Rush Hour and a Book = a great present

When I took my eldest to the open night for the primary school we were considering sending him to they must have had all their resources out to ensure kids (and parents) got enthusiastic about the school. I remember that night that Jude spent a long time working on this ‘game’ and was totally enthralled by it. Naturally, it went onto a list for the next gifting opportunity.

More of a puzzle than a game, Rush Hour is produced by Think Fun, which specialises in games that require logic and problem-solving. It comes with 40 puzzle cards – which get progressively more difficult – but your mission is always to move the red car off the game board.

Kids as young as 5 can start enjoying this game but it will still be challenging for adults. The books below that I recommend pairing with Rush Hour are varied. Some go along with the car/traffic/race theme while others are well suited to puzzlers.

The Princess and the Pit Stop, by Tom Angleberger and Dan Santat

The Princess is determined to win this car race, but to do so she’ll have to get by all and sundry from the world of fairytales. This action-packed picture book is filled with vibrant colour and fun characters. There are also a lot of wordplays that will be funny to older kids and adults. Be sure to have your commentator’s voice on when you read this one aloud to the kids.

Olivia’s Secret Scribbles: Box Car Racers, by Meredith Costain and Danielle McDonald

This is one I reviewed for ReadingTime.com.au. Click here for the full review.

If I Built a Car, by Chris Van Dusen

A fabulous rhyming book about where one kid’s imagination can take him. Almost Seussical in it’s extravagance, this detailed and vibrant picture book will ignite creativity in kids. When there are no limits, children can dream big, and this book will help them.

I reviewed this a number of years ago, and I’m still in awe of the detail of the chrome in the illustrations. Kids might not notice, but that level of commitment to the illustrations is masterful.

Go, Dog. Go!, by P.D. Eastman

This is one from my childhood. With so much sentimentality attached, it’s difficult for me to be objective about this book. When I read it aloud to my kids I didn’t get the same feelings I had as a kid. That’s probably because this book is for children who are learning to read independently. The words are repetitive to help kids learn and feel confident. The storyline is simple, so the focus can be on decoding the words. This might not seem like a glowing recommendation, but honestly, I would suggest this as a classic for every family to experience at least once.

The Eleventh Hour and Enigma, by Graeme Base

Graeme Base is a true Australian legend. His picture books have become classics in his lifetime. It’s a wonder to me that someone with such talent would dedicate his efforts to creating works for children. These two made it on to this list, not because of the strong storylines and well-written verse, but because of the codes and puzzles they contain. Kids will have to be eagle-eyed observers and meticulous code breakers to get the answers right.

Winterhouse, byBen Guterson

I first reviewed this book for a post about middle-grade Christmas-themed chapter books. It is set during Christmas time, though that is only part of the story. A large part of the story involves the main character, Elizabeth, sleuthing and code-cracking. She and her friend, Freddie, use a pretty serious code to encrypt messages to each other.

I recommed this for kids 9+, this would work really well around Christmas time.