Friday 11 October 2013

Picture Book Review – The Spider and the Fly – Based on the original poem by Mary Howitt & Tony DiTerlizzi (Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – The Spider and the Fly – Based on the original poem by Mary Howitt & Tony DiTerlizzi (Illustrator)

Recommender for - Toddlers, Younger Readers


Now for something a bit darker. Based on the cautionary tale by Mary Howitt, The Spider and the Fly tells off a fly who is lured into the trap of a spider through his charming words, and ends up being the spiders’ meal. It’s not the sort of ending that you’d expect from a children’s picture book, but then it’s always great to have something a little different, particularly that you can use to discuss with your children afterwards – be wary of strangers asking you to go with them.

The illustrations are macabre, in a black, grey & white style, but work wonderfully for the tone of the story. A lot of the text is on pages that are similar to how silent films used to present dialogue, and it’s a lovely touch. It really enhances the feel of the text, making the story darker than it would be if you just read the original poem.

Not everyone will want their children reading something darker, but I look forward to giving my son a range of things to read, and being able to discuss them with him afterwards, so if you’re not adverse to something a little macabre, give this one a go.


8/10

Picture Book Review – Wolf Won’t Bite! – Emily Gravett (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – Wolf Won’t Bite! – Emily Gravett (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers


The Three Little Pigs have finally won! They’ve captured the wolf and are proudly showing off to audiences how they can do anything they want to him and he won’t bite! Although, I’m not certain that I’d be that confident – after all, he’s still a wolf…

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, Emily Gravett’s books often have something a little bit different that makes them stand out from the crowd. In this case, it’s a twist on the Three Little Pigs story, with the pigs having captured the wolf and claiming to have tamed him. You’ll spend the entire book convinced that any second the wolf is going to snap his jaws, as the pigs taunt him with more and more daring actions, and pay off is sure to make adults and children laugh alike.

The illustrations are lovely as ever, and make fantastic use of the space on the page. It’s easy to see why she’s a two-time Kate Greenaway winner. The whole package is a wonderful twist on a classic fairy tale, and the perfect accompaniment to a story session on fairy tales.


9/10

Picture Book Review – Again! – Emily Gravett (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – Again! – Emily Gravett (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers


I’ve read a few of Emily Gravett’s books before, and they tend to have that little something different about them that makes them stand out really well. Again! was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award this year, and was fully deserving of its place on the shortlist.

It’s time for bed, but little Cedric doesn’t want to sleep. His poor mum has to read the same story to him over and over again, but what will happen if she refuses to read it again? Let’s hope his fiery temper doesn’t come out!

First of all, I love a grumpy animal, and Cedric getting more insistent on his mum reading the story again throughout the book is brilliant. The way his mother subtly changes the words of the story to hint that Cedric should be going to sleep is a lovely touch, and the very clever way that Emily Gravett incorporates Cedric’s fiery temper into the end of the book is absolutely fantastic – I won’t spoil it as it’s a great surprise (unless you turn the book over!), but it’s one of my favourite moments in a picture book from the last year. It’s got some gorgeous illustrations in general, and the way the words become more unruly on the page as Cedric gets more frustrated works really well.

Worth reading again, and again, and again….AGAIN!


9/10

Tuesday 8 October 2013

Picture Book Review – There Is a Bird on Your Head! (Elephant & Piggie) – Mo Willems (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – There Is a Bird on Your Head! (Elephant & Piggie) – Mo Willems (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers


Ah, the wonderful feeling when a Mo Willems’ book arrives on the van at the library. Happening less and less as I make my through them, but it’s still a joy when it happens.

Gerald is most disturbed when, one day, a bird decides to land on his head, followed by another, who make a nest between them, and then lay eggs. Will he manage to convince them to leave, and if he does where will they land next?

Oh, how I love the dialogue that Mo Willems writes. It’s just so darn funny, and I love the breaking of the fourth wall to acknowledge the audience at times. Watching Gerald the elephant get increasingly frustrated is great fun, and the solution to getting rid of them is so simple it’s perfect. The illustrations are as simple but delightful as ever, and although I could read the stories all day they always seem the perfect length to give you a short, sharp, hilarious story.

You really shouldn't be reading this review still – you should out there trying to get a hold of Mo Willems’ entire back catalogue.


