Wednesday 15 May 2013

Picture Book - I'm Not Cute! - Jonathan Allen (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - I'm Not Cute! - Jonathan Allen (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for - Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers




Oh, how I do love a story about a grumpy animal!

Poor Baby Owl - no matter where he goes, everyone tells him how cute he is. He tries to tell them about how fierce he really is, but secretly, does he want to be cute after all?

Everytime I think of this book I can't help but smile - the thought of a baby owl throwing a mini-strop and stamping his feet when he's told he's cute is hilarious! Having a young son who gets grumpy when he's tired (as I'm sure most of you reading this will have experienced!) I can feel a certain empathy with Baby Owl's mother. It'll make you all giggle and smile, that's for sure.

The illustrations add to the laughter, with Baby Owl grumpily jumping up and down everytime he's called cute, like some deranged little ball of fur. 

Guaranteed to make you and your children laugh.

9/10

Picture Book - Mr Pusskins and Little Whiskers - Sam Lloyd (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - Mr Pusskins and Little Whiskers - Sam Lloyd (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for - Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers




I'm a sucker for a story about a grumpy cat (owning one myself), so the expression on the front cover drew me in straight away.

Mr Pusskins lives quite happily with his owner Emily, when she suddenly announces that she has a wonderful surprise - a kitten! Mr Pusskins is less than happy however, so will he be able to make friends with this new addition to the family?

I suppose in a way this is what it must be like for your first-born having to cope with their younger brother or sister coming in to the world - although hopefully it won't cause you to giggle quite as much! I really enjoyed Mr Pusskins' reactions to this turn of events, with the typewritten letter a particular highlight, and it also has a great lesson for kids that they need to apologise if they've done wrong, and that they can still make friends after a rocky start (I'm big on my lessons within books).

The style of illustrations is almost haphazard in a way, but that's not meant to be a criticism - it fits Mr Pusskins grumpy persona very well!

This is the second book of the series, so there'll be a review of the first book up soon - as long as Mr Pusskins is the same grumpy cat as in this story, I'm sure I'll enjoy it just as much!

8/10

Picture Book - It's A Book - Lane Smith (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book - It's A Book - Lane Smith (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for Toddlers/Younger Readers 




Occasionally, a children's picture book comes along that has theme that must have been written with adults in mind. I Want My Hat Back (Jon Klassen) has wonderfully subtle pictures with dark overtones. The Hueys in The New Jumper (Oliver Jeffers) features one person doing something different, only for everyone to do it so they can also be different. And now, It's A Book joins the ranks of the elite.

It's such a simple idea, but phenomenally well done. It's funny, and will ring true to anyone who has stopped to consider that children will grow up in a world where e-books are the norm. Some people panic over this, some embrace it (me - the important thing is that they're reading), but this story is a gem for anyone who doesn't want to see us lose the printed word.

It's simple plot is thus - a monkey is happily reading, when a jackass appears and asks him a series of questions about it, along the lines of 'Can it text? Tweet? Wi-fi?' etc. By the end of the story, the jackass is completely entranced, despite it's lack of technology.

Words along cannot do justice to just how funny I found this, as did all my library colleagues (e-books vs printed books is a hot topic at the moment, as you can well imagine). I don't think I've ever seen anything as clever put down in print for children. The pictures are fun, adding to the humour as the monkey gets more and more exasperated.

It's perfect for helping to explain to your children why a book can be as much fun as a techno-gadget. No excuses, this is a must read!

10/10

Wednesday 1 May 2013

Picture Book - Bear Wants More - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Picture Book - Bear Wants More - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Recommended for - Babies/Toddlers/Younger Children



And so, for now, I bid farewell to Bear, as I come to the end of the eight books in the series published so far...

Bear wakes up following a long period of hibernation, and he's rather hungry. But what will he do if he eats so much that he can't fit through the entrance to his cave anymore?

For once, FINALLY, Bear doesn't seem to suffer too much! Sure, he can't fit into his home for a while, but that just means he takes the party to the forest outside. That's more fun, surely? I'm not sure if this is actually the latest book in the series, but it's a nice way to finish it, compared to the last two stories I've reviewed where he gets stuck in a storm, and then feels ill!

Throughout the series, the stories have had a heart-warming centre, about a Bear and his friends who help each other out when the need arises. The words flow together brilliantly, the illustrations are wonderful to look at, and there's always a delightful feel-good ending (not that you'd expect anything different in a book for children!). The quality is consistently great throughout, never dipping, making all the books in the series a must-read.

Well done Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman - in my opinion, I think the Bear series is the best long children's picture book series availble. Please write some more!

9/10

Picture Book - Bear Feels Ill - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Picture Book - Bear Feels Ill - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Recommended for - Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers




Oh Bear - last time you were lost in the storm, now you're feeling ill...

When Bear feels ill, it's up to his friends to try and make him feel better. But will they succeed without feeling ill themselves?

Another heart-warming tale of our favourite furry friend, and also known as Bear Feels Sick, it's once more up to Bear's friends to help him with his latest woe. I really do love the fact that they spend so much time making him feel better, only to end up with the same trouble as him, with Bear taking his turn to look after them at the end. A great message for children as to what friendship is about!

I've mentioned this before, but I love how the special duvet that was made for Bear keeps cropping up in the other books - it's a small, but delightful piece of continuity, and I love little touches like this that show the author and illustrator care.

Only one more book in the Bear series to go :(

9/10

Picture Book - Bear Feels Scared - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Picture Book - Bear Feels Scared - Karma Wilson (Author) & Jane Chapman (Illustrator)

Recommended for Babies/Toddlers/Younger Readers



And so we return to Karma Wilson's Bear series. Always a pleasure to do so!

In Bear Feels Scared, our furry friend gets lost outside when a huge storm hits the Strawberry Vale. Luckily, his friends are around to help him find his way home, and look after him until he feels safe again. 

Poor Bear - Karma Wilson really does put him through some peril at times! If children haven't been feeling sorry for Bear in the past, they certainly will do now. Anyone familiar with the series knows that it'll all turn out OK in the end, but your heart really does go out to him until then.

As ever, the illustrations are lovely, and the words flow together delightfully. At the time of writing, there's only two books left in the series. What shall I do without my regular fix of Bear?!

9/10