Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
==For sharing==
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{{Frontpage
__NOTOC__
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|author=Adam Stower
{{newreview
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|title=Murray and Bun
|author=Alex T Smith
 
|title=Catch Us If You Can-Can
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Having met Foxy DuBois previously in the excellent [[Egg by Alex T Smith|Egg]] here she is again, as charming as ever and this time hoping to win a giant golden egg! In order to win the egg she must compete in a 'So you think you can boogie' competition (!) and, since the competition is open only to birds she must enter herself, and her unlikely dance partner, in disguise!
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|summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs.  This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444903659</amazonuk>
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|isbn=0008561249
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1732898766
|author=Miriam Moss and Delphine Durand
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|title=Scritch Scratch We Have Nits
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
|rating=4.5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There can't be many children who don't get nits at some point at schoolThis is a brilliant story to share with them if they're feeling a bit sensitive about it since the nits originate with the teacher! We meet the little louse who starts the trouble in the first place, and then watch as the lice babies jump around from child to child. Will everyone manage to get rid of the lice once and for all?
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute.  Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them.  He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils.  (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.) Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped. They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408319586</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|author=John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|title=Rumbelow's Dance
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Rumbelow is a little boy with a great deal of energy so walking to his grandparent's house in town is no problem for him even though it is a long way. After his mother gives him a long list of very precise directions, he sets off. Although it is a very hot day, he is so happy that he feels the need to dance rather than just walk. Before long he meets a sad-faced farmer walking along with his sad-faced pig. The farmer moans that he will never get his lazy pig to market on such a hot day. However, Rumbelow has a suggestion:
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394601</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Tony Ross
 
|title=I Didn't Do It! (Little Princess)
 
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's mud all over the floor and the Queen blames the Little Princess. 'I didn't do it!' the Little Princess responds with a very disgruntled look upon her face. A little later, the Cook tells her off for eating all the chocolate cake; the Gardener thinks that she has trampled all over the radishes; the Prime Minister claims that he has taken the bell from his bicycle and the Admiral blames her for sinking all his ships. To each accusation, the Little Princess replies:
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|summary=Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear. As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice.  Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another.  He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do?
 
 
''I didn't do it!''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394644</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913839656
|author=Rebecca Elliott
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|title=The Last Tiger
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|author=Lainey Dee
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Luka lives in a very grey world, with no trees or plants or animalsEveryone has forgotten what is important but then one day Luka finds the very last tigerWill the tiger bring everyone hope for the future, or will he spend his life away locked up in a cage?
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juiceHe packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmotherShe had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends.  At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be. Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745963498</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McKee and Brett McKee
 
|title=George's Invisible Watch
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=George has an invisible watch.  At first no one believes that he has an invisible watch, but slowly they find that his watch is always right until eventually they all begin to rely on him and his watch to tell the time! But what happens when one day nobody rings the bell at playtime so the children don't begin their lessons again?  Has George's watch broken down?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842708643</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504775
|author=Hannah Cumming
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=The Red Boat
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Posy has moved to a new house, and she's feeling lonely.  She isn't sure she likes it there - the neighbours might be a bit scary, and she doesn't like the shadows in her new room, and she's worried about starting a new school.  What if no-one likes her?  Luckily she has her dog, George, to keep her company, and one night the two of them find a magical boat in the garden that leads them to lots of exciting new adventures.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846434815</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Guy Parker-Rees
 
|title=Tom and Millie's Great Big Treasure Hunt
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary='Tom and Millie are excited they're going on a great, big treasure hunt! They have a list of Very Important Things to find.'
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past. Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult.  One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home. Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it.  Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it.
 
