Today we have Deepa whom I met through The Hive and got to know better with many breakfast meet ups in my old home town Amsterdam. She is mum to Tala and was so nice to even send us a few cute pics of her reading her favourite books!

Deepa is originally from the Philippines and currently living in Amsterdam, NL.

1) The Happy Little Yellow Box: A Pop-Up Book of Opposites

By David A. Carter
I started reading this to my daughter Tala quite early. The illustrations are simple and very high-contrast, great for a young baby. Now that she’s one year old, Tala enjoys playing with all the little bits—lifting flaps, opening boxes, even pulling a little tab to make an elevator go up and down!

2) Noong Unang Panahon (A Long Time Ago)

By Rafaelita S. Valera, illustrated by Ghani Madueno
This bilingual book tells legends from three different tribes or regions in the Philippines—Samal, Ifugao, and Tagalog—about the creation of the world and of mankind. The stories are printed in both English and Filipino, whichI love because I would like Tala to learn both languages. It’s for ages 7 and up, but I started reading it to her when she was a newborn, to familiarize her with the sound of the Filipino language. She also loves to look at the beautiful illustrations, which are by a former colleague of mine from Manila.

3) Soft Shapes: Animals

We have this book in a few different versions (colors, dinosaurs) and Tala just loves it! It’s a simple, colorful puzzle book made of thick, child-safe foam, which you can also take into the bath. She loves to remove the pieces and wave them around in the air while Mama makes the animal sounds. Always a winner and lots of fun.

4) Papa, Get The Moon For Me

By Eric Carle
Tala means “star” in Filipino, so I’m obsessed with anything that has to do with stars, including the night sky and the moon. I gave this classic board book to my husband as his first Father’s Day gift. It’s about a little girl who keeps asking her papa to get her the moon. I think all Papas would do anything for their little girls, so it’s perfect!

5) Dracula: A BabyLit Counting Primer

By Jennifer Adams, illustrated by Alison Oliver
The BabyLit series is so much fun! Each board book uses a work of classic literature to teach simple concepts such as numbers (Bram Stoker’s Dracula) the weather (Wuthering Heights), opposites (Sense and Sensibility), and more. If it sounds serious, it’s not—the art is whimsical and charming. We’ve already started with counting… I can’t wait to get to Anna Karenina, which is all about
fashion!

My favourite number is FIVE so I love May. It is a happy month. Spring usually arrived and people are laughing and making ideas.

May inspires and I wanted to do something new on the blog for you.

The whole month of May, makes 31 days, I will share the FIVE favourite books of one my blog friends and other really nice people I met because of Paul & Paula.

I love books, especially children’s books and we can never have enough. And you will discover well loved books from people all around the globe – I am sure you will love it!

We are starting today with Pamela who lives in Genova, Italy and who is a mum of one sweet girl and the lady who launched My Child World.

1. In the sea there are crocodiles by Fabio Geda
This is the true story of a child of the 5 years of a child from Afghanistan to Italy where he found help by an Italian family. Incredible and touching: a must read!

2. The fantastic flying books of Mr Morris Lessmore by William Joyce
This is a book about the love for words, stories and books. A wonderful animated film was made on the script of this book which celebrates the importance of reading stories no matter if they are in traditional books or eBooks.

3. My special dinosaur adventure
Does your child love dinosaurs? Then create a special story for him/her. Customize this book with the name of your child and he/she will become part of this adventurous story.

4. Maps- Travel the globe
This book is a piece of art: amazing for both children and parents who love to travel or just to sit on the couch and discover new cultures and lands with the help of beautiful maps.

5. The sleep book by Dr. Seuss
Quote from my child: ” Mum,it’s time to go to bed. It’s time for the sleep book!” We love this book and any other single one written by Dr. Seuss.

PS: In case of double “entries”, they will just appear double. I think it is fun to see which books are loved everywhere and that have an important role in different households!

For the final day of this month book series I looked through all posts and picked the books that got most entries! Like the best of the best…
You probably have at least one of those in your house :)

I hope you enjoyed this series, I definitely put some books on my list and a big thank you to everyone who participated and everyone who came over to discover new and old favourites!

