Difference between revisions of "Newest For Sharing Reviews"

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[[Category:For Sharing|*]]
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[[Category:New Reviews|For Sharing]]__NOTOC__
{{newreview
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{{Frontpage
|title=Zoom Zoom Zoom
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|author=Adam Stower
|author=Katherina Manolessou
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|title=Murray and Bun
|rating=3.5
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|rating=4.5
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|genre=Confident Readers
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|summary=Murray is supposed to be a humble, tidy and friendly cat, one who is able to sleep and eat and eat and sleep and, well, whatever takes his fancy next of the two.  But he's a bad magician's cat, so his favourite bun has been turned into a hyperactive sticky rabbit called Bun, and the catflap they both use can chuck them out, not into the regular back garden, but into a world of frightening adventure and whiffs.  This time round it drops them into a Viking land, where a troll hunter is expected – well, one much bigger than Murray was, to be honest, but he's turned up and he'll have to do…
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|isbn=0008561249
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn=1732898766
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|title=The Adventures of Birpus and Bulbus: Book One: The Sour Milk Dragon
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|author=Wynn Everett-Albanese, Michael Albanese and Indre Ta (Illustrator)
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Monkey and Bird aren’t tired. They don’t want to sleep. They want an adventure! And so leaving the birds sleeping in the trees, they set off to the moon.
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|summary=When we first meet Birpus and Bulbus they're running for their lives in the Forest of Fine Repute.  Their greatest fear has come about: the Sour Milk Dragon is chasing them.  He's right behind them, spewing hot, sour milk from his nostrils.  (Please don't try this at home: it won't end well.)  Fortunately, they were nearly at Nobby Lob-lolly - and when a ladder of moss and vines was lowered for them, they escaped.  They climbed up to the Tree Wee homes high up in the tangled woods where they lived with their Grand Wees, Nester Nook and Granny Cranny.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0230763782</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B0CC9W7GLR
|title=Squishy McFluff: the Invisible Cat!
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|title=On the Beach: The Winter Visitor
|author=Pip Jones
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|author=Chris Green and Jenny Fionda
|rating=3.5
 
|genre=Children's Rhymes and Verse
 
|summary=Meet Ava.  She's a girl of great imagination and a big heart, who brings an invisible cat home to mum one day, who humours Ava by feeding it invisible food and letting the two bond.  But when mess gets made, and mistakes about the house happen, Ava declares innocence, and blames it all on the cat – and you'd be surprised how many accidents can be the result of having an invisible kitten indoors…
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571302505</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|title=Best Counting Book Ever
 
|author=Richard Scarry
 
 
|rating=5
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There are a number of things I like about this book. One is the illustrations which are reminiscent of the Richard Scarry books of my youth, not surprising since this is a reissue of a book that first hit the shelves in 1975. They are bright and colourful, but simple too and the restrained plain colour pallet is refreshing in a world of patterns and glitter.
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|summary=Kit and Teal were just beginning to wonder whether it was better to be at home, bored but warm, or frozen cold and building sand sculptures on a snowy beach when a large slab of silvery ice drifted onto the shoreline.  On top of the ice was a polar bear. As the ice bumped onto the sand, the bear woke and with wobbly legs moved from the ice.  Kit was all for making a run for it, but Teal knew that the bear was hungry and gave him one apple and then another.  He obviously needed to be taken home on the bus and given a good meal and somewhere to sleep. What else would you do?
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007531141</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1913839656
|title=A Book is a Book
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|title=Let's Celebrate Being Different
|author=Jenny Bornholdt and Sarah Wilkins
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|author=Lainey Dee
|rating=4
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|rating=3.5
|genre=Emerging Readers
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Yes, children – adults lie to you.  Sometimes, even in the titles of the books they make for you, like this one.  A book is a door, it's great for boredom, it's fine for time up a tree, or in the bath (just not the shower)It can be borrowed, and then lent if it's a great one you enjoyedIt's certainly never the case that a book is just a book, as the title of this book would have you believe.
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|summary=Todd was excited about spending the weekend with his grandmother, not least because she made the best beetle juiceHe packed two pairs of dungarees and his favourite hat and then gathered together his button collection to show his grandmotherShe had promised to take him to the Friday Night Club at the local community centre and Todd was pleased about this as he wanted to make new friendsAt home, his only friend was his mum and he wondered why that could beGrandma thought that it might be because he looked different.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579920</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
|title=I am Cat (mini edition)
 
