever, guards on horseback, buses and buses and more buses, fountains, flags, and so much more.

It was such an exciting, exhausting and enjoyable trip for all of us that we plan to make it an annual event.

In the meantime we love looking at this book which captures the essence of the city despite having first been published in 1959.

The author and illustrator Miroslav Sasek wrote a number of books on different cities and countries of the world, all with his distinctive style of amusing text and delightful illustrations. The first page of This is London features a greyish brownish greenish patch of not very much with the text "Well, this is London." beneath it. He goes on to explain this view of the city hidden in the murk of fog is only seen a couple of times a year. And the rest of the pages are infused with the richness, colour, history, and vibrancy of the city.

The book contains many useful facts about the history of London and the main sights and the quirks of it's inhabitants and although most of the facts are no longer accurate (a list in the back gives updated information) it doesn't spoil our enjoyment. Scarlett looks at the pages and remembers her weekend away and I look back and remember happy days living there.

Where is Strawberry Princess Moshi?

2012-01-30T11:41:00.000Z

Where is Strawberry Princess Moshi?
Published by Walker Books

Welcome to the world of Moshi Moshi Kawaii where there are hundreds of little Moshi characters going about the business of being cute and having fun.

I had never heard of these books until I spotted the bright cover on a shelf in the library last week. It looked suitably girlie for Scarlett who is very much into all things pretty at the moment.

There are several 'Where is...' Moshi titles including Where is Strawberry Moshi, Where is Strawberry Princess Moshi and Where is Strawberry Mermaid Moshi, and they have been described as Where's Wally for girls.

Each colourful page is covered with the cute little characters and the reader is invited to search for Starwberry Moshi, her two best friends Cinderella Moshi and Snow White Moshi, and then a whole host of other characters whilst following a very simple storyline.

At the end of the book the reader is offered yet more searching to do as there are additional threads of story woven through the book - mini stories being played out in the scenes which may well have been missed first time round. With all these extra layers of storytelling, new trinkets to seek out and special Moshi to find the books contain enough details to inspire hours and hours of fun.
Trinkets include things like the Moshi cello, Moshi baby bottle, and Moshi poop no less!

A great 'quiet time' book; after a tiring day at school Scarlett enjoyed going into her own Moshi world several afternoons last week. It is also a lovely book to share with a friend, inspiring all sorts of sweet discussions about which is your favourite, who can find this Moshi first, and giggles about goodness knows what (though probably the poop). And it's large format makes it easy for two friends to play together comfortably.

We've also had Moshi drawing games, copying from the book and creating our own. With Aloha Panda, Knight Moshi, Toadstool Neko, Hedgehog Moshi and Star Kuma all in here too there's lots of creative inspiration.

What to Look for in Winter

2012-01-24T21:04:00.000Z

What To Look For In Winter
Author - E. L. Grant Watson
Illustrator - C. F. Tunnicliffe, R.A.
Published by Wills & Hepworth

Originally published in 1959, our copy of this book must date from the 1970's. I retrieved it from our childhood bookshelves at my parent's house one day last week and Scarlett and I have been looking at the pictures over the last few days, planning on going for short walks to see if we can find some of the things in the pictures. With its companions - Spring, Summer and Autumn - these were favourite books of mine when I was younger and many of the pictures are as vivid in my minds eye as the scenes would be if I had really visited them, such was the amount of time I spent poring over the pages enjoying the details.
These rabbits and their snowy footprints amidst the trees were a particular favourite as were the four fallow deer standing proud in a bed of bluebells in What To Look For In Spring.

Charles Tunnicliffe's illustrations are filled with details of wildlife and habitats depicted naturally which makes them perfect for using as spotters guides.They are an ideal companion on a walk.

The text, by Grant Watson, is packed with information but reads easily and describes the scene on the parallel page so a four year old can absorb the information from the picture whilst listening to the story.

For nature lovers like us these four books capture the seasonal habits of wildlife and the human activities associated with rural life and it is because of books like these that Ladybird Books will always have a special place in my heart. We live in a rural area and these scenes play out all around us day by day, for children who live in urban areas they depict an entirely different way of life, all children can enjoy the delights of nature through these books.

In the years that have past since the books were first published much has changed, but on the surface at least, the scenes are still the same and in that respect the books still hold up today.

Faster Faster Little Red Train

2012-01-23T14:25:00.000Z

Faster Faster Little Red Train
Author/Illustrator - Benedict Blathwayt
Published by Red Fox

When Scarlett was two and a half we went to Perrygrove, one of Britain's Great Little Railways. Our neighbours - steam train fanatics - heard how much fun she had there and bought her the book Faster Faster Little Red Train shortly afterwards.

It is one of a series of stories about the Little Red Train by Benedict Blathwayt. In this tale the fast train to Pebblecombe has broken down and Duffy the driver is called upon to take passengers on the Little Red Train instead. The journey takes them through villages, towns and countryside, stopping at stations along the way where more passengers board. Everyone is in a hurry as they are all heading to the fair at Pebblecombe and at first no one is especially pleased to see the little steam train arriving at the platform to pick them up. Will the Little Red Train get them to Pebblecombe quickly enough?

The illustrations have lots of detail in them so alongside the story there is plenty to fire the imagination. And the text includes train noises...
Chuff-chuff chuff-chuff, whoo...eee
Chuff chuff, chuffity chuff
Click-clack, clickety clack
..which immediately inspired lots of word play here. Not long after hearing the story for the first time Scarlett finished eating her lunch and proudly announced she'd had "enough-nuff nuffity nuff".
Any book that inspires that kind of fun gets my vote.

