Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]] __NOTOC__ <!-- Remove -->
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Garry Parsons, Patricia Hegarty and Annette Rusling
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|author=Adam Stower
|title=Ten Spooky Skeletons
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|title=Murray and Bun
 +
|rating=4.5
 +
|genre=Confident Readers
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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…
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|isbn=0008561249
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}}
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{{Frontpage
 +
|isbn=1732898766
 +
|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=With All Hallows' Eve approaching isn't it about time that you thought about some scary books for kids? Nothing quite says 'I Love You', more than making your toddler burst into a flood of tearsPerhaps you should get them a fun book about something a little worrisome – a set of smiley skeletons for instance, rather than completely terrifying them?
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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 escapedThey 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>1848574517</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Amanda McCardie and Salvatore Rubbino
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=A Book of Feelings
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|rating= 5
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=5
|summary= Happy, shy, sad, jealous, angry, loved, grumpy…not the names of little dwarves, but just some of the powerful feelings and emotions that affect everyone from time to time. Sam and Kate live with their mum and dad and a dog with a name that I just adore: Fuzzy Bean. They have a typical family life with all the ups and downs and warmth and fun and the occasional chaos that comes with the territory.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406355992</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Barrow
 
|title=Have You Seen Elephant?
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Elephant wants to play hide and seek and Boy agrees that he Elephant should hide first.  Elephant is completely fair and warns Boy that he's ''VERY'' good.  Boy's fair too - he says that he'll try his best - and off Elephant goes to hide.  Dog is looking slightly bored - actually he's having a good scratch - as Boy counts to ten and shouts ''Coming! Ready or Not!'' in the tradition of all hide and seek games and Boy and Dog go in search of ElephantNow Elephant wasn't joking when he said that he was good, because he doesn't so much ''hide'' as ''disguise'' himself within the roomsBoy doesn't spot him, but watch Dog! He spots Elephant every time, whether he's an armchair, a duvet, television stand, standard lamp or a shed.
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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 bear.  As 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>1776570081</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway
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|isbn=1913839656
|title=BOO!
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|rating=4.5
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|author=Lainey Dee
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Creating a fun book for a young toddler or older baby appears easy, but is actually tricky to pull off wellJust shoving a few animals or shapes into a cardboard BOO!k is not going to capture the imagination; there needs to be colour, fun and a certain je ne sais quoi to stand out from the many other baby booksks on the marketSetting a book around Halloween and all things spooky may not seem to fill these criteria, but a little fear can sometimes make a small child surprisingly happy.
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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 grandmotherShe 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 beGrandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691254</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
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|isbn=1529504775
|title=Winnie's Haunted House
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
 +
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary= Strange things are happening in Winnie the Witch's house – a broken vase, torn curtains, and a chandelier that suddenly crashes to the ground. There is no obvious explanation so Winnie decides her house must be haunted and reaches her spell book to solve the problem. As usual the spell only makes matters worse, at first anyway.  
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|summary=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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192744062</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd
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|isbn=1529504767
|title=Goodnight Moon
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|rating=4
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|genre=For Sharing
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|rating=5
|summary=Bunny was cosily tucked up in bed.  It's a big room, painted green (''very'' green) and with lots of things scattered around.  Before Bunny goes to sleep he's going to look at them all and then say goodnight to each of them.  There are the pictures on the walls (from nursery rhymes and fairy tales), a couple of kittens, a pair of mittens, a doll's house and a young mouse, a comb and a brush and a bowl of mush as well as a quiet old lady who was whispering ''hush''.  You get the idea?  We're moving through the objects one by one in gentle rhyme before we start to say goodnight to them all.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0230764843</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Nick Denchfield and Ant Parker
 
