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!

The Story of Castles

It was at the Strand Book Fair last year where I discovered this exciting book: 'The Story of Castles' written by Lesley Sims, Illustrated by Teri Gower, and published by Usborne Publishing Ltd. 

I love EVERYTHING about this book. There is humour; there are facts; and there are 'Asterix like' detailed illustrations that make this book so appealing.

I loved the art work. I loved the way the facts are presented. I also liked very much that  a university faculty was on board as a consultant!!! 

At the end I felt I learnt so much and had authoritative information about the castles in the west!

This book is categorized under 'Young Reading Series Two'. It is really meant for more confident readers. However, I read it often to my 4 year old and allow her to explore the artwork on her own. Even in this manner, it has proved to be very engaging for a kid who can barely recognise alphabets.

I learnt a bit more about Usborne from their wonderful website.  Their Mission states: "At Usborne, we believe that the best children's books are entertaining, colourful and informative, and illustrated with humour and an eye for the details of everyday life that children love to spot." 

How Nice!