Madhouse Family Reviews: My Little Box of Springtime Stories review

Sunday, 6 April 2014

My Little Box of Springtime Stories review

Pierre was delighted to receive this box of picture books to review, and that was before he even realised that it had five different books inside it ! The box is very pretty - it is vibrantly coloured, has cheerful chicks to count and lots of glitter - Pierre keeps rubbing his hands over it, then over his face and asking if he looks like he's doing carnival ! (If you missed our carnival shenanigans, you might want to catch up here, here and here !)

Inside the box are five Easter/spring-themed books featuring rabbits, chicks, eggs, bunnies and ducks. Pierre loved the idea of having a new story to read each night of the week and proudly picked out his book each night at bedtime. Our first read was Dora's Chicks by Julia Sykes and Jane Chapman. This tells the tale of an anxious mother hen racing around the farmyard, trying to round up her six chicks. It's a fun story that is a great way of introducing preschoolers to farmyard animals and the numbers 1-6.

Next we read Fred & The Little Egg by Julia Rawlinson and Jane Massey. This charming tale follows the adventures of a little bear called Fred who enviously watches the swans building nests and laying eggs and wants to do the same. He tries his best with an acorn until his mum explains that he needs to bury it in the ground, rather than sit on it. It's a fun and informative look at some of the wonders of nature that preschoolers will love.

Babbity's Big Bad Mood by M Christina Butler and Frank Endersby is another fun tale about a little rabbit called Babbity who unexplainedly wakes up in a bad mood. His two friends, Mouse and Squirrel, try everything they can think of to cheer him up and eventually manage by rolling down a hill together ... but then Squirrel ends up in a bad mood instead !

A Duck So Small by A H Benjamin and Lizbeth Holstein is a great book for little readers who can't wait to grow up. All the other ducks make fun of Duffle because he is so small but when a duckling gets stuck in a small hole, he is the only one who can save the day.

And finally, Rosie's Special Surprise by Julia Rawlinson (again) and Tim Warnes. Rosie rabbit is desperate to uncover the special surprise that her dad has arranged for her but however hard she tries and wherever she looks, she just can't find it. When she finally gets to find out, it's something that she never would have imagined in her wildest dreams !

Each of the books is a lovely cheerful tale with a nice life lesson or little things to learn for pre-schoolers. The cute and colourful illustrations add to the enjoyment and the special sparkly carry case turns this into a really special book collection to be cherished. If you want a gift for Easter of the non-chocolate variety, this is perfect.

star rating : 4.5/5

RRP : £9.99