We LOVE books at Finlay Fox and have been wanting to write a feature for a little while now on some of our favourites. Scout & Co sprang to mind straight away when I started to think about our favourite books as they have the best selection of the most beautiful, stylish and colourful must have kids books out there. Books make the best presents and we read 3 books to Finn every night so are always on the look out for some new goodies.
We did a little Q&A with the lovely Nicky from Scout & Co on her current thoughts on kids books, I have then done an edit of my current favourites at the bottom of this post. Scout & Co are kindly offering 15% off all books with the code FFLOVESBOOKS until 2nd July.
What are your Children's current favourite books?
My youngest, Matilda (15 months), loves The Noisy Book by Soledad Bravo. It's really simple: each page has a boldly illustrated pic and the accompanying sound, e.g. "ghost goes oooo oooo" and "fish goes mwah mwah". She loves to sit on my lap and turn the pages, whilst I do all the sound effects. She also likes Clap Clap - the illustrations are nice and bright and there are sound effects for each page there too: e.g. knocking on the door, crashing of cymbals.
Anna, aged 4 in a couple of weeks, loves all sorts. Currently: Dustbin Dad by Peter Bentley and I Need A Wee by Sue Hendra (toilet humour is always a hit).
What's your favourite childhood book?
I was a real bookworm, I absolutely loved reading. I love all the Roald Dahl books and but my all time favourite was Watership Down.
What are your favourite books to read to your kids?
My husband and I read Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox recently to Anna, that was her first 'chapter book' so that was a goodie. I also really like Paper Dolls by Julia Donaldson - the last couple of pages get me every time (misty-eyed, lump in throat...emo mum!).
What's the best book to give as a gift?
I love the big and beautiful non-fiction titles like Atlas of Adventures, What Do Grown Ups Do All Day? and City Atlas. Lovely to look at and you can keep coming back to them for years. Poo Bum is also a brilliant gift for kids as they all love saying "poo"!
What's been your best selling book at Scout & Co?
Alpha Block by Franceschelli has been our all-time best seller. It's a really fun ABC book with pages die-cut into the shapes of the letters. Recently we've had a great reaction to My Dad Used To Be So Cool. I was really pleased - I was sure our customers would like that one!
What new books have you got coming soon to Scout & Co to get excited about?
More story books! The Journey by Francesca Sanna. Written from the perspective of a young child, this is based on real experiences of migrants and refugees. It's beautifully illustrated and just feels so timely. We thought it could be a good way for parents to explain to their children about what they may see/ hear on the news. We also have Archie Snufflekins Oliver Valentine Cupcake Tiberius Cat by Katie Harnett. It has the sweetest illustrations and a lovely underlying message about friendship and community.
Thanks Nicky! We have to agree - Roald Dahl is the all time best for kids books and Poo Bum is one of our household faves, in fact 'poo bum' is shouted instead of 'cheese' for all the photos we take :)
Here are Finlay Fox's current Scout & Co book faves:
Main image at top: Traffic Jam Puzzle Book by Aino Maija Metsola, £9.99. A toddler book with a chunky floor puzzle in it
1. Tough Guys Have Feelings Too by Keith Negley, £11.99. A favourite bedtime read in our household - a nice way of discussing emotions with even the toughest of guys from astronauts to ninjas
2. Hide & Eeek! By Knock Knock, £13.99. We had this a while but have only just become obsessed with it. Dim the lights, get out your torch, shine it through the pages and whoa! it reveals some brilliant hidden images beneath the pages
3. JoJos First Word Book by Xavier Deneux, £12.99. One of the first books I bought Finn and he still loves it to this day. Chunky board pages reveal bunnies Jojo and Lulu with familiar objects to spot and name as they go on their everyday journeys. Perfect for developing speech and early language skills
4. Presto Change-o! by Edouard Manceau, £12.99. This big interactive book transforms everyday objects into familiar creatures by turning the cards around on the pages. Finn always changes his mind as to which is his favourite page but at the moment it's the teapot that turns into an elephant, magic!
5. Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska, £20. This is a big book and has the most incredible illustrations. We gave it to Finn for his 3rd Birthday and he loves looking at all the different countries and flags - fun and educational! A great gift, kids just seem to love maps
6. The Book of Shapes by Sarah Dyer, £8.99. We haven't got this one but it's next on our list, probably for Violet. By one of our favourite illustrators, Sarah Dyer, a perfect toddler book focussing on shapes. She also has other ones on 'Things' and 'Colours' too
7. What Do Grown-ups Do All Day? by Virginie Morgand, £14.99. This beautifully illustrated hardback book features over 100 jobs with lots of things to see and discuss about 'what you want to do when you grow up'
8. Amelias Colourful Colouring Companion by Amelia Gregory, £16. OK so this is more one for the mamas - a beautiful adult colouring book, would make a great gift for a new mum or mothers day
To get 15% off Scout & Co books use FFLOVESBOOKS at checkout, runs until 2nd July