The Curious Case of the Missing Mammoth, by Ellie Hattie

Has anyone seen a mammoth around here?

Oscar is awoken at midnight, the magical hour, to find a mammoth outside his window. His name is Timothy and - oh no! - his younger brother Teddy is on the loose!

There's only one thing to do. Start the search! But can Oscar and Timothy make it through the whole museum, through the exhibits (who are throwing one wild party!) and bring Teddy home before the clock strikes one and the magical hour ends?

This is such a fantastic book - fun, imaginative and engaging. Each page takes us through another exhibit of the museum and lift-the-flap fun keeps the surprises coming. I loved the facts on every page (the ocean exhibit and flight floor are our favourites) and there's so many hidden gems that it's a great book to come back to again and again. It's also a great one to inspire a bit of exploration at your own museum.

It would make the perfect birthday present for kids three and up - and if you're quick, the book currently comes with it's own super cute Teddy mammoth softie!

Enjoy, wild explorers!

the book and the bea x

We're All Wonders, by R.J. Palacio

Late last year, as part of our Christmas Gift Guide series, we reviewed the incredibly moving Wonder on the recommendation of two of my nieces. 

Wonder tells the story of August (Auggie), who has a facial deformity and, after 10 years of homeschooling, enters real school. All he wants is to be accepted, normal and ordinary but is that possible when the first thing that people notice is how you look? Very sad, moving and ultimately uplifting, this was a favourite of Miss M (10 years old).

Well, to our huge delight, Auggie is back - this time in a children's picture book. 

We're All Wonders tells the story of Auggie in very simple terms. He looks different yes, but really he is just like everyone else. He rides his bike, walks his dog...and has his feelings hurt when people stare or talk...just like anyone would.

The message of the book is clear. Look with kindness on other people and remember always, that we are all wonders - different in our own way, but amazing all the same. 

This is such a beautiful and important book. We're All Wonders is the perfect opening to start a discussion with your kids about differences, kindness, friendship and empathy.

Perfect for kids 3-8 (and the older kids will love the original Wonder).

the book and the bea x

Nanette's Baguette, by Mo Willems

When I was early in my pregnancy with Bea (at that time "Gus", so convinced was I she was a boy), I discovered Mo Willems on one of my regular lazy lunchbreak strolls through the bookshop. Firstly, through the hilarious, drive-kids-crazy, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and then through the incredibly sweet, Knuffle Bunny series (written for his own daughter Trixie).

I snapped up the whole series then and there and Bea, also unable to go anywhere without her bunny, has loved it since she was tiny (I'm not able to finish the third without a little tear in my eye - the final pages are so beautiful).

It felt like a while since we'd added a new Mo to our shelves, so I was super excited to find a new arrival in our bookstore.

Nanette's Baguette!

This hilarious (and terrifyingly tongue-twisting) tale tells the story of Nanette who, on a day that she won't soon forget, gets to get the baguette! She runs into Georgette! And Suzette! And Bret (with his clarinet)! But still remembers to get the baguette from the baker Juliette!

But then - disaster! Nanette can't resist the call of the baguette (like the rest of us, I bet) and before she knows it CRACK, CRACK, CRACK - it's all gone. What will Nanette do? Move to Tibet? In a jet? Nanette is filled with regret.

This book is so, so great - Bea thinks it's hilarious and loves the quirky illustrations of poor, beset, Nanette. Be warned, it's a mouthful (a Mum next to me in the bookstore read two pages to her toddler, grimaced and placed it firmly back on the shelf), but good fun - and I can highly recommend starting up a competition with the rest of your family to see who can get through it the fastest.

Great for kids 3-7 (older kids will love the tongue twisters!).

the book and the bea x

Lucy's Book by Natalie Jane Prior

Is there anything greater, as a child and an adult, than finding a book you so love that you read it again and again (and again)?

I remember when I started uni, my favourite place to relax was the library. It had the most amazing old book smell (second only to the library at Harvard - I swear, they should bottle that smell!) and I'd ignore the books that I should be studying (there is a reason I failed Botany) and head straight for the children's fiction section.

There I'd find all of my old friends. Ramona Quimby, Jesse and Leslie (never forget), even Del-Del who gave me nightmares as a child but taught me about grief as an adult. I'd hide away in the stacks and read, all day, piling these favourite stories next to me as I went. There was something so incredibly soothing about revisiting my favourite stories, even now, so many years on.

Not so long ago, while visiting family, I saw this same thing in my gorgeous niece. Despite the stack of new books she'd received for Christmas (and which she sped through in four days) I found her once again was curled up, with a Harry Potter novel so loved that the spine was fraying. I was so thrilled to see the love she felt for her books, knowing that they will comfort her, in years to come, the way that mine favourites have for me.

Lucy's Book is about this kind of love.

Lucy and her Mum go to the library every Saturday. Lucy loves to read but she has a favourite book, that she races to get, every week. She borrows it and borrows it, and lends it to friends who take it around the world, until she can borrow it again, and take it on holiday - until finally - one sad day, the book is no longer there. It was too old, and too loved by everyone, to hold up to one last borrow.

