My Brother George by Kelly and Zoey Allen Blog Tour

 I love that there is starting to be a lot more diversity in books and that goes for both children and adult genres. 

One such book that was bought to my attention recently was My Brother George by Kelly and Zoey Allen. This is a beautifully illustrated story that follows Molly and her family as her brother George stands up for himself showing that his wonderful long hair and hair clips are just part of what make him who he is. 

Board Books for Curious Kids - Little Tiger Round Up

In a time of uncertainty, we could all do with a bit of stability, even a bit of routine in our lives.

For little ones unable to attend their normal play dates, to head out to nursery or to go to their usual groups, it can be just as strange.

And that's where Little Tiger can help.

I was recently sent a few of their latest board books, which are always made with love, and I've popped them together in this round up. Hopefully there is one that you think will put a smile on your child's face, or perhaps one that you can gift to give a pick me up to someone else in need.

Starting with my favourite ...

Cook With Me! Bunny Makes Breakfast

Peek inside kitchen cupboards, under bushes and into the henhouse, as you help Little Bunny gather ingredients for a delicious breakfast. Then discover the recipe at the back of the book to cook the yummy breakfast yourself!.

Star in Your Own Story Book Review

I am a huge fan of personalised items and there is no exception when it comes to books. The trouble is a lot of children's books are quite pricey if you want to add your child's name to it. Little Tiger have a solution to this problem with their new Star in Your Own Story range of books which were recently released.

With Star in Your Own Story personalised books, you can add your child's name using alphabet stickers provided. It will appear on every page through the clever cut-out window so your child stars in their very own story.

I Just Like You Book Review

Diversity, it's a subject that comes up often these days. I think most of us are well aware of just how diverse we all are but it isn't always shown in books. Suzanne Bloom is back with her latest picture book, I Just Like You and she's bringing with her a really diverse group of characters who are about to show us just how simple a friendship can be.

There are so many ways in the world to be, to move, to think, to dress, to see.

We do things differently, it's true.

But you like me, and I like you.

Bagel in Love by Natasha Wing - February Book of the Month

Sometimes a book comes along and it manages to put a smile on your face without you even delving into the many exciting pages that it so happens to hold. 

And that's just what my book of the month did for me. Bagel in Love by Natasha Wing is a brilliant example of a picture book that can actually capture the attention of both the young and old.

Poor Bagel! He dreams of entering the Cherry Jubilee dance contest, but no one wants to be his partner!

Can he find a sweet-tart who doesn't think his steps are half baked?

The Kiss Book Review

Something I have always tried to in-still in my children is to be kind to others, and the notion that it isn't just achieved by the things you do but by how you act and what you say too. Linda Sunderland's latest picture book, The Kiss goes to show just how far one small act of kindness can travel ...

When Edwyn blows Grandma a kiss, she catches it and puts it in her pocket. The kiss brings smiles, laughter and dancing!

But a rich man wants the kiss all to himself - and he'll do anything to get it!

The Girls Book Review

Friendship - it's a tricky sort of relationship. One that changes as you get older and seems to become even more complicated. I'm always trying to teach my girls the importance of having friends, that doesn't mean being popular with everyone, but having someone close who you know you can always lean on when necessary.

Once there was a tree that grew little girls . . .

Four girls meet under an apple and sow the seeds of a bond that will last a lifetime. Follow their friendship as the years pass by and the girls become women.

Before I tell you what I think of this picture book, my eight year old has her own review that she'd like to share;

Thunder Pug Book Review

My girls would really love to have a pet dog but unfortunately with work commitments, money etc, so far their dream hasn't come true. So to help with this problem, I've tried to find replacements in the forms of cute, cuddly toys and different books. 

The latest story to grab their interest is Thunder Pug by Kim Norman. And let me tell you if dogs came as cute as this one I might be persuaded to get one ...

Percy the pug and Petunia the pig love doing almost everything together . . . until Petunia wins a blue ribbon at the county fair. Suddenly, she's too busy to play anymore. So when lonely Percy finds a faded comic book, he takes on a new identity: THUNDER PUG!

He's great at helping other animals out of sticky situations, but it turns out that being a superhero by yourself is not always easy.

Will Percy find a trusty sidekick to join his heroic team?

This story is a wonderfully, charming tale from the get go.

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast Mission Defrostable Book Review

If you haven't heard of Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast before then where have you been? These loveable characters have made appearances twice before in author Josh Funk's books and now they are back for a third adventure in their latest picture book, Mission Defrostable.

Everyone's about to become frozen food . . .

Someone has put a chill on the fridge that's hardened Pudding Pond and frozen Yogurt Falls. Agent Asparagus is on the case, and she needs Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast to join her superspy mission to the freezer. 

But when Asparagus disappears, there's only one man for Pancake and French Toast to turn to: Baron von Waffle! 

