More recommended books

The website Words for Life has some lovely festive recommendations.

I have picked one book from each of their categories but you can see the full list here.

Baby to 3

Snowball

Written by Sue Hendra

Illustrated by Paul Linnet

Created by award-winning, bestselling duo Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, Snowball is a brilliantly funny picture book, with wonderfully comical images illustrating the hilarious rhyming story - perfect for Christmas!

A lonely young snowball, stuck at the top of a mountain, decides to visit the local town for a bit of fun - but on his way he trips, falls, and starts to roll . . . and when a snowball rolls through snow, we all know what happens!

This snowball picks up not only snow, but a myriad of other odd things on his way down - a sheep, a line of washing, a bicycling bear, ending up in the Zoo.

3 to 5

Dear Santasaur

Written by Chae Strathie

Illustrated by Nicola O'Burne

Will Santa deliver to dinosaurs? Join the mighty T.Rex on a Christmas adventure in this Santa-stic tale about a little boy and his favourite dinosaur. This T.Rex-cellent tale of friendship is packed with letters and cards to read. Max and his favourite T. Rex are back with a bang in this gorgeous follow-up to DEAR DINOSAUR, and DEAR DINOSAUR: T-REX ON TOUR. Dinosaur fans will love this ROARSOME picture book full of detail and facts to discover.

5 to 7

How Winston Delivered Christmas

Written by Alex T. Smith

From Alex T. Smith, bestselling author of the Claude series, comes How Winston Delivered Christmas - the irresistible story of the brave little mouse who sets out on an adventure on Christmas Eve.Featuring beautiful colour artwork and Christmassy activities to make-and-do throughout, this gorgeous book is sure to become a festive family tradition that will be enjoyed year after year.

Winston the mouse is on a Very Important Mission. On Christmas Eve, he finds a letter to Father Christmas that did not make it to the post box - so, with no time to lose, he sets out to deliver it himself in time for Christmas Day! He has a lot of Very Exciting Adventures on his Very Important Mission and makes some wonderful friends along the way.

Each chapter includes it's very own festive activity for all the family to enjoy together - including writing a letter to Father Christmas, making mince pies, designing your very own Christmas cards, making presents, creating decorations, and so much more!

This flapped paperback features a festively foiled cover and artwork on beautiful paper, making it the perfect Christmas gift.

7 to 11

North Child

Written by Edith Pattou

A beautiful, epic story of destiny, magic and love... Reborn for a new generation of readers.

Rose is an unusual child, a North Child. For Rose was born facing north, and the old stories say she is destined to travel far from home on a dangerous journey. Making a pact with an enormous white bear, Rose travels on his back to a mysterious castle that holds a dark enchantment, a darker temptation, and the key to her true destiny... A spellbinding adventure to curl up with on long winter nights.

Some lovely books there I think.

Happy reading,

Allison x

Non-fiction books for Christmas gifts

Today I thought I would give non-fiction a bit of a showcase.
Here are some non-fiction books that would make lovely Christmas gifts this year.

Atlas of ocean adventure

Written by Emily Hawkins
Illustrated by Lucy Letherland

Set your spirit of adventure free with this journey to the world's great oceans, discovering the diversity of life that exists in the deep blue sea. Whether you're travelling long haul with leatherback turtles across the Pacific, snoozing with sea otters or ice bathing with a walrus, this book celebrates the very prescient topic of the world's oceans with Lucy Letherland's animal characters.

A natural history lesson in an adventure book, each spread features 10 captions and and facts about every destination. The 5th title in the best-selling Atlas of Adventures series that has now been translated into 31 languages.

