Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
 
[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
==For sharing==
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{{Frontpage
__NOTOC__
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|author=Adam Stower
{{newreview
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|title=Murray and Bun
|author=Fiona Goble
 
|title=Fiona Goble's Fairy Tale Knits: 20 Enchanting Characters to Make
 
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=Crafts
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|genre=Confident Readers
|summary=It's a lovely idea: knitting patterns for twenty fairy tale characters and a brief story to go with themThere's the pleasure of knitting the characters and then of a child playing with them alongside a story and then being able to use their imaginations to built their own storiesBest of all, it's done without a battery or a computer/games console in sight.  It's a winner all round.
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|summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the twoBut 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 whiffsThis 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>1908005467</amazonuk>
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|isbn=0008561249
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1732898766
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
|title=Hippospotamus
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Poor hippo has found a spot on her bottomAll of her friends have an opinion about what might be wrong with her, ranging from measles to hippopox or perhaps an allergy to cake! They all have suggestions, too, as to how hippo might get rid of the spot and poor hippo tries them allWill anything ever get rid of that nasty spot?
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine ReputeTheir greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them. He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils(Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.)  Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped.  They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394032</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David Wiesner
 
|title=Tuesday
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=What do you call a man who illustrates books in such a way that you can sit and stare at individual pictures, as much enthralled by their detail as if they were hung in a gallery?  A man who has such trust in his readers that he can tell a complex story without a word of text? Or one who can produce this wordless book and ensure that it appeals to children and to adults in equal measure?  Well, he's called David Wiesner and he's a genius.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394474</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|author=Alex T Smith
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|title=Claude in the Country
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Thank goodness Alex T Smith is doing such a grand job of continuing to feed my Claude habit.  Growing up I always had a bit of a thing for Snoopy, but now I do like to steal the Claude stories away from my daughter and curl up to read them myself as they always cheer me up.  This time Claude (and Sir Bobblysock, we mustn't forget him!) have a grand adventure in the countrysideSo what with chickens and sheep and pigs and cowpats...what could possibly go wrong?!
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|summary=Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the 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 iceKit 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>1444909282</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jackie French and Bruce Whatley
 
|title=Diary of a Christmas Wombat
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=There is one thing which makes Christmas special for Mothball the Wombat.  Presents? No. Fun and games? No.  It's carrots.  Yes - carrots.  Mothball eats, sleeps, scratches, occasionally nibbles a tasty stem of grass, scratches and sleeps some moreThe highlight of her day is when she discovers that people leave carrots out for reindeer (for some, obscure reason...) and provided that she is willing to do battle with said reindeer she can munch away to her heart's contentIt's when she discovers that a sleigh is a wonderful place for postprandial nap that she is taken on a very exciting journey.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007490712</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913839656
|author=Harriet Ziefert and Amanda Haley
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|title=40 Uses for a Grandpa
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|author=Lainey Dee
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It's amazing what you can do with a Grandpa - some you might well have thought about already, such as cash machine, taxi, dance partner and dictionary, but you might never have thought of using him as a basketball hoop, tailor or butler, but perhaps the most important of all forty in the book is ''friend''It's a delightful celebration of all that's wonderful about being a grandparent - and a grandchild.
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juice.  He packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmother.  She had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friends.  At home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could beGrandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1609052765</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504775
|author=Philip C Stead and Erin E Stead
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=Bear Has a Story to Tell
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Winter is drawing closer, and Bear has a story to tell his friendsUnfortunately, everyone is too busy to hear Bear's story as they are all trying to get ready for winterBear slowly, kindly, helps them all to get ready until all his friends are asleep or away, and so there is no one left to tell his story to. Will anyone want to listen when winter is finally over and they're all awake again?
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past.  Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult.  One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at homeGradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind itMany 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>1849395187</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504767
|author=Elisabeth Beresford
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|title=The Snow Womble
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bloomsbury have been doing a fabulous job bringing the equally fabulous Wombles to a new - and hopefully more environmentally aware - children. And they haven't forgotten either Christmas or the littlest members of the family. Here is a little story with a wintry theme featuring our favourite eco-lovers-not-fighers in picture book format.  
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|summary=Susan was very young when she was evacuated from London in 1939 and nervous about how she would be greeted when she got to her final destination.  She needn't have worried though as she went to the home of Mr and Mrs Russell, who couldn't have been kinder to her.  She even had her own room - all to herself.  Gradually she relaxed and began to enjoy her life. She'd help Mrs Russell with the baking and when it came to Christmas Eve Susan and Mr Russell put the decorations on the Christmas tree. The best surprise happened the following morning.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408834243</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1916459943
|author=David McKee
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|title=Not Now, Bernard
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|author=Beth Webb
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Do you always have time for your little ones?  When they ask you a question, do you always stop and listen or are you, like most parents, prone to the 'not just now, sweetheart' or the 'just a minute, darling' response?  Poor Bernard has two busy parents, and when he brings them his very serious problem they unfortunately don't take the time to listen, with disastrous consequences!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394679</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
 
