Pink Month- Picture Books about Cancer

Yesterday I had the honour of attending a Breast Cancer Fundraising Luncheon. This is an annual event organised by my darling next door neighbour and her daughter, who spend countless hours campaigning, organising and baking for this special occasion. Each year, they are successful in raising thousands of dollars for the very valuable cause.

Afternoon Tea is an absolute delight.

It is so special to be at an event with a range of women from all walks of life.  Most of whom have experienced breast cancer personally or through a friend or relative. It is always lovely to catch up with women from the neighbourhood, and also with women who don’t live so close. For some of us, it is the one day in the year we actually catch up with one another.

Musical chairs: These were the gorgeous tables set up for our luncheon. Which seat would you take up?

 Since becoming a mother, attending this event has become even more meaningful to me. Having my daughter by my side has also become highly significant. You see, I have this regular thought (fear) which wrenches at my heart: the thought of getting ill and leaving my daughter without a mother. I’m sure this is not an uncommon thought for a mother.

I listen to stories of breast cancer, and I am reminded of how precious life is and how quickly it can be taken away. So, I have made a personal pledge that each year my daughter and I attend this luncheon, we must celebrate another precious year together.

2010: Another year to treasure together.

I am not alone. I am not the only mother in the world. I was surrounded by mothers at the luncheon yesterday. Women, like me, who have children. None of us are immune to breast cancer. According to the National Breast and Ovarian Cancer Centre, breast cancer and lung cancer are the two leading causes of cancer-related death in Australian women (Breast Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2009). When a mother dies of breast cancer she leaves behind a child. It is a fear for me, but it is a reality for so many Australian women.

I think there is absolutely nothing sadder or more unjust in life than a child losing his mother. I have taught many children who have lost their mothers to breast cancer, and they are amongst the bravest little big people I know. I have so much admiration for them. 

I can only hope that I am not faced with this particular challenge in life. I’m not sure how I would handle the situation if I ever am.  I have so much respect for mothers who fight the personal battle with cancer and who also find the strength to comfort and support their children at the same time. 

As we know, each family copes in their own way. Many families use books to help explain the situation to their children. There are also many women and children who find that writing their own stories becomes a way of coping. To recognise ‘Pink Month’, I thought I’d put together a list of picture books written to help families discuss cancer. 

CHILDREN'S BOOKS ABOUT CANCER
Each of these 3 books has been written by Australian women and recently published. 

My Mum has Breast Cancer- A Family's Cancer Journey, by Lisa and Harrison Seward

This picture book, suitable for children (3+), was written by a cancer-survivor based on the journal she kept with her son. It has also been illustrated by her son. The book opens areas of discussion for families about cancer and all profits go to cancer organisations.

Can be purchased from the Breast Cancer Network

My Mum's got Cancer, by Dr. Lucy Blunt and Eloise Osborn

(Jane Curry Publishing)

This picture book, suitable for children (3+), has been written with honesty and humour. It was written by a clinical physcologist, mother and cancer-survivor. It has been illustrated by her daughter, age 11.

Can be purchased online from Booktopia

Always Jack, by Susanne Garvey and Cathy Wilcox (HarperCollins)

This is the third book in the junior fiction 'Jack' series. The book cleverly discusses the effect of cancer on families, as young Jack finds the courage to help him deal with  his mum's illness.

Read a full review at Bug in a Book.

Can be purchased online from SeekBooks

Australian Wordless Wednesday:Learning to stand

Today we are participating in Babble On's Wordless Wednesday!

'Learning to stand by myself has opened up a world of new adventures!'

CHILDRENS' WEEK 2010-My Top 10 Activities

I read a beautiful poem on the Sunny Mummy site yesterday. Although we are thankful for our children, it’s nice to be reminded of how lucky we are to have them. Next week offers us one of those moments when we are given the chance to value and celebrate the children in our lives, Children’s Week (23-31 October, 2010).

'Children's Week celebrates the right of children to enjoy childhood. It is also a time for children to demonstrate their talents, skills and abilities'. It begins tomorrow with fun-filled launches in each state.

There are hundreds of activities taking place around the nation for children and their families during the week. So many in fact, that it was impossible for me to list them all on my blog. There will be many private events taking place in schools, kindergartens and childcare centres but there are numerous community events available for the general public to attend.

