Book Review

Dear Zoo – by Rod Campbell

Synopsis:

This book tells the story of a letter written to the zoo, asking for a pet. A succession of animals are despatched, all of them highly unsuitable, until finally the last one arrives.

Review:

This is a very readable and enjoyable book. It has plenty of appeal with gorgeous illustrations and flaps to fiddle with. As well as being great fun it is also educational teaching children concepts such as “too tall” and “too grumpy” as well as teaching them why zoo animals can’t be kept as pets. It’s great for little hands and the flaps are sturdy and encourage hand and eye co-ordination. It not only encourages animal recognition but animal sounds and sizes.

This book has remained a favourite from very early on, and we have not grown bored of reading it almost every day.

Book Review

Book Review

Fix it Duck – By Jez Alborough (Ages 3 & up)

This is a short, rhyming story which would make an excellent read-aloud for younger kids. The illustrations are exuberant and whimsical, with enough attention to detail to reward repeat reading.

Duck is sitting in his living room on a rainy day when a drop of water drips into his tea cup. He immediately launches into “Fix-it-duck” mode setting out to repair the roof. But he doesn’t have a ladder so he sets out to borrow one from his friend, Sheep. Sheep mentions that the window in his own roof leaks and “Fix-it-duck” is on the job again...

The Reader rapidly figures out that “Fix-it-duck”, while well-intentioned, is an uncoordinated and accident-prone menace. He combines guileless ego and an over-reaching confidence and a breezy facility & wreaks havoc as a self-appointed handyman. But the thing about Duck is that he never gives up when things don’t go as planned.

This book is an excellent aid in engaging in thought provoking conversations. Can teach values such as ‘never give up’, ‘think twice before you act’, ‘be proactive’ etc.

This has been a very welcome addition to our home library.

Book Review

Book Review

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? - By Bill Martin, Jr.

With more than two million copies sold, ‘Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’ has opened up a world of learning to a generation of children. This book doesn’t have a story per se, but it seems to be just right for the child who is beginning to discover the larger world.

Even though the recommended reader age is 2-5, my daughter has enjoyed this book from a very young age. In no time she was able to repeat with me and memorized it word to word. It is one of our family favourites.

This is a book that grows with the child and will continue to be enjoyable. At first, the repetition of words and the rhythm and colourful illustrations is fun for young ones. Then they enjoy recognizing the colours & animals. It can also be used to incorporate interactive reading by making animal sounds as you read and also identifying body parts.

This book passes the test of being read over and over and is a fun learning tool. It begs to be chanted by parents who will be reading it for the umpteenth time. I highly recommend this delightful book.