 
This is the opening of this enormously appealing book that draws the young reader in from the very start. The fact that Very Important Things all start with capitals obviously signifies that they are actually extremely important and definitely makes young children want to find out what these momentous objects are going to be. We find out that the search is going to start at the beach and that the first clue will be found on a square red flag. When you get to the beach though there are lots of other things and friends to spot too such as Adam licking a pink ice cream and Jake wearing a red cap.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408311763</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504767
|author=Angela Macmillan
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=A Little, Aloud for Children
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=This very special anthology of story extracts and poems to share aloud is a wonderful idea from The Reader Organisation to encourage reading aloud to children by parents, teachers, grandparents, librarians, friends or even other children. The terrific and very varied selection includes something to appeal to all tastes. It should tempt the reader to seek out the original books from which the extracts are taken and maybe to try children’s fiction that they have not considered before. The book includes classics, tried and tested old favourites and newer titles too. Dipping into this anthology for the first time feels a little like meeting old and maybe long forgotten friends and making new ones along the way.
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination.  She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her.  She even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life. She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857560425</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1916459943
|author=Sam Lloyd
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|title=Yucky Mucky Manners
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|author=Beth Webb
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Down in the jungle we're taking a walk to meet the animalsSadly their manners leave a lot to be desiredGorilla is picking his nose, Zebra is eating with his mouth open and parrot is talking over all his friendsAre there any polite animals to be found?
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|summary=Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby.  He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and ''wails''.  The sea offers to help.  It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectlyThe mermaids join in - ''la lou, la lay...''  And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyesThen a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184616947X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=140639131X
|author=Fiona Roberton
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|title=The Perfect Present
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|author=Briony May Smith
|rating=5
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|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We first met Henry in [[Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton|Wanted: The Perfect Pet]] (a story I still love!) when he went in search of a dog but found, in the end, that a small duck named Spot was actually everything he needed in a petThis time the two friends are looking forward to Henry's birthdaySpot has found Henry what he thinks is the perfect present: a fishing rod that Henry has been gazing at in a shop window for quite some time.  Henry tries to guess what Spot has bought him, and Spot is so excited about seeing Henry's face when he opens it.  When morning comes the pair rush down to see all the presentsHenry is saving Spot's present for last however, just as he is about to open it Henry's grandparents arrive with a boxThey place it in front of Henry and inside it is a dog!  Henry is so excited he forgets to open Spot's gift and rushes outside to play with the dog. Poor Spot!  Will this change their friendship forever?
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|summary=Philippa Pheasant was ''tired'' of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak RoadShe wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a replyPhilippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herselfHer uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obviousAll the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444908944</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574338
|author=Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|title=The Jungle Run
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
|rating=5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=''Here come the animals one by one,''<br>
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes. Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck. It's perfect, isn't it?  What could be a more fun way of going to school? There is a problem, though.  Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up.  The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore.
''all getting ready for the Jungle Run.''
 
 
 
This is how we meet all the animals at the start of this fabulous book, all limbering up on the bank of the river preparing for their big race. There's Parrot who is the starter for the race as well as a whole menagerie of other animals such as Elephant, Hippo, Snake and Cub. Most of the animals laugh at the prospect of the little Cub taking part telling him that he is too small to race. Undeterred though, he does decide to take part and soon the race is under way. And what a race it is with a big vine net to scramble under, a creeper rope to swing across and a huge water slide at the very end. Unsurprisingly, some of these obstacles prove to be quite hazardous for some of the larger animals and all sorts of mayhem ensues. Not for all the creatures though as there's one little creature who negotiates everything perfectly but does he end up winning the race? You'll have to read this lovely book to find out.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408311755</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574028
|author=Ulf Nilsson and Eva Eriksson
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|title=The Best Singer in the World
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|author=David Elliott
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's a boy who loves to sing to his little brother, and his little brother thinks he's the very best singer in the worldHe sings him 'You are my sunshine' and 'Jingle Bells' and a made-up song about farts (well, they are boys!)  But when it comes to singing or speaking in front of other people - well, that's a different matterSo when he's asked to say a few words at the end of the school concert he finds himself growing more and more afraid. Will he find the courage to stand on stage and end the show?
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|summary=I love a good board book!  ''Bumblebee Grumblebee'' is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can ''play'' with words and make something quite different from each one.  We have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a ''balletphant''.  The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a ''fluffalo''.  The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a ''crynoceros'' (think about it!)  The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a ''sm.......'' OK, let's not go there Some people are eating!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579122</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1838226834
|author=Ellie Sandall
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|title=Copycat Bear
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|author=Ed Boxall
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mango has a best friend who is an enormous bear called Blue. Mango finds herself getting frustrated as Blue likes to copy everything that Mango doesWill the two friends be able to get along happily?
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|summary=It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much funA young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444901575</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|author=Neil Griffiths and Judith Blake
 
