BOOKS
Nell & the Circus of Dreams -- an inspiring book about dreams coming true
For seven years I have been to the most magical and inspiring summertime event in the UK called Gifford's Circus. I wrote about our family trip to Gifford's Circus last year, (if you live in the UK, book tickets today! It is truly amazing!!!). And last weekend, as our last holiday as a family of four ...
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FOOD
A cookbook addiction
I would say on a scale of 1 to 10, I am somewhere around a 7 regarding my addiction to cookbooks. Every time I am in a bookshop, an unknown force pulls me over to the cookbook section, where I can spend hours looking at pictures, deliberating over recipes and projecting myself into my kitchen ...
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PICTURE BOOKS
Tad -- Sometimes the biggest stories have the smallest beginnings
Tad is tiny. She is the smallest almost-a-frog in the whole wide pond! She is even smaller than all of her tad brothers and tad sisters. As they are rushing through the shallow waters together, she has to wiggle her tail twice as hard to keep up. As the days go by, the tadpoles grow ...
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BOOKS
'Harold Snipperpot's Best Disaster Ever' by Beatrice Alemagna
Beatrice Alemagna is an author/illustrator living in Paris with her husband and two daughters. She has now published more than 30 books, including On A Magical Do Nothing Day and The Marvellous Fluffy Squishy Itty Bitty, which Vanessa has shared about here. Her newest book, Harold Snipperpot's Best Disaster Ever, is as delightful and whimsical ...
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BOOKS
Witchfairy -- a book about being brave and finding your place in the world
Witchfairy by Brigitte Minne and Carll Cneut is a new favourite book in our house. This is a book about finding your own place in the world, and I can't imagine any child wouldn't like the delightful messages in this book. An adventurous and brave daughter fairy who has an independent and curious spirit questions her ...
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BOOKS
Tales From Nature: A cheerful new wildlife series for young children
Spring is in the air (hurray) and with that are these recently released gorgeous new board books, Tales from Nature, highlighting the cheery new wildlife we see in nature. There are currently two titles in the series, 'Bird' and 'Rabbit' and they are just delightful for all young readers. They are bright and engaging with ...
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PICTURE BOOKS
'The Ear' by Piret Raud. A book about the importance of listening.
When Van Gogh famously cut off his ear, the question arose -- what happened to the ear without its head? Estonian writer and illustrator Piret Raud was inspired, and wrote a beautifully illustrated story about that one lonely ear. The ear at first is quite helpless, as she is alone and without guidance. But before ...
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EDUCATION
Greek myths for children -- fascinating and magical!
We're going to Athens this weekend! It's going to be a short trip but we're all super exited. I've been to Athens a few times before, and I just love that city -- the mix of the old and the new is so magical. To get everyone in the spirit of the (Old) Greeks and ...
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BOOKS
'There are no Grown-Ups' by Pamela Druckerman
It really is a funny thing getting older and having older children. Babies and toddlers keep us so busy that we don't have a lot of time to think, and though it is exhausting and exhilarating at the same time, it does have the benefit of distracting us from the realisation that we are ...
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BOOKS
'Everyone Eats' by Julia Kuo, a cute book for toddlers
We've recently added the cute book, 'Everyone Eats', to Wilkie's book basket in his bedroom, and it's quickly become a bedtime favourite. It's a cute and simple book, featuring different groups of animals on each page and the foods they eat: rabbits eat carrots, deer eat lettuce, bears eat honey, etc. Not only does Wilkie love ...
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BOOKS
A Murder Most Unladylike - A Whodunit Series for Tween Girls
Helena recently received the first book in the series Murder Most Unladylike and she is utterly hooked. The series, which is written by British-American writer, Robin Stevens, tells of the mysteries that two friends must solve whilst at school at Deepdean School for Girls. I have overheard Helena tell her friends and family over the holidays ...
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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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