Newest Emerging Readers Reviews
Star Wars The Force Awakens Illustrated Storybook by Elizabeth Schaefer and Brian Rood
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away… Well, ours, last year, really… A film came along that seriously impressed lots of mature audience members who had very valid reasons to doubt it, and that made goggle-eyed popcorn munchers of a lot of youngsters. It had rollicking spacecraft dog-fights, it had emotional revisits for well-loved characters, and had a sting in its tail that lasted at least a couple of days before being leaked to the wider world. I know there is a DVD and Blu-Ray of it coming within days of me writing this, but I can only assume the reason the junior books about the film are being released now and not in time with its cinematic release is down to the chatter of the young and their rampant ability to say what they shouldn't – which includes what happens about eighteen pages before the end of the story here. Full review...
Star Wars Bounty Hunt: Lift the Flap by Katrina Pallant and Robert Ball
If you need to give credit to the Star Wars universe for anything, beyond sheer entertainment, it may be the way it makes such great store of putting evil characters to the fore. They're often the more memorable for being in tune with the dark side of the Force, and even if we're not meaning full-on Darth Vader or the like we're talking about Hutts, bounty hunters and sheer nasty people as the focus of the stories. All in all the good guys will win the day, but the baddies have a heck of a lot more attention given them than in some franchises. And such is the case here, where we have a small episode in the life of devious and dogged bounty hunter Bossk, who was in films 5 and 6 and the Clone Wars animation, but isn't generally well-known on the street. Or in the nursery school, for this is seriously geared at the younger end of the SW audience. Full review...
Claude Going for Gold! by Alex T Smith
I've been a fan of Claude from the beginning. He charmed me from the start, with his plump tummy, little legs, red jumper and rather fetching beret. I can't help but love a dog who wears a beret! He also has a charming best friend, Sir Bobblysock, (who is indeed a woolly sock) who always makes me laugh. In this particular book they are off on another hunt for an adventure, and although it seems for a while that there is simply no fun to be had outside of the house they finally fall, literally, into a Very Exciting Sports Competition! Full review...
Eeyore Loses a Tail (Winnie the Pooh Classics) by A A Milne and E H Shepard
Eeyore, the Old Grey Donkey stood in the thistly corner of the forest and thought about things. He was quite a philosopher in his own way, but his most profound thought occured when Winnie-the-Pooh came along and enquired as to how he was.
Not very how, he said. I don't seem to have felt at all how for a long time. Full review...
Mango and Bambang: Tapir All At Sea by Polly Faber and Clara Vulliamy
Mango is a sensible, resourceful little girl who is good at a great many things including playing the clarinet and karate. Most importantly she is good at being kind, especially to her best friend, Bambang, a slightly timid Malaysian tapir. In this second book in the series Bambang learns to become a little braver. He has to really, as he becomes involved in a series of daring escapades involving dancing classes, a diamond ring, time spent behind bars and a particularly dangerous enemy. Throughout all of this Bambang is accompanied by his faithful friend, Mango. Sometimes, even the closest friendship may be taken for granted. Will Bambang remember what matters most? Full review...
The Dog with No Name by Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
Ella and Harry had been nagging their parents forever about getting a dog, but it wasn't until after the death of the goldfish and the Russian hamster, which they'd only seen five times because it was nocturnal, that their parents relented. Off they went to the dog rescue centre and after what seemed like ages and lots of red tape they had their very own dog. He'd not been in the centre long and had no name but the whole family fell for him and brought him home. Full review...
Polly and the Puffin by Jenny Colgan
Polly was in bed when there was LOUD bang from downstairs. It wasn't the storm which was raging outside. It wasn't a monster or an alien from outer space. It was a puffin who had crashed through the front door and he had a broken wing. Polly's mummy got the first aid kit out whilst Polly went to get the puffin some food and the next day they went to see the vet. By then Polly had decided that the puffin would be called Neil and the vet asked her if she would be able to look after Neil until his wing was better, on the strict understanding that he would then have to return to the wild. Full review...
Grey Island Red Boat by Ian Beck
Princess Opal lived with her father, the king, on the Island of Ashes. It was a grey island, set in a grey sea and Opal lived in a grey castle surrounded by a cold grey moat. The gardens were grey and so were the trees and flowers. Princess Opal even sat on a grey granite throne in a grey granite room - and she wished that her life could be different. She couldn't help but think that something was missing. Full review...
