Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Carolina Rabei
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|author=Adam Stower
|title=Crunch!
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|title=Murray and Bun
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 +
|genre=Confident Readers
 +
|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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}}
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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
 +
|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Crunch is a guinea pig who likes his comfy bed, but most of all he likes eating - which is probably why he's called Crunch.  He's gorgeously round and well-fed but he couldn't help but think that there was something missing from his life.  One day he was approached by Cheddar, the mouse, who chatted to him about the abundance of food which was available to CrunchCheddar couldn't believe it and thought that Crunch probably had enough food to share, but Crunch was having none of thisHis food was HIS food and he wasn't sharing it with ''anyone'', even when Cheddar offered him a big friendly hug in return.
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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 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>1846437326</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreviewplain
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{{Frontpage
|title=Busy Alice in Wonderland
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
 +
|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
 +
|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 +
|rating=5
 +
|genre=For Sharing
 +
|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?
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}}
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{{Frontpage
 +
|isbn=1913839656
 +
|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
 +
|author=Lainey Dee
 +
|rating=3.5
 +
|genre=For Sharing
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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.
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}}
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{{Frontpage
 +
|isbn=1529504775
 +
|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
 +
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=
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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 homeGradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind itMany 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.
''Busy Alice in Wonderland'' is a board book, with paper (or should it be 'board'?) engineering.  It would seem to too crass to describe what can be done with the book as 'pull the tab'.   A pulled tab moves the hedgehog forward, paints the blooms red and puts stripes onto the cat's teeth (and all that is on the cover!) A finger in a ring moving through a curve drops Alice down the rabbit holeThe potion which Alice drinks quickly reduces her size and a turning wheel pours tea out of the potIt's all brilliantly done and despite trying my best I couldn't find a single sharp edge or one of the pieces of engineering that I thought would soon need repair.  It's a book which you could leave with a child rather than feeling that it needed to be kept on 'Mummy's shelf'.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447277694</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Kim Geyer
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|isbn=1529504767
|title=Go to Sleep, Monty!
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|rating=4
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=For some children, it does not take them long to decide that they want a petThis means that the next few months and years consist of them slowly breaking down their parents’ resistance until finally a pet enters the home.  For some lucky adults this may take the form of a goldfish or a hamster, but for many it will be a dogYou may feel like you have only just managed to get your own child potty trained, but now you have to start all over again with a puppy.
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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 destinationShe needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to herShe 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>1783441100</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Lydia Monks
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=Mungo Monkey goes on a Train
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|title=Squeakily Baby
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|author=Beth Webb
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I have spent quite a lot of time on public transport and, believe you me, I have seen a few odd things in my time, but I have yet to see a family of monkeys catch the trainHowever, Mungo is no ordinary monkey as he lives in a curious world where you can lift flaps and see what is going on. What can be behind the next one?  Perhaps a photo of me looking puzzled as I see a monkey on the train!
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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 eyesThen a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405269103</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Pat Hutchins
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|isbn=140639131X
|title= Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick?
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|rating= 4
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|author=Briony May Smith
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=4.5
|summary= Rosie's not the sharpest chuck in the hen house. She made her debut over forty years ago in the 1968 publication, 'Rosie's Walk' when she stepped out alone blithely unaware of always being a hairs breadth away from calamity. Well, she's back, and this time she has a chick. Uh-oh as my toddler would say…let's have a look at 'Where, Oh Where, is Rosie's Chick?'
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|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444918281</amazonuk>
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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.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Michael Bond and R W Alley
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|isbn=1776574338
|title=Paddington Goes for Gold
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
 +
|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Rather like a young child, Paddington is a wide-eyed innocent who leaves devastation wherever he goes, yet somehow always manages to land on his feetI am very fond of literary bears, and he is one of my favouritesI love his enthusiasm, in everything he does, and that he always has a snack to hand. In this particular adventure, Paddington manages to entice the entire Brown family, and Mrs Bird, to come to a local sports dayThere’s everything from the shotput to a three-legged race and even a knitting raceYou can probably imagine the trouble he gets into…
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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 neckIt'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>0007427735</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Quentin Blake and John Yeoman
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|isbn=1776574028
|title=The Fabulous Foskett Family Circus
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|rating=3
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|author=David Elliott
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There are names to conjure with and Quentin Blake is certainly one of thoseHis tell-tale illustrations have been part of many a child’s upbringings, not at least for his work in the superb Roald Dahl booksHowever, can nostalgia and reverence cloud a person’s mind? Are the drawings of Blake strong enough to cope on their own when put alongside words that are not at a Dahl level?
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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>178344035X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jack Tickle
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|isbn=1838226834
|title=Silly Dizzy Dinosaur
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|rating= 4.5
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|author=Ed Boxall
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Reading to children does not have to be a passive experience.  Some of the best books have you interacting with the characters found between the pagesDizzy Dinosaur is not the most sensible of chaps at the best of time, but his errors are only compounded when the reader gets involved. Can we help this clumsy Camarasaurus from falling over too much?
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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>1848690452</amazonuk>
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Mick Inkpen
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title=Kipper’s Little Friends
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|rating=4.5
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|author=Cordellya Smith
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mick Inkpen has an enormous amount of talent, and he manages to somehow make the simplest of stories endearing and interestingHere, on his 25th anniversary, Kipper is back with a new story in which he’s thinking about baby animals.  He finds out what various different animal babies are called, and then he begins to wonder what he was when he was a baby.
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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 futureRabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well.  He liked to trick other animals.  He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle.  You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see.  Things are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444918192</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title= A Gold Star for George
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|rating= 4.5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= George the Giraffe is a lovable chappie, that much is evident from the start. He’s smart too, both in brains and attire (spotted bow tie being every day wear if you’re George) and right now he’s very excited because the Wildlife Park are having some awards. Gold stars for things like ‘’Most Popular Animal’’, ‘’Best Trick’’ and so on. George ‘’really’’ wants to win one.|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848861710</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Cedric Ramadier and Vincent Bourgeau
 
