Since I’ve started back at work we’ve been borrowing library books by the stacks. It’s just so easy – I quite literally take a few steps from my desk and I’m in the picture book section, and before you know it I’ve gathered six or seven books I can’t wait to share with my toddler. Here are a few books we returned to the library recently.
MONSTER CLOTHES – Daisy Hirst
I actually first heard about this one at a work meeting – we’re very, very lucky in that we often get staff from our selections department speaking at our librarian staff meetings, sharing some of their favourite new titles with us! This is such a cute little board book – a bunch of monsters need to get dressed, but monsters aren’t always very good at picking out what to wear. Sometimes they wear pajamas, and sometimes they wear cars. 🙂 A (as I shall now call my toddler) loved shouting out “EVERYTHING!” when we got to the last page. A short, simple, sweet little board book.
LET’S LOOK AT NUMBERS 1 2 3 – Marion Denchars
Of course a numbers book is going to be a hit, A has been obsessed with counting since he turned two. I was thinking that this might actually make a good starting point for a fun art activity, though. We did thumbprint art programs years ago, and they were always heaps of fun. You simply put out washable ink pads, paper and pens/pencils, and kids can use their fingerprints to create little characters and works of art. This would be a nice example to put out for kids, to give them an idea of what kinds of little creatures they can make, with just their fingerprints and a pencil!
ANIMAL COLORS – Nikolas Ilic
This is quite a clever little concept book. Each spread features two animals that are the same colour, while also introducing an animal sound. As an example: “This bear is black. Black like a panther that goes ROAR ROAR” and “A polar bear is white. White like a snowy owl that goes HOOT HOOT.” What a clever way to combine two concepts into one board book! I really appreciate the way this book is designed and executed, though to be honest I’m just not a huge fan of Ilic’s art style, his characters often come across feeling a bit more creepy and grungy than cute and endearing. But, that’s a personal preferences, and there’s no denying that this is an excellent concept book, and one that A asked for again and again and again.
THAT’S NOT MY BUS – Usborne touchy-feely books
What’s there to say that hasn’t already been said? A has started to grow out of these books, but he was still drawn to this one by his love for all this wheeled. There’s nothing new or special about it, but if you have a tiny bus fanatic, it’s still a cute one to borrow from the library.
Have a great, book-filled week, everyone!