A Belated Wednesday Book Nook

Happy spring everyone! Although it hasn't quite been springy over here yet.

Things have been pretty busy over the last week, as we've been working really hard to put together some prototypes for our upcoming Etsy shop (maybe we'll post a sneak peak in the coming week), so Book Nook is coming just a day late. We've got some good ones though, so we hope you'll forgive us!

Our picture book this week is The One & Only by Holly Hobbie, from the Toot & Puddle series. 

Ironically, we weren't going for a pig  theme -- it just happened that way! This is a really adorable little book though, and if your little one enjoys it, there are others to look into. Not to mention, if you head over to the Tood & Puddle website, there are games, videos, and printables! It doesn't get better than that, really.

The story follows Opal, who finds herself a bit frustrated when the new girl at school, Bubbles, decides to copy everything she does. It doesn't help that Bubbles gets all the credit, and everyone starts to absolutely adore her. It isn't until the girls of the class begin to rehearse their big chorus line for the end of the year party that Bubbles reveals her weakness -- she can't dance! Fortunately Opal can, and decides to be the bigger person, and helps Bubbles out. 

The only thing we wished had been included in the story, is a page or two that sums up whether or not Opal and Bubbles become friends (seeing as it's a picture book, we can assume that they did, but you never know). All in all though, this was a great little story, with a lot of excellent material to follow it up with.

Next is an old favourite, Awful End by Philip Ardagh.

This is one of those books that has a quirky, eccentric type of humour. If you or your kids liked A Series of Unfortunate Events, or if you're not quite sure they're ready for that series, this is a good one. It's a part of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy, and there is actually a second trilogy with Eddie Dickens if they really love it. 

As you can imagine, the main character is a boy named Eddie Dickens, and this first book in the trilogy follows him on some hilarious misadventures. It all starts when his parents catch "some awful disease that made them turn yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of old hot-water bottles". We kid you not, those words come directly from the first page of the book. Eddie is sent to live with Mad Uncle Jack, and Even Madder Aunt Maud (and her stuffed stoat) at their house, Awful End. 

This is a great book to read out loud if you like doing voices, because the characters are absolutely hilarious, and it's a bit more of an advanced read if your child is just getting into chapter books. It's divided into "Episodes" instead of chapters, as the author wrote these books in installments for his nephew in boarding school. Definitely gives it a bit of uniqueness, along with great chapter titles (ie. Episode 6 Orphanage - in which geese save Rome).

Happy reading!

~ Sonja & Joy

Wednesday Book Nook

We're back with our second edition of Wednesday Book Nook! 

First up is a cute Easter read called Piggy Bunny, written by Rachel Vail, and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard. 

As you can imagine from the cover, this book tells the story of a young pig (named Liam) who wants nothing more than to be the Easter Bunny. Unfortunately though, his family can't understand why he would want to be anything other than a piglet. It isn't until his grandparents buy him his very own Easter Bunny suit, that Liam full realizes his dream. This story is a testament not only to the wonderful imaginations every child possesses, but is also a story to remind parents to support their children's dreams -- even if it is to be the Easter Bunny!


Our second read is an early reader's chapter book: Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel. Lobel is also the author of the classic Frog and Toad books, so as you can imagine, this one didn't fall short of expectations. 

The neat thing about this book is that there are actually four stories within the main story. The concept is that a young mouse gets snatched up by a hungry weasel who wants to make mouse soup. Mouse is clever though, and convinces Weasel that in order for the soup to taste good, he needs to put stories in the soup. Mouse then tells four short, quirky stories, each containing a particular item that Weasel will then need to collect to put in the soup. However, as soon as Weasel leaves to collect these items, Mouse sneaks to safety. Mouse shows that using your brain and your words are better ways to get you out of sticky situations than rudeness or violence.

This is a great read if your child's at the point where picture books are no longer cutting it. There are still small illustrations throughout the book, but the focus is on the story itself. It's actually categorized as a Reading with Help book, but if you have a strong reader on your hands, it might not be a bad idea to encourage them to try reading the story by themselves, and then regrouping so you can discuss the book -- ask them what they liked, what they didn't like, about each of the characters, and what the author was trying to say through the story.

We hope you enjoyed this wee's Book Nook! Happy reading!

~ Sonja & Joy

Wednesday Book Nook

Good afternoon folks!

We're going to be starting a bit of a tradition around here, and as I'm sure you can guess from the title of this post, we're calling it Wednesday Book Nook. Every Wednesday we'll be featuring two books on the blog: one picture book, and one early chapter book, or middle grade novel. We'll be looking at new releases, classic lit, and pretty much everything in between. Posting it mid-week means that if it sounds like something your little one might be interested in, you can make plans to head on over to your local library on the weekend to scoop it up -- if your library carries it, of course!

Coincidentally, both books we picked up were British. What are the odds?

First up, is the picture book, Bear and Bird by Gwen Millward. 

What a great story about friendship and working together! Bear and Bird are a delightful (and kind of an odd) pair, who live together in a little cabin in the woods. When they run out of the firewood to keep them warm through the cold winter, Bear sets out to find some more -- only to get lost. Bird, being the good friend he is, sets out to find his friend, and bring him home safely. 

This book is filled with lush illustrations that are great for playing "I Spy" with kids. Ask them to point out different objects, or find all the insects on the page. This will keep them occupied for quite a while, and is a wonderful learning opportunity!

Our early chapter book of the week is You, Me, and Thing (The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo) by Karen McCombie.

This one caught both of our attention with its cover alone. Who said you can't judge a book by its cover? The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo revolves around three characters: Ruby Morgan (who narrates the tale), her friend and neighbour, Jackson Miller, and their magical friend/pet/thing, Thing -- who can't keep from getting into trouble. Especially when they bring him along to a friend's pool party! 

The pages are chock full of quirky illustrations, and fun British terms that you and your reader will have fun deciphering and researching, and the wild characters provide an excellent opportunity to read aloud and play with voices. The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo is actually the third book in a series of three, and we can't wait to get our hands on the rest of them!

~ Sonja & Joy