If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
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
The Star That Fell by Karen Hayles and Cliff Wright
This picture book with beautiful life-like water colour illustrations caught my eye at a second-hand bookstore. Published by Ladybird, I was immediately curious to see if the story is as good as it looks.
The story begins with:
“One night a star fell…”
and we are taken on the little star’s adventure in the woods as it meets different animals who do different things with it.
Finally, the star is brought to a little girl named Maddy. After a chat with her father, Maddy makes an incredibly selfless move that leads to a happy ending for all.
Children will learn about animals’ habits and habitats while adults will enjoy reading the book aloud with their kids.
Most importantly, a child will take delight in the animals the bright star meets in its adventure and the little girl’s actions when she finds it.
An excellent “do-the-right-thing” book without sonding preachy.
Knowing that this 1996 book is now out-of-print has made my used copy more precious. I only wish that the previous owner (or the parents) had the sense not to deface the book cover with a crude felt tip pen drawing of a face on the star!
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.
Ok, I really need the experts on Chinese culture and customs to help me out on this one. As my father had recently passed away, I’m wondering if I can celebrate Chinese New Year?
When he died:
…my Mum was prohibited from visiting my cousin (or even my auntie’s house) as she’d recently gotten married.
…none of [...]<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/ABananaInChina/~4/412856838" height="1" width="1"/>
, 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.