1. The Very Hungry Caterpillar
THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! Have you shared it with a child or grandchild in your life?

2. I Want My Hat Back
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Book of 2011!
A picture-book delight by a rising talent tells a cumulative tale with a mischievous twist.

3.  An awesome book
Based on the simple concept of dreaming big, An Awesome Book! is the inspiring debut work of Los Angeles writer/artist Dallas Clayton. Written in the vein of classic imaginative tales, it is a sure hit for all generations, young and old.

4. Oliver Jeffers
Jeffers’s picture books are wonderfully accessible. They explore themes of friendship, loneliness, independence and imagination. He has written and illustrated, or “made”, as he prefers to put it, five hugely successful picture books. The first three – the “boy books” – feature a small boy who sets off on a series of daunting quests. How to Catch a Star (2004), the first of them, was inspired by a Brer Rabbit story he read as a child. In Lost and Found (2005) the boy heroically rows to the south pole for the sake of an unhappy penguin, and in The Way Back Home (2007) he rescues a young Martian whose spaceship has crashed on the moon.

5. Dr. Seuss
“A person’s a person, no matter how small,” Theodor Seuss Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would say. “Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted.”

Brilliant, playful, and always respectful of children, Dr. Seuss charmed his way into the consciousness of four generations of youngsters and parents. In the process, he helped millions of kids learn to read.

As much as I think that screens are actually not the devil and can support and even educate, I also think that their usage needs limits and rules. That is why I am always searching for new ways to get my kids away from them.

My eldest daughter is always seen with a book in her hands, and it definitely inspires her siblings to enjoy reading as well. However, the TV or my phone can be very compelling. Therefore, I am looking for things to do as well as books that really spike their interest and get them absorbed.

Clever Champs makes personalised books that are lovely, but most of all, they are super fun because your child is the main character. And in addition to being an effective way to support reading, the book boosts self-esteem. And they are fantastic keepsakes that your child will get to treasure for a very long time.

The story of The Missing Moon is on a mission to ignite kids’ curiosity by transforming the science learning process into an immersive experience and educating your child about the wonderful world of S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). You can personalise the main character of the book by adding gender, eye, skin, and hair colour, hair style, and giving him or her your child’s name.
And even better, a tree will be planted for every 100 books printed!

Let’s have a look at Josephine, starring in her very own book:

Three Reasons Why Reading Is So Important for Children

1. It expands their vocabulary

While reading, children might come across words they have never heard of. This will prompt them to find out what they mean and add it to their vocabulary. Furthermore, subconsciously, they absorb information on how to structure sentences and how to use words.

2. It enhances their imagination.

Reading a book relies on us using our imagination to picture characters and visualise their settings and environment. And guessing what is coming next. Young children naturally have the capacity to dream big and use their imaginations. And reading as an imaginative activity can open doors to all kinds of new worlds for your child. By widening your child’s imagination, they are more likely to dream bigger and act creatively, which will benefit them in all areas of life.

3. Reduces screen time

Children’s brains need stimulation to learn and grow. Screens can hamper their brain development if not controlled. For example, children tend to stay home and not interact with their peers. Or they become physically unhealthy as they spend hours on screen. On the other hand, books inspire children to learn and develop, and explore the world around them.

More benefits of reading

Just to list a few: Comfort and reassurance, confidence and security, relaxation, happiness and fun. Reading is the key for lifelong learning! And if you can instill a love of reading at an early age, your children will benefit forever. Children who value books are motivated to read on their own, and will likely continue to practice independent reading throughout the rest of their lives.

When it comes to reading to your children, the benefits are crucial as well. Next to building a close bond with them, reading aloud to children is truly the single-most important activity for building skills essential for reading success that your child will carry with them all throughout their life.

More about books on Paul & Paula:

• ideas for children bookshelves
• cool book subscription for kids
• Favourite kids books

Clever Champs

Disclaimer: We received a free copy for Josephine (6) and love it. All words are my own.
All images by Paul & Paula. Please do not use without permission.