Sweet smells and snuggly stories

If there’s one thing bears do well, it’s smell. And I don’t mean like a pair of old socks (personally, I have a lovely smoky aroma like a mountain forest). I mean we have a powerful sense of smell – I can catch a whiff of a tasty buried morsel from 18 miles away! So I’ve been really enjoying the tantalising wafts and pongs of autumn. Damp grass after the rain, the burny smell of fireworks, the yummy sweetness of a hot chocolate piled with marshmallows – all of it is music to my nostrils.

So I’ve been busy following my nose all over town, only stopping now and then to dive into a big pile of crackly autumn leaves. The days have been disappearing faster than I can say 'Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.' It’s a good thing too, because if I wasn’t rushing around I think I’d be starting to notice the weather getting chilly, and the afternoons getting darker. And I’m not sure I’m ready to go shopping for a new woolly hat and mittens just yet. I have to buy another set every year – when you’ve got claws you have to be very gentle putting on your accessories or they end up cut to ribbons.

As well as finding all the best smells around, I’ve also been sniffing out some great autumn reads. They’re perfect for snuggling up on the sofa with if it’s cold and rainy outside. One is Bears in the Night, by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain, an old favourite featuring my furry friends the Berenstain bears. The book follows them as they sneak out of bed and go on an exciting night-time adventure that takes them under a bridge and through the woods. I won’t spoil the story for you but let’s just say they get a bit of a surprise at the top of Spook Hill…

Another one of my top picks is The Story Blanket, by by Ferida Wolff, Harriet May Savitz, and Elena Odriozola. It's about Babba Zarrah, who tells stories to the children in her village as they sit on her big story blanket. Babba Zarrah uses the blanket to start knitting winter gifts for the villagers, and the blanket gets smaller and smaller. But Babba Zarrah gets her own surprise when the villagers realise what she’s been doing. Every time I read this story I feel like I’m being wrapped up in a big, cuddly, cosy knitted blanket.

What are your favourite books for reading when the weather turns chilly? I’d love to have some more ideas to add to my list. Meanwhile, I think I can smell blueberry muffins baking on the other side of town. See you soon!

in Bookstart | Childrens (under 5) |