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Ned and I bought this wonderful book last week and it is officially our favorite picture book of 2008. Cheeky Monkey is the new book written by Andrew Daddo and illustrated by Emma Quay, the team that also created the beautiful Goodnight Me.

Cheeky Monkey is one of those books that just grabs you from the first moment you pick it off the shelf. It gave me that little skip in the heart beat I get when I see something really beautiful.

The little boy Emma has created in this book instantly reminded me of Ned. He has the same beautiful toddler expressions that Ned has that make me ache with love for him. I adore how the character wraps his little leg around his dad as they get in the shower and how he leaps from the high chair for a cuddle just like Ned does.

Andrew Daddo’s text in this book is just simple and beautiful to read aloud. He uses all those funny little sayings that we all find ourselves using around little ones, well I do anyway. Silly Billy, Lucky Duck, Funny Bunny and of course Cheeky Monkey are all in there and leaving the most important till last, a big “I Love You!”

Goodnight Me was Andrew and Emma’s first picture book together and is also magic. Hear Andrew Daddo read their beautiful book here and you will fall in love with it too. On each page the little Orangutan baby says goodnight to a body part, reading this aloud is almost like a meditation, it is soft and lyrical making it perfect for bedtime. Emma’s illustrations are again incredible as she makes this little ape look so cuddly, he is a lovely fuzzy orange gangly creature against a stunning purple background that just makes the book so warm and inviting.

I have given Goodnight Me many times as a gift to little friends and also to one of my best girlfriends who has trouble sleeping. The other day some friends showed me their copy that I had given their little girl Amelie when she was born, much sticky tape had been used to repair the well loved pages as she and her little sister Olivia had wanted it read over and over again at bedtime.

Andrew and Emma obviously make a great team as they have created two instant classics and I can’t wait to see what comes next.

We Are Wearing Out the Naughty Step

This is the gorgeous description of the book from the UK Hodder Children’s Publishing website….

‘We are wearing out the Naughty Step - I lost the school hamster, and Josh fed the elephant the wrong way and we made the dog into a panda… Mummy is not happy… but the day she makes Kevin a chocolate birthday cake is the day that ALL of us, including Mummy, end up on the Naughty Step!’

This reminds me of a 30 degree day earlier this year when I made four batches of Nigella’s Cupcakes before one turned out edible! I really needed a spell on the naughty step when I literally had a meltdown over blue and yellow cupcakes. So I definitely know how ‘Mummy’ in the book feels.

This gorgeous new book points out one of the great hypocrisies of childhood, should mummies and daddies be banished to the naughty step too? Because we can all lose our temper can’t we?

Mick Inkpen is one of the most popular picture book writers and illustrators in the world. His Kipper and Wibbly Pig stories have sold millions of copies worldwide. Kipper alone has sold over 6 million books and is this year turning 18 years old. Like Nick Butterworth, Mick Inkpen has a graphic design background so he also places his characters in the middle of crisp white pages which makes the books really enjoyable for toddlers because they can really focus on the character. All of Mick’s characters are irresistible and later this year he will launch a new series based on the enthusiastic Zebra that features in Kipper’s A to Z.

A guest post by Trudy, 30-something-year-old first-time mum to Oscar, 16 months.

You think you’ve had a cow of day, but have you really? Have you ever really thought what a cow might go through during the day? Nor had I until our most recent purchase. I know, yet another animal book to add to Oscar’s already furry and feathered bookshelf.

We were out last week with Grandma (country Grandma as opposed to city Nanna!) and visited our favourite local bookstore, Book Bonding. I saw two sets of big brown eyes looking from the book display and it was too much for me to resist so we purchased Cow by Malachy Doyle and illustrated by Angelo Rinaldi. The front cover in it’s own right hit the right cord with me. When we were at the counter ready to pay, Natasha showed me Malachy’s latest book as well, Horse. Needless to say Grandma reached into her purse and we walked out with another two animal books.

The illustrations in this book are amazing. It’s as if the cows are in your living room. I felt as if I could reach out and pat their fur or feel the steam coming out of their mouths on the cold morning as they made their way to the milking shed. I have included a couple of illustrations from the book so you can appreciate the expertise of Angelo Rinaldi. You can actually see veins on the udder of the cow and could only imagine the milk sloshing around inside and the pain she must be experiencing prior to milking.

