Book of the Week - The Shopping Basket by John Burningham

The children have enjoyed story sessions focused on this book which is all about Steven going shopping and then having lots of problems with various animals on the way. Luckily he thinks of a solution each time. This story has a repetitive structure which helps the children follow what is going on and it is about a familiar environment so children may recognise some things from their own local environment such as the shop, the railings and the people digging up the pavement. This book is also excellent for mathematics because there are 6 eggs, 5 bananas, 4 apples, 3 oranges, 2 doughnuts and 1 packet of crisps to start with and then 1 gets taken away each time. Using real objects helps children engage with the story and can also help extend their vocabulary and their knowledge as they help act out the story.