The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook

Alfie’s Grandma has come to visit in her little red car. Grandma is reading a story to Alfie from The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook by Shirley Hughes (Red Fox, 1990).

In turn, Alfie and Annie Rose have opened their book to the last page of ‘Breakfast’ and the first page of ‘Grandma’s Pictures’.

My Big Barefoot Book of Wonderful Words

My Big Barefoot Book of Wonderful Words by Sophie Fatus (Barefoot Books, 2014) pictures several other Barefoot Books. The librarian at the counter is helping Sam to borrow The Story Tree.

At the market, there are lots more books including World Atlas, The Journey Home from Grandpa’s and If You’re Happy and You Know It! A customer is looking through My Daddy is a Pretzel: Yoga for Parents and Kids.

Baby Touch and Feel: Bedtime

It’s never too soon for children to learn that books contain the whole world, even the book they’re reading, or chewing. Bedtime (Dorling Kindersley, 2009) is part of DK’s Baby Touch and Feel series of padded board books with tactile pages. Any story you like, as long as it’s this one!

 

All About Alice

All About Alice by Penny Dale (Walker, 1999) is a charmingly observed day in the life of a preschooler. Some of the things which Alice likes to do include playing school, helping with the dishes, and of course reading:

With the help of Jacqui and Sarah on Facebook, we identified Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? and We’re Going On A Bear Hunt and Starting School and The Mousehole Cat and a Maisy book (but which?) and The Shepherd Boy and Oi! Get Off Our Train. Do you recognise any of the others?

My Worst Book Ever!

Here’s a new picture book about writing a picture book … and what can go wrong. Allan Ahlberg introduces My Worst Book Ever! (Thames & Hudson, 2018):

The Pencil and The Runaway Dinner are visible on the shelves of illustrator Bruce Ingram’s studio, along with Alison Hubble and Bad News! I’m In Charge!

See also The Pencil, The Baby’s Catalogue, and Red Nose Readers.

Tidy

A simple message in Emily Gravett’s Tidy (Pan Macmillan, 2017), but one which the badger takes to extremes. A forest is no place for being tidy (and arguably no place for a book).

The Great Big Book of Families

As we all know, every family looks different. Many of them are portrayed in The Great Big Book of Families by Mary Hoffman, illustrated by Ros Asquith (Frances Lincoln, 2010), which is the very book that Grandma’s reading.

I Love You, Too!

It’s bedtime for Little Bear (not this Little Bear!) and tonight’s bedtime story is I Love You, Too! by Michael Foreman (Andersen, 2014). Cunningly, Dad holds his paw over the cover so we can’t tell if there’s a smaller book and so ad infinitum.

Pajama Time!

Pajama Time! by Sandra Boynton (Workman, 2014) is a bedtime book (and song!) featuring her adorable anthropomorphic animals in all their different pyjamas. ‘Some are red and some are blue’ and some are reading Pajama Time!

The Scariest Thing of All

This is Pip, a little rabbit, preparing for The Scariest Thing of All (Bloomsbury, 2012), and there are the monsters reading Pip’s story, whether for thrills or encouragement. Another self-referential book from Debi Gliori.

See also The Trouble With Dragons, Dragon Loves Penguin, and Stormy Weather.