Lucy rushes to the bookstore, but alas, it's out of print.

Months pass by and although everyone who Lucy introduced to the book is on the lookout, it remains missing.

Until....a second hand book sale appears in her village.

This is a love story about books and for everyone who has ever had that special treasured story that they simply had to share with the world. It's about how books bring people together, on a shared journey, and inspire imagination and friendship.

This is a sweet one for kids 5-7, especially those sweet bookworms among us.

the book and the bea x

Blue Sky, Yellow Kite, by Janet A. Holmes and Jonathan Bentley

"But I don't like to share Mama. It makes my heart sad."

And so begins our arrival into the tumultuous threes. Just one month away from her actual birthday, it seems I have a threenager on my hands. And no matter how many times I remind her to share, that "sharing is caring" and there's plenty and it's more fun with friends, the Bea just hasn't quite got it.

Blue  Sky, Yellow Kite, is a beautiful story about what it's like to really, really love something that belongs to someone else, how hard sharing can be and how ultimately, keeping things to yourself is no fun at all.

Blue Sky, Yellow Kite, tells the story of Daisy. One day she sees a yellow kite in the air, wheeling and swirling, diving and twisting. She follows the kite all the way to the end of it's string and meets William, who happily and kindly opens his gate and hands Daisy the reel.

But Daisy is taken away in the moment and, thinking only of her love for the beautiful kite, flies it all the way to her house, where she hides it at the top of her shelf. She dares to fly it only once more - and when she sees William, sadly watching, can't sleep for thinking about how she's taken his kite and hurt him.

So at last, she returns the kite to William and leaves a note to apologise. And that afternoon, she seems something beautiful in the sky, coming back towards her...

This is a great story about friendship, jealousy, sharing and forgiveness. I love the illustrations - Daisy and William are such sweet little characters and the beautiful countryside made me want to move to our own country cottage immediately.

I think we've still got a ways to go before my own little Daisy is sharing - but this was a lovely one to share together and opened the door to more discussions about sharing (made easier by our recent obsession with kites). It is probably a tiny bit old for Bea, though she did love the story, so I'd suggest kids 4-6.

the book and the bea x

Under the Love Umbrella, by Davina Bell

When I heard that Davina Bell, author of the sweet Underwater Fancy Dress Parade, had a new book out I couldn't wait to see it. I rushed right out to our favourite bookshop and, as fortune would have it, snared the very last copy.

No surprises here, I loved it. It's for every little one who has felt nervous at school, who felt shy or had an embarrassing thing happen or kids, like me, who would last until about 10pm at a sleepover and then be desperate, tearily so, to see their parents and be home in their very own bed.

It's also the perfect gift for every parent that's had to put their babies in daycare.

When I went back to work, and Bea to daycare, it was awful. If that sounds melodramatic...well, daycare drop offs are. She would cry, I would cry, she would feel better five minutes after I left, I would cry the entire way to work. Ahh, parenthood.

Once, I tried to reassure her by saying that it was okay because Mama always comes back. Of course that only made it worse because she would quietly cry (kids take note: the quiet cry is infinitely more devastating to your parents than the tantrum cry) in the back seat of the car and repeat, the whole way there, "it's okay. Mama always comes back. It's okay". 

via giphy

So the idea that Bea is under my love umbrella, wherever she goes, is so reassuring and magical - it's a beautiful thought for her and me.

The illustrations, by Allison Colpoys, are bright and sweet and I loved seeing the diversity of families throughout the book. This is a gorgeous story for the worriers in your family who need that little bit of reassurance that they're okay, wherever they go. Perfect for kids from 3 and up and the perfect gift for any parents leaving their kids at daycare for the very first time (hang in there, I promise it gets better).

the book and the bea x

Paper Dolls, by Julia Donaldson

In the brilliant "Yes, Please" (if you haven't read it, go find a copy!) my best friend and spirit animal Amy Poehler described divorce like this:

"Imagine spreading everything you care about on a blanket and then tossing the whole thing up in the air. The process of divorce is about loading that blanket, throwing it up and watching it all spin, and worrying what stuff will break with it lands".

Never a truer word was spoken. I've been a single mum for a little over two years now and truthfully, going through a separation with a baby is like walking a tightrope across Niagara Falls, in gale force winds, while it snows. In front of all of your family and friends and Facebook. Oh! And you're naked. Did I mention that?

In those early days, being surrounded by other happy families and books about happy families was tough. Books about "special" divorced families was worse.

I remember one day going to storytime at the library and the librarian was giving a  tour of the kids section for all the new parents. "And here are the books for....difficult situations. This is where you'll find books on someone passing away, or kids whose parents are going through a divorce". It stung so badly my eyes watered and I was frozen, feeling like the only person in that room who needed a "difficult" section and like there was a flashing neon sign alerting the whole world to that fact.

The difficult section never did help. But there were quite a few totally unrelated children's books that did. There was one in particular that we loved then, and still love now. Paper Dolls.

