Phenomenal Books for Kids
It’s so exciting having a stack of beautiful new books in the house! The girls got some really lovely ones for Christmas and I can’t wait any longer to share more about them with you. We have been reading lots! So let’s get to it…
This Phenomenal Life
This is the one I’m most excited about. I love love LOVE this book! You might have seen it on my Christmas list but I have to show you more from it. Everyone needs it. It’s absolutely stunning, and also mind-blowing.
Like it says on the cover, this book is all about the amazing ways we are all connected, both with each other and also with everything that exists in the universe. It is absolutely packed with amazing facts, each time we open it we learn something new.
There are 144 pages of this brilliance!!!! Not a book you will sit down and read in one sitting, but a wonderful resource you will pore over again and again.
There is just so much information about the world we live in contained in these pages. But what I love so much is that all of these complicated and amazing things have been made accessible to young readers! The pages are obviously captivating, and there are no long boring chunks of text. Can you tell how much I love it yet?
I want to share so many pages with you!
Details like this have been amazing my children. Where has the carbon in our bodies been before it became a part of us? Miss 6 thinks she has shared some with a dinosaur and that’s why she loves them so much.
Seriously, if you buy one book this year. Make it this one.
At The Same Moment, Around The World
This book takes us on a trip around the world! A look into what could be happening at the exact same moment, all over the world. We see children from many different places and peek into their lives.
“It is six o’clock in the morning in Dakar, Senegal. Keita wakes up early to help his father count the fish caught during the night.”
“At the same moment, in the Himalayan mountains near the towering Mount Everest, it is noon, and Lilu eats lunch with her mother.”
There’s also a fold-out map at the end showing where all the children are located. A great introduction to timezones and the different lifestyles of children around the world.
A World Full of Animal Stories
We loved ‘A Year Full of Stories‘ and so this follow-up was very well received.
It contains 50 animal stories from all around the globe.
Same beautiful illustrations as the previous book. The girls find it really interesting to hear the different stories and wonder about how they began and why.
You And Me Murrawee
‘Murrawee’ means ‘elder sister’ in the language of the Ngarrindjeri people from the Murray River, South Australia. We follow a young girl who is camping on the river with her family, and get a glimpse of what life would have been like there 200 years ago.
The illustrations are just beautiful, and I find this book really touching.
Such a beautiful look into the past, similarities, and connections. 
Sparrow Girl
Sparrow girl is the story of Ming-Li and her quest to save the sparrows from being banished from China during Chairman Mao’s 1958 ‘Sparrow War’.
After seeing the sparrow’s falling from the sky, she is determined to secretly save them.
A powerful and inspiring story about a strong girl, and how the smallest person can make a big difference.
The Ugly Five
Anything by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler is very well loved here. The little girls are enjoying this a lot!
Miss 8 also enjoys this book. She is a big fan of the less popular animals and often tells me that just because something isn’t ‘cute’, doesn’t mean it’s not important. She wants to educate people about the ‘ugly’ or ‘scary’ animals so that people are inspired to protect them too!
I also love the message at the end where the ugly five discover that those who love them most see their beauty.
Wonder Magazine
Issue 3
Not a book, but a magazine I wanted to recommend! We got our first Issue of this a couple of months ago and the girls were instantly taken.
It’s full of activities and experiments that are right up their alley.
I also LOVE that it features children’s artwork and writing!
Bravery Magazine
Another magazine we are LOVING is Bravery! When I saw Jane Goodall on the cover I knew we had to have it.
The first issue has a big feature on Jane Goodall, along with many other wonderful activities and ideas.
A truly beautiful magazine and after reading our first issue we will definitely be needing a subscription.
What have you been reading lately??
Comments
Thank you for this post!!! We also have This Phenomenal Life and are simply amazed by it. All of your suggestions are perfect for our six year old daughter. I look forward to purchasing them and having them become a part of our home collection!!
Love this post and this blog!
I’ve just ordered In My Heart, This Moment In Time and This Phenomenal Life (had a look at your previous posts on books too) can’t wait to receive them.
My babes are nearly 2.5yrs and 4 months, I’m trying to build a collection of beautiful but thoughtful books for them. I always refer to these posts for inspiration! Went a bit OTT with this purchase, I was only supposed to pick 2 book to buy!
I bought This Phenomenal Life for the kids for Christmas because of your recommendation and it did not disappoint! Mind blown and just love the illustrations.
We checked out Phenomenal Life from the library and it was so beautiful I’m going to have to go out and buy it. I also had to share it on my book review site. Thank you for sharing these amazing books with us!
https://contemplateandintimate.wordpress.com/2018/02/02/this-phenomenal-life-by-misha-maynerick-blaise/
Looks great! I’m looking forward to get this book and read as a bed time story with my 5 years old kid. Thanks, I really enjoy your review.