The holiday season is upon us and if you’re like me, you’re looking for gift ideas for your kids and other children in your family as well. We have reading time every night, so we are constantly looking for books to add to our growning collection. Our kids vary in ages and of course when books are added for the older kids it can be saved for the younger kids, and when our youngest starts to out grown books we either pass them to a younger cousin, or donate them to other families. When looking for books to add to our collection, we look for things that we know our kids would love, and books that they can share with the other kids in our family as well.
Nosy Crow reached out to us to share about a book that would be perfect for our collection. I’m from Trinidad and the book was written by multi-award-winning author Patrice Lawrence who shared a story about a Trinidadian grandmother who shares her story of traveling to England on a boat with her granddaughter. This story immediately hit home for me and I knew it was one we needed to have in our collection, not just for our children but to share with theirs as well.
About Granny Came Here on the Empire Windrush
Ava is asked to dress up as an inspirational figure for her school assembly, but who should she choose? Granny suggests famous familiar figures such as Winifred Atwell, Mary Seacole, and Rosa Parks, and tells Ava all about their fascinating histories, but Ava’s classmates have already claimed them—and she must choose someone else. But who?
When Ava finds a mysterious old suitcase and Granny shares her own history, and how she came to England on the Empire Windrush many years ago. She tells her story through the precious items that accompanied her on the original voyage, each one evoking a memory of home. As Ava listens to how Granny built a life for herself in England—determined to stay against the odds and despite overwhelming homesickness—she realizes that there is a hero very close to home—her very own brave and beloved granny.
What I loved the most about this book was all the conversations it created during reading night for us. I always share stories with my kids about moving to the United States, but nothing like the one in this story. It opened me up other stories about families that migrated to another country like mines and introduced us all to Winefred Atwell. This is one to all to any gift list, not just for Caribbean families but for any family wanting to learn about different generations and cultures.
About FACTopia!: Follow the Trail of 400 Facts… (FACTopia!, 1)
Choose your own path through this hilarious world of 400 facts, all of which are verified by Encyclopaedia Britannica. Every fact in the book is connected to the next in an ingenious trail of information.
Did you know that a squid has a brain shaped like a doughnut? Or that some butterflies drink turtle tears? Hop from topic to topic in unexpected and delightful ways, and discover what connects a giraffe with the Eiffel tower, or a slice of pizza with Cleopatra. On your awe-inspiring journey, you will find out extraordinary facts about space, bones, dinosaurs, spiders, sharks, robots, ancient Rome, and more.
And there’s not just one trail through these pages: sometimes your path branches and you can choose to jump to a totally different, but still connected, part of the book. Who knows where your curiosity will take you!
This wittily illustrated book is the perfect gift to inspire and delight curious children.
This book is great for any kid who loves to learn about different facts, so it made a great gift for my nephew who likes to talk about animals and scientific stuff. He enjoyed having the book for his collection and within a week he was sharing amazing facts he learned from the book. He’s already added Animal FACTopia!: Follow the Trail of 400 Beastly Facts (FACTopia!, 4) to his collection as well.
Other Children’s Books to Consider Gifting
Both What on Earth Books and Nosy Crow has an amazing selection of books that would be great books to add to your collection for your children. Here are a few book I recomend gifting to the kids in your life for Christmas or anytime during the year.
Absolutely Everything! – A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things too Numerous to Mention
Absolutely Everything! Revised and Expanded: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots, and Other Things too Numerous to Mention – Embark on a journey across millennia and around the world, from the latest understanding of the origins of the universe through the birth of the Earth, the very first life, the age of dinosaurs, the rise of humans, ancient civilizations, colonialism, wars, technology, everyday life, global struggles for freedom and equality, pandemics – and much more.
It’s Up to Us
It’s Up to Us: Building a Brighter Future for Nature, People & Planet – Join His Majesty King Charles III, author Christopher Lloyd and 33 amazing award-winning artists from around the world on a beautiful, lyrical and thought-provoking voyage through Nature, the threats we face and an action plan for the future.
Britannica’s Baby Encyclopedia
Britannica’s Baby Encyclopedia: For curious kids ages 0 to 3 – explores big ideas through a little one’s eyes. This huge board book covers an enthralling spectrum of topics: Earth, Animals, Plants, Food, Machines, Art, Music, Numbers, and Shapes. The simple, clear, and lyrical text includes plenty of sound words for an enjoyable reading-aloud experience, and is paired with gorgeous illustrations by Hanako Clulow. Reviewed by early-years specialist Dr. Amanda Gummer, as well as a host of Britannica subject experts, this is the perfect book to inspire little brainiacs!