|title=Charlie Chick Goes to School
 
|rating=3
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Charlie Chick is always late and today is his first day at schoolHe's having trouble getting out of bed and then getting to breakfast (trailing his toy crocodile, who - if anything - looks more awake than Charlie)The snap, crackle and pop of his favourite cereal frightens him into life - and then he has to grab his bag and scarf and rush off to school, because the bell's gone and everyone else is already there...
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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 destinationShe 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 herselfGradually 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>144727718X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= Gemma Merino
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|isbn=1916459943
|title= The Cow Who Climbed a Tree
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|rating= 5
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|author=Beth Webb
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=Tina is a really curious cow who just wants to know everything there is to know about, well, everything. Her sisters think that's just silly, and when Tina tells them that she climbed a tree and found a dragon they decide the situation has gotten out of hand. But what will they find when they looking for her in the woods? You'll just have to read the book to find out.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1447214889</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Colin Boyd and Tony Ross
 
|title= The Bath Monster
 
|rating= 4.5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary=A great book for parents and kids alike, with an excellent premise and brilliantly carried out, I can see this being a popular choice for bedtime reading. Even if your children might not be too fond of the bath for a while afterwards...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783442891</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Seb Braun
 
|title=The Tiger Prowls: a pop-up book of wild animals
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's a hardback book with a striking cover and when you open it, don't expect endpapers or gentle introductions: as you lift the cover, the tiger of the title appears:
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|summary=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.
 
 
''The tiger prowls, stalking through the jungle.''<br>
 
''Paw after heavy paw crunches on the forest floor.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471122158</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Rob Biddulph
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|isbn=140639131X
|title=Grrrrr!
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|rating=5
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|author=Briony May Smith
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary= Fred has won the contest for best bear in the wood for three years in a row. He's the best at everything from catching fish, doing the hula-hoop and scaring humans, to the all-important growling competition. But everything changes when another bear arrives and decides to enter the contest. Fred's no longer the best bear in town and, to make matters worse, he's lost his 'Grrrrr'. Fred's going to need help to find his 'Grrrr' in time for the start of the competition. But will the other animals want to help him look given he's been too busy training to make friends?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007594127</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jane Chapman
 
