Newest For Sharing Reviews

Asterix and the Picts by Jean-Yves Ferri, Rene Goscinny, Albert Uderzo and Didier Conrad

Graphic Novels

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? Full review...

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen and P J Lynch (Illustrator)

For Sharing

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. Full review...

While He Was Sleeping by Ayano Imai

For Sharing

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? Full review...

Song of the Golden Hare by Jackie Morris

For Sharing

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 art. The pictures are full of carefully observed wildlife and glorious colours. Every inch adds to the telling of the tale. Full review...

A Mammoth in the Fridge by Michael Escoffier and Matthieu Maudet

For Sharing

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? Full review...

A Treasury of Fairy Tales by Helen Cresswell

For Sharing

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? Full review...

Octopus's Garden by Ringo Starr and Ben Cort

For Sharing

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. Full review...

Christmas by Dick Bruna

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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. Full review...

Pongo by Jesse Hodgson

For Sharing

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 ape. Pongo 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. Full review...

Red Sledge by Lita Judge

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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. Full review...

Barbapapa's Voyage by Annette Tison and Talus Taylor

For Sharing

In 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. Full review...

I Love You Too by Michael Foreman

For Sharing

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. Full review...

All Thought The Night by John Ceiriog Hughes

For Sharing

‘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? Full review...

The Bear in the Book by Kate Banks and Georg Hallensleben

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Readers of my reviews may be aware that I am quite partial to stories about bears. I jumped at the chance to read this one. It has that wonderful picture of a smiling black bear on the cover after all - who could resist? Full review...

Beauty and the Beast by Ursula Jones and Sarah Gibb

For Sharing

We do love a good fairytale in our house. As soon as this one arrived it was snaffled by my daughter and she burrowed herself away on the sofa to read it quietly on her own. Everyone knows the story of Beauty and the Beast. This version is reasonably traditional, with a few quirks of humour thrown in through the book. Full review...

Z is for Moose by Kelly L Bingham and Paul O Zelinsky

For Sharing

He's sitting contently on the third page. But who’s that over on the next one – Moose? D isn’t for Moose! It’s for duck, but the poor little quackers have been pushed off the stage by the exuberant elk. No, says Zebra. You’re on the wrong page, he tells Moose. Full review...

The Sad Story of Veronica Who Played The Violin by David McKee

For Sharing

When I sing, people cry. And not in a good way. But when Veronica plays the violin, the tears are good tears. She moves people, y’know? It’s a big deal for Veronica, because when she started playing, she kind of sucked. But now she’s gotten good. Very good. So very good, in fact, that like an X Factor contestant, she’s dropping out of school to become a star. Full review...

A Christmas Story by Brian Wildsmith

For Sharing

A Christmas Story starts with a birth in a stable. Not the arrival of the baby Jesus, but the birth of a donkey. Like most young creatures, the little donkey wants to be near to his mother. So when she leaves the stable to carry her owner on a journey to Bethlehem her baby misses her. With help from a young girl, Rebecca, the little donkey manages to follow the family to Bethlehem and all the events of the nativity are seen through their eyes. Full review...

Bit-Bot and the Blob by Jo Litchfield

For Sharing

This book really has everything; an absent minded adult to laugh at, a sensible robot butler, a dog and a robot for the main character's best friends and a scary monster from a slimy swamp ..... or is it? It all begins when George's parents are snowed in on an expedition to the North Pole. This means George must spend his holidays with his uncle, but with the new robot companion his uncle has created for him, this sounds a real dream holiday. The only hitch is when his uncle insists that he go to bed instead of staying up late to watch a scary monster film. Bit - Bot comes up with the perfect solution, allowing them to stay in bed and watch the film, but things get a bit more frightening then they had planned when a real live blob shows up in the bedroom. Full review...

The Slightly Annoying Elephant by David Walliams and Tony Ross

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When Sam filled out the elephant adoption form at the zoo, he never imagined the elephant would actually be coming to live with him. Silly boy - he should have read the fine print. Of course many children would love having an elephant as pet, but this elephant is not a pet. He is rude, bossy and really a very annoying house guest who will very quickly out stay his welcome - but what can Sam do? A deal is a deal and he did sign the contract. As soon as the elephant arrives he begins issuing demands, making complaints, and turning the house into a disaster zone and things are only going to get worse. Sam really should have read the adoption form - especially the part about the elephant's friends. Full review...

The Great Moon Confusion by Richard Byrne

For Sharing

Aldrin knows everything. At least he thinks he does. So when rabbit asks why the moon is getting smaller, Aldrin is to embarrassed to admit he really doesn't know. Instead he launches an investigation and quickly comes to the conclusion that the moon is being stolen. This is one of the most fun books we have read recently. You can't help but laugh at poor Aldrin and his expertise, and the beautiful illustrations make this story very easy to follow, even for the youngest reader. Before the book is finished, Aldrin will not only learn about the moon, but also about friendship, boasting, jumping to conclusions, accusations and apologies, and along the way he will stumble into one hilarious situation after another. Full review...

