Book of the week - Tim, Ted and the Pirates and this week's 5-a-day books

Book of the week
(this is whatever book has been Luath's favourite of the week- the one she has requested most often)

Tim, Ted and The Pirates

A rhyming picture book.  Tim and his ted are at school, the teacher begins story time and Ted and Tim drift off for an adventure at sea.  "But suddenly CRUNCH, a shark eats them for lunch".  We all live this book.  We have had it in the cupboard for a about two months so it was lovely to revisit it.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important), 

Pirate Pete

A picture book wit pictures that you can pop in to complete the story.  There are about six objects that you can select on each of four double pages, some fit in with a Pirate/sea them, others are silly.  This is library book so we are very wary when we read it with Luath.  We do let her help remove the objects and she really loves making the choice, but we very closely supervise and assist.

Captain Pike Looks after the Baby

A picture book.  Mrs Pike is tyring to finish painting but can't get anything done as she is looking after the baby.  Captain Pike says he will take her to sea, it'll be easy peasy (even though he has never helped look after her).  He doesn't find it that easy.

We have some other favourite Pirate books but a couple are at my parents and the others  were checked out of the library, so we selected some other library books.

Again

A picture book.  Mummy is reading a bedtime story about Cedric the Dragon.  Little dragon asks for the story again, Mummy alters the story, little dragon asks again, again mummy changes it, hinting it is little dragon's bedtime.  Mummy gets sleepier and little dragon keeps asking again.  Luath loves the ending.  Luath and I can associate very well with this book, she loves stories again and again.  Also some nights I am the one that is dropping off while Luath is still awake.
Cluck o'clock

A picture book with rhyming text. The story of the hens day, for 4amuntil midnight.  Each different activity is linked to a time.  Some funny lines.

Peely Wally


A picture book.  Peely Wally lays an egg but it rolls off the tree.  You follow what happens to it, including almost being eaten by Colin the crocodile.  Luath loves when the egg cracks and you open the egg to see baby Peely Wally.

(Luath is 17mths)
 

Book of the week - Head,shoulders...And this week's 5-a-day books

This week's books are all from our week's theme of "fitbug" - being active/ action rhymes/ music and movement.  Everyone of our books this week is already a favourite.  We  read these often and if any of them are on the shelf Luath will gravities towards them.  She loves joining in with any actions.

Book of the week
(This is Luath's favourite book of the week)
Head Shoulders Knees and Toes

A board book, with drawings of babies acting out the song.  Luath this week has st various times spontaneously started singing this song.  As she knows the words the book is a little redundant but she has gone for it more than any other book this week.  She enjoys the pictures.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important), 

The Sheep gave a leap


A picture book with an action rhyme story.  The animals are putting on a show, two little crows pointed their toes, a pig twirled around.  For each part of the story there is a picture of a toddler acting it out.  Luath loves this book and can do most of the actions (well her version).  My mum also had great fun acting out the story and said she was going to take it to her oldies drama group! We have another similar book by the author called "a fox got my socks" which is also great fun.

Down by the cool of the pool

A picture book with bright illustrations.  A frog asks can you dance like me down by the cool of the pool.  Different animals join in, all with a different way to dance.  Duck can flap, sheep goes stamp.  Lots of great action and sound words.

Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball


Out version of this book is a picture book, the more up to date is a board book, but it is the same pictures and text.  Lovely illustrations with rhyming text about what a wombat likes to do.  Lots of actions to join in.  "I pigeon step, pigeon step, til I fall down".

If you are happy and you know it


Luath has loved this book since she was about 6 months old.  She calls it happy.  The song lyrics are changed to suit different animals each saying what they do when they are happy.  Wag their tail, snap their teeth.  We enjoyed this so much that I kept on the look out for similar books by the author and we now have Doing the animal bop and Whoosh around the Mulberry bush which are favourites too.

Preston Pig - Goal

A picture book featuring Preston pig who thinks he is the world's greatest footballer.  He is sent to the shop to by some bread, he goes off with his football, causing mayhem on the way.  A wolf gets into trouble for all Preston's antics.  I bought this book for my husband years ago (he thinks he is the world's best footballer too!).  Luath loves that you shout goal while we read the story.

