Ivy’s Guest Book: Shona Chambers from Space at 61

Posted by - No Comments

Space at 61Tell us a little bit about yourself and your family

I’m Shona and I am the owner of a South London venue – Space at 61 – which I started 16 months ago.  I live in Forest Hill (SE London). My business is in Nunhead, so I spend 99% of my time south of the river. I have two children who are aged 9 and 2.

What is your toddler’s favourite book?

My daughter’s favourite book at the moment is The Highway Rat by Julia Donaldson. I think even 2-year olds have a lot of empathy, and she gets sad seeing the animals who the Rat steals from. But she also loves the rhymes and refrains and loves to spot the Gruffalo biscuits in the bakery at the end of the book. It was a real treat for her seeing it on TV at Christmas this year.

Which book do you most like reading to her and why?

The book I most like reading to my daughter is The Tale of Mrs Tittlemouse by Beatrix Potter. It was given to us when she was born by a very dear friend. The lovely thing about this book is the little mouse and my daughter share a name, although it is only used once in the book. Whenever it gets to the place where it gives the character’s full name, my daughter smiles so much and says, ‘like me’! As with all of Beatrix Potter’s books it has the most beautiful illustrations as well.

Continue Reading…

Abigail By Catherine Rayner

Posted by - No Comments

AbigailAbigail is a beautiful giraffe who loves to count – however the things she wants to count won’t keep still!

A ladybird scuttles away when she tries to count his spots. Then she tries leaves but the zebra gobbles them up faster than she can count them. As each attempt at counting is scuppered she starts to get frustrated and when night falls she is ready to give up.

However when they look up, Abigail and her friends discover that nature has given them a whole sky full of twinkling stars which they can count together.

The illustrations in this one are breathtaking and there’s a fantastic fold out page where you can stretch Abigail’s long neck up to the sky. Ivy was super excited when she discovered that page and now she squirms in anticipation as we get to the end of the story.

Gorgeous!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2oOzTyt

Like Books About Animals? Enter Our Competition!

Posted by - 1 Comment

Competition

Here at Ivy’s Library we have a lot to celebrate. It’s World Book Day, we’ve just launched a new website and we’ve racked up over 2,300 followers across Facebook and Instagram!

To say thank you for being part of this little community we’re giving one lucky follower the chance to win a prize bundle worth £80!

The theme for this competition is ANIMALS and our prize bundle contains 8 books and some snuggly toys!

 

Prize includes:

  • There’s A Tiger In The Garden (By Lizzy Stewart)
  • The Squirrels Who Squabbled (By Rachel Bright)
  • Oi Frog! (By Kes Gray)
  • Big Hid (By Roisin Swales)
  • There’s A Bear On My Chair (By Ross Collins)
  • The Storm Whale (By Benji Davis)
  • The Highway Rat (By Julia Donaldson)
  • Lost And Found (By Oliver Jeffers)
  • & 1 pack of 6 mini woodland animal soft toys from Living Nature

We have 2 prize bundles – one for Facebook followers and on for Instagram followers.

Click here to enter on Facebook

Click here to enter on Instagram

Contest is open internationally and will run for 2 weeks. The 2 winners will be selected at random at 8.30pm GMT on Thursday, March 15th.

GOOD LUCK!

Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book By Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

Posted by - No Comments

Charlie Cook's Favourite BookOur choice for World Book Day is Charlie Cook’s Favourite Book by Julia Donaldson. Why? Because it’s not just a book – it’s a book in a book in a book in a book!

This really clever story takes you on a little adventure through a whole host of different stories and styles in just a few short pages.

Charlie Cook is sitting in an armchair reading his favourite book, which is about a pirate. In the story he’s reading, the pirate finds a copy of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and reads it. In the Goldilocks book one of the bears talks about his favourite story which is about a knight. And the knight is reading a book about a frog … And so on and so forth until we come right round to a headless ghost who is reading a book about Charlie Cook!

It may sound a little confusing but it’s a simple story and the rhyme is really catchy.

We also love the way that each page looks completely different as technically they’re each from a different book!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2F4oq4Q

We’re All Wonders By R.J. Palacio

Posted by - No Comments

We're All WondersAnyone who has read Wonder by R.J. Palacio or seen the recent movie adaptation will be familiar with the story of Auggie – a small boy with a facial disfigurement who enters a mainstream school. If you haven’t read it then it’s highly recommended!

