Books, games, videos and toys for young girls with enquiring minds
My favourite Margret Mahy children’s book, A Summery Saturday Morning, has great rhyme and rhythm.This is another great story that you can either read or sing (and I’m not even much of a singer).
When the kids head to the beach with their 2 dogs they are in for quite a surprise. Stuck in the squelchy sandy and chased by a family of geese the outing comes to an unexpected end.
Another gem by Yvonne Morrison. Keep the CD in your car for easy entertainment. A Kiwi Night Before Christmas is a great New Zealand story about 2 kids spotting Santa arriving with their pressies on Christmas Eve. It has become a Kiwi classic – my kids half think that the sleigh really is pulled by sheep after this book!
You can read this or sing it as the rhyme is clever and catchy. It’ll get stuck in your head though so read at your own risk!!
If you’ve ever had a New Zealand summer at the beach with family and friends A Kiwi Jingle Bells is the book for you. Sing the story to the tune of Jingle Bells or read the rhyme and enjoy the gorgeous illustrations. Kids fighting in a hot car, hokey pokey ice cream, boogie boards and pavlova are some of the Kiwi summer memories that the stories evokes.
You might have been in a tent or a caravan like me rather than a combi van but the memories will be more or less the same. It’s what summer is really all about in New Zealand so share it with your kids then get them out there before they get too big.
More about/purchase A Kiwi Jingle Bells
The Twelve Days of Christmas New Zealand style. A great book for reading or singing and easy enough for young kids to remember and recite. Pukeko in a Ponga Tree is a cleverly adapted and illustrated Kiwi version of The Twelve Days of Christmas.
Maya’s daycare performed this book at their Christmas concert 2 years ago (including actions) and she still launches into it from time to time. “Five big fat pigs” is definitely the favourite but with references to huhu grubs, flax kits, haka lessons, kumara, sacks of pipi, eels, poi, fish heads and piupiu, Pukeko in a Ponga Tree should be on every New Zealand child’s top Christmas books list.
More about/purchase Pukeko in a Ponga Tree
If you like singing books instead of reading then then The Wonky Donkey is a must!
The Wonky Donkey CD is great for the car or home and got into my head so much I had to ration it out and use it as a reward for good behaviour for a while.
The Wonky Donkey is a New Zealand book and is humorous enough to entertain adults as well as kids of all ages.
More about/Purchase The Wonky Donkey
This video is hilarious and will give you a better idea of the storyline and tune – the imagery is different though so keep an open mind….
When the Daisy's new friends all start to plan sleep over parties, Daisy starts dreading having to … [More...]
