Someday: capturing perfectly the love between mother and daughter

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Someday: capturing perfectly the love between mother and daughter

ages 4 years to grownup
Heavens this is a beautiful book! It’s a teary one; a lovely wander through the life of a baby girl told through the eyes of her mother. Truly, I get goosebumps every time I read it—it’s my go-to baby shower or pregnancy present for mothers who are expecting girls .

A young mother holds her newborn and kisses her fingers. And she tells the baby of her mother-wishes for the baby’s life. Things like: 

‘Someday your eyes will be filled with a joy so deep that they shine.’
 

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PRINCESS BEATRICE AND THE ROTTEN ROBBER :: a little kid doing what has to be done

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PRINCESS BEATRICE AND THE ROTTEN ROBBER :: a little kid doing what has to be done

Age guide: baby to 8 year old
Princess Beatrice understands her privileges – she’s the daughter of a King and Queen who love their daughter and give her free range of all the castle jewels – and there are many!

But one day, when a rotten robber charges into the castle and spots Beatrice decked out from head to foot in extravagant jewels, it all goes wrong. Being an opportunist, the robber grabs Beatrice and steals the jewels, Princess and all.

However, Beatrice has her head screwed on right and resourcefully tricks the robber into tying himself up in the jewels and Beatrice is free. She loads the robber up on his own horse and hauls him home to her now distraught parents.

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I Believe In Unicorns: rich in magic moments, full of love and hope

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I Believe In Unicorns: rich in magic moments, full of love and hope

Michael Morpurgo often chooses war as a theme around which to wrap a story that isn’t really about war at all. In I Believe in Unicorns there is a war and it carries all the usual elements—and the war is pivotal to the story. But the story itself is about belief, acceptance, virtue, love and hope. It's told in the first person by Tomas who is remembering the time war came to his town. 
ages 6 years to grownup

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The Matchbox Diary: a warm and engaging story of keepsakes and family history

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The Matchbox Diary: a warm and engaging story of keepsakes and family history

ages 4 to 10 years
Set in USA—there was a time when matchboxes were ubiquitous, now there are probably children who will need the concept of a matchbox explained or shown to them. But once that’s done, I suspect many children will want to start their own matchbox diary – and adults too.
 

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decision making, one pea at a time

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decision making, one pea at a time

When my children were little, we did Joy School and No Peas For Nellie was recommended by them. I think it was for the joy of decision making. But in the end I think we’ve liked this book for so long because it’s funny.

ages 0 to about 4 years

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DREADFUL DAVID :: just how much dreadfulness does it take to wipe the smile off Granny's face?

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DREADFUL DAVID :: just how much dreadfulness does it take to wipe the smile off Granny's face?

Age guide: 4 to 8
I bought a copy of this for my family and one for my nephew David – who was not at all dreadful, making it an especially funny book for our family.

Dreadful David is one busy little kid – he wreaks havoc at Granny’s house. She is stalwart in the face of all the trouble but slowly her smile begins to fade. The last straw comes when David hoses Granny – he’s already hosed the letter box, the kitten and more.  

Granny, being of the old school variety, changes David, smacks his bottom and puts him to bed.  David yells for a while but finally goes to sleep and Granny comes in and kissed him on the cheek.

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A BEE IN BEN'S BONNET :: a relatable introduction to idioms

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A BEE IN BEN'S BONNET :: a relatable introduction to idioms

Age guide: 4 to 12
Our oldest boy, who is now an English teacher, had a thing for idioms. He was 15 by the time this book was published but still got a laugh out of it.

The bee in Ben’s bonnet is that he wants his large family to celebrate his birthday but they are all too involved with life to talk to him.  

Each family member has something going on that is described in a well known idiom, for example, ‘Godfather Maurice was burying the hatchet’. The very funny illustrations flesh out the story

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