Our favorite books for summer…
It’s never too soon to introduce your child to books – even if he just chews the corners, you’ll be sowing the seeds for a love of reading that’ll keep him coming back for more. We’re making it easy with our roundup of books for all ages…
Enter our book competition below!
0-2 years
Peek-a-boo Who?
Happy smiling animals pictured in bright, bold colors hide under every flap of this cute board book. Can your baby guess what’s waiting to be discovered without peeking?
Peek-a-boo Who?, by Simms Taback (Blue Apple Books, $8.95)
Look at You! A Baby Body Book
Babies love looking at other babies and yours will love the cute pictures of babies doing exactly what she does every day: rolling, crawling, clapping, splashing, cuddling, eating and making a mess at mealtimes.
Look at You! A Baby Body Book, by Kathy Henderson, illustrated by Paul Howard (Candlewick Press, $15.99)
My Very First Book of Animal Sounds
Help your baby to match each animal with the sound it makes. Which animal barks? Which animal roars? Only you can match them. Vibrant pictures make this huge fun.
My Very First Book of Animal Sounds, by Eric Carle (Philomel, $5.99)
2-4 years
Tools
Bob the Builder fans will love looking at pictures of tools and working out what they are and what they do. Can they guess what kind of worker used them before turning the page to find out if they’re right?
Tools, by Taro Miura (Chronicle Books, $16)
My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World
The ‘cat’ in this sweet little story does everything you’d expect a cat to do: playing with a ball of yarn, licking itself clean, using a litter tray, stretching and then curling up for a catnap. The joke is that the pet in question isn’t a cat at all…
My Cat, the Silliest Cat in the World, by Gilles Bachelet (Abrams Books, $16.95)
Hippo! No, Rhino!
A simple tale about identity, as an absent-minded zoo keeper mistakenly places the hippo sign in front of the rhino’s enclosure. Visitors mistake the rhino for a hippo despite his efforts to set things right… join in with your child as he says, “No, rhino!”
Hippo! No, Rhino!, by Jeff Newman (Little, Brown, $15.99)
4-8 years
The Princess and the Pea
The fairytale favorite retold, with gorgeously detailed 3-D illustrations and a likeably independent heroine who is way more plucky than the sweet and sensitive prince.
The Princess and the Pea, by Lauren Child, illustrated by Polly Borland (Hyperion, $17)
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building
Makes history accessible for kids, as it describes the construction of the Empire State Building through the observant eyes of a Manhattan boy and his dad. Stunning illustrations celebrate the daring of all those involved, perched perilously high and looking down from dizzying heights!
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building, by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by James E. Ransom
(Random/Schwartz & Wade, $16.95)
Best Best Friends
Best friends Mary and Clare do everything together until Mary’s birthday, when all the special treatment she’s getting leads to an argument. Can the two girls manage to cool off and say sorry so they can be friends again? Ideal for preschoolers just beginning to learns the skills of socializing and making friends. You could WIN this book - see details below!
Best Best Friends, by Margaret Chodos-Irvine (Harcourt, $16)
5-9 years
The Monster in the Backpack
Friends come in all shapes and sizes and you find them in all sorts of places, as this story shows. Annie’s new backpack is home to a live-in monster who likes to create chaos but proves to be a true friend.
The Monster in the Backpack, by Lisa Moser, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones (Candlewick Press, $4.99)
Oh Rats! The Story of Rats and People
Kids this age are well into the EW! factor and they’ll love this deliciously icky account of the love-hate relationship between people and rats. Weaves together history, science, culture and folklore and is packed with fascinating details on the history, physical abilities and intelligence of this furry fiend.
Oh Rats! The Story of Rats and People, by Albert Marrin, illustrated by C B Mordan (Dutton Juvenile, $16.99)
Clementine
“But I was paying attention!” That’s third-grader Clementine’s motto and she’s sure it’s true… unfortunately the things she concentrates on aren’t the things that really matter! Despite her good intentions things go wrong a lot of the time – something kids will know all about and identify with. Humorous and charming for kids and grown-ups alike.
Clementine, by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Marla Frazee (Hyperion, $14.99)
Tweens
Framed
Art and Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles collide in this quirky tale. When brother and sister Dylan and Minnie find out that valuable paintings are being stored in a local disused mine, it awakens his interest in art… and her skills as a master thief, as she plots a heist to steal Van Gogh’s Sunflowers…
Framed, by Frank Cottrell Boyce (HarperCollins, $16.99)
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
A rite of passage for every tween girl since it was written – and one of the joys of parenting is introducing your children to the books you loved when you were their age. High jinks ensue as Margaret and her three preteen friends negotiate training bras, menstruation, religion and kissing.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, by Judy Blume (Athenaum/Richard Jackson Books, $17.95)
Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel
Evangeline ‘Eddie’ Brown juggles life with an alcoholic father in a seedy motel that has the butt end of an old pink Cadillac sticking out of one of the walls to attract customers, with trying to deflect questions from her teacher, who’s all-too-interested in Eddie’s home life. The one bright spot is her friendship with fellow misfit Farrell, the son of one of her dad’s drinking buddies, and as their worries about being taken away from their dads and separated grow they hatch a plan to run away together…
Evangeline Brown and the Cadillac Motel, by Michele Ivy Davis (Dutton Juvenile, $16.99)