Recent kids books to cross my deskEUREKA
Sandy McKay – Mallinson Rendel - $18
Dunedin-based writer McKay is an experienced and award-winning author for children and her latest title is an hilarious look at scientific invention that will be loved by those in the 8-12 age group, especially boys I suspect. Great fun and her wry treatment of the frenetic single parent family will ring true with many readers.
FLICK & FRIENDS – THE BIG STORMJamie Lawrence & Mark Russell – Puffin - $14.95
When my kids were pre-schoolers I must have listened to Flick the Little Fire Engine on the radio many hundreds of times as well as reading them the book which my memory suggests was a Little Golden Book. These days Flick and his fire station friends are published as Picture Puffins. This new one, out next week, is the second in the series and there are more to come. Great fun.
And on the last page Flick’s storm safety tips for the family.
FIRST HUNDRED WORDS IN MAORI
Heather Amery & Stephen Cartwright – Huia - $20
Forerunner to the First Thousand Words in Maori these two titles were originally published in English by the noted UK children’s non-fiction book publisher Usborne, and have been translated into Maori by the good folk at Huia Publishers.
They are bright and entertaining books which include at the end of the book a pronunciation guide and an alphabetical Maori/English list of all the words used.
PETER AND THE PIGSimon Grant & Jenny Cooper
Scholastic – Hardback $29.99 Paperback $16.99
Peter was a pirate.
One day he went into a pet shop.
“I’d like a parrot,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” said the pet shop owner.
“I’ve run out of parrots.
Would you like a pig instead?”
So begins a read-aloud for 3-5 year olds that will have them laughing out loud.
CAPTAIN COUGH-A-LOTGrant Walker & Geoff Tobin
Scholastic - $17.99 (includes CD)
Captain Cough–a-lot was a pirate.
He was small and rather old.
He coughed at night,
He coughed at lunch,
He always had a cold.
His nose was big and always sore,
His eyes were always red.
He kept a giant hanky
In his hat upon his head.
There is nothing quite like rhyming verse for reading aloud to the kids. And if you are too tired to read then slip the CD out of the inside back cover sleeve……………And by way of a bonus the reading on the CD is done by the author, well known broadcaster Grant Walker.
3 comments:
According to Penguin's publicity for the first Flick book, it had never been published in book form before, only recorded.
I'm not entirely sure of the appeal of Captn Cough-a-lot with his germ-ridden handkerchief, or perhaps that's just the mother in me!
Now that I think about it, the Little Golden Book I'm thinking of was probably Little Squirt the Fire Engine. same era as Scuffy the Tugboat, Poky Little Puppy, Tootle the Train and lots of others.Most are still in print.
Flick was the all time favourite though on the Sunday morning request programme.
Forget the germ thing just enjoy the adventure. It is a great story, fantastic syntax, The rhyming allows the children to remember the words easily and they have an interest in books. Teach them the lesson afterwards
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