Wish I could be chilling hard with a good book like these two – but alas, Mom has to work!
I recently shared the books that I read and loved in September and seeing that Alyssa and Aidan have been loving a few good books too, I thought I would share them over here too!
So if you are looking to add a few good reads to your child’s collection – here are some recommendations from my two little bookworms.
Books My Kids Are Loving Right Now
Let’s start with Aidan’s picks which are probably most suited for kids ages 5-7 year old but I must admit I enjoyed them too đ
Veld Friends Adventures
This list is in no particular order of preference but this series of books deserves to be first on this list! The 3 titles – Walter the warthog and Sindele the stork; Walter the warthog makes a new friend and Sindele the stork has a secret admirer – are in fact so enjoyable to read even for adults!
I am actually going to leave them on our coffee table when we have guests over, as they are absolutely hilarious featuring many familiar South African sayings and references. We literally laughed out loud for reading these stories.
What is it about?
Friendship is everything, even if youâre a bit of a wild one like Walter the Warthog .Join him as he meets new buddies, overcomes challenges, surfs his heart out and has a lekker braai or two.
Veld Friends is a series for kids of all ages set around the Waterhole and starring a loveable cast of uniquely South African animals, including Sindele the Stork, Mandla the Hippo and Beukus the Baboon. Youâll laugh. Youâll cry. Youâll want to hold your nose for a while when Walter farts. Is there anything more fun than reading a VeldFriends story with a kid? Probably not.
The Singing Turtle and other Folk and Fairy Tales
I’m sure you’ve heard the quote âIf you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.â I absolutely stand by this quote which is exactly why we loved this one. Both Alyssa and Aidan really loved this one!
Here’s a little taste of some the tales:
Was the stranger, who knocked at the city gates during a storm, really a princess?
What kind of friend could a frog be? Read âThe Frog Princeâ to find out.
If you want to know why the animals were afraid of the proud elephant, Karpuratilaka, read the Indian tale in this collection to find your answer.
Could the turtle really fly? A West Indian folk tale reveal show the turtle took to the skies.
Read about the party for the long-tailed animals in author Dianne Stewartâs original African folktale, âA Dance in the Moonlightâ.
This collection of fairy and folk tales from around the world, is beautifully illustrated by Heidi-Kate Greeff and will be enjoyed by adult and child alike.
Pangolins Plays a Prank
This is such a cute little story and I love the message behind it. Aidan is now suddenly very interested in Pangolins since reading this one đ
What’s it about?
Pangolin accidentally runs into Lion after a night of feasting on termites and ants. Since she is not a fast runner, she has to think quickly to avoid being eaten by Lion. Her deception proves successful, aided unexpectedly by Dung Beetle. In the process, Pangolin discovers she has more friends than she realized!
Alyssa’s Top Picks
Mary Anningâs Grewsome Beasts
What’s it about?
This book tells the true story of a scientist named Mary Anning. The fossils she found helped invent the science of palaeontology. If youâve heard of Ichthyosaurs, Plesiosaursor Pterosaurs you already know her work but thereâs so much thatâs been hidden or forgotten.
Hereâs some things youâll discover when reading this one:
⢠As a one-year-old, lightning struck Mary but it could not kill her.
⢠When she was 12 she found the bones of a creature no one had ever seen before.
⢠In her 16th year, dead people washed upon her favourite beach.
⢠Her enemies were rich men and landslidesâthe first called her a liar and the second tried to kill her (a lot).
⢠One of her friends often ate mice on toast.
This visual biography contains many deaths and one squirrel; a handsome puppy and 200-million-year-old poop.
I couldn’t help but think of Ross from Friends when reading this with Alyssa – ha ha đ
It’s such a great unique book which we will definitely re-read.
Harklights by Tim Tilley
Alyssa loves fairytale adventures and as her vocabulary expands I love how she notices the little details within the writing and also recognising the message behind some of the books she reads – like kindness and friendship!
In Harklights, I loved how she was able to recognise the message of family, friendship and hope!
What’s is about?
Wick has always lived in the dark and dreadful Harklights Match Factory and Orphanage, working tirelessly for greedy Old Ma Bogey. He only dreams of escaping, until one day a bird drops something impossible and magical at his feet-a tiny baby in an acorn cradle…
As midnight chimes, Wick is visited by the Hobs ,miniature protectors of the forest. Grateful for the kindness shown to their stolen child, they offer Wick the chance of a lifetime-escape from Harklights and begin a new life with them in the wild…
Magnificent Mabel Series
Meet Mabel – she’s MAGNIFICENT.
Sometimes life isn’t fair for Mabel Chase. Like for instance it is NEVER her turn to look after the class caterpillar. And she’s not allowed a pair of glasses, even though she is SURE that she needs them. And her big sister Meg KEEPS ignoring her to do homework.
But none of that matters in the end … because Mabel is still MAGNIFICENT.
Alyssa has 3 books out of this series so far and she just loves them! The only problem is that she reads them so quickly – and begs me to order another 1 đ
I hope you find this list useful should you be shopping for some new additions to your little one’s bookshelf!
Note that the books in this post, with the exception of the Mabel series, were review copies sponsored by Penguin books.
xxx
Hayley