A First Guide to Baby Signing

Age range: 3+ months

I have heard of the concept of baby signing before receiving this pack and thought it was a very innovative idea. I would have been interested to introduce it to my son but wasn’t really sure how to go about it.The baby signing guide is a useful guide which advices on simple methods to introduce the concept to your child. It is ideal for busy mums as there is no heavy reading and it is divided into sections for easy reference. The signs are introduced in a logical manner, beginning with food and drink related signs. The pack itself is very colourful and visually stimulating, your child will enjoy looking through it with you. Each sign has step by step instructions, illustrated with both pictures and words. I like the fact that there is a picture of a child using each sign. My son loves to look at books with children in them, it really captures his interest, it also shows that the signing is being used and understood by young children.

My copy of the guide to baby siging came in the form of a pack, it wasn’t bound so the pages could slip out. I thought this could be useful as you could take out the page of the signs you are learning and display them somewhere for you and you child to refer to, until you have mastered the sign, for example the food related signs could be displayed in the kitchen. On the whole I found this guide very valuable, my son enjoyed looking through it with me and we tried some of the signs together. At two years old he has no real need to learn the signs but I look forward to using this guide with my new baby which I am expecting very soon. This guide could also be used to help older children with language and speech difficulties to communicate with others.

On the whole I found this guide very valuable, my son enjoyed looking through it with me and we tried some of the signs together. At two years old he has no real need to learn the signs but I look forward to using this guide with my new baby which I am expecting very soon. This guide could also be used to help older children with language and speech difficulties to communicate with others.

I was a bit disappointed to discover that my pack wasn’t complete, the contents page showed ten sections but the pack I received only contained the first two sections. I also think it would have been useful to get further information on baby signing like a website address.

Michelle Gannon - April 2005

www.tinytalkuk.co.uk

'Tiger' - from the Proud Parents Range

Age range: 2 - 6 yrs

This book is of a new clever design which incorporates a smaller child-size book within the body of the larger book. The smaller book sits inside a cut-out shape and attaches by velcro to the back cover.

The text tells of Tasmin Tiger and her Mum's encounters in the jungle. Not so much of a story, but short sentences.

The smaller book runs parallel but is told by another Tiger sibling, Tom, who is Tasmins twin brother. It answers in response to what has been said in the larger book, page by page.

This book is bright with simple illustrations and simple wording. The lack of a story didn't engage Thomas' interest, however I feel that it would become a firm favourite with much younger children.
Shared with Thomas age 4. Francine

www.amazon.co.uk

Wake Up Sleepy Head

Age range: 6 months - 5yrs

This book is full of rhymes describing animals waking up in their natural habitats. The animals range from Cows and Koalas to Skunks and Frogs.

On face value the book is beautifully illustrated with soft colourful pictures, however I feel the text itself lets the book down. Thomas found a few of the rhymes funny and entertaining, but mostly he was not amused with the poor rhyming and nonsense verse.

I had great expectations for this book on seeing the cover, but I was very disappointed when reading it aloud. You had a sense of how it was trying to introduce the young to poetry, but in my opinion it fell far short.

Shared with Thomas age 4 & Georgia 6 months. Francine

www.amazon.co.uk

Mole And The Baby Bird

Age range: 2-6 yrs

Mole rescues a bird, nurses it to health and keeps it in a cage. Understandably he wants to keep the bird, but comes to realise that you have to let the things you love go free.

The story is quite complex with many themes and issues, including love and loss. The appearance of the book gives the impression that this is for young children, around two years of age, as the pages are thick cardboard. Unfortunately this age group may not appreciate the depth of story contained.

The artwork is lovely, very warming and illustrates the story superbly. My four year old daughter liked the story and was very engaged by the layout and appearance of the book.
Karen.

www.amazon.co.uk

My Mum

Age range: 0-5 yrs

Personally this came across as the sort of book a grandparent would buy - it wasn't terribly exciting visually - the illustrations, although charming seemed a little flat and the overall feeling was of an era that is no longer here. The mother wasn't a convincing character and my 4 year old was insistent she couldn't be a Mum at all but a 'granny' - with her kitted out in some huge floral monstrosity that really is how the book comes across, which is a shame because the message (which was pretty much, "My Mum can do anything" was really quite sweet.
Suzanne

www.amazon.co.uk

Poppy Cat's Jigsaw Book

Age range: 1 - 4yrs

"I sat and read this book with my 2 year old daughter and it was a lovely little book to read with her.

She is perhaps a bit advanced for it as she can already count up to 13, but she still enjoyed it though especially the idea of the jigsaws.

My son is too old for it at 5 but for younger ones I think it is a lovely book, would be a great gift to give as it combines the jigsaw with the book.

My only fault with it is, as soon as my daughter had finished with it, she picked it up and all the pieces fell out of the jigsaw. So in all, a very good learning book brilliant jigsaw idea but not very practical for little people to pick up."