There are so many activities on offer during the week: art, acrobatics, barbeques, train rides, teddy bears’ picnics, farm activities, science activities, talent quests, drawing competitions, tabloid sports, toy sales, family fun days, treasure hunts, pram strolls, dress-up days, billy kart races………………. Ooh! I'm excited already!

Not being able to list all of the reading-related activities, I decided to put together my own Top Ten list. Most of these activities require bookings. Make sure you follow the links for dates, times and booking details.

• Always at the top of my list are our local libraries. They are running fantastic events and workshops during the week. Many with the help of children’s book authors and illustrators, such as Lee Fox (Ten Little Hermit Crabs), Andy Griffiths (The ‘Bum’ Series),  Jeanette Rowe (SmartyCat), Kim Kane (The Vegetable Ark) and Tony Wilson (The Princess and the Frozen Packet of Peas). Find your local library here and see what fun adventures they have planned.

• ‘Hercules the Horse’ story adventure at Sovereign Hill, Ballarat. (Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday). More details.

• ‘I Spy with my Heide Eye’: Explore elements of art within the grounds of Heide Museum of Modern Art, Bulleen. (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). More details.

• ‘Poppets and Puppets in the Park’: Puppet making, face painting and story-time at the Yarraville Gardens, Yarraville: (Tuesday). More details

• Storytellers’ Guild will present a ‘bush frolic’ of stories, songs and rhymes in the tent at the ACT Playgroup Expo, Cook Community Hub. (Tuesday). More details.

• Mobile story-time in Gippsland. Each child who attends will receive a book to commemorate the day. Visiting Bairnsdale, Orbost, Omeo, Lakes Entrance and Paynesville. (Tuesday to Friday). More details

• ‘Romp and Stomp Fun Day’:  Craft, dance, music and story time for Under 5s at the Melbourne Museum- Carlton. (Wednesday) More details.

• Local Indigenous art, story and dancing activities at Portland Child and Family Complex, Portland. (Wednesday). More details

• Parent and Kids' Expo (0-5yrs) at Bankstown: Singing, dancing, puppetry, story-time, kindergym, face-painting and arts and craft for the kids. There will also be parenting workshops on baby massage, mummy and bubby pilates. (Thursday). More details.

•  ‘Home Among the Gum Trees': Storytime in the Garden at Commonwealth Reserve, Williamstown (Friday). More details

• Moreton Bay’s ‘My Space, My Face, My Story’ writing competition. Competition closes on October 31, 2010. More details.

  

If none of these tickle your fancy then you must definitely check out the program for your state. Enjoy the week with your children.

Are you planning on attending any events near you?

MAKE YOUR OWN 'WINKY, WONKY DONKEY' PUPPET!

 THE WONKY DONKEY, by Craig Smith & Katz Cowley (Scholastic NZ)

Available for purchase for $15.49 from

The Nile Bookstore

See a review at Kids' Book Review

Have you seen this book yet? 
This award-winning, bestseller has been extremely popular of late, due in part to the visits that Craig Smith has been making to book stores all over Australia. (Read an interview with the author at Kids' Book Review). 

The book was also included on this year's 'Get Reading! 50 Books You Can't Put Down' list. Once you read it, you'll soon agree that it's a story that you and your children will want to read over and over again!  

'The Wonky Donkey' by Craig Smith is an absolute hoot and the graphic illustrations by Katz Cowley are a real winner with the kids.

We first meet a donkey in this story that only has one leg. As we turn each page we learn about each of his quirky characteristics,  and so begins the cumulative story about one very interesting donkey.

The book reminds me of the memory game we used to play in primary school: 'I went to the shop and I bought an apple.... I went to the shop and I bought a banana and an apple.... I went to the shop and I bought a cantaloupe, a banana and an apple......' Did you play that game?

Kids find the story fascinating and hilarious. They will probably also giggle at you getting your tongue twisted as you read the story. Listening to Craig Smith sing his story, (CD comes with the book) certainly puts my storytelling to shame.  It is a story that suits all ages, and I have an activity that brings this 'Winky Wonky Donkey' to life.

