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=The Curtises, James and Nick
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|rating=4.5
|title=Woffles: A Fishy Adventure
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|genre=Confident Readers
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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…
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|isbn=0008561249
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn=1732898766
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Woffles is a big, shiny black Labrador with a very long, pink tongue and he is one happy dogOnce he's greeted you with a yodel and a wuff (and I suspect that there might be a generous lick in there too) he'll tell you all about his wonderful lifeWhat pleases him is that he lives in the countryside - it's very green, you know and there's a complete lack of coffee shops and other things for which he has no timeHe has lots of friends, but his bestie is Pip the Border Terrier and today they're off on an adventure down to the lake which is being restocked for the fishermen.  And - on a boiling hot day what's better than a dip in the lake and using that long tongue to extract a few sandwiches from the fishermen's hampers?
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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 themHe'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 escapedThey 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>0957105800</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|author=Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|title=Superworm
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Superworm is long and strong and he's a real hero as far as all of his insect friends are concerned. He always comes to the rescue when there is trouble. When Baby Toad is in danger of being run over on a major road, he turns himself into a lasso and scoops the baby away from the oncoming wheels. Another time, Beetle falls into a well and Superworm transforms himself into a fishing line in order to save him. In fact, Superworm can pretty much turn himself into anything and that makes him a very useful and helpful friend.
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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?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407132040</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913839656
|author=James Mayhew
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|title=Katie and the Starry Night
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|author=Lainey Dee
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Katie goes out with her Grandma to museums and art galleries interesting things always seem to happen whenever Grandma takes a little nap!  This time Katie and Grandma have come to see an exhibition of Van Gogh paintings, and as Grandma rests Katie climbs into ''The Starry Night'' painting and begins her adventure!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408304651</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Clara Vulliamy
 
|title=Muffin and the Expedition
 
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Muffin the bear has a hankering for an expedition, so he packs three honey sandwiches and some grapes. He shoots past Fizz, Flora and the three chicks, explaining that he's going to a very special place. He wanders around, trying to find something fun to do on his expedition, and then is treated to his friends joining him.
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|summary=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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408312433</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504775
|author=Miriam Moss and Joanna Mockler
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Wibble Wobble, My Loose Tooth
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I don't know about your family, but my five year old is desperate for a wobbly tooth!  She has already written to the tooth fairy several times and they've built up quite a relationship with discussions about why no money is left if there are no teeth, what the fairies do with all those teeth and it is certainly a hot topic of conversation in our house as we receive regular updates about whose tooth came out at school! Indeed, the other day her best friend lost his first tooth and when I told my daughter about this she burst into tears claiming, dramatically, that her teeth would ''never'' fall out and she'd never get any big teeth!  Well, as you can probably imagine, any story about wobbly teeth was going to go down well in our house and this is certainly a good one!
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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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140831956X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504767
|author=Michelle Robinson and Lauren Tobia
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=How to Find a Fruit Bat
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|rating=3.5
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|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A young girl heads out on an expedition to find a fruit bat. After all, who better to eat all the fruit that she doesn't want to eat? She gets her cardboard box boat ready, packing it with everything she'll need (including fruit for the fruit bat). On her expedition, she runs into all sorts of excitement and adventure, then sails home in time for supper.
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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>1408308541</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1916459943
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|title=Mammoth Pie
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|author=Beth Webb
|rating=4.5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=''On top of a mountain there lived a fat mammoth.''<br>
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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 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.
''Down in the valley there lived a thin caveman.''<br>
 
''The caveman was hungry. Very, very hungry.''<br>
 
''He saw the mammoth and licked his lips.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842707574</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=140639131X
|author=Alex T Smith
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|title=Catch Us If You Can-Can
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|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|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=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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444903659</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574338
|author=Miriam Moss and Delphine Durand
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|title=Scritch Scratch We Have Nits
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
|rating=4.5
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|rating=4
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=There can't be many children who don't get nits at some point at school.  This 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?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408319586</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
 
|title=Rumbelow's Dance
 
|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
 
 
|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=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.
 