TFL: The story of the London underground

Written by David Long
Illustrated by Sarah McMenemy

When the first passengers climbed aboard the earliest ever underground train in 1863, it would have been impossible to imagine how the London Underground would change and grow over the next 150 years. From smelly steam trains running along a single track to the innovative electric tube system speeding through a vast network of tunnels beneath our feet today, the London Underground keeps this busy city on the move. The Story of the London Underground tells the extraordinary history of the world's most famous underground railway. Explore Victorian London as the Brunels dig deep under the Thames. Take refuge in the tunnels during World War II and discover which world leader's bath was found in an abandoned station. Marvel at the famous fossil wall, deserted ghost stations and unusual spiral escalators that are all part of the London Underground's fascinating history. Published in association with TfL, this beautiful book from Blue Peter Award-winning author David Long and exceptionally talented artist Sarah McMenemy tells a captivating story of the London Underground that will delight children and grown-ups alike.

See Inside Your Body

This astonishingly inventive title allows young children to discover the inner workings of the human body in a gently humorous, yet wholly accurate way. Bright, original colour illustrations and diagrams display all the major organs of the human body and are accompanied by witty, clear and informative factual text. It contains over fifty flaps, which children can lift to reveal extra detail. Entertaining and authoritative, this is human biology for children at its very best - a book both educational and enjoyable.

Lift the Flap Questions and Answers about Plastic

Written by Katie Daynes
Illustrated by Marie-Eve Tremblay

Why is there so much plastic in the world? How does it help us? What's the problem and how can we solve it? These are just some of the 60+ questions answered in this timely and topical book. The facts are presented in a friendly and quirky way, helping kids to understand this global predicament and inspiring them to be part of the solution.

Guinness World Records 2020

Celebrate the dawning of a new decade with the fully revised Guinness World Records 2020.

To kick off the '20s, we've created an electrifying new cover and curated a record-breaking edition packaged with thousands of new, updated and classic superlatives, hundreds of never-before-seen images, and a selection of eye-opening photo-composites that put a new spin on record-breaking...

A new decade means it's time for a fresh approach, so starting with our front cover, we've re-booted record-breaking with an all-new design. There's a new look inside, too, and thanks to our team of digital artists, we've created mind-blowing poster pages that will reveal some of our classic record holders in a whole new light. Our ever-expanding pool of international consultants and experts help us make sense of the world around us, so join us as we explore the vast spectrum of record-breaking in 11 superlative-packed chapters.

As always, we're committed to bringing you record-breaking from the cutting edge of science, and this year we've produced a feature chapter on remarkable robots with the help of award-winning tech blogger Evan Ackerman. We've also been out on the road, adjudicating records at events as diverse as the UK National Pet Show, Skill Con in Las Vegas and BubbleFest in Wales.

Guinness World Records is nothing without its dedicated record-breakers, so we've also selected the best of the newly approved claims from the 50,000 applications received from the public over the past 12 months. If you want to be one of those lucky few, look out for the Do Try This At Home challenges in the VIRAL SPORTS chapter - you might even make it into next year's edition!

There you have it. A lovely little selection for those big minds waiting to be filled with information.

Happy reading,

Allison x

Recommended Reads

I've only just started doing this blog and I'm already doing tonnes of research. If I'm not teaching, I'm immersed in the children's book world.

It's a festive time of year so I will shortly be bringing you some festive reads, some great books from 2019 and a look ahead to 2020. I don't know about ou, but I really can't wait to see what delights the children's book world will bring next year.

Whilst researching, I came across a more winter reading list than festive, by the The Publishers Association. The link for the original pdf I came across is here.

These books are in no particular order, but I will link each title to Waterstones, where the books can be bought,

I haven't listed all the the books here, just a selection. The reasons I really liked this list of books are because:

• I haven't heard of all of the titles
• They are not Christmas related (except two)
• Poetry is included

I've picked those with a nature theme (even if it's a little tenuous! So let's just dive right in with my picks ...

Pick A Pine Tree

By Patricia Toht

Illustrated by Jarvis Walker Books

Pick a pine tree from the lot - slim and tall, or short and squat! Long straight limbs or branches bent... Mmm! Just smell that piney scent!