It will be a great book as Oscar gets older so we can teach him that milk doesn’t come out of cartons and teach him the process of getting the milk from the cow to the dairy. He can also get an understanding of what it might be like to be a cow. For the first time in my life I sat back and thought too what it must be like in the paddocks at night, on a dewy morning or during the heat of a summer’s day.

“Slowly you rise from the sodden grass, your thick coat wet with morning dew. Big and heavy, you amble to the gate, full udder swinging between your legs”.

The journey is amazing although simplistic in its own right. I was totally encapsulated in the experience and even as I write this blog I am still touched by those big brown eyes.

The trip to the milking shed, the trip back to the paddock and what a cow would experience during the day. Watching the children leave for school and return on the school bus. How the children swim in the river as the cow sits on the banks watching.

“As the midday sun blazes, you rest in the shade of the oak tree, and close your deep dark eyes. Your ears twitch to clear the flies from your face. You swish them from your back with your long bushy tail……”

From now on I will choose my words carefully before I state that I’ve had a cow of day….

“You’re back in the field, the sun has gone, the files have flown and the long, hot day draws to an end. You graze. You chew. And you rest. It’s hard work being a cow……..”

A guest post by Sarah, 38 year old mum to Neve (9 3/4), Cissy (3) and Jemima (10 months).

I think my favourite author would have to be Alison Lester. I love the Australian-ness of her books, the gentle stories and illustrations and the fact that the substantial nature of them kind of creeps up on you. These books are “worthy” without boasting about it. My kid’s love them too.

Alison Lester grew up on a farm near Wilson’s Prom in Victoria, riding horses, spending time at the beach and her stories really reflect this upbringing. Alison herself says that she thinks what is appealing about her books is that they are “filled with the spirit of the young”. I think she captures this so beautifully. Her characters are adventurous and not afraid to be who they are - great qualities!

Some of our favourites include:

Imagine (for ages 2-5)

“Imagine if we were….” and be transported to other worlds. Every second page opens up to a double spread of other places. Filled with animals of every variety (listed around the outside so you can play an animal version of “Where’s Wally”)

“Imagine if we were surrounded by monsters where pteradons swoop and triceratops smash where stegosaurs stomp and tyrannosaurs gnash” Turn the page and you are there. You can also go to the jungle, savannah, Antarctic, a farm, under the sea and the Australian Bush. This book converted me and I’ve been a fan ever since.

My Farm (for ages 4-7)

Inscribed at the front “to Mum and Dad for a wonderful childhood”

This book is told in seasons - and includes all the happenings on the farm. Alison takes us to the local show; she rescues a baby wombat, feeds the cows, and musters cattle along the beach. I imagine these events to be highlights of Alison’s own childhood and I end up feeling quite nostalgic for a more innocent time and place. The children in this story have such great adventures - it really is a window into quite a different life for our urban children.

“In September it was time to bring the cattle home from the bush run. That year, Jake and I were finally old enough to go along. It took a day to ride down and muster, and a day to drive them home along the beach. We splashed through the shallows and jumped the waves. I decided to be a drover when I grow up”

There is a bit more text in this one, so you probably need to be a bit bigger to appreciate it fully.

Ernie Dances to the Didgeridoo (for ages 3-7)

“Ernie is going to live in Arnhem Land for a year. His parents are working in a hospital there”

It’s a new take on the other Tessa, Clive, Frank, Rosie books, with Ernie in Arnhem Land. I think this book is so delightful because in pointing out the cultural differences between us it manages to reinforce the fact that children are the same no matter what their culture.

I absolutely love the pages about the school play.

This book came about following Alison Lester’s own journey to Arnhem Land.

Are We There Yet? (for ages 4-7)

Follows the travels of a family in a caravan around Australia. Every second page has a map showing where they are and how far they have gone. They visit all the places you expect but it is not just a tourist guide. The book is filled with little vignettes of the experience - caravan park showers, where they sat in the car, playing monopoly in the caravan when it rained and the catch cry of younger brother Billy…. “Are we there yet?”

