Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[image:lumplump.jpg|center|link=https://books.google.com/books?id=dDc9DQAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=lump+lump+and+the+blanket+of+dreams&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiz47visd3QAhVT_WMKHQ8CA8UQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=lump%20lump%20and%20the%20blanket%20of%20dreams&f=false]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
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{{Frontpage
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]] __NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->
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|author=Adam Stower
{{newreview
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|title=Murray and Bun
|author=Laura Williams
 
|title=Grandpa Diet and Diabetes
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Nick's Mum is an accident and emergency nurse and life can get a bit hectic at times, particularly when she has to arrange for someone to look after Nick and his twin sister Emma.  One day in the school holidays Grandpa had the pleasure of looking after the kids and Nick thought this was cool.  Grandpa used to be a bit of a rocker, you see, and that's the sort of music he always has playing.  He might have a stick but Nick sure that he doesn't really need it - it's there just in case.  He does have a problem though and Mum explains it by saying that Grandpa has to eat at the right time every day because he has diabetes.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1524667641</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
 
|title=Supertato Run Veggies Run
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=I've heard of these so called superfoods, they are reported to boost your immune system and flush out areas of your body that have gone unnoticed for decades, but does this make them super?  In my mind to be a superfood you need to do something spectacular; lift a car from a trapped child, or leap over a building in one bound.  The vegetable and fruit in my house can't do any of this, but then they aren't Supertato; a spectacular spud that, more than once, has saved the day with his powers.
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|summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two.  But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs.  This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471121038</amazonuk>
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|isbn=0008561249
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Dr Seuss
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|isbn=1732898766
|title=Dr Seuss's ABC
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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
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=No one who has read his work can deny that Dr Seuss had a powerful imagination.  He was able to pluck from his brainpan not only interesting takes on old ideas, but also new creatures and worlds that had never been seen before.  His books are often madder than a box of March hares, but even he must have had his limits? The humble ABC book (dare I say the dull ABC book), surely he could not bring his sense of anarchic fun to this staple of the children's education market?
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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>0007487754</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Nosy Crow
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=British Museum: ABC
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|rating=4
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Learning your ABCs is also seemingly learning the same items appearing over and over againA is not only A – it is also AppleB is Ball, C is Car.  It is almost as if there are only 26 objects in the world and they happen to start with different letters of the alphabetIn fact, apart from Xylophone and X-Ray, there are loads of things that you could choose to put in an ABC book, if only you had a vast repository of objects and art that you could choose from …
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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 shorelineOn top of the ice was a polar bearAs the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the iceKit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another.  He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep.  What else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857638165</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{newreview <!-- remove 17/5 -->
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{{Frontpage
|title=Go To Sleep!
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|isbn=1913839656
|author=Marion Adams
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|rating=4
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|author=Lainey Dee
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=''It was midnight on the wild moors. The round white moon peeped over the clouds. The barn owl flew from tree to tree without making a sound. The cool night breeze rustled through the gorse bushes.''
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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.
 
 
Parents - isn't this just a lovely way to start a bedtime story? It's an oft-forgotten truth about picture books that they need to engage the parents as well as the children. How else can they read it aloud successfully? So I loved this opening paragraph of ''Go To Sleep!'' - it not only set the scene beautifully but it also made me want to rush off and find a child to read it to.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0993079474</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|title=Fum
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|isbn=1529504775
|author=Karl Newson and Lucy Fleming
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|rating=4
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|genre=For Sharing
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|rating=4.5
|summary=The smallest member of the Crumb family, Fum, has gone missing.  Where on earth can he be?  The rest of the Crumbs (a family of giants) search high and low for little Fum, enlisting the help of various fairy tale friends along the way.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848862431</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart
 
