Children's Books

The Secret Woodland Activity Book – Mia Underwood

January 25, 2019 by penny Leave a Comment

With a new baby in the family there’s been quite a lot of juggling of late at home to try to make sure that the other kids are happy and occupied whilst Tube Stop Baby has been taking up my time and attention. My two kids have been reasonably understanding about this and they have learnt that there are times that they can have my full attention and other times when the might need to occupy themselves for a bit. As long as they have something to hold their attention they’ve been pretty good about this and so it’s been excellent timing that I’ve had loads of different activity books to review lately. The Secret Woodland Activity book was one of the first to arrive and it is just perfect for Little Miss C. She loves all sorts of cute woodland scenes and animals and this book has both in abundance.

I think what I liked most about The Secret Woodland Activity Book is that it’s more than just a collection of pages with activities for children on them. Instead it’s like being taken for a journey through a magical woodland and meeting lots of its wonderful inhabitants on the way. The artwork has a gorgeous Scandi-style to it that makes it super cute for children on all ages.

The book contains everything from pages to colour in, maths puzzles, word searches, prompts to come up with a character of your own and write a story about them, scenes to complete with stickers (the book comes with over 150 of them) and instructions to make various craft projects.

LMC has been enthralled with this activity book for hours, steadily working her way through most of the activities in it. At the start there is an invitation to draw a picture of yourself entering the woods, and with whatever you need to take with you for your adventure. LMC seems to have done so with gusto.

She’s also really enjoyed using the stickers to create pictures throughout the book.

She has also come up with an excellent character for a story. No prizes for guessing which series of books she’s currently working her way through at home!

It’s fair to say that The Secret Woodland Activity Book has been absolutely perfect for Little Miss C. With a recommended age range of 4 – 8 years old it worked perfectly for her as an eight year old. I’d think that children at the younger end of the range would need some adult help, but actually older children would still enjoy many of the activities included.

The Secret Woodland Activity Book by Mia Underwood was published in November 2018 by Button Books. It is priced at £9.99 is available to buy online here.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of The Secret Woodland Activity Book for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Black Beauty Annual 1978

November 5, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

I can see an occasional series starting here on Penny Reads. Vintage annuals found in secondhand book shops. After featuring the Buzby Annual that Bonn and I came across in a National Trust shop of all places, today I bring you the Black Beauty Annual from 1978.

Black Beauty

Written in 1877, Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty is probably one of the best selling books of all time. Although Sewell died only 5 months after its publication, she lived to see its success. For years children have loved the story, but it also holds important messages about animal welfare, kindness, sympathy and respect.

What made someone decide to produce a Black Beauty Annual in 1978 is slightly unclear though. I do know that in that year there was a Hanna-Barbera animated version released via CBS, but I’m not clear that this was every released or shown here in the UK where this annual was published. Even if it was, I can’t find any link in the annual itself to Hanna-Barbera.

Annual contents

The annual contains the regular mix that you expected in annuals back in the 70s and 80s. There are quite a few stories for children to read, but also jokes, games, puzzles and some educational bits.

As well as a section on Anna Sewell herself, many of the horses featured the story are profiled, and there’s even a section on famous horses in the bible. I do wonder if they were struggling for content a bit by the end there!

One thing I note about the annual is the fact that it exclusively contains illustrations. There’s not a single photograph of a horse in there at all. I don’t know if that’s because it was cheaper to employ illustrators than photographers, or just quicker. Or maybe a style decision?

With four illustrators listed as having worked on the book, and no author or editor, I’m guessing that the illustrations were seen as an important part of the book as a whole though. It just seems a bit strange to me that they all get credited, yet those responsible for all the words don’t. Or maybe that’s just the way it was back in 1978?

An Eagle in the Snow – Michael Morpurgo

October 27, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

With eight year old Little Miss C a fully independent reader I’m soon realising two things. Firstly how much I miss sharing books with her. And secondly, just how few children’s classics I’ve actually read. I have to buy (or borrow) books for her at an astounding rate to keep her in reading material and I keep trying to steer her towards classics. Books that I think it will be good for her to read, as well as ones that I think she will enjoy. She has certain favourite authors (Jacqueline Wilson being top of the list!) and it can sometimes be a bit tricky to get her to try someone new. Michael Morpurgo is such an author.

Michael Morpurgo

Born in St Albans, where LMC goes to school, I’ve always been aware of his books, and his role as the children’s laureate, but I have to admit to having never read a single of them. And nor had LMC. Until last week. I’m obviously very aware of War Horse, and knew that there were several books he wrote set during the war, but beyond that I knew little more.

LMC then went to a birthday party last weekend where the children were all given a book as a gift when they left instead of a party bag. The birthday girl’s favourite author is Michael Morpurgo and so she gave them all one of his paperbacks, and LMC came home with An Eagle in the Snow.

