Festivals & Celebrations

  • Booklists,  Festivals & Celebrations

    Valentine’s Day Picture Books

    It’s that time of year where everyone feels a bit more loved up! Although usually aimed at couples having candlelit dinners and eating boxes of chocs, I think it is also the perfect time for family and loved ones. A simple family meal, being mindful of each other and just keeping that message of togetherness throughout your day, how you mark the day doesn’t have to be complicate! With that in mind I’ve picked a few of my favourite picture books and board books with a love theme! Perfect for snuggling up for bedtime reading with your little loved ones.  A downloadable copy of this list is free to download…

  • Booklists,  Festivals & Celebrations

    Books for Lunar New Year

    Lunar New Year will soon be upon us. This festival, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, celebrates the beginning of a new year in the traditional lunisolar calendar. The first day of the celebrations depends on the phases of the moon and so the date varies from year to year. Explore the customs and history of this festival with these favourite picture books! I’ve also included some traditional Chinese tales for those wanting to take their explorations further. The perfect springboard to explore this wonderful festival and be inspired to create your own celebrations to mark the occasion. Some books may unfortunately be out-of-print now, but can hopefully be…

  • Booklists,  Festivals & Celebrations

    Christmas Chapter Books

    Enter any bookshop at this time of year and you will often see a gorgeous display of Christmas picture books full of lots of bright colours and festive cheer, traditional stories and familiar characters, rhymes and illustrations. But what about when your little reader begins to get older? You might start searching for a chapter book – a story that your young bookworm can read independently, or that would a perfect read-aloud, snuggling up for a chapter each night and the eager anticipation of what will happen next! These seem to be a slightly rarer breed, and it’s not always as easy to conjure titles to mind – The Snowman,…

  • Booklists,  Festivals & Celebrations

    Spooky Chapter Books

    Bedtime stories take a Halloween twist this week with my favourite chapter books! First up I’m looking at stories for under 8’s. These are books with a spooky vibe, but nothing too scary for young readers! They are great for developing readers with simple chapters and illustrations, but also perfect for confident readers who love a good story. And don’t forget read-alouds for family storytime! There are classic favourites like Mildred Hubble, as well as some new faces such as the fabulous Amelia Fang! I would love to hear which books you are enjoying this Halloween! Do join in the conversation here in the comments, or with The Cupboard community…

  • Booklists,  Festivals & Celebrations

    My Favourite Halloween Picture Books

    The trees are shedding their leaves, the air is getting chilly and jumpers, hats and scarves are being dug out of wardrobes. The nights are drawing in and Halloween is fast approaching. These dark nights create the perfect atmosphere for reading spooky stories! They can be especially thrilling for little readers – there has always been a fascination for children with ghosts and ghouls, witches and things that go bump in the night! This is reflected in the amazing choice of picture books and I couldn’t resist picking out some of my favourites for you! There are lots of well-loved classics, as well as some newer titles, that I think…