Category: blog

Don’t panic, it’s not some kind of crazy new fad diet involving eating pages from cookery books. So what is it? Skinny Fiction is the craft of telling a story in as few words as possible.

For example,
He watched closely. The target came into view. It was done.

Not the greatest example, I know. If you want to read others, you can either visit our page Skinny Fiction, or check out this fantastic website:

http://garytaaffe.blogspot.co.uk/p/skinny-fiction.html, where you will find a brilliant collection of super-short stories from around the world.

I love this concept because it’s so accessible. I truly believe that anyone could write their own skinny fiction. It may vary in quality, but the possibilities are endless.

If you would like to get involved by adding a story to our page, either leave us a message on the site comments box or email natasha@chickenandfrog.co.uk

We have just received the most beautiful book in our latest delivery. Now obviously all of our books are fantastic, as we are very picky about the choices we make, but this one is particularly special.

My New Granny, written by Elisabeth Steinkellner and delightfully illustrated by Michael Roher, is unlike any book I have ever had the pleasure to read. The subject matter is delicate, as it focuses on Alzheimer’s; in particular the effect that it can have on family life and the relationship between grandparent and grandchild.

What I admire most about this book is its directness, coupled with a gentle humour. Alzheimer’s is an incredibly emotive topic and can be very frightening, not just for the adults, but also for the children who form part of the family unit.

Steinkellner and Roher, in my humble opinion, achieve nothing short of greatness in this thoughtfully told tale. The reader feels empathy, not sympathy for the characters and that’s what is so special about this book. Empathy is a far more useful reaction than sympathy, because it allows us to remain rational. Feeling sorry for a family or individual is all well and good, but isn’t it better to gain an understanding if their situation, rather than simply get upset?

If you know someone going through the trials of Alzheimer’s and are struggling to explain it a child, I’d look no further than this powerful story.

Mr Frog and I were happily chatting to a lovely couple this week about the merits of reading from a young age and how important it is, especially in this age of technology, that children are still exposed to books of all kinds.

That got Mr Customer reminiscing about a favourite book from childhood, Perez the Mouse. He couldn’t remember the author or exactly what the story was, but he did know that he cherished it and would love to find a copy. So, Mr Frog did a bit of research and came up with a reproduced copy taken from the original (well, the original translated edition).

Mr Customer was delighted and has ordered said copy. A happy ending indeed.

The dreaded phrase that unites parents across the world. You know the situation, right? A day trip has been planned for one of those rare days off, and it just has to go well. None of the children want to visit the same place, money is tight and, oh what a shocker, there’s an unprecedented rainstorm/heatwave (delete as appropriate).

So, what to do? Well, as luck may have it, we have just the solution if you live in or around London – or perhaps you are taking a family holiday to the capital?

We have been into London many times with varying degrees of success. London can be expensive and getting there is not always necessarily cheap or easy. Also, if you’re going say, to the Natural History Museum, how much attention do you honestly pay to the rest of your surroundings? If, when you get home the response to ‘What was your favourite part of the day?’ is generally ‘Lunch’ or ‘The rat I saw on the Underground‘, then your heart sinks a little and you mutter something unbloggable!

Have no fear good reader, because Step Outside Guides are here to rescue you. Each book (there are three in the series so far, but here’s hoping for more) is just £5. Have a look at the ‘Ready, Steady, Go!’ page for your starting station and away you go. The guides lead you around London on fascinating trails. The books are packed full of ideas for rest stops, places to eat (free picnic spots) and (the best bit for me), the format encourages the children to take the lead. Each trail tells you the distance and estimated time, meaning that you can choose the perfect route for your family.

The London Lion Hunt is a great example of these adventures – you will be amazed how many lions exist in London. This is an ideal way of learning all about London, without the use of Google or Wikipedia!

