I still don’t believe we have been able to read all 30 books for #kbcbookbingo2022! Sincere gratitude to kbc for helping us (non reader parents) raise an early reader.
Since I am writing the reviews on behalf of my 3 year old (Akshita/Titli) the books mentioned are read in the below order. As I always say kbc is a learning platform for us, so I tried to read books which began with abc and ended with a book which is absolutely going to help her go back to school happily after her summer holidays. This journey of 30 books was not only fun but extremely enriching for us. Most of these books can be enjoyed by 2 to 5 year olds.
1.A book by Nick Sharatt : Alphabet Ice Cream
ABC and ice creams, what better combination could we have asked for to fall in love with? The title, the rhyming pattern and the colourful approach definitely make this a super duper fun book to learn and remember A,B,C.
2.Sandra Boynton Board book : Happy hippo, angry duck
This is one of the best books to make a toddler understand emotions. For quite sometime I wondered how to make my child understand each story we read during bedtime. But, this gem made every story relatable, enjoyable and meaningful.
3.A book that kept you busy on your own : A fold out book In the House
Every page has innumerable things for a toddler to find, count and relate to, keeping in mind his immediate environment. The way each page unfolds triggers the curiosity to search for them. It has been our savior during layovers. A best travel buddy. A great book to identify your surroundings in the most simple way.
4.A bedtime book : Good night I love you by Oakley Grahem and Gareth Llewhellin
This book is pure love which gives every child the feeling of safety before going to sleep. This beautiful picture book is about the baby bear who keeps all his worries aside and travels to his dreamland which is safe, secure and happy. What we loved about this book apart from its illustrations is that it sets a very soothing and calm tone, which I think is very important before going to bed.
5.A new author you were introduced to – Sam Boughton’s Hello, Bear! (Animal Facts and Flaps)
This book is about forest animals with lots of facts under each flap. A very simple approach to understand carnivores, omnivores and insectivores. This book is very special to us as it helped us to know much more about the forest animals apart from their sounds. If you want your children to understand wild animals in a very simple way, then this is definitely the perfect fit.
6.A book on toddler tantrums: Time to Eat by Penny Tassoni and illustrated by Mel Four.
A fussy eater can generate unimaginable tantrums making each mealtime a war zone. This book comes as a respite which conveys healthy food can be good looking too. A must have for those who want their kiddos to try all kinds of food. The way each food is presented over here has definitely helped us win the battle against pizzas, french fries and chips. An extremely simple yet intelligent approach which surely is going to make the tasks of toddler parents way simpler.
7. An orange coloured book – No matter what by Debi Gliori :
This amazing Bloomsbury book is about assurance and reassurance confirming the fact that a mother’s love remains unchanged no matter what your child does. My absolute favourite part is when this gem explains that love is beyond life (does love go on when we are dead and gone). A very beautiful book explaining the power of LOVE, and a much important emotion for your kiddo to understand and believe in. [Note from Asha: While the paperback edition (32 pages) mentions death, the board book edition (26 pages) doesn’t. Our kbc parents highly recommend this book with a suggestion to choose the edition according to the child’s age and emotional maturity.]
8.A book by an Indian author- Flying High by Geeta Dharmarajan :
This book was gifted to us by our brothers. If you want to introduce the concept of dreaming big to a space loving child them this book about Sunita Williams is a perfect fit. We love the real life pictures here. It makes a toddler know space much better with its practical presentation. The way she eats, exercises, etc being in space and even fixes her machine, absolutely amazes each child and motivates them to dream big. This book provides the feeling that nothing is impossible if one has the will to do it. [you can read the detailed review here.]
9.A book that you tore : Animal Pants by Brian Moses and Anja Boretzki
When you want to make a book wear a pant, you end up tearing it. This hilarious book about various animals and their kind of underpants is a full on entertainment. Hippo’s pants with innumerable pockets and kangaroos pants full of fleas will never fail to make your baby laugh even after a bad day.