|title= Help! The Wolf is Coming!
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= With every turn of the thick, cardboard pages, the Wolf is getting closer. Eek. Can you escape in time? Maybe if you’re clever and make him trip up on himself by tilting the pages? Might he then slide off?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1927271843</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt
 
|title= What the Jackdaw Saw
 
 
|rating= 4
 
|rating= 4
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= The jackdaw is flying over the countryside, the sea, towns and forests inviting all the creatures he meets to his party. He is excited and so busy trying to tell everyone about his party that he does not understand that the other animals are all trying to warn him that he is flying into danger. Will he work out what they are telling him before it is too late?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447280849</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Anita Pouroulis
 
|title= Jules and Nina Dine Out
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Nina and George are Jules’ dogs.  Eating out at restaurants used to be a family affair until George blew it. A misunderstanding about a steak apparently.  With the exception of her slightly unreliable digestive system, Nina has slightly more refined manners. She continues to dine out until one restaurant manager refuses her admission. Then it’s a long, but dramatic, spell out on the pavement for her…
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909428345</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Alex T Smith
 
|title= Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Little Red is a caring little girl and when she discovers that her Auntie Rosie is unwell and covered in spots she immediately sets off with her basket packed ready to help. However as she makes her way through the African landscape meeting a variety of animals on the way little does she know that lurking in the trees is a lion. A very hungry lion. A very hungry lion with a very naughty plan.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407143905</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Clare Foges and Al Murphy
 
