When We Go Camping by Sally Sutton and Cat Chapman is a fun, jaunty rhyme that captures beautifully the unique experiences that children enjoy when they go on a family camping holiday.  From washing the dishes, fishing for crabs, boiling the billy, and swatting flies, this is a book wit…

I once heard an actor (I think it was Derek Jacobi) state that in order for a person to fully understand English Literature properly one needed to know well both Shakespeare and the King James Bible.   While I can see the reasoning to such an idea, I also can't help but wonder if a …

With the summer break hard on our heels and the kids having gained traction in all things reading and counting after a decidedly past bumpy few years, I was really keen to make the most of all the progress they had made and avoid the dreaded summer slip.   With a nearly full 8 weeks of…

Yoga Babies by Fearne Cotton and Sheena Dempsy has been a ubiquitous part of our picture book collection for well over five years and it seems to have become one of those precious gems that endures from early toddler-hood well through to KS1.  The gentle playful poem takes readers throu…

After seeing the outpouring of love shown for Tomie dePaola by the fabulous Sarah MacKenzie over at The Read Aloud Revival, I though it only right that I should introduce both myself and my children to the beautiful world of the American author and illustrator. His most famous book (out…

I'm not usually a one to buy the kids magazines (preferring to buy books instead) but when I saw these little letter tiles with the Alphablocks magazine in our local supermarket this week I quickly snapped them up. Already, our girls (one an emerging reader and one a beginner) have …

If you guys, like us, have a child at the very beginning of their reading journey, I really can't recommend this little set of Bob Books more highly.  They are written for children who are only starting to learn their first phonics and to blend sounds with all of the short stories m…

Despite the weather we ventured up to Benone Beach yesterday for a half term day out. Situated at the very northerly point of Northern Ireland is is a 20 minute drive west of Coleraine and boasts spectacular views with sand dunes and waterfall laden cliffs behind; views of County Donegal to the wes…

Once upon a time, it wasn't just boys who saved the day... I got the fabulous Forgotten Fairytales of Brave and Brilliant Girls a few months ago and I have to say I just love it!! With two small girls in the house, I've always been keen to give them a strong sense of self and self worth fr…