|author=Jackie Morris
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=Emerging Readers
 
|summary=You're always supposed to tell when a dog is dreaming – the twitching limbs and jerking joints allegedly proving the sleeping Fido is imagining himself on the chaseCats are, as always, a bit more secretive, but [[:Category:Jackie Morris|Jackie Morris]] offers evidence here that they are more or less thinking the same thing – even the domestic moggy, curled up and closed in, is picturing a different self – one sleeking through snows, relaxing on the savannah or alertly moving through its territoryIt's a very pleasant view into the mindset of cats.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847805078</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504775
|title=Choosing Crumble
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|title=The Toy Bus (The Repair Shop Stories)
|author=Michael Rosen and Tony Ross (Illustrator)
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
|genre=Emerging Readers
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|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Terri- Lee wants a dog. She is positive that a dog will be the perfect pet for her and will settle for nothing else. When Terri-Lee and her mum visit the pet shop together they think that they will be choosing a dog however, Crumble, the dog, has very different ideas. He wants to be sure that his prospective owner is the perfect match for him and has a few questions of his own. Will Terri- Lee be able to convince Crumble that she should be his owner?
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|summary=Elsie and her little brother David loved to go to the park and watch the red buses drive past.  Elsie would race the buses along the side of the park but David couldn't - he'd been born with cerebral palsy and even just standing up was very difficult. One day Elsie spotted a bus in the toy shop window which would help David - and was happy to use the coins from her money box to pay for it as cash was tight at home. Gradually, David learned to stand up, use the bus for support, and walk behind it.  Many decades later, Elsie brought the bus, now damaged and rusted, to the Repair Shop, hoping that the experts there could make it so that her grandchildren could play with it.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849395284</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1529504767
|title=Giraffe's Big Night
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|title=The Christmas Doll (The Repair Shop Stories)
|author=Carrie Grant and David Grant
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|author=Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
|rating=3.5
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|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=To my generation, Carrie and David Grant are the slightly annoying couple from Pop Idol. True story – I asked at Cheer and based on my description of them (her with the bright red hair), that’s the adjective I got. For the next generation, however, they are a much loved duo from CBeebies and associated TV whatnot, and, now, the authors of a series of ''Jump Up and Join In'' books.
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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>1405258373</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1916459943
|title=There's a Wocket in my Pocket
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|title=Squeakily Baby
|author=Dr Seuss
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|author=Beth Webb
|rating=3.5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you like made up creatures, this is the book you need, because virtually all of it is invented in a cuckoo, mixed up, doolally kind of way. Not only is there a ''wocket'' in a pocket, but there’s also a ''wasket'' in the basket, a ''yottle'' in the bottle and ''bofa'' on the sofa and so on. What a funny house this boy lives in!
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|summary=Much as mothers love their babies, there's something they all dread - a squeakily baby. He's so tired but he can't - or won't - go to sleep: instead, he just lies on his blanket and ''wails''.  The sea offers to help.  It rocks Baby gently and the waves sing ''hush, hush''.  Think of gentle wavelets falling onto a sandy beach and you have the sound perfectly.  The mermaids join in - ''la lou, la lay...''  And for a moment it seems to have worked as Baby closes his eyes.  Then a seagull '''shouts''' and we know exactly what's going to happen next.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007487738</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=140639131X
|title=Crayon
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|title=A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant
|author=Simon Rickerty
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|author=Briony May Smith
|rating=5
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|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Meet Red and Blue. They are colours who like to colour. Red colours with a blue crayon, and Blue with a red one. Are you keeping up? Red and Blue are usually friends, but when one colours on the other’s page, and then on the other colour himself, things get messy. And scribbly. And at one point, almost violent.
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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>1471116794</amazonuk>
 
