Educational Kids Books

Kids aged 4-8 Years Old

Once kids reach four they are beginning to assert themselves about books that they do and do not like. Follow their lead, allow them to choose some of their own books. If they are selecting titles that you are completely unhappy with then find a couple of quality books and allow them to make the choice of which one you buy. They will be much happier with a book that they have chosen themselves.

At four years old many children are starting to take an interest in the alphabet. If they want you to stop reading to show what words mean or to answer questions, then oblige them. It may make your reading a little disjointed but definitely adds to your child's experience.

David Kirk- Miss Spider's Sunnypatch Kids
Everyone's favourite friendly spider is back and this time she's having babies! Like all new parents she and Holly are worried about doing the right thing- do their babies need sun, do they bite and all those booties to knit! When their ten little eggs hatch all the booties are knitted just in time for every one, and that's eighty feet! Of course all the worry turns to joy when their babies emerge and complete the spider family.

This Miss Spider adventure continues on from earlier editions with it's vibrant colours, larger than life imagery and rhyming, sing-song text. It playfully depicts the worry and subsequent joy that all new parents brave.
There is a good collection of Miss Spider books available- Miss Spider's Tea Party, Miss Spider's Wedding, Little Miss Spider at Sunnypatch School, and our old favourite Miss Spider's New Car.

Doreen Cronin- Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
The farmyard cows unite to improve their working conditions after discovering a typewriter in their barn. Farmer Brown is dumbfounded when he starts finding letters demanding better conditions with the cows then going on strike. Eventually a compromise is made with the help of the impartial duck.

This book is loads of fun and even the adults will burst out laughing at the antics of the herd. Kids will love the silly story line and wonderful illustrations by Betsy Lewin. Can also be used to help kids understand the fine art of negotiation! A valuable skill for them at this age.
Other Doreen Cronin books include: Giggle, Giggle, Quack and Duck for President

Douglas Florian- Mammalabilia
A master of word play, Florian will amuse with his slightly naughty humour and nonsensical poems. Children will love seeing their parents get tongues in a tizzy sharing these witty verses. The illustrations are painted on brown paper bags with exciting textures and designs.
Florian has a superb body of work including: Insectlopedia, Lizards, Frogs and Polliwogs and Zoo's Who

Laurence Anholt- The Magical Garden of Claude Monet
Anholt has taken a novel approach to introducing children to famous artists - he has covered Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, Picasso, and DaVinci - and used their art to create the backgrounds and settings for his stories.
The combination of the simple story and Anholt's artwork which merges beautifully with Monet's own work make it a lovely introduction to the great artist.

The book features a fold out of Monet's famous Waterlilies which is overlaid with the characters from the book floating across the image. The book gives information about Monet which is woven into the text of the story and for art lovers it has a biographical page at the end. A must for children who are artistically inclined but a lovely story for those who are not.
Other works by Laurence Arnholt include- Leonardo and the Flying Boy, Picasso and the Girl With a Ponytail, Degas and the Little Dancer and Camille and the Sunflowers.

Richard Waring- Have You Seen This Alligator? also known as Alberto the Dancing Alligator
Tina's beloved dancing pet alligator; Alberto is accidentally flushed down the toilet. Alberto winds his way through a maze of sewers, joining the rats in water ballet, and being scored (by the rats!) on his Olympic style diving before trying to make his way home. He unwittingly wreaks havoc on the city appearing in one wrong toilet after another. This amusing story will have all kids wanting their own pet alligator. It shows the likeable Alberto cowering in the sewers, hiding from the scary alligator squad, more like a teddy bear than a frightening reptile.

The story gives a real twist to the urban legend of alligators lurking in the sewers. It will delight parents and kids alike with its humour and illustrations. Children will love to follow Alberto's journey through the sewer and and voice the varied screams and howls from the frightened townspeople as Alberto pops up in their toilet bowls!
Will also appeal to younger children as will, Ducky Dives In a story about the duck who loves mud. (Does this sound like your child??)

Other recommended authors- Chris Van Allsberg, Emma Thompson, Lynley Dodd, Jill Murphy.

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