|title=Little Monster's Day Out with Dad
 
|rating=4
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Before leaving the house it is always important that you check the traffic onlineWhat is the point in leaving now if you are going to be stuck in a traffic jam all the way? Little Monster's Father could have done this, but is learning the hard wayThankfully, this is a world in which even the mundane can be fun and there are lots of friends to find; even when you are stuck in back to back traffic on the Monster M25.
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive pastElsie 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 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405276444</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Neil Gaiman and Divya Srinivasan
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|isbn=1529504767
|title=Cinnamon
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
 +
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=First written in 1995, Cinnamon has hitherto existed as a short story on Neil Gaiman's website or as part of an audiobook collection. Now, it's out as a picture book for us all to share.
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination.  She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her.  She even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life. She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning.
The story follows Cinnamon, a princess in a small hot country, where everything is very old. Cinnamon was born with pearls for eyes. This means that she is very beautiful but also blind. And Cinnamon won't speak. Her parents, the rajah and rani, offer rich rewards for anyone who can persuade their daughter to talk. People come and go but nobody is successful. Until, one day, a tiger comes...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408879239</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=John Kelly and Steph Laberis
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=Can I Join Your Club?
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|rating=4.5
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|author=Beth Webb
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Duck just wants to join a clubAny club would be fine, but he would really like to be a part of something, so he tries the Lion Club, and the Snake Club, and even Club Elephant, but it seems like duck won't ever fit in anywhere…
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|summary=Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily babyHe'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>1848694369</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Joyce Dunbar and Claire Fletcher
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|isbn=140639131X
|title=Tibs the Post Office Cat
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
 +
|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Set in the 1950's, this is a story about a cat called Tibs (who was a real cat) who was born in a post office, and who had a job to keep all the rats and mice under controlRather than killing and eating all the mice, however, Tibs befriends them, and with their help he is able to apprehend some thieves, becoming the hero of the day!
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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 obviousAll the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1910277207</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Britta Teckentrup
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|isbn=1776574338
|title=Under the Same Sky
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|rating=4.5
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=4
|summary= In this delightfully different book award winning illustrator Britta Teckentrup combines beautiful pictures with a simple yet lyrical text to portray a celebration of global unity. It beautifully depicts how the world's communities are united by the same hopes and dreams.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848575866</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Ant Parker
 
|title=Charlie Chick Wants to Play
 
|rating=3.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=You would be amazed how often items go missing in children's books, especially in lift the flap books. What better way is there to get a kid to look under something than say it may contain the missing objectIn this case a Chick has lost their ball and rather than question why a baby chicken would have a ball in the first place, we instead must go on an adventure around the farm.
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes.  Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck.  It's perfect, isn't it? What could be a more fun way of going to schoolThere 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509829008</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jon Burgerman
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|isbn=1776574028
|title=SPLAT!
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
 +
|author=David Elliott
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Everybody loves a clown…. Wait a minute, does anyone ''like'' a clown?  They are as likely to make a child cry as they are to make them laughOne thing that they do have going for them is the slapstick humour and although we may not enjoy clowns themselves, we do enjoy watching someone get smacked in the face with a custard pieTherefore, why not enjoy the mayhem without the harlequin?
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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>0192749544</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton
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|isbn=1838226834
|title= Lots – The Diversity of Life on Earth
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|rating=5
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|author=Ed Boxall
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
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|rating=4
|summary= How many different kinds of living things are there on Earth? Lots…that's how many. Children will learn lots and lots from this wonderful book. I learned lots from it too.  There are 100,000 different kinds of mushrooms. Who knew? Well I certainly didn't. This is one of those special books with cross-over appeal. Tiny children will adore the illustrations, slightly older ones will learn fascinating facts and readers of any age will be moved by the message that we need to take better care of our beautiful environment.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406360481</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Michael Bond
 
|title= Paddington's Finest Hour
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=Paddington is back! This is the first set of new stories about our favourite bear from Peru since 2012. There are seven of them and, as you'd expect, they are delightful. Our little bear doesn't change and he still careers around 32 Windsor Gardens creating merry havoc as his adopted family, the Browns, look on in helpless mirth. Everybody loves a bit of slapstick, right?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0008226199</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Catherine Rayner
 
|title=One Happy Tiger
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I love a good counting book!  I particularly like one that has a story attached to it, rather than just 'one ball, two oranges, three dolls...' I like a counting book which is well drawn too and where care and thought has gone into the production of the book: you can't start to appreciate the good things in life too soon and ''One Happy Tiger'' ticks all those boxes, but when we first meet him tiger is rather sad.  He's sitting all alone and whilst he might not have a frown on his face or tears in his eyes he has a look of dejection about him.
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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>184869234X</amazonuk>
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
 
}}
 
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{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Rod Campbell
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title=Fluffy Chick
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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=Books enable us to travel places that we can only dream of; we can walk on the moon, or sink to the deepest depths of the oceanHowever, not all books have to be spectacular to be great; simple pleasures can also be goodTaking a child to a petting zoo is one of the most fun outings a family can do, but what happens when you are having an indoor day?  Pick up ''Fluffy Chick'' and bring the simple joy of the petting zoo to you.
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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 protectorWater Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burnOwl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future.  Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately,  not the ability to use it well. He liked to trick other animals.  He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle.  You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see.  Things are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509834354</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Vivian French and Nigel Baines
 