From the winner of the V&A Best Illustrated Book 2017

From Alan's Big, Scary Teeth creator, Jarvis, and author Patricia Toht, comes a beautiful, irresistible Christmas gift book that all begins with ... picking a pine tree! Brimming over with the excitement of being with family at the festive season, a gorgeously rhythmical, read-aloud narrative accompanied by warm, joyful art celebrates all the familiar rituals of decorating the tree - from digging out jam-packed boxes of trimmings, stringing tinsel, to, at last, turning on those twinkly fairy lights.

I am the seed that grew the tree

 A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year

 By Fiona Waters

 Illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon

A dazzling, soaring compendium of illustration and verse, I Am the Seed That Grew the Tree presents a poem for every day of the year – including those that leap.

Capturing themes of the natural world, this sumptuous volume gathers together an exciting sweep of names, including works from Ted Hughes, William Carlos Williams, Emily Brontë, Carol Ann Duffy, John Updike, Grace Nichols and William Blake. From ice-dusted birch trees on a January night to an autumn glimpse of a hawk in flight, this landmark anthology sings with the power of language to capture the magic of our changing world.

These thoughtful poems have been gathered from all around the world, and specifically chosen to suit each individual day of the year. The selections were curated by Fiona Waters, a passionate champion of children’s literature. Waters has worked with children’s books all her life as a bookseller, publisher, author and reviewer, and won the CLPE Poetry Prize in 2005. In collecting the poems for I Am the Seed, Fiona and the publisher Nosy Crow have maintained regional spellings and usage, in order to preserve the integrity of the originals.

The captivating and playful illustrations are provided by Frann Preston-Gannon, who was previously shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2013 for The Journey Home. She has brought life and imagination to every page, enough to make children and adults alike stop in their tracks.

The Wonders of Nature

 By Ben Hoare

 Illustrated by Angela Rizza and Daniel Long

Every page reveals a surprising story from the natural world that you just won't forget.

Discover the wonders of planet Earth and learn about some of the most amazing animals, plants, rocks and minerals, and microscopic life that live here.

The storybook descriptions and close-up images let you discover the myths and legends of living creatures and minerals, as well as key facts about their natural history. Find out how the prowling jaguar uses spots to avoid being spotted, why a sticky sundew means big trouble for insects, and what on Earth a radiolarian is. From opals to orchids and tapirs to toadstools, this beautiful collection brings more than 100 remarkable items from the natural world to life.

With a decorative foil cover, gilded edges, and a ribbon for keeping your place, The Wonders of Nature is an irresistible gift for children who can't get enough of nature.

The Little Island

By Smriti Prasadam-Halls

Illustrated by Robert Starling

The Tree That's Meant To Be

Written and illustrated by Yuval Zommer

A gorgeous Christmas picture book that's destined to become a festive classic.

A little fir tree is too small and too imperfect to be chosen at Christmas time. But being left alone in the forest brings more rewards than the tree could ever have hoped for ...

This is a charming and classic-feeling Christmas picture book with a heartfelt message about love and embracing what makes us different. Families will love sharing the story and talking about kindness, generosity, and the true meaning of Christmas. Award-winning author Yuval Zommer puts the living world at the heart of his powerful storytelling.

Frostheart

Written and illustrated by Jamie Littler

Way out in the furthest part of the known world, a tiny stronghold exists all on its own, cut off from the rest of human-kin by monsters that lurk beneath the Snow Sea.

There, a little boy called Ash waits for the return of his parents, singing a forbidden lullaby to remind him of them... and doing his best to avoid his very, VERY grumpy yeti guardian, Tobu.

But life is about to get a whole lot more crazy-adventurous for Ash.

When a brave rescue attempt reveals he has amazing magical powers, he's whisked aboard the Frostheart, a sleigh packed full of daring explorers who could use his help. But can they help him find his family . . . ?

There you have it. I hope there's something there that tickles your fancy or that of your child.

Happy reading,

Allison x