As Nadja and I are both bookworms, we want to foster a love of reading in children. In particular, we wish to give them the confidence to read in English, even if it is not their first language, by making learning the language a positive experience.

English has become part of our everyday lives. The earlier children are introduced to it, the easier it is for them to feel at ease with this important global language. Our rhymes help children to explore the rhythm of the language and develop a feel for English.

As a teacher, I am an advocate of multisensory methodology. Not only does it help children learn new topics more easily, but it also builds strong connections in their brains, supporting long-term memory. Read my Teaching tips to find out more about this approach and how to implement it into your lessons.

Furthermore, Nadja and I strongly believe in the importance of family time and shared experiences and therefore included many social activities in our books. Brown Owl visits the zoo with his friends (Book 2), they prepare for a birthday party together (Book 3), the family visits relatives down in Devon for Christmas (Book 7) and so on.

We stand for sustainability and incorporate it into our stories. Brown Owl celebrates his birthday (Book 3) without the need for plastic or balloons. His birthday meal is cooked from scratch at home. At the zoo (Book 2), the friends bring their own picnic. They take the bus to the beach (Book 4) where they have another picnic and drink water from reusable glass bottles. Book 5 helps children understand the importance of bees. In Book 7, they travel by train to visit their family at Christmas.

Overall, our aim is to encourage children to read and learn English and to inspire a love of nature.