Cath

www.amazon.co.uk

Zoo Poo

Age range: 2 - 4yrs

"My son has been potty trained for about 8 months now, but he still enjoyed reading about how different animals at the zoo go to the toilet.

The book is very colourful, and the character of a little boy appears on each page as he tours around the zoo, giving continuity and added interest.

At the end of the book, the boy sits on the toilet himself to demonstrate how boys and girls poo. There are some useful guidelines for parents about to attempt potty training.

We enjoyed reading this book together, and it is highly recommended for families about to start potty training their child."

Charlotte

www.amazon.co.uk

Harry and the Dinosaurs Play Hide and Seek

Age range: 2 - 6yrs

"I read this book with my three year old son. The book consists of pages with "peep through" cut outs. You then lift the page to find the hidden dinosaur beneath.

My son liked the book but it didn't hold his attention for long.

Some of the dinosaur names e.g. Scelidosaurus I'd not heard of before and I think that the unfamiliar and strange sounding names made the book less appealing to my three year old.

Each page has a colour theme and he did find it fun naming and matching the colours. We've read other Harry books and have both loved them; and although in this book the illustrations were colourful and entertaining it wasn't up to the standard I expected before opening it.

I'd say it's a good book to borrow from the library but for us it's not going to become a well read well loved favourite. I think he would have preferred a more traditional format "lift the flap" book rather than the "fold out" style used in this book."

Kerry

www.amazon.co.uk

New Poppy Cat Buggy Buddies

Lara Jones - Campbell Books

"My 13 month old son loved following the adventures of Poppy cat and her friends.

Poppy Cat Splash is an exciting book about playing outside with water and toys until she tires herself out. The illustrations include many everyday objects that children may be familiar with like flowers or cars, a wonderful opportunity to teach little ones the names of things. Children will have fun acting out the activities in the story. I can just imagine a lively toddler splishing and splashing along with Poppy Cat.

Poppy Cat Hug was a calming story about being caring & affectionate and I found it was the perfect book for snuggling up with my son and having a kiss & cuddle while we read it together, especially before bedtime. Baby can learn the names and sounds of several animals as the characters include a cow, a rabbit, a mouse and of course a cat.

The colourful pages immediately attract the attention of young children and each page has a different texture for baby to touch, feel & explore, a great opportunity to introduce descriptive words like soft, smooth or shiny.

The text is short and simple, only a few words to each page with repetition and a rhyming element it will hold the attention of younger children and be easily memorized by toddlers who can read along.

These small board books will withstand the punishment of any one year old, they are compact and can be taken anywhere, they include a handy strap to attach to buggies or car seats and can entertain your young ones while you are out & about. I was amazed at how long my son stayed focused on one of these books in the car without any adult interaction. He also found the strap extremely interesting.

My son and I loved these books not only are they fun but they are practical as well and I would definitely recommend them for children age 12 months+."

Michelle

www.amazon.co.uk

A Chick Called Saturday

Age range: 0 - 5yrs

"Initial impressions are that this is just another run of the mill children’s book. Don’t let the cover fool you. When I opened the book and started to read it to my children, not only were we treated to a good, and at times amusing story culminating in a great lesson, but the bold and colourful watercolours really helped to fire the imagination.

From start to finish it kept both my two and four year olds quiet, (worth the money just for that!), but after the story had ended, there were pleas to read it again form the younger one, whilst the older started with a barrage of questions. Definitely worth spending some hard earned pennies on."

Andrew

www.amazon.co.uk

Artwork by Rebecca Elgar
Published by: Egmont Books

"These are nice little gentle books that my son loved.

The books theme's are mainly about counting and identifying the animals on each page whether at the farm or in the jungle which was fun. Each page has a lift the flap bit where all the favourite characters of Boo and his friends appear.

At the very end of the book there is a pop up page with all the animals together with Boo and his friends. My son certainly wanted to read the book again and again.

The books are alive with colour and are very appealing to the eyes. Recommended reading together with Mummy or Daddy."

Carolyn

www.amazon.co.uk

Get Busy This Summer

Age range: 0 - 5yrs

"My son Jordon and I really enjoyed reading this book. As well as the story there's lots of lovely bright pictures.

It's about a family of Penguins going on a holiday to have lots of fun in the sun, like they do every year. They go sailing, fruit picking, fishing and more. They get time to relax on the beach and get some sun, they go for a swim and have lots of fun.

Jordon loved the pictures Lovely bright colours, good size writing for children to read. He took the book to bed and was really happy looking at the pictures till he feel asleep."

Jayne

www.amazon.co.uk

Yuk!

Age range: 0 - 5yrs

"A colourful hard back book about Daisy, who is about to be a bridesmaid. The problem is Daisy 'doesn't do dresses' and she 'doesn't do lovely'. The book takes you through the hunt for a dress and everything is 'Yuk!' until the eventual compromise between Daisy and the grown-ups, when she is allowed to design her own dress.

