Shelley | Picture Book Reviews

AD-PR Product]Violet is usually a cheerful, bubbly little girl but right now she feels a little lost. She’s recently learned that she will be playing one of the lead roles in her school play and she’s plagued with worry. Learning the lines isn’t a problem but she’s nervous about public speaking. What if everyone laughs at her? As Violet’s emotions swirl, her family and friends surround her with love and support. Her grandmother provides cuddles and patiently sews her a costume, her uncles suggest ways she could feel more confident onstage, and her teacher quietly reassures her at rehearsal. Everyone knows she is capable of doing a great job but all Violet feels is doubt. Why did they choose her? Why didn’t they select someone ‘better’? When the night of the performance arrives Violet feels sick with worry, but when she steps on to the stage and sees her family in the front row she feels a sense of peace. It’s her time to shine – but can she overcome her nerves and give the performance of a lifetime? Every now and then a book comes along which makes me want to scream ‘why didn’t this exist when I was a kid?‘. It gave me flashbacks to a school concert circa 1987 when I was so terrified of saying my one line that I feigned illness and my parents let me stay home instead. I wish that I’d had a book like this to help build my confidence and show me that I really was capable of saying “Oh I do hope the Prince asks me to dance” without everyone laughing at me. Yup – it traumatised me so much that I can still remember the exact line! Ivy battles with confidence issues too so it’s definitely one that i’ll be picking off the shelf each time she needs a little boost. I also need to give a special mention to the stunning illustrations. The moody colour palette and well-observed facial expressions really elevate the story and will help children empathise with the emotions Violet is experiencing. VIOLET’S TEMPEST is now available in all good bookshops! OR, buy your copy from Lantana’s online shop and donate a book to children who need books the most with your purchase:  #kidsbooks #childrensbooks #picturebooks

(AD-PR Product - I received a gifted virtual pass in exchange for posting about this event) Whilst the focus of this account is children's books it cannot be denied that I am an avid reader of all kinds of literature. I don't share my personal reads down here on the grid but I often pop them in my stories and have had some great DM conversations with some of you about your 'grown up' recommendations (and occasionally gift my own copies to those who are super excited to read something!) Chatting about books with other bibliophiles and listening to authors talk about their work is one of my greatest pleasures, which is why I was extremely excited to be gifted a pass to the series of fantastic virtual events which @henleylitfest are running this September. This coming Monday evening (Sept 20th) they have a session with Brit Bennett (The Vanishing Half) & Curtis Sittenfeld (Rodham) which I can't wait to attend. I've read both of these in recent months and they are phenomenal. Other authors featured in the September virtual series include Michael Holding (Why We Kneel, How We Rise), Faridah Abike-Iyimide (Ace of Spades), Amy McCulloch (The Magpie Society) and Giovanna Fletcher. I have a little bit of a girl crush on Giovanna so will definitely be watching that last one :-) Tickets are £5 per session (or you can purchase a virtual pass to all of them for £20). And if you're desperate to meet up with your bookish chums then remember the in-person version of Henley Literary Festival will be going ahead from October 2nd to October 10th. It's packed with fantastic sessions and includes the authors of some of the best books i've read this year! Pop over to @henleylitfest for full details and you can buy tickets at . (I will pop a swip in my stories) #henleylitfest #bookstagram #bibliophile #bookaddict #booksandbooks #booksarelife #bookstagramuk

Hello! If you've been following me for a while you've probably noticed that I've been a little bit quiet over the summer. Last year I was diligently writing and sharing two reviews a day *every single day* and probably looking like a successful 'instagrammer' as my follower numbers went up and up - but I have to admit that in the background it was a struggle, especially during the holidays. Juggling full time parenting with freelance work, plus review writing and book admin is A LOT, so last summer felt pretty full on and by the time September came around I was exhausted. Reviewing children's books and sharing them with you all is a hobby and, although I receive *gifted* copies of books from publishers for consideration, I do this in my own free time and don't get paid. I do it because I love it - but I have to admit it started to feel like a chore. So this summer I decided to go easy on myself. I gave parenting and paid work my full attention and just posted reviews as and when I had small pockets of time. My follower number and engagement rate has taken a hit but my mental health is much improved and Ivy and I have had a glorious couple of months with lots of little adventures and that is what is truly important. Now she's back in school I can once again turn my attention to Ivy's Library and I have stacks of wonderful books to share with you in the coming months. Scroll through the pictures to see what we've been up to this summer and the wonderful stories we've been reading. I am just starting to plan out content for the rest of the year so if there are any titles which particularly catch your eye then let me know and I will prioritise those reviews. (Disclosure - some of the books pictured were sent by the publishers for review consideration and some we have purchased ourselves) #childrensbooks #kidsbooks #picturebooks #backtochool #fictionforkids #childrenslit #kidlit

