Alrightgames: The Traditional Chinese Game of Mah Jong

The Traditional Chinese Game of Mah Jong

1800s / Tile game / 1-4 players / China

***

I might never play the traditional version like those guys, but the solitaire 'turtle' doesn't take long to set up, and it's more stuff to mess around with.

Alrightgames: Cheeky Monkeys

Cheeky Monkeys

2017 / Spinner game / 2-4 players / UK

***

Ignored in various charity shops, until a dearth of new games and a desperate discount finally made it appealing. It makes her laugh, which already puts it in the top half of the cupboard.

Alrightgames: Usborne Book and Jigsaw – Unicorns

Usborne Book and Jigsaw: Unicorns

***

Didn't have the book, which is the less disappointing way around, but she informed me of all their names.

Minor variations in colour made for a decently mild challenge for a grown-up.

Alrightgames: Little Miss 10-in-1 Puzzle Pack

Little Miss 10-in-1 Puzzle Pack

**

A good-value pack of very little interest to take up a lot of cupboard space for a while.

Babyliography CXL

Rosamund Lloyd and Spencer Wilson, Don't Mix Up My Dinosaur

2023 / Library book / 10 pages / UK

**

Some variety if not hilarity in what the rotating parts represent, and some representation for feathers.

Dr. Caspar Addyman and Ania Simeone, Babies Laugh at Everything

2023 / Library book / 10 pages / UK/Poland

*

A tad over-qualified for a toddler sound book.

Rosie Greening and Stuart Lynch, Never Touch a Grumpy Bat!

2021 / Library book / 12 pages / UK

*

Tactile Halloween special that overlooks quite a major aspect of ghosts, and not just because it's pink.

Minna Lacey and Peter Allen, The Usborne Big Book of the Body

2016 / Library book / 16 pages / UK

***

Glimpsing a muscled skeleton cover on the library shelves, she was curious to know more, so I found the least unsettling option for summer preschool.

Lou Carter and Nikki Dyson, Oscar the Hungry Unicorn Eats Cake

2023 / Library book / 32 pages / UK

**

Halloween next, I bet you.

Babyliography CXXXIX

Charlotte Archer, 700 Stickers: Sparkly Unicorns

2023 / Sticker activity book / 40 pages / UK

***

Sticker activities were a staple of her pre-preschool days, so this was some retro fun. She particularly enjoyed making her own sticker comic, which I'll have to post for posterity.

Yi-Hsuan Wu, Busy Puppies

2022 / Library book / 10 pages / Taiwan

**

She likes some normal animal too.

Roald Dahl, Rachel Godfrey and Catrin Morris, Ladybird Readers: James and the Giant Peach

2021 / Library book / 48 pages / UK

**

These aren't the most gripping adaptations of the classics, but she still enjoyed it enough. The proper ones are waiting on the shelf.

Unknown, Dora the Explorer: The Official Annual

2006 / Hardback / 64 pages / Unknown

**

Interactive adventures abridged to the point of passivity, maybe to give you a break from the taxing puzzles.At least they remembered to include Swiper's catchphrase this time, but you still have to provide the jingles yourselves.

Sam Lloyd, Boris Babysits!

2016 / Library book / 12 pages / UK

***

The velcro critter on the library's copy was flabbergastingly still attached. It's enough to make you question reality.

Babyliography CXXXVIII

Emily Hamilton, The Yawnicorn

2023 / Library book / 32 pages / UK

**

Pretty paperback music box.

Unknown, My Busy Books: My Little Pony

2013 / Book and toys set / 10 pages / UK

**

A no-brainer for £1.99 that also spares us from having to buy some of these characters separately. She will surely agree with that reasoning.

Unknown, Peppa Pig: The Official Annual 2017

2016 / Hardback / 64 pages / UK

***

We're not actively collecting these too, except when they're good value.

Molly Potter and Sarah Jennings, How Are You Feeling Today?

2014 / Library book / 32 pages / UK

***

Surprisingly helpful defuser, so much that we reborrowed.

Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb, Paper Dolls

2012 / Library book / 32 pages / UK

****

Probably her best book. I didn't almost cry over paper people.

Babyliography CXXXVII

Eric Litwin and James Dean, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

2014 / Library book / 40 pages / USA

**

More on form than most of the spin-offs, presumably there are ABC and shapes versions to complete the boxset.

Thomas Docherty, Into the Wild

2023 / Library book / 32 pages / UK

**

Could have done with a few more imaginative zootech chimeras.

Peter Bently and Sarah Massini, A Recipe for Bedtime / Playtime

2015/18 / Library book / preschool book / 64 pages / UK

**

A bit too sickly cute even for the target demographic.

Unknown, My Little Pony Annual 2015

2014 / Hardback / 64 pages / UK

**

Maybe we've read too many of these, but this one seemed subpar. Maybe it was the inevitable pot luck disappointment of the stickers all being used this time. I could hardly save this one for her birthday.

Jon Burgerman, Rhyme Crime

2017 / Library book / 32 pages / UK

***

The criminal aspect was appealing. Loads better than Oi Frog!

Unicorn Adventure, by Aimee

ONE DAY, THERE WERE TWO FRIENDS.

ONE OF THEM HAD WINGS,

THE OTHER ONE DIDN'T HAVE WINGS.

SOMETHING WAS FLOATING IN THE AIR...

THEY WERE DEEP, DEEP, DEEP LOST...

Alrightreads: History

Alan Moore, Voice of the Fire

1996 / Audiobook / 320 pages / UK

***

Borderline incomprehensible, barely worth the effort, but I had to get around to it eventually.

Ian Mortimer, The Time Traveller's Guide to Regency Britain

2020 / Audiobook / 432 pages / UK

****

Incrementally more relatable, apart from the wife sales. I'm looking forward to these catching up and overtaking the present so we can start getting slices of life from the future.

Bob Mortimer, And Away...

2021 / Audiobook / 323 pages / UK

****

Unfathomable anecdotes become borderline believable when given context.

Rhys Hughes, Lovecraft's Chin

2023 / Ebook / 64 pages / UK

**

Relentless chin-based debasement as commentary on bigotry, in the form of crap poetry.

Merlin Coverley, Hauntology: Ghosts of Futures Past

2020 / Audiobook / 320 pages / UK

****

Interesting exploration of vague spoop, though I was distracted by the audiobook narrator's insistence on doing stereotypical accents. I was waiting for an Indian academic to come up, but you'd be hard pressed to find a paler subject.