reviewed by Luke (5) and his mum
I have long been a fan of Nicholas Allen and his slightly irreverant stories including Jesus' Christmas Party and the Queen's Knickers. The drawings are simple but quirky and he manages to entertain both adults and children. Luke and I really enjoyed Father Christmas Needs a Wee which was released last christmas so were thrilled when this title arrived in the post. This year father christmas has eaten too many sprouts with potential disastrous consequences as he tries to squeeze in and out of houses without making a noise. Luke really enjoyed being able to say the words out loud as it is in a story. He said his favourite part is the "f...t powered sled". Luke has asked us to read the book to him and has also read it out loud himself. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Charmain, Thomas (5) and Lucy (3)
From the moment the kids saw this book they were fascinated with the front cover and wanted to read it straightaway. My son (5) couldn't quite believe what he was hearing and my daughter (3) was a bit confused as to why the dinosaur didn't use the toilet. They both wanted to read it again and again! They absolutely love it and laugh every time the Poo word is mentioned during each read. The pictures are great at engaging the kids and the words are written big enough so that my five-year-old can read along with me if he wants to. Very good and entertaining book that had us in stitches. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Poppy and JJ (3)
JJ loved it. A big, furry, stripy tiger unexpectedly visits a little girl's home and has a comparatively civilised tea with her and her mother (admittedly, he does finish all the food and drink in the house). He thanks the mother and daughter and leaves. Undeniably old-fashioned, but charming, nonetheless. The illustrations are lovely and very expressive, making the tiger intimidating, yet affectionate, and the reader cannot help but fall in love. JJ loves this book, and thinks the tiger “quite naughty”. The idea of the mother stocking up on “tiger food” should he ever return is brilliant and made JJ laugh. The story moves at just the right pace, and has a satisfying conclusion. Perfect for every child's library. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Emma and Reilly (2)
Contrary to the idiom “don't judge a book by its cover” I was indeed drawn to this title for the vivid illustrations along with its underwater theme. I decided to play the CD included at the back of the book and my almost threee-year-old son was hooked. The spoken track by Ringo Starr himself is a nice touch as song lyrics are not always easy to read aloud and this is a helpful example. As well as the words themselves the beautiful illustrations throughout provide several talking points and a trip to an aquarium is now on our “to do” list. Both the book and the CD have been a huge hit with my son. If you loved the band then this is definitely a book for you but, even if you don't rate them, I would still recommend it. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Poppy and JJ (3)
Surtsey is an extraordinary, loveable, ginger striped cat who hides on his master's fishing boat and ends up at sea. Suddenly there is a storm and he falls into the Icelandic ocean. His fears, adventures and fun begin here. In this book there are shells, whales, otters, a mermaid, tiny sea-creatures and swirling seas in a kaleidoscope of colours. Surtsey makes friends and has lots of adventures. Eventually, Surtsey finds his master's boat by recognising the fishing nets and is happily rescued. Every page, in keeping with the traditional Russian fairytales, has a stunning border. Hilary Roper clearly knows that children love detail. This unique, treasure of a book is a must. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Gina, Evie (4) and Isobel (1)
We've become quite big fans of Winnie books - they are always entertaining and a big hit with my four-year old: so we were really pleased to get this new adventure. As ever, there is so much to look at in the illustrations - lots of detail, lots of energy and colour. Winnie remains bonkers, and Wilbur is wonderfully unimpressed. The story is faintly ridiculous, which has always been a winning formula for Winnie books - however, on our first read through, I wasn't sure that it quite hung together as well as other Winnie books we've read, and it wasn't immediately requested for multiple readings. But we've read it again since and it's growing on us. Not the strongest one in the series; but the strength of the characters and the joyous illustrations carry it through. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Mariana and Fatema (3)
My three-year-old LOVED this book and even my six-year-old who declared it childish had a sneaky read when no one was looking! When Molly wakes in the middle of the night and hears a noise on the stairs she conjures up all sorts of monsters who are on their way to gobble her up. Molly is a brave girl and uses her bedsheet to catch the deadly monster when it opens her door. When she lifts the sheet she finds that it isn't actually a monster but her mother who came to tuck her in. Fatema, who is afraid of the dark, was seriously worried for Molly and couldn't understand why all these monsters were coming to her bedroom! She loved the ending and was so enthralled she gave me a hug just like Molly gave her mum. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Charmain, Thomas (5) and Lucy (3)
When the kids saw this book they got excited for different reasons; my three-year-old little girl loved the girl on the front cover and my five- year-old son laughed at the monster. They wanted to read it straight away. We loved the story and at the end my boy said "so its better to love people for who they are"; he understood the whole book and wanted to read it again. On some pages there is a lot of writing all over the place and my 5 year old got a bit confused about what was supposed to be read and when. The pages are quite thick and we kept thinking we were turning over more than one page! The kids loved the pictures and the colours of the book; mummy loved the moral of the story. Worth a read with the little ones. Photograph: PR
reviewed by Erin and Edith (3)
I have been reading this story to my three-year-old nightly, for the past week. She insists upon it before bed every evening. It's the tale of a lonely bear called Mr Brown, his magical growing hat and the birds who make their home in it. It is an exquisitely illustrated book and simply beautiful to hold and read. However, as an adult, I thought the story had too obvious a moral lesson to be learnt. But three year olds don't look at books critically and what delights her time and time again are the passing seasons and the birds nesting in the funny hat. An unexpected favourite. Photograph: PR
