KidStyleFile’s Home Library Picks: The Best New Books for Babies & Kids Reviewed, March 2010
Posted: March 25th, 2010Today’s post written by Peta
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I took to skipping down nostalgia lane this month when a favourite childhood book turned up in the letterbox. It gave me a warm fuzzy glow – I felt like I was five again! So along with some other great new release kids’ books, I’ll share an old fave with you in the hope it sparks memories for you, too!
Looking to connect with some tried and true a favourites? Check out the KidStyleFile Reader’s Choice Top 40 Children’s Books.
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There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Eating Cake (30th Anniversary Edition) by Hazel Edwards, illustrations by Deborah Niland, $24.99 $23.97
Well … anything? Does it trigger sweet recollections of story time at the local library, or the teacher reading to you after lunch? Even if it’s not a book you recall, you should be pleased Penguin Books has breathed new life into this title with a 30th anniversary edition.
The cake-eating hippo hero of this tale lives on the roof of a young girl’s house. The roof is leaking, and she knows why – There’s a hippopotamus on our roof eating cake. The imaginary (of course!) hippo shares lots of experiences with our protagonist that are new or slightly daunting for her. When she cuts her knee and has stitches put in, the hippo confides that he too has a sore knee. The hippo indulges in many hobbies that are off limits for our girl, like staying up late to watch television. And he doesn’t get cross with her when she’s in trouble! It’s good to have a friend like our sweet-tooth hippo who reassures you when things are scary, and who knows how to have fun.
Melbourne author Hazel Edwards has written a whole wildly successful series centred around the hippo’s antics, with topics including starting school, having a new baby in the family, getting sunburnt and just out this month, having a birthday party. Both you and your kids will love retreating into the enchanting fantasy world of the world’s most famous hippo and his little offsider.
ALSO OUT THIS MONTH: Hooray! There’s a Hippopotamus on Our Roof Having a Birthday Party by Hazel Edwards, illustrations by Deborah Niland, $24.99 $23.95
Whose Eyes? by Jeanette Rowe, $12.99
The author’s website claims the books in the Whose? Series are suitable for babies and toddlers. However, it took my one-year-old ripping a few pages of Whose Eyes? for me to conclude that board books are still a better option for those fond of tearing and chewing! But if your child has passed this stage, Whose Eyes? will delight readers aged 1 to 5.
Little ones will see an animal’s eyes on each page, then flip the flaps throughout the book to see who is hiding underneath – possums, crabs, owls and snails are just some of the featured creatures. Australian author and illustrator Jeannette Rowe is one lucky (and hard-working!) duck – once a teacher and curriculum writer, her new career began when she illustrated Paul Jennings’ first picture book in 1991. But four years later when her daughter was born, Jeanette’s drawings became less complex and more suited to her baby. Jeanette’s Whose and Yo Yo series’ were born (as well as numerous others) and she has now sold well over a million books in fourteen countries and nine languages.
Dog Day by Sarah Hayes, illustrated by Hannah Broadway, $14.99
One of the many traits I find so adorable in kids is their keen sense of the ridiculous. Pretend to eat their foot and they think it’s the most hilarious thing in the world! This book embraces the ridiculous and improbable, taking it to new heights, and having a lot of fun along the way.
Dog Day tells of Ben and Ellie’s day at school with their new teacher. But wait – their teacher is a dog named Riff! When Riff wags his tail, the whole class wag their bottoms. When Riff takes a nap, so do the class. And on in this fashion the day progresses, until Mrs Pink the principal enters the classroom. Uh oh – she looks cross. But even SHE can’t resist Riff’s doggy charms!
Welsh author Sarah Hayes’ latest work is guaranteed to bring about big belly laughs as your littlies sniff and dig and wriggle like Riff. The simple, gleeful illustrations by Hannah Broadway (the author’s daughter-in-law) in Dog Day set off the high energy prose perfectly.
Look See, Look at Me! by Leonie Norrington, illustrated by Dee Huxley, $24.99 $23.97
This book is a gorgeous celebration of a child’s life in an outback Aboriginal town. Our main character is an active and boisterous three-year-old boy who proudly shows off all the different things he can do: Look see, look at me! I’m so much bigger now I’m three. He can run, jump, swing, hop, wiggle, cuddle … and so on. It’s a beautiful portrayal of family life and growing up in an indigenous community. What I really noticed was that the endearing protagonist amuses himself without toys, instead enjoying and interacting with his environment and his loving family. (In the final pages of the book, he climbs way too high up a tree, alarming his worried relatives on the ground).
Author Leonie Norrington was born in Darwin. The third of nine children, she grew up at Barunga Aboriginal community, south of Katherine. She and illustrator Dee Huxley visited three northern communities, Wugularr, Barunga and Manyalalluk, to workshop words and the stunning drawings for this book. The authenticity of Look, See shines through. Your children will love its rhyming text and the infectious exuberance of its hero.
Fishpond Bookstore charges $ 5.99 flat rate postage Australia-wide. Orders $50+ are shipped free.
To celebrate the new range, BabyLegs are offering all KSF readers 10% off the entire range and FREE Express Post Australia-wide on orders $50+. Enter coupon code ‘KSF-BL-MAR10‘ at checkout to redeem until 23 April 2010.