|title=Kitchen Disco
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If the ‘‘Toy Story’’ films taught is nothing else, they taught us that when we are not paying attention, toys come to life. Call me old fashioned, I am not impressed as this is common knowledge, but did you know that fruit also awakens?  If you listen closely as you go to sleep you may just hear the soft pulse of some Happy House or Dubstep as down in the kitchen the fruit are having a disco.
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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>0571307884</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Paula Metcalf and Cally Johnson-Isaacs
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title=Rabbits Don’t Lay Eggs!
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
 +
|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= Life’s boring in the burrow so Rupert rabbit decides to tunnel over to the neighbouring farm. There he meets a very bossy duck, Dora, who tells him that only animals who can do a job can live on this farm. What can a rabbit do?
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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>1447282779</amazonuk>
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}}
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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=Cerrie Burnell and Laura Ellen Anderson
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}}  
|title=Mermaid
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{{Frontpage
|rating=3
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|genre=For Sharing
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|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
|summary=Bringing important issues such as race and disability to a child’s attention is a vital thing for any parent to do if they want their child to understand the world better.  Why does that person look different and should I be scared?  The answer is obviously no, but how is a child supposed to know this?  Books are a great way of explaining diversity without making the lesson too preachy or obvious.  Perhaps a story about a mermaid who, when out of the water, is in a wheelchair?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407145932</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jory John and Benji Davies
 
|title=Goodnight Already
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you list all of my favourite things you may be surprised what one of my top choices is – sleep. Lovely, blessed sleepy sleep. There is nothing quite like the feeling of waking up at the usual time, only to roll over and go back to Slumberville as there is no work today. If you wake me up too early, I have been described as looking somewhat like a grumpy bear, but what do you expect if you try to stop someone who is hibernating?  Will you learn the lesson of this little duck who would not let a sleeping bear lie?
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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>0008101353</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Pip Jones and Laura Hughes
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|title=Daddy's Sandwich
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|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=One day, a little girl decides to make her daddy a sandwich. It starts out well, with two slices of bread, but things soon slip and slide from there into culinary chaos as she searches through the house for all of his favourite things, like biscuits dunked in tea, and his favourite slippers, and even the remote control!
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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>0571311830</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain and Lee Wildish
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=Pizza for Pirates
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
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|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= George has been exploring before. He’s taken spaghetti to the Yeti, marshmallows for the Martians, and doughnuts for Dragons. In his fourth adventure, he’s off in search of a pirate crew and he’s again armed with a tasty snack. Pizza!
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|summary=Meet Fred. Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly.  But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred.  Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk.  And that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense.  Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405273615</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Ella Bailey
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=At The Animal Ball
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= The animals are having a ball. Join them as they 'dance and
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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?
roar', 'flutter a fan' then 'tap your toes on the floor'. This is flip
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|isbn= B098BJZYHH
flap fun in the parlour game tradition of 'heads, bodies, tails'. On
 
Midsummer's Eve a veritable menagerie of very cute animals in what
 
appear to be a range of national costumes, are assembling to bounce,
 
shimmy, swagger and stroll. You can mix the animals up by flipping the
 
flaps but watch out! Moving the pages out of sequence also mixes up
 
the dance moves. Join in and keep up!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782402306</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Slug Needs a Hug
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|title=No, No, No!
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Growing up, my experience with slugs mainly revolved around spotting them in the garden and being sent out with the pot of salt to send them to a salty (and frankly, disgusting) death! My mum was forever waging war on these creatures that were hell-bent on eating everything in her garden that she loved best. Since those happy childhood moments, I have had other difficult moments with slugs including the one who dared to come into our house, into the lounge, and who I trod on in the dark one night. Yuck! All of which means that, to be honest, I wasn’t sure this book would be very enjoyable for me!  Still, I’m never one to say no to something illustrated by Tony Ross, and he and Jeanne Willis make a reliably good team, so I put my salt pot away and sat down to read.
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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>1783441194</amazonuk>
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 +
''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.
 +
|isbn=1638820457
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Sarah Garland
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|isbn=194812467X
|title=Azzi in Between
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|title=The Farm Shop
|rating=5
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Our story begins in a country at war.  Unfortunately you could probably put a name to it (although it isn't named) as it happens all too regularly.  Our heroine is Azzi, a young girl whose life was not ''too'' affected by the war, but every day it came a little closer.  Her father still worked as a doctor and her mother made beautiful clothes.  Her grandmother wove warm blankets.  Then the day came when they had to run, for their lives, and escape was by boat and they became refugees.  The three of them - for Grandma had been left behind - had been luckier than most for they were accepted on a temporary basis into another country (again it's not named) and they had a home, although it was just one room.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806511</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Sarah Garland
 
