Right Reads…

The Flying Train by Janaki Sooriyarachchi

Posted November 24, 2008

If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

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…

Tags: FREE

Potty book for boys by Allysa Satin Capucilli and Dorothy Scott

Posted October 25, 2008

Comments(2)

I got this book way before I started potty training with my toddler. When he showed interest in using the potty, I thought it’s a good time to start reading about it

“The Potty Book for Boys” tells the story of Henry, a boy who can do many things i.e. run and jump, play on the slide, brush his own teeth. He’s ready to use the potty and his parents help him.

Henry gets a BIG present, which contains his new potty where he must “pee” and “poop”. He starts by sitting on the potty with either a book, a teddy or a song!

Bright Baby books

Posted July 30, 2008

Comments(0)

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”.

The Great Book of Transport

Posted July 7, 2008

Comments(0)

The Great Book of Transport: The Beginner’s Guide to Land, Air and Sea transportation
by Lynne Gibbs
Publisher: Alligator
(ISBN: 1-84239-944-6)

When my toddler’s included trucks as well as trains, I knew I needed a book to help me with the vocabulary for this traditionally male territory. Not knowing if I may need to know about other types of transport, I was glad I found this bumper book!

Recommended for ages 9-12, this hardcover 150 page reference contains more than 400 full colour photographs of the “biggest, boldest and most stunning models” of all time (as at 2006, that is).

Thomas and Friends: Railway Rhymes

Posted May 19, 2008

Comments(0)

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

Posted May 7, 2008

Comments(0)

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

Posted May 4, 2008

Comments(4)

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:

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

Tags: picture book, preschooler