Tag Archives: Golden Baobab Prize Shortlist 2014

Dad Goes To School

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , ,

dadgoestoschool-Screen Shot 2016-06-06 at 8.46.38 PM

Title: Dad Goes to School

Author: Mandy Collins

Publisher: Mango Books, an imprint of Quramo Publishing

Number of pages: 32

Type of Book: Fiction; African

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here: http://quramo.com/content/dad-goes-school-0 ; Terra Kulture, 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island Lagos.

Price: N1000; N1200

MY SUMMARY

Nandi wanted Dad to stay in school with her so she wailed and wailed and wailed until Dad promised to go to school with her for a whole day. The very next day, he did just that. But things didn’t quite turn out the way Nandi hoped…

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This book was shortlisted for the 2014 Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books, one of the best prizes for African Kid’s Lit! Perfect for every child with a love for early morning tantrums, it reminds me of the line, ‘Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it!’

DOWN: None.

RATING

4 Stars

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

Watch the book trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MB2cV0Dkp1s 

CHALLENGE: Dad Goes to School

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw Nandi and Dad in Nandi’s class (4 – 6 year olds)
  2. List 2 characters in the book? (7 – 8 year olds)

Find them in the crossword puzzle below (7 – 8 year olds)

Z D C Y H N M K D G J B X
V N C H D O N D S A M N O
K S A R I D I E A I D A E
H J O N T D W D O M H I N
I D T H D O L A R O E I T
O D S J A I S K T N S U S
O C N K I L T E E O D N A
L X S D A N G L S A K L F

 

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Friday, February 9th 2018.

Next Book of the Week:

The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt

 

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

 

photo credit: quramo.com

 

 

 

 

Dear Zoo

AGES 0 - 4, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: Dear Zoo (A Lift-the-Flap Book) and Dear Zoo (A Touch and Feel Book)

Author: Rod Campbell

Publisher: Little Simon /Macmillan Children’s Books

Number of pages: 18

Type of Book: Fiction, Educational

Age: 0 – 4

Buy it here: http://readingcorner.ng/P3415-Dear-zoo-touch-and-feel-C665.asp;  https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Zoo-Lift-Flap-Book/dp/141694737X ; https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0230757871

Price: N2620; $5.29; £9.98

MY SUMMARY

The book starts with this line:

“I wrote to the zoo to send me a pet and they sent me an …”

The remaining sixteen (16) pages show eight (8) different animals sent to the narrator from the zoo. He rejects the first seven (7) as they wouldn’t make suitable pets and decided to keep the eighth (8th) one, the puppy. The book introduces toddlers to animals, especially animals they would see in regular zoos (or in everyday life) such as the puppy, frog, snake, monkey, etc. There are two versions of this book, a Lift-the-Flap version and a Touch-and-Feel version.

In the Lift-the-Flap Book, the animals come half-hidden in wooden crates and young readers would have fun guessing what animals lie hidden in the crates.

In the Touch-and-Feel Book, the animals aren’t hidden, but they have body parts with different textures that toddlers can touch and feel.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: Your little one will learn about eight (8) animals and some of their features. She will touch the frog’s sticky icky feet and the giraffe’s long, hairy neck and put her finger in the lion’s mouth!

Both books are interactive and have their strengths, ultimately, they will bring knowledge and laughter to young readers. Did you know, this book was first published in 1982? Yes! 35 years ago! It is loved by toddlers all over the world and has sold over 5 million copies.

It’s a must have for toddlers and their moms (and dads, aunties, uncles, grandparents). My 2.75 year old loves it to pieces!! He loves lifting the flaps and making the animal sounds

DOWN: None

RATING

5 Stars

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  1. Learn more exciting things about the animals such as the sounds they make, food they eat, etc. Make the animal sounds while reading the book.
  2. Play a guessing game. Before lifting the flap, ask your toddler to guess what animal lies hidden in the crate.
  3. Better still, visit Dear Zoo and friends here for more FUN !!!
  4. Visit a real zoo after reading the book.

CHALLENGE: Dear Zoo 

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour 5 animals in the book. (2 – 4 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 4 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book and a free ticket to LUFASI Nature Park, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on February, 1st 2017.

Next Book of the Week:

PRESS HERE by Hervé Tullet

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

photo credit: amazon.com

Malaika’s Magical Kiosk

AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

maliakasmagicalkiosk-screen-shot-2016-06-06-at-8-37-30-pm

Title: Malaika’s Magical Kiosk

Author: Shaleen Keshvjee-Dulam

Publisher: Mango Books, an imprint of Quramo Publishing

Number of pages: 21

Type of Book: Fiction; African

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here: http://www.quramo.com/content/malaikas-magical-kiosk-0; Kindle edition: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Malaikas-Magical-Kiosk-Shaleen-Keshavjee-Gulam-ebook/dp/B01KV6VX5I;  Terra Kulture, 1376 Tiamiyu Savage Street, Victoria Island Lagos.

Price: N1200; 3.66GBP; N1300

MY SUMMARY

Michelle and her sister Wanjiku lived in small village in Kenya filled with happy people. That year, the rains refused to come, the crops dried out and everyone was scared they wouldn’t have enough food to eat. The adults became grumpy and mean people who barely spoke and the little children stopped laughing. Things changed one day when a mysterious woman named Malaika – and her kiosk – appeared in the village market. Malaika gave all the things in her kiosk to the villagers for free, she made grouchy Mrs. Karanja smile and turned Mrs. Karuki’s brown teeth sparkling white. Everyone loved her. Read the book to find out who the mysterious Malaika was and what she did to the girls and their small village.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This book was shortlisted for the Golden Baobab Prize for Picture Books in 2014, one of the best prizes for African Kid’s Lit! I was really excited when I got a copy and it didn’t disappoint. It had a feel good ending, the type that keeps a small smile on your face hours after you’ve read it. The illustrations were good too. I have a thing for illustrations especially in picture books, they have to be perfect. So much depends on them. This book had good illustrations. Young readers will gain a sneak peek of rural living in Kenya and will learn a word or two in Swahili. It also features a small glossary for the Swahili words used in the book.

DOWN: None.

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. “Jambo” “Habari” are forms of greeting in Swahili, the language spoken by Malaika and the girls in this book and by a lot of East Africans especially Kenyans.

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  • Watch the book trailer here:

CHALLENGE: Malaika’s Magical Kiosk

 

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. List 5 items on Malaika’s body and find the items in the grid below (6-8 year olds)
Z D C Y H N M K O D G J K B X
V G O F T S J T O E G L E N O
G H W G T D R E S S 1 I I A E
H J R H T R W E T O E P N I N
Y U I A E A R R I N G S A K A
I F E H S O L A C R A T W I T
O F S J A V S K E T C I O U S
O C N X D E J E W E L C G N A
L X S B A N G L E S A K A L F
I N O V S A M E X T A S E A G
  1. Draw and colour Malaika and a magical kiosk. (4-5 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 4 – 8 age range. The first correct entry will be announced on this page and will win a copy of this book.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Wednesday, December 7th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

THE ELVES AND THE SHOEMAKER by The Brothers Grimm

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.