(Luath is 16 months)

This week's book of the week - My mum and dad make me laugh and our 5-a-day books

All from this week's Pussy Cat where have you been theme
Book of the week

My mum and dad make me laugh

I grabbed a pile of books from the cupboard one afternoon after Luath had a very short nap and I wanted her to have some longer quiet time.  This book was one of the bundle and she has asked for it many times she calls it "dad" book. It is from the Maths together series, aimed at 3+, but it is a simple story about a boy whose mum like spots and dad who likes stripes.  You find out what the boy likes at the end.  It features some big cats so could be part of this weeks theme.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important), 

Scarface claw

From the Hairy Maclary series. Rhyming text.  Scarface claw isn't scared of anything, thunderstorms, fire engines, dogs.  Or maybe there is one thing that frightens him.

Fluffy kitten
A board book with a pop out kitten on a ribbon. Fluffy kitten goes off to bed but her sister is too restless so Fluffy goes off to find a better place to sleep.  Only a few pages.  Luath likes helping move Fluffy.

The Queen's knickers

We have this  in a collection of stories.  I hadn't read it before we got the book, but loved it as soon as I saw it.  In some ways I think the humour is lost on young children but Luath likes the pictures. A picture book featuring all the various types of underpants the queen needs.

Show business

Hairy Maclary is tied up outside a cat show but escapes and goes to have a look.  A picture book, with rhyming text and lots to look and talk about
.
When we were very young

We didn't read the whole book each day, we read "changing guards at Buckingham palace".  These poems remind me of my childhood.

(Luath is 16months)

Book of the week - Up and Down and this week's 5-a-day books

This week's books are a mishmash, all but the Gingerbread boy where library picks, the mobile library doesn't have a huge selection so we just choose what either Luath or I like the look of.

Book of the week

Up and Down

A lovely drawn picture book about a boy and a penguin who are friends.  The penguin wants to fly.  He finds a way he can fly and goes off to try.  The penguins rushes off and forgets to tell the boy he is going.  I hadn't heard of Oliver Jeffers before but we are now fans and will be looking out for his other books.  The test and drawings are very enjoyable.  Daddy is a fan.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important), 

Maisy tidies up

A picture book.  Maisy is cleaning the house when Charley arrives.  There are some yummy cakes but the floor is wet so while it dries he helps Maisy tidy up.  Luath very quickly started repeating parts of this book.  One day we were out for our dog walk and she was chatting away.  I realised she was actually saying bits of the story. 

Two by Two and a half

A picture book.  The nursery are off on an outing.  They hold hands and go two by two, expect little bat Jack, but he doesn't count.  On their trip they think they spot some creatures - a lion, dragon, rampaging ragamuffins.  Each time it is just little bat Jack.  He does save the day though. One of the parts of the book is too old for Luath to understand, the creatures are actually tricks of the eye - the way a tree looks, the way a wall is in shadow.  It would be fun to read once she understands and then go off on an adventure to look for our own creatures hiding in places.

Handa's Hen

We have Handa's surprise so I thought we would try this one.  A picture book, lovely drawings.  It is a counting book within a story about Handa and her friend Akeyo looking for Handa's grandmother's hen.  Introduces some Kenyan creatures.  I prefer Handa's surprise.
The Gingerbread boy

A Luath selection,  She picked this from her book cupboard the other week and as she enjoyed the story I thought we would have it as a 5-a-day book.  It is this version, an old ladybird book, so the text might have changes, but the main part "run run as fast as you can" is there.

 

Book of the Week - Jack and the Flum Flum tree and this week's 5-a-day books

Book of the week

Jack and the Flum Flum tree

The front cover caught by eye among the library books.  It is a Julia Donaldson book from last year but I hadn't heard of it.  I didn't flick through it I just thought it is bound to be good.  We read it first while waiting in the car, Luath was a bit unsettled and it calmed her.  Like most Julia books it has a lovely rhyming cadence.  Jack's granny has the moozles and the only cure is the fruit of the flum flum tree on the Isle of Blowyernose.  He builds a boat, gets a crew and before he sets off granny gives him a patchwork sack with various items - balloons, spoons, hankies...  On their boat trip they have a few mishaps, each time Jack says "don't get your knickers in a twist, let's have a look in the patchwork sack"  We have read this often and enjoyed the David Robert's illustrations too.  Luath loves spotting the two cats featured at the start and the end.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post from almost a year ago on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important).

