I've written about this Children's Illustrated Internet Linked Encyclopedia before, the last time was September last year, but now it's part of the WHSmith 'clearance books' section so this may well be your last chance to grab a copy - it'll set you back all of £3.39, its full price was £19.98.

• Click HERE to take a look at the Children's Illustrated Internet Linked Encyclopedia

When I was little I was a regular visitor to the local library.  I loved the kid's story book section, but I was always fascinated by the reference books section upstairs.

The entire floor was dedicated solely to dictionaries, encyclopedias, volumes and volumes of English case law and Hansard reports and archives of the local papers going back over 100 years; seeing that amount of knowledge and information just begging to be discovered was amazing to me and when I was nowhere to be seen in the kiddies section, upstairs is where I'd always be found!

My 'thing' for reference books remains just as strong today, so when I saw this Children's Illustrated Internet Linked Encyclopedia, there really was no question as to whether I'd buy it or not; I gave a copy to my youngest son for Christmas and he regularly dips in and out of it to help him with his homework, or just because he's thought of something and wants to find out about it.

It contains spectacular illustrations, photographs and maps.  There are thousands of entries on a huge range of topics and up-to-the-minute coverage of world events, and you can jump from one entry to another and find out more with comprehensive cross-references and there are hundreds of expertly selected links that will take you to the best websites for each topic.

This is such a wonderful book; it's big and hefty (hardback too, so it's robust) and, quite frankly, I think it should be standard issue for every child starting school - I can't wax lyrical about it much more so I'll just leave you to go and buy a copy whilst you still can!

Happy internet linking and learning!

The Works are selling this Horrible Geography Book Collection for £9.99, rather than its full £59.90 price.

• Click HERE to take a look at the Horrible Geography book collection

I've written Horrible Histories twice and had to delete and replace with Geography - that's how used I am to the Horrible Histories series!  I have to say that this Horrible Geography book collection looks like it will be just as fun and informative too.

Ten books make up the collection and the titles include:

• Violent Volcanoes
• Odious Oceans
• Stormy Weather
• Raging Rivers
• Desperate Deserts
• Freaky Peaks
• Bloomin' Rainforests
• Monster Lakes
• Earth-Shattering Earthquakes and
• Cracking Coasts

If you have a youngster who loves asking questions about the world they live in, and likes to know things, then this Horrible Geography book collection is going to appeal to them - a LOT.

Full of interesting and gruesome facts the Horrible Geography books have what kids love - gore and knowledge about 'stuff'.

I've got a couple of free delivery codes for you to use too, either:  FREE12 or FREE412 so £9.99 is going to be your total outlay a Horrible Geography book collection.

Thanks to Syzable at HUKD

If you're looking for a fun way to introduce the alphabet, then you could do worse than taking a quick look at these Noddy ABC Books that come with a play mat and flash cards - Reader's Digest are selling the set for £4.99.

• Click HERE to take a look at these Noddy ABC books

"Noddy...(Noddy)...The little boy with the red and yellow car..." well that's that Noddy theme tune in my head for the rest of the day now! None of my children have ever been huge fans of Noddy, I don't know what it was about him that didn't 'do it' for them but whenever he came on TV they'd wander off and go and find something else to do or play with.

However, as they were (and still are) all bookworms I'm sure they would have found him more engaging in these Noddy ABC books - I love that there's a play mat and flash cards to integrate too, it just makes the whole learning experience a little more three dimensional, if you know what I'm getting at.

The books are wipe-clean and the entire set has been designed to keep youngsters interested whilst helping them get to grips with letters, numbers and basic spellings; I think it's fab and if I had a little one about to embark on this very fundamental bit of learning, it would already be in my shopping basket!

Thanks to saint_714 at HUKD

If you order these three Fuzzy Fun books together, you'll pay just £2.97 for them and get them delivered for free - their full retail price would be £14.97.