|title=A Little Bit of Winter
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We [[Rabbit's Wish by Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell|already know]] that Rabbit and Hedgehog are best friends despite the fact that Rabbit is awake all day and Hedgehog is awake at nightNow there's going to be a new challenge for the friendship.  It's nearly winter and Hedgehog is ready to go to sleep until spring but Rabbit will be awake and coping with the worst that the weather can throw at him - and trying to find food even when the ground is covered in snowHedgehog has a request - he'd like Rabbit to save him a little bit of winter because he doesn't know what it's like.
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|summary=Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily babyHe's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and ''wails''.  The sea offers to help.  It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''.  Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly.  The mermaids join in - ''la lou, la lay...'' And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes.  Then a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0862649986</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=140639131X
|author=Oliver Jeffers
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|title=This Moose Belongs To Me
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|author=Briony May Smith
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Wilfred owns a moose. His moose’s name is Marcel and most of the time Marcel follows Wilfred’s rather lengthy rules on how to be the perfect pet. However some of the rules are rather too demanding for an independent moose and Marcel develops a tendency to take Wilfred on very long walks. One day on a particularly lengthy walk they meet an old lady who greets Marcel enthusiastically, 'Rodrigo! You’re back!' Does the moose really belong to Wilfred? How can he prove that Marcel is his perfect pet?
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|summary=Philippa Pheasant was ''tired'' of nearly getting squished as she tried to cross the Old Oak Road.  She wrote to the mayor about the problem but didn't even get a reply. Philippa wasn't a bird to sit back on her tail feathers when there was a problem which needed solving: she saw the benefits of the lollipop lady at the school crossing and decided that she would set up something similar herself.  Her uniform and lollipop stick were both a little amateur to start with but the benefits were obvious. All the animals used the crossing and Hedgehog was even trained up to provide a safe path overnight.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007263872</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Mij Kelly and Mary McQuillan
 
|title=A Bed of Your Own
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Suzy Sue has brushed her teeth, picked up her teddy and clambered into her bed. She is ready to fall asleep any moment until she realises that something is not quite right:
 
 
 
''I'm squished. I'm squashed. I'm uncomfy! she said.<br>
 
''I think there's something wrong with my bed.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340999284</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574338
|author=Leo Timmers
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|title=The Magical Life of Mr Renny
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Our story begins with the words ''This is not an apple'' below a painting of a bright green, juicy-looking apple.  The apple in question has been painted by Mr Renny who is such a good painter that whatever he paints looks just like the real thing.  Unfortunately for Mr Renny though, no-one wants to buy his paintings from him and so one day, a mysterious man in a bowler hat comes along and offers Mr Renny the chance to have everything he paints become real.  Will this be the making of Mr Renny?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579203</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rod Campbell
 
|title=Dear Zoo Touch and Feel
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=[[Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell]], the original lift the flap story, is one of our most favourite booksIf asked I would give it 5 stars, 6 stars, maybe even 10 stars! It's incredibly readable, interactive and a fun story to share over and over and over againNow the story has been modernised to give each page a sensory patch, where you and baby can touch and feel the different animals.
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goesChildren 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, thoughLeilong 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>0230757871</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Helen Stephens
 
