Regular readers will know my passion for reading, I was a total bookworm as a youngster and I love to share this pleasure with Caterpillar. He loves being read to and is currently at a great age to begin getting really involved in the story and giving his own feedback on plot and characters.
The Early Readers collection from Maverick Art Publishing are marketed to primary school children learning to read, and I definitely plan to keep this set for when my son is that be older as I think they are brilliant. They are banded to industry standard (the ones in our collection are gree, turquoise and orange) and would be a wonderful addition to any classroom as their humourous content will really engage the children.
However, our son is only three by reading them to him has been really great too and he’s really enjoyed the stories, illustration and quizzes and they’ve been firm favourites in our house for many weeks now.
Grumpy King Colin
This is Caterpillar’s favourite of the collection, I think because of the repetition and the somewhat obnoxious lead character. King Colin is a real pain to be around and causes all manner of difficult situations for his family, that is until the fabulous twist (spoiler alert!) where the only person in the kingdom he has to listen to is his mum! A fabulous message to any unruly toddler or preschooler in my opinion! Caterpillar really finds King Colin’ antics funny and we’ve had a good laugh with this one.
A Gold Star For George
I absolutely love the message of this book about a kind and helpful giraffe who tries his best but doesn’t quite win any awards at his zoo, until his friends step in. Firstly, that winning isn’t everything and secondly, the that having friends who appreciate you is much more important than being the best at something. These are great lessons for children, especially those who have just entered the school environment where they are becoming aware of being compared to other children for perhaps the first time.
I Wish I’d Been Born A Unicorn
This is another great book about friendship and also a great way to teach children to become comfortable with who they are. Caterpillar and I also loved the really creative way Mucky the horse is transformed into a unicorn, really creative.
Pirates Don’t Drive Diggers
Too extremely popular topics for children’s books – pirates and construction – are combined here in a really unique and fun way. And again, another fab message about how children don’t want to be pigeon-holed.
The Four Little Pigs
I seem to have come across a lot of books lately which are a modern twist on a classic fairytale but this is one of my favourites. The fact that the protagonist, and via him the reader, are physically taken into the story is really different and engaging. Plus there are a couple of great twists that give the traditional content a really fresh look.
Each book has a quiz at the end, which is a great reading comprehension exercise for school-age readers but weve found to be really engaging for our three-year-old. He loves doing the quizes so much that we’ve even started making up our own questions after reading other books! The clear and easy to read words on white background make these books perfectly fit for purpose and I can’t wait to get them back out in a couple of years to hear Caterpillar reading them himself.
To get your hands on your own copies, or any of the other five books in the Early Readers, visit Maverick here.
These books sound adorable!! Josh is obviously just a tiny baby but I read to him every night and I know he enjoys it – these books look fantastic especially as there is a little message with each one about acceptance and friendship. I’m tempted to buy some now to put away for Josh when he’s older! Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday xx
I totally get that. I was reading to T from only 9 weeks old! It’s never too early to start and I think that’s really helped develop his love of books. Thanks for reading x
They look great. My eldest daughter starts school in September and I think she would love them, especially with the quiz at the end. X #MarvMonday
The quiz is a really big hit for us 🙂 Thanks for reading and commenting x
What a brilliant selection , the titles alone are appealing. I found my kids got bored with the Biff n Chip books, these seem like a great way to get kids wanting to learn how to read. Thanks for sharing with #ReadWithMe
Chantelle Hazelden recently posted…Read With Me 2016 #21
They are different from the usual I think, much more like picture books in their plots and illustrations so that should help keep new readers engaged x
I wish I had been a unicorn too, this books look great, I reckon my 5yr old would like them #readwithme
He he! Thanks for reading x
These books look great for early readers. Unfortunately a lot of school reading books do tend to be rather boring, but these look a bit more entertaining.
Yes that’s what I thought looked really different about them 🙂 thanks for reading x
My bigger boy is just starting to take notice of letters and sounds, these would be great for him. How refreshing to have reading books with titles that sound interesting!
#readwithme
They are really fun 🙂 Thanks for reading x
We are really impressed with Maverick’s Early Readers. They’re original stories but don’t have the feel of traditional reading books which can often put children off reading them.
#readwithme
Catherine @ Story Snug recently posted…Nibbles the Book Monster by Emma Yarlett
Exactly. Thanks for reading 🙂
I also have a three year old son and I think these would really appeal to him. I fancy reading Grumpy King Colin! #readwithme
T really loves that one! Thanks for commenting x
These look fabulous. Wow, things are moving on. I remember wanting to jump off something when faced with reading, ‘The big red bus goes up Hill Street’. Dreadful. Sounds like these might actually manage to get kids into reading.
#fartglitter
They are def a great alternative! X
Hi Laura, these books sound excellent and I love the eye catching covers. Any book that encourages reading and makes children think is a winner and the Maverick Early Readers books certainly seem to do that.
xx
Absolutely agree, thanks x
these books sounds absolutely adorable 🙂 thanks for sharing. we love books in this house #KCACOLS
Same here. Thanks for commenting x
I’m loving the sound of all these books! The four little pigs has me intrigued. Love the one where the character only listens to his mother – must be a mother author there! lol #ReadWithMe
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Ha ha – yes we find that v amusing! Thanks for reading x
Ooo lovely, I love books and reading with my son. Sounds like there are some great messages in these and good stories too. The Pirate/Digger one would definitely be a winner in my house. I like that they will grow with the child too…it’s so nice to find books that they can get into now but that you also know they’ll get more out of when they are older. Quite often it can be the other way round. Thank you for sharing on #FamilyFun
Lucy at occupation: (m)other recently posted…Family Fun Linky
Exactly, that’s what I liked too that they would last him into primary school X Thanks for reading x
This looks like a great early reader series with fun titles and good illustrations too. I also like books with quizzes at the end it’s a fun way to check comprehension. TY for linking up to #FamilyFun
An imperfect mum (Catie) recently posted…Family Fun #18
I was surprised how much T loved the quizzes, bless him. Thanks x
Haven’t heard of this series but Archie is a massive bookworm so will definitely have to check them out. We’re always looking for new material. Thanks for linking up to #MarvMondays. Kaye xo
Hope you like them, thanks for reading x
I haven’t heard of this series before, but they look really good. They’d be perfect as a present for my neice or to save for when Dot’s older.
Laura xx
Thanks so much for linking up at #KCACOLS. Hope you come back again next Sunday:)
Laura @ Dot Makes 4 recently posted…I think I’m getting old…..
I think they are fairly new, a great series. Thanks for reading x
These look fabulous and so much better than those Biff and Chip books they have now, how I detest them #kcacols
tracey bowden recently posted…Best of British: 101 Ideas for Having Fun with Kids this Summer
Goodness, do they still read Biff & Chip?! Not much has changed since the 80s lol! These are great alternatives X Thanks for reading x
Sounds great. As an Early Years Primary teacher I often found it hard to find early reading books that also tied in with the phonics level they were working at for that age – so, included words that they could sound out themselves and also the appropriate level ‘tricky words’ etc. Nice review! #KCACOLS
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Thanks! I really think these would be great in schools. Thanks for reading x
What fab books!! My toddlers would be really into the piggy book right now, they’re farm obsessed. I love hearing about new books which I can read to my little ones, there’s something so special about our story time. Maybe because they’re in a milk coma, tired and are about to go to bed, but I do like that bonding time x
I agree, I LOVE bedtime story time. Thanks for reading x
These look adorable. I love books with meanings behind them. Pirates and diggers, amazing too! #familyfun
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Such a great concept, the pirates one. Thanks for reading x