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=Michael Buckley and Dan Santat
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|rating=4.5
|title=Kel Gilligan's Daredevil Stunt Show
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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=Kel Gilligan is a daredevil. He... wait for it... eats BROCCOLI! He even does his poos on the potty. What a brave soul! What a hero! Kel faces all the traumas of childhood, with aplomb.
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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>141970379X</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|author=Tony Ross
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|title=I Want a Boyfriend!
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When the Little Princess sees the Maid picking a flower and handing it to the General, she demands to know why. It turns out that the General is the Maid’s boyfriend and he looks after her. Well, on hearing this, the Little Princess declares at the top of her voice:
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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 WANT A BOYFRIEND!''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394652</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913839656
|author=Daniel Postgate and Sam Childs
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|title=Friends in the Snow
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|author=Lainey Dee
|rating=4
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|rating=3.5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Lucy’s dad offers to paint her bedroom walls, she is adamant that she only wants them to be white. He is a little surprised by her choice thinking that just white is a little bit boring. However, Lucy jokes that it’s not just white because there is actually a white monster hiding in the white snow. Her dad agrees and before long she has a freshly painted bedroom. The only problem is that, when she tries to go to sleep, she wishes that she hadn’t mentioned the monster because he keeps her awake with his grunting and growling.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407115391</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Neil Griffiths and Melanie Siegel
 
|title=The Best Present Ever!
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Long ago and far away lived a kind and generous King and Queen in a land where everyone was well treated and happy. One day the Queen tells her delighted husband that she is to have a baby. The King decides that his lovely wife deserves the very best present ever to mark the happy event. So begins a search by the King’s messengers throughout the country and across the world for the perfect gift for the Queen. Beautiful gifts are brought to the palace from all over the globe for the King to inspect. As he is about to select the ''best present ever'' a poor young fisherman arrives and incredibly the gift that he brings might be exactly what the King is looking for!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908702060</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Nick Sharratt
 
|title=Fancy Dress Christmas
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Who is who at the Christmas party?  All the animals have come in fancy dress, so can you guess who is inside each costume? Someone is dressed as a snowman, someone is dressed as an angelSomeone is even dressed as a candle! Can you tell who each one is?  Lift the flap and see...
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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 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>1407115898</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504775
|author=Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=The Highway Rat
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When you see a new book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler you know it's already set to be a best seller and that you're in for a treat! Here Donaldson takes the refrain from ''The Highwayman'' by Alfred Noyes and weaves it into a story about a rather naughty rat who just can't stop stealing everyone else's food!
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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>1407124382</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504767
|author=Rutu Modan
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Maya Makes a Mess
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|rating=4.5
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|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=For once it is almost impossible to make a plot summary without giving almost the whole game away – such is the brevity of this bright and breezy book for those youngsters still reading with some supervisionMaya is at home and nothing she can do when eating lunch is to her parents' taste – her posture, her table manners or her use of the dog for leftovers.  But lo and behold when they give the Queen as an example where she might need more decorum, there then comes a summons to dinner from the Queen – who would be more than surprised to see Maya in action…
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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 herselfGradually 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>1935179179</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1916459943
|author=Jane Hissey
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|title=Little Bear's Trousers
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|author=Beth Webb
|rating=4.5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When Little Bear wakes up one sunny morning to discover that he has lost his trousers he feels sure that he will find them quickly with the help of his friends. However, although Old Bear, Camel, and the others have all seen Little Bear’s trousers no-one knows where they are now. So Little Bear sets off on a journey to visit all his friends in search of his missing trousers. What has happened to them? Will Little Bear and his trousers be reunited?
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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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908177837</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=140639131X
|author=Jane Hissey
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|title=Old Bear Stories
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|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The Old Bear stories are delightfulThis collection brings together five stories into one book, introducing us to Old Bear, Little Bear, Jolly Tall and all the other toy friendsThe toys look like all those lovely old fashioned toys that children used to have, jointed teddy bears and fuzzy rabbits, and the stories too have a sweet, old fashioned appeal.
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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>1908759933</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=John Jackson and Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini
 
|title=Tales for Great Grandchildren
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=
 