Doug the Bug That Went BOING by Sue Hendra

For Sharing

Ever found an insect in your attic or an arachnid on your roof and wondered how DID they get there? Doug the Bug c.ould tell you and you can find out too in Sue Hendra’s picture book, ‘Doug the Bug That Went BOING!’. Full review...

How the Meteorite Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland

For Sharing

This is a cumulative tale in which one small event sets off a chain of other events which are repeated throughout the story. If your child loves books like This is the House That Jack Built, this may prove a very useful addition to you home library, but this is a type of story telling which I have found some children really take to, and others do not. Full review...

Scribbles and Ink, the Contest by Ethan Long

For Sharing

Scribbles the Cat and Ink the Mouse are nowhere near the average cartoon cat and mouse – for one thing they are good buddies, who like nothing more than lounging around, or being creative with art supplies. When Ink finds a contest to win an adventure holiday by drawing dinosaurs, they both have a go – with unexpected results… Full review...

You Make Me Smile by Layn Marlow

For Sharing

Snow, at least for us in the UK, isn’t an everyday occurrence, and for children, unbothered by traffic chaos and school closures and boilers on the brink of a breakdown, it can be rather magical. This book is about that magic. Full review...

I Want a Pet by Lauren Child

For Sharing

What do you do if you really, really want a pet? You ask your parents, of course. They’re bound to have some criteria. Like something with not too much fur, something that can live outside, neatly out of the way, or something that doesn’t buzz (it’s not good for Granny’s hearing aid, y’see). So you take all this into consideration and come up with a shortlist of critters that might work. One by one you suggest them, and one by one your ideas are shouted down. Full review...

The Tailypo: A Ghost Story by Joanna Galdone and Paul Galdone

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The Tailypo is an old story from Appalachian folklore. It has not been tamed down at all like so many of the old stories but retains all its original spine-tingling terror for the very young. Although it is listed as ghost story, it really is not. Instead it the story of a strange beast which is best left well alone. Full review...

Enormouse by Angie Morgan

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Enormouse isn’t quite like the other mice. He’s big. Really big. And while his great size can be a useful thing (he can reach into high cupboards when they’re foraging, he can carry more cheese), that doesn’t stop the others laughing at him. Full review...

Miss Dorothy-Jane Was Ever So Vain by Julie Fulton and Jona Jung

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Miss Dorothy-Jane is very much obsessed with her appearance, so when she sees there’s a competition to find Hamilton Shady’s best lady she just has to enter! She spends ever such a long time perfecting her look but on the way to the contest, disaster strikes. Will she realise that there’s more to life than looks, and sacrifice her chance to win a meet and greet with the Queen (yes, her Majesty!)? Can she do the right thing, even if she gets all dirty and dishevelled in the process? I’m sure you can guess the outcome, but the final ending was a surprise, even for me. A nice surprise, I should add. Full review...

What can you Stack on the Back of a Yak? by Alison Green and Adam Stower

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You might be wondering why anyone would want to stack anything on the back of a yak, but the answer is simple. In this adorable tale, Captain Quack and the Yak (you’ve guessed it, this is a rhyming one) deliver post to the top of a mountain. Along the way the Yak likes to play, and, well, deviate from the track, and no matter how hard he tries, Captain Quack cannot control him. Uh oh. One day, the Yak ends up with a rather more interesting load than his usual parcels and boxes and sacks. Full review...

Mr Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown

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There’s something special about tigers. And there’s definitely something special about Mr Tiger. He’s the star of Peter Brown’s picture book, ‘Mr Tiger Goes Wild’. This distinctive book takes the themes of fitting in and being true to who you are, and explores them through the character of one animal who challenges the status quo and dares to be different. Full review...

One World Together by Catherine Anholt and Laurence Anholt

For Sharing

A child (from an unknown country) is gallivanting throughout the world looking for a friend. He stops in Brazil and meets Paulo. He would be a good friend. Then he’s off to Morocco where he meets Mohamed. He would be a good friend too. You can see where this is going. From country to country we travel, constantly meeting exciting and interesting new children and learning about their lives. They would all be great friends for our little narrator, but who should he choose? Spoiler alert: he realises you don’t have to have just one friend, and in fact all the children of the world can be friends. Awwww. Full review...

Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion : A New Case for Precious Ramotswe by Alexander McCall Smith

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I had already previously enjoyed Precious and the Monkeys which is one of AMS' children's stories about his No.1 Ladies Detective Agency character, Precious Ramotswe, when she is a child. So I was looking forward to this one about a missing lion. I wasn't disappointed. Once again his gentle charm shines through, and this is a delightful book to read aloud or just enjoy by yourself, however old you may be! Full review...

A Letter for Bear by David Lucas

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Bear is a postman. He's a very good postman and always delivers all his letters on time. Yet when he's finished his work for the day he goes back alone to his cave, and makes himself some soup, and he wonders what it would be like to receive a letter. Full review...