These are the last three of the twelve books short-listed for Speech Pathology Australia’s Book of the Year 2011, in the Young Children category. If you’re interested in seeing who else made the list, look here, here and here! The winner will be announced on the 18th October. Fingers crossed for all of the authors & illustrators – we have loved exploring your beautiful books.
Love from Grandma by Jane Tanner
Grandma and Emily (!) have a very special relationship, full of fun and music and cooking. But Emily is sad when her family moves to the city, away from Grandma. This book shows how they keep their love growing over the distance, counting down until Grandma comes to visit. Just beautiful…
Simple Kids recently discussed the topic of how to keep in touch with relatives who live far away when you have children and their contributors came up with many novel ways to use technology to keep the connection going. Family Book Publishers also have a list of 21 ways that a grandparent can maintain a relationship with a grandchild that lives far away. No reason these ideas couldn’t work in reverse!
And what grandparent wouldn’t like a piece of ‘art’ made from their grandchild’s hand and footprint? I know ours do (or maybe they’re just being polite!). I found a whole website devoted to handprint and footprint activities – start watching the mailbox, Nana!
This book is good for:
- preparing your child for a move,
- talking about feelings,
- preschool children.
Available at Fishpond from $14.
One Funky Monkey by Stacey McCleary
This counting book shows what your funky monkey, happening hippos and jazzy giraffe toys get up to when you goto sleep – lots of dancing!
Three jazzy giraffes – wriggling and writhing.
Twisting and turning, began jungle-jiving.
You could make a monkey, a hippo, a lion, or an elephant mask. Or you could educate your child on the many types of dancing described in the book, like moonwalking, the boogaloo, lion (line!) dancing or jungle jiving. Or you could combine the masks and the dancing for a very special concert!
This book is good for:
- counting,
- learning dancing vocabulary,
- practicing multisyllabic words,
- rhyming and alliteration,
- preschool aged children.
Available in hardback at Fishpond from $26.
The Truth About Penguins by Meg McKinlay
The zoo animals hear the rumour that the penguins are coming to live with them. Each animal tells the others what they know about penguins – all of it wrong! Surely penguins aren’t.flying, pizza-eating, beach-loving birds who are bad parents and party animals. Or are they? The bright and colourful illustrations show the animals in great detail, as well as penguins getting in some absurd situations.
The animals made a list of what they knew about penguins – although most of their knowledge was wrong. Help your child make a list of what they know about their favourite zoo animal, farm animal or pet. Help them look up the information to check that they are correct.
Craft Jr has an adorable paper plate penguin that you and your child could make together. Marcia’s Lesson Links has a list of about 20 other penguin books that you could use to learn more about penguins, as well as lists of further penguin activities and ideas.
This book is good for:
- late preschoolers and early primary students,
- talking about opposites,
- ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ – some of the penguin pictures are very silly!
- playing I Spy – the pictures are detailed enough to mean that you have to look carefully.
Available at Amazon
That’s it! All twelve books reviewed. Now we just have to wait for the winner to be announced on 18th October!
Have fun!
Emily
