Picture Books – Page 3 – THE INQUISITIVE NEWT

May 26, 2018

Lots by Marc Martin & Maps; special edition by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski

In addition to the lovely books we’ve been reading about migration, I also broke out these beauties – Lots by Marc Martin & Maps; Special Edition by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski.

Lots definitely lives up to its name. It is, essentially, a picture book of many things, grouped by country.

It’s safe to say that the artwork is the book’s main selling point, but although the words are sparse, they still manage to convey a wealth of humour and information. I particularly like the page about Japan, featuring Godzilla.

The detail present is magical, and the artwork glorious.

I love which details the artist has chosen to highlight from each place, like these pretzels from New York.

I also really like the fact that this book isn’t British-centric. In fact, we don’t even feature. It really is about the wider world and for me, that adds to the feel of adventure.

Coupled with the special edition of Maps, these books are a fantastic introduction to geography.

The format of Maps isn’t that dissimilar; the pages are divided into countries, and some aspects of the nation’s culture are overlaid on the map in the form of small pictures.

I really love the selection of things that are displayed in this book. Despite having studied Danish for four years and living in Denmark for two years, this spread still taught me new things about the country.

I really love the detail in the illustrations, the colours, and the beautiful writing. As with Lots, I feel as though this book would have been far poorer for having been type-set. The hand-written look makes it feel almost as though you’re paging through someone’s sketch book – something that I really enjoy.

Although both of these books are classed as children’s books, I would feel good about giving them to an adult friend who appreciated good art and travelling. And to me, that’s the mark of great children’s books – they appeal to everyone and bring generations closer together.

Which of your kids books are your favourites?

Farn ❤

May 24, 2018

We Travel So Far by Laura Knowles and Chris Madden & Wildlife: a map colouring book

Recently, we’ve enjoyed watching the swallows and house martens return to their nests around our eaves. There’s something about the construction of our cottage which seems to make it particularly inviting to these amazing birds and last year, we had over 30 nests by the end of the season. The skies outside have certainly become a lot busier and I wonder how many residents we’ll have by the time summer is out!

Coincidentally, We Travel So Far by Laura Knowles and Chris Madden arrived in our local library this week and gleefully we took it home to pair with our Wildlife maps colouring book.

As you can probably guess from the title, this book follows the migration journeys of various animals from around the world. Whether they’re going home to mate, or to spend winter in warmer climates, the book offers an insight into the lives of many incredible creatures that I’m guilty of taking for granted.

For example, I had no idea whatsoever that the humble monarch butterfly was a migratory creature!

The art work is absolutely beautiful – it’s bright and colourful, without being patronising, and accurate whilst maintaining its style.

Adding in the information from the maps colouring book, we were able to build up a pretty good idea of how far things had come in relation to existing journeys that we’ve taken – my kids know how long it takes for us to drive from Scotland to Denmark and we could look at that distance on the map and match it to those the animals had taken. We could also have a look at pictures of countries we know and see which animals we recognised from We Travel So Far.

One of the things I like most about this particular colouring book is that the pages are perforated and blank on the back. They’re ideal for hanging on the wall or on an easel. So often when I’ve coloured gorgeous pictures, I’ve thought about hanging them, only to decide against it on account of the fact I’d have to choose between sides.

Do you have any favourite books about the natural world?

Farn ❤

May 1, 2018

A great big cuddle – poems for the very young

I am yet to meet a child who doesn’t love poetry.

I think the rhythm of it and the almost musical nature of a poem when read aloud is what makes it so very appealing to little people, even if they don’t understand the content. As a result, it’s the ideal medium for introducing books and stories – the pattern of the reader’s voice providing as much enjoyment as the words themselves.

In A Great Big Cuddle – Poems For The Very Young, Michael Rosen manages to distil concepts such as anger and belonging into things a child might relate to, and creates verses about them using the bare bones of language. There’s an Edward Lear-esque element to some of the verses – whimsical and fun, full of opportunities for the reader and listener to play with the text.

Coupled with Chris Riddell’s amazing artwork – did I mention I love his drawings more than a little? – and this is a book that’s very easy to read and enjoy.

Which are your favourite poetry books for children?

Farn ❤

April 17, 2018

The Street Beneath My Feet, by Charlotte Guillain and Yuval Zommer

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The Street Beneath My Feet, by Charlotte Guillain and Yuval Zommer is an absolute gem of a book.

The format makes it exciting, the art makes it beautiful and the information is presented in such a way that it can be enjoyed by a huge range of ages (parents included).

We’ve had it for a week, and already it’s become a firm favourite.

The book itself is a giant cross-section of the earth, folded in such a way that you can lay it out on the floor…

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…Or look at it like a regular book as each side is printed on, showing different things you can see beneath the surface.

To give you an idea of scale, here’s a picture in which I managed to accidentally photograph my foot…

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I really love the way that the text draws your attention to different elements within the pictures, and how it’s not at all dry – there’s a lot of humour present.

Which are your favourite science books? I think this one might be mine!

– Farn ❤

March 5, 2018May 24, 2018

My Big Shouting Day! by Rebecca Patterson

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My Big Shouting Day! by Rebecca Patterson was gifted to us as part of Daughter’s Bookbug Bag three years ago. The idea is that children across Scotland are gifted books at key points in their infancy – within their first year, between one and two years old, at three years old and in their first year of school. There are ideas for songs to sing together, books to read and suggestions for activities to do at home with a view to improving literacy.

Whilst all of the books that we’ve received in my six years of parenting have been funny, or thought provoking, and well-written, this is the one which stands out most and which both of my children keep coming back to.

The story follows Bella, a girl of around three years old, who wakes up one morning on the wrong side of the bed. We follow her throughout the day during which she vocalises the things which are just too much for her.

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At the end of the book, Bella’s (very tired and incredibly patient) mummy manages to make a connection with her as they read their bedtime story. Bella apologises for her behaviour and Mummy validates her feelings.

It’s a really simple, small story but it does so many things right. Firstly, you see that picture above? That’s me at just about every bedtime – and I doubt there’s a parent in the world who doesn’t feel like that ~~every~~ some days. The characters – though largely only expressed through illustration – feel real and relatable and honest. There’s no sheen of perfection on anything. Yet at the same time, there’s a definite tone of fondness and humour throughout.

I love that Bella’s mummy doesn’t force an apology and let’s Bella come around in her own time. I love that she admits that everyone feels overwhelmed some days and doesn’t dismiss Bella’s feelings as her having been cross for no reason. I love that I can take my children to bed after a particularly rough day, read this book and have them in peals of giggles by the end of the story – all of us sated and validated by what we’ve read.

Which are your favourite books about feelings? Do you have any go-to stories for after a rough day? I’d love to hear them.

Farn ❤