Family picture book reviews – in pictures

Peck, peck, peck with a little woodpecker, hug a Douglas or go fishing with Splat the Cat - there's no shortage of fun in this month's crop of picture books
  
  


Book reviews: Snowflakes
Snowflakes by Laura Ellen Anderson and Cerrie Burnell, reviewed by Poppy and JJ I love this book. Having a four year old son, I have seen my fair share of Cbeebies, and have always warmed to the comforting presence of presenter Cerrie Burnell. I looked forward to her debut in children’s literature, not really knowing what to expect. But, I can safely say that I love her writing style. Each sentence is perfectly crafted with obvious care having been given to each and every word. The book is cosy and comforting, each page felt naturally and believable, with nothing feeling forced. It has beautiful little details which give the story depth without slowing its pace. The illustrations are lovely and marry beautifully with the words. JJ was enthralled throughout, he sat silently while I read and asked for an immediate second reading. When I asked him his favourite part, he said “all of it.” It’s rare we find a book we both love in its entirety, but this is one. Photograph: PR
Book reviews: Elephantantrum
Elephantantrum by Gillian Shields, reviewed by Reba and Amatullah
A perfect book for those cheeky monsters that don’t mind their Ps and Qs. Ellie, the little girl in the story has everything but an elephant. Her tantrums make sure she has her very own one but he isn’t quite what she expected. In fact the elephant turns out to be a little too much like her. However, before long he puts her in her place! This story had Amatullah laughing and asking lots of questions. Fortunately for me one of them wasn’t ‘Can I have an elephant too?’ We loved the colourful illustrations that reminded me of comfy patchwork quilts made from pretty vintage prints. A good story to share with a child that needs a gentle reminder to mind their manners and play nicely with others!
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: Fangs
Operation Golden Bum by Tommy Donbavand, reviewed by Emma and CJ (5)
So, we have started to have a go at chapter books. They must have some pictures scattered through the chapter and we must be able to finish the book in about a week doing a couple of chapters a night. This falls nicely into what we need. If you have encountered Tommy Donbavand’s Scream Street books, you can mostly guess what to expect. There are plenty of bad and/or gross jokes to keep all amused. Fangs Enigma is a smooth talking spy, Puppy Brown is his werewolf side kick. They work for Monster Protection, 1st Division or MP1 for short. Think James Bond but with (mostly cute) monsters. The story is nice and easy to follow so is great for confident reads and worked well as a read together for us. I really liked the puzzles at the back too. CJ (5): I liked the bad guy and the names were silly. I enjoyed Scream Street and this was similar. It made me laugh and I like monsters.
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: Hugless Douglas
Hugless Douglas Finds a Hug by David Melling, reviewed by Gina, Evie (4) and Isobel (1)
We've read the original Hugless Douglas book before, and remember it for the charming illustrations and very huggable central character, so we were pleased to see this one arrived. I thought the puppet figure would be a huge hit with my nearly-two year old, but actually it's the four year old who has really taken to it, having long chats with Douglas, and insisting that the book joins the pile of teddies in her bedroom. The puppet is well made, and full of character, and the text in the book has been really well thought through, enabling the puppeteer to act out lots of the text very easily (lots of looking left and right, up and down etc). It's not the kind of book that I would normally buy, but it's been a lot more successful than I thought, and our Douglas has already been on lots more adventures than the one in the book, so definitely a hit!
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: Wake Up Do by Lydia Lou
Wake Up Do, Lydia Lou! by Julia Donaldson, reviewed by Jennifer, Minnie and Bebe
Julia Donaldson can do no wrong in my eyes!! NO WRONG I say!! So my husband's claims that this book is just rhyming for the sake of rhyming?! Obviously he has no idea! So wee lydia Lou is fast asleep when a ghost comes in and attempts to wake her up and make her scream!.. Sounds sinister, it isn't.. Maybe a bit random. Anyway.. Lydia Lou doesn't wake up so the ghost enlists a few friends to help! A cow, kitten a baby?! Still doesn't wake up. So we've a a random ghost lots of different animals and a baby! Making lots of noise all in the hope to wake Lydia Lou up and scare her! She does wake up but there is a nice ending! I loved the drawings and so did the toddlers, clear and bright also I think the message is you've nothing to be scared of in the dark... Well that's the message we took from it!
