Have you read every book to your child during lockdown so many times you no longer need to look at the text?
We’re on lockdown here in the UK, which means we can’t make visits to our local library for new books – a disaster in my house. It’s not that we haven’t got books, but even our favourites are getting old. If you have the same problem, fear not. My ‘5x Funny Picture Books Giveaway’ is here to help.
About the books.
All illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees, these books are bright, colourful and will (hopefully) survive being retold until the end of lockdown.
Titles on offer are:
The Chimpanzees of Happytown
Story by Giles Andreae
Life is no fun for the chimps in Drabsville – the mayor demands that all their houses look the same and that no one should have a good time. But things take a more colourful turn when Chutney the chimpanzee arrives, carrying a tiny seed in a box…
With all the craziness in the world at the moment, I think we all deserve to escape Drabsville and find a piece of ‘Happytown.’
Down by the Cool of the Pool
Story by Tony Mirton
Join sprightly Frog and his energetic farmyard friends frolicking down by the cool of the pool – flipping and flopping, splishing and splashing in the watery wonderland.
If you’re missing a trip ‘down by the cool of the pool’, this is the book for you! (Gotta stop with the lockdown puns)
All Afloat on Noah’s Boat
Another story by Tony Mitton
Noah’s amazing Rainbow Ark is busy and noisy, and it’s not long before the animals begin to get cabin-fever. Clever old Noah hatches a plan for an incredible creature cabaret to get the Ark swinging again.
Did someone say cabin fever! Arrghhh!!!
Ants in your Pants
Story by Julia Jarman
Leopard is having a party, but he hasn’t invited Aardvark. When naughty ants start biting bottoms at the birthday bash, it isn’t long before all the guests are throwing their pants in the air to get rid of them! Only Aardvark can eat the ants and save the day, but will he make it to the party?
I dedicate this book to all the children out there with birthdays who will have to wait to invite their friends and family to their parties.
Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus
Another great Tony Mitton/Guy Parker Rees collaboration.
Shake, Shake, Shudder…near the sludgy old swamp. The dinosaurs are coming. Get ready to romp.
Join in with Triceratops, Stegosaurus and their friends as the dinosaurs stir up a dinosaurumpus!
Perfect for dinosaur fans – and not a lockdown joke in sight for this one ha ha ha.
Entry is simple, just answer the ridiculously easy question below, and these books could be on the way to you very soon.
Hope you’re all surviving lockdown, and Good Luck with the giveaway.
Love Suzie xx
PS Look out for ‘Read with Rhino,’ my new series of Early Readers launching 5th May.
Free-to-enter UK competitions at Competition Database – Find more competitions at www.competitiondatabase.co.uk
“Mog” May Giveaway
Regular readers of my blog will know that Judith Kerr’s ‘Mog’ series has a special place in my heart (and on my bookshelf). I’ve read the stories of the lovable, and just a little bit naughty, cat to my children and now to my grandchildren. And they love them just as much as I do. So, here’s your chance to win 4 ‘Mog’ books in my May Giveaway.
Titles up for grabs this month include:
Mog the Fogetful Cat
Mog always seems to be in trouble. She forgets that she has a cat flap and she forgets that she has already eaten her supper. But, one night, Mog’s forgetfulness comes in very handy…
Mog in the Dark
One night Mog’s imagination takes her on a hilarious twilight adventure to a land of fantastical creatures, but true to form, all Mog really wants is her supper!
Mog on Fox Night
One evening Mog refuses to eat her food and Mr Thomas decides he’s had enough and outside she must go. In the snow Mog feels cold and alone until she wakes from a snooze to find some young foxes are playing with the rubbish bags.
Mog and the V.E.T 
One day Mog was chasing a butterfly when something happened to her paw. “She’ll have to go to the vee ee tee,” said Mrs Thomas. But Mog hates going to the vet and before her paw can be made better, she causes great confusion in the vet’s surgery…
Every child deserves to read ‘Mog’ so if you’d like to win these four stories, just enter on the form below.
The winner will be drawn on 1st June.
Good luck.
Suzie xx
Free-to-enter UK competitions at Competition Database – Find more competitions at http://www.competitiondatabase.co.uk
Rachel Bustin
Children’s Easter Book Bonanza
A very quick post today from a wet and windy Wales. I’ve teamed up with ten authors to bring you the Children’s Easter Book Bonanza. Yay!