|title= The Covers of My Book Are Too Far Apart (and other grumbles)
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=''I'm too old for bedtime stories'', ''That's a girl's book!'', '' I hate this book but I've got to finish it'', ''I can't find a book that I like.'' You've probably heard at least one of the grumbles in this book before but have you known how to respond to it? This brilliant picture book will do it for you and is a joyful celebration of all that's wonderful about books and reading.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178112602X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Morag Hood
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title=When Grandad was a Penguin
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|rating=4
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|rating= 4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When a little girl goes to stay with her Grandad, she is worried that all is not well. Grandad doesn't seem quite the same, somehow, and he is talking about fish a lot, none of his clothes fit, and he is spending a lot more time in the bathroom. Thankfully, one day the zoo phones up, having discovered a bit of a problem there that might explain what is going on with Grandad!
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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>1509814019</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Lane Smith
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title=A Perfect Day
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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=It's a lovely sunny day, and looks as if it may just turn out to be a perfect day, since there is a sunny spot for cat in the flowers, and a paddling pool for dog to cool off in, and bird food in the bird feeder, and a corn cob for squirrel.  But, what's this?  Here comes bear, lumbering into the garden to eat the corn cob, splash in the water and squash all the flowers!
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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>1509840559</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=Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb
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}}  
|title=The Everywhere Bear
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{{Frontpage
|rating=4.5
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The Everywhere Bear is an important member of Class One. He enjoys a wide range of activities with the children in his class, such as bus rides and burgers, football and music. One day, when it's the new boy, Matt's, turn to bring the Everywhere Bear back to school Matt sees a cat on the way to school, and he bends over to give it a cuddle.  Poor old Bear falls out of Matt's bag and into a puddle.  This is the start of the Bear's most exciting (and terrifying!) adventure yet!
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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>1447280733</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=William Bee
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|title=William Bee's Wonderful World of Trucks
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|rating=5
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary= Children will be who they are, no matter how you try to change them, they know what they like.  You may want to steer one child away from a world of pink and the other from a world of blue, but turn your back for a moment and there they are; one playing with a doll, the other a train.  There is nothing wrong with a girl liking traditional girl things and a boy liking traditional boy things, as long as they are given the opportunity to pick what they want.  Some books you would assume are for one or the other, but actually transcend; these books are simply cool in their own right.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1843653257</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox
 
|title=Monkey's Sandwich
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Monkeys have been given the reputation of being cheeky, but do you also see them as petty thieves? How can these cheerful chimps be seen as anything other than cute, but mischievous little monkeys?  Anyone who has driven through Knowsley Safari Park knows the truth.  A perfectly good car drives in the monkey enclosure only to be bereft of wing mirrors, hubcaps and windscreen wipers at the end.  Rumour has it that the monkeys sell these parts wholesale at a lockup in South Kirby. The monkey in this tale may not be stealing car parts, but he is a little light fingered when it comes to making the ultimate lunch.
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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>0007580010</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Paul Stickland
 
|title=Ten Terrible Dinosaurs
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Some things are easier to count than others.  How many pens are there on the desk is simple enough.  A little trickier is the number of cars on the road, but stand back and you can see themThe fact is that the bigger something is, the further you will need to be from it to count more than one. What would happen though if you were counting something that was not only big, but moving and also prone to eating you?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1509835520</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Nina Laden
+
|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=The Night I Followed the Dog
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
 +
|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's a Boy (who doesn't have a name) and a Dog (likewise) and in the beginning you get the feeling that the Boy would prefer to have next door's Dog who wins prizes in obedience classes and does clever things with the television remote control.  That is until one morning when Boy opens the door a little earlier than usual and spots Dog getting out of a limousineIn a tuxedo.  The he disappears into the back gardenBoy's shocked but a few minutes later he goes to the back door and whistles for Dog, who comes dashing in, anxious to eatAt first Boy can't ''quite'' believe what he ''thinks'' he saw, so he determines to follow Dog the next night.
+
|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 walkAnd that was where the problem startedFred didn't have any road senseOr brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1452161348</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Ted Dewan
+
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=Something for Mummy (Bing)
+
|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|rating=3.5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Having a child gives you a glimpse into a world that you never knew even existed. Unfortunately, this not a winter wonderland hidden in a wardrobe, but a world of children's TV characters.  The mainstays of the genre have still survived; Sooty, Noddy and Postman Pat, but who is RaRa or Mr Tumble?  One popular show that takes some getting used to is Bing, a series all about a rabbit that seems to have a stuffed animal as a carer.  There are seemingly no parents in the show as if the town is one giant crèche, so how come Bing and his helper Flop are making a gift for Mummy?
+
|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>0008212015</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Aino-Maija Metsola
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=My First Animals
+
|title=No, No, No!
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Get used to two simple words if you have a child, ''What's That?''  You will hear it over and over and over again.  If you are lucky they are pointing at something that you actually know – chair, hat, my sense of regret. Sometimes they will point at something that is not too familiar.  Here the parental practise of making something up comes into play – it's a bird type thing. Books that show images of items, colours or animals may seem a little dull to an adult, but to a toddler learning about the world they are a who's who of what's that.
+
|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>1847809677</amazonuk>
+
 