Tickly Octopus

Picture book with brightly coloured illustrations.It was a quick library grab to fit in with these week's theme.  An octopus who loves to tickle, but only the giggly fish really like to be tickled.  He tickles an oyster, who looses her pearl.  The octopus goes after the pearl to retrieve it.  Along the way he learns a few other things he is good at.  Luath liked when we added in some tickling either us tickling her, her tickling us or using her octopus to tickle.

Commotion in the ocean


A picture book of short fun poems about different sea creatures.  We have read one of his books before, daddy loved it Luath wasn't quite so keen.  Again Luath wasn't a big fan, I am very sure she will like it when she is a little older.

Kate Morag and the new pier

A picture story book, aimed at older children that Luath.  We are Katie Morag fans.  The stories are quite long for Luath but she will listen to them.  We enjoy pointing things out in the pictures.  A new pier is being built on Katie Morag's island.  It talks about the ups and downs of a new bigger pier.  A big storm comes through and the islanders need to help out the workmen from the mainland.
The Big Boat ride

A lift the flap picture book about Noah's ark.  Luath likes the flaps.

Book of the week -Whoosh around the Mulberry Bush ad this week's 5-a-day books

Book of the week

Whoosh around the Mulberry Bush

A fun book that you can't help but sing.  It begins with children around a mulberry bush and then moves to different habitats, with different weather and different animal noises and ways that they move.  2dig and vie", "hot and sticky jungle vines" .  The illustrations are colourful.  I think it is the singing that Luath loves most about this book.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post from almost a year ago on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important), 

The litle mouse, the red ripe strawberry and the big hungry bear

We have this in Gaelic but I can't find it online.  The story is in the style of someone speaking to the mouse.  The mouse has found a juicy big strawberry but the narrator tells the mouse about a hungry bear who loves strawberries and can smell them from miles away/  He gives the mouse some advice.  Short text, detailed pictures.  We like the ending.

Tickle Tickle

Board book.  Short text per double page.  Great sounding words.  Luath enjoys the actions and loves the final page and the tickles

On the go (just like me)

Board book with large flaps to lift.  Has a picture of an animal and an action the animal is doing i.e beetle is crawling.  Lift the flap and their is a baby/toddler doing the same action and says Just like me.  We have another book that repeatedly says "just like daddy". Luath used to say just like daddy for this book, but now she says just like me to both books.  We will get them right one day!

Humphrey's garden

Board book, short text with line drawings.  Humphrey loves going outside to the garden.  It tells why he loves the garden.  Luath liked pointing out things in the pictures especially the ducks and flowers

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Book of the week - Clap your hands and this week's 5-a-day

All our books are from this week's bear theme.
Book of the week

Clap your hands (an action book)

A board book with photographs of teddies doing the actions to "If you're happy and you know it".  Luath has really started to enjoy these action books/songs.  This was one of the books given to Luath by a cousin, I wouldn't have bought it as we already have "If you're happy and you know it" by Jan Ormerod,  but I am glad we have it as it has given us so much fun this week.  We usually also sing "Teddy bear, teddy bear" once we have sang this book a few times.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post from almost a year ago on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important),  I am finding it difficult to fit the Gaelic books we have or the ones in the library into our theme.  We did have one this week that has a bear in the story but it was too difficult for me to read much of it.  We did look at it and I read or made up in Gaelic what I could.

We are going on a bear hunt

Our version is a  small picture book.  The words to the story are not how I know it but it still follows the same theme of coming to a different obstacle and having to go through it with the appropriate sounds.  As the text is repetitive Luath was able to join in.  She liked the noise pages - they are in colour, the "we are goinng on a bear hunt" words are on black and white pages.