It was my sister that first showed me Paper Dolls. Her four year old adored it, and she knew it would speak to me too. She was right of course, but probably wasn't counting on my bursting into tears and shouting "You STUPID BOY!" halfway through and for that I apologise to her, my four nieces, and the 25th floor of the hotel we were staying at on our family vacation.

Paper Dolls tells the story of a little girl, in tiger slippers, who makes a chain of paper dolls with her Mama:

"They were Ticky and Tacky and Jackie the Backie and Jim with one eyebrow and Jo with the bow".

Oh, how she loves those dolls. They dance, they sing, they laugh, they evade sneaky tigers and crocodiles. They play in the long grass and talk to ladybugs. And no matter the adventure or danger, they're holding hands and they won't let go.

Until one day, a boy comes along and snips them. Snips them into a million pieces and tells them they're gone forever. But (spoiler alert!) that isn't the end of our brave paper dolls. Oh no, no, no. Their pieces all join together and the dolls find a new home, in the little girls memory, along with so many other special things.

At first I thought this sweet, whimsical book about childhood and loss and memory was way too sad for the Bea (honestly, I still get a little choked up in parts), but like her four year old cousin before her, she loves it. I think it's the repetitive text and sweet illustrations and the funny adventures of the Paper Dolls.

For me, it's a story about the magic of childhood, a reminder of the love between a mother and a child and how no matter what, we'll always be together.

"We're not gone, oh no no no, we're holding hands and we won't let go".

It probably wasn't written with this intention at all, but I think this is a beautiful one for any Mama going through a hard time.

Kids 4-6 will love it too - it's a great one for doing extension activities and there's a tonne of paper dolls ideas on pinterest! 

the book and the bea x

Welcome to Country, by Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy

Finding the perfect book for a little one's arrival into the world is a big task. After all, this new person has changed the world, already, in just their first few minutes. The moment the Bea arrived, I knew I would never be the same - and nor would our friends or family (or neighbours, who no doubt wondered where their quiet, peaceful evenings had gone). The universe changes with the arrival of someone you love.

And that is why it takes me a kabillion hours in the bookshop each time a friend has a baby (ha. In fairness, I'll use any excuse).

The good news is that these kabillion hours have rewarded me with a few perfect books for a new baby!

One of which, is the beautiful Welcome to Country told by Wurundjeri Elder, Aunty Joy Murphy and illustrated (stunningly so) by Indigenous artist Lisa Kennedy.

A Welcome to Country (or Wominjeka ceremony) is a ceremony where visitors are welcomed to country and given permission to enter traditional lands. This is a detailed Welcome from the Wurundjeri people, who were Melbourne's first inhabitants, and tells the story of Wurundjeri (the sacred river white gum), Bunjil the eagle (the creator spirit) and the Wurundgeri people. The enduring message, beautifully told, is of a people who belong to the country as much as the country belongs to them.

The illustrations are amazing and I think it's a must for every bookshelf, to give children from all cultures a better understanding of the first Australians and to celebrate the true beginnings of our country.

It's also a particularly moving book for a brand new arrival to the world and to Country, and the perfect present for overseas or interstate relatives as a special gift from Melbourne, the Country of the Wurundjeri people.

Wominjeka Wurundjeri balluk yearmenn koondee bik. Welcome to Country.

the book and the bea x

This is a Ball, by Beck and Matt Stanton

The Bea and her friends have entered that hilariously literal phase of toddlerhood, where they are driven crazy by all the wacky things that grown ups tell them.

"I'm not clever/funny/beautiful/crazy, I'm a big girl", she'll correct me, constantly.

"That's a puppy dog, not a labrador!"

"That's not noodles, it's a spaghetti!", she'll sigh.

So This is a Ball, drives them bananas. In the very best way of course.

This is a Ball, insists that everything is as it's not. A cube is a ball, a princess is a monster, a city is a beach and surely they're a bit mixed up if they don't agree? It's fun and cute and encourages a little crazy thinking outside of the box (oops, I mean ball).

This is a great one for ages three and up - my sister was reading this to the Bea and her five year old cousin the other day and it was really interesting to see the different reactions. Bea just looked slightly confused, wondering when her reasonable aunt had lost her marbles, while Lexi took the time to calmly (well, not so calmly by the last page) explain why each page was wrong - "No, it has big buildings, beaches don't have big buildings!".

It's a really fun read but a small warning from someone who now knows better - don't read it before bed if "settling down" is something you're aiming for...

the book and the bea x

Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience

These little piggies went "Peeepa Pig! Do-do-do-dodo-do-do-do-do-dodo"

So you know how I'd always loved the idea of having a book blog that would discuss incredible, moving, life changing children's books and would always feature in depth and high brow reviews of said books, while giving timely and ever-witty comparisons to real life issues?

Yeah. Well. Then I had a toddler and had to put down Swing Time (amazing by the way) to go along to Peppa Pig: My First Cinema Experience.

In a fit of "look at our amazing and kind parenting" excess, my friends are I grabbed tickets to the very first viewing at our favourite cinema (coincidentally across the road from our favourite bookstore). We dressed in our peppa ears, wellie boots (yellow, of course) and home-made pigs snouts, stocked up on extremely strong coffee (I wanted gin but it was allegedly too early for the liquor licence to kick in) and strapped in for the greatest 75 minutes of our lives (we don't get out much).

