Princess Poppy

If you are a parent like me who cringes at anything related to Barbie but your kid is so into princesses and fairies and ends up looking at all sorts of books with a Barbie image on them then Princess Poppy is your answer!

These are a series of attractive books with great stories designed for a little girl reader and their Barbie hating moms!;))

Everything about the book will appeal to the 4-5 year old princesses who would love the dainty flowers, tiny golden stars, the little envelope with a note right in front, the colour scheme , the map of Honeypot Hill featuring in every book - everything!

All the characters have such kind faces and the focus is on the story and less on the dress/ hair/makeup or looks of  'Poppy' and her friends and Family. The stories are about friendship,  sharing, feelings, standing up for yourself -such lovely themes!
However, my favourite part is their tag line, "Every Little Girl is a Princess".

Here's a nice interview with the author, Janey Louise Jones : http://clubs-kids.scholastic.co.uk/clubs_content/2170
Veronica Vasylenko does  a fabulous job of illustrating the stories but seems to have got little mention of her work on the web.
Ah! Also! The Random House group has developed a nice website for your kid to tinker around after she is done with the reading. http://www.princesspoppy.com/

Little Witch Goes to School

We have been having many HAHAHA moments ever since we laid our hands on this zany book. Sylvie Wickstrom has done a great job of illustrating it and Deborah Hautzig has done a fantastic job of creating a  super funny story.

A mom witch who wants her daughter to be bad; never say please; not make friends; and not learn anything!! And she gives her daughter a lunch box full of candies: "This will help your teeth rot".
My kid laughed and laughed at all the topsy turvy instructions coming from the mum. Really, it is its  quirky humour that makes this book irresistible.

Published by Random House, its classified as "Step3: Reading on your own book". This could have been a long read but for its humour and great artwork.

A must have in your collection would be my recommendation!

P.S.: I chanced upon the author's website and really liked what she wrote about her stories that I reproduce here:  Each and every one of them is about the search for a way to be true to oneself and still be accepted and loved by the people who matter to us the most. It seems to be the one story I never tire of telling. 

Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises

Dr. Seuss needs no introduction to early readers and their parents. His books are fun, bright, catchy, lyrical, and extremely imaginative.

"Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can you?, Dr. Seuss's Book of Wonderful Noises is a WONDERFUL book of wonderful noises!  I would even recommend it to be read out to a baby! It's so much fun and the repetitive noises and the actions it can provoke are very entertaining!

I used it for a story telling session for 2-5 year olds with resounding success! All the kids were mooing, buzzing, popping, klopping, dibbling and dopping, ticking n tocking with sheer delight!

Sample this:
Oh, the wonderful sounds
Mr. Brown can do!
He can sound like a cow
He can go Moo Moo
He can sound like a bee
Mr. Brown can Buzz
How about you?
Can you go Buzz Buzz

Unfortunately, the copy I own (the board book)  is a toned down version- I learnt later that the hardback and even the paperback versions  have many more things that I didn't get to read in this one- such as the goldfish's kiss and the hippo's chewing gum! :(((

So please look out for the nicer version. It is published by Random House and is available easily at bookstores and even at Flipkart.

Dancing Dinos

I own a whole load of Step Into Reading books published by Random House and I own a fair amount of dinosaur books. In either category, It is this book, Dancing Dinos, that really shines through.

The story line is hilarious, words are simple, the rhymes are great and my kid walks and stomps n munches and gobbles like a 'Dino' long after the book reading is over!

Sally Lucas does a great job in creating the story-- the kid who watches the dinos come alive on the page has just the right emotions and the versus are just right for a 3+  kid to remember and sing along! Margeaux Lucas, really makes the book come alive with her illustrations. She makes the dinos look naughty, the dad look confused, the cat being part of all scenes, and all the dance steps so real! Interestingly the author-illustrator are a mother-daughter team! http://www.randomhouse.com.au/Author/Lucas,%20Sally

This book is priced Rs. 60/- by Strand Books (slightly cheaper than other books in this series). It is a MUST BUY in my opinion! Simple words. Fun story. Silly antics.There. The perfect combination to a fun and light read!
My daughter and I have this book memorized. We have also read its sequel: 'Dancing Dinos go to school' but it is this book which makes us laugh more and prompts us to act silly!

And oh! There is another reason why I like this book so much:  Its dedication reads, "To Terry, who loves to Dance".  My kid loves to dance and that's why reading this dedication always touches my heart!