Children's Books

Ladybird Tuesday: Talkabout Box Set

May 25, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

I don’t normally feature Ladybird books from the same series back to back here on Ladybird Tuesday, but I’ve got an excuse this week. I’m desperate to share with you something that I found whilst taking a week off to finally go and visit my mum for the first time in what feels like forever.

We headed out with my daughter and nephew to the National Trust’s Clumber Park and whilst there I was delighted to see that their secondhand bookshop was open again. I was even more delighted to find this one one of the shelves in the children’s section – a box set of books from the Talkabout series.

Now I have to admit that I don’t know a huge amount about the box set, or even when it was published. The box itself is very much lacking on details. There is a list on one side of the books it contains – more on that in a moment – but there is no date anywhere, and not even a copyright notice of any kind.

According to the box it should contain the following books from the Talkabout series: animals, home, the beach, shopping, the park, gardens, starting school and bedtime. The version I have is missing animal sand starting school, and instead contains baby and holidays. Also, home has a glossy cover, yet all the other titles have matt covers.

I have no idea is it’s just a case of different books being put in the box before it made its way to the secondhand shop, or if maybe different titles were in there from the start. Slightly weirdly, all the books in the box are individually priced and looking at the back covers I don’t think they were all published at the same time. Another sign that I don’t have the original books in my box? Or a sign that these boxes were thrown together quickly, possibly to get stock moving before a new version of the walkabout books was released? I’m yet to find a definitive answer, but will keep digging to try and get one.

In the meantime I’m just going to sit here and appreciate the gorgeous artwork on the box itself. What looks like an incredibly detailed collage. Very similar to what featured on the covers of the individual talkabout books, but with more texture.

About Ladybird Tuesday

Ladybird Tuesday is a regular feature here on Penny Reads, where I delve into my Ladybird book collection and choose a title to share with my readers. The weekly series originally started on my old blog, Being Mrs C, and this post originally appeared on there. I’m now in the process of moving all those posts over to Penny Reads and also adding titles that I have acquired since then. A list is currently being compiled here of all the titles I have in my collection.

Ladybird Tuesday – Talkabout holidays

May 4, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

I’m pretty sure many of us are talking about holidays, or the prospects of holidays, right now. It seems like a lifetime ago that we could just plan a trip and that it was likely to actually go ahead. With the possible relaxing further of travel restrictions in a few weeks it seemed the perfect time to feature Talkabout holidays from Ladybird series 735.

The Talkabout books were originally released in the 1970s and were a perfect way of introducing young children to books. Prompts on each page to talk to children about, and gorgeous illustrations – many by famous Ladybird regular artist Martin Aitchison.

Released in 1977 Talkabout holidays covers pretty much everything there is to discuss on the series of holidays. Well, holidays as they were in the 1970s. Things start with choosing where to go and booking the trip. Lots of holiday brochures and a trip to the travel agent rather than just clicking on a website as we might today.

The book does mainly focus on the sorts of things you might get up to on a holiday in the UK, but there is also a gorgeous retro picture of the interior of an aeroplane and a page where you can discuss a French street scene.

The book also has a couple of things in it that I have to admit to not fully following. Like the picture story of leaving a radio on the car roof as you drive off. Was leaving things on the roof a common part of 1970s holidays?

As well as pages where you’re asked retell a story based on pictures, the book also features a couple of maze style puzzle pages too. It really isn’t a quick bedtime read, but instead a book to really be lingered over and discussed.

From what I’ve read over on Ladybird Fly Away Home (scroll down to near the end of the article), Ladybird reissued many of the titles in this series in the 1980s, but with totally different artwork, that was possibly cheaper to reproduce. Such a shame as I think it is the illustrations that make this title so particularly gorgeous.

In the introduction pages inside the front cover of the book it talks about how the books have been planned with “qualified nursery school advisors” and it’s clear just how useful these books are for helping to engage young children in conversation. Inside the back pages are ideas for extending the use of the books and everything written in there is still very valid today. For many first time parents in particular, knowing how best to share a book like this with a child isn’t something that necessarily comes naturally. Giving parents the tools to help their children develop a love of books is so valuable and done so perfectly here. I’ve heard some people say that they don’t really like the Talkabout series of books, but more fool them!

About Ladybird Tuesday

The Invisible – Tom Percival

January 31, 2021 by penny Leave a Comment

Children’s books can be some of the most powerful things that you read. Even as an adult. They give children access to other worlds. Worlds that they might never travel to outside their own imagination, and worlds that other children they know might already inhabit. Books can be a lifeline for so many children, and a way of learning so much more about what goes on in the world around them. They can also inspire alongside educating.

But not all children are fortunate enough to have access to books. Some children’s parents are struggling to put enough food on the table and to keep their children warm and fed. This was the case before Covid hit and sadly the situation has escalated further as adults have lost jobs or been furloughed by their employers.