And friends? It's exactly the award winning social commentary comedy that we were expecting.

(The Great Barrier Reef! Pre-global warming! via kidspot)

Ok. Not exactly.

But the kids loved it (danced in their seats and urgently needed the toilet mid-episode kind of love) and watching their reactions were totally worth it. The weird interludes of a real life host and puppets between episodes were a little disconcerting -  the highlight of the morning will forever be seeing the contrast between the Bea's delighted face, and my dear friends look of utter horror, as the weird monkey dance started. It was a little dark in the cinema, but I managed to capture her reaction for you:

via giphy

Truthfully, the new episodes were a welcome relief from the same ones we'd watched for the last year and as always the cheeky jokes for the parents had us laughing (The Zoo episode in particular). And, I have to confess, my heart will always belong to Freddy Fox and Pedro Pony. Those guys are the cutest.

If you have a toddler it's a must see - so, pack your snacks, your friends and a strong drink and enjoy your new found status as parent of the year.

book and the bea x

Sleeping Beauty, a mid-century fairy tale, by David Roberts and Lynn Roberts-Maloney

We've all heard the story of Sleeping Beauty, right? Girl, cursed by an evil witch, pricks her fingers on a spinning wheel needle and can only be awoken by true love's kiss.

Ahh, yes. That old gem, a prince saves the day.

Well not this time!

Sleeping Beauty, a mid-century fairy tale, has a different spin on the ill-fated Beauty, telling instead the story of Annabel who is raised happily by her two aunts, Rosalind and Flora. Annabel loves science fiction and dreams of what the future will bring.

But on her first birthday, an evil neighbour, jealous of the sweet trio, casts a spell that Annabel will prick her finger when she turns 16 and die. The aunts are devastated, but Flora - a smart witch - changes the spell, so that if Annabel pricks her finger she'll sleep for a thousand years rather than die. However, what she doesn't tell Rosalind is that she must be woken up by the stroke of midnight after the thousand years, or she will die.

Although the aunts keep a careful eye over their beloved and science-loving child, they can't escape fate - and a tempting present sent on her 16th birthday. She pricks her finger on the needle of a record player and falls into a thousand year sleep.

In a move that makes me weepy, the broken hearted Flora, unable to leave Anabel, transforms Rosalind into a giant rose bush - to protect their child - and herself into a light, to keep her company through her sleep.

via vintage frills

A thousand years later, a girl named Zoe is researching the mysterious giant rose tree. When she finds and old and dusty book called Sleeping Beauty, she realises the old story is true...but will she make it to Annabel to save her in time?

This is such a great retelling of an old tale and puts the power firmly in the camp of the all-female protagonists of the story. Annabel has two mums, and is saved by a girl, which is incredibly refreshing and would make it a great book for LGBTQ families and single mums/guardians. It's a beautiful reminder that families come in all shapes and sizes.

The illustrations, from the genius artist behind Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist, are gorgeously retro-cool and as always in his work, it's great to see diversity in characters.

A great book for mighty girls and the women who are raising them.

the book and the bea x

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, by Kate Pankhurst

pic credit: Clare Martin-Lapworth

Happy International Women's Week!

Yes, yes, I know it's actually only a day but with all that women accomplish, day in, day out, and with everything that is happening right now in the world that sets us back, I've decided that we'll be celebrating with an entire week.

Starting with this gorgeous book that every little girl should own - Great Women who Changed the World, by Kate Pankhurst.

If that name sounds a little familiar, it's because Kate Pankhurst is a descendant of Emmeline Pankhurst, who led the British suffragette movement, eventually winning women the right to vote in 1918.

This gorgeously illustrated book explores the achievements of some of the most amazing women the world has seen, who have overcome so much to achieve even more, literally changing the world around them for the better.

Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Marie Curie, Coco Chanel - the women featured are diverse and inspiring. I found myself learning a lot actually, I was a little shocked at just how little I know about the women who shaped my own life.

Right now, when it comes to women's fundamental rights, it feels like the world is going backwards in so many ways. But this bright and hopeful little book reminded me of how far we've come and how one person really can change the world. It's a must for the bookshelf of every girl, who we need to tell, every day, that they are deserving, they are fantastically great and they can - and will - change the world.

via institute of mums

the book and the bea x

How to Find Gold, by Viviane Schwarz

credit: Clare Martin-Lapworth

Perfect for: 
Ages: 3-6
Occasion: birthdays, friendship

Have you got your secret-keeping faces on? Good.

Anna and Crocodile are on a mission. It's a dangerous and difficult mission. A dangerous and difficult mission to find Gold!

After testing their muscles and drawing a map ("the treasure's in France!"), Anna and Crocodile set out on a wild adventure to find treasure. There are wild storms, fierce sea monsters, ship wrecks and mysteries - will the best friends make it?

This is such a fun book - the language is witty and cute and as enjoyable for parents as it is for kids. I love how it celebrates imagination and it took me back to the days of my own childhood, when you could spend an entire day planning an adventure, lost in your own story and be shocked when all of a sudden night time had arrived and it was time to head home.

