The Cheeky Toddler Alphabet

The Cheeky Toddler Alphabet

Davina Bell

Jennifer Falkner

Lothian, 2024

32pp., hbk., RRP $A24.99

 9780734422101

A is for aeroplane, all-gone and ant
And the apple you bit and then dropped in a plant
B is for bubbles and bee-buzz in blossoms
For bruises and bottles and bare bathtime bottoms…

Having a toddler in the family can be the most unpredictable, frustrating, laugh-filled time and this fun A- Z romp through the memories is going to put a smile on the face of any parent who has survived those years.  For while the days may seem to be so long, and nap-time becomes a cherished event, the years themselves flash by and suddenly your little one is at big school and developing friendships and a life beyond the home.  And then, days later they are in high school, college and …  Ask me how I know!!!

But while it seems to be a book to gift to a parent who has been through it, it is also a useful adjunct in either the home or the classroom to accompany A. A.  Milne’s The End as we help our newest generation who may be frustrated by challenges like learning to read or ride a bike understand just how far they have come already.  Look at all the things they have achieved and mastered as they have grown and changed. As they investigate the age they were when they reached the traditional milestones of those first few years such as sitting alone, crawling, cutting their first tooth, standing up, walking, climbing, speaking, running, riding a trike or a bike,  starting school and so on, as well as other incidents that gave their parents grief or joy, they can also be developing the concepts of the passage of time as they create a personal timeline and predict their future, realising that even though there may be differences in looks and so on between individuals, most of them went through those same events and in the same order, and understanding measurement as they track their height and mass and other variables.

They could also begin to investigate the development of life around them through traditional topics like the emergence of frogs and butterflies, or even grow a Hairy Harry as they learn to follow instructions.

Sometimes the most unlikely books offer the richest treasures as we help little ones understand their world and develop their investigation skills.

Hairy Harry You need  the foot of a light coloured old stocking  a teaspoon of wheat or grass seeds  2 cups of potting mix  a thick rubber band  a medium size clear glass jar  permanent markers

Instructions  Roll the foot of the stocking down so it is easy to reach the toe. Place the seeds carefully into the toe Carefully unroll the stocking a little. Put the potting mix into the foot of the stocking, placing it carefully on top of the seed. Twist the rubber band around the open end of the potting mix as tightly as you can so the potting mix cannot fall out. Turn it over and gently shape it into a ball.  Be careful not to disturb the seed Use the permanent markers to draw a face on the front of the ball (not the top). Half fill the glass jar with water. Carefully place the head on the rim of the jar so that the loose bit of stocking reaches into the water. Place Hairy Harry in the sunlight and watch as the seeds sends shoots as hair and roots as whiskers.