Go to the Children’s Easter Book Bonanza
There are books for children between 0 and 12 years… and they are awesome. So, head over to the giveaway and download yourself a bargain. But be quick as this is a Four Day Event and the discounts end on the 2nd of April.
Even if the weather is as bad with you as it is with me, you’ll have your Easter reading sorted 🙂
Happy reading.
Suzie xx
I’ve been a bit quiet on my blog recently but I thought you might like to look at some of the books I’ve been reading. I’m starting with Ten Sheep to Sleep by Nidhi Kamra.
The Blurb
Sammy Jo counts ten sheep to put her to sleep, but tonight, ten more sheep appear. The new sheep are creating a ruckus. Sammy Jo has to find a way to calm the sheep down, count twenty sheep, and ensure everyone is happy so they can get a good night’s sleep.
The Story
There was a lot I liked in Ten Sheep to Sleep. For a start, the title is wonderful and the grandkids ran about chanting it after we’d read it.
I liked that Sammy-Jo was pro-active in problem solving to help the sheep and it was fun seeing the things that the other people in the story counted to help them fall asleep.
I’m not an artist but the illustrations have a painted-in-watercolour effect that adds to the dream-like feel. I did worry that my grandson might complain the book was a bit ‘pink’ but it didn’t seem to offend him.
What the grandchildren thought.
At 3 and almost 5 years old, my grandchildren are below the suggested age range for this book of 5 – 8 years. The idea of counting sheep when you couldn’t get to sleep was not one that they’d encountered so we had to discuss this. Grandson promised he’d try it at bedtime.
They had no problem counting to ten with Sammy-Jo, however they’d not tried counting in two’s. The concept went over the head of the 3 year old but the older one was very interested and we had to try out the idea with his Lego blocks. Older children would probably understand the maths already but the book was a nice way to introduce them to little ones.
The final verdict.
Ten Sheep to Sleep is an unusual book which created some interesting talking points and learning opportunities with my grandchildren. It would be equally useful for early readers or as a picture book.
Love Suzie xx
PS Don’t forget about my March giveaway. Enter below.
Announcing my March giveaway, 5x Guy Parker-Rees Picture Books.
If you’ve been reading my blog, you will have noticed that I often wish I could draw. OK, I can do stick people and things with straight lines, like houses, aren’t too shoddy, but anything more? Forget it. One of my favourite book illustrators is Guy Parker-Rees. I love his bright, bold artwork… and kids do too. So, I’m excited to have five of his picture books up for grabs in my March giveaway.
Here are the books you can win.
Come to Tea on Planet Zum-Zee
If you take your rocket to the outer edge of space, you’ll come across a funny little alien place. The alien peoples call it Planet Zum-Zee, and they’re meeting here today for a special picnic tea. Join the space party on Planet Zum-Zee! Meet the crazy creatures and share their deliciously funny food.
The Jungle Run
Here come the animals, one by one.
They’re all getting ready for the Jungle Run.
Cub turns up to take her place
but the others say, ‘You’re to small to race . . . ‘
Cub may be little compared to the other animals, but she’s quick and clever and she knows just how to show the rest of the jungle what a winner she is.
Spookyrumpus
Bong! Goes the bell in the rickety tower, Twelve times…that means it’s Spooky Hour.
Listen! Hush! Oooh, what’s that sound? The midnight spooks are coming round.
The creepy countdown has begun, so get ready to giggle at funny, floaty ghosts, clickety-clackety skeletons and terrific tromping trolls! A real rollicking, romping, rhyming story with hilarious illustrations.
Jolly Olly Octopus
When Jolly Olly Octopus gets the giggles, it isn’t long before the waves of bubbly laughter have spread to all his friends and the whole sea bed is awash with sea creatures chuckling away. But, oh no! Here comes Shark! Suddenly things aren’t quite so funny any more.
K is for Kissing a cool Kangaroo
From juicy jellybeans to kissing kangaroos, children will love learning and remembering the letters of the alphabet in this fun-packed ABC book with vibrant illustrations
If you’d like to be the proud owner of these great books, enter the competition below.
Good luck peeps.