 
''I didn't do it!''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394644</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574028
|author=Rebecca Elliott
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|title=The Last Tiger
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|author=David Elliott
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Luka lives in a very grey world, with no trees or plants or animals.  Everyone has forgotten what is important but then one day Luka finds the very last tiger.  Will the tiger bring everyone hope for the future, or will he spend his life away locked up in a cage?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745963498</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McKee and Brett McKee
 
|title=George's Invisible Watch
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=George has an invisible watchAt 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?
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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>1842708643</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1838226834
|author=Hannah Cumming
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|title=The Red Boat
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|author=Ed Boxall
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|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 schoolWhat 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.
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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>1846434815</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Guy Parker-Rees
 
|title=Tom and Millie's Great Big Treasure Hunt
 
|rating=4.5
 
|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.'
 
  
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.
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408311763</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|author=Angela Macmillan
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|title=A Little, Aloud for Children
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|author=Cordellya Smith
|rating=5
 
|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.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857560425</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Sam Lloyd
 
|title=Yucky Mucky Manners
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Down in the jungle we're taking a walk to meet the animals.  Sadly 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=When the world was made, the animals were given giftsBear 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 futureRabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately,  not the ability to use it wellHe 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>184616947X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Rob Keeley
|author=Fiona Roberton
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|title=The Perfect Present
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|rating= 4
|rating=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 pet. This time the two friends are looking forward to Henry's birthday. Spot 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 presents. Henry is saving Spot's present for last however, just as he is about to open it Henry's grandparents arrive with a box.  They 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= 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>1444908944</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|author=Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|title=The Jungle Run
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
|rating=5
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|rating=3.5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=''Here come the animals one by one,''<br>
 
''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>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Ulf Nilsson and Eva Eriksson
 
|title=The Best Singer in the World
 
|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 world.  He 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 matter.  So 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=''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.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579122</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
 
|author=Ellie Sandall
 
|title=Copycat Bear
 
|rating=4
 
|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 does.  Will the two friends be able to get along happily?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444901575</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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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!
|author=Neil Griffiths and Judith Blake
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}}
|title=Ringo The Flamingo
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{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|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.
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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>1908702028</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|author=Sharon Rentta
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=A Day With The Animal Firefighters
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
|rating=4
 
|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.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407116452</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Beatrice Rodriguez
 
|title=The Fishing Trip
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|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 eggPoor 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= ''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.  .
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579246</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|author=Jo Hodgkinson
+
|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|title=My Friend Nigel
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|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|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:
+
|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.
 
 
''Jellied bugs and pickled flies,''<br>
 
''Bubbling potions,''<br>
 
''Lizard tails,''
 
 
 
''And what was this?''<br>
 
''A little snail?''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394040</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Michael Foreman
+
|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Friends
+
|rating=4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|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:
+
|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?
 
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
''...he just looks at me and sighs.''<br>
 
''He is my friend. He breaks my heart.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394113</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
+
|title=No, No, No!
|title=Animal Antics
+
|rating=4
|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!
+
|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>184886079X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
 +
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
  
{{newreview
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|author=Malachy Doyle and Gwen Millward
 
|title=The Snuggle Sandwich
 
|rating=4.5
 
|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:
 
  
''They're a cosy snuggle sandwich.''<br>
+
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.
''She's the jam and they're the bread!''
+
|isbn=1638820457
 
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849393907</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|author=Kristyna Litten
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=Chickens Can't See in the Dark
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|rating=4.5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When a little chick called Pippa hears her teacher, Mr Benedict, say:
+
|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.
  
''As sure as eggs is eggs, chickens can't see in the dark.''
+
What will they buy?
 
 
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>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|author=Izy Penguin
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|title=Grandma Bendy
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|rating=4.5
+
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Grandma Bendy is definitely not like other grannies:
+
|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.
  
''She is incredibly bendy.''<br>
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
''She had twisty, twizzly arms''<br>
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
''and super, stretchy legs.''
+
''To the Maritime Museum''.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848860773</amazonuk>
+
 +
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.
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|author=Doreen Cronin and Harry Bliss
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|title=Diary of a Spider
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|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=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>0007455925</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|author=Tom Slaughter
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|title=Boat Works
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|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=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>1609052153</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|author=Todd H Doodler
+
|title=The Invisible
|title=Bear's Underwear Mystery: A Count-and-Find-it Adventure
+
|author=Tom Percival
|rating=3
+
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|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.
+
|summary=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:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1609052048</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|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
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
|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.  
+
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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390061</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|author=Martin Waddell and Leonie Lord
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|title=The Super Swooper Dinosaur
+
|rating=4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary='One day, Hal and his little dog, Billy, were out playing when the sky darkened and...'
+
|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!
 +
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
 +
}} 
  
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
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408307804</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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

194812467X.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

1782227741.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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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