MAKE YOUR OWN 'WINKY, WONKY DONKEY'!

We just love using props for story-time and most of all we love puppets, especially those you make yourself!

I'm sure your kids will really enjoy making their own 'winky, wonky donkey' with 3 legs and one eye. Once you have made the puppet you can use it as a prop each time you read the book.

I have provided you with the basic instructions, but you may need to adapt the activity to suit the age and ability of your child. 

Because the activity requires the use of small split pins it is not suitable for children under 3. At the end of the post I have listed some other activities you could do with your child after reading the book.

YOU WILL NEED:

-A copy of our donkey template
-2 split pins
-1 googly eye
-1 feather
-Scissors
-Glue 
-Paddle pop stick
-crayons, pencils, textas (or anything else you would like to use to decorate your donkey.)

(These supplies are difficult to purchase in small quantities. I ordered these supplies in bulk for the Fairy Floss Market. I have some left over I could send to you for a few dollars if you didn't want to purchase a large quantity of them. Contact me at info@mylittlebookcase.com.au if you are interested)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Download and print the donkey template.

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD. Not suitable for children under 3 due to the use of small parts.

2.  Colour or decorate your donkey.

(We coloured ours in a traditional grey, but creating a spotty donkey or a stripey donkey could be a lot of fun!)

3.  Cut out the donkey's torso and legs

4.  Line up the dots on the legs with the dots on the torso and secure with a split pin

5.Finish the donkey by attaching the paddle pop stick to the back of the donkey and gluing the eye and feather (as the tail).

 

Your kids will love making the 'winky wonky donkey' do weird and wonderful things. 

  

OTHER ACTIVITIES

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD

•  If your children are under 3, you might like to download and print this version of the donkey, for them to colour and decorate. 

• My daughter is only 15 months old. She is just learning to manipulate a crayon. We used the donkey template to help her identify and colour eyes, ears, nose and feet.

• You could also print this version of the donkey and play a family game of 'Pin the Tail of Donkey'. 

THESE ACTIVITIES ARE INTENDED FOR PERSONAL USE AND HAVE NOT BEEN 

COMMISSIONED OR ENDORSED BY THE AUTHOR OR PUBLISHER.

        

 

TOO BUSY TO READ?

FINDING TIME TO READ TO OUR CHILDREN

Family life is busy and can often seem chaotic. We know the value of reading with our children but it is often difficult to find the quality time for it.

This topic was made up of 4 posts, each providing busy families with strategies or suggestions for creating interesting reading moments. 

Snuggled together with your child on a comfy couch is always heart-warming, but there are really no rules to when and where you should read with your child.  The suggestions may even suit families that already read numerous books together during the day because it can also be beneficial to introduce some variety to your reading routine. 


The suggestions offered in the series of posts simply encourage you to get creative with your time.


Click on each suggestion to take you to the article, where you will also find some suggested books.

1. Read at a meal-time.


2. Read at bath-time.


3. Read while your child is sitting on the potty.


4. Take a book with you on a supermarket trip.

Where is your favourite place to read with your child? Do you have any interesting or bizarre places that you like to read?

TOO BUSY TO READ?????-Part 4

FINDING TIME TO READ TO OUR CHILDREN

After suggesting meal-time, bath-time and potty-time as moments when you could read to your child, we bring this series of posts to a close with our final suggestion: on a shopping trip.

I truly do enjoy being a SAHM but I have to be honest and admit that there are a number of duties that drive me around the bend. Topping the list is cleaning the highchair followed very closely by the grocery shopping with a toddler in tow. Are there any duties that you dislike?

It is such hard work that I refuse to go to the supermarket more than once a week. It is probably my fault that I feel this way as a grocery shop for us becomes an epic adventure. A typical itinerary includes a visit to Aldi, the greengrocer, the butcher, the fishmonger, a stop for morning tea and then we finish off at the supermarket.

While I make a day out of it, many other families take frequent but short trips to the shops. Shopping can really consume so much of our time. So, here we have another opportune moment to read to our children.

ON A SHOPPING TRIP.

