Right Reads…

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My toddler and I were stuck at home for more than a week with croup and a bad flu. Imagine my delight when I found this book about TRAINS online for FREE! It’s a printed book with pages scanned in with permission from the copyright owner.

Written by a Sri Lankan author and illustrator, the book tells the story of Tim and Nelly who are falling asleep when they are woken by a loud noise - a flying train flies through their bedroom window and invites them to hop on board!

Across 14 pages of brightly illustrated pages, the children, the dog, the cat, the doll and teddy bear take a night ride into the sky to see the rainbow, the stars, the moon, the planets. They even crash into a rain cloud and get all wet…

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Tags: FREE

 
BRIGHT BABY BOOKS - TRUCKS, ANIMALS, FIRST WORDS & COLORS
(ISBN: 0-312-49447-5)

I bought this box set of Bright Baby books from Borders for RM63.90, which is value for money because each hardcover book costs about RM15.98 each. There are other books in the series but I chose this set for the varied vocabulary Lucas would encounter through them.

These brighly coloured board books are just the right size for toddlers to handle and turn the pages. Also, the high quality photographs accompanying each word is large, simple and vivid enough to turn on your baby or toddler.

The publishers have also been thoughtful to set each photo against a high contrast, single shaded background - this makes for clear communication to the young toddler who’s still needs a direct relationship between pictures and words e.g. a pair of shoes for “shoes”.

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Tags: babies, basic concepts, picture books, preschooler, toddler

RAILWAY RHYMES - Illustrated by Richard Courtney; Original poems by R. Schuyley Hooke
ISBN: 9-780375-831751

My son received this as a special book from Hubby. Needless to say, it’s his FAVOURITE book which I have to tote everywhere we go!

This thick, cased board book (36 pages) has a variety of long and short rhymes, including a haiku, about Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends on the Isle of Sodor. He got to know most of the characters from this book, rather than from the TV, as we don’t subscribe to the Cartoon Network etc.

Starting with the names of each train (poem titles), we’ve progressed to some of the shorter rhymes that this Mum can muster just before bedtime.

Some of the verses rhyme, some of them don’t - children learn that the English language is a mix of both poetry and prose. Read more »

Tags: boys, Thomas the Tank Engine

Just for You by Christine Leeson

If you’re looking for a book for Mother’s Day or a mother’s birthday, this could be the book for your kids.

“Just for You” is about three little mice on the lookout for Mother’s birthday present. It looks like they have found the perfect gift when an unfortunate incident upsets their good intentions.

At their wits’ end, the mice each scramble out on their own to look for an alternative present. Somehow…every one of them doesn’t seem as right as the first one. Read more »

Tags: animals, preschooler, values

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

If book awards are given for value-for-money, this book will certainly win it. I’m not surprised then to know that this American classic published in 1969 has been translated into over 50 languages!

Reading this book, young children will learn:

1. the metamorphosis/life cycle of an egg –> larva (caterpillar) –> pupa (cocoon) –> butterfly
2. days of the week
3. numbers 1-5
4. different types of fruits and snacks

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Tags: picture book, preschooler

My Dinosaur by Mark Alan Weatherby

Children who love dinosaurs will LOVE this book!

Mark Alan Weatherby, who paints with “fairy dust”, takes us on little Sophi’s night ride with her imaginary friend, the dinosaur.

Together, they sail through the night sky, meet forest creatures, play with fishes and reach for the stars!

The next morning, a yawning Sophi has us guessing if her dinosaur is really her imagination. Or not. Read more »

Tags: dinosaurs, preschooler, toddler

Farm Animals by Luana Rinaldo & Louisa Sladen

Synopsis: Come to the farm and meet all sorts of animals: a cow, a pig, a horse, and a rooster. Pull the tab to see their colours magically appear.

I stumbled upon this cased board book for my toddler while browsing for books that will amuse him and hold his attention. Did it do the trick? You bet!

This is a wonderfully creative book that features bold, colour illustrations of a farm backdrop. One by one, the farm animals are introduced until the last page when they gathered together.

The “magical” part of the book is a tab on each page that transforms the individual farm animal from a black-and-white marker pen outline into its unique colours. Read more »

Tags: babies, interactive, preschooler, toddler

Supermarket! by Charlotte Doyle & Nadine Bernard Westcott

If you are looking for a picture book to prepare your child for regular trips to the supermarket, this is a wonderful choice. I bought this book when my toddler was about 9 months old and he loved flipping through the book while I read out the words.

The first page begins with the Mother entering the sliding doors of the supermarket, with the toddler in the child’s seat. They move through section by section, with single words highlighting the various items a child would pass by while trundling through a supermarket.

The words and illustrations pick up speed and urgency e.g. from “Cherries.” to “Mop!” as the Mother frantically tries to finish her shopping before the Child does further damage…

What I like about the book is that the illustrations are simple but vivid enough to attract and hold a young child’s interest. Also, the single words on each page form an exciting storyline, which will engage a young child and arouse his interest and emotions.

The storyline is familiar yet quirky enough for both Mothers and kids to laugh over and enjoy together.

The items encountered in the supermarket may be more suitable for a Western child, while a child from other parts of the world may not be able to identify with some of the food or sundries the Mother bought.

Reading this book together with Toddler is always an easy joy. Even with only one word on each page, amounting to ten over words, we still ended up with an exciting and fulfilling story. Highly recommended if you want to introduce familiar concepts to tots in a fun way.

Buy the book:

Tags: babies, picture book, preschooler, toddler