Definitely aimed at children a year or two younger than more sophisticated pre-schoolers, the Max and Millie series from Usborne uses authentic syntax (“Millie play too”; “Millie want car”) and simple, familiar scenarios to introduce some fairly basic notions of good habits and manners. There’s nothing original about the story: two friends at day-care spot a new, exciting toy and, after the inevitable row over ownership, are shown how to share by ‘the nice nursery lady’ – but the dialogue, actions, and progression of feelings are all presented with an uncommon understanding of the thought processes of the intended audience. There is no judgement of Max and Millie’s emotional responses; their behaviour is perfectly natural, it is implied, whereas the ability to compromise needs to be learned.
Wonder is the unforgettable story of August Pullman, an ordinary boy with an extraordinary face. With over five million copies sold, Wonder is a true modern classic, a…
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One of the most popular topics of conversation amongst young children is ‘what I was like when I was *really* small’. They love to compare themselves with who they were just a…
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Despite the relentless efforts of teachers, policy makers and passionate advocates of mathematics over many years, numeracy is still a skill that’s often rather bizarrely…
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With The Gruffalo’s Child, Julia Donaldson proved herself more than capable of following up what had quickly become a beloved children’s classic with a sequel of similar…
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Something exciting is happening at the Heavenly Hippos Wildlife Park; gold stars are going to be awarded to winning animals in four categories: most popular, tidiest; most stylish;…
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