 
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574338
|title=Noguchi the Samurai
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|title=Leilong's Too Long!
|author=Burt Konzak and Johnny Wales
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|author=Julia Liu and Bei Lynn
|rating=5
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|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Noguchi the Samurai is the story of two Samurai. Michihara is old and wise, while Noguchi is young and brash but very powerful and strong. Noguchi and Michihara both find themselves on a boat, with several very frightened passengers as Noguchi vents his anger on all around him and revels in the fear he causes. While the rest of the passengers huddled in fear, Michihara slept, unperturbed by the events around him. This drove Noguchi to even greater extremes, taking a swipe with his great sword near the sleeping Samurai, who still showed no fear. No matter how much Nogushi tried, he could not provoke Michihara or disturb his calm and peaceful nature. But with the safety of others at stake as well, the quiet old man at last agrees to a duel. It seems like victory will be certain for the young and powerful Noguchi against the small and age wizened elder, but things are not always as they seem. I don't wish to give away exactly how this ends, but I am sure you can guess who will come out victorious. Michihara triumphs, not through might, but through wisdom. But even in victory his calm and quiet nature remain unchanged and his compassion becomes all the more evident - turning an enemy into a friend.
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|summary=Every morning Leilong, the brontosaurus school bus, makes his way through the city, picking up children as he goes. Children who live at the top of tower blocks don't even need to go downstairs – they simply climb out of the window and slide down his neck. It's perfect, isn't it?  What could be a more fun way of going to school?  There is a problem, though. Leilong isn't happy in the city: he's always having to be careful about where he puts his feet and – because he's longer than a tennis court – he often causes damage without intending to and traffic regularly gets snarled up.  The school decides that he can't be the bus anymore.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>189555554X</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=1776574028
|title=Meet the Parents
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|title=Bumblebee Grumblebee
|author=Peter Bently and Sara Ogilivie
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|author=David Elliott
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What are parents for? Perhaps young children think that all their parents do is nag them about what they should be doing such as remembering their manners, tidying up and eating all their vegetables. Well, it may be that parents do all this but they do so much more too. This lovely, gentle picture book describes the other very important roles that parents fulfil, covering everything from the slightly unusual ketchup targets and tent pole holders to the much loved storytellers and cuddle- givers.
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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>0857075829</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
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|isbn=1838226834
 +
|title=Carried Away With the Carnival
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|author=Ed Boxall
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|rating=4
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|genre=For Sharing
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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:
  
{{newreview
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''It'll be brilliant, just remember, don't let go of my hand.''
|title=There's a Shark in the Bath
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}}
|author=Sarah McIntyre
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{{Frontpage
|rating=4.5
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|isbn=B09MYXSRV4
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|title=Otter's Coat: The Real Reason Turtle Raced Rabbit: A Cherolachian Tortoise and Hare
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|author=Cordellya Smith
 +
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=What would you do if you found a shark in your bath? Or worse still, if you found a whole family of sharks in there? As luck would have it the person who does discover her bath has been invaded by scary sea creatures is Dulcie and Dulcie is one of life’s copers. She uses her skills and several sneaky games in her efforts to outwit the sharks in this jolly and enjoyable adventure.
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|summary=When the world was made, the animals were given gifts.  Bear was given strength so that he could become a protector.  Water Spider received a strong web that even fire could not burn.  Owl had excellent sight so that he could see the present ''and'' the future.  Rabbit developed intelligence - but, unfortunately,  not the ability to use it well.  He liked to trick other animals. He was also jealous which was how he came to be in a race with Turtle.  You might think that's not a fair contest but wait and see.  Things are not always as they seem.  I'll tell you how it came about.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>140712191X</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Rob Keeley
|title=Bear, Bird and Frog
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|title= Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees!
|author=Gwen Millward
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|rating= 4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Bear and Bird are friends who live together. They have an exciting day planned but when Frog shows up unannounced, Bear is surprised and momentarily forgets what they had been going to do. Like a good friend, even to those who drop round without warning, he invites Frog in for tea and cake and they have a chat. Bird is a little bored, to be honest. He’s waiting for them to go out, him and Bear, but Bear seems to have forgotten all about it. In the end, it’s Bear and Frog who go out, leaving Bird behind. Bird is really a bit upset about the way he thinks they’re treating him, and even when Bear and Frog try to include him he’s a bit too proud and so stays away.
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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>1405266805</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09HHN541V
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B09FFJF8YS
|title=Monkey Business
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|title=You Can't Wear Panties! (No More Nappies!)
|author=Smriti Prasadam-Halls and David Wojtowycz
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|author=Justine Avery and Kate Zhoidik
|rating=5
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|rating=3.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=We’re on Noah’s Ark and all the animals are here, from the snakes to the lions to the crocodiles. There are two of everyone, of course, though randomly there only appears to be one monkey, Charlie Chatter. And uh, oh. He’s lost his potty! Now Charlie Chatter is a bit big to be going on the potty, so the other animals, and Noah, try to convince him to try the loo instead, extolling its virtues, explaining how much fun it can be. Charlie Chatter remains unconvinced though, but when his potty fails to reappear his has a troubling choice to make.
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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>1408313782</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
 
