Hairy Maclary, Shoo! By Lynley Dodd

I'm sure many mummies have been in my position before...

Here u r trying to settle ur child down for bed with a book in your hands.. But oh... He's just ever so active... So very much interested still in his new toy soldiers, that a book becomes so very booooring... But u just try...  So u make yourself comfy on the bed and say "Come Ubayd... shall we see what Hairy Maclary is up to today?" The obvious answer would be... "No!"

But you just try... U start... "Hairy Maclary was having some fun, messing about with his friends in the sun. Frisky and skittish, they romped and they ran, when.... "

When I started the story, my 4 year old was still busy with his toys on the floor, while I was on the bed with my 2year old on my lap (also busy doing her own things)... But by the time I came to "When..." my boy came up to me and asked, "let me see, let me see!"

So u have been listening all along haven't u my dear boy... U were actively listening... Caught you!

He continued listening and looking at the book with me for a while, but then went back to his toys... when the story came to the part which required him to guess what would happen next... He said "Let me see! Let me see!"

This continued 2 more times... So as u can obviously see, this book was a hit with my actively listening active 4 year old... I also loved the fact that Lynley Dodd does not shy from using bombastic vocabulary in a children's book.Something which I value as it helps to enrich a child's vocabulary. There r repetitive phrases which also help my kid to practise his reading. 

As for my 2 year old, she asked me to read again ;-) And the 4 year-old returned to his soldiers...

4 stars!