Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
==For sharing==
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{{Frontpage
__NOTOC__
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|author=Adam Stower
{{newreview
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|title=Murray and Bun
|author=John Yeoman
 
|title=Mouse Trouble
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=Mouse trouble tells the story of an old windmill that is overrun by mice. The grumpy miller never sees these clever mice but he knows they are there and determines to get rid of them. He buys a large tabby cat but is too mean to feed him which means that the cat never has the energy to catch the mice. Rather than rejoicing in this fact though, the mice actually feel quite sorry for him and decide to make his life a bit easier. Without ever allowing themselves to be caught, they let the cat chase them and help him to become fitter and healthier. They also pretend to be very scared whenever they see the cat which does wonders for his self esteem.
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|summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two.  But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392013</amazonuk>
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|isbn=0008561249
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
 
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|isbn=1732898766
{{newreview
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|author=Brian Wildsmith
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
|title=A Christmas Journey
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Mary is visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she'll give birth to Jesus. So far so good for the Nativity story. Skip ahead to Mary and Joseph leaving for Bethlehem, and that's where we part ways with them for a while. Instead, we travel with their cat and dog, who are left behind but decide to follow. They meet up with the other animals and people from the Nativity story on their way, until finally they come to the manger in Bethlehem.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192789805</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Martin Waddell and Emma Chichester Clark
 
|title=The Orchard Book Of Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Anthologies
 
|summary=With ''The Princess and the Pea'', ''The Ugly Duckling'', ''The Tinderbox'', ''The Little Match Girl'', ''The Emperor's New Clothes'', ''The Tin Soldier'', ''The Swineherd'', ''The Nightingale'' and ''The Little Mermaid'', this is a must-have compendium of classic fairy tales. You can't really go wrong with Hans Christian Andersen's best, can you? Martin Waddell and Emma Chichester Clark have not just churned out the old classics, but they've given them an amazing freshness and vibrancy.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846169380</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Melanie Williamson
 
|title=Cactus Annie
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's Cactus Annie's first day at cowgirl school, but she really struggles to fit in. Her teacher encourages her to believe in herself, but Annie's having a hard time doing that, especially as there are scary rat rustlers on the loose. When the cows go missing, Annie is secretly pleased, as it means she won't have to do any cowgirl things, but she's soon faced with an opportunity to prove herself.
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute.  Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them. He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils. (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.)  Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped. They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340981415</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alex T Smith
 
|title=Egg
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Egg rolls up to the house of the wicked Foxy DuBois. Foxy invites Egg in - she's always very kind to strangers - but she's got a glint in her eye, and has devilish plans for what she's going to do to the little egg. The clues are there: recipe books, and pictures of fried eggs adorning her walls. Be careful, Egg!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340959851</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Anne Cottringer and Sarah McIntyre
 
|title=When Titus Took The Train
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Titus is going on a train journey all by himself. His mum and dad have given him his lunch, books and games, and seen him off at the station. The guard will keep an eye on him on the journey, and Uncle Henry will meet him at the other end. Nothing could possibly go wrong. ...Unless, of course, the train is attacked by bandits, chased by a Tyrannosaurus rex, has a boulder hurtling towards it, and then won't stop as it's approaching the station. Luckily, our Titus is a little bit of a hero.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>019272987X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|author=Kimara Nye and Marcin Bruchnalski
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|title=The Four Little Pigs
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Tom loves visiting his Granny especially as she is a witch and can cast magical spells. However, he doesn't always enjoy the bedtime stories that she reads, and when she picks up The Three Little Pigs he declares that it is boring because he has heard it so many times. Granny suggests that it might be interesting to find out what would happen if another pig entered the fray and before he realises what is happening, Tom is transported into the story.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848860633</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Tony Ross
 
|title=The Three Sillies
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=If your children like silly things, they will definitely enjoy the story of The Three Sillies, written and illustrated by Tony Ross, who is perhaps best known for his wonderful [[I Want a Sister (Little Princess) by Tony Ross|Little Princess]] stories. The story of The Three Sillies is indeed very silly and you can tell that it is going to be just that by looking at the front cover and seeing three very strange people standing on their heads looking, unsurprisingly, very red faced.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709607</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Chris Van Allsburg
 
