Newest For Sharing Reviews
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Zoe and Beans: Hello Oscar by Chloe Inkpen and Mick Inkpen
Zoe and her dog, Beans, are in the garden when Beans sniffs out a guinea pig. Fortunately Beans is a very unaggressive-looking dog who seems unlikely to finish off any small rodent in one excited bite. His curiosity allows the story to accumulate an ever-more exciting set of roaming pets for Zoe to discover, including, surprisingly, a chameleon. By the time Zoe gets to shouting out her name to a parrot, who insists on calling her Oscar, Beans has disappeared through a hole in the fence. That’s when Oscar, the owner of all these wonderful animals, crawls backwards through the fence and how the friends meet, so I’m guessing this is the first of a series of stories featuring Zoe and Oscar. Full review...
Zoe and Beans: Look at me! by Chloe Inkpen and Mick Inkpen
This is the first board book in a Zoe and Beans series in development, so it will be played with and handled by very young children. Babies and toddlers will like the cheery pics, friendly faces and Beans, the faithful playmate-dog. I loved Beans. He conveyed all the resignation of a household mutt dominated by an ever-demanding toddler. Full review...
Monster, Be Good! by Natalie Marshall
No-one need be frightened of these beasties, and it’s not a story about conquering fears. Instead, these are miscreant monsters who are put in their places with some very firm guidance. Children will recognise the orders instantly, for parents come out with them in varying tones of tiredness, resignation or irritation on a daily basis. In fact, I have the sneaky feeling that the author is on the side of the adults. Full review...
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam by Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton
Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam are two dogs with half baked idea for what thy think will be the perfect crime - despite their previous failures. The dogs prepare a wonderful feast to lure their intended victims out, making cupcakes, pies, buns and every sort of baked treat you can imagine. They have a wonderful time baking, but all the while they are planning to rob all of their guests when the party is in full swing. The feast is a huge success, but the robbery is another disaster. A small act of kindness and a heart felt apology results in forgiveness, and a wonderful idea for a new career. Full review...
It's a Little Book by Lane Smith
Lane Smith's blockbuster hit 'It's A Book' spent six months on the New York Times bestsellers list. Her new 'It's a Little Book' provides a very similar story, but on a level better suited to very young children. Both books feature a very computer-literate donkey and a quiet thoughtful monkey. In both books, donkey has never seen a book before and has all sorts of questions to which monkey always replies no or it's a book. Donkey doesn't seem able to quite figure out why monkey is so interested in this thing with no whistles and bells or lights or action, or to understand why monkey likes this strange thing so much - until monkey shows him the magic of books as well. Full review...
Ping and Pong are Best Friends (mostly) by Tim Hopgood
Ping and Pong are best mates, but Ping feels that he is always in Pong's shadow. Anything Ping can do, Pong can do better. Ping is learning to skate, taking baby steps on the ice while Pong twirls and zooms around him. Ping paints a colourful canvas with bright coloured splodges while Pong paints a lovely vase with flowers. No matter what he does, Pong can do it so much better that poor Ping gives up and decides to do nothing at all. But perhaps there is something that Ping can do better than anyone else, and that it just to be a friend. This is a fun book to read that had my four year old laughing out loud, but there is a lot more to this book than humour; it has a lovely heart warming message about friendship as well. Full review...
Mabel and Me by Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton
Good children’s books open new windows on the world. This title did just that.
The viewpoint character is a sharp-tongued mouse with Attitude. His best friend is Mabel, a kindly little girl of few words. The two friends are discussing why they are bestest, bestest friends as they stroll in an unguessable Euro-city. Their discussion is interrupted by Monsieur Famous French photographer, then Senora Prima Ballerina. The mouse misinterprets their criticisms and blows his top in defence of his friend, Mabel. But he’s got it wrong, they are talking about him. Fortunately the mouse’s own high self-esteem and Mabel’s sympathetic realism defuse the crisis. It was nicely unpredictable. Full review...
Mrs Vickers' Favourite Knickers by Kara Lebihan and Deborah Allwright
Mrs Vickers' Favourite Knickers have an adventure of their own, flying high above town over the sea, before finally making a rather unusual landing right back were they started from. Children of a certain age love knickers, and I'm certain this book would be a smash hit with a nursery or reception class, and even children up to about 7or 8 are likely to enjoy reading this once. This book is quite short, and ideal for children with very short attention spans, and considering the subject matter is almost certain to hold the attention of a large group of children easily. Full review...
