Three perfect books for bedrime reading.
Angry Owl decides he needs a hobby. He tries playing the guitar, but the other birds all fly away. Rugby? Cooking? Painting? Angry Owl just can’t seem to find anything he’s good at. But in Angry Owl Finds a Hobby, he finally realises that practise makes perfect – and the other birds all agree! Kerryn Ponter wrote the story and drew the perky pictures. Struik Children, R70.
The Sandman’s job is to sprinkle his magic sand over children every night to make them fall asleep. But Mrs Mouse’s 12 children just can’t seem to settle and she’s wondering whether something is wrong with the Sandman’s sand. But it’s the Sandman himself who solves the mystery of why Mrs Mouse’s little ones keep jumping about when they should be asleep. Elana Alberts’ The Sandman’s Sand Isn’t Working is charmingly illustrated by Minette Wasserman. Struik Children, R80.
A sad boy climbs a hill and flops down under a giant old tree. He’s sad because all his friends have new and shiny toys and his only toy is a battered old panda. Then magic happens – the tree takes him on many wonderful imaginary adventures in space, on the ocean and to meet wild animals – showing him a tree is much better than any shiny toy. Marleen Lammers tells the charming rhyming story of The Boy and the Tree, while Anja Stoeckigt drew the enchanting illustrations. Puffin, R120.