|title=Ringo The Flamingo
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Ringo the flamingo isn't quite like the other flamingos: his legs don't work. His mum and dad help him lots, and as he gets older, so do his friends and the rest of the flock. Life is mostly good for Ringo, but there are times when he wishes he could fly like the others. One day, as danger approaches, Ringo gets the opportunity to be a hero.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908702028</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|author=Sharon Rentta
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|title=A Day With The Animal Firefighters
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|author=Cordellya Smith
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Moose has joined the animal firefighters, and he's very excited. He's set for a day of daring rescues, blaring sirens, and haring around town at top speed. He and his friends are awfully brave, and it's a good thing too, as they're going to have a busy day.
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given gifts.  Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector.  Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn.  Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future.  Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately,  not the ability to use it well.  He liked to trick other animals. He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle.  You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see. Things are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407116452</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Rob Keeley
|author=Beatrice Rodriguez
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|title=The Fishing Trip
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|rating= 4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Fox, chicken and their not-yet-hatched egg have run out of food.  Chicken decides to go out to try and get them something to eat, leaving fox to take care of the egg. Poor chicken faces big, scary birds and a giant sea monster...will she ever manage to find any food?  And what will she find if she does manage to get home again?
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|summary= Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579246</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|author=Jo Hodgkinson
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|title=My Friend Nigel
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
|rating=4.5
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|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Billy is a bit fed up of his parents constantly practising their magic especially when most of their spells go wrong. He is a little curious about all of their strange assortment of ingredients though:
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|summary=''For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.''
  
''Jellied bugs and pickled flies,''<br>
 
''Bubbling potions,''<br>
 
''Lizard tails,''
 
  
''And what was this?''<br>
+
And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that ''she'' can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it!
''A little snail?''
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}}  
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394040</amazonuk>
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{{Frontpage
}}
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 
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|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
{{newreview
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|rating=4
|author=Michael Foreman
 
|title=Friends
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Cat is a cat and Bubble is a goldfish and as Cat points out at the start of this story, there are quite a few differences between them. The main one is that Cat is able to wander wild and free whereas Bubble is stuck in his tank and can only swim round and round or up and down. Because Bubble is his friend, Cat finds this quite upsetting; so much so, that he tells the reader:
 
 
 
''...he just looks at me and sighs.''<br>
 
''He is my friend. He breaks my heart.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394113</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
 
|title=Animal Antics
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's the run-up to World Sport Week. Thanks to a rules challenge (presumably by a lawyer bird), animals are to be admitted for the first time. With much flapping of wings and clattering of hooves, the animals proceed to turn this Olympics-esque event into a whitewash for the non-human competitors.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905434960</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Angela Mitchell and Sarah Horne
 
|title=The Jelly That Wouldn't Wobble
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Everyone knows that jellies are supposed to wobble but what will happen when a particularly stubborn jelly refuses to do any such thing? To make matters worse, this is the jelly that has been specially prepared for Princess Lolly's 89th birthday party. As she is the sort of princess who likes to get her own way this poses a bit of a problem. So desperate is she for her jelly to wobble though, she offers a reward of a thousand and one chocolate sovereigns for anyone who can come up with a solution. Lots of suggestions are made including prodding it with a walking stick and scaring it. However, it is the youngest guest at the party who eventually comes up with an idea that works but I'll leave you to guess what it might be!
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|summary= Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her ''Everybody Potties!'' series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: ''Everybody Toots''!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184886079X</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
 
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
{{newreview
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|author=Malachy Doyle and Gwen Millward
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
|title=The Snuggle Sandwich
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The day starts very peacefully as Annie wakes in her own bed and listens to the silence. She decides that it's the perfect time to creep into her parents' bed:
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|summary= ''Who Needs Nappies? Not Me!'' is the latest release in the ''Everybody Potties!'' series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you.  .
 
 
''They're a cosy snuggle sandwich.''<br>
 
''She's the jam and they're the bread!''
 
