Tag Archives: pint-sized bookworms

The Greatest Animal in the Jungle

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

Title: The Greatest Animal in the Jungle

Author: Sope Martins

Publisher:  Farafina Tuuti

Number of pages: 28

Type of Book: Fiction, African, Folktale

Genre: Picture Book

Age: 4 – 8

Buy it here: https://farafinabooks.com/book?b=2029

Price: N1,000.

MY SUMMARY

Afuwe nearly gets eaten by an owl on his birthday!!! Naturally, he’s terrified and decides he doesn’t like being small. So when Tortoise gives him a magical birthday present which grants 5 wishes, his ultimate wish is to be the greatest animal in the jungle so he can be all powerful.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It’s funny and action packed, 2 of my favourite ingredients in any book. Afuwe is such a lovable character and he is so relatable. Sope Martins is great with words and imagery. Afuwe’s fear when the owl chases him is so palpable. With a few words, Martins draws readers in, sucking us into Afuwe’s world so that we sweat with Afuwe in the beginning, and laugh with him at the end and she does this with less than 1000 words!

My kids love it!! B3 tries to read it every night. We laughed and laughed at Afuwe antics and I am sad because I really cannot share the joy this book gave us without putting up lots and lots of spoilers. Take it from us, this is a GREAT BOOK to give as a Christmas present!!

DOWN:  None

RATING

🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

CHALLENGE: The Greatest Animal in the Jungle

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. The greatest animal in the jungle is the …
  2. Give 5 reasons for your answer.  

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 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, December 6th 2020.

Next Book of the Week:

IDIA OF THE BENIN KINGDOM by Ekiuwa Aire

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PSB BOOK BOX LAUNCH

NEWS/EVENTS, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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We're up and running!!! The PSB BOOK BOX is a monthly book subscription box for 
kids 0 - 12. 
Boxes contain age-appropriate books, activities and gift items tied to a particular
 theme.

Why you should subscribe? 
1. Convenience: we read, review, buy and ship award-winning, age-appropriate, 
fun and educational books to your doorstep every month. 
2. Build a library for your LO, subscribe for a year 
3. Perfect for birthday gifts, party packs, baby shower gifts,etc. 

A plan for everyone
The 5K new books plan contains 2 - 3 books with book reviews, activity sheets, 
reading reports, the monthly newsletter, discussion questions, and free gifts. 
The 10K new books plan contains 5 - 7 books with book reviews, activity sheets, 
reading reports, the monthly newsletter, discussion questions, and free gifts. 
The 5K used books plan contains 8 - 10 books with activity sheets,reading report, 
monthly newsletter and a free gift. 
NB: Prices DO NOT include cost of delivery.
Boxes ship on the first day of every month. (Nationwide delivery)

We're taking orders for the month of May. 
The May theme: Four-legged Creatures!!! Animals!! 

How To Order
email: ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com
dm on twitter: @PSBookworms 
dm on instagram: @pintsizedbookworms
call/text: 07015563821
SUBSCRIBE NOW!!!!

ÀNÍKÉ ELÉKO

AGES 4 - 8, AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

anike_eleko

Title:   Àníké Eléko 

Author: Sandra Joubeaud, Illustrated by Àlàbá Ònájìn

Publisher: Farafina Tuuti      

Year of Publication: 2017

Number of pages:  122        

Type of Book: Fiction; Graphic novel

Age: 8 and up

Available here: https://okadabooks.com/book/about/anike_eleko/17283 ; https://rhbooks.com.ng/product/anike-eleko/ ; Terrakulture Victoria Island, Lagos ;

https://www.jumia.com.ng/farafina-anike-eleko-8664178.html ;

https://www.konga.com/aonike-eleko-3751571

 Price: N1000; N1200; N1300; N1400; N1500

MY SUMMARY

Àníké wants to be a medical doctor but Iya and Aunt Remi have other plans for her, after all, in Aunt Remi’s words, “It is better for a woman to master a craft and find a good husband.”

So when Àníké decides to write the scholarship exam for a chance to pursue her dreams, she finds she has to study extra hard to get her Arithmetic right but Iya and Aunt Remi saddle her with making Aunt Remi’s wedding dress, as if selling ẹ̀kọ every morning before going to school and helping Iya at the market after school aren’t enough work already!