Anna and Crocodile's friendship and adventure are a sweet reminder that what really counts is the journey and that there are some things that are even more important than gold.

This one is perfect for preschoolers and early school readers - especially those that love a little adventure!

credit: Clare Martin-Lapworth

the book and the bea x

When the World is Dreaming, by Rita Gray

Perfect for: 
Ages: 2-6
Occasion: non-sleepers, bedtime

Since the Bea was six weeks old, she's slept through the night. I gently kiss her little nose at 5:45, snuggle her into bed with two stories and whisper "sweet dreams, my darling sweetpea" as she farewells me from her room with a soothing chorus of the goodnight song from the Sound of Music. #blessed

....

That sound you hear? My toddler laughing maniacally and she recalls every night for the past almost three years that we have resolutely NOT SLEPT. #lolzmama

Regardless, I have never given up the hope of finding the perfect bedtime story that will lull her off to sleep and allow me to finally finish A Little Life (yeesh, that book is some serious hard yards).

Last week we found the totally adorable When the World is Dreaming by Rita Gray. Based on a poem by Chico-Ni, the story follows a little girl, exploring the garden, as she wonders what each animal dreams when at last they snuggle in to sleep. At last, little Dreamer falls asleep - and what does she dream of?

The illustrations by Kennard Pak are beautiful - soft and sweet and dreamy - and while the story is a little repetitive, the rhyming language is soothing - which is exactly what you want at the end of a long day and with a toddler who insists that it most definitely is not night time outside (it's 9 pm Bea. 9PM!).

This is a sweet one for toddlers and preschoolers, particularly animal lovers or the wild explorers among us. I recommend this book with love, and the fervent prayer that it will bring your children, and more importantly you, sleeeeeep.

the book and the bea x

You Must Bring a Hat, by Simon Philip and Kate Hindley

[via bookdepository]

I love a fancy dress party. Like love love. Frankly, I'm not sure that a party without fancy dress actually really constitutes a party. I mean, where's the frivolity? What would people talk about if not their costumes? A party without costumes is like the Octonauts without Captain Barnacles. Entertaining but lacking direction (sidenote: Octonauts would be a great group costume...).

Not surprisingly then, I found You Must Bring A Hat, by Simon Philip and illustrated by Kate Hindley, hilarious (and promptly bought it for one of Bea's favourite buddies for his second birthday party - which was, of course, fancy dress).

You Must Bring a Hat tells the story of a little boy, who is invited to a party but must bring a hat. When the boy can't find his hat, he decides to bring a monkey wearing a hat (surely that counts?)...only to find there's additional requirements for guests who bring hat-wearing monkeys.

This book is so funny and kids will love the quirky (and rapidly escalating) adventures of one little boy trying to attend a party. There's a brilliant twist in the end that is sure to have you, and the kids, giggling.

[via]

The illustrations are bright and fun - it's the perfect silly birthday present for toddlers and early schoolies (or the fancy-dress party lover in your life).

the book and the bea x

A Small Thing...but Big, by Tony Johnston

[via macmillan publishers]

Perfect for: 
Ages: 3-6
Occasion: animal lovers, anxiety around dogs/animals, confidence around pets
 
The Bea loves dogs. Everywhere we go, she has to stop for a chat, which means that a walk to the shop on our very dog friendly street can take half the afternoon ("Bye Winky!" she once exclaimed, inexplicably to a dog named Angus).

But I know that for many kids, dogs can be terrifying. I remember once babysitting a little girl who was so frightened of them that she'd cry on sight and jump if she heard a bark. It was heartbreaking in a way to see someone so little have such fear.

A Small Thing...But Big is a story for those kids.

Lizzie, who isn't so sure about dogs, goes to the park with her Mum. While she's playing, she comes across a little puppy called Cecile and her owner, a little old man who, as it turns out, is a little anxious himself.

What follows is the sweetest tale of taking things one small thing at a time, and how those small things add up to big things.

The language in this story ("how springingly she walks!") and the conversations between Lizzie and the old man are just gorgeous ("she is quite adoring being with you!"). The cheerful, simple illustrations complete the story.

[Yes. My child is wearing star wars pajamas with an Emma Wiggles dress. It has been going on for a week. Send help.]

I love that Lizzie knows to wait until Cecile's owner tells her it's okay to pat, play and walk with Cecile and there's a sweet message in there about how all dogs are good, once you get to know them.

This is a reassuring and bright little story, particularly for children who aren't so sure of those crazy puppies in the park. Animal lovers will adore this one too.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we're off to visit our doggy friends in the neighbourhood (it should only take six hours). 

the book and the bea x

Tough Guys Have Feelings Too, by Keith Negley

[via]

Perfect for:
Ages: 3-6
Occasion: expressing emotions, boys, feelings, tough guys
 
It's not always easy being a tough guy...

I know this has been spoken about at length, by a million experts (and bloggers) before, but I was still shocked at the level of gender stereotyping I came across after the Bea was born. Sure, I expected the clothes, the toys, even some of the books, but what truly shocked me was the language that we all (including myself) use.