}}
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
{{newreview
+
 
|author= Quentin Blake
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|title= The Story of the Dancing Frog
+
 
|rating= 4.5
+
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.
|genre= Dyslexia Friendly
+
|isbn=1638820457
|summary= When Jo's Great Aunt Gertrude's sea captain husband is drowned at sea she is grief-stricken and, in despair, she goes for a walk alone. During this walk she notices a small frog on a lily-pad.  But he is no ordinary frog - he's a dancing frog and the two quickly become good friends. Soon the duo are touring the world with their routine, spreading joy and fun - and carrying out the occasional rescue - wherever they go.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781125910</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jonny Lambert
 
|title=Tiger Tiger
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Until you spend a day hanging out with a child you will never know how exhausting it can be.  As an adult you are used to peppering your day with little downtime treats; a cup of tea perhaps, a biscuits, or maybe even a cheeky nap?  The kids I know have no end of energy and at best you will get a sip of cold coffee, have to give them most of the biscuit and a nap would consist of them jumping on your head.  However, although their enthusiasm and zest may be tiring, it is also infectious, just ask any old tiger you meet.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184869444X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=DK
+
|isbn=194812467X
|title=Baby Dinosaurs (Follow the Trail)
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|rating=4
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary= If you ever have the misfortune to stumble across some as yet undiscovered dinosaur I offer this piece of advice; don't take your finger and track their spine, don't put it in their mouth and don't go following them to their parent.  Instead, run.  Run faster than you have ever run before in the opposite direction.  The unfortunate thing is that anyone with a toddler knows, they love to grab and poke anything – including terrible lizards if they got the chance. Better play safe than sorry and just get them a book that allows them to get their dinosaur touching thrills vicariously. 
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0241273129</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jana Novotny Hunter and Paula Bowles
 
|title=My Tail's Not Tired!
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Little Monster is supposed to be going to bed, but how can he, when his knees are still bouncy and his arms still need to fly and his bottom has lots of jiggling and wiggling left to do?!  As Big Monster groans and sighs, Little Monster's energy seems to have no end. But will Little Monster finally wear himself out and end up in bed?
+
|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>1846439868</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Silvia Borando
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title=The Hamster Book
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|rating=4.5
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Look!  You finally have your very own pet, a sweet little hamster.  You can give her a name, smooth down her fur, watch her do tricks and give her some foodIt’s not all fun and games with your new hamster however!  Of course, every responsible pet owner knows that they need to clean up after their pet, if there are any little accidents...
+
|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>1406367729</amazonuk>
+
 
}}
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
{{newreview
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
|author=Meg McLaren
+
''To the Maritime Museum''.  
|title=Pigeon P.I.
+
|rating=3
+
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 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.
|genre=Emerging Readers
 
|summary=The world of birds is in a flapThey're being nabbed – plucked from the air (or at least from their cages).  Murray MacMurray, the brilliant pigeon private eye, doesn't want anything to do with crime now his old partner has flown the roost, but an eager and bright young thing might just about persuade him to take up the case. But both will have to be plucky to survive the dangers it leads to…
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783444835</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Eric Veille
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title=My Pictures after the Storm
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
 +
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= One of the staples of baby books are those that look at oppositesThis elephant is big, whilst this mouse is small. They help children to understand the world around them, but can also be a little dull. What about a more interesting book about cause and effect that looks at what happens before and after an event.  You could start off gently by seeing what happens to items after a storm, but if you are Eric Veillé you can soon spiral into a madcap world of elephant stampedes and babies being born.
+
|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>1776571045</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Kristyna Litten
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title=Norton and Alpha
+
|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=We are used to the world around us and every day take amazing things for granted; a sunset, or that cold bite in the air that makes you want to go and walk the dog. To a robot, our world would look pretty strange as everything would be new. What would you think the first time that you happened upon a flower?
+
|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>1471145778</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Rebecca Elliott
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=Dalmation on a Digger
+
|title=The Invisible
|rating=4
+
|author=Tom Percival
 +
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What's all that noise just outside the bedroom window?
+
|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:
 
 
''DUGGER DUGGER DIGGER''
 
  
It woke our young pup up!
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
  
''DUGGER DUGGER DIGGER''
+
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy.  Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city.  This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1782025960</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Jorg Muhle
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|title=Bathtime for Little Rabbit
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|rating=5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bathing a child normally goes one of two ways; they love it, or they hate it.  Very rarely will you find a child that sits in the bath with a nonplussed expression on their face, suffering the ridicules of hygiene with an air of indifferent sanguine. You are much more likely to have a child that splashes water everywhere in the hopes of finding that one gap in the grouting, or a child that will arch their entire body in the hope that doing so will prevent them touching anything wet.  A book that teaches a toddler how bathtime is meant to be may just help your nightly routine, but also greatly entertain everyone.
+
|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>1776571371</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
 +
 
 +
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]

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

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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

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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

1782227741.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

B08R7LXQ9S.jpg

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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