The main reason why I am looking forward to attending this festival, is that it brings people together from across Australia who have a love for the creative arts, to celebrate books, writing, reading, poetry, illustrations and all of their creators.
I read a lot of children's chapter books, but none have been quite like this one, its story is fresh and real, with an injection of history that brings it all into a well paced adventure.
Not only is this a wonderful resource that can be used in the home or school setting, the author reminds us that it is about the process and not the product, that it is okay to make mistakes, encourage them to tinker, and give them the freedom to be innovative.
Joey Chou's Make & Play Farm is unique and creative, packed with many opportunities for imaginative play and storytelling. This book is enormous fun, and emphasises that books are full of possibilities.
I am a big advocate of having Non Fiction books readily available for children to read. They are great learning tools that often don't make the reader feel like they are learning because they are having so much fun, yes learning can be fun.
Tiggy and the Magic Paintbrush is an inspiring series by the talented Zanni Louise and Gillian Flint, that centres around the themes of friendship, imagination and creativity.
To the children out there. Books are a beautiful gift of imagination, knowledge and being lost in worlds where anything is possible. Enjoy this gift, soak it up and let your imagination soar.
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.
I am a big believer in children having the opportunity to read a variety of types of books, especially Non Fiction. When choosing books for the Smarty Arty Aussie Animals kit I knew that it was most important to have non fiction books so that children could learn facts about the animals they made. Reading Non Fiction books gives them a good knowledge base and an understanding of the animals around us.
Art, Play and Reading are the perfect opportunities for children to learn and extend their developmental and literacy skills, and stimulating their imagination and curiosity, while helping with brain development. All this is important to me which is why over the next couple of weeks I will be sharing with you an art kit from the Smarty Arty store about Aussie Animals and my pick of books to go with it.
Little Big Reads 