If, like me, you have rather 'bouncy' young children then Emma Carlisle's picture book, Lion Practice is sure to be a hit. Telling the tale of a little girl Lucy who just loves practicing to be a crocodile, kangaroo and then a big noisy, pouncing LION - ROAAAARRR - and her e…

With so much Frozen craziness going on in our house and so many others over the past number of years, when I noticed this lovely old book of Hans Christian Andersen Fairytales on the shelf the other day, I realised that I had never read the story of 'The Snow Queen' on which the…

"One hot day a lion strolled into a market square to buy a hat. But the townspeople were scared of lions, so he ran away." When Iris finds a Lion hiding in her playhouse she sets about protecting her new found friend from her unsuspecting parents - Mums and Dad's can be fu…

When a boy, Otto, and his Mother, a renowned coat maker, arrive in the city of Hodeldorf, it's clear that something is a foot. The city is gripped by a perpetual cold so intense that people fear being frozen to death in their sleep while The Tattercoats, a gang of orphaned and aban…

The winter solstace may not be until next week but this beautiful book - The Shortest Day - is just perfect for reading with children as the daylight dwindles and we head to the longest night. Written for the theatre, this meandering poem explores the celebration of light, an…

This may sounds like the most obvious of statements but as you will have guessed, I am a massive book geek. We have hundreds of books in our house and I am a huge proponent of buying second hand as well as new, but I also love borrowing books from our local library too! Anything to get …

If you haven't already discovered Sarah Mackenzie's phenomenonally popular website and podcast - The Read Aloud Revival yet, I absolutely implore you to take a look. It is an absolute treasure trove of inspiration centered around reading aloud with children and packed with tips,…

When a small boy called Peter wakes to find the city has been covered in snow, he heads out to see what adventure he can find. From climbing mountains, making snow angels, watching snowball fights and creating tracks, Peter's day of play and imagination captures beautifully the exci…

This beauty of a book may be over 30 years old (and this particular copy well over 25) but its appeal is timeless. Heard it in the Playground is a fantastic collection of poems focused on the goings-on in primary school. It's funny, witty and sometimes poignant and a great way to ge…