BOOKS
Etch Art: A new series of fun children's books
Both of my girls adore EtchArt. It's one of those brilliant activities which you can whip out wherever you are -- in a restaurant, in the car, travelling on a plane or simply being mindful at home. So I was thrilled when I saw the fun activity being transformed into a beautiful set of children's ...
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BOOKS
A book series my 9-year-old daughter loves
Ivy received a copy of Withering-by-Sea by Judith Rossell in her Christmas stocking this year, and she loved it so much, we had to quickly run back to the bookstore to buy the next two books in the series. She tells me these are her new favourite books, so I just knew I had to share ...
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BOOKS
Coloring Without Borders -- a collaborative coloring book for charity
When my friend Jennifer Sofio Hall from Elastic TV reached out to share the concept behind her new project, I loved it immediately and couldn't wait to share it here. Following the crisis at the US border earlier this year where hundreds of families were separated from each other, Jenn came up with an idea. ...
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BOOKS
Personalised books for children featuring the child and the people they love most
Kids love personalised books. Full stop. We have collected a few over the years for our kids, and they still love those books so much. It's like there is something magical and compelling reading a book about YOU! This new personalised book, Ready or Not here comes.... by Sydney-based publisher MeMeMe Press takes it one step further. ...
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BOOKS
Older Not Wiser (Bad Nana) by Sophy Henn
It's official! Sophy Henn has done it again; this time in the form of a hilarious chapter book. First she gave us Where Bear?, then Pass It On and Edie, followed by Almost Anything and now Older Not Wiser (Bad Nana)!! Older Nor Wiser is rather a change in genre for Sophy Henn and I ...
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FUN
'All the Ways to be Smart', a charming new picture book with a beautiful message
All The Ways to be Smart is the most beautiful, brilliant new picture book. Full stop. Charming illustrations in pretty, appealing colours? Check. Great rhyming text that is super fun to read aloud? Check. A wonderful message conveyed in a beautiful non-judgey way? Check. The book is a joyful celebration of childhood and all the ...
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COLOURING AND ACTIVITY BOOKS
Storytime Magazine, short stories on your doormat
Is there anything better than magazine mail day? My children look forward to it ALL week. Usually on Thursdays, they get their children's newspaper, their horse riding magazine, their junior National Geographic magazine AND, once a month, Storytime Magazine. They all LOVE this magazine! Storytime Magazine is a subscription magazine for kids, packed with brilliant ...
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BOOKS
Wilkie's favourite books -- a round-up of the best books for toddlers
We have already shared our team's favourite baby & toddler books, which is a wonderful round-up of books for the 0-3 age, but as I was looking at Wilkie's little box of books in his bedroom, I realised there are some favourites in there that haven't been mentioned here before. Some of them have been ...
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PICTURE BOOKS
The Color Monster: a pop-up book of feelings
The Color Monster is a stunning pop-up book which gently encourages children to make sense of muddled emotions. The googly-eyed monster sorts his mixed-up emotions, represented by different colors, into jars. Each page is a color, each color is an emotion, and each emotion has its own place. Sadness, anger, fear, happiness, and calm are all communicated ...
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BOOKS
'Fergus & Delilah' -- a story about a boy with Autism and the importance of inclusion
Fergus & Delilah is a beautiful picture book that celebrates diversity and encourages inclusion. The book was co-created and illustrated by Míša Alexander, a local mother of three boys, one of whom is on the Autism Spectrum (her son, Hugo, was at school with our kids before they changed schools this year). Míša set out to ...
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TOP TEN BOOK LISTS
Illustrator Bella Gomez shares her 10 favourite children's books
Bella Gomez is a UK-based artist and the illustrator of the beautiful new book, 5 Wild Numbers. She grew up on the beautiful Dorset coast in England, moved to London when she was 18 and now lives with her two children in Lewes, just outside of Brighton. Her journey in design and prints started with her own ...
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BOOKS
'Joy' by Corrinne Averiss and Isabelle Follath
When I saw Corrine Averiss' book called JOY, I couldn't help but fall in love with it. With such a fun-loving cover and equally stunning illustrations inside, JOY really does measure up to its title. This thoughtful story highlights the relationship one child has with her grandmother. As Fern sees that her Nanna has not ...
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BOOKS
'The Explorer' by Katherine Rundell, a captivating chapter book
How gorgeous has summer been in Europe? Oh my goodness we are loving it! These slow, happy, sunshiny days are just perfect. With all of the rushing around and non-stop school days it has been so good to have time together. We've still had a slight routine in that in the mornings we've been getting ...
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BOOKS
'5 Wild Numbers' by Bella Gomez
Bella Gomez is a UK-based designer, illustrator, a mum of young children and a reader of this blog. We were so thrilled when she reached out to us recently to introduce us to her new children's board book, '5 Wild Numbers'. The concept of the book is simple -- count the wild animals one to ...
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PICTURE BOOKS
Florette By Anna Walker
I am a huge fan of Anna Walker. Her work is deeply absorbing. Beautifully and gently illustrated, Anna's latest book, Florette, is well loved in our collection of books and one which I can highly recommend. Each and every page is mesmerising and every time you open up Florette a new detail in the illustrations is ...
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TEENAGERS
Great books for teenagers -- Sara's favourite reads
Sara (now 13) is a big reader. She seriously devours books! It's such a pleasure to see her being absorbed by captivating stories, strange worlds and exciting adventures. Especially since I was exactly like her as a teenager. I've asked her to share a list of books she would recommend to readers of around her ...
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BOOKS
'If All the World Were...' by Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys
Joseph Coelho has perfectly captured the sensitivity of talking about death and dying to very young children through his new book, If All The World Were. A book which is moving yet lyrical, gentle and softly spoken. Coelho's book is about a young girl's love for her Grandfather. She recalls moments of their life together ...
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BOOKS
Mrs Wordsmith
I find teaching kids how to read and expanding their vocabulary such an interesting subject. There are so many different theories and there are so many different methods out there, which makes it hard to figure out what works. Children are also so very different. One of my kids picked up a book at age ...
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BOOKS
'People of Peace' by Sandrine Mirza
It's the beginning of the summer holidays for us and we've spent the first week taking it easy around the house, catching up with friends and enjoying this glorious sunny weather in the garden. The best part of each day though is in the afternoon when we take five, drink iced tea and read books ...
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TEAM FAVOURITES
Team Favourites: Best London-themed picture books
Our London ShopUp event is just around the corner -- taking place in Shoreditch on June 9th and 10th! (Mark your diaries and don't miss it!) So, with London on our minds, we've rounded up our favourite London-themed picture books. Whether you live in London, travel to London, or simply want to teach your children ...
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PARENTING
Reading to older children-- fun and beneficial
My kids love reading. Pim and Sara really devour books, and Ava has also recently gotten the hang of it. They are entirely captivated by their books! (Poor Casper, it can be frustrating to be the only one unable to read!) I suppose it can be a natural transition to stop reading to children when ...
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BOOKS
'Magic Beach' by Alison Lester
Alison Lester is one of Australia's most beloved children's authors, and with the book now celebrating its 20th anniversary, it's safe to say that Alison Lester's 'Magic Beach' is a true Australian classic. It's definitely a big-time favourite in our home. It's not always the case that a children's book is fun to read aloud, ...
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PICTURE BOOKS
A new 'How To' series from Wide Eyed Editions
Florence and I are absolutely delighted with this new series of 'How To' books. Florence loves looking and learning about new languages. (I think she sees Helena confidently chat in Dutch and in French and sees a great role model!) We already have a small collection of French reading books and some Dutch books for ...
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