 
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849393907</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|author=Kristyna Litten
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|title=Chickens Can't See in the Dark
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|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When a little chick called Pippa hears her teacher, Mr Benedict, say:
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|summary=Meet Fred.  Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred. Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense.  Or brakes.
 
 
''As sure as eggs is eggs, chickens can't see in the dark.''
 
 
 
she is extremely disappointed. She thinks that not being able to see in the dark is a terrible thing and desperately wants to prove her teacher wrong. There are a number of characters who might be able to help such as the wise Mr Owl or Miss Featherbrain who runs the library. The only problem is that they all laugh at Pippa and reinforces the notion that chickens can't see in the dark.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192756796</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Izy Penguin
+
|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Grandma Bendy
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Grandma Bendy is definitely not like other grannies:
 
 
 
''She is incredibly bendy.''<br>
 
''She had twisty, twizzly arms''<br>
 
''and super, stretchy legs.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848860773</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss
 
|title=Diary of a Spider
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's not an easy life being a spider. You have to avoid vacuum cleaners, daddy longlegs, and people with big shoes. There are good things too: you get to have fun with your best friend, Fly, and spend time with your loving family. ''Diary of a Spider'' takes us through a few months in the life of a young spider, taking in the fun and adventure.
+
|summary= Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007455925</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Tom Slaughter
+
|title=No, No, No!
|title=Boat Works
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Imagine seeing just a little bit of a boat.  It's not enough for you to decide whether it's big or small, or what it does, but on the opposite page there's another clue.  'I have two oars' - and there they are for all to see.  But look more closely.  You can fold that second page out for yet another clue: 'I have a rope which ties me to the dock' and there's the rope, strong and hairy, with a complex knot. Now you can fold out the second clue to reveal that his is a rowboat, by the name of Nelly, tied up at the dock. Neat, eh?
+
|summary=They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1609052153</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Todd H Doodler
 
|title=Bear's Underwear Mystery: A Count-and-Find-it Adventure
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Bear receives a mysterious message: 'Follow the trail of underwear. Find all TEN and you'll be THERE'.  He's delighted to be involved in a mystery and goes off hunting for the white pair which is number one.  Once they are found he's off in search of the pair with blue stripes, then the pair with green spots, another in purple plaid and so on...  Each page has a number tab for extra fun.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1609052048</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
|author=David Wiesner
 
|title=The Three Pigs
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Everyone knows the story of the Three Little Pigs, but in this version, when the wolf comes along and huffs and puffs, he actually blows the little pigs right out of the story. In fact, they float across a number of pages before eventually ending up in the middle of ''Hey diddle diddle!'' However, they don't find this nursery rhyme to their liking so they move on to a story about a prince who kills a dragon. Having just escaped from their own dangerous enemy, the three pigs realise that they can't possibly leave the dragon to be slain, so they take him with them right the way back to their own story where, with the help of their new friend, they definitely don't allow the wolf in.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394059</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|author=Debbie Singleton and Holly Swain
 
|title=The King who Wouldn't Sleep
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=
 
'Many years ago, in a palace far across the sea, there lived a king, a queen and, of course, a beautiful princess'.
 
  
In fact the princess is so beautiful and the king loves her so much that he resolves to watch over her every single day and night until he is able to find her the perfect suitor. In true traditional tale style, princes travel from far and wide to try and win the hand of the princess and, more importantly, the approval of the king. Unfortunately, even though there are all sorts of princes – tall, short, strong, weak, blond, bald and so on – not one is good enough for the king's much loved daughter.  
+
That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390061</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=1638820457
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|author=Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=The Super Swooper Dinosaur
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|rating=4.5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary='One day, Hal and his little dog, Billy, were out playing when the sky darkened and...'
+
|summary=Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.
  