Goldilocks and the three bears (touch and feel)

This was another passed on book.  I like the touch and feel aspect but I don't really like the way the story is told, however as it was bear week and we enjoy porridge I had to read this one.  Luath enjoys the touching part of each page.  We read and acted out the story wth some bears and her (bald) doll.

Princess Aasta

One of the library books that prompted our bear week.  A picture book with different style drawings and also text that changes font, size and line position.  Luath will sit and listen/look at this book even when she is going through her, "close each book after two pages" spells.  Princess Aasta is lonely so she writes to a paper looking for a bear friend, she chooses Kvitebjorn.  They become friends even though the king is wary of having "an Ursus maritimus" around.  Kvitebjorn takes Princess Aasta to see the Northern lights.  (Norwegian author/illustrator if you are curious)
This is the Bear

A favourite in our household.  Simple rhyming text, an easy reader style book with only a few words per page.  The sentences start with "this is the bear..."  A tale of a bear who falls (or was he pushed ) into a bin and ends up at the dump.. The boy and his dog go to the dump to search for him. The ending is great. The pictures have a little extra text of what is being thought of by the dog or bear or people - "I must be mad" says the man driving them all home.  This book makes me laugh.  We have just discovered there are more books in the series so will be on the look out for them.

Apple, Pear, Orange, Bear

Another library pick.  This book uses the four title words in a different order and with commas in different places.  You could say it tells a story or you could say it is just nonsense.  The drawings are simple but convey what the words say.  I wasn't sure the first time I read it but the book has grown on me.  Luath listens to it well; it is short, repetitive and simple with clear pictures, just what suits her at times.

We read these and other bear books plenty times each day, this week was more like ten a day (and all Luath's other favourites!)

Book of the week - Rainbow Rob, and this week's 5-a-day books

Book of the week - Rainbow Rob
(this is the book that Luath has enjoyed the most over the week)

A large board book with something on most double page spread to feel. A rhyming text. Rob wonders what it would be like to be a colour, other than black & white.  He tries out different colours of different animals  "Could he be a pink flamingo from San Domingo"  For every colour there is a reason why he can't be that colour.  It is probably the feeling part that Luath loves the most.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post from almost a year ago on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important.)

Rainbow Rob (as above)

Cool as a cucumber

This was almost Luath's favourite book.  She loves looking at the pictures of all the children but isn't quite so keen on listening to it/  On each double page there is a picture of a vegetable and a child with the vegetable, you then open a double page flap and see the different parts of the vegetable and these parts are named - skin, seeds, raw.  The vegetable is then described to other foods i.e. pepper bitter like chicory, olives

Go wild with colours


A board book, bright drawings, with only the colour word per page.  A pink flamingo, grey dolphin through to a yellow canary and a multicoloured chameleon.  I add in the name of the animal and sometimes I will add in more - a white polar bear looking up at the snow.

Handa's surprise

A picture book.  Set in Kenya.  A girl sets off with seven fruits for her friend.  On the way a different animal takes a fruit from the basket.  The surprise is what she ends up with for her friend.  Colourful pictures.  Luath started saying mango this week, I am hoping it is from this book and not from a banana phone a cousin gave her that says things like "musical mangoes"

Look there's Elmer

Elmer is playing hide and seek with bird.  Bird thinks he spot Elmer (a cut out on the page) but discovers that it isn't Elmer it is something else - washing, a boat.  An animal on each page helps bird by pointing at another cut out that you think is Elmer.  Where can a large multicoloured elephant hide?  Luath laughs each time I say "that's funny bird" - each animal says this.  By a few reads she seemed to get the thinking we saw Elmer through the cut out.  She can also say Elmer now.


( Luath is 15 months)

Book of the week - Round and Round the Garden and this week's 5-a-day books

Book of the week

Round and Round the garden play rhymes for young children

There are three books that Luath often returns to and we don't rotate them off the living room shelf.  This is one of the books.  We have an older version but only the cover and the author seem to have changed.  Each page has a picture and a fingerplay rhyme with the actions on the bottom of the page.  Most are rhymes that I know but there were a few new ones.  Luath enjoys joining in with the rhymes and actions.  The second rhyme is Five Fat Sausages and she can't wait for me to turn the page so she can clap and say bang.

