Category Archives: 300 Picture Books 2014

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

Just about getting back up to speed with this, which means I really need to put some time aside to comment on all the posts and post April’s books that are still sitting waiting, and set up a new giveaway, and basically stop being generally useless. Thank-you for bearing with me 🙂

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read this week:

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

It’s getting close to half way through the year, and the mid-way target of 150 picture books. From what I’ve seen, many people are already over this. Well done, everyone 🙂

At this point last year we’d already read 300 picture books, but I had one child still at home so I’m amazed we’re at 222 for the year with both in school. I think Goodreads is up to date now, so an update of what we’ve read since the last proper update eight weeks ago is below.

I’m still working on getting up-to-date with everything else. And I still haven’t posted the last prize off – sorry 🙁

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read in last eight weeks:

#300PBs progress: 222/300 = 74.0%
2014vs2013 progress: 222/307 = 72.3%

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

Another week, and things are on the up. I’m writing book reviews, I’m updating Goodreads slowly. I will do comments at some point. I’m still not entirely sure where we are with picture books but think it’s creeping near the 200 if it’s not past already. Onwards and upwards, hopefully I’ll be making tracks in getting #300PBs back up to speed soon 🙂

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read this week:

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

How is it June already? Technically this post should have a giveaway, but as I haven’t even posted April’s yet (sorry!!) and I haven’t reviewed any of the books that I could give away, it’s not happening. Maybe next week if this week goes to plan, as I have two father’s day books – actually, they wouldn’t arrive in time anyway. Er… I’ll have a think.

Please feel free to tweet / email / comment if I’m not following your blog and I haven’t left comments for ages. I’m really going to try this week and I’m feeling more up to it so it’s a good time to grab me! I do like to support other blogs, so am quite happy for unsubtle hints to follow Twitter / Facebook / G+ / Blog / Pinterest. I don’t really do any other social media, and I barely look at G+ or Pinterest, but I can follow 🙂

No idea where I am, or where anyone else is! I think I’ve seen a couple of people sneak towards 300 already – well done to you! ‘On track’ is 125 books, but don’t panic if you’re not there, all reading is good 🙂

Embarrassingly we haven’t been near a library yet this year. This is a bit rubbish but I shall blame the back pain I’ve been suffering with for weeks months and having to carry the books, plus the children being at school means we never really get to a library. This will probably change over the six weeks of summer holiday.

As ever, thank-you everyone who is continuing with this challenge, no matter where you are or whether you post updates or not. We’re all doing brilliantly, regardless of whether we think we are or not!

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read this week:

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

I’m putting this up a day early because I completely forgot last week. I’m still not really blogging or getting anything done. Soon, I hope. Well done to everyone getting through #300PBs and all your excellent posts and book sharing. Thank-you.

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read this week:

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

Where am I? Um… No idea where we are with picture books. Still haven’t caught up with looking after this linky, just huge apologies on how useless I am. I’ve got posts in draft on a bunch of subjects, and now have Hoo’s Kids Book Fest to write about but it’s DH’s 40th birthday this week so I need to get the house vaguely tidy for guests at the weekend or he’ll be tidying on his birthday! Not to mention I haven’t booked anywhere for the meal we’ve invited people to and I haven’t even got him a card. I am so the good wife. Not.

Congratulations to everyone on how well you’re doing. I think we’re way behind most people 🙂

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read this week: TBA

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

Sorry, sorry, I’m just so disorganised and in a muddle at the moment. This moment has been going on for months so I have no excuse. Months? I think I mean years…

This month’s giveaway was the Hoo’s Kids Book Fest ticket that has ended, mostly because I do not have any books ready to give away as I haven’t reviewed them yet. Oops.

Thank-you to everyone who is still linking up. I know I owe you millions of comments, and I’ll be going back and reading lots of posts to make up for it!

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read this week:

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

Sorry for the late arrival of the linky. I really ought to set up some scheduled posts so they appear on time. Really not with it this week. Again.

Next week is May but instead of a book giveaway, this week I have festival tickets on offer. Please join in for tickets to Hoo’s Kids Book Fest. Thank-you.

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read this week: TBA

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

The school holidays meant less time for blogging so I extended my last post to last two weeks. I am so completely behind on adding comments, but it’s a priority job for this week. The mess can wait, blogging is my priority for the next fortnight as I’ve neglected this poor blog for two months now and have so many lovely books to write about.

The winner of the last giveaway was Emma from Bubba Blue and Me. Congratulations, Emma!

