Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

From TheBookbag
Jump to navigationJump to search
 
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]
+
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
==For sharing==
+
{{Frontpage
__NOTOC__
+
|author=Adam Stower
{{newreview
+
|title=Murray and Bun
|author=Ann Bonwill and Layn Marlow
 
|title=Bug and Bear
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Bug really, really wants to play a game with Bear, but Bear is tired and she wants a nap.  Bug follows Bear around everywhere, pestering and pleading until, finally, Bear loses her temper and tells Bug to go away and leave her alone.  She finally settles down for her nap but then discovers that she can't sleep...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192729853</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Clara Vulliamy
 
|title=Muffin and the Birthday Surprise
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's Fizz and Flora's birthday, so Muffin the bear gets ready for the party, and decides to take them a big bag of sugar buns as a present. On his walk to the party, Muffin gets a little bit peckish and has a bit of a nibble of one bun, then another, then another. Erk! He puts the empty bag on the pile of presents and enjoys the party game. Will there be a way to turn an empty bag into a much-loved present?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408312441</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Francesca Simon and Emily Bolam
 
|title=Where Are My Lambs?
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When you're just coming to terms with this thing called ''reading'' there's a big jump to be made.  Gone are those nice big picture books with not too many words and in their place is something much smaller (and not nearly so easy to handle – you have to do it yourself) with a lot more words and probably just a few black and white pictures to break the page up and if you're lucky to give you a clue as to what those pesky words mean.  There's a stepping stone along the way now and it might just help children who find that big leap a little daunting.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001965</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Brett McKee and David McKee
 
|title=The Tickle Ghost
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's Dylan's bedtime, but the Tickle Ghost (very possibly his dad with a sheet) is out to get him. Cue plenty of giggles and not very much going to bed. Dylan's mum shouts upstairs for them to be quieter, but when the noise continues, she heads up to sort them out. ...Will the Tickle Ghost get her too?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392463</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Joanne Partis
 
|title=My Cat Just Sleeps
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=For Sharing
+
|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=The little girl in this story has a pet cat who she loves, but she's noticed that whilst her cat spends his days sleeping all her friends' cats seem to lead much more exciting lives, hunting and playing and climbing and fishing...she attempts to entice him into doing something active, but he sleeps through it all until, finally, she realises that even if he is very sleepy he's also warm and cuddly and affectionate and she loves him very much.  But she still wonders what it is that makes him so sleepy...
+
|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>0192731610</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=0008561249
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1732898766
|author=Michael Foreman
+
|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|title=Superfrog!
+
|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Pond City is a peaceful place in the daytime. Little Frank the frog loves simply dangling his toes in the water and watching the world pass by. However, come nighttime, things take a turn for the worse: the Big Boss oversees a crime wave. When the Big Boss' creeps frighten Frank's granny and kidnap some frogspawn she'd been babysitting, enough is enough and Frank turns into Superfrog.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392099</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd
 
|title=I Love My Mummy
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Mummies are good for lots of things - wiping noses, singing in the car, helping with wee-wee's!  This sweet story tells us the best things about mummies from a baby's point of view.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408309572</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Neil Griffiths and Peggy Collins
 
|title=Fatou, Fetch the Water
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=is waylaid by various friends who have gifts and messages for Fatou to take for her mother.  As the gifts pile up in Fatou's arms, and the messages for her mother crowd her head Fatou, somehow, forgets to get any water!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905434162</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Neil Griffiths and Judith Blake
 
|title=Itchy Bear
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Poor bear has an itchAn all-over sort of itchAnd everywhere he goes to try and have a good scratch it seems he's disturbing someone! Will he ever find anywhere for a satisfying scratch?!
+
|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 themHe'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>1905434111</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Chris Van Allsburg
 