With what can only be described as quite an intense and serious looking cover design, I did find myself wondering if she would read the book, as my previous attempts to get her pick up his titles in the library had fallen on deaf ears.

Later that afternoon I crashed out in bed for a couple of hours (late pregnancy does that!) and when I got up again and asked her what she’d been up to she happily told me about how she’d started her new book and how fantastic it was. So keen was she to share it that I was then told I had to read the first two chapters that she’d already read whilst she did her maths homework.

Not one to disobey orders I did just that, and could see exactly why she had been captivated by it.

An Eagle in the Snow

Set in 1940 An Eagle in the Snow is really a work of historical fiction. I don’t want to give away the whole story, but it is set in a train that is sheltering in a railway tunnel having been under attack from German fighters. In one compartment are Barney and his mother. Escaping from the bombing that has destroyed their home in Coventry they are on their way to Cornwall to stay with an Aunt there. Also on the train is a man. A man who seems to know exactly where Barney is from. A man who has an amazing story to tell. A story about his friend Billy in the first world war trenches.

LMC ended up reading the whole of An Eagle in the Snow within the week and she very determinedly brought it back to my house and told me that I needed to read it next so we could talk about it together, and then we also needed to buy her Granny a copy of it so that she can enjoy it too. (Apparently Granny isn’t to be trusted with just borrowing LMC’s copy!)

Again, following her instruction, I have curled up and read the book in just a couple of short sittings, and I can fully see why she enjoyed it so much. It’s a great read. It has taught me lots about a story in history that I didn’t previously know about, and also I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in a book again.

The power of sharing a book

Finally though, it’s shown me how lovely it is to share a book with someone, even if you’re not reading it out loud to them. For a while now I’ve been making plans to read all those children’s classics that I never got round to and maybe this is the motivation to do so.

Being able to talk to LMC about what she enjoyed most in the book, and how it made her feel has been lovely. Almost like a recollection between the two of us. Replacing something that had been lost when she started wanting to read on her own rather than being read to. It also helps get around the fact that she’s not always staying with me, so I don’t get to sit with her each evening at bedtime and talk about what she’s reading. We FaceTime each night and it’s lovely having books to connect over when we do talk.

Must read children’s classics

My challenge now though is to compile a list of the children’s classics that I ought to read and share with her. In a way the hard bit might be trying to narrow it down to a manageable list. I’m hoping I can get through a few of them though during this late pregnancy insomnia that I’m currently battling. It seems children’s fiction is somewhat easier to get through at 3am than some of the adult classics that I’ve been meaning to read for years!

If you’ve got any suggestions for books that should be on my list though please do leave me a comment below.

An Eagle in the Snow is available to buy online here. Other Michael Morpurgo titles are also available online. On the author’s website there is a very good listing of all his books, split by category, and against each it has a recommended reading age.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

Never Too Young! 50 unstoppable kids who made a difference

October 22, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

How do you inspire children? Especially when it comes to realising that it’s not only adults who can make a difference in the world? That’s exactly what Never Too Young sets out to do and the timing for Little Miss C to read this couldn’t ‘t be better.

Having read Create Your Own Happy LMC seems to have been empowered somewhat by the realisation that she is in charge of her own future. Even at the tender age of 8.

Never Too Young shares the stories of 50 children who have made a difference in the world. With a double page spread devoted to each person, there is full size illustration of them alongside a page describing what they did to make a difference.

One thing I really like about this book is the mix of “children” that have been included. Some are historical figures whose actions are well know – like Anne Frank or Mozart. Others may only just be into adulthood, but are still well know to children of today, like Emma Watson. Some are not household names at all, but all have an inspirational story to tell and it’s been really interesting talking to LMC about how people don’t have to be “famous” in the traditional sense to make a difference to others or the world around them.

The other thing that I really like about this book is that it’s not just looking at one gender. I fully understand other books that do, but it’s also lovely to see a book that just celebrates children rather than just boys or girls. On a practical level, that also means it’s the perfect book to be a gift for either a boy or a girl.

My daughter is Year 4 at school and loves reading and took to this straight away as a book to read on her own. It’s also perfect for sharing with children (either older or younger) and with there being a page per person it’s nice to be able to split it up and read a couple of pages at bedtime or similar. The list at the start of everyone covered, makes it easy to dip in and out of the book if you prefer to do that rather than read it all in order.

Since reading it, Little Miss C has already written proudly about the people she’s read about in Never Too Young in her school reading record, and she’s also spoken at length with me about how good it is to read about “children who do things, rather than just about grown ups”. What more can I say?