Will he help them save the fridge, or will they be stopped cold?

Help Find Frank Book Review

When I was little I was always a huge fan of Where's Wally books, they appealed to me because of the interactive side and it gave me a focus. Definitely the sort of book to keep a child quiet. I was recently sent the book Help Find Frank to review and one of the reasons I chose to review it was because there was that element of seek and find within it, not just your usual story.

Frank the French bulldog loves to run, play and give slobbery kisses. (He also loves to eat cheese, but whatever you do, DON'T feed him any!) Then Frank gets lost-and it's up to you to find him. Is he at the park? The baseball field? 

A Couch for Llama Book Review

I don't know what it is about Llamas but both my kids and I find them highly entertaining. If you've never heard the Llama then I urge to google it now and have a listen! Anyway, I'm not just randomly talking about Llamas, the subject arose when I was asked if I'd like to review Leah Gilbert's new picture book, A Couch for Llama.

What happens when the Lago family needs a new couch? They get more than they bargained for!

The River Book Review

Over the years I have seen plenty of picture books based around animals, what they are, where they come from etc. However I don't recall any stories specifically based on fish, to be more specific, fish migration. Patricia Hegarty seems to have spotted this gap in the market and along with illustrator Hanako Clulow, they have created a tale all about one fish on what can only be described as an epic journey as she travels down the river.

In snow-capped mountains, among the firs, the north wind blows; something stirs. Through icy water, a small fish darts - This is where her journey starts...

The River is actually quite a simple book but I think that is what makes it so effective. It begins in those snowy mountains and we see through a peep hole a small fish lurking in the water. What caught my attention immediately was the pictures themselves. The colours aren't too bright and there isn't too much going on, this gives the reader a chance to enjoy what's on the page. We get an idea as to what animals live in colder conditions and this opens up the discussion as to what other animals you might find in the snow.

Wakey, Wakey, Elephant! Book Review

I love reading books with my children, especially when they include things to be learnt, whether that be dealing with emotions or particular situations. Now Wakey, Wakey, Elephant! might not appear to be that type of story but as the tale progresses I think you'll be just as surprised as I was.

WAKEY, WAKEY, ELEPHANT! yells Edgar. But his elephant just keeps snoozing. Edgar tickles him with a feather. He invites a marching band to parade through Elephant's room. His friend stays asleep. Can you guess what Edgar finally whispers in Elephant's ear to get him right out of bed?

The Apple picture book Review

For those of you that have never heard of the book titled "The Apple", let me tell you a little bit more about it.

The Apple was the created by the author Dick Bruna, you may recognise the name because he later went on to create the iconic Miffy. The Apple was Dick's first ever picture book and it was originally published in a rectangular hardback form in 1953, that's right, you calculated right, 60 years ago!!

The format of the book was changed in 1959 to be square shaped as Dick thought this would be more manageable for small hands. This format has remained the same ever since so I now have infront of me a lovely 16 x 16cm book, as it has been republished by Tate to mark it's 60th anniversary and I concur, it is the perfect size for younger children to hold.

The book itself features a short story about lovely Rosy apple who gets taken on an adventure by a rather helpful rooster. Looking at all of their surroundings, seeing houses, butterflies and much much more.

The 12 illustrations in this book are truly gorgeous. Done in vibrant colours that are really appealing to eye, you can really see Dick Bruna's signature style shine through. The bold black outlines really make the pictures pop out on the pages.

Bruna admits to being heavily influenced by artists such as Matisse, Mondrian and Leger and he believed that his minimal style would be ideal for picture books and I really have to agree, the illustrations are simple yet captivating.

The story itself is again simple, written in bold black print, it is easy to read yet managed to keep you interested. My older children took great joy in reading the story to their younger sisters. 

The writing and pictures combined tell the story well yet they still manage to let your children imagine more of what could happen.

The way it is presented makes it ideal as a first book for children to start learning to read from and it is nice to know that a book my mum read, my children now get to enjoy too.

The Apple along with The School, which has been out of print since 1968 and his new book, On My Scooter are now all available in hardback, priced at £4.99 each, I will be purchasing both The School and On My Scooter for my children, they are already huge fans of Miffy!!!

Tate is actually marking the publication and the 60th anniversary of The Apple by putting on an exihibition of Dick Bruna's artwork at the Foyles Cafe, Charing Cross Road London, it started on the 6th of this month and will continue until the 29th August. There will also be activities put on throughout all branches of Foyles and special The Apple themed activities at all Tate cafes too.

Why not also take advantage of the 3 for 2 offer on all Dick Bruna's books until the 29th of August in Foyles stores on Charring Cross Road and in Westfield shopping centres.

Disclaimer : this book was sent to me free of charge for reviewing purposes however all thoughts and opinions are my own.