10.A noisy book : Peppa ‘s Super Noisy Sound Book
A beautiful gift from her aunt, this book with 18 fantastic sounds is an absolute delight for all the Peppa fans. It wisely adds the sounds of various characters smoothly blending with the story line. This book has given us the feeling that the peppa family stays with us all the time. From daddy pig, Danny dog to even George’s dinosaur🦕, we literally have all of them in our fingertips.
11.A book that was meant for an older kid which you enjoyed- Little Miss Curious
We definitely want our children to be creative, and creativity generates from a curious mind. We got this during that phase when I was literally tired of answering the uncountable questions which Akshita asked. This fun book is very relatable and loving for the tiny curious minds. This book is from the Little Miss series.
12.A book that you read in repeat mode – Lift the flap first 100 animals: An ideal book for animal lovers having details of their colours, noises, habitats and much more hidden under each flap. Makes a child independent and keeps him engaged. The curious minds are satisfied with this holistic book. We simply love the memory game which checks how each information provided (animals and their babies, polar animals, animal opposites, under the sea, etc) is absorbed by your kiddo. It’s indeed a perfect book to gift to any toddler.
13.A non fiction book – Zayn and Zoey’s visit the African Savanna : Akshita has been away from her dad for months now who’s in Africa. This extremely special book making the African continent look even more beautiful is an absolute joy. This simple yet enriching book helped us to be connected every time we missed him. Z & Z’s adventures in the Serengeti National Park is the best take away from this book. If you plan to travel to the beautiful continent, then this book will surely set the tone right and keep you excited.
ONLY KBC MEMBERS HAVE A SPECIAL COUPON CODE KBC15 which will give you 15% OFF when you order directly from the ZAYN AND ZOEY website. Simply click this link that takes you to the Zayn and Zoey shop on their website.
14.An elephant book – Elmer’s Christmas by David McKee
This came as a Christmas gift and we adore our rainbow elephant who makes Christmas very special for his young friends with the help of Papa Red. The best learning which Akshita imbibed is that we need to give presents to those who need them the most.
15.A scholastic book- Silly Dilly by Kumtre Ramdat Balkaran and illustrated by Anitha Balachandran : Here, Dilly the duckling gets scared looking at various animals but each time her mom corrects her saying she was being silly and there’s nothing to be scared. This Scholastic Early Science book very smartly relates each animal to their family.
This book and the EARLY SCIENCE SERIES can be ordered from Scholastic India via our kbc storefront as well. Scholastic India always has special offers on.
16 .Lift the flap book – First Questions and Answers: Why do we need bees?
This book addresses all the information about various kinds of bees, the process of honey making being the best. This too is one of our treasured gifts. Did you know, 20,000 bees make a jar of honey? An incredible book to introduce the importance of “teamwork ” to your child.
- A book with a vehicle- The whales on the bus by Nick Sharatt and Katrina Charman :
An adorable book for the music loving kids who can sing this umpteenth times. The joy rides by different animals along with their sounds has literally made our singing sessions vibrant. - .A rib tickling book – Nuddy Ned’s Christmas:
This is about a boy who’s very excited on Christmas eve to see the gifts he got. He literally ran without a thing on him in the chilly winters. But what happens ultimately is a laughing riot. ….please do grab this if you want your child to see how Santa looks without a thing on him. “Being naked rocks” is Ned’s thing…….every time we read this we can’t stop laughing.
There are other books in the Nuddy Ned series. kbc members are huge fans of Kes Gray’s books! - A book that was gifted to you – Nat Geo Kids First Big Book of animals by Catherine D Hughes : Among various books that Akshita’s brothers gifted her this encyclopedia with irresistible pictures and facts is her treasure. The pictures of this book is its asset. Every page has a story to tell. Bottlenose dolphins, green sea turtle, sea otter….to expand the horizon and explore more about animals….this book is absolutely a must have.
- A POP UP BOOK – Solimo Pop up book of Little Red Riding Hood :
An all time favorite portraying the witty child who rescues her grandma from the big bad wolf. This story is the first which T can say without a pause totally on her own. If your intention is not good them you are bound to be punished .If you want your little one to cherish this timeless tale then definitely grab the pop up version of it, which gives more life to the story.