|title=The Polar Express
 
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's Christmas Eve, and a young boy is waiting up to catch a glimpse of Santa. When a train pulls up instead, he soon finds himself on the Polar Express, chuffing away to the North Pole, with scores of other children. With hot chocolate in hand, and snowy landscapes whizzing past the windows, he's having a fabulous journey. At the North Pole, he meets the elves and Santa, and waits to see which child will be given the first gift of Christmas.
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|summary=Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear.  As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice. Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another.  He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390983</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913839656
|author=Patricia Borlenghi and Eleanor Taylor
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|title=The Bloomsbury Nursery Treasury
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|author=Lainey Dee
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=I am sure that all small children love traditional tales. Maybe for some the appeal is the beguiling innocence of Little Red Riding Hood, or the audacity of Goldilocks as she invades the three bears' cottage or even Jack's daring and courage as he climbs the beanstalk and steals the giant's gold from under his nose. Whichever tale is favourite, there is always something very satisfying when the good characters win and the nasty characters are beaten especially as this always leads of course to a happy ending.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0747597472</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=James Mayhew
 
|title=Ella Bella Ballerina and Cinderella
 
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Ella Bella Ballerina's back! Before she was dancing to [[Ella Bella Ballerina and The Sleeping Beauty by James Mayhew|Sleeping Beauty]], and this time it's Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella. The music washes over here, and suddenly she's whisked away to the fairy tale, with the prince, fairy godmother and all the magic that every reader knows and loves.
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice.  He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmother. She had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends.  At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be.  Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846169275</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504775
|author=David Melling
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Hugless Douglas
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Douglas the bear wants a hug. He remembers that some of his best hugs are with big things, so he tries hugging a boulder. That doesn't work so well. What about a tall tree? Nup. Hmm... Poor Douglas. He's going to have to keep hunting around if he wants to get his hug.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340950633</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Mick Inkpen
 
|title=This Is My Book
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The Snapdragon has swooped down and eaten the ''k'' of ''Book''. He's also broken off a bit of the ''B'', so it looks like the Bookmouse is saying ''This is my Poo''. He's been eating the dots on top of the letter ''i'' wherever he can find it too, and spitting them out. What on earth can be done to stop the mean ol' Snapdragon?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340989637</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz
 
|title=ABC Animal Rhymes For You And Me
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Repackaging some rhymes found in ''Rumble In The Jungle'' and [[Commotion In The Ocean by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz|Commotion In The Ocean]], ''ABC Animal Rhymes For You And Me'' takes us through the alphabet, with rhymes about the angelfish, boa constrictor, crocodile, and so on.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408306808</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Leigh Hodgkinson
 
|title=Scrummy!
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Sunny McCloud is back after losing, then finding, her [[Smile! by Leigh Hodgkinson|smile]]. This time she's considering what kind of sandwich ingredients her family are. When her sandwich turns out to be a bit of a mundane cheese sandwich, she wonders what would spice up her sandwich and her family, going wild with bananas/monkeys and ice cream/penguins. Ice cream in a cheese sandwich? Hmm...
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past. Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult. One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home.  Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it.  Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140830936X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504767
|author=Leigh Hodgkinson
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Limelight Larry
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Limelight Larry is, like most peacocks, a bit of a show-off. He's absolutely delighted to be the star of his very own book, and can't help but preen and boast about how wonderful he is, and how amazing his book will be. When Mouse pops in to the corner of a page, Larry is annoyed to be sharing the limelight, and his frustration grows and grows as more and more creatures show up to talk about Larry's book. How will Larry be able to get the attention he so desperately craves?
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination. She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her. She even had her own room - all to herself.  Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life.  She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408301830</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1916459943
|author=Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|title=Winnie In Space
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|author=Beth Webb
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Winnie The Witch is back, and this time she has a hankering to go into space. With a wave of her magic wand, she creates a rocket, and she and her cat Wilbur are whizzing along from planet to planet, exploring the cosmos, and getting into all sorts of trouble with space rabbits.
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|summary=Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby.  He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and ''wails''.  The sea offers to help.  It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''.  Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly. The mermaids join in - ''la lou, la lay...'' And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes. Then a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192732188</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rachael Mortimer and Liz Pichon
 
