Baby's First Christmas With Baby London / Surrey / Hampshire Magazines

With the Christmas season almost upon us here is a round-up of perfect board books for baby's first Christmas, little gems to ignite a lifetime love of reading and perfect for that very special first stocking. 

First up...

'Forever...'
£7.99 small format hardback 
Written and illustrated by Emma Dodd
Published by Templar Publishing  



Part of an exquisite collection of glorious foiled picture books with a simple rhyming text about mindfulness, friendship and family relationships. Beautifully crafted to be read and enjoyed together featuring a father bear and his adorable bear cub. We cross the sparkling frosted tundra as bear cub discovers that though life's ups and downs a father's love lasts forever. 

"When you're scared and feel unsure, you'll find me right beside you. If you're ever feeling lost you know I'll always find you."

See the complete collection here 

ABC's
£9.99 board book 
Written and illustrated by Charley Harper 
Published by Ammo 



There are numerous ABC books on the market for little ones, but this one stands head and shoulders above the rest simply for the stunning design lead nature of the content. 

Beautifully stylised and filled with all manner of creatures some more recognisable than others but each more utterly beguiling than the last. certainly an essential addition to the home library of appreciators of contemporary design. 




The BabyLit Collection 
£5.99 board books 
a collaboration Alison Oliver and Jennifer Adams
Published by Babylit 



A fashionable way to introduce your child to the world of classic literature. Simple themes such as colours and first words are woven through the pages of well known classics including Moby-Dick, A Christmas Carol, Pride and Prejudice and many more ...



You can find the complete range on babylit.com - Completely unique and a splendid way of sharing grown-up favourites with a very young audience. 

Counting 
£6.99 board book 
Illustrated by Ellen Giggenbach 
Published by Templar Publishing

Vibrant juicy paper cut style illustrations leap off the pages of this first numbers book. Featuring lots of shiny details to spot and count on each page this engaging first concept book will be a firm favourite. 



With a specialism in paper craft Ellen has created a retro chic masterpiece. Also available for older siblings Ellen Giggenbach's My Zoo and My Town - make and do books which enable you to create an entire zoo / town form one books without the aid of glue. Marvellous stuff.  

It's a Little Book 
£5.99 board book 
Written and illustrated by Lane Smith 
Published by Macmillan Children's Books 

'Is it for chewing? Is it for wearing? Is it for calling? NO ...It's for reading. 



A companion title to the best-selling picture book 'It's a Book' which I also highly recommend, this humorous board book explores the various alternative functions of a book according to a toddler, including using it as a hat, a building block and a telephone. The hilarious expression in the characterisation is second to none and it will have both baby and parent laughing out loud. An absolute must for new parents who almost certainly enjoy at some point the real life interpretation of the themes in this story. 


Lets hope each and every little one receives a lovely book in their stocking this Christmas! I simply cannot think of a more perfect gift to open imaginations and ignite a life long love of books, reading and sharing. 

Post written in association with 

Baby London / Baby Hampshire / Baby Surrey Magazines

You can subscribe to these magazine here

            

A Yuletide Bonanza!

‘The Yuletide season is almost upon us dear chums, the perfect time for sharing a picture book under a huge cosy quilt so here for your delectation and delight are a selection of absolute Christmas Picture Book Crackers.‘

Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan

Published by Hodder Children’s Books

A mesmeric addition to Shaun Tan’s eclectic array of thoughtful and surreal picture books.

Two brothers explore the boundaries of their relationship in a breath taking landscape inhabited by a menagerie of make-believe creatures. This book grows more sublime with every brush stroke and each turn of the page.

Herman’s Letter  by Tom Percival 

Published by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

The best depiction of friendship since Bert and Ernie, Herman (the bear) and Henry (the raccoon) are best of friends but when Henry moves away Herman has trouble dealing with his own company and feeling jealous of Henry’s new life.

Herman decides to embark on an epic and at times hilarious journey to find his best friend.  A perfect book for sharing with someone you love.