I’m Green and I’m Grumpy (for ages 18months - 4)

In which everyone hides in the cupboard, there is a rhyming clue to guess what each character is dressed up as. “I’m green and I’m grumpy, I’m huge and I roar. I’m a thundering, rumbling…. (open the flap) DINOSAUR! “finishing up with Rosie - a bit younger than we see her in Rosie Sips Spiders - asleep in the cupboard. Very sweet.

So if you haven’t visited Alison Lester’s books before, check them out at the library when you next visit- I’m sure you will love them as much as I do.

A guest post by Trudy, 30-something-year-old first-time mum to Oscar, 15 months.

What is it about animals that kids find so interesting, actually what is it about animals that I find so interesting? Is it their shape, the noises they make, the colour of their skin, fur or feathers? Yes you guessed it, Oscar, Matt & I made a recent trip to the zoo. I am not sure who was more excited, Oscar, his dad pointing out all of the wonderful animals or me watching the expressions on both of their faces.

Ever since our adventure to the zoo last week, we have had even more fun with our vast array of animal books at home. I actually didn’t realise how many animal books we have got!

Some of the books have already been reviewed by Lou & Katie [Dear Zoo (Rod Campbell), Zoo! (Lori Froeb) and Dog (Matthew Van Fleet)] but I have included another favourite to share with the weheartbooks.com family.

Animal Babies - A to Z A pop up book by Chuck Murphy

Open the front cover and you are taken back by the most beautiful bold black and white letters. The anticipation of what’s behind is too much for Oscar as he grabs at a letter. [He needs to be reminded again that it's a special book and we need to be careful! He is learning slowly].

A = Antelope B = Baboon C = Chameleon. The bright colours of the Chameleon against the black shinny background is truly amazing and the pop out 3 dimensional branch which holds the Chameleon and it’s five offspring is like the real thing.

As you work your way through the alphabet, you are greeted with wonderful pop outs or lift the flaps to see who may be behind that wonderful letter. The range of animals is just amazing and it’s always nice to see some Australian classics such as the koala and wallaby (what a clever man to put a wallaby, but I guess when you’re confronted with “k” for kangaroo and koala you have to think a little more laterally).

Most of the classics such as the gorilla, elephant, snakes, tigers and lions are in there. I was disappointed that the giraffe couldn’t squeeze into the book but when you see the family of gorillas you forgive him for the oversight! We then move to some of the more obscure animals including the okapi, numbat, quetzal, urial and vicuna - all very interesting to say the least.

I have shared a couple of our favourite pages below so you can see how wonderful the illustrations and pop outs are. (Forgive some of my photography skills but it’s a tricky book to capture).

For our upcoming trip overseas, I’ve been preparing my goodie bag of distractions for Rowan on the plane. Rowan does have some experience of flying, as his grandparents live interstate. And perhaps more significantly, I do now have some experience of flying as a mum. Suffice to say, I’ve got a lot better at it over time. These tips on books for travelling with kids are gleaned from our own travels and advice from well-travelled friends…

Books are excellent for travelling because compared to other forms of distraction, they generally have no small parts, and are not messy. (With the best of intentions I took a tub of playdough on one plane flight - big mistake.) With some parent interaction, a good book can be strung out for an extended period of time, especially for the period when the seatbelt sign is on… I’ve found it’s a good idea to take a mix of old favourites and new books Rowan has never seen before. Hiding one of Rowan’s favourite books for a period before we leave also works well.

Here is a list of a few of the types of books we will be taking on this holiday…

1) Small books

A few small books are light and take up minimal space; they also provide variety and it’s not a disaster if you lose one. Golden Books, the Thomas Library books (at $3.95 a pop) and Mr Men books all fit in this category.

2) Busy books

When I say busy books I mean ones with lots of detail and things to look for on every page. A hit for us has been the Thomas’ Really Useful Word Book. This durable large format board book is also great value at $16.95. Each spread pictures Thomas in a different part of Sodor, and shows lots of different objects and animals - at the farm, at the station, at the seaside. Lots of things to find in every picture and there is a bit of a narrative too throughout the book. Unfortunately it is fairly heavy, which may rule it out for this trip…

Also highly recommended are the Richard Scarry books. Haven’t tried these with Rowan yet, but I suspect they would do the job perfectly.

