English as a Foreign Language
Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne
Handa’s Surprise is a lovely, simple story which provides a great first learning experience for a child who has no knowledge or experience of Africa.
Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell
If you were to ask me which picture book I would choose to take a baby from birth through to their early childhood I would definitely choose Dear Zoo. It’s a fabulous first book which is still enjoyed by my almost five year old.
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
What happens when you mix primary colours together? This is a really simple story that introduces children to the concept of colour mixing in a fun way and inspired us to get our paints out.
Mucky Duck by Sally Grindley & Neal Layton
The Story: Mucky Duck is a white duck who lives on a pond in Oliver’s garden. She loves to cook, dig in the garden, play football and paint so she gets dirty very quickly. This means that every week Mucky Duck has to have a bath (which she doesn’t like) but to Mum and Dad’s…
Jasper’s Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth & Mick Inkpen
With the weather getting warmer and spring on its way we are starting to think about our garden and have already planted lettuce and basil seeds. Jasper’s Beanstalk is a great story to introduce the concept of planting and growth to young children.
Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae & David Wojtowycz
Commotion in the Ocean is a fabulous, rhyming, non fiction picture book that introduces a wide range of fish and animals. I have bought this for several children as a present, used it in the classroom and finally bought it for my daughter for International Book Giving Day!
K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo by Giles Andreae & Guy Parker-Rees
K is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo weaves the alphabet together with a great rhyming text and bold, colourful pictures and Giles Andreae uses a wide range of characters and objects to introduce a new letter on each page. What I like about this book is that it is completely pictorial apart from the short rhyming text (which…
Big Red Bath by Julia Jarman and Adrian Reynolds
The Story: Ben and Bella are joined in their big red bath by a succession of animals. When Hippo tries to get in the bath it leaves the bathroom and ends up flying around the world. Flamingoes come to the rescue so that Ben and Bella can get home and tell Mum and Dad about…
Sticker Dolly Dressing: Dolls by Fiona Watt, Vici Leyhane and Stella Baggott (Usborne)
The Sticker Dolly Dressing Dolls activity book was my daughter’s favourite Christmas present. She loves stickers and was busy with this book for several days. Three dolls, Ellie, Daisy and Kitty, live in a doll’s house with their cat and their puppy and each double page spread features a different activity that they like doing…
You Choose by Pippa Goodhart and Nick Sharratt
Our first picture book of the year is not a story. It’s non fiction but not in the sense that it is an information book. I would call this book a discussion book. A really fun discussion book!