For older pre-school children, who have the necessary motor skills and attention span to manipulate a book on their own, reading  while they sit in the shopping trolley is an option. Although our minds couldn't possibly concentrate entirely on a story while we search the shelves for grocery items, you could choose a book that has a strong focus on the illustrations. Rather than concentrating on the written story you could have a great conversation about the artwork. I think something like this would be ideal:

Who's Hiding? by Satoru Onishi (Gecko Press)

I love this book more than my daughter does. It is a simple but incredibly fun book that encourages a use of memory and observation. With the use of 18 animal characters, each page presents the reader with a puzzle such as who's hiding?, who's crying? and who's sleeping? A book suited to every age.

Buy the book for $18.95 from

All books discounted at www.booktopia.com.au

Alternatively, you could have a break during or after your grocery shop. My daughter and I like to stop for a treat which includes a smoothie and a savoury scone. What do you do for a break? Or do you get home as quickly as you can? 

My daughter isn't yet old enough to share an indepth converstion with my over morning tea (although she certainly does try!) so we read a book together. An adventurous story about shopping can inspire their imaginations:

SUPERMARKET ZOO by Caryl Hart and Ed Eaves 

(Simon and Schuster UK)

Albie finally goes on a shopping trip with his Mum that is not boring. He has a great time with a trolley full of animals.

The author has created some great activities to complete after reading 'Supermarket Zoo': http://www.carylhart.com/

See inside the book here.


Buy the book for $15.95 from The Book Depository UK

The Shopping Expedition by Allan Ahlberg & Andre Amstutz (Walker Books)

Read about a shopping trip that is so adventurous the family encounters a river and a jungle. 

Buy the book for $13.49 from The Nile

TOO BUSY TO READ?????-Part 3

FINDING TIME TO READ TO OUR CHILDREN

Each morning I wake up with the best of intentions and an action plan to complete the tasks on my 'to-do' list. At the end of each day, without fail, there are tasks I just don't manage to cross off the list and my next 'to-do' list instantly becomes longer. Does your list keep getting longer too? 

Like most people I feel that there simply aren't enough hours in the day to get things done, and there are some particular activities that I never seem to get around to.  For some families finding time to read with their children is one of those activities. 

This is the third installment in a series of posts on finding time to read with our children. I admit that none of the suggestions are rocket science. They're just encouraging you to think outside the square and be clever with your time. So far, the suggestions have included reading a story at meal-time and bath-time. Today's suggestion is to read while your child is sitting on the potty!!!!

ON THE POTTY!

Really, did I just suggest that? Yep, I did. 

I recently had an interesting discussion with my maternal and child health nurse. She was sharing with me some anecdotal evidence that toddlers prefer disposable nappies over underwear because they are made to feel quite comfy these days. It means they are hesitant to sit on the potty because they know they will have to trade in their comfy nappies. 

So, we have informally started the toilet-training process in our home. Once a day we find some time to sit on the potty. My daughter doesn't really like it. I don't blame her I suppose. It's not overly comfortable, it's cold close to the ground and to be honest there are many other interesting things she would rather be doing.  I don't think that is an uncommon attitude to the potty. Since I started reading with her at potty-time, it's been a hard-work to convince her that her time is up.

Some kids take to toilet training like a duck to water, but others need a lot more guidance. Reading can take their mind off the process for those kids that fit into the latter category, especially if the story makes them laugh. It also provides them with the chance to sit still for a little longer.  You don't have to read a 'potty' story. One of your child's favourite books would be ideal, but if you're interested here are some brand new, cute and funny potty stories I have recently found:

On My Potty, by Leslie Patricelli (Candlewick Press)

A story based on a baby's inner voice as he makes the choice to visit the potty.


Buy the book for $9.95 from Readings.

Potty Animals by Hope Vestergaard & Valeria Petrone (Sterling)

A cute and novel story about potty etiquette.


See inside the book here.


Buy the book for $14.50 from The Book Depository.

Dinosaur vs. The Potty by Bob Shea (Hyperion)

Dinosaur is too busy to go to the potty. He doesn't think he needs to go, that is until he starts doing the potty dance! I think you'll feel like you're reading about your own busy toddler in this story.


Buy the book for $14.89 from The Book Depository.