• Click HERE for Fuzzy Fun Counting
• Click HERE for Fuzzy Fun Colours
• Click HERE for Fuzzy Fun First Words

Hands up who remembers Fuzzy Felt?!  I had two Fuzzy Felt sets when I was a little girl and can picture them clear as day as I write this post; wow, I loved my Fuzzy Felt.

All the fuzzy felt pieces that come with each book can be safely stored away in the plastic tray/holder/container 'thing' that's built into the book cover. The book pages have simple text that will guide your child as to where they should place the fuzzy pieces on the page which is great, but if your children are anything like mine were, there'll be fuzzy pieces wherever they DECIDE to put them on the page.

Ordering the three Fuzzy Fun books together takes you over the £2.50 minimum order value to qualify for free delivery and, let's face it, one Fuzzy Fun book just isn't going to be enough.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD

ChoicesUK win the award for my Deal of the Day - they're selling this First Questions And Answers book collection of 10 books for just £3.99, the full list price is £59.99.

• Click HERE to take a look at the First Questions and Answers book collection

If you've been reading my PlayPennies posts for a while you'll know I'm something of a book fan, especially if those books are educational - this First Questions and Answers book collection most definitely fits that bill.

Kids ask questions, LOTS of them, so this First Questions and Answers book collection of 10 books is bound to appeal to most of them.  They'll find the answers to the questions that have been burning away in their minds and undoubtedly some they hadn't already thought of.

This particular First Questions and Answers book collection focuses on animals, so if you have an animal lover in your family then this is going to be ideal, and answers questions about kittens right through to why pandas are endangered.

Each book is packed with bright illustrations and has activity panels on each page, giving tips on how to extend the subject learning, and there are fun quizzes at the back too.

This is SUCH a bargain, as far as I'm concerned, I'll be surprised if it stays in stock for long.

Thanks to andywedge at HUKD

If you're looking for an atlas suitable for kids (full-blown adult atlases can be a bit much to deal with when you're small) then I suggest you take a look at this Children's World Atlas on sale at Red House Books.

Its usual price is £12.99, you can pick one up from Red House for £6.49; I have a free delivery code for you too - it's R3DFR33.

• Click HERE to have a look at the Children's World Atlas

My youngest is having to get his head around geography; a book very similar to this Children's World Atlas has helped him enormously.  If you've been a PlayPennies reader for a long time then you'll know that I bounce backwards and forwards between the UK and South Africa quite often - it's far easier to explain, to Edward, where I'm going by showing him the relevant atlas pages.

My mum and dad live in Italy and when Edward and his dad went over to stay with them last October, our version of the Children's World Atlas came in handy again.

I have cousins that live in Spain and Finland, a friend in Norway (who has a son born in the same month as Edward) along with friends in Dubai, Japan, Australia and the United States - with this many friends and family scattered all across the globe, referring to a Children's World Atlas makes seeing where everyone is in relation to each other much easier to grasp and opens up a whole host of learning opportunities too.

I've always been a fan of reference books and still prefer to look at places, with kids, in books like this Children's World Atlas, rather than online with Google Maps - I feel we need to keep books 'alive' before they fall out of favour and print forever!

Which would/do you prefer to look at with your child - a Children's World Atlas book or Google Maps on the computer?

Happy atlas page-turning!

This Human Body 3D Pop-Up book is on sale with The Book People for £3 instead of its full list price of £12.99; awesome.

• Click HERE to take a look at the Human Body 3D pop-up book

I'm currently studying anatomy which includes, in serious detail, muscle physiology and if you don't love it then, WOW, would it be heavy going what with sarcoplasm, mitochondrion and all those myofibrils!

Thankfully, this Human Body 3D pop-up book looks like it will be very informative and educational whilst being fun and engaging at the same time, because the information isn't contained in the book alone - your computer and webcam also come into play.

To quote the official blurb about the Human Body 3D pop-up book,

The incredible on-screen pop-ups allow children to get inside the body and see the way it works from all angles, while the detailed facts, stats and figures make this hardback a top learning experience

It sounds properly great to me - I think I might even buy one for myself to lighten up my anatomy revision!