9/10

Picture Book Review – I'm Not Ready! – Jonathan Allen (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – I'm Not Ready! – Jonathan Allen (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for - Toddlers, Younger Readers

 

In the same vein as I’m Not Cute! comes another offering from Jonathan Allen. This time Baby Owl isn’t ready for nursery – why is his mum forcing him to go when he has so much to do?! But once he’s finally arrived, will he even want to go home?

This story is particularly relevant to my wife and I at the moment, as we've just had to send our son to nursery – he’s fine going, but he hates us leaving him and – sorry, you’re here for a book review, not an emotional blog on the despair at leaving your child with strangers. Anyway, I love this sort of story, because it gives you a chance to talk to your child about issues such as them being afraid of going to nursery in a fun way, and show that really they’ll have fun when they go if they give it a chance. It’s easier with slightly older kids of course, but I'm sure it helps from any age.

Just like I'm Not Cute!, Baby Owl gets more and more frustrated, and I find the idea of a small angry owl absolutely brilliant. Grumpy animals make me laugh more than any other, and it’s great that on this occasion there’s a genuine reason behind it, that being the fear of going to nursery. The illustrations are recognisable as Jonathan Allen’s style, and the story is a great one to read to children, as you can get louder and louder as Baby Owl gets more and more frustrated – the Baby Owl books always go down well at Storytime in the library.

Always worth checking out one these titles.


9/10

Monday 7 October 2013

Picture Book Review – Prince Charmless – Jeanne Willis (Author) & Tony Ross (Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – Prince Charmless – Jeanne Willis (Author) & Tony Ross (Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers


From the front cover, it’s easy to confuse this with a Little Princess story – it’s illustrated by Tony Ross, who writes those stories, and it’s about a young member of the royal family, but this is actually by legendary children’s author Jeanne Willis, and it’s well worth checking out if you like the Little Princess stories.

Prince Charmless has never been satisfied – he always wants something more, demanding change from morning to night, until one day everybody gets fed up and leaves him to his own devices. Can the spoilt brat of a Prince learn that sometimes doing things himself can give him everything he wants?

I’ve always like a story where you can sum up the moral at the end to your children (without being too preachy of course), and this is a great example – the Prince is horrible until being forced to do things himself and learning that if he makes the effort himself then he won’t have to rely on other people who might get it wrong. The quirky illustrations of Tony Ross help to illustrate both Prince Charmless’ ire and satisfaction perfectly, just as they do in the Little Princess stories, and clearly Willis and Ross are perfectly suited to work together.

Another great story from two giants of the picture book genre.


8/10

Picture Book Review – Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct – Mo Willems (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct – Mo Willems (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers


I've finally tracked down a Mo Willems book that isn't an Elephant & Piggie or Pigeon title!
Edwina the dinosaur is loved by everyone, but there’s one problem – as Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie points out, Edwina should be extinct! He does his best to point this out to everyone, but when he finally tells Edwina, will she even care?

Mo Willems is one of the greatest picture book authors of all time, which is a scientific fact, backed up by science. There’s a unique feel to his stories, and a wonderful sense of humour running through them that parents will appreciate as much as their children, and Edwina is in the same vein of wacky hilarity as any of the Elephant & Piggie or Pigeon books. Having said that, this is probably my least favourite book of his that I've read so far – but when you see the rating that I've given it, that should merely highlight the fact that Willems’ work is so strong, as I still thought the book was illustrated delightfully, had a wonderful premise, and was very funny.

Perhaps it’s because it’s missing the way that his other stories use characters that talk to the narrator, which I absolutely love, and is a technique that I've used in several stories that I've written – regardless, this is a great book, well worth a read, and great for letting children believe that maybe the beasts that they believe have gone extinct are really still out there.


8/10

Picture Book Review – The Hueys in ‘It Wasn't Me’ – Oliver Jeffers (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – The Hueys in ‘It Wasn't Me’ – Oliver Jeffers (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers


If you've read any of my other reviews on this blog, you’ll know that I’m a massive fan of Oliver Jeffers’ work. I loved the first Hueys book, which had one of the cleverest jokes I’ve ever seen in a picture book, and so I was delighted to learn that there’s another book in the series.

When Gillespie comes across some of the Hueys arguing one day, he tries to get to the bottom of what they’re arguing about. He doesn't have much luck, but when there’s something much more exciting to see, maybe it won’t matter…

What I love most about Oliver Jeffers’ work is the humour, and it’s utter bizarreness at times – the way random events pop up is genius, and the end of this story is brilliant, with the way Gillespie distracts the Hueys long enough for them to forget their argument. Whilst it’s not quite as good a joke throughout as The New Jumper, it’s still great to read, and one for parents just as much as for children.

