One of the biggest blessings in our life has been the association with the KBC. Asreet Kaur is a proud KBC baby. Receiving the love of our favorite Asha aunty and all the dearest members is just pure divine. Being in a nuclear family, we look up to KBC for guidance, support and strength. Books have played a huge role in upbringing Asreet and us as new parents. Ever so grateful for this opportunity to share our favorite 30 books for #kbcbookbingo2023.
1. A yellow coloured book – THE LION INSIDE by Rachel Bright
Beautiful board book with the most meaningful message about finding inner strength, courage and uniqueness. This is a story of little meek mouse who is often ignored and forgotten, and ultimately finds a solution to be heard and seen. He believes all he needs is a Roar, and it can be learned from none other than the King of the Jungle. But how does he reach to the mighty King, without being his dinner? Does he ever find him the visibility he is looking for? This book is beyond age & time.
2. Leaf or flower on the cover – MONKEY PUZZLE by Julia Donaldson
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler have cast their magic again with their breathtaking illustrations and simple story line. A kind butterfly is helping the baby monkey to find his mother. Oblivious to what the monkey mother would look like, she takes him around every plausible animal in this rhyming book. How does a butterfly not know what the monkey mother would look like?
3. A book with siblings – THE WATER CYCLE WITH ZAYN & ZOEY
Zayn and Zoey are my most favorite curious siblings. Being in Bangalore with frequent rain showers at all times & weathers, this book is quite relevant to us. Zayn & Zoey were disappointed when their field trip got cancelled due to unexpected rain. So, the teacher tries to make it a fun class by explaining how the water cycle works. She introduces the concepts of Evaporation, Precipitation, Condensation in simple, easy to understand language. The beauty about these books are that they defy any age limits.
ONLY KBC MEMBERS HAVE A SPECIAL COUPON CODE KBC15 which will give you 15% OFF when you order directly from the ZAYN AND ZOEY website. Simply click this link that takes you to the Zayn and Zoey shop on their website.
4. A book that features mom – DRAGON LOVES PENGUIN by Debi Gliori
I strongly believe no one, I mean, no one, defines love better than Debi Gliori. When a dragon adopts a penguin egg, she goes all out to care, nurture & protect the baby Penguin. He being different from his siblings goes on a tough path, unknown territories. He cannot fly like the other dragons, nor does he breathe out fire or enjoy the heat from volcanoes. But can you ever come between the love of a mother & her baby? How does he survive the odds against him? I often refer to Asha ji as the Dragon Mom as she goes all out to put our needs first!
5. A book that features dad – I AM PERFECTLY DESIGNED by Karamo Brown
This book gets me teary eyed every single time. A little boy and his father take a walk through the memory lane from the very birth of the child to the possible future. And how, in every phase of his life the father assures the boy that he is the most loving kiddo and just perfect at any time and season! No matter what he does or where he goes. He is perfectly designed. A must read! Asreet loves the illustrations, specifically of the boy being carried on the dear dad’s shoulders.
6. A bedtime book – WHY I LOVE THE MOON by HarperCollins and Illustrated by Daniel Howarth
This is a cute heartwarming book on why little kids love the moon. Each page has amazing illustrations along with one adorable reason by the baby animals on why they love the moon. They love the moon, as it can change shapes, or it can pull the tides, or it shines when they sleep. As a night-time ritual, Asreet & I often try to look up for the moon before heading to the bed.
7. Lift the flap book – LULU’s LUNCH by Camilla Reid & Illustrated by Ailie Busby
It’s a perfect book for the picky little eaters to start eating well and on their own. Lulu goes along her day, eating a crunchy carrot, followed by an entire pizza and yogurt with honey for a dessert. Then on sunny summer days, she enjoys a picnic in the park with her friends. But guess what is her favorite lunch? I am sure, it’s yours too. Given the illustrations, interactive flaps, and the story line, this is one of the most read books at our home.
8. A cat book – RUBY AND THE NAUGHTY CATS by Jane Hissey
Ruby, Blanket & Bluey are often disturbed by the naughty cats, in this hilarious book. Naughty cats spare no place or time to mess up with Ruby and friends. But Blanket gets a brilliant idea to invite them to a party along with them. But is that what the cats needed or does the party go on to be a havoc?
9. A book by Debi Gliori – NO MATTER WHAT by Debi Gliori
This book needs no introduction. The baby is going through a meltdown and feels unsure, unloved. How the mother tries to pacify the baby through all his concerns and worries is just so beautiful. He is assured that he will be loved and looked after, No matter what! An endearing book on the beautiful bond between mother & baby. [Note from Asha: While the paperback edition (32 pages) mentions death, the board book edition (26 pages) doesn’t. Our kbc parents highly recommend this book with a suggestion to choose the edition according to the child’s age and emotional maturity.]