Quack Like a Duck! by Harriet Ziefert and Simms Taback
You mustn't be shy if you're going to read this book. It's not the sort of book you can whisper on a train to a fidgety baby, or that you pack in your nappy bag for quiet times when you're out and about. This is the sort of book that is going to require some very loud moo-ing, so consider yourselves warned! Full review...
Penguins Can't Fly! by Richard Byrne
Gregory the Gull and Hudson the penguin were both born on the same day and have been great friends ever since, doing everything together. In the lovely illustrations, we can see them having a bath, fishing, sledging, skating and giving each other thoughtful and special gifts. However, when Gregory sees some other some gulls having fun flying over the beach, he naturally decides to join in. So does Hudson but of course there is a problem! However hard Hudson flaps his little wings, he just can’t fly. He tries everything but the result is always the same; he never manages to leave the ground. Naturally, he is very sad especially when all the gulls laugh unkindly. Just when he is feeling very low though, something happens to Gregory when he dives deep into the water and gets caught up in a fishing net. Hudson may not be able to fly but he can swim and this means that he is the best bird to help his friend. After this, it never seems to matter that he can't fly. Full review...
Lollipop and Grandpa's Dinosaur Hunt by Penelope Harper and Cate James
Lollipop's family settles in for a day at the seaside, but it just so happens, that they are also on the Jurassic Coast. Of course the dinosaurs have died out millions of years ago... or have they? Grandpa says they haven't really disappeared, they are just very good at hiding, so the pair set off on a quest to finding the missing dinosaurs. Full review...
Troll Swap by Leigh Hodgkinson
I chose this book because my sons, like most children, have always enjoyed books with naughty children. I had some reservations about the book. I was concerned that it might be yet another book preaching about the importance of good behaviour, as most children's books were at one time, but I noticed the publisher was Nosy Crow, and they seem very keen to publish books with a difference so I took a chance and was very pleasantly surprised. Full review...
Hot Air by Sandrine Dumas Roy
This is a story with an environmental message, but at times it seems more like an environmental message with a story. The story itself is terribly limited. It begins with the ice caps melting, the sun growing too hot and drought. There are no humans in this book, so the animals get together to find out what the problem is. They decide that cows are the reason the world is growing warmer and try to find a solution. Full review...
Who's On First? by John Martz, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
I very nearly passed this book by, as my sons have no knowledge of or interest in baseball. But the name of the authors caught my eye. I was a surprised to see Abbott and Costello listed as the authors of a new book. After all, they have been dead for decades. This could give the term ghost writer a whole new meaning, and then the penny dropped. The title, 'Who's On First?' is also the title of one of Abbott and Costello's most famous comedy skits. This book is taken directly from the skit, with only a few minor alterations. Remembering how side splittingly funny the skit was - I knew in instant the children would enjoy this. You do not need to know anything about baseball to enjoy this book, all you need is a sense of humour. Full review...
My Humongous Hamster by Lorna Freytag
My hamster doesn’t do much.
He just sleeps and eats and eats and sleeps.
Sometimes he gets so HUMoNGOUSLY HUNGRY....
My Humongous Hamster is the story of what might happen if the hungry hamster ate all of his food in one gulp and got bigger and bigger and bigger. Each page shows the gigantic hamster in a variety of humorous situations, each one funnier than the last. Full review...
I Am Not Sleepy And I Will Not Go To Bed by Lauren Child
Like many children, Lola does not particularly like going to bed. She likes staying up colouring, scribbling, sticking and most of all chattering. When she is told that it is time for bed, she always has an answer as to why she should not go: she never gets tired; she can’t clean her teeth because somebody is eating her toothpaste; and the whales are swimming in the bath. The list is endless especially where the highly imaginative Lola is concerned. However, older brother Charlie knows Lola so well; if anyone can persuade her to get into bed, it’s him. Full review...
Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
I can only describe Lost and Found as a work of art. The story is beautiful in its simplicity, and the illustrations also have a magical quality to them. I have read criticism of some of Jeffers' early works for his style of drawing, especially the thin stick like legs of the The Boy. The critics seem to have fallen silent on this book though and there is nothing but praise for it. The boy is not the most realistic drawing of a child I have seen, but there is something special about it, some unique presence that sets this book apart from other books. It is not a crude drawing, but a very individualised, artistic expression of Jeffers' style, which is rapidly becoming a personal trademark. The rest of his illustrations are simple and uncluttered as well. Many depict only the main characters, a single prop on a white background. Another picture shows only a few house with a darkened sky, a full moon and stars. Full review...