Love Suzie xx
Free-to-enter UK competitions at Competition Database – Find more competitions at http://www.competitiondatabase.co.uk
5x Mog Picture Books Giveaway
February is the month of love and Judith Kerr’s stories of ’Mog’ the naughty but very lovable cat will always hold a special place in my heart. I have many happy memories of reading about ’Mog’ with my children and now I am sharing the books with my grandchildren. So, I’m excited to announce that February will be my 5x Mog Picture Books Giveaway.
Up for grabs this month are five books in the ’Mog’ series.
Titles included are:
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Mog and Bunny
Bunny is Mog’s best thing. But one day Mrs Thomas says she is going to throw Bunny in the dustbin…
Awww.
-
Mog and the Baby
Mog’s peaceful day is shattered when a baby comes to visit. All Mog wants to do and sleep and play but there is no chance of that with a little baby around!”Mog loves babies,” says Mrs Thomas but suddenly Mog isn’t quite so sure…
This was my children’s all time favourite bedtime story. You have to know how Mog saves the baby.
-
Mog’s Bad Thing
When Mog’s garden disappears under an enormous white flappy thing, Mog is very unhappy and does A Bad Thing. But inside the white flappy thing a Cat Show is taking place, the perfect setting for Mog to make her family very proud indeed.
All kids love it when ‘bad things’ are done lol!
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Mog and the Granny
When the Thomas family go on holiday, Mog stays with Granny. It seems safe enough…until she meets Tibbles.
Oh dear. More trouble for Mog.
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Mog’s ABC
On the day of Debbie’s birthday party, Mog sets off on an adventure through the alphabet. Along the way she meets the dragons in the dark and the jaguar with a jug of jelly. M is for Mog, but to her surprise, it is also for the mad mouse monster of her dream.
An ABC book with a difference 🙂
So, there you have it. Five fantastic books that should be on every child’s bookshelf.
I’ll be drawing the winner the 2nd of March.
Enter below.
Good luck!
Suzie xx
Free-to-enter UK competitions at Competition Database – Find more competitions at http://www.competitiondatabase.co.uk
There were exactly 1300 entrants in my Usborne Christmas Picture Book November Giveaway. Being a numbers freak, I liked that it ended so perfectly lol.
Anyway, onto the business of announcing the winner.
The winner of the November Giveaway is…
Paul from Omagh.
Paul, your books are already speeding their way to you so you’ll have plenty of reading time before Xmas.
Balloon festival
There was a fantastic balloon festival near me this month. The grandchildren thought it was magic. Don’t they look cute?
Yikes, I just realized there’s only 21 sleeps until Christmas. I’m off to panic.
Happy reading
Suzie xx
Usborne Christmas Picture Book Giveaway
Christmas is coming! As I write this there are just 51 sleeps until the big day. Yikes!
With that in mind, my November giveaway has four classic picture books from Usborne; perfect for building excitement for your little ones.
The titles are:
Twas the Night Before Christmas
This is one of my personal favourite books of all time. I did so many reads of this story that my kids could recite it word for word. (And, thirty years later, one still can ha ha)
The Snow Queen
A classic tale with gorgeous illustrations.
A Christmas Carol
A fantastic version to introduce children to the story of Scrooge.
The 12 Days of Christmas
Is it a book or a song? The Twelve Days of Christmas is a must.
The Giveaway finishes on 30th of November so you will get plenty of pre-Christmas bedtime reading so enter now.
Good luck.
Suzie xx
There were over 1100 entries in my October “Win 5x Jill Murphy Picture Books” giveaway. I really love The Large Family Series so this was a great prize.
The Winner of the October Giveaway
The long-suffering Mrs Large is one of my favourite book characters but Kingsumo decided on a winner and it was … drum roll please … ? Katie Skeoch.
Yay for, Katie! Please reply with your mailing address and I’ll send the books out straight away.
Summer time has ended here in Wales and the dark nights are with us; perfect for bonfire night. Here’s a pic of our epic bonfire among the mountains.
Happy reading.
Suzie xx
My “Win 5 Julia Donaldson Picture Books” contest had the biggest response ever. There were over 1200 entrants in my September Giveaway! I guess you guys love Julia Donaldson’s stories as much as I do.
The Winner of the September Giveaway
The books in this prize are some of my favourites but Kingsumo decided on a winner and it was … wait for it … Deborah from Falkirk.
Yay for, Deborah!
Autumn is creeping on fast here in Wales. I love the misty mornings and beautiful colours of the leaves on tress. This was the sunrise from my window today. 
Happy reading.
Suzie xx