The Queen of the birds written by Karine Polwart and iillustrated by Kate Leiper. This is a gorgeous book from a winning team of a Scottish songwiter, musician and storyteller, and an artist who regularly exhibits and undertakes commissions, particularly mythical and animal subjects. There's been a terrible storm in the Kingdom of birds, and they're looking for a leader. All the birds from far and wide came to help - penguin, eagle, wren, parrot, crow, pheasant, grouse and starling. A delightful tale of working together to overcome adversity and a perfect bedtime story.
Mouse and Mole - Lo and Behold! by Joyce Dunbar and illustrated by James Mayhew. Another adventure to the world of Mouse and Mole from the wonderful storyteller Joyce Dunbar, gorgeously illustrated by James Mayhew. The first of three short stories, "Snowmole" is about making a "snowsomething" with friends. In "Lo and Behold!" we find Mouse declaring that it is the first of December already, so the Christmas preparations must begin. And the third short story is "A bump in the night" where we find our friends Mouse and Mole on Christmas Eve wondering what they have forgotten to do. A spoiler... they forgot to do a lot... Much hilarity and warmth in these lovely tales perfect for telling on a chilly winter bedtime. Published by Graffeg on 21st October 2021. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/mouse-mole-lo-and-behold
The a to z of dogs puzzle from Laurence King publishers, and illustrated by Seungyoun Kim. A lovely long and thin puzzle with big pieces perfect for little hands showing 26 different dog breeds. This would make a lovely Christmas gift for a dog-loving family.
Developing a loving pedagogy in the early years - how love fits with professional practice by Tamsin Grimmer. A couple of years ago I watched an interview by Kathy Brodie with Tamsin Grimmer, and had also seen a presentation by Jools Page whose work on Professional Love is mentioned by Tamsin Grimmer in the introduction to this book, and which inspires her to investigate the concept further, and to write a Master's dissertation on the subject, and then a book! As I read this, I'm astounded by how much can be written on the subject of love in the early years. Tamsin Grimmer has broken it down accessibly and constructively, including sections on defining love, safeguarding, professional love, touch, love languages, holding children in mind (mind mindedness), relationships with parents and carers, along with plenty of ideas all the way through on applying the concept in practice. A lovely touch all the way through the book is quotes from practitioners from a diverse range of settings including nurseries, schools and childminders. Because whether we work in a group setting or a home based setting, the children need secure, trusting and loving relationships and attachments in order to have high wellbeing and to learn. It's also a pertinent topic in our world right now. We desperately need more kindness, empathy and love for each other, for nature and for our planet, and if we start with the children in our care, who of course, we love dearly, then we will set them up for the future too. I really liked this book - it's the sort of professional book that gives us knowledge, while at the same time showing us how to apply that knowledge in a really accessible way. Published by Routledge - find out more here - https://www.routledge.com/Developing-a-Loving-Pedagogy-in-the-Early-Years-How-Love-Fits-with-Professional/Grimmer/p/book/9780367902667# @Tamsin Grimmer on Facebook.
World Tales for Family Storytelling - 53 traditional stories for children aged 4-6 by Chris Smith. The introduction, by well-known childrens' author Jamila Gavin, tells of how, as a child, she had limited access to children's books, so her mother, a passionate reader, used to tell stories about the books that she was reading, with bedtime stories especially memorable, and that this is what turned her into a storyteller herself. The author explains that the stories within this volume are designed to be re-told from memory, with benefits ranging from building vocabulary to developing empathy, and becoming a confident communicator. The stories presented here are from all over the world, England and Wales, Thailand, Czech Republic, Africa, China, Australia and many more. I'm delighted to see The Pedlar of Swaffham included as it's from the town where I grew up, as well as well-known favourites like The Little Red Hen, The Magic Paintbrush and Rumplestiltskin. This is a lovely collection for a family to begin a storytelling journey, or for practitioners working with children to use as an excellent respource. Published by Hawthorn Press - find out more here - https://www.hawthornpress.com/books/storytelling/storytelling-storytelling/world-tales-for-family-storytelling/
George the Wombat - A Potty Companion by Eva Papouskova and Galina Miklinova. George is a little wombat with a big problem - he really needs to do a poo, but no matter what advice he gets from his friends, he's just not having any luck. This is a perfect comapnion for a potty training toddler, with hilarious illustrations to accompany the gentle, empathetic story. And did you know - wombats are the only animal that does a cube shaped poo!! Published by Graffeg on 11/11/21
Rita wants a robot by Maire Zepf and illustrated by Mr Ando. Rita's very messy, and her latest imaginative idea is a super robot that would super-sort everything out for her. She could make as much mess as she liked and her mum would never tell her to tidy up again. But what if the robot was too tidy, made her cross, and tidied stuff that was supposed to be messy like the wildflower meadow? Will Rita change her mind about the super-tidying robot? Another super tale from the creators of Rita wants a Witch. Published by Graffeg on 1/11/21. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/rita-wants-a-robot.