5-a-day books
(I started doing this after reading this post from almost a year ago on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important.)  This week's books are all from our bird theme.

Find the bird


Again we have an older version.  A board book with a simple rhyming text, a short sentence per page.  The idea is that you are to find the bird on each page.  Luath hasn't done that, she just liked listening to the story and saying "car" when it came to that part of the book

Duck is dirty


Board book with short simple text.  Duck goes for a walk, it is raining, windy, falls in mud and finally splashes into the pond.  Some of the pages start with "Uh-oh", already a favourite phrase for Luath.  I like the illustrations.

Edward the Emu

A friend brought this over from Australia for Luath as it is one of her son's favourite books.  Picture book with rhyming text.  "Edward the Emu is sick of the zoo, there is nowhere to go, there is nothing to do, compared to the seals that live next door, being an emu is frankly a bore".  He goes off to be a seal, then a lion, a snake and finally an emu again, changing each time as someone says they prefer the next creature to what Edward is being.  Daddy isn't too keen on the book, he doesn't like Edward's attitude!  I think it is funny and Luath enjoys hearing the story.

Yellow bird, black spider

Picture book, with  real images of objects mixed with illustrations (Would be a fun theme to copy for art work)  Short text. Yellow bird does things differently and black spider keeps asking why he doesn't fly (instead of sailing) build a nest (instead of staying at a hotel).  Funny ending (I did see it coming).

Zachary Quack Minimonster

From the Hairy Maclary series.  I picked this up because we are big Hairy Maclary fans.  It is written in the same style, repetitive rhyming text.  We usually keep this book in the car as Luath enjoys the text, and the pictures have great detail and things to spy, including some other Hairy Maclary characters.

Book of the week - What's this? A seed's story. This week's 5-a-day books

Book of the week
What's this?  A seed's story
 

A picture book, that has lovely painted illustrations.  It starts with a seed lying on the ground, which is found by a bird, then a girl and a cat.  The girl plants and tends for it.  It grows into a sunflower.  She saves the seeds and shares with her fellow pupils, who all grow their seeds into new sunflowers.  Simple description of growing and time through the seasons.

Along with most Barefoot books I have read this is a great story.  I loved one part when the little girl sits and tells the sunflower her secrets.  Last week Luath didn't always want to listen to the whole story but this week she choose to sit and listen to this book often.  This is a library book, but I would add this to a book wish list.

5 a day books
(I started doing this after reading this post from almost a year ago on the Imagination Tree blog about selecting five books to read everyday for a week and why it is important.)
Maisy Luch a'Dol a Chadal

(This was one of last week's 5-a-day, but Luath really enjoys it and since it is a library book I thought we could read it again for another week.)
Picture book, simple text and pictures of Maisy getting ready and going to bed.

Noisy Farm

A board book with flaps.  Sam the sheepdog hears a noise and the book asks would can it me, on the next page you find what is making the noise and then it asks you to look for the animals babies.  Luath didn't get the predicting part but she loves lifting the flaps.  She especially enjoys the last page when Sam is snoring.

Farmyard Hullabaloo

Picture book, rhyming text.  Different farm animals have a page with a picture and a poem. Daddy loved this book, he found it funny and liked to put on different voices for each animal.  Luath wasn't that into it and quite often would close the book and look for the next one to read.  I am sure if we revisit this in a few months she will enjoy it more.

This baby

Board book with flaps.  Luath selected this from her board book box.  It asks who likes to look in the mirror/pat the dog etc, "this baby" and you then lift, move a flap.  This was a free bookbugs book, it is very simple, nothing stunning but Luath finds it enjoyable.


Tickle Tickle

A large board book.  Another free bookbugs book.  Only a few words per double page.  Squelch, squelch in the mud, splish, splash rub a dub, gently gently brush your hair, tickle tickle under there.  Luath very much looks forward to the last pages and the tickles.