|title=No More Cuddles!
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ah, what a problem it can be, to be just so snuggly that people can't stop cuddling you! This is poor Barry's problem.  A solitary monster by nature, he does like cuddles of course, but too much of anything can become trying, and so when he is leaped on by all the other little forest animals every single morning, he wonders if perhaps there is some way to transfer their cuddles to someone else?
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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 herselfHer 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691475</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Emma Carlisle
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|isbn=1776574338
|title=Lion Practice
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|rating=4.5
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Laura loves practising at being different kinds of animalsAs well as being a kangaroo and an elephant, she's an expert at being a crocodile (much to the other children's dismay in the swimming pool!) But one day she decides that it's time for lion practice, and this is the day when her parents think her imagination has gone just a little too far…
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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 neckIt'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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>144725743X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Kristina Stephenson
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|isbn=1776574028
|title=Molly Maybe's Monsters: The Dappity Doofer
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|rating=4.5
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|author=David Elliott
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Molly Maybe lives in Smallsbury, a ''snoringly, boringly, ordinary place'' - well, it is until you discover the town's best kept secret.  But before we talk about that, let me tell you about Molly's treehouse, where she and her dog, Waggy Burns, can look out over her neighbours' gardensMr Bottomly Brown is doing some digging (it's going to be a pond) and he's discovered something rather peculiar: it looks like a small statueThree days later the statue is in place in the middle of the pond but that's not what's making Mr Brown angry - there are piles of soil all over his perfect lawn.  He's convinced that it's moles, but Molly has spotted a claw and she knows better.
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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 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!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471121070</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Emily Gravett
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|isbn=1838226834
|title=Bear and Hare: Where's Bear?
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|rating=5
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|author=Ed Boxall
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bear and Hare are playing hide and seek. Hare covers his eyes, turns to face the wall, counts slowly to ten and then goes looking for BearUnfortunately he's tried to hide ''behind'' and ''under'' the standard lamp and he's not ''exactly'' invisible.  Well, let's be honest - he looks as though he's wearing a very strange hat.  Still, we can always have another go, can't we?  This time, after the ritual counting, Bear is behind a (very small) pile of books. OK, one more time?  This time it's the fish tank.  I'd like to be able to say that he was ''behind'' the tank, but he's visible over, under and through the tank.  Even the fish look rather surprised.
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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>1447273958</amazonuk>
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Tracey Corderoy and Tim Warnes
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|title=More!
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
 +
|author=Cordellya Smith
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Archie the rhino has a new favourite word - more! Whatever it is that Archie likes, he likes it a lot! He just wants more of everything; more stories, more bubbles in the bath, more glitter...but what happens when one day, Archie's idea of 'more' becomes a little too much to handle?
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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 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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691343</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= John Ryan
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title= Captain Pugwash
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|rating=5
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|rating= 4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Captain Pugwash was first published in 1957. It was a comic strip, a TV animation and the story series developed into a further twenty four titles. Pugwash is conceited, stupid, podgy, unshaven and  lovable. His crew are ''the laziest afloat'', his enemy, Cut-Throat Jake, is satisfyingly villainous and cabin-boy Tom can always be relied on to save the day. Many families will remember these as childhood favourites whether in print or on the screen.
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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>1847807283</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author= David Litchfield
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title= The Bear and the Piano
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|rating= 5
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
|genre= For Sharing
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|rating=3.5
|summary= One day a small bear cub finds something strange in the middle of the woods. Not knowing what it is he tentatively touches it with his paw. It makes an awful sound! However the little bear continues to visit the object over months and years and gradually the sounds become beautiful and the bear feels happy. The other bears love listening to the wonderful music that he makes and then one day a father and daughter visit the forest and tell the bear he should take his musical talent to the big city. So the bear embarks on a journey to seek his fame and fortune. Although the city is all the bear could possibly have hoped for, something deep inside him is tugging him back home.
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|genre=For Sharing
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847807178</amazonuk>
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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.''
}}
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{{newreview
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|author=Matty Long
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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!
|title=Super Happy Magic Forest
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}}  
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{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=''The Lord of the Rings'' has an impressive legacy, both as a trilogy of books and films. Its impact on the fantasy genre as a whole is almost immeasurable – in many ways the genre exists because of these books. Frodo and co. also lives on within the people who love and cherish the books and the fantasy genre as a whole, but how do you spark this enthusiasm in your kids?  Matty Long may just have come up with a cunning plan.
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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>0192742957</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Joan Aiken and Quentin Blake
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|title=Mortimer and the Sword Excalibur
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you think about all the many unsuitable items that Mortimer the raven has eaten, from staircases to bowler hats, it's surprising that he's still in as good a shape as he isThis time, Mortimer finds himself left alone with Mrs Jones' sewing machine. I'm still not sure why Mrs Jones ever lets him out of her sight, since he has an unerring capacity for trouble, yet here we find him, gobbling down the pink material that is intended for Arabel's new dress, swiftly followed by the needle!  When Mortimer eventually discovers the foot pedal that makes the sewing machine go he and Arabel are turfed out of the house and allowed to go across the road to the park where a crowd has gathered around an interesting find in a large hole…
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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>1847806929</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Joan Aiken and Quentin Blake
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=The Spiral Stair
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|rating=5
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|author=Peter Cotton
 +
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=I'm rather fond of Arabel and MortimerI like the outlandish situations that they find themselves in, and the way Joan Aiken wrote the stories without speaking down to her readers in any way, inserting humour for the grown ups reading them tooHere our terrible twosome have been sent to Uncle Urk at the zoo whilst Mr Jones is in hospitalAunt Effie, however, has little patience for a noisy raven. Will Mortimer land them both in trouble? Or will they somehow manage to save the zoo from a scurrilous animal-stealing plot?
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|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 himHe 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 sense.  Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847806945</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|author=Benedict Blathwayt
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=The Little House by the Sea
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=By the sea, on the Isle of Mull, there was a ruined cottage, but it wasn't entirely uninhabited. The roof had fallen in and the windows were empty but that didn't stop the mice finding snug and dry homes in the walls.  Rabbits enjoyed the weeds in the garden and the doorway to the cottage was used as a shelter by the sheep when it rained.  Sparrows nested under the roof and a stray cat slept in the pile of leaves in the fireplace.  Then one day Finn came along.  He was a fisherman and he began to repair the house. He worked too - catching fish and taking tourists to see the seals and Fingal's cave.  But what about the birds and animals who had lived in the cottage before Finn came along?
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|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>1780273142</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Catherine Storr
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title= Clever Polly and the Stupid Wolf
+
|title=No, No, No!
|rating= 5
 
