Newest For Sharing Reviews
Horton and the Kwuggerbug and More Lost Stories by Dr Seuss
Going back and revisiting characters once an author has died is not always the best idea, too often the result smacks of a cash in that does not have any of the charm of the original. However, revisiting lesser works by the author is a different thing. If a fan has all the writer's books, but never managed to get their hands on their obscure short stories or tales written for magazines, a new collection may just work. Even for as eccentric an author as Dr Seuss. Full review...
Supertato Veggies Assemble by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
In the fight of good versus evil many superheroes stand out. Batman. Spiderman. And now, straight from the aisles of the supermarket, we have Supertato. He's a cape wearing, belt toting spud. Variety unknown. What I do know is that he's a huge hit in my toddler's nursery class and he's back for another battle against his arch enemy the evil pea. Full review...
This Is Not A Bedtime Story by Will Mabbitt and Fred Blunt
Anyone who has read the same story over and over again to their child will have felt the crushing feeling of mundanity. It's very tempting to hide that bland, but popular, book and explain to your child that it must be lost. The adult may feel like this, but once a child gets a little older, they too may feel the same. Why not interject a little more action into a tired story and make it anew? Full review...
Goodnight Tiger by Timothy Knapman and Laura Hughes
It was the middle of the night, but Emily could not sleep for the noise. There was bellowing and stomping and growling and trumpeting. Brave girl that she was, she got out of bed and looked out of the window, thinking that the animals had escaped from the zoo, but the street was empty. Then she checked all the usual hiding places as well as her toy box - and suddenly realised that the noises were coming from the animals in her wallpaper. Emily's not just brave - she's resourceful too and she set about settling the jungle down for the night. And one solution turns out to work just perfectly. Full review...
Elephant's Pyjamas by Michelle Robinson and Emily Fox
I've read a lot of stories recently about animals who don't have many friends, at least at the beginning of their tale. For this age group it's pretty much a given that by the last page they'll have lots of lovely companions with whom to spend their days. Elephant is not one of those unlucky souls, though. He has TONS of friends and he's just been invited to a party with all of them. Lucky thing. Full review...
Tiger in a Tutu by Fabi Santiago
Everyone should have the chance to dance, non? Especially in such a wonderful city as Paris, bursting as it is with artists and appreciators of the arts. It is with a sad heart, then, that I must tell you about Max. Every day, he goes to ballet school, and every day he is turned away. Not only is he lacking the requisite attire, but he's a boy, and a tiger. And apparently that is not allowed. Full review...
Claude Going for Gold! by Alex T Smith
I've been a fan of Claude from the beginning. He charmed me from the start, with his plump tummy, little legs, red jumper and rather fetching beret. I can't help but love a dog who wears a beret! He also has a charming best friend, Sir Bobblysock, (who is indeed a woolly sock) who always makes me laugh. In this particular book they are off on another hunt for an adventure, and although it seems for a while that there is simply no fun to be had outside of the house they finally fall, literally, into a Very Exciting Sports Competition! Full review...
Do You Remember? by Helen Docherty and Mark Beech
We have various picture books in our house that have a tendency to leave me a little blurry eyed, whilst my children remain entirely nonplussed! Aimed at sparking some parental emotion, the stories behind them are often a little lacking. This book, however, works for both children and grown ups, in a really lovely way. Beginning with a small child's cry of I can't do it! the mum in the story reminisces about all the many different (and funny) things that her child has learned to do over the years, encouraging her that she has always got there in the end. Full review...
What Will Danny Do Today? by Pippa Goodhart and Sam Usher
Every day we face a multitude of choices, from what to wear and what to eat to what to do when we get home in the evening. This book is all about making decisions, but in a very simple and fun way that encourages discussion with your toddler. The character we are deciding for is a little boy called Danny, and we follow him through the course of one day, thinking about what he will decide on each page. Full review...
The Very Grumpy Day by Stella J Jones and Alison Edgson
Happiness is contagious, but did you ever consider that grumpiness might be too? If you look at Bear, it's quite plain to see. He's not having a good day, and when he takes it out on Mole, it spreads quickly through the forest, with Hedgehog and Fox and the squirrels and the owls all getting a taste. What a horrible, grumpy day for everyone. Full review...
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother Too? by Eric Carle
Babies have mothers, mothers who may well be reading these books with them. And their mothers have mothers, or they used to at any rate. But what about other animals. Does a kangaroo have a mother? How about lions and dolphins? Full review...
Little Red by Bethan Woolvin
We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, yes? Like many fairy tales, it's a little dark, so when you hear of a version that reimagines the story, your mind starts to wonder how they may have done this. Maybe a happy ending? That would be nice. Full review...
