THE TIME IT TOOK TOM :: how long does it take to paint a room?

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THE TIME IT TOOK TOM :: how long does it take to paint a room?

Age guide: 2 to 8 years ish
This is a simple story about different points of view, forgiveness, mistakes, work and overcoming. Also, it’s funny!

Tom is a little fellow who finds some red paint – then, in the space of just three hours, paints his entire living room red. Including the TV and the cat! He’s quite pleased with the result. 

Mum is not, but after a few wild exclamations she gets it together and they undertake a complete revamp of the living room – and finally everyone is happy with the result. Years pass, then one day Tom finds the blue paint.

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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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The Museum: a fun and physical look at art through the eyes of a young girl

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The Museum: a fun and physical look at art through the eyes of a young girl

ages 4 to grownup. 
I’m not a really big fan of telling children how they should react to art, but I am a big fan of reminding adults that when children do react to art – or anything for that matter – it’s very often physical. The Museum is a fun book written as a poem that follows a young girl through an art museum (think MoMA). She’s an exuberant child who lets her body show what she is feeling.  

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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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