Ever since she was a tiny baby, Neve has shown a great fascination with books. Now 18 months old, books have become a very regular part of our daily routine, and not just as part of the countdown to bedtime. As well as playing with her favourite Tonies characters and Yoto cards, there are various points of the day where Neve will scoop up her latest favourite and quite literally reverse backwards onto my lap, contently plonking herself down for a snuggle and chanting “buhhhh”. She will sit contently for quite some time, and I savour every precious moment.
Reading to babies and toddlers can be hugely beneficial for their development, and whilst Mike thought I was crazy to start reading to Neve as a newborn, there are many proven benefits of doing so. Thanks to The Book People, we’ve been putting some of their wide range of baby books to the test.
Why should I read to my baby/toddler?
Reading a book as part of your baby/toddler’s countdown to bedtime is the perfect way to create some quiet bonding time. Chances are this quiet calming activity will be a repeated signal that bedtime is approaching, and in the same way that brushing their teeth or putting on their pyjamas becomes part of their routine, the book will become a habitual trigger that it’s time to go to sleep.
Reading to babies and toddlers can help expand their vocabulary. At this young age, the more words they hear from you and the people around them, the more they will pick up and the faster their own speech will develop. Books with simple words that they hear around their home on a regular basis, can encourage them to make their very own first words. Start with simple words like Mum, Dad, Cup and Ball, and you will be surprised at how quickly they start to repeat them!
Introduce them to colours – Babies vision changes rapidly in those early weeks and months, and the bigger that they get, the more their sight develops. Reading to babies, especially books with contrasting colours, monochrome prints or bright pages can help stimulate their senses and teach them about colour and shade.
Introduce them to numbers – Counting together with your child, repetition, rhyme and rhythm all help get your toddler used to reciting numbers and helps develop their memory.
Introduce the links between word and sound – Books don’t have to be read in silence. Neve loves to dance, so books that combine turnable pages and a button that makes music or sounds are right up her street! They also helps babies and toddlers learn about cause and effect, with their action of pressing a button having a resulting sound or song.
Embrace their natural curiousity – Books with textures, interactive elements like mirrors, or flaps and doors to open are great for helping your baby explore and develop their natural curiosity – they will want to touch, to turn, and to pull open to reveal the image below. Whilst she can be a little heavy handed at times, Neve loves the surprise of lifting the flaps to see what hides behind!
A familiar friend – As with most young children, Neve is a huge fan of Peppa Pig, and so books featuring familiar characters from the series are immediately comforting to her. Seeing characters on the pages that they they have previously warmed to, will help babies feel reassured by their familiarity. Neve likes to point at the characters she recognises (like Peppa, and Dorrrrggge”) as she flicks through the pages.
Encouraging Dexterity – Board Books, particularly chunky board books with handles which are easy to hold, are ideal for helping encourage dexterity – with even the chunkiest of fingers being able to turn and manipulate the pages.
Comfort – Reading to babies, especially younger ones, exposes them to the sound of your voice – something they’ve been comforted by in the womb for quite some time! Hearing you read (no matter what the content in fact) can be incredibly calming and comforting to a baby who is tired or distressed.
Distraction -Reading to babies is an ideal way to keep children occupied where they may otherwise start to become distracted, restless or impatient. Books with a clip or hook that attaches to a pushchair or stroller are ideal, perfect whilst you’re waiting to pay at the shops. Unlike a traditional book, there is also less chance of them accidently getting lost or discarded!
Reading books with creative images, text or visuals can help stimulate your baby’s imagination and senses, helping them to learn more about the world around them.
Whilst babies have shorter attention spans (normally 10 minutes at a time is sufficient), reading to babies and toddlers is a great tool for developing listening skills, something which will prove valuable when they start preschool or nursery.
Most importantly, reading with your baby and using a range of voices, inflections and tones, helps your child learn that reading is fun – an important message and a strong life skill! 🙂
However you decide to read with your baby, enjoy it. The baby days absolutely fly by, and before you know it they will be blending and learning to read on their own, and picture books will become phonics, and numbers become sums!
The bugs have returned. I repeat. The bugs have returned.
It was always going to happen. This weekend came the first onslaught of ‘bugs’ since Neve’s first few weeks at nursery. As a Mum with a sick phobia, looking after a small yet wriggly vomiting child was never going to be fun.