|title=The Three Billy Goats Fluff
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Mr Troll has a headache. The Billy Goats Fluff keep trip-trapping over his bridge, making an awful racket. He's not happy one little bit. He's cursing the newspaper advert that brought him under the bridge, and desperate for something to stop the goats from ruining his life. Whatever can a troll do in those circumstances?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340989904</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=140639131X
|author=Georgie Adams and Emily Bolam
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|title=The Three Little Witches
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|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What happens when three little witches decide to throw a Halloween party? This entertaining story takes us through their decisions over who to invite: Baby Dragon and Wizard Wink are definite, but what about the naughty little witch called Melissa? Then once the invitations have been sent they need to clean the house, await every one's replies, shop for the party and finally host the Halloween celebrations.
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|summary=Philippa Pheasant was ''tired'' of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road.  She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply. Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself.  Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444000802</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574338
|author=Ross Collins
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|title=Dear Vampa
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bram Pire is writing to his Vampa about their new neighbours, the Wolfsons. The Pires love dressing in black, staying up all night and getting up to all sorts of fiendish fun. They have a hard time adapting to the Wolfsons with their sunny dispositions, unpleasantly cheerful pets and jolly parties. Ick! Whatever can be done?
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes.  Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck.  It's perfect, isn't it?  What could be a more fun way of going to school?  There is a problem, though. Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up. The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>144490020X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574028
|author=Mij Kelly and Ross Collins
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|title=Where Giants Hide
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|author=David Elliott
|rating=3.5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A little girl has stopped believing in giants. She ain't never seen no fairy neither, nor mermaids, witches or trolls. As she wanders around the world decrying the lack of magic, strange things seem to happen around her, until she discovers just where the magic lurks.
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|summary=I love a good board book!  ''Bumblebee Grumblebee'' is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can ''play'' with words and make something quite different from each one.  We have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a ''balletphant''.  The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a ''fluffalo''.  The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a ''crynoceros'' (think about it!)  The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a ''sm.......''  OK, let's not go there  Some people are eating!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340960000</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1838226834
|author=Penny Dann
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|title=The Orchard Book Of Nursery Rhymes For Your Baby
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|author=Ed Boxall
|rating=4.5
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|rating=4
|genre=Children's Rhymes and Verse
 
|summary=All your favourite nursery rhymes are here, from Hickory Dickory Dock, through Little Bo Peep and Three Blind Mice, to Sing A Song Of Sixpence. With over sixty nursery rhymes to choose from, all the big names are presented in a beautiful compendium that you'll treasure for years.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408304589</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Michael Foreman
 
|title=Fortunately, Unfortunately
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Milo is returning his Granny's umbrella to her. As he sets out, it begins to rain. One thing leads to another, and he finds himself caught up in a thrilling adventure involving a whale, pirates, dinosaurs and aliens. He swings between good news and bad news as he gets up to all sorts of scrapes and japes. Will Granny ever get her umbrella in one piece?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849391238</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Nicholas Allan
 
|title=Father Christmas Needs A Wee
 
|rating=2.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Father Christmas is doing his rounds, drinking all the treats that the boys and girls have left out for him. With that much liquid sloshing around inside him, he's soon bursting for a wee, but he then realises that he's forgotten to deliver the presents, so has to rush back again. Will he ever get to the toilet in time?
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|summary=It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much fun. A young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849410496</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Aesop, Fiona Waters and Fulvio Testa
 
|title=Aesop's Fables
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Everyone knows and loves ''Aesop's Fables''. They're part of our literary tapestry and our everyday lives. We know sour grapes, we know [[Tortoise vs. Hare - The Rematch! by Preston Rutt and Ben Redlich|the tortoise and the hare]], the boy who cried wolf and so many more. Fiona Waters has retold 60 of the most famous fables in this delightful anthology.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390495</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|author=Mini Grey
 
