New Zealand Books for Girls

Baa Baa Smart Sheep

Baa Baa Smart SheepA hilarious New Zealand story kids just love – especially when you use to voices or get your daughter to read one of the parts whilst you read the other. The story is about the ultimate con between a bored sheep and a rather gullible turkey.

If you already have Baa Baa Smart Sheep your girls will also love I Love Lemonade (surprisingly the kids don’t seem to mind the similarity in story line between these 2 books).

Zoe Says…

This is quite a silly book. I like reading it with Mum but I always want to be the sheep so I don’t have to gobble up all of the poo!!

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Filed Under: Books, New Zealand Books, Reading to Early Readers, Reading to Pre-schoolers, Toddlers

A Summery Saturday Morning

A Summery Saturday MorningMy 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.

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Filed Under: Books, Books You Can Sing, New Zealand Books, Reading to Pre-schoolers, Toddlers

A Kiwi Night Before Christmas

A Kiwi Night Before Christmas: Book and CD : with Sticker BookAnother 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!!

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Filed Under: Books, Books with CDs, Books You Can Sing, New Zealand Books, Reading to Pre-schoolers, Toddlers

The Silliest Dream

The Silliest DreamThe illustrations are so stunning in The Silliest Dream that I’ve contemplated cutting it up and framing all the pages – I might need a 2nd copy before I try that though!

The Silliest dream is a hardback New Zealand book about a girl called Millie and her teddy who embark on a crazy voyage to Mars and the stars. I think it’s more suitable for school age girls so that they can follow the story line more easily.

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Filed Under: Books, New Zealand Books, Reading to Early Readers

A Kiwi Jingle Bells

A Kiwi Jingle BellsIf 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.

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Filed Under: Books, Books You Can Sing, New Zealand Books, Reading to Pre-schoolers, Toddlers

Pukeko in a Ponga Tree

A Pukeko in a Ponga TreeThe 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.

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Filed Under: Books, Books You Can Sing, New Zealand Books, Reading to Pre-schoolers, Toddlers

My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes

My Cat Likes to Hide in BoxesLynley Dodd has been around for a long time – My Cat Like to Hide in Boxes is a book I remember from my childhood. There’s plenty of the rhyme and repetition that Lynley does so well. My kids liked calling out “But my cat likes to hide in boxes” each time we got to the my cat pages. We had the board book and even the back cover was part of the story for a bit of a twist.

If you have a cat this is a must for your kids… especially if it’s always hiding like ours.

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Board Book

Filed Under: Books, From my Youth, New Zealand Books, Reading to Pre-schoolers, Toddlers

The Wonky Donkey

The Wonky Donkey

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.

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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….

 

Filed Under: Books, Books with CDs, Books You Can Sing, New Zealand Books, Reading to Pre-schoolers, Toddlers