|title=The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Thirty years ago, Harris Burdick walked into a book publisher's office with samples of his work. He had fourteen stories ready for publication, but just brought one picture and caption from each. Burdick was never heard of again. The publisher spent many years trying to track down Burdick, showing the pictures to people - many of whom were inspired to write their own stories. (Shh about ''The rights of Chris Van Allsburg to be identified as...'').
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184939279X</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|author=Richard Scarry
+
|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|title=Best Bedtime Stories Ever
+
|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Richard Scarry's style is instantly recognisableI grew up reading his books so this collection is a trip down memory lane! Here there are six stories, about Huckle the cat, Lowly the worm, Mr Raccoon and Mr Frumble the pig, plus a counting section at the backThe stories are a mix of the usual text plus picture format as well as those full page spreads that Scarry is known for where he labels different parts of the picture and there are hundreds of little details to spot.
+
|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 shorelineOn 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 anotherHe 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>0007413564</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1913839656
|author=Mary Joslin and Anna Luraschi
+
|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|title=Simon and the Easter Miracle: A Traditional Tale for Easter
+
|author=Lainey Dee
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Simon is on his way to market with his eggs, wine and bread to sellOn his way he gets caught up in a crowd watching soldiers forcing a man to carry his cross out of the cityWhen the man is unable to carry his cross any longer the soldiers look around for someone else to do so, and they pick on Simon.  After carrying the cross to the place of crucifixion Simon hurries back to get his goods, but he finds they've been spilt, broken and trampledHe returns home, dejectedThe next morning, however, he discovers there has been a miracle and there are 12 white doves and Spring has come early to warm his crops.
+
|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juiceHe packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmotherShe 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 friendsAt home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could beGrandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745960545</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1529504775
|author=Elena Pasquali and Sophie Windham
+
|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=The Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale
+
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|rating=4
+
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There are three trees standing side by side on a hill.  They dream together of what they hope to become in the future; one wishes to become a chest for the finest treasures, one wishes to be a ship carrying a mighty King, and the last wants to stay on the hillside quietly pointing up to heavenThe first is cut down and made into a trough, but then it turns out it is a trough in the stable where Mary gives birth to Jesus, so it becomes the manger for himThe second is made into a simple fishing boat, but then it is the boat which Jesus goes in when there is a big storm and he calms the waves.  The third tree is cut down and forgotten in a yard until one day it is made into a crossIt is, of course, the cross Jesus is crucified on and becomes the symbol of hope, forever pointing to heaven.
+
|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 difficultOne 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 homeGradually, 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>0745961703</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1529504767
|author=Nick Butterworth
+
|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Tales From Percy's Park: After the Storm
+
|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=One day, after a particularly wild and windy evening, Percy the Park Keeper discovers on his check around the park that an old oak tree has fallen down in the stormAll of the animals who lived in the tree ask Percy to help them find a new homeHe loads them up in his wheelbarrow and, after a bit of an adventure, they finally find a new place for Percy to rebuild their homes.
+
|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 destinationShe needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to herShe even had her own room - all to herself. Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her lifeShe'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>0007155158</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alex T Smith
 
|title=Claude in the City
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Claude is a sweet little dog who wears a beret and whose best friend is a sock called Sir BobblysockThey live with Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes,  and when Mr and Mrs Shinyshoes go out, Claude and Sir Bobblysock go out and have their own adventures which, in this book, involve capturing a thief in an art gallery and solving a medical mystery in the local hospitalClaude, who reminds me a little bit of Snoopy, is very endearing and it's amazing how much personality an old sock can have!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340998997</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Kali Stileman
 
|title=Peely Wally
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Peely Wally lays an egg, she's so excited that she jumps up and down. Oh no! The egg rolls out of the branch and lands on Jemima Giraffe! Her egg rolls from animal to animal on an amazing adventure, until finally the egg makes it safely home again.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849410828</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1916459943
|author=Julia Jarman and Adrian Reynolds
+
|title=Squeakily Baby
|title=When Baby Lost Bunny
+
|author=Beth Webb
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=A little boy goes for a walk with his mum, dad, baby brother and dogAlong the way baby is trying very hard to tell them all something, but they misunderstand him over and over again until, frustrated, he starts to crySuddenly his big brother figures out what the problem is and is able to make his baby brother smile again.
+
|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 helpIt 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 eyesThen a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846160618</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=140639131X
|author=Mick Inkpen
+
|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|title=Rollo and Ruff and the Little Fluffy Bird
+
|author=Briony May Smith
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Somebody has been chewing Rollo's mat...and somebody has taken Rollo's little red ball...and somebody has been leaving wet footprints all over the floor.  But who could it be?  Mick Inkpen's latest book introduces us to three new characters: Rollo the cat, LFB (as she's referred to in the book, standing for little fluffy bird) and Ruff the rat.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340989580</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Bedford and Rosalind Beardshaw
 
|title=Mole's Babies
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Morris the mole is about to become a first time dad.  Excited and eager to be a good parent he goes looking around the farmyard to see the best way to make his babies happy.  He tries to hop like a bunny, splash like a duck, and flap like a bird, but each attempt fails and Morris becomes worried about how he will ever manage to make his little babies happy.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405254181</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Georgie Adams
 