Protest - how people have come together to change the world by Alice and Emily Haworth-Booth. The author-illustrator of The King who banned the dark, and The Last Tree, collaborates with her sister on this beautiful illustrated guide to protest through the ages and how it changed our society. We find out about protest from ancient Egypt and Rome, to Medieval Germany, abolition of slavery in America, right up to the present day and the school strikes for climate action. Each chapter also takes a look at a different method of protest, from sitting down and singing, to gardening and theatre. They make a lovely gesture in their introduction, that this is a book about protest for democracy and human rights, and against opression, reminding us that not all protest would have those aims. This is a truly relevant and inspiring book, and as I am writing this, the world's leaders are coming together in Glasgow to hopefully make a plan for the earth, keeping global warming to below 1.5C, there will be plently of protests in Glasgow, people full of hope and sending a message of solidarity and persuasion to our leaders and decision-makers. And on Saturday, we'll be joining them at our local COP26 coalition protest, sending our own message to those that hold the power to change things for the better. Published by Pavilionchildrensbooks
Molly and the Shipwreck by Malachy Doyle and illustrated by Andrew Whitson. Another tale from the world of Molly and the Scottish island where she lives with her family. The school might have to close as there aren't enough children and Molly's busy trying to recruit all the tourists. Much later, on a stormy day, Molly and her fisher Dad rescue a family stranded in a boat, they're refugees from a long way away and have lost their Dad. After much time and bureaucracy, the family find a home on the island, are reunited with their Dad, and the school is saved form closure. I love the threads of hope, kindness and empathy running through this story, and wish it could turn out like this for all refugees. Published by @graffeg. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/molly-and-the-shipwreck
I've been sent | Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas by Julkia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke. This edition is in Welsh, with an English translation at the back of the book. Fletcher the little fox thinks Father Christmas won't be able to find the rabbit's new burrow to deliver their Christmas gifts. Enlisting the help of all his friends along the way, they make arrows from sticks to show Father Christmas the way. The snow has other ideas though, and soon the arrows are buried deep in fresh snow. Will Father Christmas find the rabbits? Of course! A lovely story about thinking of others and helping out, perfect for sharing at Christmas. Published by @graffeg, also available in English. Find out more here - https://graffeg.com/products/cynan-a-r-bluen-eira
Animal Farm by George Orwell. Not just a story about a farmer, some farm animals and a farm, but a very clever commentary on Russian politics around the time of the Russian Revolution. The animals take over the farm, hoping for a society that is equal and free, however, some of the animals along the way get other ideas and a brutal dictatorship ensues. I missed reading this at school, as I had to chose chemistry or English literature, better late than never ... Published by Penguin Books (A Penguin Modern Classic)
The Switch by Beth O'Leary. Her first novel, The Flatshare, sold over half a million copies, and he work has been translated into thirty languages. Leena is forced to take a 2 month holiday from work, and in another pary of England, her grandmother Eileen is too old to start over, so a life swap seems the perfect solution. I needed a feel-good read after a lot of non-fiction and this is the perfect antedote to brighten up the, to be honest, quite miserable weather. Published by Quercus Books
A very short introduction - socialism by Michael Newman. This series of very short introductions packs a lot into each title, and the font is a little bit small, but I'm learning a lot that I didn't know. We get a brief introduction to the concept, and then social democracy in Sweden and communism in Cuba are used as examples, as the author examines the successes and failures of modern socialism. He goes on to show how it has evolved into the green, feminist and anti-capitalist movements of today, and shows how, with its values of solidarity, equality and cooperation, it is still relevant today. Published by Very Short Introductions
And stories with props that we shared with the children this term -
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