Lostmy.name

The Little Girl Who Lost Her Name / The Little Boy Who Lost His Name

When I was 7, personalised stuff was where it was at. Personalised pencils, pens or pencil cases were the height of cool so imagine the look of wonder on 30 schoolchildren’s faces when Rachel Knight brought in her very own personalised book, a birthday present from Smarties no less! She featured in her very own story, wow! However, this amazement was surprisingly short-lived. As soon as our teacher began reading, my attention wandered. The story was boring, uninspiring and left me thinking that personalised books were definitely not going to make it onto my Christmas list.

Fast forward 20 odd years (ok closer to 30 but a lady never tells) and now with kids of my own, I was approached by the Lost My Name team. They sent me copies of their beautiful books and I finally found out just what a personalised book should be. I’m already a firm believer in the magic of storytelling and sharing stories but this time, I understood how exciting a story can be when your name is the star of the show. The look of delight as my children realised it was actually their name highlighted just how different the experience is from the competition – these are books that let your child be part of the adventure without scrimping on story, quality or production. The illustrations are just as enchanting too. 

 

 

 

 

 

Lost My Name tells the story of a child who has lost his or her name and who sets off on a journey to track down the missing letters. Along the way they meet lots of weird, wonderful and wise characters. Each offers the child the first letter of its name. As the sequence of each story is dependent on the name of the child (over 236 illustrations and rhyming stories have been created to cater for every single name), so every child receives a perfectly individual book.

 

These gorgeous books are gifts to be treasured; they are the perfect newborn or christening present plus the story will be enjoyed by 3 to 6 year olds as they embark on their reading journeys. And once grown up, it will be that book you want to keep on your shelf to remind you of those magical childhood moments when your imagination knew no bounds.

Save 10%! Type in BlogTour10 when you checkout at lostmy.name

 

 

Check out Read It Daddy! tomorrow for a guest post from author David Cadji-Newby

http://readitdaddy.blogspot.co.uk/

All aboard! Sammy's Scrumptious Blog Sandwich

Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich is as heavenly as the delectable treats featured inside. It's a beautiful book in a large board format that begs to be picked up and read... Visually stunning, we loved the retro illustrations and all the luscious, colourful details that burst out from every page. Pieter Gaudesaboos has managed to combine 1950's style with contemporary digital design to create a timeless classic. Just look at this amazing spread full of colour and mouthwatering food. No wonder my 3 yo picked the tomatoes and pretended to eat them!

I read this with my own Sammy (no wonder I'm biased) and DD2. The board format is perfect for a inquisitive 16 month old who's only just getting to grips with turning pages. But the tasty treats inside make it an entertaining read for my 3 yo. We had lots of fun playing the I-Spy game - you can download this via the Book Island website http://www.bookisland.co.nz/en/books/sammy-and-skyscraper-sandwich

It gets the thumbs up from me for its celebration of imagination. And it's more than a first class read; it prompted food discussions with my 5 yo, had my 3 yo engrossed in look and find games and is the perfect length for my 16 mo. I also love the fact that it takes me back to my own childhood and reminds me of the classics I grew up with. Fans of The Hungry Caterpillar would love it!

So I have to confess. I'm organising the publicity campaign for this one... But before you disregard all my comments above, I'll point you in the direction of all the fabulous bloggers who have also been won over by Sammy's charm! Yesterday, the wonderful Book Sniffer kicked off the tour with a marvellous review http://booksniffingpug.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/sammy-and-skyscraper-sandwich.html. And on Tuesday, Sammy will be stopping by Read It Daddy! http://readitdaddy.blogspot.co.uk/. Then it's the turn of http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/ on Wednesday followed by a guest post on Thursday over at http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/. On Friday, author Lorraine Francis will be sharing her picture book recommendation at http://storysnug.com/ and finally on Saturday, http://www.arushoflove.co.uk/ will be Sammy's final stop. Plus check out Book Island's facebook page and twitter to join our celebration of the humble sandwich! https://www.facebook.com/pages/Book-Island/121391998004041 and @BookIslandBooks

Sammy and the Skyscraper Sandwich by Lorraine Francis & Pieter Gaudesaboos is published by Book Island and is priced at £12.99. Available from all good bookshops and Amazon.