I can’t put into words just what makes British kids books different – they just are. If you read enough books, you can eventually tell a Canadian book from an American book from a British book from an Australian book (you get my point). Kids books from the UK have a quirkier sense of humour and very whimsical & imaginative.
Here are my picks of some unique British kids books – just be warned you will have to translate ‘tea’ into ‘dinner’ and you have to adopt a British accent.
Or is that just me?
Toad and I
by Louise Yates
Kitty is playing outside with her ball when she throws it a bit too hard over the fence. In retrieving it, she meets a clever toad (who is not a prince) who shows her around his vast home in the tree. They meet his friends like owl and shrew and hedgehog who have all been attacked by either a meteorite, a monster or a snake. Banding together they sort out just who this culprit is (hint: it was thrown over a fence) and sort out each other’s wounds.
Why I like it:
It’s a fun ‘whodunnit’ involving woodland creatures and a brave little girl – what’s not to love?
I just realized I have two Michelle Robinson picks in a row (and more to come because I just discovered her and she’s fabulous!). In this one, the reader is given a warning. If you ever see a promotion on your cornflakes to collect coupons for a free lion: IGNORE IT!
In this funny read, Eric and his brother Dan spend a whole year’s worth of pocket money to buy cornflakes and are forced by their mother to eat cornflakes for breakfast, lunch and tea until they are gone – in order to get a free lion. Unfortunately, all the other kids in town have the same idea and Mr. Flaky, the cornflake company, run out of lions. So they send a grizzly bear, then a crocodile, and then a gorilla instead. What could possibly go wrong?
Why I like it:
This is a very funny and silly book. I love how imaginative it is. George laughs belly laughs for this one.
Biff is no ordinary dog. He doesn’t like to play fetch or ‘wee’ on fire hydrants or drink from the toilet. He prefers to walk on his tiptoes and listen to music. This is because he doesn’t think he’s a dog. He thinks he’s a ballet dancer!
Poor Biff is thrown out of Miss Polly’s ballet class and isn’t allowed to join his little girl to see the ballet. But what happens when Biff goes anyway? He proves to the world that dogs do, in fact, do ballet.
Why I like it:
I like books about dogs. Especially dogs that do human things. I love Ogilvie’s illustrations so much. I only wish that there was a boy in the ballet class because George wants to do ballet and thinks it’s only girls now.
Hope you enjoy these picks! And as always,
Happy Reading,
Curious in Wonderland
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