10. A book on first experiences – TIME TO GO TO NURSERY by Penny Tassoni
At 2.5 years, Asreet started her schooling. Even though it was preschool, yet it felt like a massive step in growing up. I have been WFH all this time and we were together around the clock. When her school started, the emotions were high and the separation anxiety was at its peak. She was entering unknown territory with unknown faces, no one to feel safe with. This book helped her settle to a great extent. She was always so excited to start school, since she saw all her friends & cousins going to school. But as soon as she entered, it felt like torture for both of us. After endless crying the entire first week, we decided to read this book every day. We gradually understood that school is about having fun, making new friends, exploring new things. It took us more than a month to settle but we are loving it now and thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We still refer to this book on & off. But this became a part of our routine during the initial few months.
11. A book that makes you giggle – THE BOOK WITH NO PICTURES by B.J. Novak
An absolute riot! Mad book makes you mad things but super powerful at creating the endless giggles. When I saw my toddler laughing at the pictureless book, I realized the power of words and not just that, the rightly enacted words. Coz these little minds enjoy our reactions more than the stories being told. Brilliant brilliant book!!
12. A book on big emotions – RAVI’s ROAR by Tom Percival
This author knows emotions, this author knows little ones, this author understands parents. Anger is a strong emotion that needs a vent out, till you develop the right control. For the little children, it’s impossible to understand & express the intent of any emotion. This book helps them understand in a very non prescriptive way about how excessive anger could lead to unwarranted consequences. And every time, Asreet gets angry, we just call out ‘Ravi is here’ and she calms down almost instantly. She loves this book and wants to be read on a regular basis. And what’s not to love, the dog, the picnic, the slides, the park & siblings.
13. A book that was helpful in addressing an issue – LLAMA LLAMA RED PAJAMA by Anna Dewdney.
An absolute must have book on separation anxiety. There was a time, when I was accompanied to the washroom as well by the little one. One fine day, when I was about to board the cab for Office, Asreet cried so much that she started puking badly. I stayed back to be with her. Since then, I often wondered, when and how did I in-still this kind of fear in her. As a new parent, you question your parenting at every second and I still do. It’s only after this book that both of us understood that it’s absolutely normal for babies to have those wild fears of being away from mom. But as parents, we need to assure that we are always always around. Though, Asreet still hates the last page where the baby Llama sleeps alone and skips that, but this book is defintely close to heart.
14. A book you love for the illustrations – SMILEY SHARK AND THE GREAT BIG HICCUP by Ruth Galloway
An ever-smiling Shark loses her smiles to the big nasty hiccups. While all her friends suggest weird whacky ways to get rid of the hiccups, nothing helps her at all. Then all of them come together with a plan, but would with this help the poor shark? Do grab this book for its bright beautiful colorful illustrations. They are soothing to the eyes and yet appealing to the little ones minds.
15. A book by an Indian author – POONACHI LOST IN THE FOREST by Perumal Murugan
A tale of little black goat, favorite pet of an old lady. One day, the entire herd of goats went for a walk, some of her friend goats stroll little deep into the jungle. She tried to adventure out as well. Soon she was lost into the deep dark woods & didn’t know the way back. She ended up spending the night there & witnessing the most enchanting life of the wilderness. She was mesmerized by the beauty of the flowing rivers, echoing birds, the rocks & the wild boars enjoying the swim, without a care in the world. At the ray of dawn, she loved it all but missed her old lady the most. Will she find her way home?
16. A book that has food in the title – HUGLESS DOUGLAS AND THE GREAT CAKE BAKE
In this cute board book, our cute bear named Mr. Hugless Douglas wakes up to the honey footprints all across his bed and his whole house. His entire stock of honey has been stolen! He ends up finding his stock with the herd of sheep trying to bake the honey cake. While he offers to help them bake the cakes, but ends up losing all the cakes and his honey to these mischievous sheep. He has never eaten anything without honey before, would this entail him to try out something new? Do read to find out!
17. A book with a stuffed animal – CORDUROY by Don Freeman
A tale of lonely bear in a toy store. All the bear ever wanted is to have a friend, a home, a bed to sleep on. His green overalls has a broken button and he is often neglected. This fine day, a young girl walks into the store, their eyes meet and it was instant love between the two. But the mother of the girl doesn’t have enough money to get her the bear. What will the young girl do? Will the bear’s dream be ever fulfilled?
18. A book about a day out with family- BABY’S FIRST TRAIN ROBBERY by Jim Whalley
When Baby Frank’s parents decide to take a vacation from the never ending super exhausting maintenance of their (Home) Zoo, it didn’t sit well with Baby Frank. For all he wanted was to be with his dear animals, back at home. While dad is sunbathing and mom is making sand castles at the beach, little Baby Frank tries to make a run for the home. In a funny sequence of events he ends up stealing the train and almost crashing it down the hill. Will he make home safely? Are his animals safe back home? Do read and enjoy this funny thriller.