I have made lots of fabulous friends here on Instagram and, despite being rather shy☺️, I am always excited to meet bookish pals IRL. So I was over the moon to discover that @rubysreads_uk had a stall at our local fair today and I made it my mission to seek her out. She was super lovely and had an absolutely fabulous selection of books for all ages. I have been trying to buy fewer books recently because I have such a big review pile but I just couldn’t help myself and came away with a bagful. Swipe to see what I chose! If you’re not following @rubysreads_uk already then make sure you pop over to her account and show her some love. She shares and sells a wide variety of diverse and inclusive titles for kids (and if you live in South London keep an eye out for her at future local events!) #rubysreadsuk #celebratedifferencesandsimilarities #diversekidslit #weneeddiversebooks #diversekidsbooks #diversitymatters #representationmatters #raisingkindkids #celebratedifferences #inclusionrevolution #diversechildrensbooks #diversekids #inclusionmatters #diversekidsread #diversekidlit #raisinggoodhumans

Aaaaaand she’s back! There were a lot of nerves this morning but by the time we left the house she was mostly just excited about being reunited with her bestie. Today I will mostly be trying to catch up on book-related admin before I start to attack the 3 enormous piles which are awaiting review - but I’m definitely going to try and sneak in a little nap 😴 (Our gorgeous ‘Back to School’ board was purchased from the lovely Marisa at @milkandmustard ) #backtoschool

This gorgeous book celebrates the fact that we are all unique and we all have something special to share with the world. The joyful pages take us on a tour of some of the wonders of nature and show us how they contribute to our lives. From trees and oceans to dogs and birds, everything on earth has something wonderful to offer and every single one is different. Every tree is different and every bird is different – and only a tree knows how to be a tree, and only a bird knows how to be a bird. But what about people? There are billions of us on earth and we all function in pretty much the same way – but each of us is unique. We all have different thoughts and feelings – and only you know how to be you. I love how this one promotes self-love and encourages children to think about who they are and who the want to be. The bold and brightly-coloured illustrations are glorious and feature a wonderfully diverse mix of children each expressing themselves in their own way. We’ve had some lovely discussions around the central theme, along with some rather silly ones about what would happen if a bird tried to be a tree or a dog tried to be the ocean! Like the look of this book? You can buy it by heading to the Bookshop.org affiliate link in my bio.

Today I’m resharing a review from this time last year because quite frankly this book is fabulous! It’s one that we read repeatedly on those final few days before Ivy started Reception last year and it still gets pulled off the shelf regularly. It helped reassure her that she actually knows lots of things and was more than ready for school. Featuring a diverse cast of children (including a child in a wheelchair and a child with a hearing aid), this essential guide to being almost five covers a wide range of topics whilst quietly celebrating the joy of being unique. The early pages look at things which most children should recognise from the world around them – from different kinds of homes and families to emotions, manners, and tips on how to make friends. It then moves through the foundations of learning, introducing numbers, colours, shapes and the alphabet. There are even sections on personal hygiene, healthy eating and daily routines. The latter section highlights themes which are popular topics during the reception year – the solar system, animals, weather, seasons and looking after the planet. My particular favourite is the section on staying safe, which covers crossing the road, being online, playing safely, talking to strangers and what to do if someone makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. I really can’t recommend this book highly enough, and not just for the under fives! The warm and friendly illustrations coupled with the bite-sized facts make this a fantastic read and we have come back to it again and again.

Ivy started Reception last year and next week she will be going into Year 1. Where has the time gone? Last year we amassed a huge collection of Starting School books and I created a blog post about our favourites. This week i've seen a surge in DMs and emails from parents looking for books on this topic so I have updated the list and added some gems which we have discovered this year. Scroll through the images to see our favourites. There are 48 books pictured but if you pop over to our Bookshop.org store you can browse (and buy from) an even larger selection titles. The link is in my bio. The collection features a wide variety of books. Some are specifically around the experience of starting school, whilst others focus on realted topics like separation anxiety, learning new skills, making friends and sharing. Many of these have already been reviewed on but if you have any questions on any of the titles then feel free to pop a question below and i'll do my best to answer it! Are there any other books you would add to this selection?