The Bea was "sweet" and "darling" and a "princess", while her male friends were "tough" and "wild" and "such a boy". Now that she's a toddler, I hear more of the same at the park - "boys will be boys", "toughen up".

Boys being the tough guys starts young. They aren't often encouraged to really express their emotions (if it isn't "boyish" exuberance) and all of the heroes they're encouraged to look up to - Batman, Spiderman, astronauts, racing car drivers - aren't exactly known for having complex emotions or sensitivity. As angry as I feel about how little girls are spoken to and how this impacts on the rest of their lives, I also feel sad for little boys who aren't given much of an opportunity to be who they are, particularly if who they are is scared or shy or sad.

Tough Guys Have Feelings Too is the perfect anecdote if you, like me, are sick of talk that pigeon-holes our kids. Keith Negley wrote this book after struggling to find a book on expressing emotions for his young son and it's just perfect.

As it turns out, wrestlers and superheroes and cowboys and sailors all have feelings too. They feel sad, even with their friends or when they're on top of the world, even when they're supposed to be brave!

(via Upworthy)

This is a great one to get boys and dads talking (also a great one for little girls who have trouble expressing their emotions). The illustrations are cool, it's funny and the ending is just so sweet. It's a great reminder to all of us that being sad or lonely or down doesn't make you less of a superhero and that you're not alone in having those feelings.

Boys won't be boys. They will be good humans. Yes to more of this.

(via Ellie Hall)

the book and the bea x

Summer Mama Reads

[rooftop bar reading. That's how cool I am.]

Pre-Bea, the thing that I loved most about summer holidays, even more than sun, swims in the freezing ocean and gin in a beer garden, was spending a day and a night and as long as it took to read a new book. It wasn't unusual for me to cancel evening plans at the last minute because I was up to the critical chapter (sorry friends).

Now, I never have the time to read for hours on end, but over Christmas, while the Bea was busy with cousins and grandparents, I had some time to catch up on my reading. Ahh, it was heaven.

Here's the three that I got through and recommend for your own summer read (and a fourth I'm desperate to start)!

The Mothers, by Brit Bennett

“Oh girl, we have known littlebit love. That littlebit of honey left in an empty jar that traps the sweetness in your mouth long enough to mask your hunger. We have run tongues over teeth to savor that last littlebit as long as we could, and in all our living, nothing has starved us more.” 

The book was so great - moving and, as only the very best books can, left me thinking for days after. The Mothers tells the story of Nadia, Luke and Aubrey, and how one decision in their teenage years goes on to influence the rest of their lives.

It's about first love and wanting more from life and how no matter how far you've come, how much you've achieved and changed, the community you live in has a way of bringing you back to who you once were. This is a timely book - right now politicians in America are rolling back women's reproductive rights and access to sex education and birth control - and that's something we should all be angry about.

It also (and I'm very aware of how white-privilege middle income white woman I sound) gave me an insight into what it's like to be an African American. A couple of lines gave me such a jolt as I read (“Reckless white boys became politicians and bankers, reckless black boys became dead.”). It offered a stark reminder at times of what different (and unfair) lives people lead, simply because of the colour of their skin.

The Nest, by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

“This was the part she hated, the part of a relationship that always nudged her to bail, the part where someone else’s misery or expectations or neediness crept into her carefully prescribed world. It was such a burden, other people’s lives.”

The Plumb siblings have a problem. When they were children, their father set up a modest trust fund to be shared when the youngest Plumb turned 40. Through a few quirks of the market, the modest fund became significant and each sibling had come to depend on receiving the money to bail them out.

Months from the date at which they'll finally get what's theirs, Leo, the oldest Plumb, makes a stupid decision (not his first) and puts all of their futures in jeopardy. Funny in parts, tragic in others, this had me giggling and moved throughout. It's a good one if only to remind you that you're not the only one with nutty relatives (I mean that in the most loving of ways, my family).

Modern Lovers, by Emma Straub

"This was not the face of propriety. This was not the face of marriage. This was one man, midlife, losing his shit." 

I loved this book from the first page, mostly because I saw myself, popping over to a friends house, salad and champagne in hand. Elizabeth, Zoe, Jane and Andrew have grown up through their 20's together and live close (almost stifling so) both emotionally and physically. Over one summer, as their teenage children come of age, their adult lives start to unravel and secrets from long ago rear their heads.

Witty and sharply observant, I enjoyed this book as a (slightly terrifying) window into what the teens may bring. It made me whimsical for my own teenage years - the thrill of first love, the promise of your 20's - but also dreaming about what the future could be if I was brave enough to give it a go.

And finally, now on my nightstand, is The Fate of the Tearling, by Erika Johansen.

“Even a book can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and when that happens, you blame the hands, but you also read the book.”

Is anyone else totally devoted to this series? A friend of mine suggested it a year ago now, as we headed off on a girls weekend away and we've both been waiting an entire year(!!!) for the final book in the trilogy.