This version of the book is suitable for little children and let’s them see what life is like when you don’t look like everyone else.

Auggie explains how he likes to do all the same things that other children do but because he looks different then people stare and sometimes they are mean to him. He shows you how this makes him feel and how he deals with it.

He knows he can’t change the way he looks but he wants to try and change the way people see because he thinks it will make the world a better place.

We love this one and it’s an excellent book to start a conversation with a pre-schooler about empathy and how we should treat those around us.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2COJJ8v

Fox’s Socks By Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler

Posted by - No Comments

Fox's SocksThis is another lovely lift-the-flap book from Julia Donaldson’s Acorn Wood series.

Poor fox wakes up in the morning and discovers he’s lost his socks. He searches all over the house and it’s your job to help him by lifting the flaps to open, trunks and doors and cupboards.

He finds an assortment of different clothes in strange locations, but where on earth are his socks?

The combination of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is always magical and this one is no exception!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2CnUBhR

Ivy’s Guest Book: Nicola Washington AKA @toomuchmotheringinformation

Posted by - No Comments

Nicola WashingtonTell us a little bit about yourself and your family

I’m Nicola, tea-drinker and lapsed reader and I live in South London with the Mr and our two children aged 3 and 5. I was a secondary school English teacher for 12 years, so I have a deeply rooted love of books, but now I bring home the bacon through being a Social Media Specialist for small businesses. This basically means Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are treated like my third, fourth and fifth children – hence being a lapsed reader! I also blog, enjoy yoga and it makes me disproportionately happy when I open the dishwasher and it’s already been emptied.

What is your son/daughter’s favourite book?

My kids are 3 and 5 which means their taste in stories is completely different – annoying at bedtime!

My son is in the midst of a Peppa Pig obsession and loves the fact that Peppa and George are brother and sister, just like him and his sister! We’re moving house soon and all he wants to know is if he can have a bunk bed like his favourite little pigs.

My daughter’s favourite book is currently Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls and she really enjoys choosing a different story each night. That said, she has some firm favourites, so I think I could probably recite Misty Copeland’s story off by heart!

Continue Reading…

The Squirrels Who Squabbled By Rachel Bright & Jim Field

Posted by - No Comments

The Squirrels Who SquabbledWe are big fans of Rachel Bright and Jim Field so we have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new collaboration and we’re happy to say that it’s fab!

Cyril and Bruce are Squirrels who both have their eye on the last pine cone of the season – but for very different reasons. Cyril has partied his way through the year and hasn’t collected any food for the winter. Bruce, on the other hand, has amassed large stocks of food but is worried it won’t be enough.

An epic squabble ensues which puts both of their lives in danger. Can these two squirrels put their differences and work together to survive?

This is a gorgeous tale about friendship and sharing, with a big splash of adventure thrown in for good measure.

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2otV4Xt

Sloth Slept On By Frann Preston-Gannon

Posted by - No Comments

Sloth Slept OnToday we visited the zoo with Ivy for the first time and she loved seeing all of the animals. In the gift shop I let her pick a book for her collection and she chose this lovely one about a sloth.

Three little children are playing in their garden when they discover a strange animal sleeping in the tree. What on earth is it and where did it come from?

They try asking grown ups but they’re too busy. They look in their books but they can’t find any animals that look like him. They use their imaginations and wonder if he came from space or if he’s a hairy pirate or a brave knight.

Will they ever find out what he is and where he comes from? And if they do, how will they get him home?

The illustrations are gorgeous and the book features lots of interesting facts about sloths for your little ones to learn!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2EQdJ9h

Firefly Home By Jane Clarke & Britta Teckentrup

Posted by - No Comments

Firefly HomeFlorence the Firefly is lost and trying to find her way home. Every time she sees a light she flies towards it in the hope it is her family but finds herself on a wild goose chase following trains and lighthouses and even the moon!

This lovely story invites you, the reader, to help Florence find her way by flapping your hands to help her fly faster and pointing to the right places in the pictures.

Can you help her get home?

Ivy loves this one but hasn’t quite mastered the word firefly. When she wants me to read this one she asks for the FlyFly book!

Buy it now: http://amzn.to/2o8AziO