Commotion In The Ocean by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz
| Commotion In The Ocean by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A light-hearted and upbeat set of poems set underwater. Plenty of energy, excitement and bright illustrations make it a fine addition to your bookshelf. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 26 | Date: February 2010 |
| Publisher: Orchard | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1408308455 | |
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There's a commotion in the ocean: the dolphins are squeaking, the jellyfish are jiggling, and the lobsters are clippetty-clapping snippety-snapping. Animal by animal, Giles Andreae (best-known for Giraffes Can't Dance) takes us through the underwater adventures, with short, snappy poems.
This board book reissue of Commotion In The Ocean is a fine opportunity to explore sea creatures with the youngest of book fans. Everything's jolly, upbeat, and the poems trip off the tongue. I was immediately reminded of Spike Milligan's poems about animals, and whilst this doesn't quite have the charm or humour of Spike, nothing could. There is a nice mix of creatures - not too obscure, not too mundane, the cute ones, and the ones with big gnashers. It all slots together to create a fun book.
David Wojtowycz's illustrations suit the mood of Commotion In The Ocean perfectly and help create the jolly atmosphere. Everything's bright and bubbly, with beaming smiles and oodles of character. Although they're not the sort of seascapes you'd pore for hours over, there are still plenty of funny little touches hidden around the pages, that give plenty of opportunities to discuss goings-on with the little 'uns.
Commotion In The Ocean is good, light-hearted fun. It doesn't quite stand out enough to be an all-time favourite, but you'll certainly read it time and time again. It's a fine addition to any bookshelf. Recommended.
My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
Jolly Olly Octopus by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees strikes a similar upbeat underwater tone. Our favourite fishy book recently is the excellent One Smart Fish by Chris Wormell and you might have great fun with Convertible Submarine by Claire Phillip.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Commotion In The Ocean by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz 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 Commotion In The Ocean by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz at Amazon.com.
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