Queen of the Tearling is the first in the trilogy and tells the story of Kelsea Raleigh, who was put into hiding as a young girl when her mother, the Queen, passed away. Now she has turned nineteen, and must return to claim her kingdom and defeat the evil Red Queen and her conspirators.

Ok, ok, I've made it sound like a total nerdfest. And there are numerous sword fights and magic and fantasy. But it's good you guys! There's quite a twist to keep an eye out for in there...

Read it, you won't regret it (and Emma Watson has signed on for the movie version, so you'll be able to say you read it first).

the book and the bea x

(pics via goodreads)

On track by Kathryn Apel

[via Amazon]

Perfect for: 
Age: 9-12
Occasion: competitiveness, sibling rivalry, sports lovers
 
The other weekend I left the Bea with her (amazing and wonderful) Granny while I escaped on girls night away. In between wine, cheese, a quick ocean dip and more wine, we got to chatting about our kids and childhood more generally.

One of the girls happened to mention the competitiveness that comes as children approach their tween years. It's something I hadn't really thought about much, as the Bea is still so little (and I'm in the midst of the Toddler Tees - Tantrums, Toilet Training and Total-lack-of-sleep).

As we spoke, I thought about what a funny balance it is - on the one hand we encourage our children endlessly when they're little: "you're the greatest!" "you can do it!" "you're a superstar!" but as they get older, they also need to learn that others matter too - that they're not the only one who's the greatest or, even if they are, sometimes acting like the greatest isn't the kindest way to be.

I did a little more thinking about it after I'd returned home, and was curious to see if I could find a book about that. About working hard to be the best, but also realising that the competition isn't all that it's about and that working as a team and understanding others is important too.

Once again, our favourite bookstore came through, with On Track, by Kathryn Apel.

Told in prose, On Track tells the story of Shaun and Toby, brothers preparing for a sports day. Everything comes easily to Shaun, including sports. While he cannot wait for sport day and the competition that comes with it, Toby struggles - he's great with ideas but doesn't have the natural aptitude for competition that his brother does.

This is a great story about sibling rivalry, competition and learning that winning really isn't the only thing that matters.

Good for competitive kids and for those experiencing the joys of sibling rivalry.

Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell

Perfect for: 
Ages: 4-6
Occasion: First day at school, new school, self-confidence

Here we are, on the edge of another school year. I know this makes me officially old to say this, but is time going really fast this summer? It feels like we were just getting excited for Christmas and now the back to school sales are in full swing and the hot cross buns are on the shelves.

The Bea is still a few years off her first day at big school but this year quite a few of my friends have little ones starting in kindy/prep. It's an exciting, emotional and daunting time (please, please let them have friends. please please let them have fun. please please don't let them lose the school jumper that cost $85.).

Thinking ahead, the two biggest wishes I have for the Bea at school is that she'll embrace who she is, with all of her weirdnesses and quirks, and find a solid little group of friends who love her and will be by her side no matter what. I figure the reading and writing and maths will all come in time but it's the love - of herself and her tribe - that really matters.

[Life mantra, via Hannah Reynolds]

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon is the sweetest book about exactly those things. Embracing who you are, doing your best and realising that the quirks you're teased about are actually the best parts about you.

Let me introduce quirky Molly Lou Melon. She is the shortest girl in the first grade, has buck teeth so enormous that she can stack pennies on them and a voice like a bullfrog being squeezed by a boa constrictor. But she doesn't mind. Her Grandma told her to walk tall and the world will look up to you. Smile big and the world will smile right along with you. Sing out strong and the world will cry tears of joy.

So she does.

[Sometimes the bea pulls that face when I sing too...via kinderbooks]

One day, Molly Lou Melon changes schools and finds herself mercilessly bullied by a rotten kid called Ronald Durkin. Despite his teasing (and frankly, with a name like Ronald Durkin, he should pipe down), Molly Lou holds her head high and embraces all of her quirks. All the other children look up to her for the way she tries her best and finally, after feeling very foolish again and again, Ronald Durkin realises what a durkin he's been.

This is the cutest little story - I love sweet-looking, brave little Molly and the way that nothing gets her down. Her friends love her because she's her and she succeeds not by trying to fit in or win the bully over, but by being exactly who she is and embracing the things that others would have her believe are faults.

Perfect for the quirky Molly's in your life who march to their own beat - and probably not a bad one for the Ronald Durkins too.

the book and the bea x

Be Brave Little Penguin, by Giles Andreae

[via bookdepository]

Perfect for: 
Ages: 2-6
Occasion: First day at school, daycare, pre-school

Last Christmas, the Bea received many gifts, chief among them a brand new, state of the art, all-terrain, spectacular-spectacular balance bike. She took one dubious look, picked up the paper it was wrapped in and escaped in her "boat".

"Do you want to ride your bike?" "No! I'm in my boat!"

She spent approximately forty minutes in her paper boat just that morning, and countless time in the days that followed. But time on the balance bike? Zero. Nada. Zilch. Not for lack of trying on my behalf but she's flat out refused since she first saw it and how now graduated to saying it's just too "scawy" and she's too "yittle".

Sigh.

