The Very Rude Toytoise by Peter Lynas and Andy S Gray
| The Very Rude Toytoise by Peter Lynas and Andy S Gray | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Sue Magee
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| Summary: Two very valuable life lessons wrapped up in a story that will have children laughing. It's written in exquisite verse which demands to be read aloud. Highly recommended. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 44 | Date: September 2016 |
| Publisher: Made-Up Books | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0993340352 | |
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It was one of those blissful days in the forest. Mrs Rabbit was collecting carrots because she wanted to make a cake. Mrs Blue Bird was gathering twigs to build a nest. Mrs Spider was busily spinning a web to catch juicy flies. Mrs Squirrel was piling up acorns. And Mr Bear sat comfortably in a chair, fishing for lunch. What could be better? And then...
There was a crash and a lot of noise and Mr Toytoise (please note that he is not a tortoise, he is a toytoise and frankly he's getting rather cross about having to keep telling people) came dashing through. He upset Mrs Rabbit by flattening her carrots, Mrs Blue Bird's twigs all fell to the ground, Mrs Spider's web was no more and Mrs Squirrel's acorns went everywhere. Did Mr Toytoise care about any of this? No - he did not. He was proud of his shiny red wheels, his cap and his noisy horn. He had places to be and appointments to keep. He certainly wasn't staying around to apologise, until...
Mr Bear was knocked out of his chair - and Mr Toytoise fell into the lake. You could have forgiven Mr Bear for leaving him there, but Mr Toytoise couldn't swim and he was a kindly bear, so he lifted him out of the water, but then he refused to wind Mr Toytoise up again until he apologised. There's a limit to what even a kindly bear will put up with and finally Mr Toytoise made a genuine apology.
I've told you the tale, but I haven't got Peter Lynas's skill with words. The story is told in the most exquisite rhyming verse. It flows beautifully and it demands to be read aloud to a group of children. The regular repetitions beg to be shouted out by a classroom full of shining, laughing faces. And Andy Gray's illustrations complement the story perfectly as they switch from blissful peace to chaotic activity with the turn of a page.
It's fun - glorious fun and I doubt that many of the target audience will realise that they have just been taught a couple of very valuable lessons. Politeness and consideration for other people costs nothing and if you are in the wrong, admit it straightaway and apologise. They're valuable life lessons but they're not told in a preachy way.
I loved this book and I'd like to thank the publisher for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
For another story of what happens when something goes wrong we can recommend The Elephant in the Room by James Thorp and Angus Mackinnon.
The Very Rude Toytoise by Peter Lynas and Andy S Gray is in the Top Ten Self-Published Books 2019.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Very Rude Toytoise by Peter Lynas and Andy S Gray at Amazon.com.
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