I love old folk tales and fables. The treasure chest of myth and legend contains universal stories, as relevant today as they were in the ancient communities in which they were first told. They speak of love, loss, jealousy, courage, cowardice and grief. They wonder about the world in which we live. They offer explanations, some magical, some plain common sense. They're joyful. They're sad. And sometimes they're frightening. They have all the light and shade that adds up to the human experience.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>095692123X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Anita Pouroulis and Jon Lycett-Smith
 
|title=Mum's Cronky Car
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Mum's car is, well, not the most recent modelIn fact it's falling apart and wouldn't even start if it didn't get a push from Dad.  The journey to school in this patchwork car held together by bits of string and willpower is full of uncertainty.  When they stop at the traffic lights will the car move again - and when it just dies in traffic what can they do?  Then one day something rather magical happensThey're stalled in traffic, wondering what to do next, when the car drifts into the sky and flies them all to the school gates.  Suddenly this isn't an old wreck but an adventure.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0957308701</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574338
|author=David McKee
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|title=Elmer, Rose and Super El
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Elmer, the patchwork elephant, his cousin Wilbur and some of their friends were listening to a distant noiseElmer agreed that it sounded like a herd of elephants but it wasn't ''his'' herd. He and Wilbur set off to find out what was happeningIt was the herd of pink elephants, which included Elmer's friend, Rose and Old who was celebrating his hundredth birthday.  As Old stood at the top of the cliff all the other elephants began stamping their feet - and the cliff gave way.  Old was left stranded on a column of rock which was crumbling ominouslyThis was a job for Super El.
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goesChildren 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, thoughLeilong 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 upThe school decides that he can't be the bus anymore.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394504</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574028
|author=Adele Geras and Sophy Williams
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|title=It's Time For Bed
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|author=David Elliott
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's bedtime for Little Hare but in the way of all small children he looks for ways to delay THAT momentMouse isn't in bed yet and a lullaby has to be sung to himThen it's Bird who also needs a lullaby, as does Frog... Eventually Little Hare gets to bathtime - but then the ducks need a lullaby tooAnd when nearly EVERYONE - animals and toys - has had their lullaby - there's the inevitable drink of water and the last lullaby is for Little Hare.
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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 oneWe 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>1848122500</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1838226834
|author=Neil Griffith and Chistine Grove
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|title=Esme's Egg
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|author=Ed Boxall
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Every day in the laying season Esme the hen laid an egg and every day Farmer Ferguson came along and removed it.  Esme tried being a little bit devious but wherever she laid her egg Farmer Ferguson came along and took it awayNothing daunted, Esme decided that she was going to follow her egg and so began a trip which involved a van and a warehouse and another van and finally a supermarket before Farmer Ferguson arrived to take Esme and six chicks back to the farm.
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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>1905434979</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|author=Anna Dewdney
 