Never Too Young! was written by Aileen Weintraub and illustrated by Laura Horton. It was published by Sterling in September 2018 and priced at £11.99 in hardback, but is available for less (£7.82 at the time of writing). ISBN 9781454929178. It is available to buy online here.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy off Never Too Young! for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Buzby Annual

October 4, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

Hands up then. Who remembers Buzby?

Who is Buzby?

This cheerful bird first appeared in 1976 as part of a marketing campaign for Post Office Telecommunications, who later became part of British Telecommunications. His main aim was to get us to use the telephone more, and I think he did that.

Voiced in the TV adverts by the legend that is Bernard Cribbins, Buzby became a bit of a star, with loads of marketing items produced, including toys and badges. He also spawned a cartoon strip in TV Comic. At some point along the line his feather changed from yellow to orange (maybe it was an age thing?) but still he remained a hit.

With the strap line “make someone happy with a phone call” I wonder if BT could bring back Buzby today as part of a marketing campaign to get people actually talking to each other again rather than just sending messages.

But I digress…

The Buzby Annual

During one of my usual secondhand bookshop trawls I came across the Buzby Annual and knew it had to come home with me.

A spot of internet research tells me that there were two Buzby Annuals produced. This one in 1979, and then a second version in 1980.

As a child of the 80s annuals were very much a standard Christmas present. Something that we always looked forward to receiving, whether it be a Blue Peter one (another of my collecting habits) or one from a favourite band or TV programme. I’m not sure how many came out celebrating the start of advertising campaigns though.

What’s inside?

The Buzby Annual includes many of the features that you came to expect in annuals of the 70s and 80s. A mix of cartoons, longer stories, puzzles and a few educational features. The stories obviously featured Buzby, whilst the games and puzzles revolved around a theme of telephones.

Everything from spotting telephone handsets in a picture through to the “fill a ‘phone box game”. There’s a page of telephone related jokes and puns, as well as photos of telephone handsets from years gone by.

The copy of the annual I found seems to be in immaculate condition considering it’s age. Inside the front page the corner containing the price has been cut off (as was normally the way with annuals given as gifts at Christmas) but the only other sign that it’s ever been read is the crossword that has been completed inside.

There are plenty of games in the book that would have required the owner to cut the pages – something I felt uneasy doing, even as a child – and I was quite relieved to see that this hadn’t been done. I’ve no idea if modern day annuals ask kids to do the same or not, but in my mind scissors and a book should never, ever meet!

Why Buzby?

That’s what I’ve been wondering since picking this up. Was he really that big a star back in 1979 that he merited an annual on the bookshop shelves next to ones for Blue Peter, Football magazines and favourite bands? Then again, I recall an annual for a local radio station that I picked up in childhood from a car boot sale and that must have been a pretty niche market.

‘Fess up. What annuals do you remember having as a child?

We Are Family – Claire Freedman & Judi Abott

September 20, 2018 by penny Leave a Comment

We Are Family

Families come in all different shapes and sizes and as many of you will know, my family has changed shape considerably over the last couple of years. No matter what size or shape your family is though, the simple message of “We Are Family” is what trumps everything and that’s what comes across in this delightful book from Claire Freedman and Judi Abbot.

Focussing on the bond between siblings it talks about all the fun things that brothers and sisters do together and how they stick up for one another. They may be some fallings out, but they always make up fast as underneath everything they are best friends.

Little Miss C and Master C certainly have their ups and downs, but I know that deep down they do love each other and that becomes clear when you look at how they look out for each other and how they’ve stuck together through the ups and downs of the last year. Earlier this week Master C had a session with a speech and language therapist and one thing that melted me in the de-brief afterwards was when she said she spoke to him about friends and his understanding of friendship. She said that he talked happily about his friends from school, but particularly said that he wanted more friends like his sister. I still well up thinking about that.

Bringing We Are Family into our home comes at a perfect time really as the pair of them will be welcoming a new half-brother or sister in the next couple of months. I know that it will mean changes to the family dynamic once again, but I’m hoping that reading this together will help them both see that it is an extension of their family rather than anything else.

We Are Family really is perfectly pitched for children who may not have had a brother or sister before and are wanting to understand how much fun siblings can be. It’s beautifully written and Judi Abbot’s accompanying illustrations are gorgeous.

We’ve recently shared a Claire Freedman book before, when we reviewed How To Nab A Rabbit, but this is a totally different style of book. That to me shows her versatility as a children’s writer, but also how having a range of books to read with your children is so important. Picture books can be shared not just for enjoyment, but also as a way of helping children understand different things happening in their lives.

We Are Family was published by Simon & Schuster on 12 July 2018. Paperback ISBN 978-1-4711-1716-9 Priced at £6.99. It can be bought online via Amazon here.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of We Are Family for the purposes of this review. All opinions remain my own. This post contains affiliate links.