Frank and Teddy Make Friends by Louise Yates
| Frank and Teddy Make Friends by Louise Yates | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
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| Summary: A charming tale of friendship broken and re-made, with lovely illustrations to boot. Professor Frank Mouse's inventions are really enjoyable! Well worth a look. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: February 2011 |
| Publisher: Jonathan Cape | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0224083690 | |
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Professor Frank Mouse loves to build things in his workshop, but he's envious of the wild creatures that make things in the company of others. He does what any sensible engineer does: he makes a friend for himself. Teddy and he have a lovely time building things together, until Teddy's attempt to do something nice for Frank goes wrong, and the two friends fall out. Thankfully, a reforming of the friendship isn't too far away, and the two chums are back stronger than ever.
I enjoyed Frank and Teddy Make Friends. It's a warm and cosy book about the ups and downs of friendships. The smatterings of Frankenstein and Pinocchio add extra depth to the story, and I particularly enjoyed seeing Teddy try and fail to make something for Frank. There's a gentle heart to the book, making it ideal for bedtime reading, or just cuddling up and chilling out with.
Louise Yates' illustrations are lovely, perfectly moving from crackpot inventor, through nature's magnificence, then focussing on the two dear friends. The stars of the show are undoubtedly all Frank's elaborate constructions - every page is great fun to pore over, taking in all the many goings on. Her pictures have a classic style to them, yet mixed with plenty of energy to keep you enthralled throughout.
The text is clear and direct. Although there's not a lot of text, the plot takes in a few more twists and turns than the average picture book. This does extend the lifetime of the book for slightly older children, but it also means it feels a little like two shorter books joined together, rather than one entirely cohesive whole. It's by no means terrible, but it's one minor niggle in an otherwise excellent tale. It's well worth a look.
My thanks to the publisher for sending it to Bookbag.
For another tale of friendship broken then re-made, check out Ribbit Rabbit by Candace Ryan and Mike Lowery. A Visitor For Bear by Bonny Becker and Kady MacDonald Denton is also excellent.
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You can read more book reviews or buy Frank and Teddy Make Friends by Louise Yates at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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