|genre= Emerging Readers
 
|summary= Polly opens the door one day to find a large black wolf standing on the doorstep. With no preamble whatsoever, not even a cursory hello, the wolf informs Polly that he intends to eat her up. Incredibly Polly invites the wolf into her home and even into the kitchen! What can she be thinking of? Well, young Polly is clever, resourceful, independent and charming. The wolf is a wolf of very little brain. Therefore it is not long before she is able to outwit the wolf and send him packing. This first story is very short but sets the scene for the ongoing battle of wits between Polly and the wolf that will continue for the remaining twelve short stories in this charming and entertaining book.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0141360232</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McPhail
 
|title=NO!
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A boy - we never learn his name - leaves home with a letter to post.  If we look carefully we get a hint about who the letter is going to, but getting to the post box is not going to be easy, because the boy lives in a war zone. There are planes dropping bombs, tanks taking out buildings, soldiers carrying bayonets kicking down doors and a policeman with truncheon aloft and vicious dog at his side.  The boy walks through it all as though completely unmoved, but when he reaches the postbox there's a bully lounging there and the first thing that he does is to knock the boy's hat off.  Our hero has had enough - and we know just what he says...
+
|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>1847807135</amazonuk>
+
 
}}
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
{{newreview
+
 
|author= David McKee
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|title= Melric and the Dragon
+
 
|rating= 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= For Sharing
+
|isbn=1638820457
|summary= There's a hoard of dragons loose in the kingdom! Crikey! Luckily the King has a whole army of soldiers with nothing else on their plate (except quite a few jam sandwiches) so he has plenty of troops to send on a search and destroy mission.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783441623</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Mick Inkpen
+
|isbn=194812467X
|title= Kipper's Beach Ball
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|rating= 4.5
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= It's play time at the beach for Kipper and Tiger in this magical book about living in the moment because it might be over before you know it.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444924028</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Jenna Harrington and Finn Simpson
 
|title= Katie McGinty Wants a Pet
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Katie McGinty wants a pet. Really, really, REALLY wants a pet. Daddy says no, not yet, not until she's bigger. So she waits. And she waits. And then the time comes.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691408</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Julian Clary and David Roberts
 
|title= The Bolds
 
|rating= 5
 
|genre= Confident Readers
 
|summary= The Bolds, Mr and Mrs and their two small children, live in an ordinary semi-detached house in suburban Teddington. They have jobs; Mrs Bold designs and sells flamboyant hats and Mr Bold writes jokes for Christmas crackers. But they are most definitely not an ordinary family. Oh no! They are in fact hyenas. So far they have managed to successfully pretend to be human beings. Although very hairy and prone to laughing a lot they have kept the truth (and their tails!) a secret from everyone.  But their grumpy next door neighbour, Mr McNumpty, is growing suspicious and then a trip to the local safari park has repercussions. Will the Bolds' carefully long kept secret be revealed?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1783443057</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author= Anita Pouroulis
 
|title= Nina Goes Barking Mad!
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= Nina and George are Jules' dogs.  George is badly behaved. He once dug up the entire front lawn. Mum said she wanted to give him away. It's Nina who is in the dog house though in this edition of the Jules, Nina and George series. She just won't stop barking. Mum, Jules and even George are being driven crazy.  Inspired by a TV show, Jules sets out to think like a dog and pin down what on earth the matter can be.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909428523</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alex English and Duncan Beedie
 