The next thing Hal knows is that an enormous winged super swooper dinosaur has landed in his garden and wants to play. Well, you don't really want to argue with a dinosaur that you have only just met so Hal agrees. The first game that the super swooper suggest is Hide-and-seek but it soon becomes apparent that it won't be very successful as the dinosaur is too big to hide anywhere in the garden and is easily found by Hal every time. It's time to think of something else but the next idea, dino-dancing, is equally unsuccessful when Hal's new playmate ends up dancing on the roof. Paddling is equally problematic when the super swooper lands in the little paddling pool with an enormous splash which completely soaks Hal's mum
+
What will they buy?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408307804</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|author=Crockett Johnson
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|title=Harold and the Purple Crayon
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|rating=5
+
|rating=3.5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=''Harold and the Purple Crayon'' is a classic picture book that celebrates the power of the imagination.  Harold draws his own journey with the crayon.  When he gets hungry, he draws himself a picnic.  When he wants to walk through a forest, the crayon helps out.  His slight figure walks across the plain white pages of the book creating everything that the reader sees.  But the things Harold draws don’t always do what he likes, and he has to think quickly to reach the safety of his bed at the end of the tale.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007464371</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Mara Bergman and Nick Maland
 
|title=Snip Snap, look who's back!
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=''Were the people scared?  You bet they were!''
 
 
 
So says Mara Bergman when the alligator from ''Snip Snap! What’s that?'' returns for further slightly scary fun.  The original story is a sure fire hit as a read aloud and fans will definitely want to try this sequel.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444902474</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
 
|title=Fly, Chick, Fly
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Do you have a born worrier in your family?  This picture book is for them.  Two of the owlets in the tale leave the nest with excitement and confidence.  The third one is too much of a thinker for her own good.  When her parents say she has to fly, she replies
 
 
 
''If I fly, the crow might get me.''<br>
 
''If I fly, the rain might wet me.''<br>
 
''If I fly, a train might hit me.''<br>
 
''My sister flew and never came back.''<br>
 
''Why would I want to fly?''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849393443</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Smriti Prasadam-Halls and David Wojtowycz
 
|title=Elephant Pants
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=''Oh, fiddle-dee fickers,''<br>
 
''Where, oh where, oh''<br>
 
''WHERE are my knickers?”''
 
 
 
This is the plaintive cry from Major Trump that sets the tone at the start of this wonderfully entertaining story and sends Noah and all the animals on the ark into a flap. Major Trump asks Noah to help locate the missing undies which are a fetching red pair with white hearts that match his wife's. Noah calls an ark alert and gathers all the other animals round in order to line up and display the pants that they are wearing. What then follows is a comical parade of animal pairs showing of their weird and wonderful underwear. There are hippos brandishing stars and stripes pants, flamingos with frilly knickers, tigers in super-strength drawers and horses wearing ones that are organic, recycled and handmade. I have only mentioned a few of what is quite a sensational collection of varied underwear. Unfortunately, no one is wearing the missing undies but perhaps there is another explanation for where they might be!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408313472</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=James Mayhew
 
|title=Katie in London
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Katie is visiting London with her little brother and her Grandma. When Grandma gets tired they stop a while in Trafalgar Square, and whilst Grandma rests on a bench Katie and her brother find themselves going on a magical adventure with one of the Trafalgar Square lions!
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing.  She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408323850</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
|author=Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton (illustrator)
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
|title=Cheer Up Your Teddy Bear, Emily Brown!
+
''To the Maritime Museum''.
|rating=4
+
|genre=For Sharing
+
Her imagination was fired.  She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularly.  One day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shoutWhen she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure.
|summary=Emily Brown and her rabbit, Stanley, are having fun indoors on a very grey and rainy dayThey meet a small, very wet little teddy bear who is singing sad, self-commiserating songs to herself about how sad and lonely she is. Of course, Emily and Stanley feel compelled to help, so they take the teddy with them to the Outback of Australia, but will they manage to cheer the little teddy up?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408308495</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|author=Tatyana Feeney
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|title=Small Bunny's Blue Blanket
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Small Bunny has a blue blanket. He loves his blanket very much and takes it everywhere he goes. It helps him to do all the things he enjoys doing, like swinging and painting and reading. Of course, this means that Blue Blanket gets rather dirty, and so one day Mummy says that both Small Bunny and Blue Blanket need to have a wash...  
+
|summary=One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself  down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. ''OH HELP ME PLEASE'' he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>019275792X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|author=Rob Scotton
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|title=Secret Agent Splat!
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Splat the Cat has a collection of wooden ducks, made by his father, that he is very proud of. He keeps them in a display case in the garden shed and has named every one of them. Therefore, you can imagine his dismay when one day he discovers that the red duck is missing. The following day he discovers that the blue duck is missing although the red one has been returned. He would have been happy about this apart from the fact that its beak is missing. The day after, the blue one's back (minus its beak) but the green one is no longer there. It's certainly a mystery and Splat is determined to get to the bottom of it with a little help from his friend, Seymour.
+
|summary=Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down ''again''. The school bully Jayden, together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007463383</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McKee
 
