Picture Book - Stuck- Oliver Jeffers (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - Stuck- Oliver Jeffers (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

Oh, Oliver Jeffers. You make my life so good.

This is the third book by the author that I've read, and I'm yet to find anything that isnt utterly hilarious and compelling in any of them.

Floyd has got his kite stuck in a tree. No matter what he throws at it, he can't get it to come down. A ladder, the post-man, a house, an ocean-liner...that kite is well and truly stuck.

What skill it must take to make something as ordinary as getting a kite stuck in a tree to be so utterly captivating. The absurdity of the objects thrown, and the capacity of this tree to hold them, will have parent and child in stitches throughout. It's as wonderfully illustrated as ever, and ending will bring a smile that you can't easily remove, especially for those of us blessed with less than perfect memories.

If there's any children's author fast becoming a 'must-read-before-all-else', it's Oliver Jeffers. This man is a genius.

10/10

Picture Book - This Moose Belongs to Me - Oliver Jeffers (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - This Moose Belongs to Me - Oliver Jeffers (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

Whenever my son gets given a book for a special occasion, certain names fill me with joy, as I know I'm going to have just as much fun (if not more) than him reading it. I first read Oliver Jeffers' work with The Hueys in The New Jumper, and it was such a fantastically funny story that I was over the moon to read some more.

Joy of joys, this is just as good, full of the same quirky humour that adults will lap up, and the wonderful artistic skill that children will delight in looking at.

When Wilfred comes across a moose, he just KNOWS it was meant to be his. The moose doesn't always obey the rules that Wilfred sets out, but when he does he comes in very handy. However, someone else seems to think they own the moose, and Wilfred needs to set the record straight.

I laughed, and I laughed, and I laughed some more when reading this. Wilfred's list of rules are hilarious, particularly his use of sub sections, as are the mooses reactions to Wilfred's commands. The illustrations themselves are hilarious, and also absolutely beautiful. There's a certain something that makes the artwork unique, which I can't quite put my finger on (being as much of an art critic as I am a fried omlette), but it's instanatly recognisable, much like Jon Klassen's work.

It's hard to emphasise just how enjoyable books like this are. When reading to your child, the most important thing is that they enjoy the story and the pictures, but it's such a bonus when you're laughing to yourself all the way through. It makes your storytelling all the better, and enhances their experience. With that in mind, This Moose Belongs to Me should give you one heck of a storytime.

Miss this at your peril.

10/10

Picture Book - Bear's New Friend - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Picture Book - Bear's New Friend - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Recommended for: Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers

I hope you're not coming in here expecting anything but a glowing review. If you've read any of my reviews of previous books in Karma Wilson's Bear series, you'll know just how much I like them. Bear's New Friend is no exception.

Bear is playing one day, when he hears a noise he can't identify or find. He tracks down all his friends, asking if it's them, but eventually finds out it's a new friend altogether. It's another small tale to make you smile, and for children to enjoy being a part of Bear's world.

Karma Wilson's usual sing-song storytelling is as good as ever, as are Jane Chapman's illustrations. In fact, something about the pictures stand out to me as being more bright and colourful than ever. Children could easily enjoy a Bear book marathon one afternoon, and demand to have another straight afterwards. What a shame I've nearly read them all.

9/10