Toy of the month – May 2015

HUGE apologies firstly in the tardiness of this post, it was of course meant to be up in time for May which has of course been and gone, but with all the illness in the household and moving house, I just didn’t get a chance to blog about it.

Being a parent as we all know isn’t always easy (see above!). We want to be the best we can be for our children, so that they have  good guidance to follow in life and someone to respect. Not only that, someone they can talk to about everything and anything and not feel judged whilst doing so.

What is the best way to raise our kids? There is of course, no right or wrong answer as every parent is different, as is each child. Which is the reason why some people dismiss books on parenting and raising children, as guidance that is perhaps not relevant to them? I tend to be of the camp that, I will happily read books if I feel we are going through a tough stage ( we are going through tantrum CITY with H at present) and then take from it what is relevant to me and use it to try to help guide my children through their journey in life.

Now that my eldest son is at school, I am seeing more and more how influenced he is by what he hears, and what is said around him. Kids are so impressionable at this age and they need to feel safe and secure but be given a certain amount of independency, to explore their sense of self and learn from their mistakes.

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One way to help show kids is through reading. Both of my boys adore books and each day I find them sitting happily looking through books of their own accord. This is makes me so happy as I was a complete bookworm as a child! My boys are very active kids but I love that they can also sit down and look at books even if it is just for 5- 10 minutes.

We have by chance put some of the kids books in our living room bookcase in our new place, mainly because I am still trying to decide on their book storage in their bedrooms. However, this has meant they happily pick up a book to look through or ask me to read it to them.

I had been asked to look at a modern take on the classic “Nursery Rhymes” by Inspirational Nursery Rhymes for a blog review.  My boys both adore Nursery Rhymes and we have numerous books on them. They love me singing these to them before  bedtime. On reflection as an adult however, quite a few, are not so relevant these days, although the little ditty that accompanies them always entertains the kids. “Three brown Mice” and “Rock a bye baby” are a little on the macabre side!

I am never one to dismiss history,  given that I studied it at University, but I am a big believer in reinventing the wheel. So I was interested to find out what Todd & Jackie Courtney had written and how their modern take on Nursery Rhymes would translate with my 2 boys, the ultimate test!

We received 2 books to review, their original book “Inspirational Nursery Rhymes” and “Giving Thanks“. I sat down with the boys and showed them both books and let them pick which one they wanted me to read. They chose the original book to read and it is this that I have reviewed for this feature.

Firstly, I like that they are in a board book form, as it means young kids can look through the pages and explore the pictures with ease.

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The book follows a mouse who has no name but a name isn’t needed, as it is more about what the mouse learns throughout the book. He learns through wonderfully written rhymes, that you shouldn’t judge by appearances, that you must allow yourself to dream and have aspirations, that positive thinking can help to overcome challenges, that it is ok if you do something wrong and it is best to own up to any mistake you have made, that you need to take responsibility for your own actions and not to blame others and to be thankful for what we have in life.

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All things the mouse learns throughout the story are lessons that I know I want my children to learn, especially at the moment, to learn responsibility for their own actions and that it is ok to make mistakes. The mouse is polite, courteous, helpful and thankful, just how I hope my children will continue to be as they grow older.

You can tell the authors, husband and wife team Todd and Jackie Courtney have put a lot of thought, time and passion into these books and their background in teaching, certainly shows.  Each book is wonderfully written and presented.

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This book is perfect for school aged children or preschool kids as the book is brightly coloured with wonderfully illustrated characters but more importantly, it IS an inspiring nursery rhyme just as the title says.  It helps to plant the seed into the children’s mind about how important their sense of self is and how to act and react in life.  It provides a positive approach to life and is more about modern every day life situations than Nursery Rhymes like “Jack and Jill” and “Wee Willy Winky” are!

It is a fabulous addition to any children’s book case and my kids loved reading the book. It has now become a regular fixture now for our nightly book routine and it is a brilliant and inspiring Nursery Rhyme for this modern age.

RRP: US $8.99

Ages: 4+ but babies and toddlers would love it as well!

Inspirational Nursery Rhymes

DSC_8852Disclaimer: we received a copy of each book, in order to review them.