Read the book to find out how Àníké fared with ‘The Scholarship’.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: THE ILLUSTRATIONS were hands down the best part of the book for me. I loved them! Rich and colourful, they totally immerse the reader in Àníké’s world. They were so good that I felt like I could have ‘read’ the book just by looking at them. Ònájìn’s work really gives meaning to the line: ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’

Comics are NOT my thing, so this book was a pleasant surprise!

DOWN: Àníké was rude to her mother more than once. Hands-on-the-waist-talking-with-exclamation-marks rude! She also deceived her mother and aunt, all in a bid to study for the Scholarship exam. This behaviour went unpunished, making it look like the end always justifies the means.

One of my favorite characters didn’t make it to the cover: Àríyọ̀ the Cobbler.

RATING

4 stars

TRIVIA

Some conversation starters for your kids

  1. “It is better for a woman to master a craft and find a good husband”
  2. “School is more important for boys”
  3. Àníké had to wake really early in the morning to sell ẹ̀kọ before going to school but Banjo her brother didn’t. Is that fair?
  4. Other themes explored in the book besides Courage: Bullying, Friendship.

VISIT ÀNÍKÉ HERE : https://www.facebook.com/anikeeleko/

CHALLENGE: ÀNÍKÉ ELÉKO

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Oge wants to be a Movie star, Ìlérí wants to be a Policewoman, Àníké wants to be a Doctor

Write a 300-word essay on any of the following lines:

“What I want to be”

or

“School is more important for boys”

OR

  1. Recreate the picture below

13782014_1621283454868722_7652309809832249381_n

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 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 Saturday, April 14th 2018.

Next Book of the Week:

GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU by SAM MCBRATNEY

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photo credit: kachifo.com and Àníké’s facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/anikeeleko/

 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

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

 

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Title: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Author: Eric Carle

Publisher: Philomel Books

Number of pages: 24

Type of Book: Fiction; Educational

Age: 0 – 4

Available here:http://readingcorner.ng/ProductDetails.asp?SubCatagoryID=621&ProductID=2094; Instagram: @tams_ink; http://www.amazon.com/Very-Hungry-Caterpillar-Eric-Carle/dp/0399226907; borrow it here: http://zodml.org/eachbook.php?id=694

Price: N2,200; N3,500; $5.52; Free

MY SUMMARY

A little bit of science for toddlers. This book tells the story of a caterpillar’s journey to becoming a butterfly. But first the caterpillar eats through amazing fruits, veggies (and the book) until it becomes quite sick! Read this little package to your toddler to teach him about butterflies, fruits, days of the week, etc., in the most fun way possible!

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: I LOOOOOVVVEEEEE this book!!!!! Using brilliant illustrations, this book shows toddlers how to count (from 1 to 5), some fruits (apples, pears, etc.), some food (cheese, cakes, sausages, etc.), some colors, days of the week (Monday to Sunday), and a little bit of science (the very hungry caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly at the end of the book!). The icing on the cake? The caterpillar eats through the pages of the book as it eats through the fruits in the book. I recommend this book for all kids aged 0 to 4!

DOWN: None!!!

RATING

5 Stars.

TRIVIA

  1. This book is sold somewhere in the world every thirty seconds![1]

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

    1. Team the reading experience with a visit to eric-carle.com
    2. Watch a video here: 

CHALLENGE: The Very Hungry Caterpillar

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Draw and colour 4 (four) fruits found in Nigeria. (4 year olds)

OR

  1. Identify and colour the caterpillar (2-3 year olds)

http://www.eric-carle.com/ColoringSheet.jpg

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.

Answers must be submitted before 12:00am on Tuesday, March 17th 2018.

