Before I start a new year of blogging I’m taking my annual look back at Story Snug’s most viewed blogposts in 2020. It was a quieter year on the blog as homeschooling and lockdown made other demands on my time but Story Snug still had several visitors – thank you to all those of you who invited us to be part of your blog tours, answered our interview questions and also to H. S. Norup for naming me in the acknowledgements for her newest book, The Hungry Ghost. I was so excited and surprised when I saw that!
Many of the most popular posts this year appeared on last year’s list, the most viewed post is still a ‘learning activities’ post which includes arts, crafts and science activities that I linked to picture books when I first started teaching. My daughter and I recreated many of the activities before she started school and I still miss those crafty days!
Several of the most viewed books are classic stories that I read to Reception / Year One classes when I first started teaching. It seems that many old favourites are still being bought, read and enjoyed by newer generations.
So here you go – Story Snug’s most viewed blogposts in 2020 in reverse order…
#10 A CHILDREN’S BOOK OF MINDFULNESS ‘happy’ by Nicola Edwards & Katie Hickey
This beautifully illustrated introduction to mindfulness shows children how they can connect to the world around them. Although this is a picture book its simple rhyming text and fabulous illustrations have a calming effect on readers of all ages.
#9 Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper
Pumpkin Soup is a delicious story about the relationship between three friends who make soup together. They live happily together in an old white cabin in the woods and in the evenings they make music and sing. Life is peaceful and orderly until Duck makes an ‘outrageous’ suggestion!
#8 Learning with Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Room on the Broom is one of my daughter’s favourite Julia Donaldson / Axel Scheffler stories. As well as witch, cat, dog, frog and bird crafts there are many other learning activities that can be inspired by the book. We had a great time crafting, experimenting, painting and baking to prepare this post.
#7 Oliver and the Seawigs by Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
This amusing, action packed, first chapter book includes Rambling Isles, shipwrecks, sarcastic seaweed and nasty villains. It’s a great story for children starting to enjoy chapter books and for beginner readers who are looking for a more challenging read than a picture book. Lots of original action moves the story along at a fantastic pace and the characters’ ingenious thinking gets them out of some tight spots and brings the story to a very satisfying end.
#6 Prince Cinders by Babette Cole
This is a hilarious retelling of the Cinderella story with three male protagonists and a dirty fairy. Prince Cinders has been a popular blogpost this year and has crept up our list, last year it was at number ten.
#5 The Colour Monster by Anna Lllenas
The Colour Monster is a wonderful story about a little girl who helps a mixed up monster understand the emotions that different colours make him feel. We also enjoyed reading The Colour Monster goes to School which was published this year.
#4 The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me by Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake
We’ve reviewed several of Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake’s stories but this story about a team of window cleaners is the only one of theirs that appears on our top ten list. It’s been the most viewed weekly blogpost many times during 2019. One of our favourite preschool crafts was making giraffes using our own footprints.
#3 How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers
It was interesting reading How to Catch a Star with my daughter and her friend when they were younger. Both had very different interpretations of the ending! How to Catch a Star was one of the first picture books that I recommended on Story Snug and the post is still read on a regular basis.
#2 The Colour Monster goes to School by Anna Llenas
The Colour Monster is going to school for the first time but he’s not exactly sure what school is! He’s scared of meeting his new classmates but soon joins in with classroom activities, has lunch and really enjoys his day.
#1 Learning with Elmer by David McKee
The first Elmer book is still our favourite and we had lots of fun with crafts and activities that were inspired by the story. It’s a great book for showing children that being different should be celebrated and that we don’t always need to follow the crowd.
Was your favourite blogpost on Story Snug’s most viewed blogposts in 2020? I’d love to know if you had a favourite.
A huge thank you to all of the publishers and PR representatives who send us wonderful books to review, I’m really sorry that I don’t have time to read and review more.
Thank you to all of you who read and comment on Story Snug’s blogposts, share them on social media and enter our giveaways.
We look forward to sharing more favourite books, old and new, with you next year. However, I will be reducing the number of blogposts I write. Next year I want to concentrate more on my own writing and spend more time working towards my dream of getting my own books published 🙂
Wishing you and your families a very happy, healthy and book filled 2021!
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