|title=Rules of Summer
 
|author=Shaun Tan
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=''Rules of Summer'' is not one of those books that is ever likely to earn the blanket recommendation ''One for every child's bookshelf''. This book is not for every child. For some it could be the stuff of nightmares. But for those children who have grown bored with the pedestrian banality of many of the books on the high street, for children with a vivid imagination who are not too easily frightened, this book can be pure magic. It is a story of friendship, of the relationship between brothers, of anger and rivalry, and also of love and redemption, told with minimal text and the  beautiful surreal imagery of Tan's paintings.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0734410670</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview<!-- 13/12 -->
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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=Dom Conlon and Carl Pugh
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}}
|title=Tommy Tickletail: A Tall Tale
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{{Frontpage
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
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|title=Everybody Toots! (Everybody Potties!)
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Sophie and Sam are on a midnight mission. It's a long time since supper and they're both hungry. Obviously a trip to see what's in the fridge (they've got high expectations) is essential but there are dangers to overcome. It's dark.  They really ''shouldn't'' be raiding the fridge and - most frightening of all - there's Tommy Tickletail who has a body twelve feet long and sleeps under the kitchen table. They've got to get to the fridge without waking the monster - or who knows what the consequences will be?
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|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>B00H53FGMM</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B09C2RVJ2W
}}
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}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn= B09BG8V3Q6
|author=Dom Conlon and Nicola Anderson
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|title= Who Needs Nappies? Not Me! (Everybody Potties!)
|title=I Am A Giant (Tiny the Giant)
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|author= Justine Avery and Seema Amjad
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Tiny knew that he was a giant.  In fact you couldn't help thinking that he was a little bit cross about the fact that he had to keep telling people.  He'd shake his fists and roar '''I AM A GIANT'''. Proof was important, of course and the first step was to measure his shadow, which he did when the sun was low - but it wasn't just one step. It was many and his shadow still ran on ahead of him. Off he went to tell the world, but the mountains were, well, dismissive and the tall trees whispered about it amongst themselves before they rejected what he had to sayThe wind didn't agree either - and went on and on about it until Tiny ran away to the sea.
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|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>B00H3PYDC6</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|isbn=B07GZ81J7C
|title=Max and the Won't Go To Bed Show
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|title=When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended
|author=Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton
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|author=Peter Cotton
 
|rating=4.5
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Prepare to unleash your inner Barnum with ‘Max and the Won’t Go To Bed Show’. You don’t read this book – you perform it. So, what’s it all about? Well, if you give me a drum roll (PLEASE!) … I will tell you.
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|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>0007468393</amazonuk>
 
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author= Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=A Deal's a Deal
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|title= Everybody Pees! (Everybody Potties!)
|author=Stephanie Blake
 
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=There is always that stage, with children, where they always seem to want whatever someone else has got. I think it lasts until they are, well, about thirty seven?!  Here we see the beginnings of envy with Simon, our little rabbit friend from [[Stupid Baby by Stephanie Blake|Stupid Baby]].  He's off to play with his friend Ferdinand, and he takes along three cars - a yellow car, a green car and a blue car.  But then, of course, Ferdinand has a red car...
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|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>1877579831</amazonuk>
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|isbn= B098BJZYHH
 
}}
 
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{{Frontpage
{{newreview
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|author=Justine Avery and Naday Meldova
|title=It's Time to Say Goodnight
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|title=No, No, No!
|author=Harriet Ziefert and Barroux
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|rating=4
|rating=3.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=When a little boy wakes up happy and decides to say 'Good morning' to everything he sees he probably doesn't realise the task he has set himself. Indeed, after saying 'Good morning' to twenty-plus things around him it seems it's now time to say 'Good night'!
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|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>1609053745</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
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''No, No, No!'' is based around the simplest text imaginable.
|title=Alphaprints ABC
 
|author=Jo Ryan and Sarah Powell
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=A is for Alternative. B is for Bright.  C is for Charming. D for Delight. Well, that’s my opinion of the alphabet board book ''Alphaprints ABC'' – take it from me, the actual rhymes are better!
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849159424</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
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''No, no, no! Okay, okay. Yes, you may.''
|title=Asterix and the Picts
 
|author=Jean-Yves Ferri, Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo and Didier Conrad
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=Graphic Novels
 
|summary=I've never been entirely certain if Asterix was written for children or adults. I am quite certain children were the original target audience, but it is equally apparent that many of the jokes are thrown in for adults as well. It does seem as if more adults are buying Asterix than children now, and comics in general have been taken over by the adult consumer, but Asterix still has plenty to offer the younger reader as well. If it is perhaps a bit more sophisticated than the average children's book today, all the better. I'm all for children's books that are light and easy to read, but I think we are doing our children a disservice by filtering out any book with a more complex vocabulary or a fair number of unfamiliar words. My children did find a few words like ''solidarity'', ''fraternise'' and ''diaphanous'' challenging, but if we don't challenge them at all - how will they learn?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444011677</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.
|title=The Snow Queen
+
|isbn=1638820457
|author=Hans Christian Andersen and P J Lynch (Illustrator)
 
