Nothing beats sitting down with a good book, no matter what age you are. In this age of “e-technology” it is important to ensure our children have a hobby away from the PC, iPad, etc : what better way than with a colourful book?

Here at Entertain the Kids we were privaledged to receive the November & December children’s books newsletter from GMC Distribution. This Christmas newsletter is a bumper edition combining both months titles and there are some great books for all interests. Due to the number of featured books in the newsletter, we will spread this across a few separate pages for your convenience.

William (age 6), Chief Tester at Entertain the Kids is currently ploughing through some of the titles featured and we will aim to pass on his review comments as soon as possible.

The titles covered in this article :

Colour and Learn with… The Little Vermeer By Catherine de Duve

The Little Egon Schiele By Catherine de Duve

Monstergami… Paper Folding for Your Inner Monster By Duy Nguyen

Friendship Bracelets… 12 Jewelry Designs to Make & Share By Vera Vandenbosch

If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! By Kim Norman; illustrated by Liza Woodruff

Over the River & Through the Wood… A Holiday Adventure By Linda Ashman, illustrated by Kimberly Smith

Quiet Bunny & Noisy Puppy By Lisa McCue

The Little Vermeer

Colour and Learn with… The Little Vermeer By Catherine de Duve

We know very little about Vermeer’s life. Father of a large family, he paints very few canvasses, yet his painting are very famous! Discover the trades of the time: dairywoman, lacemaker, astronomer, geographer, maid, music teacher…Colour in the gabled houses of the Delft alley where the painter lives. Meet the girl with pearl earring. Who is she? What do the love letters say? Discover the musical instruments of the time and decipher the messages hidden in his paintings and colour them in Vermeer’s style.

9782875750327 – Paperback – £4.99 – Happy Museum

The Little Egon Schiele

The Little Egon Schiele By Catherine de Duve

It’s the end of the Austro-Hungarian empire and of the First World War. Discover Vienna at the time of Egon Schiele. Why was his life so turbulent? A friend of Klimt’s, they call him “The Silver Klimt”. What did he contribute to art? Why do his paintings capture us today? Why did he go to prison? And what does he paint from his cell? Discover his unique and intimate style, his colour palette and his models. Like Schiele, paint landscapes, emotions, expressive hands, self-portraits, your city, or your town…

9782875750297 – Paperback – £6.99 – Happy Museum

Monstergami

Monstergami… Paper Folding for Your Inner Monster By Duy Nguyen

Look out – monsters are arising from the graveyard eager to crush skulls, eat brains, and drink blood! Created by tried-and-true origami author Duy Nguyen as a follow-up to his popular Zombigami, these 13 ghoulishly gruesome origami monsters are all ready to cause mayhem. Nguyen’s fun creature-feature stars such favourites as Dracula, the Mummy, Wolf Man, and even the Headless Horseman. This cool kit includes everything you need to start folding: 50 sheets of origami paper, a tear-out poster for each of the monsters, and very detailed instructions on how to make them. Fold at your own risk!

9781454914396 – Paperback Concealed Spiralbound – £9.99 – Sterling

Friendship Bracelets

Friendship Bracelets… 12 Jewelry Designs to Make & Share By Vera Vandenbosch

Friendship bracelets have been used as symbols of friendship for years. Today, it has never been easier or more fun to create beautiful designs for yourself and your closest friends. Let Vera Vandenbosch show you how to make stylish friendship bracelets, earrings, necklaces and more with techniques old and new.

9781631861581 – Booklet – £5.99 – Taunton

If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws!

If It’s Snowy and You Know It, Clap Your Paws! By Kim Norman; illustrated by Liza Woodruff

Now in board and perfectly abridged for the youngest readers: another irresistible winter-themed romp from Kim Norman and Liza Woodruff, the team behind the delightful Ten on the Sled! This humourous variation on the classic song “If You’re Happy and You Know It” introduces a group of adorable animals playing joyfully in the snow. They ice skate on a lake, catch snowflakes on their tongues, and make a frosty fort. But can they go with the flow when their wild adventure drifts in a surprising direction? Young readers will laugh and sing along!

9781454916925 – Boardbook – £5.99 – Sterling

Over the River & Through the Wood

Over the River & Through the Wood… A Holiday Adventure By Linda Ashman, illustrated by Kimberly Smith

The classic song gets a fresh new twist! The fun begins when Grandma and Grandpa send invitations to their far-flung, modern, and multiracial family: Come to our house for the holidays! Off everyone goes, driving down snowy roads, riding the train, boarding a plane . . . even sailing along in a hot-air balloon. As each family faces an obstacle that delays their trip, they learn that sometimes the most old-fashioned form of transportation works best . . . NEIGH!

9781454910244 – Hardback with Jacket – £11.99 – Sterling

Quiet Bunny & Noisy Puppy

Quiet Bunny & Noisy Puppy By Lisa McCue

Quiet Bunny and the adorable Noisy Puppy are back—now in a deluxe paperback! Snow is falling, and everyone except Quiet Bunny has settled in for winter. Bear Cub is hibernating in his den. Bullfrog is fast asleep under the ice. Who will play with Quiet Bunny? Along comes a very NOISY puppy, ready to romp in the snow. Can Quiet Bunny and Noisy Puppy be pals, even though they’re so different? A heart-warming tale of friendship for the coldest of winter nights.

9781454916819 – Paperback with flaps – £5.99 – Sterling