Ernest and Celestine - Merry Christmas 

By Gabrielle Vincent

Published by Catnip distributed by Bounce Marketing

Dear old bear and little mouse are back in a beautiful classic, Using ingenuity and love Ernest organizes a wonderful Christmas party for Celestine and her friends. A wonderful traditional tale with a supremely relevant message about the joys of a homemade Christmas and sharing it with those you love. Home really is where the heart is with Ernest and Celestine, this book is as warming and comforting as an afternoon by a log fire with a cup of hot chocolate.

Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space 

By Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman 

Published by Flying Eye Books

Flying Eye Books are trailing a dazzling blaze with this utterly visually arresting book - Professor Astro Cat guides our intrepid space explorers on an amazing interstellar adventure – Ben's artwork is eye boggling, cool and cutting edge and compliments perfectly the fact filled text in a unique and engaging way. Complete with a fact file at the back and cheese stealing aliens – What’s not to love. 

A beautifully produced book which will leap off the shelves.

Princess Penelope and the Runaway Kitten 

By Alison Murray 

Published by Nosy Crow

A perfectly pink rhyming ‘tail’ about a mischievous kitten and a ball of magical pink wool. 

Penelope has the run of a most marvelous palace as she chases a playful kitten tumbling and skipping through the grounds of her home. With a wonderful vibrant pink glittery trail to follow on each page. Completely delicious .

The Story of Stars – By Neal Layton 

Published by Hodder Children’s Books

The third in the ‘Story of…’ series , The Story of Stars contains millions of stars and the rest of the cosmos squashed into 10 pop-up pages.. that’s all!!!!!

You will gasp and gawp at the incredible pop-up’s which spring, shoot and unfurl from the pages of this book. A chronological journey through the discovery of stars with Neal’s hilarious mad cap style and numerous funny details to spot  - this book will be shared over and over for millions of years to come.  

Stars the universe and EVERYTHING – what more could one ask for? Also a special mention to in mind boggling background research undertaken by Captain Layton – He certainly deserves a sit down and a cup of tea.

PERFECT STOCKING FILLER:

A Letter for Bear – By David Lucas 

Published by Flying Eye Books

A glistening gem of a book – a small hardback printed in the colours of frosted ginger bread this story tells the wintery tale of an earnest post man bear and how a cockle warming cosy Christmas cave party with his forest friends came to be.

CLASSICS TO COVET:

Alice Through The Looking Glass

By Emma Chichester-Clark 

Published by Harper Collins:

A beautiful re-imagining of the lesser known Alice tale including all of your favorite characters to spot.  

This version will engage and enthrall readers of all ages and make an enviable addition to any home library. 

Emma’s vibrant pallet and ability to create movement and character make this particular version a true treasure.

The Babar Collection – By Jean De Brunhoff 

Published by Egmont

An exquisite slipcased edition of a much-loved collection of stories featuring a regal family of elephants. 

With a beautiful mix of 5 classic stories including Babar and Father Christmas, fans of Babar new and old will relish this wonderful book.

This timeless collection would make a wonderful gift.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea – Special Edition

By Judith Kerr – Published by Harper Collins

A delectable celebration edition of what must be one of the most iconic picture books of recent generations. With vibrant technicolor illustrations which will transport you instantly into Sophie’s world. 

First created in 1968 this tale of an imaginary tiger and the implications of having one over to tea will continue to appeal to young readers for many many years to come.

Pug’s Picks of the year: 

A special mention for some of my 

particular highlights of 2013

I have been extremely lucky this year to have received an absolute abundance of wonderful picture books, but if I was pushed and HAD to choose 4 which I just KNOW you will love then these are the one's I'd pick.

The Storm Whale – By Benji Davies (@Benji_Davies)

Published by Simon and Schuster - Review here

Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam

By Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton  (@TraceyCorderoy and @2dScrumptious)

Published by Nosy Crow - Review here

Primrose by Alex T Smith (@Alex_T_Smith)

Published by Scholastic - Review here

Bubble & Squeak by James Mayhew and Clara Vulliamy (@mayhewjames and @ClaraVulliamy)

Published by Orchard Books - Review here

Happy Reading Sniffers – See you next year! TOOT TOOT!

