Jules and Nina Dine Out by Anita Pouroulis
| Jules and Nina Dine Out by Anita Pouroulis | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Lorraine McDonald
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| Summary: Dogs dining out in restaurants was never going to end well. Find out what happens to Jules and her canine pal Nina in this photo montage illustrated story. Strong on plot and strong on characters. A good read. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: May 2015 |
| Publisher: Digital Leaf | |
| ISBN: 9781909428348 | |
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Nina and George are Jules’ dogs. Eating out at restaurants used to be a family affair until George blew it. A misunderstanding about a steak apparently. With the exception of her slightly unreliable digestive system, Nina has slightly more refined manners. She continues to dine out until one restaurant manager refuses her admission. Then it’s a long, but dramatic, spell out on the pavement for her…
Digital Leaf are a very modern publisher, combining printed books with apps. However, Nina and George Dine Out succeeds for very traditional reasons – plot and character. My toddler and I have read this several times over and it’s not grating (yet). There’s some humour in this shaggy dog tale but the standout here is the characterisation. Uptight customers, cross parents, an irate restaurant manager, sullen dogs and, picture this if you will, a cheesed off dog. The illustrations capture a complex range of emotions with subtlety.
Jules and Nina Dine Out is illustrated in a collage/ photo montage style reminiscent of Lauren Child’s 'Charlie and Lola' series. It’s not a cutesy style and it’s not a style that I personally find particularly appealing. There’s something about these illustrations though that does appeal to my toddler. He can't articulate what but I suspect it’s the textures, the embedded photos and sheer amount to take in on each page. The breadth of emotion captured in the faces is unusual to see in a picture book – disapproval, annoyance, anger and tension are not commonly shown and I wonder if this difference is what engages him. Don’t take away the impression that 'Jules and Nina' is a bleak book; it isn’t, it just feels different and has an emotional depth that is unusual in a publication for small children.
This is my second Digital Leaf book. I have yet to download an app to see what this offers in comparison to the hard copy. Jules and Nina are engaging enough just on paper. Toddler and me would like to see some more. Maybe Nina’s canine side kick George will play a bigger role in the next book in the series.
For more strong characters and montage style illustrations, you must try I Can Do Anything That's Everything All on My Own (Charlie & Lola) by Lauren Child.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Jules and Nina Dine Out by Anita Pouroulis 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 Jules and Nina Dine Out by Anita Pouroulis at Amazon.com.
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