|title=Llama Llama Red Pyjama
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Every parent will know the bedtime game: it looks as though we're all settled down, on the edge of sleep and it's time for Mummy to slip away and get on with all that has to be done, but then...  There's a call: a drink of water still seems to be the favourite and Baby Llama is no exception. Like most children he just wants to hang on to his mother for that ''little'' bit longer.  Only Llama Mama is busy washing up and then the phone rings...  ''She's'' distracted but Baby Llama is ''distraught'' and works himself up into something of a tizzy.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444910876</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|author=Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|title=Boris Saves the Show
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|author=Cordellya Smith
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bookbag has enjoyed Boris' previous adventures in [[Oh, Boris! by Carrie Weston|Oh, Boris!]] and [[Bravo, Boris! by Carrie Weston and Tim Warnes|Bravo, Boris!]] so I was keen to see what Boris was up to this time aroundWe're back amongst familiar faces, in Miss Cluck's school, and this time Miss Cluck has decided the class will put on an end of term show, and that there will be special guests from the Pond Side Nursery coming to watch too! But what role will Boris take in the show?
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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 TurtleYou 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>0192758276</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Rob Keeley
|author=Diane Fox and Christyan Fox
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|title=Rain or Shine (Snip and Snap)
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|rating= 4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's an important lesson to learn, if you're growing up in the UK - the perils of planning an outdoor picnic!  Snip and Snap have decided to have a picnic, but as poor Snip tries to get ready he finds that the changeable weather thwarts his plans at every step!  Will he ever manage to eat his picnic with his friend Snap?
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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>1408316129</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|author=Jenni Desmond
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|title=Red Cat, Blue Cat
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Red Cat and Blue Cat don't get on. They don't get on at all. They hiss and scratch and stumble and thwump. They fight like... well, cat and cat. Each cat has a secret, though: each cat would quite like to be like the other. Blue Cat would like to be fast and bouncy like Red Cat, and Red Cat would like to be smart and quick-witted like Blue Cat. Blue Cat tries to turn red, by eating red things. Red Cat copies him. Neither changes colour, and neither takes on the characteristics of the other. Who'd have thunk it? They're going to have to come up with another plan.
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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>160905248X</amazonuk>
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}}
 
  
{{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=Ruth Brown
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}}
|title=A Dark, Dark Tale
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{{Frontpage
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
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|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
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|rating=4
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|genre=For Sharing
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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''!
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
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}} 
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
 +
|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Once upon a time, there was a dark, dark moor. On that moor was a dark, dark wood. That wood has a dark, dark... well, you get the idea. Darkness is compounded by darkness, and we delve deeper and deeper into this spooky story, to find what lies at the heart of it.
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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>1842709895</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|author=Adrian Reynolds and Thomas Taylor
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|title=The Pets You Get!
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|author=Peter Cotton
|rating=3.5
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|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=A young boy doesn't like the boring guinea pig his sister has. He'd much rather have a dog... no, a grizzly bear... no, a DRAGON! He runs through a number of options for whizz-bang pets that are much more exciting. However, his sister keeps selling the option of the guinea pig. Maybe, just maybe, he'll come to appreciate the little scurrying creature.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184270642X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Derek Mulveen and Michelle Melville
 
|title=Oisin the Brave: Moon Adventure
 
|rating=3.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=After a long day of play Oisin and his friend Orane the Dragon were resting beside the old oak tree and watching the sun go downThey wondered which of the stars would be first to come out to play and it wasn't long before they saw the Big Dipper, the Milky Way and the North Star - that's the one that used to guide explorers homeBut then Oisin spotted something very unusual: there was a flashing light coming from the surface of the moonBefore long the two friends had powered up their space ship and they were on their way to the moon.
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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 FredFred 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 walkAnd that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road senseOr brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0957230001</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Margaret Mahy and Gavin Bishop
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Mister Whistler
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mister Whistler wakes up with his head full of singing and dancing. A phone call comes from his Aunt asking him to come over and help but the song is still humming away in his head and his feet are twitching to dance.  Can he dress himself and get ready to go without the tune interrupting him too much?
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|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>187746791X</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Stephen Mackey
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|title=No, No, No!
|title=Miki and the Wishing Star
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Miki and penguin and polar bear all share the same birthday, and they're very excited about each getting a birthday wish when they blow out their candles. Penguin goes first, wishing that he were the biggest penguin of all!  Just what will he get up to if his wish comes true?
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|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>1444901362</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
|author=Fiona Goble
 
|title=Fiona Goble's Fairy Tale Knits: 20 Enchanting Characters to Make
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Crafts
 
|summary=It's a lovely idea: knitting patterns for twenty fairy tale characters and a brief story to go with them.  There's the pleasure of knitting the characters and then of a child playing with them alongside a story and then being able to use their imaginations to built their own stories.  Best of all, it's done without a battery or a computer/games console in sight.  It's a winner all round.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908005467</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
 