|title=The Railway Rabbits: Fern and the Dancing Hare
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=In this third episode of the delightful 'The Railway Rabbits' series Barley is taking his five children to meet his parents for the first time.  Their mother, Mellow, is staying at home to look after the burrow and, as she wryly comments, tidy up the mess that five young rabbits have leftSmart, tidy and clean behind the ears the rabbits head off to meet Blackberry and Primrose LongearsThe journey to the big burrow under the castle is full of adventure – and there's even more when they reach the big burrow.
+
|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 herselfHer uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obviousAll the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001582</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1776574338
|author=Emily Gravett
+
|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|title=Wolf Won't Bite
+
|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Those three little pigs have captured the big bad wolf and are showing off all the tricks they can get him to do. They make him stand on a stool, and wolf won't bite. They can ride him like a horse, but wolf won't bite. He jumps through hoops and dances, looking more and more frustrated with the pigs' shenanigans.
+
|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>0230704255</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1776574028
|author=Chris Judge
+
|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|title=The Lonely Beast
+
|author=David Elliott
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The beast likes to garden.  And drink tea.  And read.  And bake cakes.  But he lives by himself, and he is lonely.  So one day he decides to go on a journey to try to discover whether there are any other beasts in the world.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849392552</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
 
|title=The Heron and the Crane
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Heron and Crane live at opposite ends of the swamp.  One day Crane decides that he is lonely and he would like to get marriedHeron seems the only suitable potential mate, and so he makes his way over to proposeHeron, taken completely by surprise, reacts badly to this sudden proposal and rejects Crane, rather insultinglyPoor CraneAs he makes his way home, Heron is overcome with guilt and decides perhaps she would like to marry him after all.
+
|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 oneWe 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>1849392005</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1838226834
|author=Catherine Rayner
+
|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|title=Norris: the Bear Who Shared
+
|author=Ed Boxall
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Norris is a bear – a large, brown bear. He's also a very wise bear because he knows something which will always be useful to him.  He knows about sharing.  It all began when he saw the plorringe on the tree and he knew that plorringes are the best fruit of all.  All he had to do was to wait for the fruit to fallIn the meantime Tulip and Violet discovered the plorringe too. They had a sniff at it – and it was gorgeous – and even a squeeze which showed that it was soft and fluffy – but what were they to do about Norris who was ''much'' bigger than them and could easily run away with the fruit?
+
|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 funA young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846163099</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Nicola Smee
 
|title=Funny Face
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The young boy is playing with his ball, when along comes a bear who steals it. The big meanie! He takes the only sensible action when faced with a big scary bear: he sticks his tongue out and pulls a funny face!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140881871X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|author=Louise Yates
 
|title=Frank and Teddy Make Friends
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Professor Frank Mouse loves to build things in his workshop, but he's envious of the wild creatures that make things in the company of others. He does what any sensible engineer does: he makes a friend for himself. Teddy and he have a lovely time building things together, until Teddy's attempt to do something nice for Frank goes wrong, and the two friends fall out. Thankfully, a reforming of the friendship isn't too far away, and the two chums are back stronger than ever.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0224083694</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|author=Candace Ryan and Mike Lowery
+
|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|title=Ribbit Rabbit
+
|author=Cordellya Smith
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Frog and bunny are best friends, but from time to time they fall out. However, after a bit of a sulk and a bit of a think, they soon remember why they were best friends again.
+
|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>1408814412</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Rob Keeley
|author=Mick Inkpen
+
|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|title=Kipper
+
|rating= 4
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Kipper's blanket stinks, his ball is chewed and his bone is soggy. He's in the mood for some tidying up, so he tosses them and gets everything spick and span. Sans blanket, his basket is suddenly very uncomfortable, so he looks around to see how animals get comfy. You know Kipper, right? You've read the books and seen the TV series narrated by Martin Clunes. You'd like a dog, like a dog, like a dog like Kipper. Now we're treated to a 21 year anniversary edition of the original book, complete with a 10 episode DVD.
+
|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>1444902733</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|author=Mara Bergman and Nick Maland
+
|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|title=Oliver and the Noisy Baby
+
|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We've met Oliver Donnington Rimington-Sneep before - he has had [[Oliver Who Would Not Sleep by Mara Bergman and Nick Maland|trouble sleeping]] and [[Oliver Who Travelled Far and Wide by Mara Bergman and Nick Maland|travelled far and wide]]. This time, he's suffering with a noisy baby. He does what every sensible older brother does: he goes and plays with his toys, retreating into his imagination and flying around the world, taking in all the sights and sounds.
+
|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>0340997451</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
 