Next Book of the Week:

BUT NOT THE HIPPOPOTAMUS by Sandra Boynton

 

[1] http://www.amazon.com/Very-Hungry-Caterpillar-Eric-Carle/dp/0399226907

 

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photo credit: amazon.com

Tales From the Arabian Nights

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

imageTitle: Tales from The Arabian Nights
Author: Andrew Lang
Publisher: Award Publications
Number of pages: 304
Type of Book: Fiction; Classic
Age: 8+
Available here: https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Arabian-Nights-Essential-Classics/dp/184135838X
Price: $13.57
MY SUMMARY
Set in ancient Arabian lands between Persia and China, this book tells the story of Scheherazade, the wife of the rich and powerful Sultan Schahriar. The Sultan loved his first wife to pieces. Sadly, she betrayed him, so he killed her and developed a hatred for all women. Vengeful,, he married a new bride every evening and killed her the following morning. His once loyal subjects hated and cursed him because they lost daughters to him daily. Then one day, a young lady, Scheherazade decided to marry the Sultan against her family’s wishes. She told him stories for a thousand and one nights to avoid being killed by him.
Scheherazade was portrayed as a master story teller as she wove fantastic magical tales of enchanted lands, genies, fantastic beasts, life changing adventures and dazzling jewels. She was able to keep him so interested in her stories that he kept postponing her death to be able to hear the end of each story. Some of the stories she told were age-old classics like The Seven Voyages of Sinbad, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (Read a review of this book here ) and Disney favorite, Aladdin and the Magical Lamp.
Read the book to find out what happened when Scheherazade ran out of stories.
THUMBS UP AND DOWN
UP: It is literally a book of stories. It is filled with fun and magical stories for children and adults, some with a moral or two. It also gives readers a sneak peak into life in ancient Arabia.

DOWN: None

RATING
4 stars
TRIVIA
1 Why did Sultan Schahriar kill his wives the day after the wedding?: He believed all women were deceitful like his first wife and he wanted the world to be rid of them.
2 Who was Scheherazade: The first daughter of the Sultan’s Grand Vizir
3 Some of the stories told by Scheherazade: Blind Baba Abdalla, Ali Baba and the Forty thieves, the Seven Voyages of Sinbad
4 What happened after One thousand and one nights: Read the book to find out

CHALLENGE: Tales from The Arabian Nights
CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)
1. Write a 400 word story within a story set in ancient Hausa, Igbo or Yoruba land (8 – 12 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com
Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 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 Sunday, February 19th 2017.
Next Book of the Week:

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photo credit: amazon.com

News/Events December 5th

NEWS/EVENTS, , , , , , , , , ,

Dear Pint-sized Bookworms (and their mummies, daddies, aunties, uncles and teachers),

It’s a brand new week and a brand spanking new season with lots of good news. Let’s start with these …

  1. Restarting ….

images-7

Ready! Steady! GO!!! We’re resuming in full force after our much needed and quite fruitful six-month break!! We will be working with our usual blog schedule: news/events on Mondays, book reviews on Tuesdays (8-12), Thursdays (0-4) and Saturdays (4-8) and Literary rambles on Fridays. Please see our blog schedule here. It’s good to be back and we’ve got some really good books lined up for the rest of the year. Stay tuned!!

 

  1. Two Nigerians recognized in the Golden Baobab Prize for Children’s Literature

images-6

goldenbaobab_logo

The Golden Baobab Prize is only the most prestigious prize for children’s literature in Africa. It is open to all writers for children of African origin with manuscripts featuring an African setting. Set up in three categories, it awards the prize of $5,000 each (as well as publishing contracts) to the best unpublished picture book manuscript, early chapter book manuscript and illustration entered into the competition. This year, two Nigerians made us proud! Ayodele Moses Oyeku was shortlisted for the prize for early chapter books while Chidinma J. Nnamani was longlisted also for the prize for early chapter books. See the winners, shortlist and longlist here. In 2014, a Nigerian, Mary Ononokpono, a Nigerian, won the Early Chapter Book prize. See here. More information on the Golden Baobab prize can be found here.

We congratulate them heartily and look forward to reading their books next year!!

For more news, come back on Monday at 8am! Or better still, get our posts delivered directly to your email, SUBSCRIBE.

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Till then, keep reading!!