Ivy and I have had the best day today, although it was definitely a little bit topsy turvy! We visited the Upside Down House at Westfield and had lots of fun taking crazy pictures. Has anyone else been? Swipe for some more mind-bending images! Of course we took a picture book with us (Shy Willow by @thecatpark , published by @levinequerido - highly recommend & review coming soon! #gifted by @abramschronicle ) and this picture instantly made me think of Doorstep Library's new campaign #WhereDoWordsTakeYOU? ----> To celebrate their 10th birthday @doorsteplibrary have launched the #WhereDoWordsTakeYOU summer reading campaign, encouraging people to share their reading journeys. They want to get children and adults everywhere, to tell them what exciting places they go to when they read. This could be a journey in a story, or a journey in life – it’s entirely up to you! The #WhereDoWordsTakeYOU campaign is backed by a number of leading children’s authors, including @cressidacowellauthor , Children’s Laureate and author of the How to Train Your Dragon series. It’s easy to get involved, simply go to the Doorstep Library website and fill out a special Online Postcard. – Tell them in 50 words or less where you go when you read, starting with the phrase: “Words take me …” Alternatively, you can download a copy of the postcard to write, or even draw, your reading journey which can be emailed to them. They are also running a special competition for younger readers (up to and including age 11) to win their age in books! All postcards for children aged 0-11 will automatically be entered into their free prize draw and one lucky child will win a fantastic stack of books. All you need to do is pick up a book and tell Doorstep Library where words take you this summer! I'll pop swipes to all of the links in my stories, and you can also find all of the information over at @doorsteplibrary

[Ad - PR Product] Dog lives a happy but predictable life in a busy city. He runs a laundrette and takes great pride in washing and drying his customers’ clothes. He enjoys his days but secretly he dreams about visiting the ocean. He’d love to see the waves lapping on the shore but thinks this is impossible because the sea is so far away. Instead, he lives vicariously through characters in books and whittles small boats which he keeps around his home. One day he discovers a new brand of washing powder called ‘Ocean Magic’. Hes very excited to try it – but the box contains a little more than he bargained for. When he gets the clothes out of the machine they smell like sea and sand but huddled inside them is a very dizzy and confused little crab! The crab is keen to get back to his home at the beach but how will he get there? Dog thinks the distance is too far to drive. “It’s impossible!” he says. Crab explains that things are only impossible when you say they are and suggests that they try. Soon Dog finds himself transported on a wonderful adventure, visiting mountains, waterfalls, caves and eventually the ocean. Dog never imagined that such wonderful things could happen to him and when they reach their destination he never wants to leave. But staying forever would be impossible. Or would it? We love this fabulous story which encourages children to face their fears, step out of their comfort zone and follow their dreams. The illustrations are adorable and Ivy particularly loves the page of holidays snaps which Dog and Crab take whilst on their journey. Like the look of this book? You can buy it by heading to the Bookshop.org affiliate link in my bio. Disclosure: The publisher provided us with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Lots of books about starting school focus on the specific worries which your child might have about their big day. This fabulous book reframes those fears and the result is a story which fizzes with positivity and fun. On a bright sunny morning a little boy awakens and prepares to start the day. Today is the first day of school and Mummy says he’s going to be the King of the Classroom. He brushes his royal teeth, dresses in his special school garments and settles down for a truly majestic breakfast. The school bus will be his carriage and the school itself will be his brand new kingdom. He introduces himself to the children around him and asks them about their summer. He’s brave making new friends in the playground. He’s kind to those around him at lunchtime. He listens carefully to his teacher and approaches every new task like the King that he is. He has a truly wonderful day. It’s impossible not to read this book with a smile on your face! The bright colours, smiling faces, reassuring text and general good vibes make it an absolute joy to behold and it’s one of our favourites for school starters. It empowers kids to start their school journey with a spring in their step and the confidence to believe that the future is theirs for the taking. Like the look of this book? You can buy it by heading to the Bookshop.org affiliate link in my bio.

Do you follow @thesenresourcesblog ? If not then, I'd highly recommend it! The founder, Georgina Durrant, is a private tutor for children with special educational needs and she has recently written a book called ‘100 Ways Your Child Can Learn Through Play’ (which has been endorsed by many high-profile SEN parents, including Carol Vorderman & Rob Delaney!). I will be reviewing it here soon so keep an eye out for that. She recently wrote a fabulous piece for our blog about the importance of play and how families can use it to help children develop new skills. You can read the post by heading up to the link in my bio and selecting 'Author Interviews & Features'. I'll also pop a swipe in my stories. (And if you're interested in purchasing a copy of her book you'll find the relevant links at the bottom of the blog post)