|title=How to Hide a Lion
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Lions - dangerous? Pah. They're so gentle that a little could have one as a pet. That's exactly what Iris does when a lion wanders into town. Her parents wouldn't see things as she does, so Iris decides to hide the lion around the house.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407121618</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574028
|author=Gwen Millward
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|title=Bear and Bird
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|author=David Elliott
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bear and bird are best friends. They do everything together. They work together, play together, collect firewood together. However, one evening, Bird burns all the firewood, so Bear sighs and heads out to collect some more. When he doesn't return for hours, Bird worries, and heads out to find his best friend.
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|summary=I love a good board book!  ''Bumblebee Grumblebee'' is aimed at quite a niche market: it's for the child who still enjoys board books (er, see my first sentence) but has mastered sufficient language skills to have realise that you can ''play'' with words and make something quite different from each one. We have the elephant who dons a tutu - and becomes a ''balletphant''.  The buffalo who has had a bath (complete with yellow duck) and then dries off with a hair drier becomes a ''fluffalo''.   The rhinoceros who drops his ice cream cone is a ''crynoceros'' (think about it!)  The pelican who sits on his potty changes into a ''sm.......''  OK, let's not go there  Some people are eating!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405254270</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1838226834
|author=Kate Willis-Crowley
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|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
|title=Mary Had A Little Lamb
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|author=Ed Boxall
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mary Had A Little Lamb is a much-loved nursery rhyme. We all know the story of its fleece as white as snow, and that it followed Mary to school one day. Kate Willis-Crowley takes the nursery rhyme, and presents it in its purest form. There's no twist, no unusual rewriting, it's simply the sweet rhyme of a girl and her lamb that is familiar to all.
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|summary=It was one of those memories we treasure from our childhoods: an outing with our grandparents. They're there to undo all the good that parents do, so the trips out were always so much fun. A young boy was going to the carnival with his Grandad, who told him:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340999764</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rose Lagercrantz and Eva Eriksson
 
|title=My Happy Life
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Dani can't sleep she doesn't count sheep, she counts all the times that she's been happy!  And Dani has been happy a lot of times.  She's happy because she's about to start school, though she's nervous about making new friends.  But then she meets Ella, and Ella becomes the very best friend she could ever have wished for.  They have so much fun together, but then one day Ella tells Dani that she is moving house, and suddenly Dani isn't happy any more.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877467804</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
 
|title=Winnie's Dinosaur Day
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Winnie and Wilbur are always happy to queue up with everyone else to visit their favourite museum. There are so many things to look at and play with but best of all is the dinosaur room. Winnie is fascinated by the dinosaurs and tells Wilbur that she would love to see a real one. One time when they visit, they discover that it is actually Dinosaur Week and that there is an exciting competition to make a model or draw a picture to show what the museum's dinosaur skeleton would have looked like when it was alive.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0192794019</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|author=Mario Ramos
 
|title=I Am So Strong
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=There's no hiding the fact that the wolf is a bully.  After he's had his meal (obviously it was a good one) he goes for a walk in the woods to aid the digestion and to find out what everyone thinks of him.  First he meets a little rabbit, who agrees that the wolf is the strongest around here.  Full of the joy of being him he strides on and gets pretty much the same response from Red Riding Hood, the three little pigs and the seven dwarfs.  In fact this must be the best day ever for the wolf - until he meets 'the little toad of some sort' and finds that he's met his match. I'm not going to tell you how - you'll have to read the book to find out!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0958278776</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
|author=Paul Stewart and Chris Riddell
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
|title=Rabbit's Wish
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|author=Cordellya Smith
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Rabbit's best friend is Hedgehog but they don't get to spend a lot of time together because Rabbit is awake during the day and Hedgehog is awake at night.  One day Rabbitt made a wish that Hedgehog could stay up all day with him - and it came true, but not in the way Rabbit was expecting.  There was a downpour and Rabbit's burrow was flooded.  The hill on which he lived was turned into an island as the lake rose higher and higher.  His first thought as for Hedgehog and he shouted to see if he was OK - but Hedgehog had worried about Rabbit and he'd swum across to make certain that ''he'' was alright.  They had a wonderful time but Rabbit worried that it was his wish that had caused the problem.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842700898</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=The Curtises, James and Nick
 