Enjoyable to read with great illustrations, Daisy's antics are fun for children to follow, although if you have a budding tomboy bridesmaid yourself it may give her ideas!"

Jacky

www.amazon.co.uk

Pants

Age range: 0 - 5yrs

Small children love pants. They love talking about pants. They giggle whenever pants are mentioned. Let's face it - Pants are very funny!

"Pants is a fun book with bright colours and excellent wording, I had great pleasure in reading it and our son Peter loved it too."

Emma

www.amazon.co.uk

Hold Tight

Age range: 0 - 5yrs

"This book is the ninth in the popular Baby Bear series and is a follow up to "Again!" which was extremely popular with the youngsters in my family.

It tells of Grandbear and Baby Bear's adventures with a cardboard box! Sounds silly, but it is a joy to read as it moves smoothly from one flight of imaginative play to another.

Grandbear is very busy as it is washing day, but makes time to play imaginative games with Baby Bear. The box becomes a 'plane, then it changes and becomes a train. The train becomes a boat and then, best of all Grandbear gives Baby Bear a piggy back ride.

The relationship between Grandbear and Baby Bear is once again portrayed beautifully, with Grandbear affectionately pausing in his daily chores to play with Baby Bear, yet not totally jettisoning his plans for the day, teaching Baby Bear that there is a time for work and a time for play. Most adults will remember games in their youth where boxes became castles, houses, shops, whatever. Maybe nowadays, plastic carrier bags have usurped the sturdy carton from the grocers, but after reading this book to your child it is guaranteed that either the child or you yourself will be scrounging a box next time you shop!

The book itself is not long, a mere twenty pages, most of which are filled with delightful illustratons, but it is a lovely addition to a "Read to Me" library for 0 - 5 year olds."

Norah

www.amazon.co.uk

Humphrey's Garden / Humphrey's Family / Humphrey's Colours / Humphrey's Playtime

Sally Hunter - Puffin

Age range: 0 - 3yrs

"Lovely looking books with a simple storyline for toddlers and older. Lots to talk about and explain in the pretty looking pictures (by the way - Humphrey is an elephant!!) Well worth the £3.99 per book, great for inquisitive children."

Lisa

"From an adult perspecyive, these books are fantastically presented, the board construction makes them very sturdy and the illustrations are great - simple but engaging and amusing.

From a child's perspective I think the simplicity of the stories and the illustrations will make them appealing to children. My daughter, who is now 20 months old, has so far not shown any great interest in books and it can be quite difficult to get her to sit still to be read to, never mind actually getting her to thumb through books herself. Therefore I was amazed by her reaction to these books - not only did she enjoy looking through them and 'reading' them herself, she also loved having them read to her, and for the first ever time, would sit quietly on my lap while I read through the books, and would also insist that I read the books over and over again in the same sitting!

The stories are short and simple and I feel will also make excellent reading practice books as she grows older. My six year old nephew also found the books interesting, and used them to show off his reading skills and to practice his spelling skills. I therefore think that this range of books will appeal to a wide age range from baby to toddler through to young children.

Any book that can engage my daughter to such an extent must be a sure-fire winner!

Nana

www.puffin.co.uk

No Trouble at All

Age range: 1yr plus

"This book is one I loved to read as it has a few words on each page and the pictures are beautifully drawn and tell there own story for children to point at and tell you what the bears are up too.

It reminds me of the things I would have done if I had had a Grandad, hiding and seeking and going into rooms. I particularly enjoyed the bears faces!

My now 9 month old son, even though he wanted to eat it he loves books , and he sat and looked at the pictures.

This book is a good one for first time readers and anyone who loves there grandparent and would make a great gift.

I hope others like it as much as my son Jack and myself."

Ruth

www.amazon.co.uk

Cows in the Kitchen

Age Range: 1yr plus

"My son absolutely loved this book and I loved it too as there was no need to worry whether he ripped the pages as they were very sturdy board pages. What was nice about the book was that it was very colourful and my son seemed to like the repetiveness and rhythm.

I felt it was a very nice way to sneak some education in at this early age as it not only teaches them simple words and rhyme but the sounds different animals make. So now I'm off to read it to him once again, 'that's what we do Tom farmer....'"

Sarah

www.amazon.co.uk

When the book is opened there are pictures of various animals, and photographs of children impersonating the animals e.g. elephant, snake, tiger, monkey, rabbit... 'Who is that? What are they doing? Why? Can we do it too?' OK, lets go... When we started to read the book it also grabbed the attention of my one year old, who also had fun impersonating the animals, especially the snake on the floor, and the tigers chasing each other!

The print size is good, the layout is clear and tries to follow the movements of the animals (though this is not overly done), and the language is simple. It is also very nicely illustrated, although some of the animals are a little strange in that the monkeys look more like bears to me!

We had great fun acting out sentences such as, 'huddl

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