Today on Kitten Corner I thought I’d round up for you some of our recent board book reads that have an animal theme! All of these were sent to me free of charge, but that doesn’t affect my opinions.
Kitten Corner: Super Cute Animal Books
Tag: nosy crow
Kitten Corner: Gorgeous Gift Books
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!
Kitten Corner: A Cornucopia of Nature Books
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.
Kitten Corner: Funny Animal Picture Books
Kitten Corner: Spring-y Board Books
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!
Kitten Corner: Three Chapter Books
I have a real soft spot for chapter books – they have a mix of sweetness and exuberance that I find very endearing. These three books don’t have much in common beyond their genre – two are aimed at the younger end of the bracket and one a little older; one is fantastical, one contemporary, and one a whimsical mix of the two – but all three have that particular loveliness that makes them perfect for newly confident readers.
Kitten Corner: Snowy Board Books
It’s the last Kitten Corner post before Christmas, so what better time to show you these lovely wintry reads for little ones?
All three of these were sent to me free of charge by Nosy Crow, but all opinions are my own!
Snow Still by Holly Surplice is a really beautiful book. The words are deceptively simple: three rhyming quartets with only two words on each page (“Snow white/snow slide/snow chase/snow hide”) mean that the focus stays firmly on the beautiful artwork, while creating a really gentle, calming poem. The illustration style is lovely, and really captures the soft crunch of snow underfoot – it’s cosy but also cold, and very pretty. I loved how plants were used to frame the animals in each scene, too – it gives a very woodsy feel to the whole book. This would be a nice bedtime read, as it’s very gentle.
Animal Families: Snow by Jane Ormes is a little more upbeat in its style, with bold, quirkily-drawn animals taking centre stage. Each spread gives you the names of a male, female, and baby animal from a snowy region – the baby is hidden behind a shaped flap for you to discover. The final spread has lovely big flaps that reveal the collective nouns for each animal. The flaps are just made of the same thin card as the pages, so this might be one better suited to older toddlers who can be gentle with them; equally, the language and concept will suit a slightly older kid. I will probably put this one away safely to be better appreciated next winter, but I really love it!
And finally, a bit of Christmas cheer with Sing Along With Me: Jingle Bells illustrated by Yu-Hsuan Huang! This is a sweet version of the well-known song: there are two lines of the chorus on each page and a nice big slider to play with. The art features very cute animals going about their Christmas business, and the whole thing feels very festive. My only complaint is that it’s a little impractical to actually use the book to sing-along, because you’d have to sing it impossibly slowly to keep pace with a kid who wants to look at all the details and slide the sliders! But if you just want to read it aloud, then that would work very well.
Review: A Secret in Time by Sally Nicholls
The Pilgrim siblings are back for another adventure – and this time the mirror takes them to 1947!
Kitten Corner: Great Gift Books
With Christmas looming, I thought it was a good time to show you some beautiful, large-format books that would make great gifts, if you’re still in need of last-minute ideas! All of these books were sent to me free of charge, but as always, my opinions are my own – and I recommend all three!
Kitten Corner: Bears and Birds!
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.
A Cat, A Book, and A Cup of Tea 