|title=Woffles: A Fishy Adventure
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Woffles is a big, shiny black Labrador with a very long, pink tongue and he is one happy dogOnce he's greeted you with a yodel and a wuff (and I suspect that there might be a generous lick in there too) he'll tell you all about his wonderful lifeWhat pleases him is that he lives in the countryside - it's very green, you know and there's a complete lack of coffee shops and other things for which he has no timeHe has lots of friends, but his bestie is Pip the Border Terrier and today they're off on an adventure down to the lake which is being restocked for the fishermenAnd - on a boiling hot day what's better than a dip in the lake and using that long tongue to extract a few sandwiches from the fishermen's hampers?
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given giftsBear was given strength so that he could become a protector.  Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burnOwl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the futureRabbit 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 TurtleYou 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>0957105800</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Rob Keeley
|author=Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|title=Superworm
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|rating= 4
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Superworm is long and strong and he's a real hero as far as all of his insect friends are concerned. He always comes to the rescue when there is trouble. When Baby Toad is in danger of being run over on a major road, he turns himself into a lasso and scoops the baby away from the oncoming wheels. Another time, Beetle falls into a well and Superworm transforms himself into a fishing line in order to save him. In fact, Superworm can pretty much turn himself into anything and that makes him a very useful and helpful friend.
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|summary= Lily loves eating fruit and vegetables. She likes carrots, broccoli, cabbage and aubergines. When her friends at school turn up their noses, Lily is keen to explain how good they are for you and how nice to eat. One day, poor Lily gets tricked by Jordan, who tells her that carrots grow on trees. Infuriated, Lily checks with the teacher, who explains that fruits grow on trees and vegetables, like carrots, grow in the ground. Jordan says, "I did try to tell her, Miss!" and everyone laughs at poor Lily.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407132040</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|author=James Mayhew
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|title=Katie and the Starry Night
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=When Katie goes out with her Grandma to museums and art galleries interesting things always seem to happen whenever Grandma takes a little nap! This time Katie and Grandma have come to see an exhibition of Van Gogh paintings, and as Grandma rests Katie climbs into ''The Starry Night'' painting and begins her adventure!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408304651</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Clara Vulliamy
 
|title=Muffin and the Expedition
 
 
|rating=3.5
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Muffin the bear has a hankering for an expedition, so he packs three honey sandwiches and some grapes. He shoots past Fizz, Flora and the three chicks, explaining that he's going to a very special place. He wanders around, trying to find something fun to do on his expedition, and then is treated to his friends joining him.
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|summary=''For the big, grownup girls out there, the potty masters in training, "You Can't Wear Panties!" is a cry (the big-girl kind!) of toilet triumph and persevering panty pride.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408312433</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
 
|author=Miriam Moss and Joanna Mockler
 
|title=Wibble Wobble, My Loose Tooth
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=I don't know about your family, but my five year old is desperate for a wobbly tooth!  She has already written to the tooth fairy several times and they've built up quite a relationship with discussions about why no money is left if there are no teeth, what the fairies do with all those teeth and it is certainly a hot topic of conversation in our house as we receive regular updates about whose tooth came out at school!  Indeed, the other day her best friend lost his first tooth and when I told my daughter about this she burst into tears claiming, dramatically, that her teeth would ''never'' fall out and she'd never get any big teeth!  Well, as you can probably imagine, any story about wobbly teeth was going to go down well in our house and this is certainly a good one!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140831956X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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And so it is! This latest book from Justine Avery celebrates a little girl's final goodbye to nappies and pull-ups and graduation to "proper" pants by following her around as she proudly explains to her dog, her cat, her stuffed rabbit and her baby sibling that ''she'' can wear super-duper proper pants, while they cannot. Neither can the flowers, nor the fish, nor the birds. Boy's certainly can't. She's a big girl now and she wants everyone to know it!
|author=Michelle Robinson and Lauren Tobia
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}}  
|title=How to Find a Fruit Bat
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{{Frontpage
|rating=3.5
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|genre=For Sharing
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|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
|summary=A young girl heads out on an expedition to find a fruit bat. After all, who better to eat all the fruit that she doesn't want to eat? She gets her cardboard box boat ready, packing it with everything she'll need (including fruit for the fruit bat). On her expedition, she runs into all sorts of excitement and adventure, then sails home in time for supper.
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|rating=4
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408308541</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross
 
|title=Mammoth Pie
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=''On top of a mountain there lived a fat mammoth.''<br>
 
