From the Bookshelf: 'You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus

It's been a little while since I last posted From the Bookshelf... so I thought it was about time I redressed that. 

Although I love reading lots of different books to Charlie, I can't help but be drawn to stories that rhyme; not to get technical, but there's something lyrical about stories with rhyming couplets and, although I know he's actually too young for these books, I really believe that the rhythms of the stories are carried in your voice and are actually very soothing (just what you want before bedtime).

One of my current favourites is You Can't Take an Elephant on the Bus by Patricia Cleveland-Peck. The story is so fun that you naturally reflect that in the way you read it and the text is presented in a way that encourages you to emphasise the funny bits. Older children will, no doubt, giggle at the images created by the author along with the various calamities associated with each animal and their poor choice of transport! 

David Tazzyman's illustrations complete the book perfectly: they're incredibly fun and are worth looking closely at so you don't miss his attention to detail. Each page is completely different but they're all as entertaining as the story itself.