3 Favourite Reads…..for kids and adults!

Written by Alison Marsh, Speech Pathologist.

I am always on the lookout for entertaining and engaging children’s books… books that I enjoy reading just as much as the kids. When our little ones bring us the same book over and over and over again, it’s a bonus if it’s one that we actually like reading! So I thought I would share with you my top 3 picture book reads… popular with the Marsh boys and myself!

# 1 Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
From the author of ‘The Gruffalo’, comes the delightful tale of a not-so-wicked witch and her cat, who through a series of unfortunate events, meet an eager dog, a well-mannered green bird and a fastidious frog, who are all keen to climb aboard the witch’s broom. Too many passengers however, results in disaster! Enter a dragon “as mean as can be”. One good turn deserves another and the witch’s kind heartedness is rewarded when her new friends (and her old cat) come to her rescue!  This is such an engaging story, filled with sing-song rhyme, lovable characters (brought to life by Axel Scheffler) and repetitive text to encourage little ones to join in …”The witch tapped the broomstick and whoosh! they were gone.” And I must say I love the portrayal of a friendly witch!

#2 I Took the Moon for a Walk by Carolyn Curtis and illustrated by Alison Jay

“I took the Moon for a walk last night.
It followed behind like a still summer kite,
Though there wasn’t a string or a tail in sight
when I took the Moon for a walk.”

I find this book almost peaceful to read, with its poetic verse. It is the story of a small boy exploring night time wonders as he “takes the moon for a walk”. He is protective of the moon, which in turn, “shares its sweet sleepy light” as he sleeps. Alison Jay’s illustrations are nothing short of stunning, with intricate detail, and much to chat about. The last two pages offer some interesting facts about the moon and night-time creatures. This is a wonderful story at any time, but perfect for bed.

#3 The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland
I think it’s the illustrations I love most about this book! The poor old cranky bear just wants to sleep (don’t we all get a little cranky in this case!), but he is interrupted in his nice warm cave by four little friends looking for somewhere to play on a cold and rainy day! Well, three of the little friends are filled with vanity and assume the bear is cranky because he looks a bit plain, so set about sharing what they consider are their best assets. Not surprisingly, the bear is none too pleased with his new adornments! Thank goodness for a quiet and thoughtful sheep who shares what he has to make the bear much less cranky, not to mention cosy.
The illustrations are very gorgeous, vibrant and expressive, with wonderful, humorous, rhyming text yet again. Warning… character voices, expression and interpretation are a must!

Hope this gives some inspiration to those with new books on the Easter wish list!

Happy Chatting (and Reading)
Alison