TOO BUSY TO READ????- Part 2

FINDING TIME TO READ TO OUR CHILDREN

Today's post is the second in a series of posts about finding time to read to our children in this jam-packed life we live. Yesterday's suggestion was to read to your children while eating lunch (or any meal for that matter!) Did any of you try that yesterday?

Working closely with families as a teacher made me realise that it's not only adults that have busy lives. Children today are also busy little creatures. I might have heard from a child or two that there simply wasn't enough time to do homework after completing all the scheduled after-school activities. I can't believe the array of wonderful activities designed for toddlers too. Having a bath at the end of the day is a relaxing way to slow down and take stock of the day for you and your children.

BATH-TIME:

There are so many bath books out there that your child could explore in the bath, but what's stopping you from setting up a chair beside the bath and reading a lovely story aloud to them? I personally can't think of anything more relaxing than sitting in the bath while listening to the rhyme and repetition of a story read by Mum or Dad. Here are some gorgeous water stories:

'A Giraffe in the Bath' by  Mem Fox, Olivia Rawson 

& Kerry Argent  (Penguin Australia/Viking)

A witty story, full of clever rhyme, that is perfect for reading beside the bath. Children will laugh at the funny place each animal finds itself.

Look inside the book here. 

Read a gorgeous book review at Kids' Book Review 

Enchanted by Books (Williamstown, Vic) is reading this story at 10.30am each day this week

Buy the book for $19.95 from

All books discounted at www.booktopia.com.au

'Who Sank the Boat?' By Pamela Allen 

(Penguin Australia/Puffin Books)

A classic, rhythmical story about a group of animals that decide to embark on a boating adventure.

See inside the book here.

Read a book review at Kids' Book Review

Buy the book for $14.95 from

QBD The Bookshop Online
$6.00 Shipping anywhere in Australia.

'Flash the Fish', by Alison Maloney & Maddy Mcclellan (Meadowside Children’s Books)

Read about the daily adventures of back-yard animals in this energetic story that uses lots of colour and fun alliterations.

See inside the book here.

Buy the book for $9.14 from The Book Depository

TOO BUSY TO READ?????

FINDING TIME TO READ TO OUR CHILDREN

 Isn't life crazy? Everyone around me seems so busy: working parents, stay-at-home mums, even friends without children. We're all busy, busy, busy. 

Finding somewhere cosy to snuggle up with your child to enjoy a book together sounds perfect but, for some of us, finding time to read with our children is almost impossible once we get through the daily chores. 

 There are moments in the day that you make time for because you don't have a choice, such as feeding your children, bathing them and doing the supermarket shopping. Try making these daily tasks more enjoyable by using them as an opportunity to to read with your child. 

Over the next four days, I will share with you some reading opportunities you may never have thought about.

 LUNCH TIME: 

You've taken the time to prepare lunch for your little munchkin. Why not join them at the table with a special book? Read to them while they munch away on their little sandwiches. 

Here are some meal-time book ideas:

'Lunch' by Denise Fleming (Henry Holt and Company)

A board book exploring delicious foods and bright colours.

Buy this book from The Book Depository for $7.78

'Toddlersaurus: Time to Eat' by Stuart Trotter 

(Rockpool Children’s Books)

Read about the dinosaur's daily diet in a lift-the-flap book full of colour, description and rhyme.

See inside the book here. 

Buy the book from The Book Depository for $9.14

 'The Lighthouse Keeper Stories '
by Ronda Armitage & David Armitage  (Scholastic)

Read two classic stories,  'The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch' and 'The Lighthouse Keeper's Picnic', in one book. Two stories about feeling hungry and being greedy.

Buy the book from The Book Depository for $8.46

The Runaway Dinner by Allan Ahlberg & Bruce Ingman (Walker Books)

A funny, action-packed story about dinner and cutlery on the run. 

Buy the book from The Book Depository for $9.14

THE CATERPILLAR ATE OUR PICNIC

'THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR' by Eric Carle (Picture Puffin)

{Bringing stories to life with props and scene creation}

I’m not sure about you, but for me it is always such a wonderful feeling to wake up to a beautiful Spring day. With the sun finally shining in Melbourne yesterday, I couldn’t resist setting up a special story to read with my daughter (Cam) under the gorgeous blossom tree in our front yard. Being a Sunday, my husband was also home to enjoy the story with us.