|title=Three By The Sea
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Dog, Cat and Mouse live together by the sea, each with their own chores to take care of in their own special way. They think that they're happy, but when a stranger turns up from the Winds of Change companny, each of them reassesses their position in their friendship.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0224083627</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|author=David McKee
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|title=Elmer Again
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|author=Cordellya Smith
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Elmer the patchwork elephant is back... umm... Again. Everything is gearing up for the annual Elmer's Day Parade, where the other elephants paint themselves brightly and he paints himself grey. Being a bit of a scamp, he decides that things need to be livened up, so he plots and plans, then sets about putting a smile on everyone's faces.
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given gifts. Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector. Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn. Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future.  Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well.  He liked to trick other animals. He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle.  You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see.  Things are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842707507</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Rob Keeley
|author=Henry Fisher
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|title=When I Dream Of ABC
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|rating= 4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Apple, ball, cat, dog... yawn... zzz? Not here. ''When I Dream Of ABC'' is an alphabet book, sure, but with a playful glint in the eye and delightful illustrations that makes it a joy to read, whether you're learning your alphabet, not ready yet, or already know it backwards and forwards.
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|summary= Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849561028</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|author=Mark Robinson and Sarah Horne
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|title=Vile - A Cautionary Tale For Little Monsters
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=At the University of Vile, monsters get up to all sorts of monstrous things. Mischief, rudeness and naughtiness are required for educational success. If you're not picking your nose and making a racket, you're for the high jump, missy. Then, one day, two monsters get themselves into a dilly of a pickle when they fall down a hole. They couldn't possibly... (whisper it) co-operate... to get out, could they?
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|summary=''For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745961673</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
 
|author=Tony Ross
 
|title=My Favourite Fairy Tales
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Tony Ross has picked, retold and illustrated his favourite fairy tales, taking in such classics as ''Rumpelstiltskin'' and ''Beauty and the Beast'', whilst also offering up slightly lesser-known ones like ''The Hedley Kow'', ''The Musicians of Bremen'', ''Sweet Porridge'', ''Prince Hyacinth'' and ''Fairy Gifts''.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709801</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that ''she'' can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it!
|author=James Mayhew
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}}
|title=Katie and the Waterlily Pond
+
{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When Katie and Grandma are at the art gallery, they see there's a competition to paint a picture in the style of Monet. Grandma has a bit of a rest, whilst Katie goes off to look at the Monet exhibition for inspiration. When one of the paintings speaks to her - really speaks to her - she steps inside it and explores... Subtitled ''A Magical Journey Through Five Monet Masterpieces'', ''Katie and the Waterlily Pond'' is a wonderful introduction for children to art in general and Claude Monet in particular. They'll get a feel for ''In The Woods and Giverny'', ''Bathers at La Grenouill&#xE8;re'', ''Path Through the Poppies'', ''The Waterlily Pond'', and ''The Rue Montorgueil, Paris''.
+
|summary= Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her ''Everybody Potties!'' series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: ''Everybody Toots''!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408304635</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
+
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|author=Sheryl Webster and Jan Fearnley
+
|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Tinysaurus
+
|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Tinysaurus is fed-up of being little. He's tried all sorts of things to get as big as Mummysaurus, Daddysaurus and Bigsissysaurus, but jumping, stretching and strapping tree trunks to his feet have done nothing to help. He's not allowed to go to places and do things on his own, and he's certainly not allowed to look after Mummysaurus' eggs. Then, one day the ground shakes and a Nastysaurus appears...
+
|summary= ''Who Needs Nappies? Not Me!'' is the latest release in the ''Everybody Potties!'' series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you.  .
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184939010X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Karen King and Marina Le Ray
 
|title=Silly Moo
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When an apple falls on Cow's head, she gets all woozy so decides to go home for a bit of a lie down. She's got mild amnesia, so she goes from place to place on the farmyard, getting to meet all the animals, and causing all sorts of problems as she doesn't realise where she needs to go.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846669014</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|author=Rebecca Elliott
+
|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|title=Cub's First Winter
+
|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's the first day of winter and Cub can't sleep, so Mum decides the best option is a forest walk. Cub is a mass of questions about the new experiences - why are the trees undressed, why can they see their breath, and why are the birds going on holiday? Mum informs and reassures Cub as they enjoy the wonders of nature and each other's company.
+
|summary=Meet Fred.  Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly.  But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred. Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him.  He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk.  And that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense.  Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849560994</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Rebecca Elliott
+
|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Just Because
+
|rating=4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Toby's best friend is his big sister, Clemmie. She can't walk, talk or move around much. Just because. He loves her dearly, and we discover all the many ways they play together. It's an utterly gorgeous tale of sibling affection.
+
|summary= Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745962351</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Anthony Browne
+
|title=No, No, No!
|title=Play The Shape Game
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Children's Non-Fiction
 
|summary=You might have already played the shape game. It involves doing a squiggle on a piece of paper, then either you or someone else has to turn that squiggle into a full picture. Anthony Browne played it lots when he was little, and now he's playing it with 45 celebrities and you. Proceeds from the book and the auction of the artwork are going to [http://www.rainbowtrust.org.uk The Rainbow Trust Children's Charity], who provide emotional and practical support to families who have a child with a life threatening or terminal illness. A fantastic cause.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406331317</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rebecca Elliott
 