With Erin starting school this week, I have become somewhat of a Dettol machine, spraying every potentially contaminated surface as if my life depends on it whilst madly trying to avoid passing germs from one child to the other. That said, I am doing my best to mentally prepare myself for the onslaught of other germs and nasties associated with children in childcare or full time education.
When Mumsnet asked if I wanted to review their new book How to Blitz Nits (and Other Nasties!), full of hints and tips from real parents who have been through it and lived to tell the tale, it felt like a no brainer. I am way out of my depth!
About the Book
In How to Blitz Nits (and Other Nasties) each enemy is presented Top Trump style – with scores given for Strength, Agility and Speed to name but a few.
The book is witty and humerous, but at the same time tells you the facts you need to know to get rid of the nasties as quickly as possible.
Each section includes personal anecdoates and tips from parents who have been through it and come out to tell the tale – some are more extreme than others and some are most definitely to be taken with a pinch of salt. Others have been really useful tips (such as doubling up on bedsheets when the vomiting bug comes to visit, or ice cream tubs rather than a bucket so they can be thrown away once contaminated!
The book is not just about nits, but includes lots of information on the joyful nasties such as threadworms, verucas, conjunctivitis, vomit and poo. It covers them all. (not literally thank god).
Our Experience
As a drama queen and emetaphobic, I didn’t expect to laugh so much at a book which is essentially about illness, but some of the stories from other Mums and Dads are so horrific that you can’t help but laugh – you couldn’t make it up!
From a more serious point of view, prior to reading I wouldn’t even know what a Nit looked like let alone how to deal with it, so I feel a little more prepared for if (or more likely when!) they decide to make an unwelcome appearance.
Overall How to Blitz Nits (and Other Nasties) is a light hearted yet really useful book, perfect for anyone who’s kids are starting school this week!
Isla Fisher is one of those celebrities who never seems to age. I remember Isla Fisher from her days as Shannon in Home & Away, and more recently for her roles in The Great Gatsby and Diary of a Shoppaholic (one of my favourite books of all time).
What you may not know about Isla Fisher is that she also has her own range of childrens books, and they are actually pretty hilarious.
As Mum to three children of her own – daughters Olive and Elula, and son Montgomery (LOVE the names!), Isla had been making up stories at bedtime for them every night since they were born. Isla wrote these books herself (refreshingly not via a ghost writer) as a gift for her children – a reminder of the fun they have at bedtime reading books and sharing stories.
We were recently sent the three books in her series about Marge – a woman who turns out to be far from your average babysitter! Whilst she might look sensible, old and small on the surface – under her hat lies a mane of rainbow coloured hair and a glint in her eye which tells Jake and Jemima that life with Marge is definitely not going to be boring!!
The Marge in Charge series are published by Piccadilly Press and are aimed at early readers aged 5-8 years.
I have been reading these books with Erin and here’s what we thought…
The Marge In Charge books are lovely – fun and easy to read, and as such, Erin enjoyed sitting down for half an hour before bed with me as we had the next instalment in Jakey and Jemima’s adventures.
The characters are very relatable, with relationship between Jakey and Jemima being a typical sibling love/hate friendship! Jakey is cheeky and mischievous with a real sense of fun, whilst Jemima has a slightly more sensible head on her shoulders!
The children have so much fun with Marge, and isnt it every child’s dream to be able to go on an adventure whilst their parents are off the scene? With small illustrations to break up the text, the story is bought to life visually as well as via descriptions and at four years old, this made it easier for Erin to follow. The text is relatively simple in terms of complexity, so early readers would also be able to read along with a family member’s support.
You can get your hands on your own set of the three books from Isla Fisher as our friends at Picadilly Press have kindly given us a set to giveaway!
*Disclosure – This is a collaborative post. We were sent a copy of the Marge books free of charge in exchange for our review, however all thoughts and opinions are my own*
I love personalised books. There is something special about a book that feel like it has been made just for you. We have read (and loved) a number of Penwizard Books before, including a Personalised Peppa book when Erin turned 1, and the personalised Potty Training Princess book, which was a huge help when we transitioned to big girl pants when Erin was 2.
With Erin starting school in September, we have been working really hard on letters and numbers, and practicing visually recognising different letters on a page. I was asked if I wanted to review the new addition to Penwizard’s personalised range – Peppa’s Big Adventure to find [Your Name] and I didn’t take long to say yes!