Please don't forget to follow me on Twitter this Christmas season @maybeswabey and join our fabulous Facebook page here

The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of a Pig by Emer Stamp

You will spot some exclusive comic strips by Emer throughout this post which will give you a Pork Scratching flavour of this tittersome curly tale.

What'O Sniffers, I have a slightly different treat for you today, It's a FICTION title, one that is highly illustrated non-the less but something different to add to the mix for your delectation and delight. This particular story is illustrated throughout  by the ever so bonkers cool as a cucumber Emer Stamp so here it is. 

Introducing ...
The Unbelievable Top 
Secret Diary of a Pig 
by Emer Stamp 

Let me introduce you to Pig, A portly young chap chap with delusions of grandeur, Pig is best chums with Duck, and together they both hate Chicken's (who are according to Pig, evil with black beady decidedly evil eyes! 

Dear simple Pig lives a blissfully happily existence on the farm with a Farmer, who unbeknown to poor old pig is fattening Pig up to make some delicious porky products. (Pig see's this lavishment of foody treats as a gesture of pure love) 

Pigs zenlike friend Duck shows him the error of his misguided affections and together they think of a plan to escape the farm before Pigs buttocks become bacon. 

Unexpectedly the evil beady eyed Chickens are keen to 'help' poor desperate Pig with his predicament and decide to launch Pig into space. 

As you might expect from a gang of evil chickens construction of their space rocket / tractor hybrid is already well under way - Mission escape is on! (Laika the pig?) Will he make it to outer space or will his short piggy life end in a tragic tractor rocket malfunction? 

Think Mr Gum crossed with Charlotte's Web, well seasoned with snort worthy jokes and hilarious illustrations. I am a huge fan of illustrated fiction and it's great to see a new pig on the block to join the likes of iconic favourites Claude, Dixie O'Day and Mortimer Keene (Although I don't think they'll think much of this Pigs flatulence problems) 

A beautifully packaged book with slop bucket loads of appeal - this book will be leaping off the shelves into the hands of eager young readers faster than Pig can gobble down a bucket of slops. 

Bravo Emer. 

• Emer grew up on a farm in Devon and her first ambition was to be a vet.

• She is the creative brains behind the John Lewis 2011 Christmas ad, The Long Wait.

• She is an over-enthusiastic kick-boxer HA-YA!

• Emer works for a top London advertising agency 

• Diary of a Pig is her first children’s book 

HIGHLIGHTS:
This book contains farting pigs, evil chickens, gnomes, space rockets and a philosophical duck ... What more can I say to tempt you! Have a read. 

5 dazzling porky frazzles out of 5!

Watch the trailer here 

The Unbelievable Top Secret Diary of a Pig published by Scholastic is available in all good book shops and online, A great stocking filler 

Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich

Roll up roll up I have some deliciously tantalizing delights for you today!   

So saddle up your baguette and join me on a sandwich shaped adventure of gigantic proportions -

Introducing ...

Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich 

by Lorraine Francis and Pieter Gaudesaboos

Sammy is a young chap with an insatiable apatite - a culinary kid genius he embarks on creating a sandwich of such enormous proportions you may even blush if it appeared on Man vs Food. 

With a fittingly over sized format this bright and engaging board book will have small people gasping as they watch little Sammy create the biggest sandwich in the world ever. 

With echos of the very hungry caterpillar children will adore choosing the ingredients with Sammy and watching as the sandwich grows taller and taller and taller. 

Vibrant stylish visually arresting illustrations and clever page layouts will draw the reader in until the sandwich is as predicted taller than a skyscraper. 

A great book to read together and one with lots of details to spot and point to. We especially liked the clever humorous ending and look forward to seeing more by this wonderful dynamic duo in the very near future. 

A tasty treat worthy of a place at the top table.. 

Three Olives, two hard-boiled eggs and a sprig of parsley out of 5! 

BRAVO