|author=Caroline Jayne Church
 
|title=Nutmeg Says Yum!
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=That Nutmeg is one naughty mouse. First she won't [[One More Hug For Nutmeg by Caroline Jayne Church|go to bed]], and now she's turning her nose up at all the delicious fruit that's on offer. She doesn't want apples as they're too crunchy. Pears are a funny colour. Bananas? Too squidgy. She wants strawberries. Thankfully, Nutmeg's mummy is a wise and sneaky mouse, so she whips up a delicious strawberry surprise, with an interesting mix of ingredients.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408308932</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
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=Jeanne Willis and Margaret Chamberlain
+
}}
|title=The Tale of Georgie Grub
+
{{Frontpage
 +
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
 +
|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Georgie Grub flat out refuses to have a bath. His mother is fed up of trying to get him clean, so she throws in the towel and leaves him to his filth. As the week goes on, he gets dirtier and dirtier. People hold their noses when he walks by, his teacher throws him out of school, and Georgie ends up scrabbling around in bins. Happy ending? Oh no no no. Georgie Grub gets his comeuppance, and quite right too, the mucky pup!
+
|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>1849392137</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
+
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|author=David Melling
+
|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=The Kiss That Missed
+
|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
|rating=4
+
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The king is in an awful rush, and doesn't even have time to read the prince a bedtime story. He blows him a kiss, but it misses! So, he dispatches his knight to track it down, and an elaborate and bizarre adventure ensues.
+
|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>0340999853</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
+
|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|title=Susan Laughs
+
|author=Peter Cotton
|rating=5
+
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's something very satisfying about a good picture bookWith a pre-schooler at home with me all day we get through a lot of books, so I've seen hundreds, from dazzlingly brilliant through to terribly dullThere are times when my daughter at I look at each other at the end of a book and shrug in disbelief that a publisher thought it worth printing, and there are times when we read something over and over (and over!) because it's so goodThis particular book is one of the brilliant ones I'm happy to say, and let me tell you why...
+
|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 FredFred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to himHe 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 walkAnd that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense. Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709909</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
+
|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Horrid Henry's Thank You Letter
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=I'm sure most of us have, at one time or another, found ourselves being forced to write a huge pile of thank you letters to distant relatives, perhaps even for gifts that we weren't all that excited to receive in the first place! This is the predicament that Henry finds himself in, and rather than knuckle down to get them over and done with he, of course, procrastinates as much as possible before coming up with an ingenious, money-making scheme!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001051</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Malcolm Fawbert
 
|title=Tales from Thimble Hall: Mrs Stopper's Bottle
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=One night Evie and Jacob, who lived at Thimble Hall, asked their mother for a story about a bottle and strangely enough, she knew a rather good one which was about a small shop not far from where they lived.
+
|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>160860344X</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Hans Christian Andersen, Naomi Lewis and Christian Birmingham
+
|title=No, No, No!
|title=The Snow Queen
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Kay and Gerda are dear, dear friends. However, Kay gets splinters from the Devil's shattered magic mirror in his eye and heart, changing his personality for the worse. Shortly after, he is whisked away by the Snow Queen. Everyone assumes Kay must have fallen in the river and drowned, but Gerda is sure her friend is still alive, and embarks on a magical quest to bring him home again.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406319708</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Elizabeth Beresford
 
|title=The Wombles at Work
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Bloomsbury have re-issued another tranche of the original Womble books, following the release of the first titles in late 2010. This brings the total to six available titles for you to have a Wombling good time with. And quite frankly, what's not to love here? Any story featuring Elisabeth Beresford's environmentally-minded, charming characters is a delight, for young and old alike.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408808366</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Melanie Watt
 
|title=Scaredy Squirrel at Night
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Scaredy Squirrel is scared to go to sleep at night.  He has all sorts of tricks to keep himself awake so that he doesn't have to face his night-time fears.  But his sleeplessness is having a toll on his health.  Can he find a solution to his problem?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846471109</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Peter Schossow
 
|title=More!
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What happens when the wind blows off your hat, and you chase it along the beach?  This sweet, short little book has only one word (and that comes on the very last page), but it still manages to tell an imaginative story!
+
|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>1877467553</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
|author=Matthew McElligott
 
|title=Even Monsters Need Haircuts
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=The title of this picture book is really intriguing. I admit I had not previously thought much about the needs of the customers in a story before.
 