A single item delivery charge of £1.95 will apply if this is all you order from The Book People - a small price to pay for such a great book, in my humble opinion.

Happy anatomy learning!

The Book People are selling these four educational Peek a Boo Penguin books for £4.99 instead of £15.96.

• Click HERE to take a peek at the Peek a Boo Penguin books

No one is ever too young to be given books and these four Peek a Boo Penguin books are just perfect for young minds to get to stuck into.  The four titles included are:

• Colour and Shape
• Numbers and Counting
• Sounds and Letters and
• Ready for Reading

Along with introducing early learning concepts, the pages of each Peek a Boo penguin book contain brightly coloured illustrations and photographs, are brightly coloured and have lots to do and discover - like a Peek a Boo penguin on each page to find.

If you're having a party for a youngster soon a few Peek a Boo Penguin book collections, split up, are well worth considering for inclusion in party bags - personally I'd rather give a young child a book to take home rather than a bit of plastic tat that costs the same and will just end up being thrown away after five minutes.

A single item delivery charge of £1.95 will apply if you only order these lovely Peek a Boo Penguin books - free delivery doesn't kick in until your order is over £15.

Happy reading!

This Klutz Book of Animation is ABSOLUTELY the last thing I'm buying my youngest for Christmas!

• Click HERE to get animated over at Amazon

Disaster struck last week - I'd bought the LEGO Darth Vadar Mini-Figure Clock I told you about and it was in the kitchen, ready and waiting to go upstairs.  My youngest and his dad made an impromptu visit and it was SPOTTED!!

Having been categorically told, "I don't like alarm clocks..." I'm now debating whether to take it back and replace it with this Klutz Book of Animation instead; I think I might...I hate being present busted!

So, this book - it looks rather awesome (watch the little video on Amazon) and looks like it will provide hours of fun not just on Christmas Day, but for days, weeks and months after that.

It will teach you how to make stop-motion animation and includes: animation software, one blob of plasticine clay, googly eyes (you've got to love googly eyes!) and links to Klutz created sample videos.

I can picture it now: the hottest new name in animation is being interviewed about their latest blockbuster that has smashed all previous animation records, "So, how did you get involved in animation?"  

"Well, it all started when I was given a Klutz Book of Animation for Christmas one year..."

The usual price for the Klutz Book of Animation is £12.99; you can pick it up for £8.93 until Amazon change the price.

Happy Animating!

If you missed this Children's Illustrated Internet Linked Encyclopedia deal the last time I wrote about it, back in July, then make sure you take advantage of this time!

• Click HERE to go over to WHSmith

SO, back in July this fabulous deal appeared.  I wrote about it and that very same day found myself in WHSmith buying a copy for my youngest son for Christmas.

It is a STUNNING book; my mum and I spent a good hour flicking through it when we got home.

The illustrations are fabulous and most things, if not all, are cross referenced within the Encyclopedia itself so you can beetle off and learn more about whatever it was you were looking at, AND there are links to relevant internet sites that have been tested and are safe and reliable.

The language is pitched perfectly too - it's written in nice, simple terms that kids will easily understand without it being babyish or dumbed down; it really is very well done.

If you have a little one who asks lots of questions, or you want to develop a young enquiring mind then I really can't recommend this Children's Illustrated Internet Linked Encyclopedia enough.

It's currently on sale at Smiths for £3.50, instead of £19.98 and you can arrange for free collection from your nearest store too.

Thanks to isobel1 at HUKD

The Book People are selling these fantastic Letts Fun Learning Collections for £6 each, instead of £23.92.

• Click HERE for the Letts Fun Learning Collection for ages 3 to 5 years
• Click HERE for the Letts Fun Learning Collection for ages 5 to 6 years

My school years have recently been brought back to my close attention with an impending '21 years on - Class of 1990 School Reunion'.

