Blog Archives
Book Review: The Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson, Rebecca Cobb (Illustrator)
The one Julia Donaldson book on which Aaru and I made an activity to play with. We have so many paper dolls at home 😀 And the first time, we made our own rhyme too when we read it last year (it all tore apart, but we are still left with the original pieces, ah, I am nostalgic already). By the way, had you made paper dolls when you were little?
Embark on a fantastical adventure with a little Female and her string of paper dolls. The dolls step into the garden and try to escape the claws of a toy dinosaur and the snapping oven-glove crocodile but see if they can escape a pair of scissors! Written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, this wonderful picture book is filled with sweet pictures and features beautiful rhyming text.
It is a very very sweet book talking of memories and of growing up and my my, full of nostalgia. Quick point: My friend Priyanka also has got the same book for her girl Mahika and all four of us did a video call with an expression of same pinch on both of our kids’ faces. And then my 3 year old got all so excited on seeing Mahika’s books/ toys collection. In these covid times, we are so much missing out catching up on friendship. Missing you Priyanka 😦
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
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About the author: |
| Rating: 9/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | The Paper Dolls |
| Author: | Julia Donaldson, Rebecca Cobb (Illustrator) |
| Pages: | 32 |
| Publication Year: | 2012 |
Book Review: The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator)
Yet another brilliant Julia Donaldson book for which we have also seen the movie adaptation! A snail longs to see the world and hitches a lift on a whale’s tail. Together they go on an amazing journey, past icebergs and volcanoes, sharks and penguins, and the snail feels very small in the vastness of the world. But when the whale is beached in a bay, it’s the tiny snail who saves the day.
You know, earlier I might have pegged all these books as too slow. However, while reading them with my 3 year old now (he was 2.5 years old when I first read this book to him), I realised how some books are so age age appropriate. A snail very small can forge friendship with a big biiiiiggg whale and how we see through them – landscapes, brightly illustrated like we are also part of the same journey. An interesting book to lay foundations or talk around different landscapes of earth – volcano, marine life, ice lands and so one. Recommended!
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
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About the author: |
| Rating: 9/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | The Snail and the Whale |
| Author: | Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler (Illustrator) |
| Pages: | 32 |
| Publication Year: | 2003 |
Book Review: Disney Pixar Cars by Mark Rader
Join Lightning Mcqueen and his friends on the race track! This book is based on, yes, you guessed it right, the animation Cars movie. And my 3 year old loves this a lot and can recite 70% of the story by himself now (without even referring to the book). The story is about teamwork and different cars representing different people. And this book, I got it at a second hand sale (in fact I searched now, and I could not find the book online at any place) and it turned out such a hit! But all that aside, it is a good way to introduce movie books to later lay foundations of the movie when the kids grow up. Yes, the other way round. Books are considered easy for a kid to focus on since there are no moving objects and they can grasp it better at such an early age!
Oh, do I give screen time to him? Unfortunately, yes. Because all of us are stuck at home with schools/ day-cares closed and how can we do other work (office + home) without the same. How you doing? Hope, you are able to find time to read books 🙂
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | Cars |
| Author: | Mark Rader |
| Pages: | 20 |
| Publication Year: | 2012 |
| Rating: 8/10 |
Book Review: What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas
What will Fat Cat sit on? The pig? (Oink!) The chicken? (Cluck!) How about the dog? (Grrrr.)
Everyone in this bumbling animal gang (understandably) hopes the victim will be someone else! Leave it to Mouse to come up with a brilliant solution that satisfies everyone, even Fat Cat himself. Filled with hilarious asides and an interactive question-answer format, this irreverent young picture book will delight toddlers who love to shout “NO!”
The book is written in a way I already interact with my son during our early morning ritual of telling a short story to the birds. I say a line and he has to fill up the words. And if it takes my fancy, some days I do a recording, after all the innocence of the voice will be something for me to cherish once he grows up and is more into rebellion (he already is!).
Back to the book, it is a very simple read-out loud book with funny texts and very easy to remember. The pictures bright and illustrated and not much for your kid’s attention to waver. Especially recommended for toddlers. And with simple stories, it reminds me to recommend a must visit website with 1000s and 1000s of books to read for every age group of kids – Pratham Books’s storyweaver.
