Top 10

Danielle Joyce and Chantelle Wright chose:

A true story inspired Eric Carle to write this book. When a storm hit a cargo ship in 1992, a large crate containing 29,000 rubber ducks was swept over board. The ducks were washed ashore all over the world having travelled faster than the ocean currents.  In a story and typical Carle collage pictures we learn about 10 of these little rubber ducks.  We see how from factory assembly line to crate driven by lorry to a ship the little rubber ducks are taken across the wide sea to faraway countries. Suddenly a storm hits the cargo ship and one of the crates is thrown into the water. The box opens and 10 little rubber ducks fall out. The ten little rubber ducks drift apart. The first little rubber duck drifts west. A dolphin jumps over it. The 2nd little rubber duck drifts east. A seal barks at it. And so on until the 10^th little rubber duck meets a mother duck and her ducklings, who adopt the rubber duck. As night falls the family Quack goodnight to each other and if you press the little rubber duck you can hear his squeak of joy.

Joseph Kennedy-Pinnock and Kurt Wilbraham chose:

Older children might be excused for feeling that this smallish book, with simple print and naïve-style black outlined drawings, had been created by another child. Far from it; this first in an Albert series introduces simple philosophy asking some of the challenging questions that interest children.

One rainy afternoon Albert had done everything. There was nothing left to do, and since it was still raining, Albert began to think……

If I am in my house….. and my house is in the street……near the park …. In the town….and the town is in the country …. And the country is on the earth…and the Earth is in the universe…. Then what is the universe in?

Although his mother shouts from downstairs What are you doing?  Albert was already on the way to his biggest adventure yet. Guess what?

What makes you or anyone special? Do you look like your best friend? No you look like you!

People come in all different skin colours. Some people have short hair. Others have long hair.

Some people like to dance. Others like to paint.

There are as many different kinds of people in this world as there are clouds in the sky and fish in the sea. But EVERY ONE IS SPECIAL, including me!

This story ends with a chart to be filled up, which includes Name. Height. Weight, Skin Colour, Hair and Hobbies with a built in mirror on the back cover to help. This humorous picture book helps children to think positively about themselves and warmly about others of different races and backgrounds. For many children this book sparks off projects. Some create their own simpler

flap-up books about their family, their looks as well as likes and dislikes!

From the creator of Can You Spot the Spotty Dog? another hide-and-seek game-like story picture book. A group of 10 animals decide to play and ask the reader to be the seeker. On each page one of the 10 animals is in a different environment and you have to find it before you can move on to the next page. Who is hiding in the field? He’s sleek and white with paws and claws. If in doubt you can always turn to the first page to check the description with the picture of the 10 animal players. Well done! You’ve found that cat. Now who is hiding in the yard? He hangs around Upside down……Well done! You’ve found that bat. Now who is hiding in the meadow?

The last one left has won the game. Who is it? Before you open the grandfather clock door ask children to guess. As in Rowe’s other book children pore over this book playing the game over and over again although they already know the answers.

After this book experience children should have sufficient language to play hide-and-seek in English!

Did you know that sheep and lambs make various kinds of BAA? When Baa is near it's loud and clear. When Baa is far it's hard to hear. But When sheep are climbing they don't have enough breath to baaaa …. They just huff and puff and puff and huff. The best Baas are The ones they say to their ma's and pa's Baaaaa! Find out how to make all the different types of Baas and if you are not sure there is an illustrated check list to help you. A great story to read aloud joining in making your own soft and loud Baas. Adapt the story replacing the Baas with a  dog's woofs or a cat's meows.

Georgina and Danielle liked this because 'it looked like a girly book' and was about Princesses, one of their favourite topics. They summed up their views as follows: It is a book of make-believe and happy endings.  We particularly liked the story of Sleeping Beauty, which was slightly different to the one we know, the Queen was in the bath when she met the frog! 

A unique and moving story about a yellow, outer space creature called Beegu lost on earth and looking for her mother. Beegu, with three eyes and very long ears, soon found no one seemed to understand her. She spoke another language and Wouldn’t someone stay still to listen. From far away she thought she heard her mother calling……. But it wasn’t her. Beegu didn’t like being alone. She needed to find some friends ….. and she did at last –some snugly puppies in a box!

One full moon night she thought she heard her mother calling      and this time it was.

After a visit to an animal Portrait Gallery, Benjamin says Why don’t I paint myself? It looks quite easy.Paint, canvas, water, brush …. Now it’s up to me. First a pencil sketch. Now to brighten it up. PAINTS. Oh dear. What a mess! Benjamin had to clean himself up and fell into the water. Now back to work. But Benjamin was not satisfied. There must be a way to get a perfect likeness. Photography…I shouldn’t have any trouble with that. Just hold steady and …CLICK! But that didn’t work either. Guess why? A delightful book with simple text that leads on to drawing portraits, and also taking photo portraits, without making Benjamin’s mistakes, and then comparing the two.