Please note, for the links to work you need to click on the title of the book to be taken to the full post. Thanks Tarnya
"The picture book is a peculiar art form that thrives on genius, intuition, daring and a meticulous attention to its history and its various, complex components. The picture book is a picture puzzle, badly misunderstood by critics and condescended to by far too many as merely a trifle for "the kiddies." Children are routinely patronized and thus so are we who spend our creative lives entertaining them and nourishing their spirit" Maurice Sendak
Primary School Age
5-10 year olds
The Hundred Dresses
The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes illustrated by Louis Slobodkin is a story about school children teasing a poor little Polish girl. They tease her for her strange name and that she wears the same dress every day. The little girl boasts that she has a hundred dresses at home. How can this... »
My Father’s Dragon: Three Tales by Ruth Stiles Gannett
My Father’s Dragon: Three Tales: 50th Anniversary Ed My 10 year loves these books. I read the first one aloud to him when he was about 8. They were one of the first real chapter books that he read to himself. They have lovely illustrations. The type is large for easier reading, the vocabulary is... »
Bread and Jam for Frances Illustrated and written by Lillian Hoban
Have you any fussy eaters in your house? I am not suggesting you try this at home but Frances’ parents cure her with bread and jam at every meal and snack. We have enjoyed the Frances stories including Bedtime for Frances, A Baby Sister for Frances, and Best Friends for Frances. They also made an... »
An Extraordinary Egg By Lionni Leo
Leo Lionni wrote and illustrated more than 40 children’s books. He won the Caldecott Honor prize four times for Inch by Inch, Frederick, Swimmy, and Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. An Extraordinary Egg is one of our favourites. The illustrations are charming, the story is humourous, imaginative and memorable. What makes it memorable for my... »
Big and Small, Room for All by Jo Ellen Bogart Illustrated by Gillian Newland
This book gives us a glimpse of the immense, wonderful universe and takes us on a journey all the way down to microscopic creatures. The book is not specifically Christian but it reminded me of Psalm 8: What is man that You are mindful of him? It is beautifully illustrated in watercolours and makes a lovely picture book to read... »
Beatrix Potter – the Complete Tales By Beatrix Potter
“Peter gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.” When I read Beatrix Potter I am surprised by the rich vocabulary. My children love them and the young ones do not find the... »
The Story of Dr. Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
Dr. John Dolittle featured first in the illustrated letters from a father enduring the horrific trenches of WW1 to his children. I have enjoyed reading aloud many of the books, there are little jokes throughout that often only the parent will get. I am just finishing reading Gub-Gub’s Book, An Encyclopaedia of Food (1932),... »
Busiest People Ever By Richard Scarry
I grew up with Richard Scarry. I love his illustrations and his humour. Some people do criticise the text and that Mother Cat does the dishes … I’ll admit it isn’t the best read aloud. I think these are great browsing books for kids and books that we read together a little and then... »
How Much is A Million? By Steven Kellogg
I’m having trouble with trillions, a word which is increasingly appearing in the news after the credit crunch. A billion dollars seems hard to understand! A billion seconds ago it was 1959! Watch this to begin to grasp how big these numbers are. The NZ government ( at the time of this post) is... »
Who Sank the Boat by Pamela Allen
We were introduced to Pamela Allen’s books with Who Sank the Boat which was memorised by my first son:-) She has remained a family favourite. This week we found a new one The Toymaker and the Bird, I appreciated the truthful ending not often found in children’s books. We have particularly loved Mr McGee Goes to... »