''Down in the valley there lived a thin caveman.''<br>
 
''The caveman was hungry. Very, very hungry.''<br>
 
''He saw the mammoth and licked his lips.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842707574</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Alex T Smith
 
|title=Catch Us If You Can-Can
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Having met Foxy DuBois previously in the excellent [[Egg by Alex T Smith|Egg]] here she is again, as charming as ever and this time hoping to win a giant golden egg!  In order to win the egg she must compete in a 'So you think you can boogie' competition (!) and, since the competition is open only to birds she must enter herself, and her unlikely dance partner, in disguise!
+
|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>1444903659</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
+
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|author=Miriam Moss and Delphine Durand
+
|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=Scritch Scratch We Have Nits
+
|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There can't be many children who don't get nits at some point at school. This is a brilliant story to share with them if they're feeling a bit sensitive about it since the nits originate with the teacher!  We meet the little louse who starts the trouble in the first place, and then watch as the lice babies jump around from child to childWill everyone manage to get rid of the lice once and for all?
+
|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>1408319586</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|author=John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
+
|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|title=Rumbelow's Dance
+
|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Rumbelow is a little boy with a great deal of energy so walking to his grandparent's house in town is no problem for him even though it is a long way. After his mother gives him a long list of very precise directions, he sets off. Although it is a very hot day, he is so happy that he feels the need to dance rather than just walk. Before long he meets a sad-faced farmer walking along with his sad-faced pig. The farmer moans that he will never get his lazy pig to market on such a hot day. However, Rumbelow has a suggestion:
+
|summary=Meet Fred.  Well, actually, you're going to be meeting Fred-Fred for reasons which will become all too obvious very quickly.  But I'm getting ahead of myself: I'd better tell you a bit more about Fred.  Fred is a snake and even those of us who have a phobia about snakes are going to warm to him. He arrived as a present in a box with holes so that he could breathe and immediately became part of the family, to the extent that they would take Fred out with them when they went out for a walk. And that was where the problem started.  Fred didn't have any road sense. Or brakes.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394601</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Tony Ross
+
|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=I Didn't Do It! (Little Princess)
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=There's mud all over the floor and the Queen blames the Little Princess. 'I didn't do it!' the Little Princess responds with a very disgruntled look upon her face. A little later, the Cook tells her off for eating all the chocolate cake; the Gardener thinks that she has trampled all over the radishes; the Prime Minister claims that he has taken the bell from his bicycle and the Admiral blames her for sinking all his ships. To each accusation, the Little Princess replies:
 
 
 
''I didn't do it!''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394644</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Rebecca Elliott
 
|title=The Last Tiger
 
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Luka lives in a very grey world, with no trees or plants or animals.  Everyone has forgotten what is important but then one day Luka finds the very last tiger.  Will the tiger bring everyone hope for the future, or will he spend his life away locked up in a cage?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0745963498</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=David McKee and Brett McKee
 
|title=George's Invisible Watch
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=George has an invisible watch. At first no one believes that he has an invisible watch, but slowly they find that his watch is always right until eventually they all begin to rely on him and his watch to tell the time!  But what happens when one day nobody rings the bell at playtime so the children don't begin their lessons again?  Has George's watch broken down?
+
|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>1842708643</amazonuk>
+
|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|author=Hannah Cumming
+
|title=No, No, No!
|title=The Red Boat
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Posy has moved to a new house, and she's feeling lonely.  She isn't sure she likes it there - the neighbours might be a bit scary, and she doesn't like the shadows in her new room, and she's worried about starting a new school. What if no-one likes her?  Luckily she has her dog, George, to keep her company, and one night the two of them find a magical boat in the garden that leads them to lots of exciting new adventures.
+
|summary=They say the best picture books are the simplest ones. And nothing could be truer of this latest from Justine Avery, a Bookbag favourite.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846434815</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
|author=Guy Parker-Rees
 
|title=Tom and Millie's Great Big Treasure Hunt
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary='Tom and Millie are excited they're going on a great, big treasure hunt! They have a list of Very Important Things to find.'
 
  
This is the opening of this enormously appealing book that draws the young reader in from the very start. The fact that Very Important Things all start with capitals obviously signifies that they are actually extremely important and definitely makes young children want to find out what these momentous objects are going to be. We find out that the search is going to start at the beach and that the first clue will be found on a square red flag. When you get to the beach though there are lots of other things and friends to spot too such as Adam licking a pink ice cream and Jake wearing a red cap.
+
''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408311763</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=Angela Macmillan
+
|isbn=1638820457
|title=A Little, Aloud for Children
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=This very special anthology of story extracts and poems to share aloud is a wonderful idea from The Reader Organisation to encourage reading aloud to children by parents, teachers, grandparents, librarians, friends or even other children. The terrific and very varied selection includes something to appeal to all tastes. It should tempt the reader to seek out the original books from which the extracts are taken and maybe to try children’s fiction that they have not considered before. The book includes classics, tried and tested old favourites and newer titles too. Dipping into this anthology for the first time feels a little like meeting old and maybe long forgotten friends and making new ones along the way.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857560425</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|author=Sam Lloyd
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|title=Yucky Mucky Manners
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Down in the jungle we're taking a walk to meet the animals. Sadly their manners leave a lot to be desired. Gorilla is picking his nose, Zebra is eating with his mouth open and parrot is talking over all his friends. Are there any polite animals to be found?
+
|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>184616947X</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
What will they buy?
|author=Fiona Roberton
 
|title=The Perfect Present
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=We first met Henry in [[Wanted: The Perfect Pet by Fiona Roberton|Wanted: The Perfect Pet]] (a story I still love!) when he went in search of a dog but found, in the end, that a small duck named Spot was actually everything he needed in a pet.  This time the two friends are looking forward to Henry's birthday.  Spot has found Henry what he thinks is the perfect present: a fishing rod that Henry has been gazing at in a shop window for quite some time.  Henry tries to guess what Spot has bought him, and Spot is so excited about seeing Henry's face when he opens it.  When morning comes the pair rush down to see all the presents.  Henry is saving Spot's present for last however, just as he is about to open it Henry's grandparents arrive with a box.  They place it in front of Henry and inside it is a dog!  Henry is so excited he forgets to open Spot's gift and rushes outside to play with the dog.  Poor Spot!  Will this change their friendship forever?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444908944</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|author=Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
|title=The Jungle Run
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|rating=5
+
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=''Here come the animals one by one,''<br>
+
|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.
''all getting ready for the Jungle Run.''
 
  
This is how we meet all the animals at the start of this fabulous book, all limbering up on the bank of the river preparing for their big race. There's Parrot who is the starter for the race as well as a whole menagerie of other animals such as Elephant, Hippo, Snake and Cub. Most of the animals laugh at the prospect of the little Cub taking part telling him that he is too small to race. Undeterred though, he does decide to take part and soon the race is under wayAnd what a race it is with a big vine net to scramble under, a creeper rope to swing across and a huge water slide at the very end. Unsurprisingly, some of these obstacles prove to be quite hazardous for some of the larger animals and all sorts of mayhem ensues. Not for all the creatures though as there's one little creature who negotiates everything perfectly but does he end up winning the race? You'll have to read this lovely book to find out.
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408311755</amazonuk>
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
 +
''To the Maritime Museum''.  
 +
 +
Her imagination was fired. She'd love to sail the oceans on an ancient sailing ship and went back regularlyOne day she fell asleep under a glass case (it's the one where Nelson's Trafalgar breeches are on show) and missed the closing bell and the attendant's warning shout.  When she woke (hard floors don't make comfy beds) she was in the midst of an adventure that she could never have imagined in a world of dolphins, pirates, mermaids and treasure.
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|author=Ulf Nilsson and Eva Eriksson
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|title=The Best Singer in the World
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There's a boy who loves to sing to his little brother, and his little brother thinks he's the very best singer in the world. He sings him 'You are my sunshine' and 'Jingle Bells' and a made-up song about farts (well, they are boys!)  But when it comes to singing or speaking in front of other people - well, that's a different matter. So when he's asked to say a few words at the end of the school concert he finds himself growing more and more afraid. Will he find the courage to stand on stage and end the show?
+
|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>1877579122</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|author=Ellie Sandall
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|title=Copycat Bear
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Mango has a best friend who is an enormous bear called BlueMango finds herself getting frustrated as Blue likes to copy everything that Mango does. Will the two friends be able to get along happily?
+
|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>1444901575</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|author=Neil Griffiths and Judith Blake
+
|title=The Invisible
|title=Ringo The Flamingo
+
|author=Tom Percival
|rating=4
+
|rating=5
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Ringo the flamingo isn't quite like the other flamingos: his legs don't work. His mum and dad help him lots, and as he gets older, so do his friends and the rest of the flock. Life is mostly good for Ringo, but there are times when he wishes he could fly like the others. One day, as danger approaches, Ringo gets the opportunity to be a hero.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1908702028</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Sharon Rentta
 
|title=A Day With The Animal Firefighters
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Moose has joined the animal firefighters, and he's very excited. He's set for a day of daring rescues, blaring sirens, and haring around town at top speed. He and his friends are awfully brave, and it's a good thing too, as they're going to have a busy day.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407116452</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Beatrice Rodriguez
 
|title=The Fishing Trip
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Fox, chicken and their not-yet-hatched egg have run out of food.  Chicken decides to go out to try and get them something to eat, leaving fox to take care of the egg.  Poor chicken faces big, scary birds and a giant sea monster...will she ever manage to find any food?  And what will she find if she does manage to get home again?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579246</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Jo Hodgkinson
 
|title=My Friend Nigel
 
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Billy is a bit fed up of his parents constantly practising their magic especially when most of their spells go wrong. He is a little curious about all of their strange assortment of ingredients though:
+
|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:
  
''Jellied bugs and pickled flies,''<br>
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
''Bubbling potions,''<br>
 
''Lizard tails,''
 
  
''And what was this?''<br>
+
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.
''A little snail?''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394040</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|author=Michael Foreman
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|title=Friends
+
|rating=4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Cat is a cat and Bubble is a goldfish and as Cat points out at the start of this story, there are quite a few differences between them. The main one is that Cat is able to wander wild and free whereas Bubble is stuck in his tank and can only swim round and round or up and down. Because Bubble is his friend, Cat finds this quite upsetting; so much so, that he tells the reader:
+
|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!
 +
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
 +
}} 
  
''...he just looks at me and sighs.''<br>
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
''He is my friend. He breaks my heart.''
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394113</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|author=Neil Griffiths and Janette Louden
 
|title=Animal Antics
 
|rating=3
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=It's the run-up to World Sport Week. Thanks to a rules challenge (presumably by a lawyer bird), animals are to be admitted for the first time. With much flapping of wings and clattering of hooves, the animals proceed to turn this Olympics-esque event into a whitewash for the non-human competitors.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905434960</amazonuk>
 
}}
 

Latest revision as of 09:24, 2 December 2023

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Review of

Murray and Bun by Adam Stower

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

Let's Celebrate Being Different by Lainey Dee

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

Squeakily Baby by Beth Webb

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

Bumblebee Grumblebee by David Elliott

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

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Review of

Carried Away With the Carnival by Ed Boxall

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

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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob Keeley

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

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Review of

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

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


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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter Cotton

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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

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

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

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

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

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

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Review of

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

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

What will they buy? Full Review

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Review of

Sadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice

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

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

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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

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

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

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Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

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

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

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

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Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

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

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