‘Belle and Boo’ Picture Books
Home »
ChickPea has a golden halo of curls, chubby cheeks and a gorgeous smile full of too-big- for-her-mouth teeth. My nan says she looks like one of the babies from the ‘Sunshine Milk’ tins of her childhood. Sadly, at this stage, ChickPea does not have the happy disposition to match the cuteness! In fact everyone in the family regularly says ‘well it’s a good thing you are so cute’ as ChickPea AKA ‘The Destroyer’ rages around the house. We’re convinced she’s going to be a delightful teenager… 
For this classic/retro/old-school looking baby, there was no choice for her first birthday theme but a Belle and Boo theme. I spied the Belle and Boo range on Lark some time ago and was a bit over excited about the old fashioned, not too girly (no pink!) party range.
Just in time for ChickPea’s first birthday, ‘Belle and Boo and the Birthday Surprise’ was released. Since then Mandy Sutcliffe has written and illustrated ‘Belle and Boo and the Yummy Scrummy Day’ and ‘Belle and Boo and the Goodnight Kiss’. Belle is the little girl, Boo is her pet/toy rabbit, and oh how I wish rabbits were allowed in Queensland- guinea pigs just don’t have the same appeal! Each of the three books starts with the line “This is Belle, and this is Boo. They are always together –on sunny days, rainy days and dreamy let’s-be- lazy days”. All three books also all have matching endpapers…and I do so like a good endpaper.
The ‘Belle and Boo’ stories are just delightful and the illustrations are exquisite. For me ‘Belle and Boo’ is a wonderful blending of the best of Milly-Molly-Mandy and the best of Winnie-the-Pooh. It’s lovely to take a break from modern picture books and escape into the dreamy world created by Mandy Sutcliffe…I’d like to stay a while actually, and go hunting for blackberries! Belle reminds me of a female version of Christopher Robin-she is at all times in charge, there are no adults present in the stories and Belle and Boo are the very best of friends, as were Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh.
After reading ‘Belle and Boo and the Yummy Scrummy Day’ PudStar and I made baked apples with blueberries as Belle does. I was hopeful that like Boo, the smell would entice her. Sadly it didn’t and The Destroyer ate them both.
Boo and his carrot eating also reminded Pud that I promised we’d plant more carrots. We’ve been planing carrots since first reading ‘Parsley Rabbit’s Book About Books’…with some sucess and a few failures, that’s gardening with children for you!
You can purchase the Belle and Boo products and some books from Lark. Belle and Boo books can be purchased by clicking on the covers below.
ChickPea is getting the Belle and Boo trinket boxes and star charts from Lark for her second birthday…because I live in hope that one day she will earn a star. I’ve also pre-ordered the Belle and Book sticker books, which are released in July.
Do other people have children who only eat the icing?
Looking for more great book reviews and recommendations? I’m Megan Daley and you can find out more about me here.
My book recommendations (for babies to young adults) is here and you can peruse ALL of my reviews (searchable by age, genre and theme) here.
Check out my mini ebook, 'What to Read Next' or sign up for my FREE webinar, '3 Tips to Start the Best Book Club Ever'.
You might also like:
About Me
SOCIAL
Subscribe
RECENT BOOK ReVIEWS
Oh I LOVE Belle & Boo too! They just released the fabric range in Australia so I purchased Ava & Friends and had it made into a doona cover for Miss O! Such a sad story behind Ava’s range but we will be celebrating in August with a tea party just like the beautiful Belle & Boo print that will have plenty of cupcakes with just the icing eaten!
Lark is an amazing shop, and I had no idea that Belle & Boo books existed until now. Thanks for sharing!
I know! I saw the Lark products first too! Then found the books…double win!
Delightful as ever Megan. I hope chickpea manages to get herself a star one day too! Xox
I’m hoping she’ll one day get a star on a chart…maybe when she’s 10?
Count me in Megan! I love Mandy Sutcliffe’s gorgeous Belle and Boo … so nostalgically sweet.
We just got Belle and Boo and the Goodnight Kiss from the library and love it! Love the review. And far better to have a delightful teenager than a sweet tempered one year old – that’s what I told myself tonight too when being screamed at “DON’T WASH YOUR HAIR MAMA! NOOOOOO!!!!” xx
Thank you so much for sharing the wonderful belle and boo books. I had never heard of them before!
I love finding a new book!
Beautiful Megan! They have that look that just screams read it with nanna! Love love love all the accessories too. In your words…oh how I do love a good accessory!
Yep my nan LOVES them!
These sound like lovely stories for little girls, and I can absolutely imagine you “staying a while” and hunting for blackberries
mind the girls for me while I go Aunty Aym????
Thank you so much for introducing me to the gorgeous Belle and Boo range. I have never seen them before our lark but I am certainly going to get some now to share with my little Lily. Thanks again. 🙂
nice finding a new book isn’t it!
Wow – these books look fabulous and the rest – wow – what a bonus!!
They are lovely indeed!
I love your frankness! Your girls are certainly characters! You will never have a boring life Megan. The Lark website looks like a very dangerous place to visit. [Those 4 (not really) sentences sound weird together but it is always funny to know how to write online.]
I saw Miss Catherine last night and she said the same thing!!! xxx
Ohhh I may of just made it in time for this beauty ! I would have trouble sharing these gorgeous pieces with my girls! Straight to the pool room I say ……or more like just straight to Mummy’s office instead!
he he he…I have terrible trouble ‘sharing’ some of my most favourite picture books!
Thanks for introducing me to what looks like some lovely books. Love the photo of the cupcake minus the icing 🙂
WHY OH WHY can’t they eat the whole cake?!
Love these…but also love my Milly-Molly-Mandy …just need grandchildren to read the too……but I work in a school library and I know some of our students would love to read these……
I love Milly-Molly-Mandy also! My Belle and Boo books at school are ALWAYS out!