The books are available in-store at Chicken and Frog Bookshop, but if you are not a local, do check out the website to purchase one of these innovative guides. Make this the beginning of a wonderful new adventure!

http://stepoutsideguides.com

We get asked for lots of different types of books and one subject comes up time and again. The toilet! Being a slightly harassed mum of three lovely children, I know all too well the trials and tribulations of potty training. Let me just say here that I am by no means an expert and I am always a little suspicious of those who claim to be. However, I have been through it with three very different children and survived to tell the tale.

This blog is a review of the Dorling Kindersley ‘Potty Time’ series (Boys and Girls), which takes you and your child through some of the practical steps of reaching the ‘dry’ goal. To lighten the mood, I will also take a look at Tony Ross’ ‘I Want My Potty’, a fabulous picture book which takes a slightly less conventional approach to becoming nappy-free!

Boys’ Potty Time £4.99 ISBN 978-1-40535-255-0      Girls’ Potty Time £4.99 ISBN 978-1-40535-256-7

The ‘Potty Time’ books are well designed, made out of a resilient glossy board. This may seem unimportant, but if the book holds up to endless readings and the odd throw across the bathroom floor, then it is half way to being a winner before you even open the pages. The books take the child through the various stages of transition between nappies and pants or knickers, from buying ‘grown-up’ underwear to the final success of using the potty or toilet.

What I really like about this particular series is the simplicity of it. The photographs are bright and clear, picturing a range of children. The graphics are coupled with minimal text which will engage your child, without over-complicating the matter. There’s a cute little teddy bear who takes the same journey as the child, earning his or her stickers (located at the back of the book) as each new stage is achieved.

As I have said, I am no expert, but I can certainly testify to the power of the reward sticker, as both a parent and teacher. Receiving a small, manageable reward can be a great incentive for children. What I would say is that once they have earned a sticker it should never be taken away, even if they go a little backwards in their journey. In fact, the book validates the fact that accidents happen and that it’s ok to make mistakes. Too true, learning to use the toilet can be a tricky business for some.

Today’s second potty-related book is a little different. Tony Ross uses a great deal of humour to tell the story of the feisty Little Princess, as she battles with the potty. Initially the Little Princess is not at all impressed with the idea of using the potty, as is illustrated below:

But, in time she learns that the potty is indeed ‘the place’ and learns to love it. I remember very well reading and then re-reading this gem to my children, as we encouraged them to take the brave leap from nappy to knickers!

This particular book comes in a range of formats, including both paperback and board, however I would suggest that the board book version is the most suitable considering the age of the child it is aimed towards. The illustrations are vibrant and amusing, pulling the child in to the world of the Little Princess. Although this book does not take you through how to achieve becoming dry, it does highlight the fact that you need to tackle the change with a degree of firmness, but also a large helping of good humour. The reality is that most children are not ‘text book’ and just because the milestone suggests 2 years of age, your child may not be ready until they are older and that’s ok!

£5.99 ISBN 9780862649654

As this year draws to a close I thought that it was time to reflect a little. This time last year things were very uncertain for us; Mr Frog’s job was looking shaky at best and we had no idea what the future held for us and our wonderful children.

Did Mr Frog find a new job? No, although not for the want of trying. In these tough times it’s not so easy out there. I had already stepped up to working five days a week and although I love my ‘day’ job, it wasn’t exactly ideal. What did we do? We decided to go a bit crazy and start chasing an old dream. After over twenty years of having ‘wouldn’t it be nice’ conversations we started saving like mad and went for it.

It took a while, but at the end of October our dream became a reality when Chicken and Frog Bookshop opened its purple door to the public of Brentwood and beyond. What a busy couple of months it has been for us. Our fantastic children have taken the massive changes in their stride and our parents have been so immensely supportive, we truly couldn’t have taken such a huge leap of faith without them.

What does the New Year have in store for us? Who knows! We have secured a grant from the Brentwood Localism Share Fund, which means that our Family Learning Project will soon benefit local families, our tuition centre continues to grow, children’s parties are booking up, our first creative writing competition is launching…the list goes on.

All that is left to say is a huge thank-you to those who have supported us in the last few months and here’s to an exciting, hugely successful 2013 for everyone.