We Are Not FROGS! by Michael Morpurgo and Sam Usher
After the storm the frogs and the toads all came out onto the lawn to play long jump. This was the frogs' choice as they could jump further and the toads just wanted an easy life. But - through a series of unfortunate incidents involving lorries, dogs, children, a cart and an ice cream container, first the toads ended up in the ice cream container and after they sold the frogs down the river in exchange for being put into a muddy ditch, the frogs - all twenty two of them - were in the same prison and it was only thanks to Mutt the dog that they escaped. Full review...
Sammy the Shy Kitten by Holly Webb
An adorably, warm and cute story about what happens when Emma falls in love with a tiny sweet feral kitten whom she names Sammy. To persuade Mum and Dad to let her keep him she must learn all she can about taming wild kittens – and, of course, win little Sammy's confidence and trust. Full review...
Unicorn in New York: Louie Lets Loose! by Rachel Hamilton
Louie's parents are worried when Louie announces he wants to leave home to enrol at the New York School of Performing Arts. He's a unicorn and they can't believe he'll be happy without the sunlit meadows, enchanted waterfalls and beautiful maidens of Story Land. But, like all good parents, they accept that Louie must make his own way in the world. Luckily Louie always looks for the positive in life – a skill that's going to prove essential when he arrives in New York. Full review...
Mr Horton's Violin by Wenhua Wang, Amann Wang and Yu Yan Chen (translator)
Meet Mr Horton. He is one of the world's most famous and rich musical instrument players, and has done it all – except, that is, stumble on a music tree. You have to stumble on them, for not carpenters, not sculptors, not even simple woodsmen would give them a second look and think of them as anything special. But when Mr Horton does find one he is able to fashion the best, most magical violin imaginable out of its wood. The only problem after that is working out who deserves to play it… Full review...
The Chief Cellist by Wenhua Wang, Amann Wang and Yu Yan Chen (translator)
Meet the Chief. A new cellist in a quite horrible orchestra, he has suddenly turned their fortunes – and his – round. He is now a superstar, and asking for more and more grandeur and help in his life. But one night, when his chauffeur doesn't turn up for him after yet one more sterling performance, he finds himself alone in a world that doesn't care how good a cellist he is, but one where destiny might just depend on him learning the power of teamwork… Full review...
Create Your Own Alien Adventure by Chris Judge and Andrew Judge
Choose Your Own Adventure books were massive during the 80s. They allowed the young reader to pick up a book and be the hero; your choices determined if you live or die. Invariably, it was a game of leaving your finger in the previous page to make sure you could skip back should the fate that befell you not be to your liking. Well, its 2016 and just choosing your adventure is no longer enough, we want to interact even more with the story, we want to create our own adventure. Full review...
Little People, Big Dreams: Frida Kahlo by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Eng Gee Fan
Frida Kahlo was born in Mexico. When she was a young schoolgirl she contracted polio and was left with a leg which was skinny as a rake, but she bore the problem stoically and in some ways delighted in being different. Then one day Frida was in a bus which crashed into a car. She was badly injured and even when she was over the worst she still had to rest in bed and filled the time by drawing pictures, including a self portrait. Eventually she showed her pictures to a famous artist - Diego Rivera - who liked the pictures, and Frida. They married and Rivera encouraged Frida's painting. She exhibited, eventually in New York, to great acclaim. Full review...
Little People, Big Dreams: Coco Chanel by Isabel Sanchez Vegara and Ana Albero
Gabrielle Chanel lived in an orphanage in a French town and after the death of her mother she went to a strict convent school. The fact that she was different didn't make her life easy, but there were early indications that she was going to be a seamstress. After she left school she sewed by day and sang by night and it was as she sang that she gained her nickname - Coco - which came from the soldiers in the audience. But her dream was designing clothes and the first step was designing and making hats: this led to her opening a hat shop. One evening, at a party she realised that a lot of the women weren't dancing: their corsets were so tight that they could hardly breathe and it was this that prompted Coco to create a new style. Her clothes were simple, straight and comfortable to wear. Full review...
Ghost for Sale by Terry Deary
When Mr and Mrs Rundle see an advert in the paper for a wardrobe for sale, complete with ghost, Mrs Rundle decides that they absolutely must have it! They own The Dog and Duck Inn and Mrs Rundle feels that addition of a ghost will add interest to their Inn and bring them custom. The arrival of the wardrobe certainly shakes things up for the Rundles, though perhaps not in the way they'd imagined! Full review...
