As children move from Board Books to Picture Books is a huge milestone in the journey to becoming a fluent reader, and one that reads for pleasure, it gives me such joy to bring attention to titles that will definitely grab younger audiences’ attention from the get go, make them laugh and smile, ensure they think about what they hear and see from each book, and that they go away having enjoyed themselves. All of those are hugely important as we look to help children make reading a key part of their daily routine.
When a Dragon Goes to School – Caryl Hart and Rosalind Beardshaw
- Published by Nosy Crow on 2nd July 2020
- RRP – £6.99 (Paperback)
This is a brilliant story that celebrates books and reading alongside correct behaviour and manners to portray in the various settings you find yourself in at school – and because all of it involves a delightful dragon character. The dragon is shown to hypothetically carry out actions that would be frowned upon, but then the book explains that the dragon would indeed be well behaved, polite, kind, sharing, and friendly. This is a book that will definitely stimulate thoughts in younger audiences regarding appropriate behaviour, and is an ideal share pre starting school as much as after a child has started school.
My Grandma is 100 – Aimee Chan and Angela Perrini
- Published by Little Steps Publishing
- RRP – £6.99 (Paperback)
When you turn 100 you have specific requirements as to what you can and cannot do, eat, own, and need, and when this special grandma turns 100 the expectation is her birthday party would be a massive affair, with lots of presents – but what do you buy someone who is turning 100? Giving it lots of thought, the child in this story decides on a hugely suitable gift, and is rewarded with some insight into his grandma’s thoughts on her life to date, and you get a real sense of being grateful for what you do have instead of that which you do not. A beautiful story that gets younger children imagining birthdays with no limits.
Robo-Babies by Laura Gallagher and Nicci Martin
- Published by Owlet Press
- RRP – £7.99
An adorable picture book that tells of another planet on which the robot inhabitants make their robo-babies through many different methods, and with many different outcomes. This book adorably discusses adoption, surrogacy, triplets and every option afforded to those that consequently become parents. Giving children an understanding of how babies come to be makes this an ideal shared read with those that are looking to understand more in respect of their circumstances – especially if a sibling is being introduced to them.
Polly Profiterole’s Little Town – Good enough to eat by Maggie May Gordon and Margarita Levina
- Published by Little Steps Publishing
- RRP – £6.99
Telling the story of a baker and her efforts to create a town full of all the usual amenities, by baking the necessary buildings and getting her husband to put them together. The buildings look yummy, and detail the ingredients that are essential structurally – giving readers knowledge of flavours relating to each of the town buildings designed and built. This is a fun story to share that will definitely leave younger readers hungry for more!
Make sure to check out the first part of my August 2020 Picture Books blog here, and keep checking back for more content as we enter September – and there are lots more amazing titles featuring very soon.
BookBound 