|title=Milo's Pet Egg
 
|rating=3.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Milo the lemur discovers a pretty pebble one day. He prods it, and to his surprise it moves! He listens carefully, and finds that it's breathing, so he realises that it's an egg, calls it Snappy, and the two of them get up to all sorts of adventures.
+
|summary=They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408802007</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
 
|title=Big Bad Bun
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Big Bad Bun (formerly known as Fluff) has run away from home to join the Hell Bunnies. He passed the initiation ceremony of being buried up to his nose in cowpats, and has since gone on to do all sorts of baaaaad things, like getting his ear pierced and never washing his whiskers. What on Earth will Big Bad Bun's parents make of all this? ...It IS true, right? He REALLY has joined the Hell Bunnies, right? ...Right?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709453</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|author=Edward Hardy and Deborah Allwright
 
|title=Martha, No!
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Martha Felicity Molly-Anne May gets through nannies faster than most kids get through... well, everything. She's a bit of a handful is our Martha, always doing what she shouldn't, and running her nanny ragged. Her day is, unsurprisingly, peppered with cries of ''Martha, noooo!''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405240784</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside.
|author=Leigh Hobbs
+
|isbn=1638820457
|title=Mr Chicken Goes To Paris
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Mr Chicken wants to see France, so he reads his guidebooks, learns his French phrases and arranges for his penpal Yvette to meet him at the airport. Ooh la la!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408805243</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|author=Alan Durant and Simon Rickerty
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=Unfortunately
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|rating=5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=One day a boy is walking through the jungle. Unfortunately, a lion tries to get him. Fortunately, he escapes. Unfortunately, a huge snake is poised to snaffle him up. Fortunately... and on and on it goes, with good news followed by bad followed by good. Ok, so that might make it sound a little simple and boring, but trust me: it's fantastic.
+
|summary=Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408309890</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
What will they buy?
|author=Chris Wormell
 
|title=Molly and the Night Monster
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Molly is in bed, but then she hears a creak on the stair. Could it be an elephant or a rhino coming to get her? Might it even be a night monster? Luckily, Molly is well-armed with her monster catcher, so should be alright, as the door sloooowly inches open...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1862301859</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|author=Daisy Dawes
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|title=Get Ahead Fred
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|rating=3
+
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Fred loves wearing hats. He's got a fez, a bonnet, a stetson, and a glittery fedora. When the Queen announces she's coming to town, he decides to get the finest hat he's ever had. There's no possible way that anything could go wrong, is there? ...Is there?
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing. She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1848860404</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
|author=Anne Fine and Ruth Brown
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
|title=Ruggles
+
''To the Maritime Museum''.
|rating=4.5
+
|genre=For Sharing
+
Her imagination was fired.  She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularlyOne day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shout.  When she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure.
|summary=Every dog owner has known a dog like Ruggles: they're so good at escaping from where ever they are that they're generally known as Houdini.  Ruggles had it all worked out, from the opportunist hop over the fence aided by a pile of newspapers, a bucket and the rabbit hutch to who would snitch on him if he met them (unaccompanied) in the parkThe dog lady knows him well and whilst you wouldn't quite call them friends it's obvious that Ruggles knows when he's met his match and hops in the van without complaint.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392064</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|author=Jan Fearnley
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|title=Arthur and the Meanies
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Arthur the elephant is desperate to play, but the monkeys, Tiger, Peacock and Cheetah all say no. The big meanies. Oh sure, they're happy to be his friend when they want something from him, but as soon as they don't need him any more, they just scamper off and leave him sad. Go on, Arthur, give 'em a soaking! Teach 'em a lesson!
+
|summary=One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself  down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. ''OH HELP ME PLEASE'' he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405253819</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
 
|title=The Bear's Water Picnic
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's a gorgeous summer's day, so the pig, hen, squirrel, hedgehog and bear all head out on a raft for a picnic in the middle of the lake. They're disturbed by the ''awrk awrk'' of the frogs, so paddle off to a different part of the lake, but when they get stuck, they discover the benefits of working together and making new friends.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390045</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|title=Old Dog
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The Young Pups don't want to go and see Grandpa - all he does is talk about the past, his breath stinks, his false teeth fall out all the time, and he doesn't know how to play all their new games. Their mother reminds them that he's really kind and they visit him after all. When there, they discover that Grandpa wasn't always an old fuddy duddy, and actually there's plenty of excitement lurking under the surface if they just take the trouble to get to know him.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842708805</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McKee
 