It's written in the first person, so we never learn the name of the boy who is the main character. This seems unusual for children's picture books, and the only other one I can think of offhand is [[The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss]].
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408813939</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|author=Jill Barklem
 
|title=A Year in Brambly Hedge
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It makes me feel old to see a 30 years anniversary edition of the Brambly Hedge stories...I remember loving them as a little girl, and 30 years on reading them with my daughter I find that they've lost none of their charm.  This beautiful collection takes us through a year in the lives of the mice of Brambly Hedge. There are four books, one for each season, and they are all delightful.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007371667</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
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=Catriona Hoy and Cassia Thomas
+
|isbn=1638820457
|title=George and Ghost
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=George and his friend are inseparable, but George isn't sure he believes in Ghost any more. He asks Ghost to prove he is real by weighing himself, having his photo taken and showing he takes up space. But the scales don't move, Ghost can't be seen in the picture and the water in the bucket doesn't spill when Ghost stands in it. Ghost can't be real. Or can he?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340988851</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|author=Helen Bailey and Kirsten Richards
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=Willow of the Woods: Litter to Glitter
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Willow is a wood sprite who lives with her friends in Windybottom. Unfortunately one day, they notice a really terrible smell that is so bad that no one can concentrate in their lessons and the school concert has to be cancelled. The rank smells of rotten eggs, smelly cabbage and pongy feet have turned the usually idyllic Windybottom into 'Stinkybottom'. My daughter found this description very funny!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340989955</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Melling
 
|title=The Scallywags Blow Their Top
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The Scallywags, for those who do not know, are a bunch of wolves who in their [[The Scallywags by David Melling|previous escapade]] had to learn a few manners in order to get along with the other animals. This time they're taking part in a play, a fairy tale story along with the other animals, and the wolves are playing the part of the dragon. Of course, things are destined to go badly and inside the dragon costume their tempers begin to fray until finally, as the costume rips, the wolves are sent home in disgrace. On the way home they all start blaming each other until they see, quite by surprise, that waiting by their house is a little sheep...
+
|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>0340988150</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
What will they buy?
|author=Kaye Umansky and Korky Paul
 
|title=Dodo Doo Doo
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=We're big fans of the Winnie the Witch stories in this house, so we were very interested to see this new book with the same illustrator, [[:Category:Korky Paul|Korky Paul]].  He's teamed up here with [[:Category:Kaye Umansky|Kaye Umansky]], who I already like from reading her stories for slightly older children, so we sat, eager with anticipation, to see what sort of story they'd come up with...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340950579</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|author=Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|title=Running Rhino
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Rhino runs everywhereAnd as he runs, he leaves a wake of devastation in his pathThe other animals are fed up of this rampant running and so Lion confronts him, telling him he must stopRhino refuses and challenges anyone to try and stop himOut of all the animals it is little Tickbird who takes up his challenge, with interesting results!
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doingShe lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340989378</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
 +
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
 +
''To the Maritime Museum''.
 +
 +
Her imagination was firedShe'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 shoutWhen 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.
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|author=Victoria L Thompson and Ben The Illustrator
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|title=Midnight Mischief
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
|rating=3.5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=James is fast asleep, when his bear wakes him up and points him in the direction of an astronaut coming alive from one of his posters. James is suddenly whisked away on a trip into deep space, because aliens have stolen Pluto and are using it as a football. Will James be able to save the day or will he fall foul of those pesky aliens?
+
|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>0956565107</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|author=Georgie Adams
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|title=The Railway Rabbits: Berry Goes to Winterland
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
|rating=4.5
+
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=In this story, the young rabbits are very excited when they see snow for the first time. They have great fun sliding, building snow rabbits and falling over. When it is time to go home though, they realise that Berry has disappeared and before long, a search party is set up.
+
|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>1444001574</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|author=Clara Vulliamy
+
|title=The Invisible
|title=The Bear with Sticky Paws and the New Baby
+
|author=Tom Percival
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When Pearl's new baby brother arrives, she resents the fact that he is the baby and that she is supposed to be the grown-up sister. She tries to persuade her mum that she is still a baby too but with no success. It is at this time that the Bear with Sticky Paws arrives and they decide to play at being babies. The bear excels at making a mess while eating without a spoon, getting Pearl to dress him and scribbling all over her pictures. It is through all of these activities that Pearl comes to realise that she can do so much more than any baby and perhaps she is quite happy being that little bit more grown up after all. By the time the bear leaves, she has completely revised her opinion of her little brother and presents him with a beautifully drawn picture that has no scribbles at all.
+
|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>1408300664</amazonuk>
+
 
