Hi Everyone
Here is the final part to the Smarty Arty Aussie Animals theme. I have really enjoyed sharing this theme with you and am going to finish off with a few books that will be a lovely addition to your crafting session.
There were so many great books to choose from my local library that I had to stop myself from borrowing anymore. I am going to share a few of them and the reason why I chose them and then I will add a list of some other recommendations.
A lot of children’s books have animals in them because children relate well to them, which is why there were so many to choose from. The books I have chosen for this section not only highlight Aussie Animals but also to encourage other areas of learning like counting and phonics, and sparking further creativity.
- Rufus the Numbat by David Miller
Apart from being a great book for toddlers because of the small amount of words per page, I chose this book as it gives you the opportunity to introduce other Aussie Animals to your child. This book is also creatively inspiring because some of the pages are without words, so you and your child can use your imagination and create a wonderful story of your own.
- Lullaby and Goodnight by P Crumble
The reason I chose this book as I thought it would be a good book and CD to wind down the day with. If using it at nap or bedtime you can talk to your children about what you had made earlier in the day with the Aussie Animals pack. The book creates an opportunity to discuss how different animals sleep and how not all animals sleep the same way; some animals sleep in their mummy’s pouch, on their mamma’s back, or even sleeping together as a whole family.
- Rod Campbell’s Aussie Animals
I chose this book because it is a lift the flap book which means there will be a lot of interaction between the reader and listener. I also chose it because it is a lovely, simple story that has each of the animals that are in the kit, as well other Aussie Animals in the places they tend to dwell in. The last page has each of the animals and asks whether you can guess them all, this is a good opportunity to talk about the animals further and make the noises they make and perhaps even ask your little reader where each of them live.
- Kangaroo at the Zoo by Lesley Sims
I found this little gem and knew it was perfect to share with you all for the Aussie Animals activity. Kangaroo at the Zoo takes the Aussie Animals kit to another level, so far in the books I have shared with you we have seen animals in their natural habitat; this book mainly focus on other animals across the globe and animals that are cared for by humans. This book is also designed for the new or learner reader, which is aided by the rhyming words as well as using the same sounds such as oo in Kangaroo and zoo.
Other books of interest
- Bring on the Birds by Susan Stockdale.
- When I First Met You Blue Kangaroo! by Emma Chichester Clark.
- Five little Platypus illustrated by Karen Erasmus.
- One Woolly Wombat by Kerry Argent.
- 10 Bush Babies by Susan Hall.
- 10 Clumsy Emus by Ed Allen
- Somewhere in Australia by Marcello Pennacchio.
- Edward the Emu by Sheena Knowles.
- The Three Emus by Sue Lawson
I hope you enjoy these choices and find that they fit well with the Aussie Animal crafts that you have been doing. The books that I have chosen are by no means a definitive list, there are so many fantastic items out there. Any reading to your child is better than not reading to your child at all. Telling stories to your child doesn’t have to be only through a book, those wonderful creations your child has made are a great source to use for making stories up and acting them out. Combined with your child’s imagination, stories of the Australian outback, animals and mysteries will be created and told.
Thank you to Bec and the Smarty Arty team for giving me the opportunity to play with your Aussie Animals kit.
Little Big Reads 