3) Books with stickers

Stickers are another great distraction for travelling. A while ago I picked up this great pad of stickers called ‘Vehicle Movement’ for the grand total of $2.25 from the Queenscliff Newsagency. Of course I’ve never seen them in a newsagent since, and I now wish I’d bought several of them… This one pad of stickers has taken us on several flights already and we’ve shared them with grateful fellow parents on the plane.

This time we will be trying one of Ladybird’s series of books with reusable stickers - we have Let’s get dressed. In this one the two sheets of stickers of clothes and accessories can be used to dress four children inside. Even if Rowan doesn’t like this one, I think I’ll have some fun!

I also found the Play Scene On The Construction Site which despite my best efforts, Rowan spotted and he has already had a tantrum over it. A board folds out and an assortment of diggers, tip trucks, workmen, witches hats and other goodies can be placed on the scene. There are lots more in this series, which you can view here at Mudpuppy. (Click on Sticker Set Play Scenes.)

But there is one more book with great current appeal for Rowan, which really took me by surprise. It is IDEAL for the plane. It’s called Point It, and I found it at Metropolis Books. A passport-sized book, it is a kind of visual dictionary, designed so you can show a picture of something you are trying to communicate to someone who doesn’t speak your language. It has retro 70s photos and illustrations of 1200 items, covering the topics of food, accommodation, transport and shopping. (The transport section guarantees the Rowan appeal…) I initially bought it for a bit of fun. But the more I look at it the more I think it will be useful, and the toddler appeal is a fabulous bonus!!!

A guest post by Nicole, first-time mum to Charlotte, 22 months.
At about 7:30pm every night Charlotte and I (and sometimes her Daddy) sink into her bean bag and read some books before she settles into bed with Dolly. Charlotte heads straight to her book shelf and starts pulling books out for Mummy to read to her that night. She has a couple of favourites that always need a once over before bed.
Continuing the music theme from Trudy’s guest post, one of Charlotte’s favourite books is Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. On the front cover you press a section which starts the nursery rhyme and lights up the sky with tiny twinkle stars. The twinkling stars mesmerised her as a baby. (It was always a good book to have on hand when she was unsettled.)
We never seem to get past the front cover of the book, once the song is over and the lights stop flashing, Charlotte says, “MORE, MORE” and we start the nursery rhyme again. Along with flashing lights, Charlotte also performs the actions to the nursery rhyme, very cute…

Once we get pass the front cover, the book is brought to life with some beautifully illustrated drawings. Five little creatures of the night take us on a journey to find out what twinkles in the bright night sky. It is very much a book that can be enjoyed over and over again.

The other book is Rabbit Ears by Amber Stewart, which Charlotte got for Easter from her Granny. Hopscotch is a very determined little rabbit who knows exactly what he likes and what he doesn’t like. Sounds a bit like Charlotte and most other two-year-olds. What Hopscotch knows for absolute certain is that he does not like having his ears washed. Charlotte can relate to Hopscotch, as she knows for absolute certain that she does not like having her hair washed…

Hopscotch’s big cousin Bobtail comes to stay overnight. While eating some extra-chocolaty chocolate cake, Hopscotch inquires as to when he too can go and stay at Bobtails. Daddy replies when you are a big Hopscotch. While Hopscotch and Bobtail are in the bath, Hopscotch notices that bobtail is washing his own ears. This is where Hopscotch realises that maybe if he washes his own ears this would make him a big Hopscotch and he would be able to go and stays at Bobtails house.

Laura Rankin’s illustrations are exquisite and along with the story it makes for an every enjoyable read.

A guest post by Trudy, 30-something-year-old first-time mum to Oscar, 15 months.

Oscar and I go to Nanny’s house every Thursday night as Matt plays tennis and his parents love having us (that is Oscar) for dinner.

I have noticed over the last month or so that within five minutes of arriving, Oscar crawls to the toy box in the back room, and opens the lid. His face just lights up with excitement as he surveys the array of toys that are inside.

Much to our amazement, the first thing he always gets out are three books, all with a musical theme and they keep him (and his cousin Charlie) entertained for ages.  Reader warning: having all three musical books out together can drive you crazy within 5 minutes.

