Difference between revisions of "The Fearsome Beastie by Giles Paley-Phillips"

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(Created page with ' {{infobox |title=The Fearsome Beastie |sort=Fearsome Beastie |author=Giles Paley-Phillips and Gabriele Antonini |reviewer=Keith Dudhnath |genre=For Sharing |rating=3 |buy=Maybe …')
 
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|sort=Fearsome Beastie
 
|sort=Fearsome Beastie
 
|author=Giles Paley-Phillips and Gabriele Antonini
 
|author=Giles Paley-Phillips and Gabriele Antonini
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
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|reviewer=Sue Magee
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|rating=3
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|rating=4
|buy=Maybe
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|buy=Yes
 
|borrow=Yes
 
|borrow=Yes
 
|isbn=978-1848860667
 
|isbn=978-1848860667
|paperback=1848860668
 
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|ebook=
 
 
|pages=32
 
|pages=32
 
|publisher=Maverick Arts Publishing
 
|publisher=Maverick Arts Publishing
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|website=http://www.gilespaleyphillips.co.uk/
 
|website=http://www.gilespaleyphillips.co.uk/
 
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|summary=''The Fearsome Beastie'' isn't a must-read, but it has plenty of strong points to counterbalance minor gripes. The undeniable fact is that young children will enjoy it as an appropriately-toned monster tale.
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|summary=An engaging monster-eats-the-children tale with a happy resolution, but it's probably best thought of as a daytime - rather than bedtime - book.
 
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One dark and snowy night, after the children have gone to bed they are woken by a distant growling noise.  A fearsome beastie (he of the title) has left his cave and he’s coming in search of something to eat.  He has to travel all night and he arrives in the town just as it's getting light.  The children know what to expect and they’re hiding and keeping very quiet in the hope that they won’t be found, but the beastie has a trick up his furry sleeve.  He sits in the snow - and sobs. He only came in the hope that they would play - and of course the kind-hearted children fall for it.  I won’t tell you any more except to say that you can guess what happens and that salvation comes in the form of Pete’s Gran, an axe and a tasty stew is the result.
  
When night comes, the fearsome beastie roams the streets, looking for children to eat. He's quite the monster and gobbles up some little 'uns, but doesn't notice little Pete, who enlists some help to do battle with the beastie.
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There's going to be a frisson of fear from young readers and the most sensitive might be shocked at what the axe-wielding Gran does to the monster, although it is remarkably clean and free from gore.  Most children are going to love the opportunity to join in with the story - there are some wonderful opportunities for making scary noises and acting out the parts. There’s a happy conclusion to the story (the story is slightly dark, but not ''that'' dark) but it's a story for the daylight hours rather than bedtime.
  
''The Fearsome Beastie'' is a fun picture book. It brings to mind fairy tales and other familiar stories, where monsters are after children. Plot-wise, there's not too much we haven't seen before - you can pretty much guess what happens. However, interest levels are maintained throughout, and the young audience will enjoy the adventure.
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I liked Gabriele Antonini's illustrations.  They're bright, engaging and really add to the story.  There’s a real talent for capturing the children’s expressions and plenty of opportunity for discussing what the children are going through.  I like too that one of the children wears glasses - it's not unusual for children to need to wear glasses and they should feel included in stories. Too often glasses are used to imply that there's an element of geekiness or something out of the ordinary.
  
The writing is clear and direct, with appropriate vocabulary for those either side of being able to read for themselves. The rhythm of the couplets is strong throughout, allowing a skilled adult reader to really sell the drama of the story. However, the rhymes rarely excited me: they tend to be the most obvious choices. The writing isn't bad, but it doesn't leap off the page. The line about Pete's gran chopping wood to relax tickled me; some more playful concepts like this would have improved matters
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I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
  
There are a few minor proofing errors. They're not of a severity that I'd comment on in a book for older children. However, ''The Fearsome Beastie'' is pitched firmly at those who are just getting to grips with reading, so accuracy is of greater importance. It shouldn't put anyone off checking it out, but it bears noting.
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Have a look at [[Tamara Small and the Monster's Ball by Giles Paley-Phillips and Gabriele Antonini|Tamara Small and the Monster's Ball]] by the same author and illustrator.  Tamara wears glasses too.
 
 
Gabriele Antonini's illustrations are slick and engaging. They're bold and cartoony, with plenty of interest and expression on each page. Children will recognise that the beastie is a scary monster, but won't feel unduly scared of it themselves. The most striking image is the beastie getting chopped in two with an axe, Red Riding Hood stylee. It's dramatic, and describing it makes it sound wholly inappropriate, but even the youngest children will be amused by it, as they would by Tom and Jerry.
 
 
 
''The Fearsome Beastie'' isn't a must-read, but it has plenty of strong points to counterbalance minor gripes. The undeniable fact is that young children will enjoy it as an appropriately-toned monster tale.
 
 
 
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
 
 
 
For other monster stories, take a look at [[Mr Chicken Goes To Paris by Leigh Hobbs]], [[Good Little Wolf by Nadia Shireen]], and [[Tappity-Tap! What Was That? by Claire Freedman and Russell Julian]].
 
  
 
{{amazontext|amazon=1848860668}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8280780}}
 
{{amazontext|amazon=1848860668}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=8280780}}

Revision as of 16:12, 21 March 2013



The Fearsome Beastie by Giles Paley-Phillips and Gabriele Antonini

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Buy The Fearsome Beastie by Giles Paley-Phillips at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

Category: For Sharing
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Sue Magee
Reviewed by Sue Magee
Summary: An engaging monster-eats-the-children tale with a happy resolution, but it's probably best thought of as a daytime - rather than bedtime - book.
Buy? Yes Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32 Date: May 2011
Publisher: Maverick Arts Publishing
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1848860667

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One dark and snowy night, after the children have gone to bed they are woken by a distant growling noise. A fearsome beastie (he of the title) has left his cave and he’s coming in search of something to eat. He has to travel all night and he arrives in the town just as it's getting light. The children know what to expect and they’re hiding and keeping very quiet in the hope that they won’t be found, but the beastie has a trick up his furry sleeve. He sits in the snow - and sobs. He only came in the hope that they would play - and of course the kind-hearted children fall for it. I won’t tell you any more except to say that you can guess what happens and that salvation comes in the form of Pete’s Gran, an axe and a tasty stew is the result.

There's going to be a frisson of fear from young readers and the most sensitive might be shocked at what the axe-wielding Gran does to the monster, although it is remarkably clean and free from gore. Most children are going to love the opportunity to join in with the story - there are some wonderful opportunities for making scary noises and acting out the parts. There’s a happy conclusion to the story (the story is slightly dark, but not that dark) but it's a story for the daylight hours rather than bedtime.

I liked Gabriele Antonini's illustrations. They're bright, engaging and really add to the story. There’s a real talent for capturing the children’s expressions and plenty of opportunity for discussing what the children are going through. I like too that one of the children wears glasses - it's not unusual for children to need to wear glasses and they should feel included in stories. Too often glasses are used to imply that there's an element of geekiness or something out of the ordinary.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

Have a look at Tamara Small and the Monster's Ball by the same author and illustrator. Tamara wears glasses too.

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Buy The Fearsome Beastie by Giles Paley-Phillips at Amazon You can read more book reviews or buy The Fearsome Beastie by Giles Paley-Phillips at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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