A Gold Star for George by Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott
| A Gold Star for George by Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Zoe Morris
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| Summary: George desperately wants to win a gold star, but all the other animals seem to be pipping him to the post. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: May 2015 |
| Publisher: Maverick Arts Publishing | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1848861718 | |
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George the Giraffe is a lovable chappie, that much is evident from the start. He’s smart too, both in brains and attire (spotted bow tie being every day wear if you’re George) and right now he’s very excited because the Wildlife Park are having some awards. Gold stars for things like ‘’Most Popular Animal’’, ‘’Best Trick’’ and so on. George ‘’really’’ wants to win one.
Sadly, some of the other animals at the Park give him some stiff competition and he narrowly misses out on one award after another. It’s a sad day for George the Giraffe.
As a toddler book, you know this has to have a happy ending, and George’s fortunes have to turn back around, but it really wasn’t clear to me how this could happen. After all, the stars are all given out! And there’s nothing left for George to win…or is there?
This is a fun book with a friendly story and some colourful, happy illustrations to see you through. The whole gang deserve a mention, because they’re all so beautifully drawn that they just hop right off the page at you. The zoo looks like a super cheerful place too, and you won’t be left trying to bat away any awkward questions about nasty, cramped enclosures for the animals.
It is a lovely book about being happy for your friends’ successes and not being a sore loser, even when losing hurts a little. The focus is on being a nice, helpful person, and doing so is ultimately rewarded here which is a nice lesson, especially because it shows that sometimes you might not win but you are still very much appreciated. It’s about accepting that sometimes your best is not as good as someone else’s best, and that’s ok: everyone has different talents and skills to be valued and appreciated.
This book is easy to read but there’s a fair bit of text too, so it’s good for sharing together and working on language skills. Definitely recommended, my thanks go to the publishers for sending us a copy to review.
We also really enjoyed Robopop by Alice Hemming and James Lent by the same author.
Editor's Note: We've now see A Gold Star for George as an early reader. It's a nice size and weight for small hands, the font is clear and the paper is slightly off-white which makes for easier reading. The paperis substantial enough that there's no bleed-through from the reverse of the page, which can be off-putting for young readers with L plates, or those suffering from dyslexia.Editor's Note: We've now see A Gold Star for George as an early reader. It's a nice size and weight for small hands, the font is clear and the paper is slightly off-white which makes for easier reading. The paperis substantial enough that there's no bleed-through from the reverse of the page, which can be off-putting for young readers with L plates, or those suffering from dyslexia.
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You can read more book reviews or buy A Gold Star for George by Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott 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 A Gold Star for George by Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott at Amazon.com.
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