The Ugly Duckling by Mara Alperin and Sue Eastland
There are certain fairy tales that you need to know as a child, not only because they are fun stories themselves, but because they inform other stories too. How are you going to know what is happening in future books when they play off a classic; unless you know the classic? Therefore, before embarking on Meta novels that reimagine old stories, get the basics down pat first. How about the story of an unfortunate duckling who was incredibly ugly? Full review...
Eeyore Loses a Tail (Winnie the Pooh Classics) by A A Milne and E H Shepard
Eeyore, the Old Grey Donkey stood in the thistly corner of the forest and thought about things. He was quite a philosopher in his own way, but his most profound thought occured when Winnie-the-Pooh came along and enquired as to how he was.
Not very how, he said. I don't seem to have felt at all how for a long time. Full review...
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
A child's imagination can be a powerful tool, so their imaginary friend could be absolutely anything. How about a giant panda or an octopus that likes to build sandcastles? But what of those forgotten creatures; if an imaginary friend sits in the dark and no one thinks about them, do they exist? An audacious animal may just buck up the courage to stop waiting around for someone to imagine them and instead seek out their friend. Full review...
We're in the Wrong Book! by Richard Byrne
Rarely do you read a book written for adults that breaks the fourth wall, but not a month goes past that I don't stumble across a children's book that has characters talking to the reader, or jumping from book to book. Done well, the idea of leaping from genre to genre within the refines of the same text is a great way of introducing youngsters to different types of reading material. Done averagely and it feels more like an author ticking off that pesky fourth wall breaking book for their resume. Full review...
Cat's Colours by Airlie Anderson
Great Britain can feel like a grey country sometimes, especially on a cold winter's day when the fog is thick in the air. You can barely see your own hand in front of you, never mind the fertile landscape. Bringing a little colour into a grey world is like bringing a little joy in, so perhaps you can find a little happiness following Cat as she looks for some colour? You may even discover a wonderful surprise at the end of the adventure. Full review...
The Lion Inside by Rachel Bright and Jim Field
Books about scary beasts that turn out to be not so scary are immensely popular, and I blame Disney for how much of a hit this one is sure to be. The reason is sitting quietly on top of a rock on page five. Why, hello Mr Lion. Full review...
Peekaboo 1 2 3 by Gareth Lucas
We're waiting for the start of the Animal Antics race and everyone (well nearly everyone, but more of that later) is wondering who is going to win. At the moment is looks as though the lineup is a crab and two mice, but more - lots more - entrants are hidden behind the flaps. Lift the first flap and there's 'One polar bear on a pogo stick'. Under the second we have 'two turkeys on a tandem'. At number three there are 'three gorillas in a gondola'. You're probably getting the idea by now! The crab and the mice are still running, but they're not going to have a chance as we move through the numbers individually up to twenty and then in tens up to fifty, and then a giant leap to a hundred - with the way the entrants are travelling getting more and more outrageous by the minute. Full review...
Where's the Starfish? by Barroux
There's a whale. A large whale. And there's a lot of fish. A lot of fish. They're there in every shape and size you can imagine and in amongst them are the Starfish, the Jellyfish and the Clownfish. On the first page it's actually quite difficult to find those three in amongst all the others, but if you persist you will find them. It will still be quite difficult on the following page, but there's a little something creeping in that's not quite so pleasant. There's an empty plastic bottle and an old tin can. Actually, the fish are quite interested. It's a little easier to spot our three fish on the next page, because there isn't quite so much space. The rubbish has grown, you see. Full review...
Tidy by Emily Gravett
Pete the badger likes tidy. He does it very well. Well, perhaps it's a little bit too well. He's not content with checking all the flowers in the woodland and removing any which didn't quite match, he insists on brushing fox to remove all the brambles and burrs. I'm not certain that using a hedgehog to do this is really a good idea, but Pete seems to find it effective. All the birds have to be bathed, and their beaks clean and even the rocks are scoured and scrubbed. Leaves are a major problem: just think about all that sweeping up and all the bin bags of leaves which have to be stored. There is an obvious solution. Full review...
Pass It On by Sophy Henn
A small girl wakes up one morning, yawns in the morning sun and then bounces through the day finding joy in everyday situations and encouraging those around her to enjoy them too. Even on gloomy grey days she has the happy knack of finding something to smile about. This is most definitely a glass half full little person. By the end of book the reader probably will be too! Full review...
