Book a place on a classic adventure
CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK DAY WITH A GREAT READ
ARE you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin… Since 1967, on or around April 2 – author Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) has been celebrated to inspire a love of reading and draw attention to children’s books.
Each year a different National Section of IBBY, (The International Board for Books for Young People) is chosen to be the international sponsor.
In this, the 50th anniversary year, it’s Russia, from where author Sergey Makhotin talks about how his love of books began: “In my early childhood I loved to build houses out of blocks and all sorts of toys. Instead of a roof I often used a children’s book with pictures.
“In my dreams I climbed into the house, laid down on the bed made of a matchbox and looked up at the clouds or at the starry sky.”
He says: “What a joy to hold a new book in one’s hands! Many of us have caught ourselves thinking: this book was written about me!
“When some boys or a girl says, ‘I do not like to read!’ that makes me laugh. I do not believe these kids. They eat ice cream, play games and watch interesting movies. In other words, they like to have fun. And reading is not just hard work towards the development of feelings and personality, but it is, first of all, a great pleasure…”
There are lots of great books being published all the time for children and young people but, in honour of Hans himself, here are five classics to help get you started:
THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR by Eric Carle
TINY readers will love this board book and watch as the caterpillar munches his way through a variety of foods before emerging as a beautiful butterfly.
Children will love putting their fingers through the ‘eaten’ holes in the pages, and it can help them count the days of the week, and help them learn about different foods and a butterfly’s life stages.
THE CAT IN THE HAT by Dr Seuss
ANOTHER great one for the little ones – and older ones! Dick and Sally can’t find anything to do on a rainy day – until the Cat in the Hat unexpectedly appears and turns their dreary afternoon into a fun-filled extravaganza! It features timeless Dr. Seuss characters Fish and Thing 1 and Thing 2, and is fun to read aloud and easy to read alone.
THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE by C.S.Lewis
THE first published and best known of seven novels in The Chronicles of Narnia. Most of the novel is set in Narnia, a land of talking animals and mythical creatures that one witch has ruled for 100 years of deep winter. When four children are evacuated to a large, old country house during the war, magic begins with visits to Narnia via a wardrobe. There, the siblings seem fit to fulfil an old prophecy adventuring to save Narnia and their lives.
Aimed at 8+ and a great one for parents to read to their children.
HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER’S STONE by JK Rowling
IT hardly needs an introduction but this will undoubtedly begin an adventure and love that will last a lifetime as young wizard Harry Potter discovers his magical heritage and starts his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry faces an attempted comeback by the dark wizard Lord Voldemort, who killed Harry’s parents…
The age range starts from about seven and eight, but may rise as the books get darker.
THE RAILWAY CHILDREN by E. Nesbit
WHEN Father goes away with two strangers, the lives of Roberta, Peter and Phyllis are shattered.
They and their mother have to move from their comfortable London home to live in a simple country cottage. They soon come to love the railway that runs nearby and when they save a train from disaster, they are helped by an Old Gentleman to solve the mystery of their father’s disappearance…