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=Determined heroine Gerda has a series of adventures on her journey to find her friend Kay after he has been spirited away by the Snow Queen to live in her palace of ice.  'The Snow Queen' is one of Hans Christian Andersen’s less disturbing fables with a message about the power of love and true friendship.  No heart wrenching deaths like 'The Little Match Girl', no tortured longing like 'The Little Mermaid', it has the benefit of a happy ending.  And, in contrast to so many traditional tales where the hero is usually male, its star is a lively girl who rescues her friend against all the odds.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1842709011</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=194812467X
|title=While He Was Sleeping
+
|title=The Farm Shop
|author=Ayano Imai
+
|author=Devon Avery, Justine Avery and Ema Tepic
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Who needs friends when you have a fine smart hat? Not Mr Brown, a bear with a strong sense of style but a lack of companions. He can please himself. So he does, until a determined woodpecker decides that Mr Brown’s hat is prime real estate to house him and a flock of his feathered friends. Mr Brown quickly grows to like his new tenants. His hat attracts imitators however, the birds choose only him. When winter comes, the birds depart and Mr Brown goes in to hibernation. Will he hear their singing again?
+
|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>9881595584</amazonuk>
+
 
 +
What will they buy?
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=0995647895
|title=
+
|title=Sadie and the Sea Dogs
Song of the Golden Hare
+
|author=Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice
|author=Jackie Morris
+
|rating=3.5
|rating=5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=If you buy one picture book this year, make it this one.  Not because it’s a good story, or because you know a child who would love it (both sound reasons), but because it is also a stunning work of artThe pictures are full of carefully observed wildlife and glorious colours.  Every inch adds to the telling of the tale.
+
|summary=Sadie's mother always said that she was a dreamer, her mind never on what she should be doingShe lives by the River Thames at Greenwich and she loves to spend hours at The Maritime Museum or gazing at Cutty Sark.
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1847804500</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Her class had gone one rainy afternoon''<br>
|title=A Mammoth in the Fridge
+
''When all the houses cowered in the gloom,''<br>
|author=Michael Escoffier and Matthieu Maudet
+
''To the Maritime Museum''.
|rating=5
+
|genre=For Sharing
+
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.
|summary=One day, Noah opens the fridge and finds that there is a mammoth inside!  His dad tells him not to be silly, but when he and mum open the fridge to check there, indeed, is a very large mammoth, squashed up inside!  Whatever will they do to get him out?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1877579157</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1782227741
|title=A Treasury of Fairy Tales
+
|title=Little Gold Ted
|author=Helen Cresswell
+
|author=Vanessa Wiercioch, Poppy Satha and Sasha Satha
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Once upon a time, in a village not so far away, a mother and her son received a parcel. In that parcel was ‘A Treasury of Fairy Tales’, kindly sent by the publisher Harper Collins. They curled up on the sofa and started to read… would they be enchanted?
+
|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>0007546513</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
 
 
{{newreview
 
|title=Octopus's Garden
 
|author=Ringo Starr and Ben Cort
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=This is a beautifully illustrated book which takes the readers into a lovely world of fantasy. There is no story to speak of. The text of this book consists only of the lyrics to The Beatles song ''Octopus's'' ''Garden'' from their 1969 album - Abbey Road. I loved this song as a very young child, and I always felt this was written for children, at least on some level. I used to close my eyes listen to the words as I pictured the Octopus and his enchanted garden. It is the only song, to my knowledge written solely by Ringo, and the last song which featured Ringo as the lead vocalist.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1471120074</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=B08R7LXQ9S
|title=Christmas
+
|title=Remy: A book about believing in yourself
|author=Dick Bruna
+
|author=Mayuri Naidoo and Caroline Siegal
 