 

photo credit: http://kicklifesbutt.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

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A Fun ABC

AGES 0 - 4, AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

abc_uk_cover_front_large

Title: A FUN ABC

Author: Sade Fadipe

Publisher: Cassava Republic Press

Number of pages: 32

Type of Book: Fiction; Rhyme

Age: 0 – 4; 4 -5

Available here: http://www.cassavarepublic.biz/products/a-fun-abc; https://www.amazon.com/Fun-ABC-Sade-Fadipe/dp/1911115154/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480565078&sr=8-1&keywords=a+fun+abc+sade+fadipe

Price: N1,000; $4:93

MY SUMMARY

This book tells the story of a little girl Adanah who visits her grandfather in the village while on break from school. Adanah drives through the country side with her dad, buying fruits and taking pictures of the sights: drummers, dancers, cattle and cattle rearers. At her granddad’s she fetches water at the pump, plays in the rain, makes crowns out of hay and listens to stories by Auntie Sumbo. This ABC book is one with a difference. Written for the Nigerian child or the child who wishes to learn about Nigeria, it uses a great story, vibrant illustrations, rhyme and visual puzzles to introduce the letters of the alphabet. This is the best ABC book – African and otherwise – I’ve read ever and I’ve read my fair share of ABC books and reviewed a few too. See here and here.  Read the book to learn about the alphabets as well as Adanah’s holiday adventure.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This ABC book has so many highlights.

  • It reinforces letter identification by showing lots of objects starting with the same letter on each page. For example, the first page, introducing the letter ‘A’ has Aero plane, Apple, Avocado, a map of Africa.
  • It uses familiar objects which are seen and/or used by little Nigerian children every day!
  • Adanah also takes part in activities which the average Nigerian children is familiar with such as sweeping, fetching water, playing in the rain, sleeping under a mosquito net, and listening to stories told by an older aunt or uncle or grandparent.
  • It uses a story – and a good one too- to teach the alphabets. It’s not just another ABC book filled with disconnected words and objects.
  • Shedrach Ayalomeh’s illustrations brought the words in the book to life. They are vibrant, spread generously across the book and children will find them delightful. Adults will love them too. They reminded me so much of my childhood.
  • Another highlight was the use of rhyme.

I love love love this book and I recommend for Nigerian babies, toddlers and little kids as well as lovers of Nigeria.

DOWN: None.

RATING

5 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. Sade Fadipe is a primary school teacher! It’s little wonder the book is such a treat!!

HAVE FUN WITH THIS BOOK

  • Try to find all the objects starting with the same letter. Letter B has over 10 objects: Basket, Bucket, Broom, Ball, Bed, Balloon, Blanket, Bear, Bracelets, Bulb, Blocks, Books!

CHALLENGE: A FUN ABC

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. How many objects starting with the letter ‘H’ are featured on page 8 of the book. (2 -3 year olds)
  2. Identify and name three objects starting with the letter ‘H’, featured on page 8 of the book. (4 – 5 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 2 – 5 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 Thursday, December 7th 2016.

Next Book of the Week:

HANSEL AND GRETEL by The Brothers Grimm

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ABC of Financial Intelligence for Kids

AGES 8 - 12, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: ABC of Financial Intelligence for Kids

Author: Gbonjubola Sanni and Adeolu Akinyemi

Publisher: WOW Publishing

Number of pages: 49

Type of Book: Non-Fiction

Age: 8+

Buy it here: https://www.amazon.com/ABC-Financial-Intelligence-Kids-Book-ebook/dp/B01BNLXC22 ; Laterna Bookstore, 13 Oke Awo Street, Victoria Island, Lagos; http://www.iqrabooks.com.ng/details.php?code=1463750715

Price: $8.00; N1000

MY SUMMARY

This book introduces readers to the joys, dos and don’ts of financial freedom. First off, it defines terms like currency and money and gives a short expo on the history of money. Then it moves on to the concept of financial freedom and how to make and manage money as well as the creation of goals/visions for the future. It also introduces kids to different formulae for distributing income. The method given here involves dividing up income into six jars. The God Jar (10%), The Play Jar (10%), The Project Jar (10%), The Education Jar (10%), the Freedom Jar (10%) and the Necessity Jar (50%). Does your child know that having a single source of income is dated? According to the authors, to maintain a good standard of living and eventually gain financial freedom, one needs to have at least 2-3 sources of income. Does your child know that he/she can start earning income NOW? Today? In today’s Nigeria, this book is a must-read for every child and some adults. tongue in cheek

