(a woodland walk before the covid-19 lockdown, March 22nd 2020, my own image)
All the books I read, shared and loved in March and April 2020
Puppy in my Head from Upside Down books. Brilliant, simple mindfulness for children. (@TriggerPub)
The Natural Storyteller - wildlife tales for telling by Georgiana Keeble (@HawthornPressUK) A collection of tales for telling, beginning with some reasons why you might want to become a storyteller - you get to wear a cloak! Full review on the blog here
Storytelling with children by Nancy Mellon (@HawthornPressUK). An introduction to the art of storytelling with ideas for story inspiration. Also reviewed on the blog here
ABC of feelings by Bonnie Lui (@TriggerPub). An abc of feelings, beautifully illustrated and simply described in a few words. Essential for sharing, and for encouraging talk about feelings and developing emotional intelligence early on by describing and naming feelings.
Put your Botty on the Potty by Sam Lloyd. We love Sam Lloyd's books here - the children are especially excited by Calm Down Boris... And this lift the flap, interactive, comical story about potty training is a perfect light-hearted take on the whole potty training thing. Guaranteed to lighten the mood with laughs. (@PavilionBooks)
Build a Castle (@PavilionBooks). Not a book, but a set of cards that slot together to make many castle designs, and perfect for making up your own castle stories.
Reasons to stay alive by Matt Haig (my own copy, from a charity shop). Brilliant, accessible and full of the author's "reasons to stay alive"
Breathe like a bear by Kira Willey and Anni Betts. A series of illustrated mindful moments to share with little ones. (@TriggerPub)
Tomorrow I'll be Brave by Jessica Hische. Wonderfully illustrated with typography describing a series of feelings - adventurous, strong, smart, curious, creative, confident and brave. Perfect for sharing, and naming feelings, enabling our youngest children with a wide ranging vocabulary of emotions. (@TriggerPub) Reviewed on the blog here, along with all the other Upside Down books from Trigger Publishing.
Slinki Malinki, Open the door by Lynley Dodd (my own copy) The children loved all the Slinki Malinki books recently. They joined in with the repeating refrains and laughed at the mess.
The Working Class by Ian Gilbert looks at the problem of the gap in attainment between the "haves and have-nots", with a selection of chapters by a diverse group of people who share a frustration with recent educational policies. (@Crown House Pub)
Neuroscience for Teachers by Richard Churches, Eleanor Dommett and Ian Devonshire. Essential reading for teachers of all age groups, linking what is known about neuroscience, with education and the reality of the classroom. (@CrownHousePub)
Thank You, Mr Panda by Steve Antony. The sequel to Please, Mr Panda. Just brilliant. The children love these and want to hear them over and over again. (from the library)
We should all be feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I will leave it to the author to tell us about this one - "I would like to ask that we begin to dream about and plan for a different world. A fairer world. A world of happier men and happier women who are truer to themselves. And this is how to start: we must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently…" Short and essential reading. (my daughter's copy)
Step by Step by Simon Reeve. The traveller and writer tells his own story. Absolutely brilliant, just like his TV series. (my own copy)
The Boy who would be helicopter by Vivian Gussin Paley. The importance of storytelling in play, and the importance of actively listening to children's play, told through the story of a boy in the author's class called Jason who gradually, through his play with a helicopter, and his stories, becomes part of the classroom community. (my own copy)
Writers' London, a guide to literary people and places by Carrie Kania and Alan Oliver (@ACCArtBooks) - brilliant guide to places in London, from cemeteries to pubs, associated with writers.
Bedtime Daddy by Sahron Giltrow and Katrin Dreiling (@ExisleBooks). Bedtime...turned on it's head - this time its Daddy who is reluctant to go to bed, with hilarious consequences.
Promoting young children's emotional health and wellbeing by Sonia Mainstone-Cotton (from the library)
Exploring wellbeing in the Early Years edited by Julia Manning-Morton (open university press, from the local library where I rushed before it shut for an indefinite length of time due to the coronavirus epidemic, so I could make sure to have plenty of reading to keep me going in the lockdown that would follow). The best early years book I've read in a long time. Inspiring writing about a project looking at the wellbeing of children and the adults that live and work with them.
The Quiet side of Passion by Alexander McCall Smith. The latest instalment in the Sunday Philosophy Club series. Isabel is getting into bother investigating things which might be best left alone really... (my own copy)
And I loved this, from April 2020, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's take on their characters' responses to the Covid-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown here in the UK on 24th March 2020 - Guardian article - https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2020/apr/04/gruffalo-axel-scheffler-and-julia-donaldsons-coronavirus-cartoons
And this - Axel Scheffler's free ebook about the coronavirus for children - https://axelscheffler.com/books-for-older-children/coronavirus
For more, see the It's all about stories Facebook page and pinterest boards -
Facebook | www.facebook.com/itsallaboutstories/
Pinterest | uk.pinterest.com/allaboutstories/
No comments:
Post a Comment