About the Product
Big Adventure to find [Your Name] – allows children to follow the story of Peppa and George, collecting letters on their journey to spell out your child’s name on their treasure map. At the end of the story Peppa and George meet your child, and their own personalised character features in the illustrations too – looking just like them!!
Available in both soft paper back and hard back covers priced at £17.49 and £22.49 respectively.
The personalised element is really interactive, enabling you to specify not only their name, but their skin tone, eye colour, hair style and colour.
Our Experience
Erin is a big fan of Peppa Pig so as soon as she saw the book she was keen to sit and ‘read’ it with me.
As the story progressed, Peppa and George started to discover clues in the form of letters, – in our case just four – E, R I and N. When reading the story to Erin, I pointed out the different letters and asked if she knew what letter it was. The E she knew right away and said E for Erin!
The book not only visually shows the child the letter but also the story links it to an object beginning with that letter, which is a great way of reinforcing the link between letters and words.
Erin loved seeing the map that spelled out her name near the end of the book – and recognised the word almost straight straight away.
When Erin was introduced in the book she smiled and we talked about how it looked like her! She loved that Peppa and George had met her in the book, and enjoyed looking back at her favourite characters after we had finished reading.
From a parents point of view, I think this is a fun story that Erin would enjoy having read to her, and I really love the fact it not only reinforces the letters but has a character that resembles her too! 🙂
I do wonder how the story would differ for a child with a longer name (as obviously both of my girls have short names) and whether the book would be much longer in comparison?
At £22.49 for the hardback version, this isn’t a particularly cheap book, however I would personally pay the extra for a personalised book and opt for a hard back every time, as it makes it just that little more special! This would make a lovely gift for a special child in your life, particularly for a christening or naming day present.
Want to win your own? Penwizard have given me one book to giveaway to a lucky reader! Use the app below to enter! GOOD LUCK!
Erin loves magazines. I am yet to meet a little girl who doesn’t. I remember as a child always needing to be dragged away from that aisle in the supermarket. The aisle where they have all the colourful children’s magazines with a free treat on the front, perfectly laid out at child height to grab their attention. As a girl, I would often try and sneak one in the shopping trolley when Mum wasn’t looking but if I was a good girl, Mum would treat me to one on a Saturday night as my weekend reward (and some much needed peace and quiet for her too no doubt!).
Erin is no different and history is most definitely repeating. Nanny Dee often treats Erin to a magazine when she goes there on a Wednesday, and I love watching her little face lit up in excitement when she shows me what treat she has got from the cover!
We recently heard about a brand new magazine called Mixit magazine from DJ Murphy Publishing – a totally unique multi-character magazine for girls aged 4-9.
Featuring all the hottest new brands such as Shopkins, DC Superhero Girls, Lego Friends and other much loved classics, this interactive and fun-packed magazine includes stories, quizzes, cartoons, things to make, bake and do, collectable posters, games and more! Plus there are FREE branded cover gifts and branded stickers with every issue!
So what makes Mixit so special compared to the other magazines? It’s a toy and digital-led girls’ magazine, with a strong focus on collectables and ‘unboxing’ – which if you have seen my YouTube channel you will know is right up Erin’s street! It exclusively features key influencers and box-openers from the vlogging community, Emily Tube and Creative Celeste – what better magazine for a blogger’s daughter???
We were sent the first two issues to find out Erin’s verdict.
Our Experience
We were sent the first two editions of Mixit – Issue 2 is available now.
The magazine retails at £3.65 and is available at most good newsagents and supermarkets. As with most magazines of this nature, the price isn’t cheap, however there was plenty in each issue to keep her entertained.
Inside featured a variety of activities including puzzles, colouring in pages, posters, art and craft ideas, and a story with pictures which was really fun to read together, and as an adult, probably my favourite part of the magazine.
The free gifts included were really fun and good quality, with a Miraculus dancing ribbon and lip gloss in Issue 1 and a Nail Art Set and 2 packets of stickers, Disney Princess and Shopkins in Issue 2.
Erin loved seeing familiar characters such as LOL dolls, Barbie, The Mr Men, Shopkins and Puppy Surprise.
