Gift ideas for younger readers this Christmas (Part One)
Room on the Broom : A Lift-the-Flap Book
I never thought it possible for any of the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books to get any better, yet they do with each year that passes through the new formats they are released in (the Queen Mary Dolls House edition of The Gruffalo being one), and here is the latest example; it’s a lift-the-flap edition!
As the cover suggests this version is based on the full story – which is available in paperback and hardback – with all the things that the Witch at the heart of the adventure loses awaiting being found behind flaps, from her hat to her wand to her bow. The repetition of the words “The witch has lost her” at the start of each unfolding two page spread it allows little ones to not only learn the text themselves but also helps to indicate a new object being missing and awaiting their help to be found. This interactive aspect to this book makes it so much fun for readers of all ages – I am in my 40s!
The final scene in this gorgeous book includes a stunning fold out with a pop-out in its design, ensuring this book stays fabulous through to the very end. It is going to be hugely popular with little ones, makes for a fab way to introduce Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler books to babies and toddlers.
Witchicorn
Yet another title perfect for the time of year, and Witch themed again no less, but this has a different spin to it because its a Witchicorn! In a battle of good versus evil like you’ve never seen, two neighbouring towns have a rivalry that has having a witch at its core, and Dankley Ditch is seeking their own resident witch in a desperate attempt to thwart the threats of the witch from yonder. When what arrives to take up dwellings in the cottage set up for the new witch is actually a Witchicorn – and she is the polar opposite of everything we know of witchs, and has wholesome intent with her magic instead. This outside of the box behaviour does not bode well with the locals, and Witchicorn finds herself ejected!
When Nasty Nell from neighbouring Crinkly Crag arrives in the town and starts to behave awfully toward the people there it is Witchicorn who overlooks being made to feel so unwelcome and comes to their aid, and obviously does so in nothing but a wholesome way. Good literally does overcome evil in the most magical ways, with Witchicorn attempting to thwart Nell with a cuddle spell, which fails, but still has success at its core when the locals start to come out from the safety of their homes one by one, until their is enough people to form a huddle around the overpowered Witchicorn, and this show of strength is enough to see Nasty Nell depart. The locals see they were wrong to exclude Witchicorn for being different, or different to their preconceptions atleast, and they beg her to stay – and she does!
With rhyming sentences throughout, that give a flow to the unfolding story, and beautiful illustrations that feature every colour possible, this is such a fantastic addition to anyones library, especially if they are fans of unicorns, witch’s, and magic. It is also the perfect choice book if you are looking for a LOL book full of wholesomeness.
The World Within Me
- Published by Little Tiger
This book resonates with me on so many levels, and I had to share it as one I recommend on here too. With a little girl at the heart of the story, who expresses feelings in the most beautiful ways using tangible examples and the flow of the book also helps bring the feelings to life too.
Some days I am as shy as the sunrise,
the golden glow above the mountains.
The book also features gorgeous cut outs in the pages, as indicated with the heart in the cover design, and these not only draw your attention to the illustrative content within the book, which is stunning by the way, but also add an element of curiosity as to what we will find on the next page whilst admiring that which we see on the page we find ourselves on.
The range of emotions and feelings depicted in this book, along with the vastness of examples used to help little ones comprehension as to the descriptions included is what makes this book excel as a title to enjoy with little ones. It does belong in bedrooms, family bookcases, and school classrooms too. It is a stunning book through and through and one that deserves to be cherished for years to come.
My Thoughts and Me
- Published by Little Tiger
Following on from feelings, this book is about thoughts – which impact on our feelings and behaviours too. Thoughts we have can often be so confusing, and even embarrassing to share at times, so getting a better understanding of them from an early age can not only help little ones to be able to cope better but also ensure they feel comfortable and confident sharing them in good times and bad too – which helps avoid them being overwhelmed.
Like I said, good and bad are included in the examples inside this book – necessary in order to give balance to a crucial subject matter, and they are each depicted perfectly in stunning illustrations to help little ones visualise the content being referenced, with darker colours used for the bad compared to the lighter/better thoughts we have. This book is so valuable to little ones as we nurture them to their core through the most important years developmentally.