It Wasn't Me (The Hueys) by Oliver Jeffers
The title of this book will be familiar to every small child. I think it may be one of the first sentences many learn. The scenario will also be very familiar. The story is about a family, who usually get along very well. But just once in while - they don't. This just happens to be one of those times when they are not getting along at all, and Gillespie walks into a huge argument. He asks why they are fighting, but as mad as everyone is, no one can quite remember. A few start pointing fingers as to who started the fight, but each character insists he was not the one who started the row. They never do remember what caused the quarrel but eventually wander off for something a bit more exciting. Full review...
Primrose by Alex T Smith
Princess Primrose is bored, bored, bored! Everyone is so formal, so serious and proper, and Primrose just longs to have some fun. Everyone in the palace is constantly telling her off, telling her what not to do. The Queen is worried about her, wondering how Primrose will ever learn to behave like a proper princess. In the end they decide that they must call in Grandmama, for surely if anyone can make Primrose behave it's Grandmama! Full review...
Claude in the Spotlight by Alex T Smith
You have met Claude, haven't you? He's a funny, plump little dog whose best friend is Sir Bobblysock and the two of them frequently get themselves embroiled in all sorts of adventures. This time Claude heads, accidentally, towards a career on stage. But something is amiss in the theatre. Can Claude help save the show? Full review...
Open Very Carefully: A Book with Bite! by Nicola O'Byrne and Nick Bromley
Here's another brilliant picture book from Nosy Crow. If you haven't already heard of them, these newish publishers are ones to watch. They seem to be nurturing artists and writers with an ability to think outside the box, in a children's field already replete with creative talent. Full review...
The Mummy Shop by Abie Longstaff and Lauren Beard
One small boy is feeling very cross with his mummy. She has told him to tidy his room, to help at the supermarket and then has made him go to bed when he has only just started playing. He is so cross that when he reads this advert in the paper: Full review...
Zog by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
We are devotees of the Gruffalo. We have books, noisy books, costumes, jigsaws, sleepsuits and green nail polish. We have scoured coppices for Gruffalo-shaped twigs and bakers’ shops for Gruffalo birthday cakes. We have done the Gruffalo, if not to death, but to the shallow depths of my granddaughter’s infant imagination. We love the Gruffalo for his unique and appealing simplicity, and because he is the most wonderful debunker of monster-fear ever invented. Full review...
Too Small for my Big Bed by Amber Stewart and Layn Marlow
This book is for kids graduating from the cot to their first big bed. Even more, it’s for all those parents who didn’t anticipate that once in the bed, there’s no going back to the security of the cot ... the child can now appear in your bedroom, night after night after night. So this is the universal problem, and here is a supportive and tactful way of addressing it. Full review...
Weasels by Elys Dolan
I chose 'Weasels' because my sons enjoy books with a bit of wicked wit. Books are my passion, and something my children greatly enjoy as well. We have several hundred children's books, and we really value ones that are a bit different from the norm. 'Weasels' most certainly qualifies as different. The premise of the story is that weasels are secretly plotting to take over the world. My boys call it World War Weasel. A slight but very humorous mishap really throws a spanner in the works. The weasels have built a massive machine to secure their quest for world domination, but just as the countdown begins the lights go off and the machine status screen clearly tells us It's broken. Full review...
The Dark by Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen
Lazlo is afraid of the dark. Each night he takes a torch to bed as he knows that the dark shares the house with him, lurking in all the corners of his home. Usually though, the dark lives in the basement and each morning Lazlo builds up the courage to go to the door of the basement and say hi to the dark. But then one night the dark does something different and visits Lazlo in his bedroom and speaks to him! It has something that it wants to show Lazlo and it is something that will help Lazlo to overcome his fear. Full review...
Wolf and Dog by Sylvia Vanden Heede and Marije Tolman
Wolf and Dog are cousins, and whilst Wolf is wild and lives in the forest, Dog is tame and lives in a house with his boss. In spite of their differences they somehow develop a friendship, of sorts, sharing everything from food to fleas! Full review...
The Disgusting Sandwich by Gareth Edwards and Hannah Shaw
What do you do if your sandwich falls on the floor? Do you have a three second rule? Does it depend on how good a sandwich it is?! I stopped worrying so much when my daughter began to crawl and one day, in a cafe in town, I discovered her under someone else's table eating crumbs and fluff and goodness knows what off the floor there, with no adverse effects thank goodness! Here in this story Badger, poor Badger, is very, very hungry. He spots a delicious looking sandwich, peanut butter on fresh white bread. But the little boy holding the sandwich accidentally drops it in the sandpit. A little girl sees and she says you can't eat it now. It's disgusting. What about badger though? Does he still want to eat it? Full review...