|title=Elmer and Butterfly
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=One day, Elmer, the patchwork elephant, is out walking when he hears a cry for help. It's his cousin, Wilbur, playing tricks and because of this, when Elmer hears a second cry for help he is tempted to ignore it. Luckily, he doesn't though, as this time the plea is for real as Butterfly is trapped behind a fallen branch. It does not take Elmer long to set his small friend free and, of course, Butterfly is enormously grateful. Anxious to return the favour, Butterfly promises to repay Elmer one day and tells him just to call if help is needed. Elmer thinks that is highly unlikely and, as he goes on his way, he chuckles:
 
 
 
''A butterfly saving and elephant, that's a good one!''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709380</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld
 
|title=Wumbers
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=''Wumbers'' mixes - as you might have guessed - words and numbers. Think text speak that doesn't horrify stuffy parents. Each page takes in a different scene, with a speech bubble along the lines of ''Look at his 2can ta2!"" It takes a little bit of decoding for its young readers (and rapidly ageing reviewers) but look upon it as a bit of a game, and it's good fun.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1452110220</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Conway and Melanie Williamson
 
|title=The Great Fairy Tale Disaster
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary='Once Upon a Time there lived an old Big Bad Wolf. He no longer had any huff and puff to blow down the Three Little Pigs' house and he'd had enough of falling into hot water.'
 
 
 
Well, when it's put like that it's no wonder that the Big Bad Wolf decides that he has had enough of his own particular fairy tale. He decides that he needs a nice relaxing one instead and thinks that he would fit in well to ''Cinderella''. However, when a very nervous Cinderella allows him to take her place, he's not too happy to find himself in a dress and glass slippers. It's not good for his macho wolf's image at all.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340989971</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|author=Richard Byrne
+
|title=The Invisible
|title=The Really, Really, Really Big Dinosaur
+
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Finlay is what you might call a ''little'' dinosaur; there are certainly plenty bigger than himOne day, a big dinosaur walks past and Finlay offers to share his jelly beans with him.
+
|summary=This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big differenceIsobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:
 
 
But the big dinosaur wants all the jelly beans for himself and even though Finlay explains that the jelly beans actually belong to his really big friend and they aren't his to give away, the big dinosaur just puffs up his chest and tells Finlay to let his friend know that he's going to take the jelly beans all for himself anyway.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192757636</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
|author=Brett McKee and Ella Burfoot
 
|title=Monsters Don't Cry!
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=''Archie awoke with a shout in the night.''<br>
 
''Only a dream, but what a terrible fright.''<br>
 
''Well monsters may roar, may growl or just sigh,''<br>
 
''But monsters are strong, monsters don't cry''.
 
  
Archie is a funny, adventurous and brave little chap but in spite of the fact that he's a little monster – literally – sometimes when life's little twists and turns don't go his way, it all gets a bit upsettingBecause even monsters get scared; especially little ones like Archie.
+
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy.  Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the cityThis part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849393133</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|author=Peggy Rathmann
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|title=Good Night, Gorilla
+
|rating=4
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When it's bedtime at the zoo the zookeeper goes round all the animals and wishes them 'good night'. What he doesn't realise is that the crafty gorilla has gently lifted the zoo keeper's key ring from his belt and is opening the cages. All the animals - Elephant, Lion, Hyena, Giraffe and Armadillo are tiptoeing along behind the zookeeper as he leaves the zoo and goes home to bed, completely unaware that he has all his friends with him.  In fact - it's not until his wife wishes him good night and receives a lot  more replies than she was expecting that the animals are found out.  I'm not going to tell you the rest of the story because I want you to enjoy it for yourself.
+
|summary= Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405263768</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
  
