WTBA is a collection of and conversation about powerful books that strengthen, elevate, inspire and help to grow powerful, resilient kids. We're a book oriented guide for parents, grandparents, educators, aunts, uncles and anyone involved in nurturing children and caring for friends.
ages 2 to 8 years
Do your little ones have imaginary friends? Some of mine did. It was cute to hear them chatting away to someone invisible—less cute when I once had to wait in the rain because an imaginary friend called Minga had to get in the car first and then took her own sweet time about buckling up her seatbelt! There are lots of good reasons to enjoy the imaginary friend stage, one being...
ages 2 to 8 years
Ownership is a slippery concept, especially where pets are concerned. Is it really possible to own another living thing—and how does the pet view your relationship anyway! It gets even more complex if your ‘pet’ is actually a wild animal. Wilfred is pretty sure he owns a moose! He calls the moose Marcel and gives him a list of rules, some of which the moose follows really well, others not so well. But Wilfred is happy
Counting is fun. Counting backwards is even more fun. Counting funny animals backwards — best! In this totally charming book, animals line up roughly by size—and there’s a bossy seagull who keeps them all in line while they wait. The animals make cheeky jokes, push and shove each other and play a game of animal Word Chain. It’s all lots of fun and things build to a surprising and funny climax.
Read Moreages newborn to adult
A board-book all time favourite that invites complex, moral, metaphorical reasoning—and makes you laugh! About a unique relationship between a boy and a duck—is it exploitative or is it synergistic?
When you’re a worm on a mission to get to an apple, you need determination and imagination – and you need to be a go-with-the-flow sort of worm. There’s a great punchline in this book and easy to ‘read’ pictures too.
ages newborn to 8 years
ages 4 to 12 years
With Marge in charge there’s plenty of fun, a fair smattering of risk taking, a few nervous moments and a whole of rule bending. A terrific book for early readers and for reading aloud to younger kids. The universal experience of waiting anxiously for a new babysitter will delight young readers – but they’ll probably never have a babysitter quite like Marge.
ages 4 to 12 years
Friendships are seldom perfect, especially when the friends are new to forming and maintaining relationships outside their immediate family. Purdy (the cat) and Barker (the dog) have a solid but anguished sort of friendship. It’s the sort of friendship that will be instantly recognisable to many kids and their parents (or teachers)...
A conversation about books + kids. A website resource and book reviews for educators, parents, grandparents. The main focus is emotional resilience.
