I Want to Go First by Richard Byrne
| I Want to Go First by Richard Byrne | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Linda Lawlor
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| Summary: Cheerful tale of a little elephant who persuades the reader to help him get to the front of the line – a playful and possibly boisterous experience. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: August 2017 |
| Publisher: OUP Oxford | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 9780192749734 | |
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It's so not fair! Why should Elphie go last, just because he's the littlest? This is a question which will speak to the heart of many young children, especially those with siblings: the smallest bedroom, hand-me-down books that have been read and reread till their edges are frayed . . . but don't worry, Elphie has found the solution. Only thing is, he's going to need the reader's help to achieve his goal.
Right from the start the book is portrayed as a physical object, to look at and read, and also as an actual place, called the front-of-the-book nature reserve. Elphie and his family are setting off on the long trek to the watering hole, and as usual our little friend is stuck at the back of the queue. But this is a state of affairs he doesn't intend to accept! He talks the reader into making noises and shaking the book with the result that the other elephants drop behind and he gains the coveted place at the front. But all in vain: a huge and very selfish elephant refuses to make room in the water for anyone else, and Elphie's rather dubious skills of persuasion are needed once more, this time for the benefit of his whole family.
It's a lovely book to look at: the elephants are drawn large and the attractive backgrounds are kept simple so the very youngest readers will be able to focus on the story. Silly sunhats, buckets and spades, colourful swimsuits and other bits of beach paraphernalia help children identify with Elphie and his family, and the two fonts used are simple and clear. It's debatable whether the tiniest children will get the concept of the fourth wall, however, and while their older siblings will enjoy reading the book a couple of times, it's hard to imagine them returning once the novelty has worn off. And yes, it is a very jolly story in the tradition of fairy tales where diminutive heroes beat muscly, overgrown villains, but some people may wonder if such sneaky techniques are equally valid when applied to loved ones.
Richard Byrne does a nice line in books which breach that fourth wall and speak directly to the reader. Bookbag really loved This Book Just Ate My Dog (and let's face it, who could ignore a book with such an intriguing title?). We also thoroughly enjoyed Nibbles: The Book Monster by Emma Yarlett, about a fuzzy little monster that likes to chew its way through books. Bad, bad monster, but a lovely book that will appeal to several different age groups of preschoolers (and their parents!).
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You can read more book reviews or buy I Want to Go First by Richard Byrne 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 I Want to Go First by Richard Byrne at Amazon.com.
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