Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Julia Moscardo Books

Day is drawing to a close at the pond as Mama Goose prepares her five little goslings for bed with the story of Moon’s lullaby that’s just right for children ages 3-7.
Mama Goose and her goslings are preparing for sleep, but not everyone is tired just yet.
“Can we have the story of Moon’s lullaby?” asks one little gosling.
“Yes,” says Mama. “But you will have to be very quiet and listen . . .”
Day is drawing to a close at the pond, but five little goslings aren’t ready to drift into dreaming just yet. Instead, they want to hear their favorite story of Moon’s lullaby. As Mama Goose conjures up the different animals that Moon sings to while night wraps around the world, the little goslings are transported to the heart of this cozy bedtime tale. But soon the little goslings find themselves getting sleepier and sleepier. Will they manage to stay awake for the end of the lullaby?

A beautiful, tenderhearted story about a blended family spending a holiday at the seaside, with feelings about the new family dynamic being expressed through the metaphor of creating sandcastles.

Reading this to a Year 2 girl made evident how captivating the story is: she acted out building a huge sandcastle. She also liked that the boy’s name matched her brother’s and that he and his new stepsister Lula ended up getting along.

For my part, I liked the book’s design (including the indented lettering on the cover & gloss sheen) and I loved the illustrations which really zing: charming domestic scenes, sunlight sparkling on water, and moody coastal atmospheres. We thus observe the ups and downs of Lula and step-brother Theo’s relationship: rocky at times, but showing promise of becoming quite tender. Perhaps this trip to the seaside as a new family, sharing meals and relaxing together, will be more enduring in a way that sandcastles never are.

A real hit to share at home or in school.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments