Sunday 20 February 2011

Take a look, it's in a book: A reading rainbow

Blondie Boy loves to read. Every morning after breakfast he holds a book up to me and climbs into my lap for a story. He'll sit and flip through pages by himself laughing and babbling. Both NotBlondeHusband and I are keen readers and it seems we've passed our love of all things literary on to Blondie Boy, too!

We recently got some new children's books for him to review. Blondie Boy can only really read board books on his own (he's not very gentle with pages) so we were more than happy to sit down and read them to him!



Professor Frank Mouse is very clever, very inventive and very ... lonely. Though he loves collecting, making and mending all sorts of things, shy Frank would love to have a friend to help him, so one day he makes Teddy! But Frank doesn't realise that what he really needs is a true friend - someone to teach him that real friendship is all about sharing, and Teddy might be just the fellow to do it.

We loved the bright colours and charming illustrations. The story is easy for children to follow and teaches them what being a friend is about without being overly preachy or sappy. It's a lovely story for younger and older children.


Scruffy Bear meets six terrified white mice in the woods; it's getting dark and the mice are sure they're going to be gobbled up. But Scruffy Bear has a tall tale for each passing predator about what the furry little balls actually are.

This story has a repetitive theme that reminds me of classic tales and nursery rhymes so it feels like a story you read as a child yourself.

Peely Wally was a small bird who lived high up in a tree . One day she laid an egg. This is the story of Peely Wally and the adventure of her egg! Follow the dotted line and see where the egg goes! Spot the animals, find the butterfly on each page, and don't miss the special surprise at the end!

NotBlondeHusband told me that "peely wally" means pale in Scots, but this book is bright and colourful. The illustrations are textured and feel more like art than drawings for a book. The story is simple and the lines and illustrations allow you to help your child learn and you can adapt dependant on their age.

All three books are published by Random House and available at book stores and online.

Transatlantic Blonde was provided these books for review, but opinions are always honest and our own.

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