Books to make you smile, laugh and relish in the moments of reading! These 6 books are firm favourites in our home now and we can highly recommend them!
You Can’t take an Elephant on Holiday by Patricia Cleveland-Peck and David Tazzyman, Published by Bloomsbury
This is the 4th book in this hugely popular and hilarious series. Children adore reading these and hearing them read aloud. Lyrical rhyme and different animals on holiday will have readers turning the page to even more unimaginable chaos. From speeding cheetahs in camper vans to sandcastle building armadillos, it will certainly spice up your imagination when you next head to the seaside! With each animal being chosen perfectly for their seaside fun, children will laugh at the illustrations and enjoy the details on every double page spread. Each book in the series starts with an elephant, as the title suggests, but moves on to other well known and a few lesser known animals. This is an excellent series to read with children of all ages.
The Cat and the Rat and the Hat by Em Lynas and Matt Hunt, Published by Nosy Crow
Hilarity and rhyming…a perfect combination. This is one to read aloud as you try to rhyme and read quickly for effect without tripping over your words. The typical creatures feature in this story of supply and demand. There is a hat and mat and a fancy cravat, all wanted by the cat, the rat and the bat! Complete chaos and bold illustrations will have young readers reaching for this over and over. The joyous illustrations and bold use of colours is superb and leaps off the shelf! I think this will be an absolute library favourite, and one I plan to read to every class who visits. Absolute brilliance.
There is no Big Bad Wolf in this Story by Lou Carter andDeborah Allwright, Published by Bloomsbury
Having previously read this on Netgalley, I was so pleased to hold the book and admire the illustrations. This book is a new adventure from the same creators of There Is No Dragon in this Story. With familiar fairytale characters and a twist on the original tales, readers will love this story. The Big Bad Wolf is overworked and exhausted so he quits leaving his fairy tale friends stuck huffing and puffing by themselves. Dragon tries to help but ends up making things worse. Can they persuade the Wolf to come back? A hilarious tale full of incredible illustrations and a new perspective on the character of the big bad Wolf. Is he as bad as we think? Children will have a lot of fun reading this!
Story Soup by Abie Longstaff and Nila Aye, Published byTemplar Books
Ollie is mixing story soup when younger sister Susie throws some items in causing the story to veer off the path Ollie was aiming for. The pair get frustrated as they each throw in items causing the story to take drastic twists and turns. The illustrations are completely enchanting and will inspire other young story soup stirrers to create a magical tale. Learning from their frustrations, a moral appears, though Ollie didn’t order one but it is wonderful and valuable! The illustrations truly bring this adorable tale to life and it will be a perfect story to share with readers of all ages. Who doesn’t love books about books and stories?
Brian the Brave by Paul Stewartand Jane Porter, Published by Otter-Barry Books
This book resonated with me this weekend as my daughter came home talking about a group of girls who call themselves the cool gang. We had a chat and now I know just the book to read with her later. This is an important book about being inclusive, welcoming and kind, not excluding anyone for their differences. It is our differences that make us wonderful and I want my children to celebrate who they are and not feel uncool! Brian, in turn, feels excluded and does the excluding so sees both perspectives. When a Wolf appears, Brian and the others must work together and out their differences aside. A brilliant book for those beginning of the school year conversations.
The Lion on the Bus by Gareth P. Jones and Jeff Harter, Published by FarShore
Be prepared while reading this to find your toes tapping and this song getting stuck in your head. Delightfully funny and brilliantly Illustrated, it is time to hop on the bus with a scary cast of characters, from lions to panthers to wolves….the people on the bus say, “Please don’t bite”! What will happen when more animals hop on board? For the reader, it is a musical chaotic scene and will certainly bring giggles to the story time. As a class read aloud, I think it would become a very musical event adding in each silly new verse to accompany the original well known song.
I am a primary school teacher, turned librarian. Now I have the title Reading Advocate for ASSET Education Trust, based in Suffolk.
I read constantly and have more books than bookshelves, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I celebrate reading every day at work and at home with my two children, aged 11 and 9.
I sit on the National Executive Committee for the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and run an OU/UKLA Teachers as Readers group!
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My Shelves Are Full 