{{newreview
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|author=Tony Ross
 
|title=I Don't Want to Wash my Hands (Little Princess)
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The Little Princess is always getting her hands dirty whether it's by playing in the palace garden, stroking Scruff, the dog or going on her potty. Whenever she does any of these, there's always someone there to tell her to wash her hands. Now, as the Little Princess never likes being told what to do, she does not take kindly to this hand washing business and she demands to know why. However, when the level-headed maid, who never puts up with any of her nonsense, tells her about all the germs and nasties and horrible things that could make her ill, she is soon found rushing to the hand basin at every opportunity. Not only that, she starts insisting that everyone else always washes their hands too.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849393990</amazonuk>
 
}}
 

Latest revision as of 09:24, 2 December 2023

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Review of

Murray and Bun by Adam Stower

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do… Full Review

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Review of

The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon by Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)

4star.jpg For Sharing

When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute. Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them. He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils. (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.) Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped. They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny. Full Review

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Review of

On the Beach: The Winter Visitor by Chris Green and Jenny Fionda

5star.jpg For Sharing

Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear. As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice. Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another. He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do? Full Review

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Review of

Let's Celebrate Being Different by Lainey Dee

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice. He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmother. She had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends. At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be. Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different. Full Review

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Review of

The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past. Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult. One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home. Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it. Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it. Full Review

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Review of

The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

5star.jpg For Sharing

Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination. She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her. She even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life. She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning. Full Review

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Review of

Squeakily Baby by Beth Webb

4star.jpg For Sharing

Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby. He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and wails. The sea offers to help. It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing hush, hush. Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly. The mermaids join in - la lou, la lay... And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes. Then a seagull shouts and we know exactly what's going to happen next. Full Review

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Review of

A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Philippa Pheasant was tired of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road. She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply. Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself. Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight. Full Review

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Review of

Leilong's Too Long! by Julia Liu and Bei Lynn

4star.jpg For Sharing

Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes. Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck. It's perfect, isn't it? What could be a more fun way of going to school? There is a problem, though. Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up. The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore. Full Review

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Review of

Bumblebee Grumblebee by David Elliott

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I love a good board book! Bumblebee Grumblebee is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can play with words and make something quite different from each one. We have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a balletphant. The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a fluffalo. The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a crynoceros (think about it!) The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a sm....... OK, let's not go there Some people are eating! Full Review

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Review of

Carried Away With the Carnival by Ed Boxall

4star.jpg For Sharing

It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much fun. A young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:

It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand. Full Review

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Review of

Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare by Cordellya Smith

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When the world was made, the animals were given gifts. Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector. Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn. Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present and the future. Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well. He liked to trick other animals. He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle. You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see. Things are not always as they seem. I'll tell you how it came about. Full Review

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Review of

Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob Keeley

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Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily. Full Review

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Review of

You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!) by Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik

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For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.


And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that she can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it! Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her Everybody Potties! series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: Everybody Toots! Full Review

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Review of

Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Seema Amjad

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Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! is the latest release in the Everybody Potties! series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you. . Full Review

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Review of

When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter Cotton

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Meet Fred. Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred. Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started. Fred didn't have any road sense. Or brakes. Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky? Full Review

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Review of

No, No, No! by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.

No, No, No! is based around the simplest text imaginable.

No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.

That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside. Full Review

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Review of

The Farm Shop by Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic

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Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.

What will they buy? Full Review

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Review of

Sadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice

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Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing. She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.

Her class had gone one rainy afternoon
When all the houses cowered in the gloom,
To the Maritime Museum.

Her imagination was fired. She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularly. One day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shout. When she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure. Full Review

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Review of

Little Gold Ted by Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha

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One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. OH HELP ME PLEASE he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth. Full Review

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Review of

Remy: A book about believing in yourself by Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal

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Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down again. The school bully Jayden, together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened. Full Review

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Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

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This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big difference. Isobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:

Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.

The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy. Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible. Full Review

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Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

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Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper! Full Review

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