|rating=4
 
|rating=4
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=Dick Bruna’s picture book ‘Christmas’ tells the story of the nativity in his own inimitable manner. Drawn in his archetypal Miffy style, this tale sweetly captures the spirit and meaning of the season.
+
|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>1471121127</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|isbn=1471191303
|title=Pongo
+
|title=The Invisible
|author=Jesse Hodgson
+
|author=Tom Percival
|rating=4.5
+
|rating=5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=The rainforest is not all it’s cracked up to be. It may be a beautiful and important eco system but one of the residents is not a happy apePongo the orangutan is wet and lonely. He lives in the depths of the forest and yearns for the warmth of the sun. He’s heard it’s bright and orange, just like him, so he sets out to find it.
+
|summary=This is the story of Isobel, a little girl who made a big differenceIsobel lived with her parents in a house - a very cold house, because her parents couldn't afford to put the heating on:
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1909263095</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
''Ice curled across the inside of the window and crept up the corner of the bedpost.''
|title=Red Sledge
 
|author=Lita Judge
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=In the middle of a snowy winter, a child leaves his red sledge leaning against the wall of his house overnight. Little does he know that the woodland creatures have their eye on it for some midnight fun.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849397937</amazonuk>
 
}}
 
  
{{newreview
+
The family didn't go to the cinema or on holidays but they had each other and they were happy. Then the day came when they couldn't afford the rent for the house and they had to move to the far side of the city. This part of the city was cold, sad and lonely and Isobel felt invisible.
|title=Barbapapa's Voyage
 
|author=Annette Tison and Talus Taylor
 
|rating=4.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=In [[Barbapapa by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor|Barbapapa]], we were introduced to a friendly, pink, shape-shifting blob who used his special talents to help the local townsfolk, who hailed him as the new town hero. However, despite having lots of human friends, our pink protagonist is looking decidedly off-colour at the beginning of this sequel. It seems that being the only one of your species is a pretty lonely affair and poor Barbapapa is longing for a ''Barbamama'' to share his life with.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408330725</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
}}
 
+
{{Frontpage
{{newreview
+
|author=Nick Jones and Si Clark
|title=I Love You Too
+
|title=One Night in Beartown
|author=Michael Foreman
+
|rating=4
|rating=4.5
 
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=It’s bedtime and you know what that means. Little Bear is tucked up cozy in bed and Dad’s just finishing reading his story. It’s time to sleep… or is it? Little Bear seems a bit too awake and every time Dad makes a move to go, Little Bear tells him how much he loves him. And it’s ''A Lot''. He loves him more than all the toys, more than all the birds in the trees and the stars in the sky. More than… well, you get the picture. It’s very sweet, but it is bedtime and, you know, Dad’s looking rather tired himself.
+
|summary= Many children have an obsession and Sandy Lane, who lives in Beartown, is obsessed with bears. She collects books about bears. Her favourite toy is Berisford, a teddy bear passed down by her grandmother. Every night, she looks out of her bedroom window and says goodnight to the bear statue outside. Every morning she says hello to Bee Bear, a colourful painted bear that lives at her school. She even has bears on her bedroom wallpaper!
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849397651</amazonuk>
+
|isbn=B08NFH7H9X
}}
+
}}
  
{{newreview
+
Move on to [[Newest General Fiction Reviews]]
|title=All Thought The Night
 
|author=John Ceiriog Hughes
 
|rating=2.5
 
|genre=For Sharing
 
|summary=‘All Through the Night’ is based on a choral staple, beloved of male voice choirs across the world. It’s an interesting and intriguing choice of verse to interpret as an illustrated children’s book. Many children need some reassurance as they head to bed at night, but does this publication work as a book to share to send them to sleep?
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1927018099</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

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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

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

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Review of

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

5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

Squeakily Baby by Beth Webb

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

A Practical Present for Philippa Pheasant by Briony May Smith

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

Bumblebee Grumblebee by David Elliott

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

Carried Away With the Carnival by Ed Boxall

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

Carrots Don’t Grow On Trees! by Rob Keeley

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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


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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

When Fred the Snake Got Squished and Mended by Peter Cotton

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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

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

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

What will they buy? Full Review

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Review of

Sadie and the Sea Dogs by Maureen Duffy and Anita Joice

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

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Review of

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

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

1471191303.jpg

Review of

The Invisible by Tom Percival

5star.jpg For Sharing

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

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

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

B08NFH7H9X.jpg

Review of

One Night in Beartown by Nick Jones and Si Clark

4star.jpg For Sharing

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

Move on to Newest General Fiction Reviews