I’d like to share with you a creative way you could share a story with your child, by using props and creating a scene to assist in the story-telling. Bringing books to life in this way is so much fun. It is also a cost effective activity for the school holidays. 

‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ by Eric Carle seemed like a perfect ‘Spring’ book for us to read together.

As we needed to make a trip to the supermarket anyway, I simply added some extra special items to our shopping list. (You might even feel that your children are capable of helping you write the list and could also assist you with the shopping.)

While Cam was having her afternoon nap, I set up a picnic rug under the blossom tree and packed a mini picnic basket full of foods that ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ ate during his very hungry week.  My daughter was given a toy caterpillar last Christmas, so this also made a lovely prop to add to the scene I was creating. If you don’t have toy caterpillar you could make one. (See the end of the article for some ideas)

When Cam woke up, I took her outside to see ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ scene that was awaiting her. She was so happy to see her little friend (the caterpillar), but she was even more thrilled when I sat her down in front of the picnic basket where she excitedly explored the contents of the basket.

Although the picnic basket was full of healthy foods:  an apple, pear, orange, strawberries and cheese, it was the cake that caught her eye! She was so excited about finding the treat that she even said ‘cake’ for the first time.

We had read this book numerous times before, but this time we took lots of breaks in the story. At each page, we stopped to search through the picnic basket, giving Cam time to find the next food on the list. She thought it was hilarious that the caterpillar was munching on our picnic as she pulled each item out of the basket. 

When we finished the story, we relaxed and enjoyed our picnic feast under the gorgeous blossom tree. Needless to say the cake was a special treat! It truly was a special way to spend a sunny day with my family. It is a day that I will treasure, and one I think Cam will surely remember.

Creating a scene for our children can help them connect to a story. Their understanding of the world around them can make more sense when they can relate stories to their own experiences. 

Are you interested in giving it a try yourself?

YOU WILL NEED:

• A copy of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar', available from The Book Depository UK
• A picnic rug or blanket 
• A picnic basket or lunch box 
• Some of the food eaten by ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ such as apple, pears, plums, oranges, strawberries, cheese, pickle, watermelon. 
• A caterpillar. If you don’t have one you could:

1. Fill a stocking with tissue paper and use string to tie off the segments of his body. Use pipe-cleaners as antennae and add some googly eyes. 

or

2. Cut out discs of coloured card. Glue them together (slowly overlapped) to create the body of a caterpillar. Draw some facial features.

Maybe you’d do it differently. You could even adapt or extend the activity 
to suit the age of your child. Feel free to share your experiences. 

What props did you use? What book did you read? How did your child react to the experience?

A SEASON FOR COMPETITIONS

Thanks to the wonderful donations from some very generous businesses, My Little Bookcase has some great prizes to give-away. 

We currently have two competitions running.

WOMBAT STEW GIVE-AWAY
We have a gorgeous Wombat Stew Pack to give away courtesy of Scholastic Australia and Fuzzy Creations. For your chance to win the Wombat Stew Pack, you simply need to email My Little Bookcase with the name and author of a children's picture book that features native Australian animals as characters in the story. See our Competitions section for more details.

MY LITTLE BOOKCASE LAUNCH COMPETITION FOR KIDS

We are two weeks away from officially launching My Little Bookcase. We would love your child to be involved in our launch by  entering our colouring competition. For more details, see our Especially for Kids section.

Both of these competitions close on Friday 1 October, 2010

A LOVE FOR CHILDREN'S COOKBOOKS

I was feeling so inspired by the adorable children on Junior Masterchef last night that I haven’t been able to take my mind off kids cooking in the kitchen. I don't know about you, but those kids had me in tears throughout the whole show. Most kids get excited about the thought of cooking in the kitchen: making a mess, creating concoctions, mixing, blending, rolling but most of all I think they love cooking for their families. 