It's funny seeing everyone all grown up and memories of my last years at school have come flooding back.

Letts revision and study guides were a prominent feature in my last couple of years of study and were very useful.

I've also bought various Letts learning books for my older two children as they've moved through their school careers, now it's the turn of my youngest to learn along with Letts.

Each Letts Fun Learning Collection has eight books - the collection for three to five year olds features fun games, quizzes and rhymes along with plenty of curriculum-based activities centred around key skills such as literacy and numeracy.

The Letts Fun Learning Collection for five to six year olds is specifically aimed at supporting Key Stage 1 learning.

If you just buy one collection then a single item delivery charge of £1.95 will apply; otherwise standard delivery is £3.95.

Happy Learning!

WHSmith are selling this Children's Illustrated Internet Linked Encyclopedia for £3.50 instead of £19.98.

• Click HERE to go over to WHSmith

I love books - if you're a regular visitor to PlayPennies then you'll already know this - but I REALLY have a thing for reference books.

I dislike not knowing things and whilst Google is a very handy resource, there's nothing quite like being able to turn the pages of an Atlas or an Encyclopedia to find the information you were looking for.

My most treasured set of reference books are an old set of Chambers's Encyclopedia published in 1901.  They smell old and a lot of the information they hold is now out of date - the fold out maps, especially - looking through them is like travelling back in time and I'll have to be dead before I part with them.

I'm really taken with this Children's Illustrated Internet Linked Encyclopedia - it combines my 'thing' for books with the power of the Internet and if it develops a thirst for knowledge in young children then it can only be a good thing.

It contains spectacular illustrations, photographs and maps.

There are thousands of entries on a huge range of topics and up-to-the-minute coverage of world events; you can jump from one entry to another and find out more with comprehensive cross-references and there are hundreds of expertly selected links that will take you to the best websites for each topic.

This is such a bargain, in my opinion; my youngest son will be finding a copy of this under the Christmas tree this year that's for sure.

Thanks to redvers at HUKD

Learning your ABC is an epic achievement and with this Astonishing Animal ABC book it's also a lot of fun.

• Click HERE to go over to Red House

If you're a regular reader you'll already know how much I love books, and you'll know that I love learning books the most.

There's no A for Apple or B for Ball here, OH no!

Astonishing Animal ABC kicks off with an Arty Aardvark and your child will discover a Dancing Dodo along with lots of other quirky characters...an Odd Ostrich perhaps?

It has a surprise ending apparently and the illustrations are described as being 'irresistable' - I need someone I know to have a baby so I can buy them this fabulous looking book.

There are 32 pages of educational fun to be had and although the age recommendation is two years or over, I think we can safely say that you could give Astonishing Animal ABC to a child younger than that.

The list price for the Astonishing Animal ABC hardback book is £10.99, but the lovely folk at Red House would like you to have it for £5.99.

Happy A is for Arty Aardvark!

If it's book collections you're after then you really won't go wrong at RedHouse; they're selling the Read at Home Floppy Phonics Collection for £7.99 instead of £31.91.

• Click HERE to flop over to RedHouse

My youngest is almost five and is turning into a little bookworm.  He loves working on his phonics at school and, excuse me whilst I boast, is rather good at them; he's had three separate awards bestowed upon him for his hard work with phonics.

This Read at Home Floppy Phonics collection is something that he will love, so I've just ordered a set.  I'm not sure who will get more enjoyment out of them, him or me? Him learning how to read or me listening to my baby get to grips with reading all by himself.

The stories are short and feature the popular characters from the Oxford Reading Tree series; there are bright illustrations along with questions at the end to test comprehension and encourage children to discuss what they have read, in addition to this there are simple word games too to reinforce everything they've learned.

There are lots of other books available from RedHouse and delivery is free if you spend over £15, so it might be worth looking around to see if any other titles catch your eye.  If not, then there's a single item delivery charge of £1.95.

Happy Reading!