|title=Pirates Don't Drive Diggers
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ah, that age old dilemma or whether to go into the family business or whether to set out alone and follow your dreams!  In this story we meet Brad, who has been born into a family of pirates but who dreams of life on a building site. His dad (friendly looking pirate though he is) has no time for Brad's nonsense, and packs him off to sea to learn what pirates do. Is this to be a tale of tragedy and woe? Don't worry, Brad may get to drive a digger after all…
+
|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>1848861737</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Steve Smallman and Ada Grey
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title=Poo in the Zoo
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|rating=5
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
 +
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you’re one of those parents who really can’t stand farting jokes, or avoids nappy changing discussions with your peers at all costs then step away from this review now! This is a story that is made for families who enjoy a funny poo story, and who can bear a few armpit fart noises now and then! For this is a book that is entirely about poo, from start to finish, so make sure everyone who needs to be is in a nice clean nappy, then get ready for a treat of a read!
+
|summary=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.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848691386</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
 +
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
 +
''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.
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author= Silvia Borando
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title= Black Cat, White Cat
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|rating= 4
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary='Black Cat, White Cat' made me laugh out loud. In a lifetime of consuming literature greedily, I can count on one hand the number of books that have had this effect on me. I couldn't wait to read it with someone else to share the joke. Given that the humour relies on an element of surprise, I'm torn about how much to reveal here so, for the moment, I'll tell you a bit more about the book.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406363162</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Hsukung Liu and Xinlin Wang (translator)
 
|title=The Only Pupil in the School
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=On the first day of the school term only one pupil appeared and the teachers began to worry about losing their jobsSo they made their minds up that they would make their only pupil the best in the school, which - when you think about it - wasn't going to be ''all'' that difficult. They began by trying to persuade her to come to ''their'' classes and when that didn't persuade her they began fighting amongst themselves and didn't notice our heroine creeping away.  She went to the forest and met an old man who taught her lots about the flowers and the insects. A chef showed her how to make soup - it was delicious and warming - and then she had lots of fun (and exercise) with a dog she met in the park.  The further she looked, the more she learned and at the library she drew a book about what she had seen - and it was there that the teachers found her.
+
|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>0993215416</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Jessica Souhami
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title=Rama and the Demon King
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
 +
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Rama was a brave and good prince, the king's favourite sonHe loved his wife, Sita and his best friend was his brother Lakshman. Everyone loved him, except for one person. His stepmother was jealous and she was determined to get rid of Rama.  Long ago she had saved the king's life and he had promised to grant her any wish.  She asked that he send Rama into the forest for fourteen years and although the king was horrified he had to keep his promise. Rama was sent into the forest, but he did not go alone, as Sita and Lakshman went with him and for a while all was well. They fought off the demons who first appeared and then built a house and led a simple life among the forest animals.
+
|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>1847806600</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=When I Am Happiest
+
|title=The Invisible
 +
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
|genre=Emerging Readers
+
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If Dani leaves her school for the summer holidays with one souvenir, it will either be the memories of the fabulous friendship she formed with Ella, who struck a chord in [[My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson|book one]] then moved away, or it will be a book she has written and compiled to remind her of all the happiness she has encountered along the wayThat is not quite finished, for the following day is to be the great end of year party, and her classroom decorations are complete and her dress has been bought new speciallyBut not all of life is happiness and jollity – and Dani is removed from the classroom to face very bad news.  What ending is in store, for her book and for ours?
+
|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:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1927271894</amazonuk>
+
 
}}
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
{{newreview
+
 
|author=Christopher Franceschelli
+
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happyThen the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the cityThis part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|title= Dinoblock
 
|rating= 4
 
|genre= For Sharing
 
|summary= As befits a book about dinosaurs, 'Dinoblock' is suitably chunky. Not monstrously large but enticingly substantial in a 'pick me up and read me' kind of way. Inside this board book, twenty plus beasts are on parade. If you don't know your Triassic from your Jurassic step this way…
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1419716743</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
{{newreview
+
{{Frontpage
|author=Benji Davies
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|title=Grandad's Island
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Syd and his Grandad are going on an adventure – through the door in Grandad's attic to a ship that will sail across an ocean of rooftops to a magical tropical island. They are going to find new wonders at every turn as they explore the island and make lots of new friends in the form of the animals and birds. In fact, it's such an amazing place that Grandad decides to stay.
+
|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>1471119955</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

5star.jpg For Sharing

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

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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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

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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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