21.A peppa pig book – Peppa Pig: Recycling Fun :
The adorable piggy family introduces the importance of recycling and makes it a fun event. I am sure every child will love doing it just like Miss Rabbit. This helped us to understand the basic concepts related to recycling.
22.A book with a number in the title- Ten little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury
This beautifully illustrated book intensifies the idea that all the children across the globe, born in various circumstances are very special and yet similar with their 10 Little fingers and toes. T is always fond of babies, so this book with its masterpiece illustrations has helped us to understand that every moment a new baby is born and although they are very far from each other still they are same in many ways.
23.A Sibling Book – Why I love my brother by David Howarth
It talks about the bond between brothers and how fun their lives become when they share everything from their homes to their toys. An apt book for those children who are going to become a big brother soon. Although the title has brother in it, but the bond can be explained for big sisters as well. It’s indeed important to have a sibling who’s your 24×7 partner in everything you do.
24.A push and pull slide book – Busy Christmas by Campbell:
A very lively book with the magic of Christmas being unfolded in every page. The push and pull slide makes every child enjoy the book to the fullest and at the same time experience the feel of Christmas. T gets excited every time we read this book, thinking Christmas is just round the corner. Do grab this if you want your child to get this visual treat.
25.A book by my favorite author- All the way home by Debi Gliori
A very emotional book describing the bond between a father and his child. This picture book is pure love telling us how much does a father love his child and extends his arms for protection. T gets to spend very less time with her dad, but this book has strongly inscribed the feeling in her that no matter what her dadda will never let anything harm her. A perfect gift for father’s day. All the fathers in the house are requested to definitely have this asset added in your collection. There’s no better way to express the love-laugh relationship you share with the smallies than this.
- A DINO BOOK – Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts:
If you want to enjoy the adventures of a vegetarian T Rex born amidst the non veg ones, then this is a must have. This gem is a read aloud delight too. Each one of us is blessed with one virtue for sure, if we polish it we will definitely emerge victorious. Here the poor veggie guy always underestimated himself, but when he used his ability of swimming, he won the fiercest of battles. Find out more about the heroic deed of the veg T Rex by grabbing this fun read. - A rhyming book – You can’t take an elephant on the Bus :
This laughing riot shares the troubles faced by the co-passengers when different animals try to board different kinds of vehicles. We love the bonding between reason and comedy which this book provides. It helps to nurture your child’s creativity to another level.
28. Bestest Read Aloud Book – Cave Baby by Julia Donaldson and Emily Gravett :
The baby here is very fond of painting but his parents are furious with him and say that he would be taken to the big brown bear. But then an enormous creature takes this cave baby to a place where he enjoys the fullest. Read this to find out how. If you love colours like us and wish to paint whatever you see then this will delight you. I believe there’s a cave baby in each one of us who wishes to see a pink cheetah or a yellow bear in our imaginary world.
29. A bath book : Peppa’s Magic Bath Book: A Colour-Changing Book Bath Book
Our best buddy during summer break which made it very splashy. This colour changing book highlighting muddy puddles in grandpa pig’s garden is pure joy. We love every page of it, witnessing the magic after every splash.
30. A book by our favorite illustrator- Lulu loves Nursery :
This Bloomsbury book by Camilla Reid and Ailie Busby makes going to school extremely smooth. How little Lulu chose to be courageous amidst her various worries (missing mom the most) and ends up having fun. A very relatable book for children who are shy like my little T.
Thanks you once again for this amazing opportunity. God bless our Aarini for curating such a holistic list making the reading journey for each toddler extremely rich and joyful.
[Note from Team Kids Book Café: For your convenience, affiliate links (MARKED IN PINK) to some of the book titles & images have been added to enable you to buy the books from AMAZON, should you wish to! A very small amount of money comes to kidsbookcafe.com when you purchase a book via the amazon affiliate link provided (at absolutely no extra cost to you!). Do let us know if you need information about other children’s books by writing to asha@kidsbookcafe.com.]