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
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About the author: Website: janthomasbooks.com |
| Rating: 8/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | What Will Fat Cat Sit On? |
| Author: | Jan Thomas |
| Pages: | 40 |
| Publication Year: | 2007 |
Book Review: Zayn and Zoey learn about Dinosaurs
We have two popular Dinosaur books at home, written for kids. One is Julia Donaldson‘s Tyrannosaurus Drip and the other Zayn and Zoey learn about Dinosaurs. In fact, when I found my 3 year old’s interest towards dinosaurs, I searched a lot online to find a book which will give non-fictional take on dinosaur world. And this is how I bought this book.
Zayn and Zoey were playing with their dinosaur toys when their friend Nik joined them. They hopped onto their huge dinosaur pillow, Max. He suddenly sprung to life and took them on a tour into the world of dinosaurs.
Learn about the three periods in which dinosaurs lived
Learn interesting facts about various dinosaurs
Know about how dinosaurs became extinct
It is interesting with just the right amount of story telling mode to tell information about dinosaurs to the early learners. Aaru and I keep on revising/ revisiting this book and every time it is Aaru who picks up the book and brings to me. He is currently able to recall dinosaurs like Brachiosaurus, Ankylosaurus, Argentinosaurus, Ornitho, Edmonto, Pachycephalo and of course, T-rex. What more can I want from a book for the kids 🙂
Note to myself – I will remember to write a book on dinosaurs soon 😀
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
| Rating: 9/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | Zayn and Zoey learn about Dinosaurs |
| Author: | NA, published by TCC Venture |
| Pages: | 32 |
| Publication Year: | 2019 |
Book Review: The Troll by Julia Donaldson, David Roberts
While reading Julia Donaldson‘s The Flying Bath, the back of that book showed other books with same combination of author and illustrator, and that is how The Troll did a come back again!
The troll longs for a goat – but has to make do with fish for supper instead. Meanwhile, Hank Chief and his pirate crew are digging for treasure – but it seems they’ve sailed to the wrong island. Again. Watch the fun unfold as these two worlds collide.
Though I myself did not like it enough, my 3 year old did like it a lot – for there were grumpy moles and centipedes and little insects saying not to eat them please and pirates and ships and what not. It is definitely a fun read and has the typical Julia Donaldson flavor.
Note to myself – Keep noting down in my little book what all my son likes and put all of them in a story. Even if not liked by others, at least in my home, it will be considered a hit 😀
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
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About the author: |
| Rating: 9/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | The Troll |
| Author: | Julia Donaldson, Donald Roberts (Illustrator) |
| Pages: | 32 |
| Publication Year: | 2009 |
Book Review: Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson, David Roberts
While reading Julia Donaldson‘s The Flying Bath, the back of that book showed other books with same combination of author and illustrator, and that is how Tyrannosaurus Drip again did a come back!
Really, what is this fascination of kids with dinosaurs that no other animal could hold the same attention! Well, we have another dinosaur book – Zayn and Zoey learn about Dinosaurs and a dinosaur sticker book and a big dinosaur as a soft toy to play with as well.
Whoever heard of a vegetarian T. rex? Everyone knows that tyrannosauruses are big and scary. So, when a placid duckbill dinosaur’s egg ends up in the wrong nest, confusion is sure to ensue! When the baby dinosaur hatches out, he’s so out of place that his grisly big sisters call him Tyrannosaurus Drip. Poor little Drip: all he wants is a quiet life munching on water weed. But but but… Ah, you have to read this one for all those little dinosaurs fans out there. My son specially loved the ending.
Note to myself – I will also write a book on dinosaurs soon 😀
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
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About the author: |
| Rating: 9/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | Tyrannosaurus Drip |
| Author: | Julia Donaldson, Donald Roberts (Illustrator) |
| Pages: | 34 |
| Publication Year: | 2007 |
Book Review: The Flying Bath by Julia Donaldson, David Roberts
Ah, the delight of reading Julia Donaldson, our the favorite author, which we never get tired of reading. And with this book, came back the delight of reading other (old) Julia books that we had, which were illustrated by David Roberts, viz The Troll and Tyrannosaurus Drip (please wait for their book reviews for a couple of more days). So what is this book all about —
When everyone has left the house in the morning, the bath toys spring into action and head off on exciting adventures in their magical flying bath! From giving a muddy piglet a shower to putting out a fire for a frightened baboon, they have water at the ready for any emergency. The simple rhyming speech-bubble text is great to read aloud, and perfect for developing reading confidence. Richly detailed, sumptuous artwork completes this irresistible book for young readers.
