Master C is a logical thinker. With him the "why?" stage never quite ended, as he just kept asking why questions, but as his understanding of right world around him developed it just meant that the questions developed too. Now that he's five the questions keep coming thick and fast, but they are now punctuated by him thinking in incredibly detail about things and they are often very, very specific questions. There's absolutely no doubt that it's a wonderful skill for him to have, but as a parent at times it can be so incredibly frustrating when all you want to do is get out of the house on ... read more
Paddington Pop-Up London
There's really not long to go now until Paddington 2 opens in cinemas here in the UK and I'm thrilled that other people can finally see the film as I absolutely loved it. I've already written all about what I thought of it, but there's another special part of the story to tell you about - Paddington Pop-Up London. Just as soon as you've seen Paddington 2 you'll understand why Paddington Pop-Up London is such a key part of the film. I don't want to give away any major spoilers, but the Pop-Up is basically the reason Paddington ends up going to prison. It's a beautiful book that shows off ... read more
The Twelve Dogs of Christmas – Alison Ritchie and Marisa Morea
Christmas picture books are arriving on my doorstep on an almost daily basis right now, with The Twelve Dogs of Christmas one of the most recent, and I'm actually really enjoying starting to get into the Christmas spirit. Master C has already asked how many sleeps there are until Christmas and, for now, seems satisfied with my answer, so I just have to hope that the requests to put up the Christmas tree don't start just yet! The Twelve Dogs of Christmas is a lovely little tale about a puppy's excitement in the lead up to his first Christmas. The lovely rhyming text makes it the perfect sort ... read more
Evil Pea Rules! Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
It feels a bit weird to think that when I first discovered Sue Hendra Little Miss C was tiny and only just starting to discover picture books, yet now here I am enjoying her books with Master C as he comes to the end of his first half term at "proper school". Where has time gone? Sue Hendra still delights me as much as it does him though, and I still love sharing picture books like hers with the kids. Supertato has become a bit of a star in our household and when I opened up the package containing Evil Pea Rules! there was a shriek of delight from both kids. In this latest book Evil Pea ... read more
Maurice the Unbeastly – Amy Dixon
When you think of a beast, what do you imagine? Probably some ugly creature who roars and stomps around, creating havoc wherever he goes. Maurice could not be further from that image if he tried. Maurice instead is gentle and kind. Sings beautifully and looks incredibly photogenic in pictures. He's also a big fan of organic snacks. Maurice's parents are worried that he needs to learn to be less civilised and so enrol him at the Abominable Academy for Brutish Beasts where they try to teach him to behave improperly. Will they succeed though? Or will they see that being different can be a good ... read more
Bedtime stories with The Book People and WIN a bundle of picture books
When I first discovered I was pregnant with Little Miss C one of the things I really looked forward to was being able to snuggle up and share bedtime stories with a little one. I've always loved books, and remember loving them as a child too and so wanted to share that with a child of my own. That happened and I'm delighted to say that LMC now loves books and reading about as much as I did when I was a child. It was wonderful seeing how in awe she was to meet Jacqueline Wilson recently and made me so happy to see her getting that pleasure from meeting an author. Little Miss C may now be 7 ... read more
Say Zoop! – Herve Tullet
As I'm sure regular readers know, one of my hobbies is collecting vintage children's books. There are so, so many things I love about them, but at the same time I also celebrate just how much children's books have moved on since my childhood. Back then books were just stories or factual. If your parents read you a bedtime story it was usually quite a old fashioned thing where they read and you listened. There were a few noticeable exceptions and I always remember the story my mum tells me about reading Wind in the Willows and how that book taught her about the sound of words. The use of ... read more
Hetty Feather at the Foundling Museum
It's hard to remember a time when Little Miss C wasn't a bookworm. Even as a baby she loved being read to, and then since she learnt to read independently (sometime in Year One at school) there's been no stopping her. Her bedroom is full of books. As is her bed. I struggle to understand how she manages to get a decent night's sleep as she's usually got her head next to a pile of books with others all around her and under the duvet and her pillow. As someone who loves a good book myself, it's something that I'll happily support and encourage as I clearly remember how much pleasure I used to get ... read more
South – Daniel Duncan
Last week saw me venture into that there London for the launch of a new picture book - South, by Daniel Duncan. Now, nearly seven years into this parenting journey I think I'm a bit of an expert when it comes to children's picture books. Across Little Miss C and Master C's bedtime stories, I must have read hundreds of picture books together. Some of them have been good. Some of them have been bad. Occasionally you'll get one that totally stops you in your tracks, and that's exactly what happened when I first read South last week. It's so hard to put my finger on exactly what it is with ... read more
My New Room – Lisa Stickley
I was rather excited to see a new book from Lisa Stickley arrive for us to review last week. We met Edith in her last book, Handstand, and she appears again in My New Room. Designer Lisa Stickley has a style that has already become instantly recognisable here and as soon as Little Miss C saw My New Room she went looking for our copy of Handstand to put with it on her bookcase. In My New Room, much as the title suggests, it is time for Edith to move into a new bedroom with a "Big Bed". It's a step that many children go through, and sometimes it can be a bit of a scary one, especially if the ... read more