|title=Hippospotamus
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Poor hippo has found a spot on her bottom.  All of her friends have an opinion about what might be wrong with her, ranging from measles to hippopox or perhaps an allergy to cake! They all have suggestions, too, as to how hippo might get rid of the spot and poor hippo tries them all. Will anything ever get rid of that nasty spot?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394032</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
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.
|author=David Wiesner
+
|isbn=1638820457
|title=Tuesday
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=What do you call a man who illustrates books in such a way that you can sit and stare at individual pictures, as much enthralled by their detail as if they were hung in a gallery?  A man who has such trust in his readers that he can tell a complex story without a word of text? Or one who can produce this wordless book and ensure that it appeals to children and to adults in equal measure?  Well, he's called David Wiesner and he's a genius.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394474</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|author=Alex T Smith
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=Claude in the Country
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|rating=5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Thank goodness Alex T Smith is doing such a grand job of continuing to feed my Claude habit. Growing up I always had a bit of a thing for Snoopy, but now I do like to steal the Claude stories away from my daughter and curl up to read them myself as they always cheer me up. This time Claude (and Sir Bobblysock, we mustn't forget him!) have a grand adventure in the countryside. So what with chickens and sheep and pigs and cowpats...what could possibly go wrong?!
+
|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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444909282</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
What will they buy?
|author=Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
 
|title=Diary of a Christmas Wombat
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=There is one thing which makes Christmas special for Mothball the Wombat.  Presents? No. Fun and games? No.  It's carrots.  Yes - carrots.  Mothball eats, sleeps, scratches, occasionally nibbles a tasty stem of grass, scratches and sleeps some more.  The highlight of her day is when she discovers that people leave carrots out for reindeer (for some, obscure reason...) and provided that she is willing to do battle with said reindeer she can munch away to her heart's content.  It's when she discovers that a sleigh is a wonderful place for postprandial nap that she is taken on a very exciting journey.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007490712</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|author=Harriet Ziefert and Amanda Haley
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|title=40 Uses for a Grandpa
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's amazing what you can do with a Grandpa - some you might well have thought about already, such as cash machine, taxi, dance partner and dictionary, but you might never have thought of using him as a basketball hoop, tailor or butler, but perhaps the most important of all forty in the book is ''friend''It's a delightful celebration of all that's wonderful about being a grandparent - and a grandchild.
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doingShe lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1609052765</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
|author=Philip C Stead and Erin E Stead
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
|title=Bear Has a Story to Tell
+
''To the Maritime Museum''.  
|rating=4.5
+
|genre=For Sharing
+
Her imagination was fired.  She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularlyOne 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=Winter is drawing closer, and Bear has a story to tell his friendsUnfortunately, everyone is too busy to hear Bear's story as they are all trying to get ready for winterBear slowly, kindly, helps them all to get ready until all his friends are asleep or away, and so there is no one left to tell his story to. Will anyone want to listen when winter is finally over and they're all awake again?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849395187</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|author=Elisabeth Beresford
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|title=The Snow Womble
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
|rating=5
+
|rating=4
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Bloomsbury have been doing a fabulous job bringing the equally fabulous Wombles to a new - and hopefully more environmentally aware - children. And they haven't forgotten either Christmas or the littlest members of the family. Here is a little story with a wintry theme featuring our favourite eco-lovers-not-fighers in picture book format.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408834243</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McKee
 