I utterly adore books like the two that you get with 'Do Monkeys Pick Their Noses?' and I'm rather liking the price reduction at WHSmith too - these two books should be £9.99, but now they're £2.99.

• Click HERE to pick up this deal at WHSmith

Why Eating Bogeys Is Good For You and Why Do Farts Smell Of Rotten Eggs are the two book titles that make up 'Do Monkeys Pick Their Noses?' (and I've no idea why it has a different title, it just does).

Just the titles alone will have kids of almost any age giggling away and itching to dive into the pages to find out the answers.

Other VERY important questions are addressed and they include:

Ever wondered why we burp? What a wotsit is? Whether lemmings really jump off cliffs? Why vomit always contains carrots? And why DO farts smell like rotten eggs? Ever wondered why we have tonsils? Is there any cream in cream crackers? Why is the sea blue? And if kangaroos keep their babies in their pouches, what happens to all the poo?

Do Monkeys Pick Their Noses was written by Mitch Symons who used to work for the BBC and was the principle question writer for the early editions of Trivial Pursuit (a little bit of trivia there for you).

And apparently eating bogeys IS good for you...but only if they're your own!

Thanks to mium at HUKD

These Encyclopedia Prehistorica: The Complete Collection books aren't just any old books about dinosaurs and other monsters; they're POP-UP BOOKS about dinosaurs and other monsters!

• Click HERE to roar on over to Red House for this deal

These Encylopedia Prehistorica: The Complete Collection books aren't just any old pop-up books; they're AMAZING POP-UP BOOKS!

They, whoever 'they' are, say a picture paints a thousand words - well I don't have a thousand words to play with (about 200 actually) so I have a little video link for you instead.

It shows you one of the books, being turned page by page and in it you'll see just how AWESOME these books really are.

I could describe them to you all I like, but that still wouldn't do justice to this stunning Encylopedia Prehistorica: The Complete Collection.

Click this video link and you'll see exactly what I mean, then come back and I'll tell you the rest...

So? What did you think? FABULOUS hey!

There are three books in the collection:

• Dinosaurs
• Sharks and other sea monster
• Mega Beasts

You've seen the dinosaur one and I think it's pretty safe to assume the others are just as great.

Fabulous to look at; fabulous to learn from, these Encylopedia Prehistorica: The Complete Collection books should be £50 but are being sold by Red House for just £12.99.

I've ordered from Red House before and their service is exemplary; the comments I've read about these books are even more so.

I'm taking advantage of this deal now - my youngest loves monsters and dinosaurs - before it becomes extinct!

Thanks to gooner045 over at HUKD

We've been featuring quite a few books here on PlayPennies over the last few days, but when I found this website, I had to jump in and share it with you. KidsIQBooks are a discount books site specialising in children's books, with on average 50% off on all books all the time.

• Get lost in literature over at KidsIQBooks

KidsIQBooks specialise in children’s educational books and have a wide array of book sets and individual books. Their aim is to benefit your child’s learning and help make reading a pleasure for them. They stock books for babies, right through to those sitting their A-levels, and support the UK school curriculum.

Their books are split into popular categories, such as best sellers, early learning, fiction, non-fiction, activity books, and film and TV. Alternatively you can browse by age.

Book sets include such titles as the Roald Dahl Box Set Collection of 15 Books for £24.99 down from £93.85 (for ages 9+), and Mr. Men for £44.99, down from £117.50 (ages 3+).

Activity books such as How To Draw Fairies, How To Draw Cars, and a Giant Sticker Activity – Dinos, all at £4.99 down from £7.99, are a great way to get children in to a new hobby, and there are a host of 'regular' books to get them reading.

With learn to read style books for babies and toddlers from £2.99, through to the 12 years and up books at up to £24.00, there is no shortage of fun and educational options.

KidsIQBooks offer free delivery on orders over £25.00, otherwise it costs £3.25 to UK addresses and orders should be received within 3 – 5 working days.