![]() The original title of this book was “Peepo!”Īt first glance, the book is simply an interactive story about a loving family however, the background details reveal a darker side to the story. The loving atmosphere in which the baby lives gives the book a warm feeling, but it is neither simplistic nor sappy. The many British English words and detailed illustrations of, say, coal ovens and double-decker buses provide plenty of opportunities to develop vocabulary and learn about a way of life that may be unfamiliar to readers. Each page contains one or two four-line rhymes, followed by the chance to join in saying “Peek-a-boo!”, good for developing phonological awareness. Turning the page reveals a wider view of each scene of bustling life during WW2 in England, in a cluttered but cozy house strewn with toys and laundry. The most obvious interactive feature that would appeal to babies (6 months and up) is the cutout hole on each page which shows a baby’s view of his world, which focuses on his parents, sisters and grandmother. While the Booklist review on the back of this book recommends it as a first book for babies, it is interesting enough on different levels that it can grow with your child until he or she is an early reader. The book also hides a deeper message about family love in wartime England. ![]() Published 1997, copyright 1981, Viking, The Penguin Group, isbn 0670871923Ī delightful and interactive peek-a-boo book for babies and young children. ![]() It's a fabulous starter for students exploring British homes, work and family life in the last century. As with all books by these authors, Peepo can be poured over again and again, with readers finding something new to ponder each time. The Ahlberg's have a magical way of explaining what can be seen through a child's eyes, without over-complicating things. Readers get the sense that everything in the Peepo house has a purpose and is loved by its family, with nothing carelessly thrown away. You couldn't ask for a more colourful snapshot of daily life in the past with which to compare homes and lives today. We can place the setting in time thanks to picture clues - a Warden checking out a fire in someone's garden Spitfires flying around during a trip to the park a tin bath for baby's bath time a bucket of coal for the Range the Father putting his uniform on, page by page, so by the end of the book he's ready to return to his post. 'Peepo' is a time machine - the "it's bigger on the inside" kind!Įssentially a picture book with rhyming descriptions to tell the story of a day in the life of a family in wartime Britain, the illustrations in this book are the star of the show. There's a reason this book is still popular, especially with younger readers and their teachers, despite recently celebrating its 40th anniversary. This book is an enjoyable read for children in Foundation Stage but once the book is looked at in more details there are plenty of opportunities for book talk, regardless of age, which add to the story and meaning. There is more to this story that meets the eye and that children may not notice straight away, which is that as the story progresses the dad is getting dressed in his uniform, perhaps to go back to war after leave children could also discuss what the dad is doing. This book could also be used with older children, perhaps in year 2 to year 4, to discuss the images (When were they set? What are they Wearing? Do we wear those clothes now?) and that it is set during the war. Children can look through the hole in the centre of the page and try to figure out what else the baby can see and what else is happening in the scene, for example what his dad is doing. I really enjoyed this book and there are lots of opportunities for inference in this book. This book tells the story of what a baby (around 10 months old) sees and does during the day. I believe it could also help children and adults to see life through differing perspectives.Įxcellent book and one that my children never grow tired of, a real bedtime favourite. ![]() It could encourage children to loo at the importance of family. She always relates this story to our family, so I would be the dad and her brother would be the baby and so on. Also she has a baby brother who is of similar age, so it helps her to relate to the story. My daughter loves this book as the well detailed large pictures help her to envisage what he is seeing. So while his Mother is concentrating hard on cleaning, he is aware of numerous events and objects around him catching his attention. Things that perhaps the older children and adults are not noticing as they are so busy doing different things. Just around the age where he is able to sit up himself and is beginning to notice different and fascinating things around him. He seems to be at the age of around 9/10 months old. Peepo is a picture book told from the perspective of a baby boy. ![]()
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