|title=Not Now, Bernard
 
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Do you always have time for your little ones?  When they ask you a question, do you always stop and listen or are you, like most parents, prone to the 'not just now, sweetheart' or the 'just a minute, darling' response?  Poor Bernard has two busy parents, and when he brings them his very serious problem they unfortunately don't take the time to listen, with disastrous consequences!
+
|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>1849394679</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|author=Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|title=A Little Bit of Winter
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We [[Rabbit's Wish by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell|already know]] that Rabbit and Hedgehog are best friends despite the fact that Rabbit is awake all day and Hedgehog is awake at night. Now there's going to be a new challenge for the friendshipIt's nearly winter and Hedgehog is ready to go to sleep until spring but Rabbit will be awake and coping with the worst that the weather can throw at him - and trying to find food even when the ground is covered in snow. Hedgehog has a request - he'd like Rabbit to save him a little bit of winter because he doesn't know what it's like.
+
|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>0862649986</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|author=Oliver Jeffers
+
|title=The Invisible
|title=This Moose Belongs To Me
+
|author=Tom Percival
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Wilfred owns a moose. His moose’s name is Marcel and most of the time Marcel follows Wilfred’s rather lengthy rules on how to be the perfect pet. However some of the rules are rather too demanding for an independent moose and Marcel develops a tendency to take Wilfred on very long walks. One day on a particularly lengthy walk they meet an old lady who greets Marcel enthusiastically, 'Rodrigo! You’re back!' Does the moose really belong to Wilfred? How can he prove that Marcel is his perfect pet?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007263872</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Mij Kelly and Mary McQuillan
 
|title=A Bed of Your Own
 
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Suzy Sue has brushed her teeth, picked up her teddy and clambered into her bed. She is ready to fall asleep any moment until she realises that something is not quite right:
+
|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:
 
 
''I'm squished. I'm squashed. I'm uncomfy! she said.<br>
 
''I think there's something wrong with my bed.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340999284</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Leo Timmers
 
|title=The Magical Life of Mr Renny
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Our story begins with the words ''This is not an apple'' below a painting of a bright green, juicy-looking appleThe apple in question has been painted by Mr Renny who is such a good painter that whatever he paints looks just like the real thing.  Unfortunately for Mr Renny though, no-one wants to buy his paintings from him and so one day, a mysterious man in a bowler hat comes along and offers Mr Renny the chance to have everything he paints become real.  Will this be the making of Mr Renny?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579203</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rod Campbell
 
|title=Dear Zoo Touch and Feel
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=[[Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell]], the original lift the flap story, is one of our most favourite books.  If asked I would give it 5 stars, 6 stars, maybe even 10 stars!  It's incredibly readable, interactive and a fun story to share over and over and over again.  Now the story has been modernised to give each page a sensory patch, where you and baby can touch and feel the different animals.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0230757871</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
|author=Helen Stephens
 
|title=How to Hide a Lion
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Lions - dangerous? Pah. They're so gentle that a little could have one as a pet. That's exactly what Iris does when a lion wanders into town. Her parents wouldn't see things as she does, so Iris decides to hide the lion around the house.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407121618</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
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.
|author=Gwen Millward
 
|title=Bear and Bird
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Bear and bird are best friends. They do everything together. They work together, play together, collect firewood together. However, one evening, Bird burns all the firewood, so Bear sighs and heads out to collect some more. When he doesn't return for hours, Bird worries, and heads out to find his best friend.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405254270</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|author=Kate Willis-Crowley
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|title=Mary Had A Little Lamb
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mary Had A Little Lamb is a much-loved nursery rhyme. We all know the story of its fleece as white as snow, and that it followed Mary to school one day. Kate Willis-Crowley takes the nursery rhyme, and presents it in its purest form. There's no twist, no unusual rewriting, it's simply the sweet rhyme of a girl and her lamb that is familiar to all.
+
|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>0340999764</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
  
{{newreview
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|author=Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson
 
|title=My Happy Life
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Dani can't sleep she doesn't count sheep, she counts all the times that she's been happy!  And Dani has been happy a lot of times.  She's happy because she's about to start school, though she's nervous about making new friends.  But then she meets Ella, and Ella becomes the very best friend she could ever have wished for.  They have so much fun together, but then one day Ella tells Dani that she is moving house, and suddenly Dani isn't happy any more.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877467804</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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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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