My Favourite People by Rob Keeley
| My Favourite People by Rob Keeley | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Jill Murphy
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| Summary: Lovely picture book focusing on the importance of relationships. Clear text, winning illustrations and plenty of suggestions for parent-child and/or classroom activities. We enjoyed this one. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 26 | Date: April 2018 |
| Publisher: Troubadour | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1789013313 | |
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In My Favourite People the central character takes us to meet all the important people in his life. There's Auntie Meg, who does brilliant haircuts and loves cats. She has four of them! There's Uncle Steve, who's a gentle giant and an inveterate joker. There's best friend Alice, who can do that clever whistle when you put your fingers in your mouth. There's Carmel the library lady, who always suggests brilliant books to read. And loads more. The book ends with a fabulous party to which everyone is invited.
This engaging story is all about the importance of the relationships we have with other people, whether they are friends, family, or just familiar faces. Rob Keeley's text is straightforward and accessible and highlights the way in which each relationship is special - a best friend who is always there; an uncle who makes you laugh; a teacher who brings music into your world; a mum and dad who really, really, love you. Simon Goodway's illustrations are bright and lively and cheerful, communicating the text message very well but also including lots of subtle details to give readers something new each time they look. My Favourite People will suit pre-schoolers or children of early primary age and will be as useful in a classroom setting as it will be at home.
One of the things I like most about Rob Keeley is that he really thinks his projects through. My Favourite People has a final section of suggested activities reinforcing the book's central theme - the importance of our relationships in anchoring our lives and identities. Suggestions include examination of the text and pictures to fully understand what they're showing, conversations relating the book's pages to children's own lives, and writing and drawing exercises. The activities are as suitable for parent-child reading sessions as they are for teachers and classrooms. They all encourage children to think things through, make links to wider world issues, and to exercise creativity and imagination. The activities section is an invaluable one and helps to make My Favourite People a genuinely useful picture book.
Making strong, mutually beneficial, personal relationships are a vital part of child development. Stability and a confident sense of self springs from these relationships. My Favourite People explores the different relationships we have in our lives in a clear and accessible way. It's bright and funny and engaging and the associated activities will enable children to identity and celebrate the relationships in their own lives.
Recommended.
Rob Keeley has also written some great humorous short stories for newly confident readers to enjoy. Childish Spirits is the first in his ghost story series for middle graders.
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You can read more book reviews or buy My Favourite People by Rob Keeley at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy My Favourite People by Rob Keeley at Amazon.com.
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