Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"
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− | __NOTOC__ | + | |author=Adam Stower |
− | {{ | + | |title=Murray and Bun |
− | |author= | + | |rating=4.5 |
− | |title= | + | |genre=Confident Readers |
− | |rating= | + | |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… |
− | |genre= | + | |isbn=0008561249 |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1732898766 |
− | | | + | |title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon |
− | | | + | |author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator) |
|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=B0CC9W7GLR |
− | | | + | |title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor |
− | |title= | + | |author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda |
− | |rating= | + | |rating=5 |
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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? |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1913839656 |
− | | | + | |title=Let's Celebrate Being Different |
− | |title= | + | |author=Lainey Dee |
|rating=3.5 | |rating=3.5 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1529504775 |
− | | | + | |title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories) |
− | |title= | + | |author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey |
− | |rating=4 | + | |rating=4.5 |
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1529504767 |
− | | | + | |title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories) |
− | |title= | + | |author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey |
|rating=5 | |rating=5 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1916459943 |
− | | | + | |title=Squeakily Baby |
− | |title= | + | |author=Beth Webb |
− | |rating=4 | + | |rating=4 |
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=140639131X |
− | | | + | |title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant |
− | |title= | + | |author=Briony May Smith |
− | |rating=4 | + | |rating=4.5 |
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1776574338 |
− | | | + | |title=Leilong's Too Long! |
− | |title= | + | |author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn |
|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1776574028 |
− | | | + | |title=Bumblebee Grumblebee |
− | |title= | + | |author=David Elliott |
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|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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! |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1838226834 |
− | | | + | |title=Carried Away With the Carnival |
− | |title= | + | |author=Ed Boxall |
|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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: |
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− | + | ''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.'' | |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=B09MYXSRV4 |
− | | | + | |title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare |
− | |title=The | + | |author=Cordellya Smith |
|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |author=Rob Keeley |
− | |author= | + | |title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! |
− | |title= | + | |rating= 4 |
− | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
− | | | + | |isbn= B09HHN541V |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=B09FFJF8YS |
− | | | + | |title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!) |
− | |title= | + | |author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik |
− | |rating=5 | + | |rating=3.5 |
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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.'' |
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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! | |
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− | + | |author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova | |
− | + | |title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!) | |
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|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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''! |
− | | | + | |isbn= B09C2RVJ2W |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn= B09BG8V3Q6 |
− | | | + | |title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!) |
− | |title= | + | |author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad |
|rating=4.5 | |rating=4.5 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. . |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=B07GZ81J7C |
− | | | + | |title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended |
− | |title= | + | |author=Peter Cotton |
− | |rating= | + | |rating=4.5 |
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova |
− | |author= | + | |title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!) |
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|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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? |
− | + | |isbn= B098BJZYHH | |
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− | {{ | + | |author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova |
− | |author= | + | |title=No, No, No! |
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|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | + | ''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable. | |
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− | + | ''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.'' | |
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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. | |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=194812467X |
− | | | + | |title=The Farm Shop |
− | |title= | + | |author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic |
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|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | + | What will they buy? | |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=0995647895 |
− | |title= | + | |title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs |
− | |author= | + | |author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice |
|rating=3.5 | |rating=3.5 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary=' | + | |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. |
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− | + | ''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br> | |
− | + | ''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br> | |
− | + | ''To the Maritime Museum''. | |
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− | + | 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. | |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1782227741 |
− | |title= | + | |title=Little Gold Ted |
− | |author= | + | |author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha |
− | |rating= | + | |rating=4 |
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=B08R7LXQ9S |
− | |title= | + | |title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself |
− | |author= | + | |author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal |
|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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. |
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− | {{ | + | |isbn=1471191303 |
− | | | + | |title=The Invisible |
− | | | + | |author=Tom Percival |
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|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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: |
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− | + | ''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.'' | |
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− | + | 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. | |
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− | {{ | + | |author=Nick Jones and Si Clark |
− | |author= | + | |title=One Night in Beartown |
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|rating=4 | |rating=4 | ||
|genre=For Sharing | |genre=For Sharing | ||
− | |summary= | + | |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! |
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+ | Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]] |
Latest revision as of 09:24, 2 December 2023
Review ofMurray and Bun by Adam StowerMurray 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 |
Review ofThe Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon by Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)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 |
Review ofOn the Beach: The Winter Visitor by Chris Green and Jenny FiondaKit 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 |
Review ofLet's Celebrate Being Different by Lainey DeeTodd 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 |
Review ofThe Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie HickeyElsie 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 |
Review ofThe Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories) by Amy Sparkes and Katie HickeySusan 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 |
Review ofSqueakily Baby by Beth WebbMuch 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 |
Review ofA Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May SmithPhilippa 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 |
Review ofLeilong's Too Long! by Julia Liu and Bei LynnEvery 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 |
Review ofBumblebee Grumblebee by David ElliottI 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 |
Review ofCarried Away With the Carnival by Ed BoxallIt 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 |
Review ofOtter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare by Cordellya SmithWhen 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 |
Review ofCarrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob KeeleyLily 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 |
Review ofYou Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!) by Justine Avery and Kate ZhoidikFor 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.
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Review ofEverybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday MeldovaToots, 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 |
Review ofWho Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Seema AmjadWho 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 |
Review ofWhen Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter CottonMeet 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 |
Review ofEverybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!) by Justine Avery and Naday MeldovaCan 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 |
Review ofNo, No, No! by Justine Avery and Naday MeldovaThey 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 |
Review ofThe Farm Shop by Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema TepicKirelle 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 |
Review ofSadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita JoiceSadie'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 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 |
Review ofLittle Gold Ted by Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha SathaOne 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 |
Review ofRemy: A book about believing in yourself by Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline SiegalRemy 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 |
Review ofThe Invisible by Tom PercivalThis 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 |
Review ofOne Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si ClarkMany 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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