I have three books to show you today which don’t have a lot in common beyond the fact that I think each of them would make an amazing gift – they’re all beautiful hardbacks that feel really special, and slightly outside the ordinary for kids’ books. All three of these were sent to me free of charge by the publishers, but that doesn’t affect my opinions: I genuinely think they’re all lovely!
We’re in the full flush of spring now, and if you’re looking forward to getting outside more often, I have a great selection of picture and board books that have a focus on nature, whether that’s the plants you might grow or the creatures you might discover. All of these were sent to me free of charge, but my opinions are my own as always.
It’s tentatively starting to look like spring here and I’m so happy to see some sunshine! Today I’ve got a selection of board books that felt really spring-like to me, full of baby animals and outdoor activities. All of these books were sent to me free of charge by the publishers, but all opinions are my own. Let’s get to it!
This week on Kitten Corner I wanted to take a look at some of the calmer, more gentle picture books that have come out recently. All of these books were sent to me free of charge by Little Tiger, but all opinions are my own, as always.
Bea Black returns for more funny, sweet witch school adventures!
With the very first hints of spring appearing, what better time is there to look at books that tempt you to get outside and explore nature?
All of these books were sent to me free of charge by Little Tiger, but that doesn’t affect my opinions. Let’s get started!
Toddler Take-Along: Nature, My Outdoor Adventure by Becky Davies and Ana Zaja Petrak
This is such a sweet idea: a book with soft handles, so kids can carry it out with them on a walk and identify the things they see! I do think that perhaps photographs rather than illustrations might have been more useful on a practical level for recognition, but the artwork is adorable and nicely stylised, so you can point out similarities easily. Each page has a category like ‘bugs’ or ‘the sky’ with several things to spot – I can see this being a big hit on walks for us when it’s warm enough to spend some time exploring!
Hello Frog and Hello Bee by Sophie Ledesma and Isabel Otter
These sweet interactive books are full of colour and tempting flaps, textures and cut-outs to hold the attention. You can follow Frog and Bee around their habitats and say hello to all the animals, plants and insects they encounter under lots of different flaps, then everything is rounded up in a really nice, easy-to-read gallery spread at the end. I really enjoyed the whimsical touches – spiders in hats! ant bedrooms! – and the bright, blocky artwork. Lovely for fans of the Peekaboo and What Can You See? series.
Above and Below: Dusk till Dawn by Harriet Evans and Nic Jones
I loved the previous book in this series that I reviewed, Sea and Shore, and Dusk Till Dawn is just as lovely. This time, the split-page landscapes showcase all kinds of different habitats, from the Arctic tundra to the savannah, and all the nocturnal creatures who live there. This is a delicate book, with the split pages just made of regular paper, so it’s one for more careful kids, and the language is also more aimed at an older reader, though the chunks of text are small enough not to be scary. I love the detailed artwork and the calm natural colours – this is a book to pore over to spot everything.
This week I want to share with you three funny and sweet picture books featuring animals. All of these were sent to me free of charge, but as usual all opinions are my own.
It still seems very early to me to be talking about Christmas, but since you have to be prepared, here’s a selection of adorable new festive reads for little ones! All these books were sent to me free of charge, but opinions are my own.
I Love You More Than Christmas by Ellie Hattie and Tim Warnes, from Little Tiger Books
This picture book is adorable! I really love the way these bears are drawn – they have such kind faces and feel so full of love. They kind of remind me of Bear in the Big Blue House, but I might be dating myself with that reference! This is a sweet book full of the chaotic joy of Christmas – so much to be done and made, so many people to see – with a clear message that what matters the most in all of these things is who you celebrate with. There’s a mixture of rhyming text and plain prose, which sounds odd but works really nicely in context for reading aloud. And bonus points for not giving Little Bear a gender on page, which makes this easy for a kid to see themself in. Between the warm, cozy artwork and the cute family feel, I think this one will easily be a favourite for years to come.
Is It Christmas Yet? by Jane Chapman
Ted can’t wait for it to be Christmas, but there’s so much to do beforehand! This sounds similar to the previous book, with bears doing a whole host of Christmas activities, but it’s got a more humorous slant than a cosy one, with lots of things going wrong – Big Bear will ring very true with stressed out parents whose festive to-do lists are miles long! I was surprised to find that this actually has a lot of text for a board book – it’s more like a sturdier, smaller picture book than a book for really tiny ones, so it packs a lot into its small size. The illustrations are sweet and funny, and overall this is a very cute read.
Nibbles: Christmas by Emma Yarlett
This is my first time coming across Nibbles, but I’m thoroughly charmed and will definitely be looking up the other books in the series. This is a board book that makes great use of flaps and cutouts to get kids to interact with Nibbles the Book Eating Monster – you might not be able to tell at first, but he’s chomped a hole through every page of the book (even the back cover!). The story is told in a clever counting rhyme that had me smiling, and I can’t resist Nibbles’ cheeky little face. It’s great fun!
I never know how to categorise books aimed at newly confident readers – these aren’t quite as long as most chapter books, but they still have plenty of fun text to sink your teeth into, with full illustrations that keep the comfortable picture book feel and offer just as much as the words. Whatever you call this age range, here are two gorgeous new books that are full of magic and fun. Both were sent to me free of charge by Little Tiger Books, but my opinions are my own!
A Cat, A Book, and A Cup of Tea 