I know I did. I have fond memories of my first cookbook, ‘The Little Monster Cookbook’ by Jan and Michael Salmon (Lamont Books). As a child, I loved the monster illustrations that accompanied the simple recipes. I still have the cookbook; I flip through it now and realise that I never really cooked many of the dishes, but I certainly pored over the pages for years. There were some recipes that I made on a regular basis: Cinnamon Toast (Mum can vouch for receiving this as her Mother’s Day breakfast year after year) and Monster Spider Drink. I can’t wait to pass this book onto Cam when she is old enough to join me in the kitchen. In the meantime, you're never to young to peruse a good cook book, so I might start her on the ‘Farmyard Tales Children’s Cookbook’. Do you remember your first cookbook?

Did you see Junior Masterchef? Were you inspired to get into the kitchen with your children? Or if you’re children are old enough to stay up and watch it themselves, maybe they are eager to don an apron. I’ve put together a list of gorgeous children’s cookbooks in three categories: Current Cookbooks, Inspired by Classics and Stories & Recipes Unite. I hope you find something that you can share with your children. Maybe they’ll love one of these as much as I loved ‘The Little Monster Cookbook’.

SEE OUR COMPETITIONS PAGE TO WIN A 'WOMBAT STEW' GIFT PACK

CURRENT COOKBOOKS

‘Little Kitchen’ by Sabrina Parrini (Hardie Grant) RRP $29.95

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online bookstores (active links are provided): 

Book Depository UK for $20.51 (free delivery)

Borders for $19.99 (free delivery)

Angus and Robertson for $18.95 + $6.00 (p+h)

This stunning cookbook is colourfully presented and will definitely appeal to kids. The 40 recipes have been designed to make cooking easy for kids, but they’ll also love eating their creations.

Instructions are detailed so kids know when they need Mum or Dad’s help. My favourite feature is the accompanying illustrations, so even beginner-readers can feel like a big help in the kitchen.

Some recipes include: Bite-sized BLTs, Tacos and Fun Shaped Pancakes

Check out the Little Kitchen website where you can buy other child-friendly cookware. If your child is inspired by Junior Masterchef then you might also consider looking at the Little Kitchen Companion Recipe Journal. Kids can keep a collection of their favourite recipes and they can also practise writing their own shopping list using the shopping list writing pad.

‘Silver spoon for children’ (Phaidon) RRP $29.95 10+

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores(active links are provided):

Book Depository UK for $20.46 (free delivery)

The Co-op for $29.95 + (free delivery)

Borders for $33.95 (free delivery)

Recipes from the much-loved Italian cookbook, Silver Spoon, have been adapted to make them child-friendly.

This is a very special cookbook for children, that will definitely help foster a love of good food and might even spark an obsession for cookbooks. It contains healthy recipes but also aims to build the culinary knowledge of any budding chef. Each recipe includes an introduction about the origins of the dish, fascinating facts about the ingredients and the Italian culinary culture. The book is full of information on ingredients, basic cooking techniques and gorgeous accompanying illustrations. 

Recipes include Italian favourites: pizzas, pastas and even roasts.

If you're interested in this book check out Lorraine Elliot's blog, Not Quite Nigella,where she shares her experience of making one of the 'Silver Spoon' recipes with children. 

‘I want to be a chef’ by Murdoch Books Test Kitchen RRP $29.99

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores(active links are provided):

Book Depository UK for $16.09 (free delivery)

Borders for $24.95 (free delivery)

Fishpond for $19.95+$5.99 (p+h)

There are 100 child-friendly recipes presented in this colourful cookbook full of gorgeous food styling. Step-by-step photographs are included for some recipes.

Recipes include: cheese pinwheels and spaghetti with chicken meatballs, summer fruity yoghurts, vegetable and noodle stir-fry

‘Mummy and Me Cookbook’ by Annabel Karmel (Dorling Kindersley)

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links are provided):

Book Depository UK for $12.61 (free delivery)

Borders for $17.95 (free delivery)

Angus and Robertson for $15.95 + $6.00 (p+h)

A cookbook designed to help parents work with their children in the kitchen. Recipes are simple but healthy, and designed to be basic for children to follow. The cute step-by-step photos help kids understand the recipe and also teach them basic cooking skills such as how to weigh, sieve and mix.