}}
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
  
{{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 cityThis part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|author=Jan Pienkowski and David Walser
 
|title=In The Beginning
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Using a modified text, based on the King James bible, this book collects some of the best-loved stories from the Old Testament and they are portrayed in full page, gloriously vibrant pictures.  With everything from the Creation through to Noah, Joseph and David and Goliath this is an extensive collection of stories to share with childrenMy daughter and I love Pienkowski's funny illustrations throughout the [[Meg and Mog: Meg Goes to Bed by Helen Nicoll and Jan Pienkowski|Meg and Mog stories]], so I was hopeful that this would be another lovely book to share with her.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406322482</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|author=Bob Hartman and Jago
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|title=Mr Aesop's Story Shop
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
|genre=Confident Readers
 
|summary=Aesop's fables have been known for centuries all around the world, and here is a new edition where a selection of the fables have been given some new embellishments.  Aesop features in the stories himself, as a teller of tales himself with a stall in the market where people, especially children, gather to listen and hear him.  His stories are often set within the context of an understandable situation, making it easier for children to see parallels between the animals in the tales and the real life action.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745969151</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Shirley Hughes
 
|title=The Christmas Eve Ghost
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Bronwen and Dylan live in the poor part of 1930s Liverpool. Their mam takes in washing to make ends meet, and often has to leave them alone whilst she's pushing the big old pram full of washing to the part of the city where the well-off people live. They're under strict instructions to have nothing to do with their neighbours, the O'Rileys. Then, on Christmas Eve, when they're alone, Bronwen and Dylan hear a plonk, plonk, plonk and are sure it's a ghost...
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406320633</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Scott McIntyre and Laura Raine
 
|title=Jake and Dixie: Super Magic Lightning Boy
 
|rating=3
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Meet Jake, Super Magic Lightning Boy, the fastest kid in town, and his sidekick Dixie Thunder Paws, the meanest cat around!
+
|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>1848860609</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
  
{{newreview
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|author=Georgie Adams
 
|title=The Railway Rabbits: Wisher and the Runaway Piglet
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Wisher and the Runaway Piglet is the first book in a charming series about the Railway Rabbits. The little family of rabbits are delightful creatures who enjoy life and exploring the big wide world. Lots of dangers lurk, but they always seem to come through unscathed. However, when they hear rumours of a fierce dog chasing a runaway pig, even they are a little daunted. All except Wisher that is, who feels the need to go and warn her friend Violet Vole. Along the way she is almost trapped by the buzzard and trampled over by the Red Dragon. Somehow though, she escapes major disaster and even manages to save the day. Maybe such narrow escapes and her parents' obvious relief on her return may lead her to be more cautious in the future but that remains to be seen. Somehow, I doubt it!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444001566</amazonuk>
 
}}
 

Latest revision as of 09:24, 2 December 2023

0008561249.jpg

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

1732898766.jpg

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

B0CC9W7GLR.jpg

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

1913839656.jpg

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

1529504775.jpg

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

1529504767.jpg

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

1916459943.jpg

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

140639131X.jpg

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

1776574338.jpg

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

1776574028.jpg

Review of

Bumblebee Grumblebee by David Elliott

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

1838226834.jpg

Review of

Carried Away With the Carnival by Ed Boxall

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

B09MYXSRV4.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

B09HHN541V.jpg

Review of

Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob Keeley

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

B09FFJF8YS.jpg

Review of

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

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

B09C2RVJ2W.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

B09BG8V3Q6.jpg

Review of

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

B07GZ81J7C.jpg

Review of

When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter Cotton

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

B098BJZYHH.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

1638820457.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

194812467X.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

0995647895.jpg

Review of

Sadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

1782227741.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

B08R7LXQ9S.jpg

Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

1471191303.jpg

Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

5star.jpg For Sharing

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

B08NFH7H9X.jpg

Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

Move on to Newest General Fiction Reviews