Okay, so I have to admit; when I read about “Learn To Tie A Tie With The Rabbit And The Fox: Story With Instructional Song” I did laugh just a bit – I mean, why can’t mum or dad just do the parent thing and dish the dirt on how to tie a tie.

Then it dawned on me; Sybrina Durant’s book uses both song and humour to teach boys and girls about tying ties – to be honest, I don’t think I know a tie-tying song off the top of my head.

I also don’t see the humour in the whole business so perhaps a book is not such a bad idea? And anyone who can write 24 pages on how to teach children to tie a tie deserves attention.

The story’s about a little rabbit that races through the forest mimicking the motions of tying a tie in an effort to escape the snapping jaws of the very hungry fox.

It could be kind of a cool gift for a son, grandson or nephew who is about to start school, or is old enough to engage in the very grownup task of wearing a tie.

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I recently read a statistic saying that 40 per cent of parents repeatedly cook the same seven meals for their toddler.

If you feel like adding some new recipes to your repertoire, you might want to check out new cookbook for children by kiddy food brand Ella’s Kitchen.

Recently launched “Ella’s Kitchen: The Cookbook (The Red One)” includes 100 “easy, tasty and healthy” recipes for young families and is full of fun ideas for getting children involved in preparing, cooking and exploring food.

Packed with both dinner and pudding ideas as well as snacks, light meals and breakfast ideas, the book contains twists and shortcuts that aim to make life easier for busy parents. – Yes please!

The recipes featured in ‘Ella’s Cookbook’ cater for babies starting solids and then ‘from mush to mash and beyond’ – toddlers too.

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Okay mums and dads; it really is time to get with the techno-programme. Mr Men is going digital!

Mr Greedy, Nosey, Sneeze, Happy, Tickle, Bump and company will all be available via e-book for the first time…soon! The e-books will be compatible with Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD, as well as Kindle reading apps for iPad and Android based devices too.

There are also plans for i-books and apps, and content spanning all digital platforms. Woop woop!

Amazon has even created a dedicated Mr Men store on its .co.uk site. Now you know that this launch is going to be huge.

Did you know that a Mr Men book is now sold every 2.5 seconds worldwide (check out the website) if you think I’m spewing nonsense)? Imagine how this figure is going to escalate once the digital effect takes on.

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Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy the dog – the Famous Five of course! Who hasn’t read Enid Blyton’s adventure series?

George was my favourite; the girl who could do everything a boy could – and better.

The Famous Five ate (copious amounts), played, adventured, explored, solved mysteries and sent ‘baddies’ to jail. They were awesome! And they turn 70 this year!

Can you believe it? I don’t feel like it was that long ago that I was nestled in my comfy bed reading about Kirrin Cottage and Treasure Island (just 20 of odd years or so – eeek!).

To celebrate the Famous Five’s 70th birthday, five genius illustrators (Quentin Blake, Helen Oxenbury, Emma Chichester Clark, Oliver Jeffers and Chris Riddell) have banded together to reinterpret the covers for the first five adventures. And they are gorgeous – CLICK HERE to view!

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As you’re gadding about with your family, exploring the beautiful English countryside and becoming better acquainted with the vast landscape of the country’s history, be warned; your children may not be as enthusiastic as you.

And we should understand why; I mean, what’s the big deal about a heap of old stones or a vast expanse of grass? Of course we know that history defines culture and culture defines identity. History exists as fiction as well as fact. It is often subjective; history is a story. The story of man.

The importance of teaching history to children should not be questioned!

As the daughter of a history teacher, I have inherited a natural love for the subject. My mom always imparted interesting pieces of information but, more significantly, she helped me to realise that history is full of characters – funny, crazy, brilliant, barbarous, fearsome characters. And that’s why I love it.

I recently discovered an awesome series of books called ‘My Royal Story’ to help in teaching history to children. The collection features stories from the past told from the perspective of the women the affected. The fictional diaries take readers into the hidden lives of real royal-born girls from across the globe and ages.

In Ancient Egypt, feisty Cleopatra fights to establish herself in a male-dominated world, while in eighteenth-century France, a young Marie Antoinette has a recurring nightmare about the broken head of her porcelain doll.

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