Hic! by Jaclin Azoulay and Fenix

Hic! by Jaclin Azoulay and Fenix
Buy Hic! by Jaclin Azoulay and Fenix at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Jo Heffer
Summary: Snuffletrump, a small piglet, has a birthday. It should be a very exciting day for him but sadly things are not going as he expected. His parents seem to have completely forgotten what day it is and on top of that he has got hiccups and he can't get rid of them! He goes all around the farmyard animals and they each offer different advice about how to stop them. Will any of their remedies work and, if they do, will anyone help him celebrate his birthday?
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: April 2011
Publisher: Top That!
ISBN: 978-1849563031
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When Snuffletrump woke up on the morning of his birthday, he felt very sad. No one seemed to have remembered and he had been given no cards and no presents. The only thing he had got for his birthday was the hiccups. His mum and dad were very busy and told him to go off and play but that is a difficult thing to do when you have hiccups. He wondered off and went to visit Cow who was sympathetic and suggested drinking a glass of milk whilst standing on his head! Unsurprisingly, when he tried this, Snuffletrump was covered with milk and he still had the hiccups. Other farmyard animals offered well meaning suggestions too but nothing seemed to cure them and the poor little piglet became messier and messier as he juggled eggs and fell in mud and straw. Finally though, there was a very happy surprise in store for Snuffletrump and, as everyone knows, that really is the best cure for hiccups!

This lovely picture book really is enchanting and I can't begin to describe how much my six year old daughter enjoyed reading it with me. We are at the stage where she likes to take turns in reading the pages and when it was her turn, she read with such gusto especially every time Snuffletrump had a bout of the hiccups. The excellent way in which the story is written really invites reading with expression.

'Hic!' is a very funny story and some of the ways that are suggested of curing hiccups are hilarious. Also, because they are so silly, young children will easily be able to work out the likely consequences and enjoy the anticipation of finding out what actually happens on the next page. Obviously if you are going to stand on your head whilst drinking milk you are going to get extremely wet. The brilliant illustrations really enhance the text and my daughter delighted in turning the pages and seeing Snufflebump covered with milk or broken eggs and looking extremely sorry for himself.

'Hic!' is a beautifully written story with lots of great description that is very likely to appeal to young children. We really like the idea of the 'naughty, pecky, gossipy hens' and Horse taking Snuffletrump for 'a good old jiggetty-jog'. The language is lovely but also accessible for young children and not too difficult for newly confident readers. Altogether it's a very funny story enhanced by some wonderful illustrations and we definitely recommend it.

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

Another lovely picture book where there is lots of fun on a farm is Donkey's Busy Day by Natalie Russell.

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You can read more book reviews or buy Hic! by Jaclin Azoulay and Fenix at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Hic! by Jaclin Azoulay and Fenix at Amazon.com.

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