Not now, but I am waiting to test my son’s imagination in a while of what all toys he can imagine to come to life. For the time being, I have made flowers, trucks, excavators, rabbit, sheep all come to life till now and it was fun! But creativity means him thinking all these on his own 😀
Read the book as an adult and tell the kids stories when they are playing in their bathtub every day. Oh sorry, is that too much time taking? Then how about weekends, that much time at least we need to keep aside for them.
Keep watching my blog for more book reviews!
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About the author: |
| Rating: 9/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | The Flying Bath |
| Author: | Julia Donaldson, Donald Roberts (Illustrator) |
| Pages: | 32 |
| Publication Year: | 2014 |
Book Review: Wriggle and Roar!: Rhymes to Join in With by Julia Donaldson, Nick Sharratt
Julia Donaldson books are great with easy rhyming sentences and the colorful illustrations of Nick Sharatt add to the charm of being created exclusively for early readers. If I remember correctly, this is going to be my 3 year old’s first introduction to a proper small poetry book with a collection of short rhymes, and in which the entire family can join in to do actions.Â
A wonderful rhyme book full of action and noise—guaranteed to make kids love poetry!
Whenever I’m tired of being me
I swing around like a chimpanzee.Â
Are you tired of being you? Here’s a whole book-ful of things you can do! There are rhymes to make you wriggle and giggle, shrug and sigh, snap like a crocodile and slither like a snake. Julia Donaldson’s verse jumps off the page and Nick Sharratt’s snazzy illustrations add to the fun. Do the actions! Make the noises! Audience participation is guaranteed!Â
However, my son read it like 3-5 times and has kept it aside. Let me see if his interest picks up in a few days again, since we have kept this in the position from where he usually picks his maximum books – naah, not on the book racks/shelves but on our dining table.
Keep watching my blog for more kids books!!
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About the author: |
| Rating: 8/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | Wriggle and Roar!: Rhymes to Join in With |
| Author: | Julia Donaldson, Nick Sharratt (Illustrator) |
| Pages: | 32 |
| Publication Year: | 2004 |
Book Review: Toddle Waddle by Julia Donaldson, Nick Sharratt
We love Julia Donaldson books, especially the simplest ones written for the toddlers. And toddler word is there in the name of this book itself; how interesting!
From the author of Room on the Broom, follow-the-leader has never been so much fun!  There’s a hullabaloo at the seaside when wobbly toddler takes a walk and is soon joined by a joyful troop of human and animal friends. They wander happily along with a clip clop, hurry scurry, flip flop, toddle waddle, but where will they go and who else will they meet along the way? Jaunty rhymes and bright, bold pictures ensure that even the youngest child will love this simple, playful story, a wonderful introduction to onomatopoeia. Â
Now let me first tell you the meaning of this word onomatopoeia. As per dictionary definition, it simply refers to the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. A toddler waddles, as does a duck. A butterfly flutters. A horse clip clops. A dog hurry scurries. This is all presented well in illustrations by focusing on those words as a people, animals travel, music instruments keep on adding page by page throughout the book.
Repetition is very important through words and through pictures and that is why we start with rhymes for the young kids. And this book repeats the same words multiple times, making it easy for the youngest kids to remember and fill in while singing with adults who skip a word or two in between. And that is what made this book so easy to sing along by my 3 year old.Â
Well, this is again a library book, which we got hold from Appuworld for a month’s time. We have got to make the most of it now. Bbye…
Keep watching my blog for more kids books!!
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About the author: |
| Rating: 9/10 |
| Genre: | Children Book |
| Book Name: | Toddle Waddle |
| Author: | Julia Donaldson, Nick Sharratt (Illustrator) |
| Pages: | 32 |
| Publication Year: | 2010 |
Ethereal Jinxed 