When I found Be Brave Little Penguin in one of my lunchtime book expeditions, I was immediately taken back to the Great Bike Debacle of 2016.

Pip-Pip is smaller than the other penguins and is just too scared to take his first dip in the water. His friends tease him, his Dad urges him to be brave and leap on in, but all he can imagine is how deep and cold it is and what might be waiting for him in the dark ocean. His Mama tells him to imagine how wonderful it might be - warm and fun and full of fish - and encourages him to ease himself into the shallows.

[via amazon]

Finally, Little Penguin takes a deep breath, imagines how great it might be and SPLASH! Dives on in.

This is a sweet little story for little penguins about being brave and thinking about the wonderful, instead of the scary, things that might happen if we take a risk. It's perfect for ages three and up, and would be a great one for kids heading off for the first day of daycare or school.

Be Brave Little Penguin is also a nice reminder for parents to take it easy when our little ones aren't quite up to the challenges we present them with every day. It reminded me to take it slowly, have faith and wait for my own little Penguin to be ready for her first big bike ride.

And in the meantime, at least we have a boat...

The book and the bea x

City of Robots, by George Ivanoff

[via]

Perfect for: 
Ages: 9-11
Occasion: Birthdays, encouraging reluctant readers
 
Over the Christmas break, I caught up with my nieces on all the latest news, favourite books, the Dr Who Christmas special and - very excitingly for me - shared their very first viewing of Star Wars: A New Hope (it still holds up). As I went to grab some popcorn from the kitchen, a familiar cover caught my eye.

Choose Your Own Adventures.

[who else had this on their shelves?]

Ahh. There were those stories from my childhood. The perfect anecdote to a boring afternoon.

Let's face it - these stories were hardly earth-shattering - I can barely remember the plot of any of them - but there was something so fun about taking a gamble on every page, never knowing if your fate would be to save the galaxy or to be squashed under the rancid toes of an over-zealous giant.

And, as a very sensible budgeting adult that definitely never blows half the grocery money on books (ha), there's a certain financial savvy to a book with multiple storylines, that you can read and enjoy more than once.

I was preparing myself to raid second hand bookstores and our old shelves in a sentimental frenzy but, as it turns out, Choose Your Own Adventure is Back! 

Hanging out in our favourite bookstore over the long weekend - I found City of Robots, by Melbourne writer George Ivanoff. This is the 12th in a series of "You Choose" books and the perfect find for my nine year old niece's upcoming birthday.

By the looks of things the formula hasn't changed much, apart from the introduction of slightly better illustrations and a cooler storyline (cyborgs for the win), but why fix what isn't broken?

This one would be great for kids between eight and eleven, including more reluctant readers that prefer a quick read (or reads!).

Happy adventuring!

Book and the Bea x

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness

 

[via]

"Stories are wild creatures", the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?"

Sometimes a book comes along that is so beautifully written, haunting and true that when it's finished, even though it has broken your heart, you can't help but hug it tight and feel so, so grateful (it's not just me that hugs books. Right?).

A Monster Calls is a story - a fable almost - of grief and rage, courage and loss. It tells the story of Conor, who's mother is dying of cancer, who's father is absent, having moved to America with his new wife and child and who is bullied mercilessly at school (by a particularly sociopathic child who reminded me strongly of Kevin from We Need to Talk About notoriety).

One night, at 12:07am, a monster arrives at Conor's window. It has walked the earth for many years, this time taking the form of a yew tree and is here to tell three stories...and to hear Conor tell one. The truth.

(I should mention that the Bea was fully supervised while I was lost in this story!)

As Conor deals with the changing, and often cruel, world around him, the Monster visits, again and again, and helps him to at last confront his own true story.

This is an utterly heartrending tale - I was speechless when I finished and so moved. It is a stunning exploration of grief and the rage that comes with it - and of learning the painful lessons of loss and letting go. I often dog-ear books to remember favourite phrases and this story was so beautifully and lyrically written that my copy is now dog-earred from front to back.

"Stories are important", the monster said. "They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth."

This story has shot straight into my top three list and I can't wait to see the movie, due for release on 26 January (even though the preview alone is enough to make me weepy).

Patrick Ness created this story from an idea that the late Siobhan Dowd had told her publisher. Knowing that this story was itself built from loss, and the carrying on of someone's imagination, made this story all the more beautiful for me.

A Monster Calls is heavy going at times, but beautiful, and ultimately uplifting. I would suggest it for readers twelve and up. In fact, it's one of those tales that I think everyone should read. Maybe it's just that I enjoy these kinds of books, but I've always disliked the idea of "YA". As Patrick Ness notes himself, in an essay about A Monster Calls,

"a good story should be for everyone - a children's book must be for young people first, but, if you tell a story that works for a child it's got to be a good story because children are no fools".

One small note: I have been so lucky in my life not to have know the loss of a beloved immediate family member at a young age, and with that ignorance in mind, I'd suggest proceeding with caution in buying this for someone who has lost (or is losing) someone close.

Available at all good bookstores - there is also an exquisite illustrated version that I plan on getting my mitts as soon as I can.

The Book and the Bea x