Glenbrook book review

If you are anything like me, I LOVE recommendations for children’s books. We typically have a handful of books that make a regular appearance and as much as I love them, I’m always more enthusiastic when part of our nightly routine includes something novel. For those of you interested, here is a link to the organisation – Reach Out and Read who detail the benefits of reading aloud to your children based on scientific findings.

So, with that in mind, I have asked a few Glenbrook families to share their book recommendations…. with the holiday season well and truly upon us, it’s always nice to have a few ideas for gifts!

Zaslavsky family (Fantastic Frogs and Teddy Bears)

One of our four-year-old’s favorite books is National Geographic Kids, Little Kids First Big Book of Space by Catherine D. Hughes. The photography and illustrations are surprisingly colorful and beautiful, and the chapter-book format makes it easy to negotiate how many pages we will read before bed! Miles’ verdict: ‘I like the Big Book of Space SO MUCH because it helps me learn a lot about space!’

Schwartz family (Fantastic Frogs)

Can I Play Too? by Mo Willems:  We love all of the Elephant & Piggie books, but this one is our favorite.  In this book, Elephant, Piggie, and their friend Snake are trying to play catch.  It’s so funny, and we love how the characters solve the problem of playing catch with someone who doesn’t have arms.

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett & Kevin Cornell: We read this one over and over, and it always makes us laugh.  The simple task of counting the monkeys turns out to be a little harder than expected in this book, though it makes learning numbers 0-10 a lot of fun.

Age range: 3 +

Finding Winnie:  The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear by Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall:  I will admit that I teared up the first time I read this book! This book tells the true story of the black bear that inspired Winnie the Pooh.  We love the sweet story, the beautiful illustrations, and the learning of how one of our favorite characters came to be.

Eldridge family (Super Stars and Curious Cats)

Before You Sleep by Benji Bennett: We were given this book for our eldest daughter’s 1st birthday and it became an instant hit in our household. Before You Sleep, is a simple reminder to tell your children just how much you love them each bedtime. Written in memory of Adam, the author’s son, it is such a special read and guaranteed to tug at your heart strings and entertain little (and not so little) ones. ‘I love you much more than a big sandy beach,…’

Just released in the USA, Before You Sleep should be on everyone’s holiday list! What’s more, proceeds go to a range of childrens’ charities, so once you fall in love with this book, you’ll be stockpiling copies to give as gifts.

Age range: all ages

The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson: A new favorite book in our home is The Gruffalo – a tale of a little mouse in the deep dark woods who cunningly manages to escape danger. The story is based on a chinese folk tale of a fox who borrows the terror of a tiger. We love this book and all of the Julia Donaldson books we’ve come across, ‘Tabby McTat’, ‘Room on a Broom’, ‘Snail and the Whale’, to name a few.

Age range: 3-6 years

Sucar family (Super Stars)

My family and I love Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie series.                                                 There are 24 books in the series so far and we love all of them. Our favorite at the moment is called The Thank You Book. Its the ending to the long series thanking its readers and does not disappoint. The series is about two best friends who compliment each other beautifully. Gerald can be negative and gloomy and Piggie is the eternal optimist and cheerful. Elephant and Piggie’s banter is hilarious, easy enough to keep Miles’ interest and a perfect tool to teach reading. Mo Willem is also known for classics such as Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive The Bus, Knuffle Bunny and Leonardo the Terrible. He was a writer and animator for Sesame Street and a stand up comedian.  I recommend all his books. After we finished reading, Miles hugged the book and asked me to read it again. The series is special and I hope you guys think so too.

Age range: 3+

If you have any book recommendations you’d like to share with the school, please let us know!

– The Communications Committee.