|title=Eddie's Tent and How to go Camping
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Mum, Tom, Tilly, Lily and Eddie wanted to go on holiday and camping seemed like the ideal way to go.  Lily and Tilly thought it was a brilliant idea and they had some experience, although their 'tent' did look just a little bit like a duvet over a chair.  It's surprising what you need for a holiday, but Lily and Tilly had to be told to start again when Mum saw what they'd packed!  But finally, Tom began to load the car and off they went.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184780408X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David J Plant
 
|title=Hungry Roscoe
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= Roscoe is hungry. He dreams of eating fresh fruit and fish rather than the rotten scraps he scavenges from the bins in the park where he lives. When his friend Benjy tells him that the animals in the Zoo get fresh food every day, Roscoe has to go. But he quickly finds that there’s no way the bad-tempered Zoo Keeper will let Roscoe anywhere near the food. Determined not to give up, Roscoe tries to disguise himself as a tortoise and then as a penguin. When that doesn’t work, the monkeys suggest an alternative idea with devastating consequences for the poor Zoo Keeper. 
+
|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>1909263532</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Clare Bevan and Cally Johnson-Isaacs
 
|title=Mimi's Magical Fairy Friends Catkin the Fairy Kitten
 
|rating=2.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Children’s books are wonderful things to read full of vibrant colours and flights of fancy, but they can also be sickly sweet.  Designing a book for a young girl does not mean it that has to be bright pink and float into the room on the wings of a Pegasus. It seems that this fact has not stopped countless authors trying to do just this. Some girls may indeed love fairies, mermaids or ponies, but this does not mean that they hate concepts such as rounded characters, plots that make sense, or feelings of empowerment.  Even a magical fairy kitten is not enough to disguise a book with no plot.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447277015</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
What will they buy?
|author= Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty
 
|title=Ten Little Dinosaurs
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When I was a child it was ten green bottles standing on the wall. Since then Mike Brownlow and Simon Rickerty have brought us the exploits of ''Ten Little Princesses'' and ''Ten Little Pirates''. Now they invite us to explore the prehistoric world of ''Ten Little Dinosaurs''.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408334003</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title=Ready, Steady, Jump
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
 +
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If children’s books are a great way of introducing the varied world of the animal kingdomThere are books on lions, kangaroos, monkeys, aardvarks, ostriches and so many others. However, children’s books since the days of Rudyard Kipling’s ‘‘Just So Stories’’ have also been confusing kids with animal facts that just aren’t trueAre we to believe that an elephant got its trunk by having it pulled on by a crocodile? To compound the issue, author Jeanne Willis is now suggesting that not only do elephants have an elongated nose, but they are also unable to jump – how silly!
+
|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>1783440392</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
 +
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
 +
''To the Maritime Museum''.
 +
 +
Her imagination was firedShe'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.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=David Lucas
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title=This is My Rock
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
 +
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Once you have claimed something as your own, the temptation to not share it is enormous, whether you’re three years old or thirty three!  In this story we are introduced to a little goat who has climbed to the top of a mountain, claimed it as his own, and is unwilling to allow anyone else up there with him.
+
|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>1909263508</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Patricia Hegarty and Fhiona Galloway
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title=Please: A First Book of Manners
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ah, that age old battle, of how to teach your children to be polite. I had a teacher who had magic hands, and she would only release what she was holding if you remembered to say please and thank you to her!  This board book introduces the word please in a lovely way, right from a very early age!
+
|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>184869055X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Elli Woollard and Benji Davies
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=The Giant of Jum
+
|title=The Invisible
 +
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The Giant of Jum is hungry and it’s making him grumpy. Luckily he remembers his brother telling him a story about a beanstalk and a boy called Jack and this leads the Giant to set off to find his own Jack. The boy will, he decides, make a very tasty snack. But things don’t work out as he plans. Instead of eating the children he meets along the way he ends up helping them, using his extra height to fetch a lost ball and rescue a cat from a tree. When he finally finds Jack will he really be able to eat Jack up? And if he doesn’t eat Jack, how will he fill his rumbling tummy? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447254740</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Bob Staake
 
