bubble trouble

When I came across the poem Bubble Trouble by Margaret Mahy a few years ago, I thought it would make a lovely picture book. And now it is. I wasn’t sure whether the children at playgroup would be able to sit through a reading of the whole book. Twenty-two pages of dense, tongue-twisting text. I […]

mbobo tree

Millard, G. (author) & White, A. (illustrator). (2009). Mbobo Tree. London: Scholastic. I never intended for this blog to include book reviews. However, the children’s books I am featuring are so darned good everyone should know about them. Glenda Millard is an Australian author, and I had never heard of her before I purchased this […]

the tree

Lyons, D. (author) & Danioth, D. (illustrator). (2002). The Tree. Bellevue, WA: Illumination Arts Publishing Company. I love a book that makes the playgroup parents gasp, roll around in laughter, or clap at the end of the story. My aim at storytime is to engage the parents as much as the kids. I read the […]

where is the green sheep?

Fox, M. & Horacek, J. (2004). Where is the green sheep? Melbourne: Penguin Group. I have a confession. I am not terribly keen on all of the books that Mem Fox has written. Australians are aghast when I say that. Mem Fox has superhero status here, but I approach all of her books with caution. […]

clancy the courageous cow

Hume, L. (2006). Clancy the courageous cow. Sydney: Scholastic. This book was written and illustrated by a 12 year-old Australian lad. His teacher gave him 9 out of 10 for the project. Clancy possibly should have been called a bull, but it would have messed with the alliteration. This book deals with difference, discrimination, poverty, the cycle of disadvantage, […]

mr archimedes’ bath

I love doing interactive text reading with kids. This a fancy term from early literacy theory which among other things tunes children into text. I don’t have time to write about it at the moment but if you are interested, you can read the Text Talk article here. I will do a post soon. I […]

stick man

Donaldson, J. (author) & Scheffler, A. (2008). Stick man. London: Scholastic. Stick man is just minding his business, going for a jog, when someone mistakes him for a fetching stick, a pooh stick, a nesting stick, a flag pole for the top of a sand castle, a sword, a hook, a boomerang, an arm for […]

the wonky donkey

Smith, C. (author) & Cowley, K (illustrator). (2009). The Wonky Donkey. Auckland: Scholastic. Great for young and old. Guaranteed to invoke a good old belly laugh. It has beautiful rhyme and repetition that young children will pick up quickly. I could never tire of this book. What do you call a donkey who: has three three legs and one eye; likes […]

foods with moods

Freymann, S. & Elffers, J. (1999). How are you peeling: Foods with moods. NY: Scholastic Inc.     I read this book aloud for the children at play group during circle time. The book has photographs of foods and rhyming text about emotions, for example… “Wired? Tired? Need a kiss? Do you know anyone like this? […]