Rabbit and Bear: Rabbit's Bad Habbits by Julian Gough and Jim Field
When Bear wakes up early from her hibernation, she decides that if she can't sleep then she might as well do something which she's always wanted to do - build a snowman. It's whilst she's doing this that she meets Rabbit, who tells her that he's an Expert in Gravity. Whatever he is, it doesn't seem to make him particularly happy as he never smiles and isn't exactly big on fun. But there are avalanches around as well as hungry wolves and Rabbit soon comes to the conclusion that it's good to have a friend on your side - even if you have just stolen their food. Full review...
The Orchard Book of Bedtime Fairy Tales by Helen Craig
Fairy Tales have been around for centuries and reflect the tradition of oral history; stories spoken from one person's memory to another. This is why some Fairy Tales seem to have subtle differences depending upon where you were brought up. Did you hear that the three little pigs boiled the wolf alive, or perhaps you think he just walked away in frustration? Helen Craig is a talented illustrator who has decided to tackle the tricky Fairy Tale compilation. Will her retelling of classic stories match your own? Full review...
Lily and the Christmas Wish by Keris Stainton
I In the small town of Pinewood the people are busy preparing for Christmas. This year they are doing something special to celebrate. Each person will write down a secret wish and tie it to the Christmas tree in the town square. Although nine year old Lily likes this idea she is more than a little sceptical that wishes can come true, no matter how much you may want them to. Then a strange storm blows in and scatters all the wishes across the town. Lily wakes up the following morning to discover that Bug, her pug puppy, can talk! That was not what Lily had wished for but maybe it was someone else's wish? The Christmas magic has definitely gone wrong. Can Lily, her younger brother Jimmy and, of course, Bug put things right before Christmas Day? Full review...
Vasilisa the Beautiful (Russian Folktales) by Anthea Bell and Anna Morgunova
When I say to you the first response I had on picking up this book was 'Ooh, someone knows their Klimt', and that I thought I had seen Kandinsky in the art inside, it tells you the aesthetic is definitely to the fore here. (That latter claim was a bit false – but there's definitely a touch of Picasso.) Of course there is a story, and a more-than decent story it is too, but with the intriguing, detailed and unusual artwork of Anna Morgunova, this picture book with many words really does come to life. Full review...
Hilda and the Troll by Luke Pearson
Hilda, a rather delightful small, blue-haired girl, is never far from an adventure. She is confident and excitable, brave and creative, and her stories are slightly mad, and very, very readable! Full review...
Finding Winnie: The Story of the Real Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Lindsay Mattick and Sophie Blackall
A little boy called Cole wanted a story. He particularly wanted a true story and it had to be about a bear. It was getting late, but Mummy said that she would do her best. Her story began about a hundred years before Cole was born and it was about a man called Harry Colebourn who lived in Winnipeg. He was a vet and was on his way to Europe to look after the horses of the soldiers fighting in the Great War when he met a trapper with a baby bear: his head might have said that there was nothing he could do, but his heart told him to get hold of the bear and he gave the trapper $20. Winnipeg, as he named the bear, went on the train with Captain Coulbourn and his troop, across the ocean and finally arrived in England. Full review...
My Funny Family Gets Funnier by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish
Mattie is nine years old and the second child in a wonderfully big and loving family, where all sorts of very funny things are prone to happen. Like the day Uncle Vez's brother and his wife, Uncle Bruce and Aunty Sheila (not their real names!) turn up on the doorstep. They're visiting from their home in Australia and it isn't long before they're causing quite a stir in the Butterfield household – and beyond. Full review...
The Tiny Tree by Allan Plenderleith
Deep down in the woods there was a tiny pine tree, stranded in a clearing and surrounded by BIG pine trees. She dreamed of being a big tree and hoped that one day she would be beautifully dressed and surrounded by laughter and love. The other trees thought that she was being silly. Actually, they were quite nasty to her and rather too full of themselves. Then one day the big machine came and started cutting down trees - and Tiny Tree was cut down by mistake. But who is going to want a tiny Christmas tree? Full review...
Take Away the A by Michael Escoffier and Kris Di Giacomo
What happens when you take away the letter 'A' from the word 'Beast'? You get 'Best'! Similarly without the 'B' the 'Bride' goes for a 'Ride' or without the 'C' the 'Chair' has 'Hair'. Full review...
Stampy's Lovely Book by Joseph Garrett
If you still think of Stampy as the elephant in The Simpsons, you need to get with it. For one thing, TV is so last century – now it's all about Minecraft and other computer game worlds, and often second-screening between different new media at the same time. So why does this book from a Youtube star of Minecraft tasks, pranks and other activities, remind me of a certain TV programme that used to invite us to turn off and do something more active instead? Full review...