Bear’s Nap
When I see Emily Gravett’s name on a book I immediately know it will be incredible, and this book is no exception. Not only is it stunningly illustrated by her throughout, in a traditional style, and she is one incredible illustrator that is for sure, but the story told through text is one that I found highly relatable; perhaps we all can at times.
We are met with a Bear who is trying to sleep in his bed inside his cave, and yet is being disturbed by the distinct sound of a cheep-cheep, and he does in search of the culprit. One by one animal he finds nearby is eliminated as the cause of Bear being unable to sleep, as they make a different sound, but once Bear has heard the noise of each individual he comes across and seeks out he cannot not hear them from then on whilst attempting to get off to sleep, and each time he still hears that cheep-cheep. So the search continues.
When Bear does eventually find the little yellow bird responsible he scares it and all the other animals into silence, and yet now that quiet has decended upon Bear’s ears he still cannot sleep, and so a compromise is made – which includes that little yellow bird, who assists perfectly in getting Bear off to sleep. I love how the story goes full circle, and how well this book depicts the need for a quiet calm environment in order to sleep whilst we balance it with even some sort of minimal background noise – the sound of a ticking clock is one that a lot of us are familiar with.
I love this book, and the combination of an awesome story with a relevance at its core featuring alongside beautiful illustrations is what makes this the perfect read at bedtime with little ones.
The Bestest BIG Brother, EVER
- Published by Walker Books
I never grew up to have a big brother that was the sort that so many refer to having, where they grew up forming an unbreakable bond with one another, but I do have two sons that I have watched go through exactly that, through the manner depicted within this fantastic picture book, and when I gave my youngest son (16yr old) an abbreviated view of this book he agreed that this is him and his older brother to a t!
Nano loves his older brother and it is apparent from the off set that he looks up to him, admires him, copies him, and wants to be like him completely and utterly. We get many examples of their activities and interactions, including secret code, and it is apparent how much Nano loves having an older brother. What we come to learn however is that his older brother Felix is fed up with having his little brother tagging along, interrupting, and spoiling activities (in his eyes at least), and so Felix creates some division – which breaks little Nano’s heart.
Determined to prove he doesn’t need his brother, Nano goes off to create his own den area, somewhere he was denied by his brother, and when it all goes wrong Nano returns to his bedroom disheartened. Felix then arrives and takes Nano off to show him something he has created for his little brother, and Nano absolutely loves it. A den of his very own that is outside in the rain where Nano was trying to enjoy, and the icing on the cake is when Felix asks to be
A Treasury of Songs
Going full circle, back to the incredible world of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, this newly published compilation format book is a treasure trove of 26 original Julia Donaldson songs to “read,sing and enjoy” and there is also a QR code inside the book that offers readers the ability to hear Julia sing the songs aloud too. What an absolute amazing variety of awesomeness all inside the one book – WOW!
The songs included inside are for the most part based on the classic titles we have come to know the legendary pairing of Julia and Axel, but to my absolute delight there are also some based on Aesop’s Fables. This delights me because my earliest memories of reading for pleasure are solely based around a glorious selection of Aesop’s Fables that my nanny gifted us in a book that to this day I still envision and think of fondly and frequently. The Hare and The Tortoise is one such example included in A Treasury of Songs, which is an all time favourite fable of so many of us.
Each and every one of these 26 songs are gloriously illustrated in the style that Axel Scheffler is now notorious for, and once again his attention to detail in his design is flawless, and the combination of the new content from the author and illustrator pairing that we all go to for modern classics for little ones, gifting The Gruffalo to a new baby or expecting parents seems logical to all of us, and knowing that many of the titles Julia has written are available in animated videos for little ones to see their favourite characters from her books be brought to life on the screen in 3D makes owning this treasury feel like holding an absolutely priceless, and highly polished, gem in your hands. Literally.
This would make such a beautiful gift for fans of The Gruffalo, The Stick Man, The Snail and the Whale, and any of the other Julia Donalson/Axel Scheffler books, but also makes for the perfect introduction to those books and characters too. A cast of characters and adventures awaits, and it is very much a not to be missed title thats for sure.