I have no idea if I’m up to date on Goodreads, and recently Mr Chaos has been reading books which I haven’t counted because I didn’t read them so there have been more books read. Still in a fairy tale phase with the four year old, with some pirates thrown in…

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read in the last two weeks:

#300PBs progress: 152/300 = 50.7%
2014vs2013 progress: 152/254 = 59.8%

Click on the badge above for details of the 300 picture books challenge and how to join in.

Oh, okay, I never got round to updating last week with a competition so it will be this week after all. And I think I have updated Goodreads at last. We’ve mostly been reading the same things over and over so not many added each week, the 16 below are from the last four weeks (last time I updated oops!)

I owe lots and lots of comments from the last four weeks, thank-you all for your patience, and it’s still been lovely reading about the books even if I haven’t commented.

Thank-you for the comments on whether to do this weekly or monthly. I think I’ll leave it weekly, with the monthly giveaway, and then you can link up whenever you want.

This month’s giveaway has a kind-of specific theme in mind so I’m opening it up to anyone, although #300PB members can get two entries by commenting twice (random selection from comments) – see details below.

Chaos Household ‘new’ picture books read for the last four weeks:

#300PBs progress: 137/300 = 45.7%
2014vs2013 progress: 137/228 = 60.1%

Monthly Giveaway
This month’s prize is a selection of toddler books from Barefoot Books, Little Tiger Press, Bloomsbury Children’s Books and Puffin. This selection would be great for someone with a toddler or pre-schooler and who is expecting, although the books are suitable for any toddlers/pre-schoolers. There are four activity books to keep small children amused in waiting rooms, two books about new siblings, a pack of small picture books that can be easily transported, and a picture book and board book for sharing any time. The titles included are:

Baby Animal Sticker Activities and Farm Sticker Activities (Little Tiger Kids, 2014) – packed full of early learning activities and real-life picture stickers, these books are great for toddlers and pre-schoolers. 80 pages of activities and 200 photographic stickers with RRP £6.99, these are great value for money compared to weekly magazines and excellent quality too. The Little Tiger Kids imprint has impressed me with every one of their books we’ve been sent to review and I only wish I had younger children so I could justify keeping them!
Red, Blue, Peekaboo! Katie Saunders & Annette Rusling (Caterpillar Books, 2014) – an absolutely gorgeous board book with big flaps suitable for the smallest hands. The flaps have cut outs so you can ‘peekaboo’ and guess what’s underneath. With one colour focussed on each page, there’s plenty of learning but even more fun. Another one I want to keep (and at 4 & 7, my two still loved sharing this book together!)
My Little Box of Springtime Stories (Little Tiger Press, 2014) – similar to the mother’s day box, but with an extra book instead of a card, this sturdy cardboard carry-case contains five small paperback versions of Little Tiger Press stories. Great for overnight stays, holidays, waiting rooms, or snuggled up reading anywhere.
Don’t Call Me Sweet: Smriti Prasadam-Halls & Angie Rozelaar (Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2014) – an adorably cute little monster tries to be scary in this cute rhyming tale, until he decides that maybe being sweet is okay after all… Beautifully illustrated fun for little monsters everywhere.
Dotty Spotty Doodles & Zig Zag Zebra – activity books from Barefoot Books.
Ruby’s Baby Brother: Kathryn White & Miriam Latymer (Barefoot Books)
There’s an Ouch in my Pouch: Jeanne Willis & Garry Parsons (Puffin Books)

Baby Animals Sticker Activities; Farm Sticker Activities; Springtime Stories (5 books); Red, Blue, Peekaboo; and Don’t Call Me Sweet were received for review. Dotty Spotty Doodles, Zig Zag Zebra, and Ruby’s Baby Brother are new Barefoot Books from when I was an Ambassador. There’s an Ouch in my Pouch is from a Bookstart pack and has been on our shelves and therefore in good but not as new condition. Lovingly cared for in a smoke & pet free home.

To enter the giveaway, you must* enter the linky and leave a blog comment. The winning entry will be chosen at random from blog post comments. If you don’t leave a comment, I’ll assume you don’t want to enter.
* You can enter by just leaving a blog post comment if you have nothing to link up, just tell me where you are in the challenge or a favourite read from the last week instead. Open to everyone, #300PBs members please leave a second comment for an extra entry.

The giveaway is open to enter until the linky list closes on Sunday 20 April, and a winner will be chosen at random from the comments. This giveaway is not endorsed by the publishers, and postage is paid from my own pocket.  Open to UK addresses only I’m afraid but if you’re based elsewhere and have someone in the UK I can send to, that’s not a problem.