The Children’s Society estimate that there are over 4 million children who live in poverty here in the UK. That’s a startling figure. Some attention may have been drawn to these children by the wonderful work done by footballer Marcus Rashford recently to ensure that all children entitled to a free school meal don’t go hungry whilst schools remain closed to most pupils and also during school holidays. Whilst these news headlines have made people think about the plight of some children, many more children and their families are left feeling invisible. Tom Percival’s wonderful new book The Invisible tells the story of one of these children – Isabel.

When they are no longer able to pay their bills, Isabel and her family have to leave the family home that they love and move across the city to somewhere completely new. When they do so Isabel starts to feel invisible; cold, sad and lonely. Then she starts to notice other invisible people around her. People who like her need help not to feel so invisible. So she stops to help, and doing so has amazing results.

The Invisible tells Isabel’s story beautifully – both through words and pictures. It shows that you can find beauty all around you if you look hard enough, and that you don’t necessarily need lots of material possessions to be happy. There are some lovely subtle messages in the illustrations where there are signs advertising to “buy stuff” and when you see these next to Isabel’s story it really makes you realise just how unnecessary some of that “stuff” is.

What Isabel wants is to not feel invisible and one key to doing that is by noticing everyone else around her, including those others who might feel invisible like her. Such an important thing for all children and adults to try to do.

The Invisible is published by Simon & Schuster and released on 4 February 2021. ISBN 978-1-4711-9130-5. Paperback £6.99. It is available to buy online here.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of The Invisible for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains an affiliate link. If you follow this link and make a purchase I will receive a small commission. It will cost you no more than if you had visited the site independently. All purchases and subsequent commissions are very much appreciated. Thank you.

Ladybird Tuesday – Christmas Customs

December 1, 2020 by penny Leave a Comment

I’m making a massive effort to get onto my 2021 resolutions early with a determination to get Ladybird Tuesday back on track. I’ve said that several times over the last few years, but life has that annoying habit of getting in the way. With a toddler who now occasionally lets me get my laptop out and doesn’t try to sit on it when I do, I’m a tad more hopeful that I was on previous attempts.

With today being the 1st of December I’m also determined to dig out some festive titles from my Ladybird collection. These might not be the oldest books in my collection, but they’re certainly appropriate for this time of year.

Christmas Series

I’m starting off with Christmas Customs, a title that was published in 1988 as part of Series 8818. This isn’t a series that I’m very familiar with, as it’s a little later than most of my collection, but a bit of research suggests that there were a total of six titles in the series. Looking at Nicole’s amazing master list of Ladybird books (here is you’re not familiar with it) it lists the following as being published between 1988 and 1991:

Christmas Customs
Christmas Songs
The Christmas Mouse
The Christmas Story
Toad’s Christmas Party
Well Loved Carols

Only three of these titles are listed on the series list on the back of my book – Christmas Customs, Christmas Songs and Well Loved Carols – and that seems to fit with those three being the first titles published in the series.

What is lovely about Christmas Customs is that the book actually goes somewhat further than the title suggests. As well as covering the Christmas Story and the Christian customs that many of us are familiar with, the book also looks back at the Saturnalia which was celebrated by the Romans who honoured Saturn. They were the first to decorate their homes with evergreens (to remind Saturn to send crops and plants for food the following spring) and this tradition continued to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. The book looks at why holly, ivy and mistletoe were chosen to be used to do this.

The influence of the Victorians

Christmas Trees came over to England from Germany with Prince Albert in 1846, and whilst I knew that I have to admit that I wasn’t totally familiar with the original story of Martin Luther’s tree.

Ladybird Christmas Customs Victorian Traditions

The Christmas Tree wasn’t the only Christmas Custom that was introduced in Victorian times. It was also when the first Christmas cards were sent, and the first Christmas Crackers pulled.

This morning my children opened the first door on their advent calendar, and I suppose it’s a bit disappointing that the book talks about these, but now where they came from. A quick search online suggests they were first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Christmas around the world

Christmas Customs can vary from country to country and as well as introducing us to Santa Claus the book also talks about St Nicholas (or Sinterklaas as he is known in The Netherlands), Christkindl (Germany’s Christ Child) and Befana who delivers gifts to Italian children on 6 January each year.

For many people food traditions are an important part of their Christmas celebrations. But why do we eat mince pies, turkey and Christmas puddings? It’s worth reading to find out.

What’s in a name?

Many children wonder why Boxing Day is called what it is. Some think of people donning boxing gloves for the day, whilst others think about all the boxes that their gifts came in the day before. The real reason for the name comes from medieval times, when alms boxes were placed at the back door of every church to collect money for the poor. These boxes were always opened on 26th December and so that is why the day became known as Boxing Day.

I’ve actually learnt quite a few new facts from reading this book. I wasn’t aware before that the word pantomime means “all mime” and that the first pantomimes were acted out entirely through dancing and mime. They’ve become such a huge Christmas tradition that I know many of us will miss this year in particular.

It can be so easy to be caught up in the commercialism of Christmas, but even if you’re not religious yourself, it’s lovely to try to understand some of the Christmas customs, why we do them and when they originated. Christmas Customs is actually a perfect way to start filling in some of the gaps in my knowledge.

About Ladybird Tuesday

AD: Kindness Counts 123 – R. A. Strong and Ekaterine Trukhan

August 19, 2020 by penny Leave a Comment

At 21 months old now my daughter is starting to recognise the concept of numbers and counting – although she might not always get the numbers in the right order yet! She has definitely started to understand that there are some books all about counting though, and she often picks them out and I see her jabbing items in the pictures with her finger, whilst counting out loud. Kindness Counts 123 is a beautiful example of such a counting book.

Counting down from 10 on each double page, Kindness Counts 123 is full of examples of how children can make the world a kinder place. The delightful illustrations show children helping each other and being compassionate towards how others might be feeling. Learning skills like kindness and empathy are so important and it is wonderful for children to see these as early as possible.

I’m also pleased to say that Kindness 123 is also a very diverse book in terms of the people featured in all the pictures throughout. There is also a lovely flow though them of the child who has received kindness in one picture, being the one who is performing an act of kindness in the next.

The acts of kindness may be relatively simple, but then the best acts of kindness often are. Taking cookies round to a new neighbour, sharing your toys or reading a bedtime story to your brothers. It really does show that you can demonstrate kindness with small acts. I’m guessing it also wasn’t deliberate, but the act of “three short words for Grandma and Grandpa so they don’t feel so far away” was also incredibly poignant during lockdown.

For my daughter though being pushed high on a swing had to be her favourite page. Every time we turn to that page there is utter delight in her voice as she shouts “swing, swing!”

Kindness Counts 123 is published by Highlights and has a RRP of £12.99. It is aimed at children aged 2 to 5 years. ISBN 9781684376520. It is available to buy online *here.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Kindness Counts 123 for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. Any links marked * are affiliate links and if you make a purchase through them I receive a small a mount of commission whilst it costs you no more than if you had gone to the site yourself to make a purchase. Many thanks for all purchases that you make. It is very much appreciated.

Wave Me Goodbye – Jacqueline Wilson

August 18, 2020 by penny Leave a Comment

When then 9 year old Little Miss C started reading Jacqueline Wilson’s Wave Me Goodbye the plan was that I would read along with her. That didn’t exactly go to plan. Firstly, she has far more free time to read in than I do, and secondly, when I stated reading it I just found it all far too emotional! Let me explain.

The cover of Wave Me Goodbye by Jacqueline Wilson

Starting in September 1939, at the start of World War 2, Wave Me Goodbye tells the story of ten year old Shirley Louise Smith who is about to be evacuated out of London along with thousands of other children. But Shirley’s mother doesn’t initially tell her what is happening. Instead Shirley is told that they are going away on a “little holiday” together.

When I started reading the book it was just days after probably one of my lowest days of lockdown. The day on which my children had finished school before they closed, and on what ended up being my son’s last proper day at his Infant School. That morning I had been allowed in with my Governor Hat on to video their final class assembly for all the other parents. They had been learning about World War 2 and were supposed to be telling the rest of the school and their parents about everything they had learnt, including what it was like for children to be evacuated and to have had to carry gas masks around with them. At a time of such uncertainty and with everything being compared to war time I simply couldn’t cope with reading a book set at the time.

A few months later though and life has moved on a bit and doesn’t feel quite so scary and war like any more. I sat down and started again with Wave Me Goodbye and I’m so glad I did.

It’s a lovely story about what it must have been like for a young girl to leave her mother and everything she knew at home behind and be moved to a totally different part of the country.

When they arrive in the countryside, Shirley is one of the last children to billeted and ends up in a slightly strange situation with two women who for various reasons are set apart from many others in the village. She’s not there alone though. Two boys from her school, lanky Kevin and baby-faced Archie, are also placed at the mysterious Red House.

Over time Shirley starts to uncover some of the house and its occupants’ secrets. The book culminates in what I can only describe as a very grown up plot-twist that I certainly didn’t see coming at all.

For children learning about the Second World War and the evacuation of children to the countryside Wave Me Goodbye is a wonderful way of immersing them in what it must have been like to have been evacuated as a child. There are several points in the story that I can see would be perfect for initiating discussion with children about all the emotions surrounding evacuation, and for them to feel real empathy with the characters in it. The twist at the end leads me to say that it is probably better for slightly older primary school children though, rather than younger readers.

Wave Me Goodbye is available to buy online *here.

Disclaimer: Any links marked with a * are affiliate links. If you buy anything via them I receive a small commission, but it costs you no more than if you had gone there yourself. Thank you for any purchases that you do make.