I was asked to review a couple of the ABC animal books by Emma Tofi. Having a little one about to start school next month I know the importance of learning and reading. These books are great for not only learning about the alphabet and reading but they also teach valuable lessons. The language and imagery of the books are perfect for pre-school to early school age. Making learning fun and enjoyable. The graphics are delightful and not harsh like some of the more modern ones are. I love how they look like they are freshly painted water colours. I would recommend these books to anyone who has young children, they are great to read and the little ones love to listen to them. My oldest one loves Bertie the Bullfrog and has named his toy frog Bertie, who also has to listen to the stories.
I have another treat for my lovely readers in that Emma herself sent me a guest post about why she wrote these books, which I hope you will find interesting. I’ll hand you over to Emma:-
The first years at school can be incredibly influential on a child’s development. After more than a decade spent working in schools and pre-schools, I’ve seen first-hand just how pivotal this period can be. I also, unfortunately, have first-hand experience of some of the less pleasant aspects of school life, both as a professional and as a pupil: Bullying, struggling with self-confidence… It’s not an easy thing to deal with.
It was on my first day of secondary, rather than primary school that I encountered bullying for the first time. Of course I’d heard names and seen silly behaviour before, but this was something new. I’d have food rubbed into my hair, I was spat at and I was told I was “so hideous” that my parents couldn’t possibly love me. It changed me completely and affected every aspect of my life. I became worryingly withdrawn and depressed.
But in spite of everything that the bullies took from me, I remained unflinchingly determined that I would achieve something with my life that I could use to help others. I held on to my belief that every child deserves the best chance in life and that every person is just as worthy of love and success as the next. I would never sink to the bullies’ level.
And so, upon deciding on a career in childcare, I made it my mission to promote positivity and friendship in every class I worked with. I spent my final year of Sixth Form counselling lower school victims of bullying, whilst also working as an After School Assistant at my local primary school. Once my A-levels were out of the way, I became a Pre-School Assistant, working my way up to the role of Classroom Supervisor.
It was there that I began using my love of story-telling to tackle difficult subjects with my class. If a topic popped up on the curriculum, I’d write a story about it, read it to my class and use it as a platform for discussion. Using fun characters and entertaining stories seemed to make children far more interested in subjects than simply sitting them down and talking at them.
And that made me think…
Could I use stories to help children who’d been through similar experiences to my own? If I wrote about bullying, self-acceptance, making friends and all the other issues that starting school can bring to the fore, would it help children to face – and indeed discuss – those issues with greater ease?
The ABC Animals were born. An A-Z collection of stories, each focusing on a different issue, with a subtle moral at the heart of every book. Never preachy, but always reassuring, I am enormously proud of these stories. I truly believe they can entertain and inform. And if I also help to spread the word that we’re all unique and special in our own way, then I’ve done exactly what I set out to do!
Find out more at www.thingleypress.com.
Thanks! x
Thank you Emma for stopping by and for writing these little masterpieces. I know my two boys thank you too. To find out more information about these books check out www.thingleypress.com.
This post is protected under copyright. SusankMann 2009 – 2014