Recipes include: Mini Lemon Cheesecakes, Cut-out Cookies, Little Pitta Pizzas, Mini Banana muffins

COOKBOOKS INSPIRED BY CLASSICS

‘Wombat Stew Cookbook’ by Marcia K Vaughan & Pamela Lofts (Scholastic Australia)

RRP $15.99 3+

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided):

Emporium Books for $13.95+ $5.45 (p+h)

Booktopia (link below) for$14.40 +$5.45 (p+h)

The Nile (link below) for $14.49 +$6.50 (p+h)

Who doesn't love 'Wombat Stew'? The original picture book lends itself perfectly to this adorable cookbook. There are 18 easy and yummy recipes for kids, with illustrations of Wombat Stew characters. It also includes helpful information about kitchen safety, measuring and cooking terms.

 

Recipes include: Bandicoot Ginger Biscuits, Wombat Watermelon Salad and Lizard Lemon Fizz

'Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes' by Roald Dahl, Felicity Dahl and Josie Fison (Penguin Group)

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided): 

Book Depository UK for $9.00 (free delivery)

Borders for $15.95 (free delivery)

Emporium Books for $12.90 + $5.45 (p+h)

This is a perfect cookbook for any Roald Dahl fan. The recipes have jumped straight out of the pages of George’s Marvelous Medicine, Matilda, The Twits and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Felicity Dahl and Josie Fison have interpreted the dishes described in Roald Dahl’s books. Starters, snacks, main courses, cakes & desserts, drinks and confectionery all appear in this cookbook. What a lot of fun kids will have creating these recipes.

Recipes include: George’s Marvelous Medicine chicken Soup, Bruce Bogtrotter’s Cake, Mr. Twit’s Beard Food and Lickable Wallpaper. 

‘Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook’ by Georgeanne Brennan and Dr. Seuss (Random House)

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided):

Book Depository UK for $17.16 (free delivery)
Borders for $28.95 (free delivery)
Fishpond for $23.97 +$5.99 (p+h)

Georgeanne Brennan has created a list of recipes inspired by the words and illustrations of Dr. Seuss. Each recipe includes a quotation and illustration from a Dr. Seuss book.

Recipes include: Green Eggs and Ham (of course!), Cat’s Mac and Cheese, Circus McGurkus Pink Lemonade, Sneetch Treats

 

STORIES AND RECIPES UNITE

‘Farmyard Tales Children’s Cookbook’ by Fiona Watt (Usborne Books)

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links are provided):

Borders for $15.95 (free delivery)

Book Depository UK for $19.65 (free delivery)

Booktopia (link below) for $18.35+

Well known children’s author Fiona Watt has created a gorgeous cookbook for young children which shares the recipes of the endearing characters of Apple Tree Farm: Poppy, Sam and Mrs. Boot. 

The recipes are simple to prepare and include step-by-step instructions and matching illustrations. Some extra features include cooking terminology and final product photos.

Making this book a great starter-cookbook for little readers is the little duck that can be found on every page (This is my daughter’s latest obsession for books-searching for hidden creatures).

Recipes include all good farmyard fare: Mrs. Boot’s Best Carrot Cake, Apple Crumble, Strawberry Trifle, Farmyard Cookies, Sam’s Favourite Soup and Poppy’s Pizza.

‘Eddie's Kitchen’ by Sarah Garland (Frances Lincoln) RRP $27.95 3+

This book is available for purchase at an affordable price from the following online stores (active links provided):

Book Depository UK for $18.93 (free delivery)

Amazon for $15.69 + $10.80 (p+h)

QBD (link below) for $22.95 +$6.00 (p+h)

This is a cookbook within a cute fictional story. The main character, Eddie, needs to help his Mum cook a birthday tea with ingredients straight from the garden. The recipes are nutritious and promote the use of fresh produce. A great cookbook for budding young chefs!

Recipes include: Spaghetti with Rich Tomato Sauce, Crusty White Bread, Baked and Buttery Apples, Orange Drizzle Cake

Other books in this series include ‘Eddie’s Garden’ and ‘Eddie’s Toolbox’

My Little Bookcase spends considerable time researching book prices from various online bookstores. The book stores mentioned in this post have been included because they offer affordable value. The prices and delivery costs are correct at the time of publishing the post. The information is provided for your convenience, however, you are not obliged to shop at these stores.  

My Little Bookcase is an affiliate member of some of these stores (See our Online Bookstores page for more details).