Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too
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The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Anna Dewdney's Nelly Gnu and Daddy Too is a rhyming picture book about a girl and her dad -- who happen to be gnus -- building a playhouse out of a cardboard box. It's a fun book featuring a sweet, cheerful character from the popular Llama Llama series. It's all happy, with no conflict, and simple rhymes that make it great for read aloud and perfect for bedtime.
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What's the story?
Nelly Gnu shows how much fun you can have when your can-do dad helps you helps you transform a cardboard box into a cool playhouse. He measures, saws, tapes and draws, and they both add glue and paint. They go on a "big adventure to the store!" to buy paints and brushes, and Nelly gets lost for a second by Daddy quickly finds her. They return home to paint the little house, enjoy a family dinner that Daddy cooks, and read books together before bed. "Every night and every day,/ Daddy makes it all OK."
Is it any good?
Nelly Gnu, a character from the popular Llama Lama books, gets her own spin-off tale, and it's a winner. Llama Lama always seems to have dilemma or learn a lesson in his stories. But this one is pure joy -- simply a celebration of how fun it can be to do stuff with your dad.
But it's not drippy and sentimental. Nelly and her dad work on a project together as partners and enjoy the satisfaction of creation. The simple rhymes make it a fun read aloud, perfect for bedtime, too.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about dads. What's fun about them? What's you favorite thing to do with your dad?
Why do you think so many picture books feature animal characters? What's fun about seeing animal families act like human families?
Make something out of a cardboard box like Nelly does. Ask your dad to help you design and paint it.
Book details
- Author: Anna Dewdney
- Illustrator: Anna Dewdney
- Genre: Picture Book
- Topics: Book Characters, Brothers and Sisters, Great Girl Role Models, Wild Animals
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Viking Juvenile
- Publication date: May 9, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 3 - 5
- Number of pages: 40
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: May 14, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love picture books and animal stories
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