|title=Elmer and Grandpa Eldo
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Elmer the patchwork elephant is back, and this time he's visiting Grandpa Eldo. Elmer reminds Eldo of all the things they did together when Elmer was really little, but Eldo can't remember them (or so he says) so Elmer keeps reminding him and reminding him, as they revisit old haunts. Grandpa and grandson, sorry, grandelephant, spend a lovely day together, enjoying one another's company.
+
|summary=Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down ''again''. The school bully Jayden, together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842708392</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|author=Michael Foreman
+
|title=The Invisible
|title=Dinosaur Time
+
|author=Tom Percival
|rating=3
+
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Tom's mum has just bought a new timer for the kitchen. It's not a toy, so she tells Tom not to touch it. However, there's a little blue light winking at him, so he can't really help himself. He reaches out and... finds himself whisked back in time.
+
|summary=This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big difference. Isobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390479</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
|author=Jessica Meserve
 
|title=Bedtime Without Arthur
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Arthur is a very special bear. Using bravery, strength and karate, he keeps Bella safe from monsters when she sleeps. One day, Arthur goes missing, and Bella has to face the monsters on her own. Will Arthur turn up? Will Bella ever get a good night's sleep again?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709437</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy. Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|author=John Fardell
 
|title=Jeremiah Jellyfish Flies High!
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Jeremiah Jellyfish is drifting aimlessly through life. He's bored of doing nothing in the great big jellyfish shoal. With a bit of geeing up from his granddad, he strikes out on his own, meets a high-powered businessman, swaps jobs, and becomes an executive in a rocket plane company. As jellyfish do, obviously.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849390142</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|author=Camilla Reid and Michael Foreman
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|title=The Littlest Dinosaur and the Naughty Rock
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=After the littlest dinosaur's [[The Littlest Dinosaur by Michael Foreman|earlier]] [[The Littlest Dinosaur's Big Adventure by Michael Foreman|adventures]], Camilla Reid takes hold of the writing reins, whilst Michael Foreman offers up his beautiful illustrations as always. This time, the dinosaur is in a bit of a bad mood, being rude to his dad, shouting at his siblings, and ruining his meal. His mum sends him to sit on the naughty rock, but he's in for quite a surprise when he gets there...
+
|summary= Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140880266X</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
  
{{newreview
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|author=Jean Reidy and Genevieve Leloup
 
|title=Too Pickly!
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's [[Too Purply! by Jean Reidy and Genevieve Leloup|Too Purply!]] with food. That about sums it up, but for those of you who haven't already fallen in love with Jean Reidy's tale of getting dressed, ''Too Pickly!'' looks at a little boy (and his hamster) deciding what to eat. Dish by dish, he rejects them for being too pickly, too wrinkly, too burpy, too stringy, and so on, until he finds the one that's just right.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408807114</amazonuk>
 
}}
 

Latest revision as of 09:24, 2 December 2023

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Review of

Murray and Bun by Adam Stower

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two. But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs. This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do… Full Review

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Review of

The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon by Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)

4star.jpg For Sharing

When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute. Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them. He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils. (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.) Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped. They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny. Full Review

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Review of

On the Beach: The Winter Visitor by Chris Green and Jenny Fionda

5star.jpg For Sharing

Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline. On top of the ice was a polar bear. As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice. Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another. He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do? Full Review

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Review of

Let's Celebrate Being Different by Lainey Dee

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice. He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmother. She had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends. At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could be. Grandma thought that it might be because he looked different. Full Review

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Review of

The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past. Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult. One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home. Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it. Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it. Full Review

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Review of

The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey

5star.jpg For Sharing

Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination. She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her. She even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life. She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning. Full Review

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Review of

Squeakily Baby by Beth Webb

4star.jpg For Sharing

Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby. He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and wails. The sea offers to help. It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing hush, hush. Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly. The mermaids join in - la lou, la lay... And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes. Then a seagull shouts and we know exactly what's going to happen next. Full Review

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Review of

A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

Philippa Pheasant was tired of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road. She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply. Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself. Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight. Full Review