Two years on and the books are still a favourite. Last night's bedtime routine included Race to the Finish, in which the Little Red Train is faced with competition from the Swish new high speed train. The two compete for the route to Barnacle Bay in a race, the first to get there wins the route, and the driver of the Swish train is willing to do anything to make sure they win.

Busy Day has maps and cut away pictures of the workings of a steam train, a railway station and a post office and the story is of Duffy's busy day firing up the train, collecting passengers and mail, delivering livestock and construction materials and setting the passengers down at the seaside station. It is great for young children interested in how things work and who love trains, diggers and tractors as there are plenty in here.

Fantastic Daisy Artichoke

2012-01-16T19:30:00.000Z

Fantastic Daisy Artichoke
Author/Illustrator - Quentin Blake
Published by Red Fox

A group of us were recently talking about strong female role models or central characters in books for young children. One friend felt she wanted to find some feisty characters to counteract the fairy tale princesses that her daughter has fallen in love with recently. We came up with this one for starters.

Fantastic Daisy Artichoke by Quentin Blake is a funny story about a quirky woman who becomes friends with two children.

Blake's illustrations are lively, colourful, full of movement. They look as if they were drawn in a flash, a quick scribble here and a splash of paint there, yet they convey such humour and detail and warmth. And it's the same with the text - so few words create a funny story, great to read aloud, a perfect introduction to rhyme.

Daisy is 'not like other folk' with her unusual hobbies and pets and that is what makes her such a brilliant friend to have. She's full of life and energy and just likes to do her own thing. And she looks great too, big smile, long pig-tails, choker round her neck. She introduces the children to her fat cats, her croaking raven, her sleepy pig. She rides her bike with them, lies in the pond, leads them on walks, drinks tea with them.

Daisy is a great female role model, full of energy, happy to be herself and she captivates the children with her jokes, cartwheels and banjo playing. We are captivated by her too, she's fantastic.

Out and About

2012-01-09T09:16:00.000Z

Out and About Through the Year
Author/Illustrator - Shirley Hughes
Published by Walker Books

I'm starting with one of our all time favourites, Out and About. A timeless book filled with ordinary everyday adventures that we have enjoyed together since Scarlett was about 18 months old. Capturing the essence of a happy childhood in pictures and words and so creating a book which both delights Scarlett and takes me back to my childhood at the same time, this is a real gem of a book.

'Out and About' is by Shirley Hughes. It is one of series of books about a small girl, Katie, and her baby brother, Olly. The books depict every day life; within the beautiful illustrations are walks in the park, trips to the shop, car washing, letters being posted. The details reveal Hughes amazing talent for observing children and drawing what she sees - a child on tip-toes at the market stretching to get a better look at the fruit and veg, a group of children gathered around a pile of conkers in the park, a baby brother imitating his big sister.

On the Penguin website there is the following quote from Shirley Hughes, "I want children, however tiny they are, and wherever they live, to use their eyes, to look out and see that it is ravishingly beautiful out there." Scarlett is an observant girl with a curiosity for the world around her and I think that's why she delights in this book and the other Katie and Olly stories we've come across so far. Inside the pages are snapshots from her day to day life and even from early on she could look at the pictures and recognise the familiar scenes and see herself in the pictures - splashing in muddy puddles, sharing a paddling pool with friends, building sandcastles and watching bonfires.

'Out and About' celebrates the seasons and our ways of marking them, and shows off the British weather with all it's variations. Come rain or shine there is beauty in the little details of life. There's an old-fashioned quality to the book, it is traditional and I guess that's why I like it so much. It's nostalgic - there aren't many cars on the roads, no-one is talking on their mobile phone, the children watch the rain running down the window pane and enjoy other simple things. It reveals a slice of quiet English life without any hubbub, a little idyllic nice place to escape to.

Scarlett has gained so much pleasure from looking at the illustrations and hearing the poems over the last couple of years that I suspect this is a book which may well remain a favourite into adult life. This is a children's book which can be read from beginning to end or just dipped into; often we have searched the pages for little details in the illustrations and not read any of the words. And when we have read the poems they are very simple and offer a good introduction to lyrical writing which older children may enjoy copying as they begin to write poetry themselves.

We borrowed a copy from the local library several times before buying our own copy in a charity shop. Unfortunately availability appears to be limited to the secondhand market at the moment, although I had no difficulty tracking a copy down.

Whilst writing this I came across this website, 'Art of Illustration', where artwork depicting the human character by various illustrators including Shirley Hughes can be purchased.

start

2012-01-02T14:08:00.000Z

This is a blog about books, mostly the ones we like. Old ones, new ones, Scarlett's favourites & some gems from my own childhood. Many have been on our shelves since Scarlett was born and are books we return to time and again, and just as many are ones we have discovered in the library.

The blog will follow our whims and wishes, our thoughts on the books as Scarlett discovers them, and the list will grow as our budding bookworm does so don't expect to find anything for older children here for a few years! I wrote some of the reviews a couple of years ago when this blog appeared in a different form, so some of the books will be from the early days and so ideal for babies and toddlers.

Our budding bookworm is four years old now, she goes to school and is learning to read for herself. Her Dad and I are grown up bookworms who met whilst working in a bookshop. Our house has bookshelves filled to the brim, I write for a living, all of us read every day. We hope Scarlett will always love books. So far, so good.

Before becoming a Mum I worked in a bookshop for fourteen years. At the heart of bookselling is the pleasure of matching the customer to the book, helping them choose something they will enjoy, recommend to others, treasure for ever. There are so many books available for children I hope what I write here might help at least a few people find something their children will enjoy reading.

The best thing for me would be for others to join in, add your thoughts on the books we choose and suggest other titles to us.

Happy reading!