Today I wanted to share with you three quick reviews on three books that have the common theme of family. Each story shows how different family do things but each is loving, caring, growing and playing with each other.
Max’s Dinosaur Feet by Lana Spasevski
Illustrated by Penelope Pratley
Published by New Frontier Publishing
Date: 28 July 2019
R.R.P. $24.99
Max’s Dinosaur Feet will have your little one stomping, sloshing and tiptoeing around the house. This lovely story is about loving family, making noises, and trying not to wake up baby sister. When Max is making noises, his mamma suggests that he practice walking on dinosaur eggshells, from this great idea Max teaches different family members how to Tiptoe Tiptoe…
This is a perfect for a group story time session where the children will join in with the Stomps! Flips! Thwacks! and Swooshes!
Penelope Pratley’s illustrations are detailed and fit beautifully with the text. From Max’s stomping feet to sweet cuddles with his baby sister each illustration engages you further into the story.
Fly by Jess McGeachin
Published by Puffin|Penguin Random House
Date: 6 August 2019
R.R.P. $24.99
This book is about loss, love, family, invention, creativity and using your imagination.
We meet Lucy, fixer of all things who finds a bird with a broken wing. She does all she can to fix him but learns that not everything can be. This beautiful story features the precious relationship between a girl and her daddy as they navigate life after loss. We learn that Lucy is smart and creative, and that together she and her dad can become stronger together because…It was the two of them after all.
The special part of this book is that it’s also about bird watching. There are birds on just about every page and at the end there is a tree full of birds, their names and what do to if you find an injured bird.
Jess McGeachin has created a beautifully written story, his illustrations are a great mix of colour and adventure that bring the text to life. Thank you Jess for bringing loss to words so that children can understand and process their feelings.
Brave Adventures, Little Girl by Iresha Herath
Illustrated by Oscar Fa
Published by Little Steps Publishing
Date: 21 October 2019
R.R.P. $24.95
It’s Sunday, Anika is going to visit her grandparents Achi and Seeya. She is excited to see them and their dog Spud, they cook together, watch cartoons and enjoy each other’s company. When Anika starts trying new things, she struggles to get them right and talks to Seeya about it. Seeya shares his stories of bravery and how we learn with time and practice, even when our tummies feel wobbly with fear.
This book encourages children to feel brave but also teaches them about different customs, places and traditions all over the world, such as running with the bulls. At the back of the book is a page of references about the different things mentioned in the book, such as what a water monitor is and what countries it can be found in.
This story of a Little Girl that learns to be brave will inspire your young reader to remember that jiggly bellies are only for a time and that with practice anything is possible.
Thank you to New Frontier Publishing, Penguin Random House, and Little Steps Publishing for the opportunity to read and honestly review these books.
Little Big Reads 