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Review of

Leilong's Too Long! by Julia Liu and Bei Lynn

4star.jpg For Sharing

Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes. Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck. It's perfect, isn't it? What could be a more fun way of going to school? There is a problem, though. Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up. The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore. Full Review

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Review of

Bumblebee Grumblebee by David Elliott

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I love a good board book! Bumblebee Grumblebee is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can play with words and make something quite different from each one. We have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a balletphant. The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a fluffalo. The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a crynoceros (think about it!) The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a sm....... OK, let's not go there Some people are eating! Full Review

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Review of

Carried Away With the Carnival by Ed Boxall

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It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much fun. A young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:

It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand. Full Review

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Review of

Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare by Cordellya Smith

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When the world was made, the animals were given gifts. Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector. Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn. Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present and the future. Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately, not the ability to use it well. He liked to trick other animals. He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle. You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see. Things are not always as they seem. I'll tell you how it came about. Full Review

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Review of

Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob Keeley

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Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily. Full Review

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Review of

You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!) by Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik

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For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.


And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that she can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it! Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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Toots, trumps, farts. Whatever your word for them, find us a child that doesn't find them irresistibly funny. Funny to talk about and joke about, that is. But horribly embarrassing if you let one go at the wrong time. In class, say, when everyone will hear it and everyone will laugh. At you. Justine Avery's latest entry in her Everybody Potties! series takes aim at any shame associated with tooting and gently and calmly, with the familiar humour attached, explains that tooting is perfectly normal. Everybody does it: Everybody Toots! Full Review

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Review of

Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Seema Amjad

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Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! is the latest release in the Everybody Potties! series from Justine Avery. This series of fun picture books aims to take the pain out of potty training children and replace it with some fun. It's a worthy aim, as any frustrated parent will tell you. . Full Review

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Review of

When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter Cotton

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Meet Fred. Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly. But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred. Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started. Fred didn't have any road sense. Or brakes. Full Review

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Review of

Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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Can potty training ever be joyous? It often isn't, as any parent will tell you. But really, why shouldn't it be? We all have to learn about our bodily functions just as we have to learn about everything else when we are small. Why shouldn't potty training be as much fun as, say, learning about why the sun and the moon take turns in the sky? Full Review

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Review of

No, No, No! by Justine Avery and Naday Meldova

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They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.

No, No, No! is based around the simplest text imaginable.

No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.

That's it! But, like all the best picture books, this tiny snippet of text is a veritable tardis - so much bigger on the inside that it appears on the outside. Full Review

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Review of

The Farm Shop by Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic

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Kirelle and her best friend Sam the cat decide to go for a walk. Kirelle is dressed for all weathers in her bright yellow wellies and Sam is perfectly turned out as ever in his smart grey fur coat. As they walk to the top of the hill, they see a big barn with a sign outside. It's a farm shop! But this is a farm shop with a difference: all the stallholders and customers are farmyard animals. There are sheep and ducks and cows, goats and chickens, and even some mice. Excited, Kirelle and Sam go shopping.

What will they buy? Full Review

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Review of

Sadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice

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Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doing. She lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.

Her class had gone one rainy afternoon
When all the houses cowered in the gloom,
To the Maritime Museum.

Her imagination was fired. She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularly. One day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shout. When she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure. Full Review

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Review of

Little Gold Ted by Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha

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One day, Gold Ted falls into a puddle. It's quite a deep puddle and the water is swirling. Poor Ted starts to spin around and around and is sucked down a drain on the side of the street. Finding himself down in the sewer, Ted starts to panic. OH HELP ME PLEASE he cries and alerts the attention of Reg the sewer rat, who plucks him out of the dirty water using his cane, which might look just a bit like an old cricket bat. Reg is a kind soul and he dries Ted off and warms him up with a nice bowl of broth. Full Review

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Review of

Remy: A book about believing in yourself by Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal

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Remy is feeling miserable. He's let himself down again. The school bully Jayden, together with his sidekicks Ryan and Brandon, have been laughing at Remy, calling him names because he is short and has small eyes. They are mean but they are not stupid. They are careful to wind up Remy when nobody can see and then push him just that little bit further when the other kids are around. So, when Remy reacts, it looks as though he was the instigator. And then he gets into trouble at school and the teachers don't believe him when he tries to explain what happened. Full Review

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Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

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This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big difference. Isobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:

Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.

The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy. Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible. Full Review

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Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

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Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper! Full Review

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