I want a hippopotamus for christmas

The Frog and Toad books by Arnold Lobel Recommended by Anne Fine, author of Madame Doubtfire, Goggle Eyes and Flour Babies The Frog and Toad books are perfect gifts. Children of three to five adore these wry, intelligent and gentle stories about two very different friends. Frog is patient and modest. Toad is not. But together they face the problems any child will recognise: ice‑creams that melt too fast, an overpowering inability to get out of bed, lost buttons, failure of will power, and all the myriad misunderstandings, anxieties and triumphs of small busy lives. The illustrations are a restful, greeny-brown delight. There’s nothing brash and cartoony about these stories. Though written as simply as fables, the wry humour makes them appeal to a wide age range. No adult I know ever tires of reading them aloud. I’ve seen grown men reduced to tears of laughter by Frog and Toad’s confusions. Crongton Knights by Alex Wheatle Recommended by Nick Shaw, English … [Read more...] about Authors and teachers pick a children’s book for Christmas

PARENTS hoping to snap-up a popular, animated toy bear for their kids at Christmas are having to stump up more than double the price for it on Amazon and eBay. Hasbro's "FurReal Cubby the Curious Bear" has been tipped to be one of the top toys this Christmas. John Lewis, Smyths, and Very were all selling the interactive plush toy for £69.99, while it was £70 at Argos. But it's now sold out at major retailers, including the four listed above, and the toys are instead being sold for a lot more money on Amazon and eBay. On Amazon, third party sellers are listing the toy as new from £122.99, plus £10 delivery - that's almost twice the price you'd have paid elsewhere. We even found one retailer selling the toy for a whopping £159.99, plus £10 delivery, on Amazon - that's more than double its original price.Even to buy it secondhand would set you back from £101.90, plus £2.99 delivery - that's over £30 more than you'd have paid elsewhere for a … [Read more...] about Hasbro FurReal Cubby the Curious Bear selling for more than DOUBLE the price on Amazon and eBay

IF you grew up in the nineties, you might have spent part of your childhood swapping Pokemon cards with your friends on the hunt for the most powerful characters. But it's also possible to make money from them, as some of the cards are now fetching up to £5,300 on eBay. That's a pretty decent price considering Pokemon cards were worth about £3 to £4 per pack in the nineties. So you might want to dust off your old collection, because you could be sitting on a golden treasure trove. Of course, some cards are more valuable than others, as the highest sum ever paid for a single card was £43,450. This was paid for the Pikachu Illustrator card, purchased at an auction in the US in 2016.How to make money from your Pokemon cardsTHE Sun asked collectables expert Tracy Martin for her best tips. Here's what she said: Collect your holographic cards first: They're the most value and there are three different types: some cards have just the Pokemon image holographic, there are … [Read more...] about Your old Pokemon cards could be worth up to £5,300 – we reveal the most valuable

Emmerdale fans have spotted worrying clues that point towards a surprise affair between Belle Dingle and Jamie Tate. Some viewers are convinced that the unlikely pair will embark on a romantic relationship behind their partners' backs. Belle was fuming that Ellis Chapman came back from Dubai unannounced and got a gift for April - but not a sausage for her. While Jamie could want to get revenge on Andrea if he discovers that she slept with Graham Foster, who could be Millie's biological father. Belle and Jamie got very close at the vet's Christmas party and could not keep their eyes off one another. After pointing out she wasn't wearing a Christmas jumper, Jamie said: "Don't worry. You look fantastic." Belle gave Jamie a look while they all sipped mulled wine and ignored a phone call from Ellis. The party was a damp squib and looked like it was coming to an abrupt end when Rhona Goskirk and Vanessa Woodfield ran off. But Belle insisted that Jamie could come out with her and have more … [Read more...] about Emmerdale viewers spot worrying clues to surprise affair between Belle and Jamie

I first met Judith years ago at a Christmas party in a tiny illustration gallery packed to squashing point. I thought she might have had enough of talking to strangers – everyone wanted to meet her – so I decided not to bother her by saying hello. I was wrong about that: Judith liked meeting people. She was charming and funny and, mercifully, even though it was a small talk sort of event, she wasn’t a small talk sort of person. If I could sum Judith up in just one anecdote it would be this one. She was telling me about a family photograph. Her parents are standing looking quite serious, four-year-old Judith and her brother, Michael, are both sitting on tricycles. “I remember feeling very proud and pleased because I had just learned to ride a tricycle and now here I was having my photograph taken. When I looked into the camera I was wondering to myself: ‘Do I look like someone who can ride a tricycle?’” I marvel at this tiny child willing her … [Read more...] about Judith Kerr remembered by Lauren Child