Get Ahead Fred by Daisy Dawes - Revision history

Kieran at 16:44, 29 March 2018

2018-03-29T16:44:10Z

Sue at 10:00, 30 November 2014

2014-11-30T10:00:02Z

Keith at 20:15, 28 June 2010

2010-06-28T20:15:05Z

Keith at 20:10, 28 June 2010

2010-06-28T20:10:19Z

Keith at 20:10, 28 June 2010

2010-06-28T20:10:09Z

Keith: Created page with '{{infobox |title=Get Ahead Fred |author=Daisy Dawes |reviewer=Keith Dudhnath |genre=For Sharing |summary=A fun tale about a man who loves hats, and a visit from the Queen. It doe…'

2010-06-28T20:09:19Z

Created page with '{{infobox |title=Get Ahead Fred |author=Daisy Dawes |reviewer=Keith Dudhnath |genre=For Sharing |summary=A fun tale about a man who loves hats, and a visit from the Queen. It doe…'

New review

{{infobox
|title=Get Ahead Fred
|author=Daisy Dawes
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A fun tale about a man who loves hats, and a visit from the Queen. It doesn't always hit the mark, but Daisy Dawes' models are a definite highlight.
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1848860407
|paperback=1848860404
|pages=32
|publisher=Maverick Arts Publishing
|date=February 2010
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848860404</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>1848860404</amazonus>
|website=
http://www.maverickbooks.co.uk/author/fred/
}}

Fred loves wearing hats. He's got a fez, a bonnet, a stetson, and a glittery fedora. When the Queen announces she's coming to town, he decides to get the finest hat he's ever had. There's no possible way that anything could go wrong, is there? ...Is there?

''Get Ahead Fred'' has a lot of nice touches. I particularly enjoyed seeing through Fred's hat collection - it felt like a headwear version of Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch. Even if the young audience aren't immediately familiar with all the different types of hat, they won't feel left out. It's a fun little fashion show! Most of the writing is crisp, with decent rhymes - a couple feel a little forced, but there's nothing outrageous. On a few occasions I had to backtrack to get the rhythm right. Once you get it, it's not a problem in repeated readings, but it does catch you out a little more than you'd want.

Daisy Dawes is a model maker, who's worked on {{amzonurl|text=Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|isbn=B00288A1MY}}, {{amazonurl|text=Rex the Runt|isbn=B000068QOF}} and perennial favourite {{amazonurl|text=Pingu|isbn=B000YDAJFO}}. Impressive! In a change from most picture books, the illustrations are models which have been photographed. These models are packed with character, have a familiar style that will immediately click with children, and set the mood wonderfully. The style is mostly seen with the sort of TV tie-in book that we tend to shy away from, but it works really well with an original story. The quality bodes really well for future books from Daisy Dawes.

Although I enjoyed Fred's hat collection, I wasn't blown away by the whole story. The plot ticks along pleasantly most of the time, but Fred's comeuppance feels a bit sudden. Sudden and quirky can work well in cautionary tales - [[Super Dooper Jezebel by Tony Ross]] does it particularly well - but Fred's crime is just to wear an ill-fitting hat, so the ending feels unsatisfying. Fred's tale is bookended by an aside about some cats. It's a little garnish on the top, and cats are always cute, but it's not entirely necessary, and reading a bit more about Fred would have been my preference.

''Get Ahead Fred'' offers something a little different from the norm, which is always welcome. It doesn't always hit the mark, but when it does - with Daisy Dawes' models in particular - it's enjoyable. Worth a look.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

If cautionary tales are your thing, then look no further than the master: [[Jim, Who Ran Away From His Nurse and Was Eaten By A Lion by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey]]. [[Too Purply! by Jean Reidy and Genevieve Leloup]] features a great fashion show. If you're a hat fan, well, it's got to be [[The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss]], but [[Green by Mark Sperring and Leo Timmers]] features a rather nifty green hat too.

{{amazontext|amazon=1848860404}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=7098112}}

