The Nic Pick

The Nic Pick Group buy for children's educational books and toys

I completely understand the reservations some parents, including myself, may have when it comes to selecting character-b...
06/03/2023

I completely understand the reservations some parents, including myself, may have when it comes to selecting character-based storybooks for their children. As a parent, we always want to ensure that we're modeling and instilling the best possible behaviours and values in our children. However, I've come to realize that character-based stories can also be wonderful teaching opportunities that open up fantastic conversations and create stronger bonds between me and my children.

I remember being hesitant about getting my kids Peppa Pig Books at first, but watching the characters interact on screen and in stories has been such a great way to explore interpersonal relationships in a way that's accessible and easy for them to understand. It's amazing how much they can learn about family dynamics, empathy, and other important values from a cartoon pig or a brave little mouse.

3 Reasons Why I bought Peppa Pig Books even though I don’t like them.

Children need to see themselves in books
The daily activities of Peppa and her family are the central theme of the stories. When children see characters in books that look like them or share similar experiences, they become more engaged with the story. They start to see themselves in those characters and can imagine themselves in those worlds. It's a powerful way to encourage a positive self-perception and a love of reading. Seeing themselves represented in stories has also sparked some wonderful conversations between us about our own lives and experiences.

Engaging Struggling Readers
One way to address the issue of children not reading enough, is by providing them with as many books and reading materials as possible. My girls don't always enjoy reading, but if their favourite characters are involved, they will be eager to pick up the book and read it right away.

Building Reading Confidence
I still remember when my 7-year-old daughter tried to read for the first time. At first, she wasn't too interested in reading new books and would often give up halfway. But I found that the more we read her favorite books, the more she was willing to take risks and try reading new words on her own. For us, it's not about achieving perfection, but rather creating a safe and comfortable environment where our children feel confident to take risks and practice their reading skills.

What are your favourite character-based storybooks to read with your children? Let me know in the comments?
I’m also doing a Preorder for some Peppa Pig books. Drop me a comment or PM for more details! Let's make your little ones' reading experience even more fun and enjoyable! 🐷📚

Reader’s Corner: What to read next?Inspiration for you and your child’s next reading bookI have bought these Chinese New...
09/02/2023

Reader’s Corner: What to read next?
Inspiration for you and your child’s next reading book

I have bought these Chinese New Year books some time back however the shipment got really delayed despite me opting for air ship.
2 of my girls got really sick before Chinese New Year. 1 of them went into high dependency ward and I spent almost half of my Chinese New Year in NUH with her. Rough start to 2023, but we are still very positive to what is ahead of us this year. Everyone has now recovered and happy.
I have chosen 4 books for this Chinese New Year. I actually have not read these books to my children. However, I have been quietly reading these books.


The story talks about a little boy who trying to find out why the usual cheerful old grandma staying above them is ‘afraid’ of Chinese New Year. The story also briefly talks about some Chinese New Year’s belief and traditions. The little boy’s father works till late at night daily and the little boy wonders when his father is coming home on this happy occasion. They took all the food and went upstairs to find grandma. Turns out grandma is alone every Chinese New Year as her daughter has moved to England.
《下一个春天》 , 《外面真好》, 《不一样的春节》
For the past 3 years, Chinese New Year hasn’t been quite the same due to Covid. These 3 books were written during Covid and it talks about how things changed because of Covid. Chinese New Year was no longer the same.

Swipe right to see some of the beautiful pages from each book
Which one would you like to see more? Comment below!

Hello everyone! It has been very quiet around here recently. Last year, we finally gotten our keys for our BTO and since...
08/02/2023

Hello everyone! It has been very quiet around here recently. Last year, we finally gotten our keys for our BTO and since then we have been busy with renovations. To maximise our finance for the renovations, we actually bought most of our stuff from Taobao and had to liaise with multiple contractors and handyman. My husband also did a good job in fixing some of the items in the house.

Some time last year, China had to deal with their Covid situation and there was a lot of delays in shipments. A lot of my shipments are affected. And with the busy schedule, I decided to just temporary cease all group buys. There are also some work to be done around the house as I am trying to build a library corner for me and my children.

I just want to thank many of you for your continuous support. There are certainly many rooms for improvement on my end and I will work on it this year. See you guys around!
Meantime, anyone interested in the walkthrough of some of the items we got from Taobao for our house? Comment below!

Upcoming POI could still remember the response of my  #3 when I came home from the hospital with  #4. I could tell it wa...
28/12/2022

Upcoming PO

I could still remember the response of my #3 when I came home from the hospital with #4. I could tell it was hard for her. She refused to acknowledge her existence and kept asking for my attention.

Sibling rivalry is normal and sharing doesn’t come easy. Continuous love and support from parents and other familiar people in the family is extremely important in helping them with this huge adjustment.

I really like this particular book because there are so many topics for discussion. From welcoming the arrival of a new baby brother to learning to share and taking on the responsibility of an elder sibling and helping your parents out.

Click to enlarge photo and read caption.

Meet New BooksInspiration for your next book to read. Another beautiful Christmas theme picture book!Peter Rabbit – The ...
24/12/2022

Meet New Books
Inspiration for your next book to read.

Another beautiful Christmas theme picture book!

Peter Rabbit – The Christmas Present Hunt
Oh the all time classics. I remember having these books as kids. The illustrations never fail to capture my heart.

This is a ‘lift-the-flap’ book. Story goes Peter Rabbit was very excited for Christmas and he has already long gotten ready presents for his Mom and Sisters – Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-Tail. However, the presents were no longer under his bed where he hid them. He has moved it somewhere else because he was playing hide and seek with his sisters and Cotton-Tail loves to hide under his bed! Now he has to head out to look for the presents before bedtime. My girl had so much fun lifting the flaps to find the presents. Not all are presents under those flaps!

Did he manage to find all the presents before bedtime? Go find out yourself!

I am picture book lover. And every time my 11-year-old boy tells me: Mummy, this is a very good book. “Is there a lot of...
23/12/2022

I am picture book lover. And every time my 11-year-old boy tells me: Mummy, this is a very good book. “Is there a lot of pictures in there?” I always asked.

The Jolly Christmas Postman is the ULTIMATE Christmas picture book. It is so good that it should be beneath your Christmas tree right now. This is a special edition picture book from the Author Allan Ahlberg and his wife Janet Ahlberg.

About the Story:
It is Christmas eve and Jolly Postman is busy making letters deliveries. And guess who are the ‘people’ receiving these letters? They are all the various fairy tale characters like Baby bear from Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Little Miss Riding Hood, Humpty Dumpty, Gingerbread Boy, Mr Wolf and lastly Jolly Postman himself!

Besides the story about Jolly Postman making his deliveries, there is a ‘envelope’ in every other page, and they contain a letter, puzzle, a map, and other surprising gifts! Oh, I read this book like a little child. My girl couldn’t stop reading the books and letters as well! The illustration in this book is beyond amazing. Lots of details to spot and talk to your children about. And the humour in the letters, haha, you must really read it yourself:

Humpty Dumpty smiles and blinks
‘A Jigsaw – for me? What fun!’ he thinks
‘From all the King’s horses and all the King’s men – how nice.’
Then he falls out of bed and gets cracked again, i.e twice

Oh, did I also mention that some of the sentences actually rhyme?

Swipe right to see the beautiful illustrations.

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