5 Books That Give Something Extra

1. Ants Go Marching.

This is one of my favourites to read to kids because it's a story and it's a song all in one. It's also full of funny rhymes, rhythm and cadence; so much so that I randomly hear my toddlers singing or humming it on the go or around the house. 

I also recommend the book because it is a colourful board book that has fun textures that resemble ant eaten holes. The book also introduces basic mathematic principles of multiplication and even comes with a times table chart at the end! It also presents a great opportunity to teach and learn about the nature of ants. They are always on the go, they work together as a team and they will chew through things, even a book. 

So give the book a read or listen to it being read on The Tot Tutor channel then go outside and hunt for a group of ants to observe. Finish up by trying to draw and colour an ant or two. 

2. Baby Goes To Market.

 I really like that this book has great illustrations and depicts a real life market scene in Nigeria, complete with Nigerian food names. The storyline is also very catchy and easy for little minds to follow. I also like that it teaches basic addition and subtraction that little minds can grasp and is easily an interactive book. On it's own it's a cool little interactive book. You can also talk about your local market, visit your local market, draw, colour, create your own market scene at home and reenact the story. 

3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear. 

There's a reason why this book is a favourite amongst kids, teachers and parents. Ok maybe there are a few reasons. Eric Carle's (may he rest in peace) best seller is quite unique in that it teaches animal names, colours and memory recollection and active listening skills for toddlers. (You'll see what I mean when you flip to yhe last page.) You can add to the learning fun by including animal sounds and by making your own hand or finger puppets to retell the story. 

Click here to listen to how I generally read Baby Goes To Market and Brown Bear, Brown Bear to my kids.

4. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.

Whoever thought a story about letters climbing a coconut tree could be so entertaining and engaging? I was never expecting to like such a book as much as my kids and I do. We first watched the video and fell in like! Talk about a fun introduction to the English alphabet. I also like that the entire last page has all the alphabet laid out so adults can reinforce the learning in the story. This fun introduction to the alphabet definitely motivated my kids to learn their alphabet by or before 2 yrs old.

5. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. 

A simple and delicious story of a Caterpillar's journey to becoming a butterfly. Definitely do not read while starving or fasting. The author does a very good job of making a complex process such as metamorphosis relatable to young minds and it's a great introduction to Biology for kids. It's also a great introduction to types of food (healthy vs. unhealthy) days of the week and basic counting. Definitely a must an all rounder and must have for any child's personal book collection. 

Listen to me read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and The Very Hungry Caterpillar here.

Join the #1000BookChallenge! See what I've been reading to my tots and share what you are reading to your children in the comments section here.