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: Peck Peck Peck by Lucy Cousins
Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins, reviewed by Damyanti, Bryn (5) and Freya (2)
Each time we read this book it is accompanied with deafening shouts of "peck, peck" with brief pauses for giggles. Daddy woodpecker teaches little woodpecker the important art of pecking a hole and armed with this new skill the little woodpecker sets out to practise. The woodpecker finds himself in a house with a huge variety of items to bore holes through. I had thought it was for a younger audience owing to its simple story and very familiar illustrative style, but both Bryn & Freya have enjoyed this. They loved the die cut holes, which provide the opportunity to join in with the enthusiastic pecking. The joy & enthusiasm of the little woodpecker is delightful, reminding me of those magical moments when one of the children learns something new and, like the woodpecker, is keen to continually test the new skill. A truly fabulous family read.
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: Splat the Cat
Splat the Cat - Fishy Tales by Rob Scotton, reviewed by Gina, Evie (4) and Isobel (1)
I love Rob Scotton's illustrations - they are full of life and energy, and give his characters lots of personality. In this book, Splat the Cat joins his classmates on a trip to an aquarium, where he gets himself in a pickle trying to impress Kitty with his knowledge of fish... My girls both responded really well to this book, asking to read it repeatedly in one sitting, and giggling about Splat's antics and the illustrations. Personally, whilst I warm to Splat himself, I find the storyline of him trying to impress a particular girl cat a little bit weird in a book aimed at very young children, but I think that's just me reading too many adult connotations into it, as my girls both loved it. It's a simple enough tale, with lots of humour throughout, and well presented (the 'bumpy writing' on the front cover seemed to particularly impress my girls!).
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: There, There by Sam McBratney
There, There by Sam McBratney and Ivan Bates, reviewed by Gina, Evie (4) and Isobel (1)
Like most parents, we have read and loved Guess How Much I Love You by the same author and this book is very much in the same style. It is a gentle tale of love and families, following Hansie Bear's scrapes and adventures, and how his father helps him recover. There are lots of pages, each with comparatively few words, so the story definitely moves along gently, but there is lots to look at in each illustration. The story is simple enough that my nearly-two year old could shout out the various accidents that Hansie was having, and by the end my four-year old was declaring solemnly (and with deep sympathy) 'he's having a bad day, isn't he?', so it definitely engaged them both. Personally I really liked that the tables were turned at the end, with the young bear comforting his father, but particularly that the mother bear was also present and part of the family situation.
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: ABC and Do
ABC & Do by Lee Singh and Karen Wall, reviewed by Jennifer, Minnie and Bebe
What a fantastic book! This is an alphabet book aimed at young readers and it gets them really involved from the off. Attention-grabbing front cover with jumping mouse and off we go. Follow the mouse through the alphabet, lift flaps make a call. Turn the wheel! There is so much for little hands to play with and the drawings are just wonderful: bright, colourful, bold – it's a winner! They both enjoyed this book so much so I've had to hide it due to fighting over who gets to read it! Sigh.
Photograph: PR
Book reviews: Where's Tim's Ted?
Where's Tim's Ted? It's Time for Bed! by Ian Whybrow and Russell Ayto, reviewed by Poppy and JJ
I like this book. The story is fun and entertaining. The rhymes feel a little forced, and the sentences awkward, but I like the style of the illustrations – they are great fun and carry the story well. While JJ did like the story, it did not fully engage him. His favourite part was the mother pig thinking the Ted was a piglet. This book is almost good, but slightly misses the mark. However, all in all, it is an enjoyable read.
Photograph: PR
 

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