Music – A Fold Out Graphic History
Music: A Fold Out Graphic History – Follow this unique 8-foot long fold-out graphic timeline through a celebration of the history of music all around the world from 60,000 years ago to the present day!
Learn about how different genres started–including classical, folk, jazz, gospel, rock ‘n’ roll, country, punk, grunge and pop. Explore the histories of music linked to particular cultures or regions–including Indigineous American, Asian, and African music; Son Cubano and Caribbean styles; and Australian bush music. Discover the stories of music maestros from around the world–including Beethoven, Wei Liangfu, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Maria Callas, Nina Simone, Louis Armstrong, and Beyoncé. Marvel at the orchestra with a huge illustration set in London’s Royal Albert Hall, and find out about the ancient instruments discovered all over the globe.
Marvelous Machines
Marvelous Machines – Take a look inside some of the world’s most incredible machines and inventions! Using the see-through magic lens, you can learn about mathematics, physics, chemistry and engineering by exploring the inner workings of machines.
In your kitchen or bedroom, beneath city streets or far up in space, machines are at work day and night making, moving, building and even thinking for us. In this eye-catching book, you can explore the hidden inner workings of machines and inventions: from everyday objects like toasters and bicycles, to cutting-edge technologies such as pill-sized medical robots and super-fast maglev trains. The see-through magic lens will reveal how all these machines work, showing all the elements hidden within them from wires and pipes, to magnetic and gravitational forces.
Amazing Islands: 100+ Places that Will Boggle Your Mind (Our Amazing World, 1)
Amazing Islands: Discover over 100 of the planet’s most magical islands – their wildlife, history, diversity, people, cultures, treasures, and more – in this beautifully illustrated book. From islands that have been taken over by animals to disappearing islands, islands made of shells, artificial islands, and even islands that were once prison colonies, this book takes you on an exciting tour of some of the smallest land masses in the world.
The book also includes a world map, which plots all the islands found in the book, plus fold out flaps with engaging lists of island facts, including the top 10 biggest and10 smallest inhabited islands in the world. Join author Sabrina Weiss and illustrator Kerry Hyndman in this fact-filled celebration of some of the most Amazing Islands on Earth!
Welcome to Our Table: A Celebration of What Children Eat Everywhere
Welcome to Our Table: A Celebration of What Children Eat Everywhere – Find out what children eat all around the world in this beautifully illustrated book, written by bestselling poet and author Laura Mucha, alongside trained chef and food writer Ed Smith. From biltong to biryani, papaya to passionfruit, and ramen to roti, there are so many different dishes and delicacies all around the world. In this fascinating book, young children can learn all about what people in other countries eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as where our food comes from, and the stories, cultures, and
traditions behind what we eat. A unique, warm-hearted book that will teach children understanding, empathy, and respect, and inspire a love of food and flavor. With engaging, colorful artwork on every page by award-winning illustrator Harriet Lynas.
Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra – Release Date: May 2024
Animal Tales from India: Ten Stories from the Panchatantra – A stunningly illustrated gift book of ancient Indian fables, retold by bestselling poet Nikita Gill. The stories of the Panchatantra have been read aloud and shared for thousands of years, kept alive by generation after generation of storytellers. In this captivating collection of ten animal tales, reimagined with warmth and wit by Nikita Gill, you’ll meet mighty elephants and courageous mice, cunning crocodiles and clever monkeys, talkative tortoises, and little lapwing birds. Discover a world of wonder, wisdom, and friendship, of helping others, speaking out, and finding courage. With vibrant, irresistible color artwork by Chaaya Prabhat on every page, and beautiful high-end finishes, including a jacket, foiled cloth binding and a ribbon marker, this is a timeless gift book for every child to enjoy and treasure.
A History of the World in 25 Cities
A History of the World in 25 Cities – With a stunning neon cover and packed with countless facts for curious readers to return to again and again, this is a perfect gift for children who want to explore history from around the world.
Co-authored by award-winning children’s authors Tracey Turner and Andrew Donkin in consultation with specialist curators at the British Museum, readers can visit cities from every inhabited continent on Earth, from the walled city of Jericho built over 10,000 years ago, to the modern-day metropolis of Tokyo, the most-densely populated city in the world today.
My First ABC
My First ABC – With a vibrant, clear design and illustrations from stationery and homeware designer Edward Underwood, this beautiful title is the perfect first words book for little ones. A brilliant tool for building vocabulary, exploring letters and sounds, stimulating speech, and securing the foundations of reading, this delightful book is really just full of flaps and FUN!
For even more great book ideas visit What on Earth Books and Nosy Crow for great books to add to your kids personal collection.