{{commenthead}}

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ''Get Ahead Fred'' has a lot of nice touches. I particularly enjoyed seeing through Fred's hat collection - it felt like a headwear version of Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch. Even if the young audience aren't immediately familiar with all the different types of hat, they won't feel left out. It's a fun little fashion show! Most of the writing is crisp, with decent rhymes - a couple feel a little forced, but there's nothing outrageous. On a few occasions I had to backtrack to get the rhythm right. Once you get it, it's not a problem in repeated readings, but it does catch you out a little more than you'd want.
-Daisy Dawes is a model maker, who's worked on {{amazonurl|title=Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|isbn=B00288A1MY}}, {{amazonurl|title=Rex the Runt|isbn=B000068QOF}} and perennial favourite {{amazonurl|title=Pingu|isbn=B000YDAJFO}}. Impressive! In a change from most picture books, the illustrations are models which have been photographed. These models are packed with character, have a familiar style that will immediately click with children, and set the mood wonderfully. The style is mostly seen with the sort of TV tie-in book that we tend to shy away from, but it works really well with an original story. The quality bodes really well for future books from Daisy Dawes.
+Daisy Dawes is a model maker, who's worked on {{amazonurl|title=Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|isbn=B00288A1MY}}, {{amazonurl|title=Rex the Runt|isbn=B000068QOF}} and perennial favourite {{amazonurl|title=Pingu|isbn=B000YDAJFO}}. Impressive! In a change from most picture books, the illustrations are models which have been photographed. These models are packed with character, have a familiar style that will immediately click with children, and set the mood wonderfully. The style is mostly seen with the sort of TV tie-in book that we tend to shy away from, but it's super with an original story. The quality bodes really well for future books from Daisy Dawes.
 Although I enjoyed Fred's hat collection, I wasn't blown away by the whole story. The plot ticks along pleasantly most of the time, but Fred's comeuppance feels a bit sudden. Sudden and quirky can work well in cautionary tales - [[Super Dooper Jezebel by Tony Ross]] does it particularly well - but Fred's crime is just to wear an ill-fitting hat, so the ending feels unsatisfying. Fred's tale is bookended by an aside about some cats. It's a little garnish on the top, and cats are always cute, but it's not entirely necessary, and reading a bit more about Fred would have been my preference.

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 ''Get Ahead Fred'' has a lot of nice touches. I particularly enjoyed seeing through Fred's hat collection - it felt like a headwear version of Monty Python's Cheese Shop sketch. Even if the young audience aren't immediately familiar with all the different types of hat, they won't feel left out. It's a fun little fashion show! Most of the writing is crisp, with decent rhymes - a couple feel a little forced, but there's nothing outrageous. On a few occasions I had to backtrack to get the rhythm right. Once you get it, it's not a problem in repeated readings, but it does catch you out a little more than you'd want.
-Daisy Dawes is a model maker, who's worked on {{amzonurl|title=Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|isbn=B00288A1MY}}, {{amazonurl|title=Rex the Runt|isbn=B000068QOF}} and perennial favourite {{amazonurl|title=Pingu|isbn=B000YDAJFO}}. Impressive! In a change from most picture books, the illustrations are models which have been photographed. These models are packed with character, have a familiar style that will immediately click with children, and set the mood wonderfully. The style is mostly seen with the sort of TV tie-in book that we tend to shy away from, but it works really well with an original story. The quality bodes really well for future books from Daisy Dawes.
+Daisy Dawes is a model maker, who's worked on {{amazonurl|title=Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone|isbn=B00288A1MY}}, {{amazonurl|title=Rex the Runt|isbn=B000068QOF}} and perennial favourite {{amazonurl|title=Pingu|isbn=B000YDAJFO}}. Impressive! In a change from most picture books, the illustrations are models which have been photographed. These models are packed with character, have a familiar style that will immediately click with children, and set the mood wonderfully. The style is mostly seen with the sort of TV tie-in book that we tend to shy away from, but it works really well with an original story. The quality bodes really well for future books from Daisy Dawes.
 Although I enjoyed Fred's hat collection, I wasn't blown away by the whole story. The plot ticks along pleasantly most of the time, but Fred's comeuppance feels a bit sudden. Sudden and quirky can work well in cautionary tales - [[Super Dooper Jezebel by Tony Ross]] does it particularly well - but Fred's crime is just to wear an ill-fitting hat, so the ending feels unsatisfying. Fred's tale is bookended by an aside about some cats. It's a little garnish on the top, and cats are always cute, but it's not entirely necessary, and reading a bit more about Fred would have been my preference.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{infobox
+{{infobox2
 |title=Get Ahead Fred
 |author=Daisy Dawes
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 |publisher=Maverick Arts Publishing
 |date=February 2010
-|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848860404</amazonuk>
+|aznuk=1848860404
-|amazonus=<amazonus>1848860404</amazonus>
+|aznus=1848860404
 |website=
 http://www.maverickbooks.co.uk/author/fred/

@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 |borrow=Yes
 |isbn=978-1848860407
 |pages=32
 |publisher=Maverick Arts Publishing
@@ Line 33: / Line 32: @@
 If cautionary tales are your thing, then look no further than the master: [[Jim, Who Ran Away From His Nurse and Was Eaten By A Lion by Hilaire Belloc and Mini Grey]]. [[Too Purply! by Jean Reidy and Genevieve Leloup]] features a great fashion show. If you're a hat fan, well, it's got to be [[The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss]], but [[Green by Mark Sperring and Leo Timmers]] features a rather nifty green hat too.
-{{amazontext|amazon=1848860404}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=7098112}}
+{{amazontext|amazon=1848860404}}
 {{commenthead}}