19. A book that teaches an important lesson – PEPPER BRUSHES HIS TEETH
Brushing Asreet’s teeth has always been a nightmare. She hates everything about it. We bought several different kinds of brushes along with different flavored toothpastes, but nothing worked for us. But when we encountered this book, there was a great relief. The cute little puppy Pepper casted his charm on my little baby and truly worked like magic for us. Even till date, there are brush repelling episodes but our dear Pepper comes to the rescue.
20. Grown up’s favourite book in the house – FURBALL EATS GREENS by Sangita Koushik
The most relevant and the most important book in the house. A simple story about baby kitten being a picky eater, choosing junk food over healthy food and how her life turns around after a small incident. We as parents love it as it’s just the right size for the little one and has just enough content to leave an impact on the little ones mind.
21. A hand-me down book you are attached to – MY FIRST WORD BOOK by Van Gool
Handed over to Asreet by her dear neighbour. The book follows a title, along with wonderful themes of various famous tales such as Bambi, Jack & Magic Beans, Ugly Duckling and so on to introduce new words to the little ones. Each page will have illustration & brief text about the theme and then various things, relevant to the theme. For instance, in the page titled “Farm Animals”, it references Ugly Duckling and introduces all the farm animals along with their pictures and names underneath. A stunning book.
22. A book you tore – FARM HULLABALOO! Labybird BIG NOISY BOOK
This amazing book walks through the farm of Fergus & his family. Each page details a brief facts about the farm animal, coupled with spot on real life like illustrations. Side panel has the buttons for all the real animal sounds. This book has been read almost every single day , multiple times a day leading to the great tear.
23. A book you have carried to bed and slept with – IS IT BEDTIME WIBBLY PIG?
If you ask me, if I love any book. This is undoubtedly my absolute favorite. What gives me Joy is that Asreet loves it equally. Since the day, we have got, she wants to read it everyday without fail. She never ever says no to this book. Bedtime routine of the naughty pig who will delay the bedtime with one cute excuse after another. It is so relatable that my pumpkin refers to him all day long. This book has great feel good factor along with heartwarming illustrations of the little Wibbly and his friends.
24. A book written in rhyme (not nursery rhymes) – THE GRUFFALO by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
Super intellectual tale of clever mouse escaping from his predators by creating a terrifying fictional character Gruffalo. But guess what, he ends up encountering the real Gruffalo. But how does he escape the mystic animal himself? A mystery to solve, finding the survival instinct. This book leaves you with awe with its thought provoking concept, admiration of the amazing illustrations and the repetitive rhymes bind the tale all too well.
It’s part of a series of all the Sikh Guru’s and Important Sikh Persona’s. As the name suggest, this book is set of real life incidents of the life Guru Nanak Dev Ji, right from his birth. My dad knows most of it by heart but whenever Grandfather gets time with his grandkids, he would quote stories and events from Guru Sahib’s life, from these books.
26. A book that has food stains on it – ELEPHANT WELLYPHANT by Nick Sharrat
Lift the flap book with various charming elephants. Wellyphant has wellingtons on, while the Rude Smelliphant is letting out a fart. Fruit Jellyphant has fruit jellies all over his body, while the cinderellaphant has the makeup on. So many characters of the elephants leave the little kids mesmerised for quite sometime on their own. But obviously, it is read all the time, meal time, night time, and any time that calls for elephants!
27. A book given to you so mom/dad could have tea in peace! – Little World AT THE AIRPORT
Asreet loves all her interactive books and can spend good amount of time by herself. This particular has been her constant favorite ever since she traveled with it at the age of 1.5 years and since then it’s going strong. Along with browsing through the scenes at airport, she loves to find the ladybug on every page. All the Little World Books are amazing.
28. A book by Wonder House – MY FIRST LIBRARY SET of 20 books by WonderHouse
An absolute must. It’s a total paisa vasool investment. I bought the set on Asreet’s first birthday and we have read, re-read, learned several times till date. She loves to hold them, read by herself now. The mini box in which books are packed is just perfect. The bright illustrations are certainly eye catching for the little ones and helps them recognise the different things.
29. A book you gift often – Racing Unicorns (Play Box)
One of the most KBC finds again, this is great gift set with a board racing track, press-out decors for the track & two pull-back Unicorns to race on and an amazing unicorn themed activity book. Great gift for all age groups from 2 to 6. I have seen my baby & her cousins (different age group ) enjoy it equally.
30. A book you got from kbc recommendations – AB SEE by Elizabeth Doyle
Embossed Alphabets on each page with all the possible images beginning from the Alphabet. Brilliant book to engage everyone. It’s a Pictionary of Alphabets. So much fun to read it as adults as well. One of the most brilliant books!
[Note from Team Kids Book Café: For your convenience, affiliate links (MARKED IN PINK) to some of the book titles & images have been added to enable you to buy the books from AMAZON, should you wish to! A very small amount of money comes to kidsbookcafe.com when you purchase a book via the amazon affiliate link provided (at absolutely no extra cost to you!). Do let us know if you need information about other children’s books by writing to asha@kidsbookcafe.com.]