Her favourite parts of the magazine were the more interactive parts such as the stickers and colouring in pages. At a recent trip to a restaurant the magazine kept her really well occupied whilst waiting for her food; preventing fidgeting, resorting to the ipad, or god forbid… singing (let’s not go there again after Waitergate).
The Nail Set that came with Issue 2 (out now) was a real hit – and Erin enjoyed having a little pamper session with Daddy – having her nails filed, painted and having the gems popped on top for extra sparkle. With her cousins birthday party the following day, she was pleased as punch with the finished effect! 🙂
For me, the best part of Mixit magazine?? The fact you could remove the free gifts without tearing the cover!!! I can’t tell you the number of magazines we have had where the first page is destroyed by removing the cellotape – with Mixit – the cover is a sheeny thicker paper, meaning that the tape peals off without leaving any damage! Hoooorah!
I have a feeling that we will be asked for Mixit again in the not too distant future. As a mini blogger in the making, the more her unboxing addiction is encouraged the better! 🙂 Issue 2 of Mixit Magazine is out now at all good retailers.
My regular readers will know that I love nothing more than a good book! As a child myself, I loved reading from an early age, and hope my daughter will be the same. We read every single night together, and one of her favourite books is I love you Little Monster by Giles Andreaea, illustrated by Jess Mikhail. Her illustrations are amazing, and really bring the story to life, so when we given the opportunity to review one of her other recently illustrated books with a “local” theme, we jumped at the chance. My daughter at 3 years, is a little on the young side for this book, so one of our network mums Heather reviewed it with her daughter Sophia (aged 6). Having recently visited Cadbury World as a family, the timing was perfect.
The Book
Two Brothers and a Chocolate Factory is written by local author Juliet Clare Bell and illustrated by Jess Mikhail, who also grew up in Birmingham and attended Bournville Art College. The story tells the remarkable tale of Richard and George Cadbury and the creation of the brand and factory we know and love today. Both educational and informative, yet a fun and inspiring read, this book is great to read in conjunction with a trip to the factory, and compliments the historical element of the tour.
Our network Mum Heather reviewed this book with her 6 year old daughter Sophia who had recently returned from a fun filled day at Cadbury World in Bournville. Her thoughts are below…
A couple of weeks ago, my family and I paid a visit to Cadbury World, where we had an amazing day out as a family. At the beginning of the tour, their is a zone dedicated to the history of Bournville and the Cadbury’s brand – but with so much going on – it is often a little ‘lost’ in the excitement of the day. Reading this book after attending is a great way to reinforce the educational message from the visit that could otherwise be forgotten amongst the free samples and rides! 🙂
Although we should never judge a book by its cover (I have to admit I did!) and the first impressions were really positive. The illustrations (of which there are plenty) are beautiful and in calming tone colours throughout, making this a great book before bedtime despite its non fictional nature. A sturdy hard back book, the pages are soft to the touch and the images form a fundamental part of the story, bringing the words to life at every stage.
The wording used by the author is well thought out. I would suggest the ideal age for a child to read this book unaided is 5 years plus as there are some tricky words, however these were complimented well with words I believe a child of that age should know. Getting the wording right and praise throughout certainly gave Sophia a confidence boost. The book therefore struck a great balance, not too hard to read but not too easy either.
As a Mum, I particularly liked the Author’s note in the back of the book – I thought this was a really nice touch, although probably aimed at the parents or children older than Sophia. It included extra little bits of information that aren’t needed for the actual story as could make it too longwinded but were still great to know.
I asked Sophia what she thought of the book, and here were her answers:-
Q – What was your favourite part of the book?
A – When the business was going to work!
Q – What did you like about the book?
A – I liked them working all together, and when they tried their best. I liked it when they grew apples and that they don’t give up ”
Q – What did you think about the pictures in the book?
A – I liked the pictures, especially the ones where they made the chocolate and built the machines and treat each other as equal.
Q – What did you think of Cadbury world when we went?
A – I like the chocolate factory because it smells of chocolate and I like it when we played games!
Overall, I think its fair to say the book was a real hit, and its something we will enjoy reading over and over again. Great for anyone who is learning about local history at school, and I love the fact its a part of our local heritage!
Hi, I’m Lucy, a thirty something mum of two from Birmingham. A memory maker, tradition keeper, stationery addict and Mr Men fanatic. HR Advisor by day and sleep deprived Mama by night!
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