Mr Men Adventure with Dinosaurs by Roger Hargreaves
The Mr Men and Little Misses are branching out. No longer content with simple stories focussing on just one character, they're getting together with their friends for bigger and bolder adventures. Of course it would be Little Miss Curious who, in a curious way, finds the footprint to begin with. She turns to Mr Clever to find out what it is and, being clever, he tells her immediately: it belongs to a dinosaur. How exciting! The pair, along with some friends, set out to find the dinos. Full review...
Now We Are Six by A A Milne and E H Shepard
We can see the signs in The House at Pooh Corner that Christopher Robin is growing up and now he has school work to do. But he's a lucky little boy as he has Winnie the Pooh to help him. Or is he lucky, given that Winnie is also known as 'the Bear of very little brain'? Actually, Pooh has a message for us in the introduction: he says that he walked through the book one day, looking for his friend Piglet, and sat down on some of the pages by mistake. He hopes that we won't mind. Full review...
Supermarket Gremlins by Adam Guillain, Charlotte Guillain and Chris Chatterton
Have you ever wandered down the aisle at your local Super Marché and found some frozen peas in the bread section, or a lonely carrot hanging out with the cereal. What can be the cause of all the mistakes, spills and wobbly wheels that plague every superstore known to man, women and child? Incompetent staff and lazy customers dumping stock? Nope, these problems are all caused by the sneaky Gremlins who lurk in every shop. Full review...
The House at Pooh Corner by A A Milne and E H Shepard
The title of the book comes from the first story, in which Winnie and Piglet build a house at Pooh corner for Eeyore, but perhaps the most famous story in this second book is at chapter six, when the game of Pooh Sticks is invented. We also meet Tigger for the first time and as with the first book Winnie-the-Pooh each chapter is a short story in its own right, except for chapters eight and nine which have a degree of continuity as Owl's house is blown down in chapter eight and a new one is found for him at the Wolery in chapter nine. It's still not overly long even if you end up reading both as a bedtime story! Full review...
Pets A Slide and Play Book by Surya Sajnani
Pets is two in one, a book and a game, and for little ones who can't or won't sit still long enough for a full story, it's a great way to introduce books while keeping it fun. Full review...
Little Home Bird by Jo Empson
Little bird loves everything about his home. All his favourite things are there or very nearby; his favourite branch, his favourite view and his favourite music too. All is happy in his little world until autumn draws near and his older brother tells him that they do in fact have two homes and the time has come to travel far to the south to move to their second home. Little bird is saddened by this news and knows that he will miss all his special, favourite things. Then little bird has a good idea! He will take his favourite things with him and then wherever he goes it will always feel like home. So we accompany little bird on his long journey and discover how he finds happiness in his new home in ways he had not expected. Full review...
Dozy Bear and the Secret of Sleep by Katie Blackburn and Richard Smythe
There's nothing worse than sleep deprivation. I remember when my daughter was just a few months old and I was getting up with her four or five times a night I would sometimes find myself shopping in Tesco with absolutely no recollection of how I got there (or quite what I was shopping for). Sadly, this won't help with those squawky newborns, but once your little one gets a bit older this is certainly worth a try, especially if your bedtime routine tends to resemble feeding time at the zoo! Full review...
Mog and the Baby and Other Stories by Judith Kerr
I've never been a fan of cats. I'm more of a dog person. Mog, however, has weaseled her way into my heart, and although I certainly wouldn't want her as a pet in my house, we love reading her stories. This collection of Mog and the Baby, Mog's Bad Thing, and Mog on Fox Night is perfect for a nice afternoon bumper storytime together with your little one, or you can just read them one by one over three nights. Full review...
Strictly No Crocs by Heather Pindar and Susan Batori
You can’t go wrong with a good crocodile story. Not that these crocodiles are good, oh no, after being banned from attending Zebra’s party they have grand plans to sneak in and eat everyone there! Once they are secretly dressed up as a leopard, a parrot and a bee (!) their plans don’t go quite as they’d wished… Full review...
Dylan's Amazing Dinosaurs - The Triceratops by E T Harper and Dan Taylor
Imagination is one thing; what wonderful adventures you could have should you be able to travel to the distant past and walk amongst the dinosaurs. Reality is different; running around in bone shaking terror as various man-eating dinos crave your flesh. This has not stopped Dylan embarking on another amazing adventure – will he survive a velociraptor attack and why does he keep doing back? Full review...
My First Mr Men 123 by Roger Hargreaves
As first books go, board books are good because they withstand a bit of biting, a bit of dribbling, a bit of roughness induced by not quite there yet hand-eye coordination. And as topics go, counting is great when you're trying to teach the skill and just need repetition. Plus it doesn't require the focus of attention that a proper story might. So a board book for counting? Perfect. Full review...