|title=My Pet Book
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I have a deep regard for books; they led to my love of reading and later my career as a Librarian. Over the years I have had some books that I have read many times and are firm favourites, but would I go so far as to call them my pets? I don’t keep them in a little book house (unless that’s how you describe your bookshelf) and I don’t walk around the street with them on a leadWho on Earth would do that?
+
|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>178344231X</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''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 cityThis part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Barroux
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|title=Where's the Elephant?
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=We've all had great fun with books such as ''Where's Wally'',  haven't we?  They appeal to children and adults and everyone who has seen ''Where's the Elephant?'' has jumped in with great enthusiasm, keen to show just how observant they are.  We start off with a forest - actually it's the Amazon Rainforest - full of glorious colours and our three friends, who are hiding in there. Elephant is probably the easiest to spot, but Snake and Parrot are in there too and with a little concentration you'll find them.  When you turn the page you'll scan the trees again and discover their hiding places.  You even wonder if it might get a little ''boring'' if it goes on like this.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405271388</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Anna Kovecses
 
|title=One Thousand Things
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=When you are just short of two years old there’s a whole lifetime of learning ahead. Where to begin? Well, you could do a lot worse than get Mum or Dad to buy a copy of Anna Kovecses’ ''One Thousand Things''. Don’t believe the mouse on the front cover holding a balloon saying ''learn your first words''. To bill this book as a ‘vocabulary builder’ is to woefully underplay its hand. Study hard and this book will see you safely through nursery and in to reception as an assured four year old who can hold their own in the cut and thrust of classroom debate.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806074</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Judi Abbot
 
|title=Train
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Kids nowadays have far too many toys to play with; whilst I had to make do with a piece of string tied around a rock, today’s youth have rooms filled with more plastic contraptions than an aging Hollywood Starlet’s cheeks.  Even with all this stuff at hand most parents will tell you that their child will still gravitate more to a few of their favourite things, ignoring a lot of the other offerings available.  Perhaps they have a toy train that they are obsessed by?  Train!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1589255429</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Carron Brown and Bee Johnson
 
|title=On the Train
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There’s nothing me and the little ‘un like more than a good transport themed book. Tractors remain top of my toddler’s pops but trains run a close second. One glimpse of the cover of ''On the Train'' and his little feet did the happy dance. He hunkered down and the journey began.
+
|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>178240242X</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
{{newreview
+
 
|author=Aino-Maija Metsola
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|title=Colours
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Lift the flaps books are very popular in my house, though I seldom use that term to describe them. Rip the flaps is more apt. I imagine fellow parents reading this review will wince and nod at this point whilst librarians will perspire and reach reflexively for the sellotape. 'Colours' by Aino-Maija Metsola is a lift the flaps book for the very young. As the title suggests, this edition aims to teach the concept of colour with the added spice of extra pictures hidden behind flaps.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806090</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Sally Sutton and Brian Lovelock
 
|title=Construction
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=I live near what is currently a pretty massive building site and I don’t think there is anything particularly magical about the noise and mess that a bunch of huge vehicles make, but try telling that to a three year old. The bright yellow colours and obvious power of these machines can spark a child’s imagination. So, a book that evokes all this building and construction is hypnotically powerful to the right child.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1922077305</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

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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

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

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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

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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