I asked Nanny if we could borrow the books so we could contribute to the weheartbooks.com family.  This post is the first of three guest posts I will make over the next week.

Incy Wincy Spider is bright, it’s fun, it’s interactive and above all else it seems to be entertaining Oscar no end.  The front cover has a hole at the bottom right hand corner, which is also the bottom of the water spout.  When you press the button it plays the tune, Incy Wincy Spider.  Oscar knows exactly where the button is and also knows if he opens the front cover of the book, the music becomes louder.

Once you open the cover of the book there is also another small button with a cartoon spider on it.  You can only press this once the music has finished, Oscar hasn’t quite mastered that element of the book yet!  When you press this button it makes a special sound effect which I just cannot describe in words but is something like “rip-raw”.

As you work your way through the book it tells the story of Incy Wincy Spider and has interactive pull tabs along the way. (Don’t forget the music button can always be pressed again for more singing…)

The “out comes the sunshine” page is one of our favourites.  It’s got the biggest brightest sunshine with a blue bird popping out.  You also get the opportunity to start the Incy journey up the spout again.  There a few other animals along the way too which are as equally bright and happy.  There’s a dog, or as Oscar refers to him, a “woof woof” and there is also a fat pink pig.

The illustrations and pop outs are so clever.  We also like the page (illustrated here) which has Incy climbing across a thin piece of string which represents his web.

By this stage of the book we have hit the song four times and the other rip-raw sound at least twice.  The final page in the book is just too exciting for words and you can see by the photo that Oscar is so intrigued as to how the legs are free and dangly. 

I tell Oscar it’s a special book and we have to take care when reading “Nanny’s special books”.  Nanny says it’s fine (as most Nannys would) but we want poor old Incy to last a few more years yet.  When he saw the books at our house today, his face was one of total surprise and joy.  There may be tears tomorrow night when we take the books back and leave them at Nanny’s house…

When I did my post on my Owl Obsession fellow blogger Annie from anniesorganics mentioned that her son loves Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and illustrated by Patrick Benson.

Ned also loves Owl Babies especially when I read it aloud and do different voices for owl siblings Sarah, Percy and Bill. When the owlets awake to find their mummy gone the two older owls decide that she is out hunting and will be back soon but every time they come up with a reason as to why mum is not there Bill gets more and more anxious repeating “I want my mummy”. Bill is great fun to read aloud because you can put on a very sad voice that really keeps Ned’s attention and he thinks is very funny.

Finally mummy arrives back at the nest, swooping through the night for cuddles with the babies. This is a particularly good concept for Ned at present as he is starting to fret a little when I leave him but I want him to know that I am always coming back to get him.

Patrick Benson’s illustrations for this book are amazing, his artwork makes it so you can almost reach out and stroke the tiny fluffy owlets. He gives each owl a personality and their wide little eyes are adorable, toddlers like Ned can see themselves in the owls with their wonder of the big wide world but also feeling slightly scared of it.

Owl Babies makes a lovely bedtime story too as it explains to children that you will always be there for them, it’s very comforting. Simply written and with not to much text Owl Babies so it is perfect for the very young and is even available in board book for them to look at and hold themselves.

1) My dog breaking through the electric fence and attacking a dog that was walking by.

2) My dog with bleeding eye and paw

3) Having to spend the afternoon when I *thought* I'd be writing my political column at the vets.

4) Waiting anxiously for the other person to tell me if their dog is ok and wondering if they are going to sue me.

5) Having the vet tell me that I should call the doggie shrink.

6) Thinking - "Holy Cr*p! I'm in therapy. My kids are in therapy. Now my freakin' DOG is going to be in therapy!"

7) The $350 vet bill.

8) Wondering how much the doggie therapist bill will be.

9) Going to the drive through Dunkin Donuts for an iced coffee and deciding to order myself a pumpkin muffin for emotional eating purposes.

10) Finding out they are out of pumpkin muffins.

11) Ordering 4 chocolate Dunkin munchkins as substitute emotional eating fix. Driving away and realizing that they've given me five non-chocolate Dunkin' munchkins.

!2) Wanting to bang my head against the steering wheel and burst into tears because my Munchkins are the wrong flavor.