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: This book is a treasury of tips on financial management for kids. Replete with information on making and managing money, it also teaches readers how to set SMART goals, discover their gifts, strengths, weaknesses and passions. One of the highlights for me is the Vision Board, here described as a board containing images (photos, newspaper and magazine cut-outs, etc.), tokens, and all things related to a person’s vision, goals, dream (who you want to become, what you want to do or what you want to have). Every child needs a Vision Board and a map leading to the Board. I recommend this book for every child.

DOWN: There are quite a few typos, some grammatical errors as well as the use of ‘Nigerian’ English.

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. When was the Naira created? 1 January 1973.
  2. These were used as money ‘legal tender’ in ancient times: Cowries, Cattle, Whale’s teeth, etc.
  3. Investing is? Putting money into a project with the expectation of getting some more money back within an expected period.
  4. What is a Vision Board? A Vision Board is a poster board with images and little objects related to your vision (what you want to become, what you want to have, what you want to do, etc.)
  5. Financial Freedom = PI > E: We achieve financial freedom when our Passive Income is greater than our Expenses.
  6. Passive Income is? Income earned as a result of work done in the past/investment. Examples of Passive Income are rent, royalties, dividends.

Visit the book here: https://web.facebook.com/FinancialIntelligenceForKids/?_rdr and here: http://thefinanciallyintelligentkid.com

CHALLENGE: ABC of Financial Intelligence for Kids

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

  1. Write 300 words on the following: a. What do I want to achieve/be in the future? b. What gifts/talents do I have? c. How will I achieve my dream/goal? (8 – 9 year olds)

OR

  1. Create a Vision Board (10-12 year olds)

Send your answers to ugochinyelu.anidi@gmail.com

Entry requirements: Entrants must be within the 8-12 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 Sunday, July 3rd 2016.

I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post.

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The Little Blue Cow

AGES 0 - 4, AGES 4 - 8, BOOK REVIEW, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Title: The Little Blue Cow

Author: Thecla Ojeifo

Publisher: HTT Communications

Number of pages: 45

Type of Book: Fiction, Faith-based

Age: 0 – 8

Buy it here: Laterna Book Store, 13 Oke Awo Str, Victoria Island, Lagos or Glendora Bookshop, Ikeja City Mall, Lagos

Price: N600

MY SUMMARY

Michael’s mum is an expert story teller; she makes funny faces, uses different voices for the characters and sometimes acts out the stories! Story time with Michael’s mum is fun time for Michael, his baby sister and his friends. But she’s a story teller with a difference, her stories are centered around the Bible. Even better, she has a weekly Bible club for kids. Every Saturday, she picks a verse or two from the Bible, reads it to the kids and then tells a story about the verse.

The little blue cow, the story within this story is about a cow who was different from all the other animals on the farm and the big strong kind horse that helped him. Michael’s mum tried to share the message in Matthew11:28-30. Read the book to find out what became of the little blue cow and what Michael and his friends learnt from this story.

THUMBS UP AND DOWN

UP: It is a faith-based book for kids! What’s not to love? It is quite easy to read and features a glossary for the more complex words. The story within the story can be read to toddlers while beginning/independent readers can read the whole book without or with minor supervision. I recommend for little boys and girls ages 5 – 8.

DOWN: There were a few typos and the story dragged a bit in the beginning. There was also a lot of telling and not showing but I’ve come to realize that this is a pervading problem in Nigerian children’s fiction. 

RATING

4 Stars

TRIVIA

  1. Matthew 11:28-30 reads “28Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

 CHALLENGE: The Little Blue Cow

CREATE (WRITE a Story/Poem OR DRAW)

1. Read the information above, then answer the following questions (6-8 year olds)

  1. What happened every Saturday?
  2. Is there a story within a story in this book?
  3. Michael’s mum loved doing this?

OR

2. Draw and colour a blue cow (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 Tuesday, June 28th 2015.