The Three Billy Goats Fluff

The Three Billy Goats Fluff - by Rachael Mortimer and Liz Pichon

Don't you just love when someone takes a well loved traditional take and puts a different spin on it? I do, and this one is great! Everyone knows the story of the three billy goats gruff who want to cross the bridge to the green green grass? The only problem of course being the mean troll who lives under the bridge and vows to eat each passing billy goat. 

This lovely story looks at things from the troll's point of view. All he wanted was a nice peaceful home and now has constant headaches and sleepless nights due to all that trip trapping!  Who wouldn't be a bit grumpy? 

Understandably the billy goats are a bit scared of the troll and his threats but mummy billy goat has an idea. She knits each billy goat a pair of fluffy booties to soften the trip trapping noise! But will it do the job and get them across the bridge without waking the troll?......

This story is a lovely example of looking at a story from another perspective and considering other points of view. Would you dare trip trap over the bridge....?

L x

Dogs don't do Ballet

Dogs Don't Do Ballet

By Anna Kemp and illustrated by Sara Ogilvie

'Dogs don't do ballet' is a gorgeous story and if you haven't come across it yet you're in for a treat! 

Have you ever wondered if your pet might be more than just.....your pet? But no one else can see it? Well this little girl's dog Biff is just that. He's not just any old pet dog, he thinks he's a ballerina! He dreams of his name in lights and practises walking on his tiptoes. 

The little girl can see his dream but the answer from adults is always the same - 'Dogs don't do ballet!'.  

But this little dog does not give up so easy! He secretly follows his owners (like a doggie super spy) to a Royal Ballet performance and takes his chance! And do you know what......'dogs do do ballet!'.  

Bravo Biff! 

What does your pet secretly want to be? 

My Granny Went to Market - A Round the world Counting Rhyme

'My Granny went to market - A round the world counting rhyme' by Stella Blackstone and Christpher Corr. 

I admit I have a bit of a thing for stories published by Barefoot Books. If you haven't come across them yet you are in for a real treat! Barefoot Books seem to have a way of finding beautiful stories, often traditional stories, and matching them up with incredible illustrators that bring them to life. 

My granny went to market is a counting rhyme.  It tells the story of a granny who buys a flying carpet and flies around the world collecting bits and bobs. In Australia she picks up boomerangs and in Thailand some cats, and so the list goes on.  As you can imagine by the end of the trip her flying carpet is quite laden down! 

This story has so many learning opportunities and children I have read it to loved it! There is a map at the back showing granny's journey around the world. This started all sorts of discussion about how long it would take to fly from one place to another and if a flying carpet would go as fast as a plane?! 

Where would you go on your flying carpet?