The illustrations are instantly recognisable as Jeffers’ work too, and he’s my favourite artist working in picture books today. There’s a wacky feel to them that matches the humour perfectly, and it’s fantastic to have an author who illustrates his own work and can bring his exact vision to paper.

The name Oliver Jeffers should guarantee you read this – if not, please accept my plea for you to do so. Every Oliver Jeffers book missed is a waste of one of the chance to read one of the world’s most entertaining authors, in any age or genre.


9/10

Picture Book Review - The BIG-Hearted Book – Nicholas Allan (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review - The BIG-Hearted Book – Nicholas Allan (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers

 

Now, I've never been ashamed to admit that I weep like a baby at the slightest happy or sad moment in a book, television programme or film. Or the odd computer game. So, a book about a dog owner who falls severely ill was always going to elicit a reaction, even if the back cover didn't warn me what was coming.

Babette and Bill are normally inseparable, but when Babette starts becoming angry and lethargic Bill doesn't know why. The truth is that she has had to go into hospital as she’s very ill, but when she is released things can go back to normal, cooking for each other and playing in the park, and the two remain the very best of friends.

When I’d finally dried my eyes upon finishing, I thought about whether or not I would want my son to read something like this when he’s a little older – after all, it’s very upsetting stuff, even if Babette gets better. Having thought about it, I decided that yes, it’s a great story to teach him that there’s always hope, and that friends will always be there for you no matter what. He might have to read it to himself as I’ll be blubbing all the way through it, but I really do think that it’s told in the perfect way to introduce children to the idea of illness. Not everyone will agree, but if this is the way you want to address such a topic, this is a perfect way of doing so.


8/10

Picture Book Review – I Want A Boyfriend – Tony Ross (Author & Illustrator)

Picture Book Review – I Want A Boyfriend – Tony Ross (Author & Illustrator)

Recommended for – Toddlers, Younger Readers

 

For anyone who’s read I Want My Potty, you know exactly what’s going to happen here – the Little Princess demands a boyfriend, for she deserves to be looked after. However, is Donald really the right choice, or is she going to have to try and find a second boyfriend?

There’s something wonderful about the Little Princess stories, and it mainly stems from the hilarious way the princess demands something and everyone around her reacts in a panic to ensure she gets it. In this case, watching them cry ‘She wants a boyfriend!’ and then settling for Donald is brilliant, particularly as it becomes clear very quickly that they aren’t suited at all. When they both declare their hatred for the opposite sex and go back to doing what they were before they were thrust together, I couldn't help smiling at the perfect portrayal of the stereotypical relationship between boys and girls of this age. All that was missing was a declaration that ‘Boys smell!’ and it would have been the greatest depiction I've ever seen in any form of media anywhere.

The illustrations, like all Tony Ross’ work, have a slightly uneven feeling to them, which help match the Princess’ slightly uneven personality, and they’re very distinctive – you’d know that you were picking up a Little Princess story even if there weren't any words on the cover.

All the books in the series are great fun, but this is one of the best that I've read.

9/10

Sunday 6 October 2013

Book Review - Mr Mumbles (Invisible Fiends #1) - Barry Hutchison (Author)

Book Review - Mr Mumbles (Invisible Fiends #1) - Barry Hutchison (Author)

Recommended for - Children (7-11)




(From the back cover) Kyle hasn't seen Mr Mumbles in years. And, there's a good reason for that: Mr Mumbles doesn't exist. But now Kyle's imaginary friend is back, and Kyle doesn't have time to worry about why. Only one thing matters from on: staying alive...

It's impossible to see a horror series for children nowadays and NOT think back to the legendary Goosebumps series by R.L.Stine. I read title after title when I was younger, enjoyed the accompanying television series, and graduated onto Point Horror when I was a bit older. However, if there was one negative about Goosebumps, it's that you could argue there wasn't really much depth to them - there's a mystery, some sort of creepy thing happens involving it, and it gets sorted by the end of the book, kind of...

Nothing wrong with that whatsoever, as you know what you're getting, and that's a fun read on a new topic each time.

It's great, however, when a series comes along that tries to be much more than that. Step forward please, the Invisible Fiends series by Barry Hutchison. As with most readers, I was first attracted to the cover of one of these books, although in this case it was actually Book 2, Raggy Maggie, that caught my eye. I'm the sort that hates to jump in part way through a series though, so I ordered in book one and waited patiently for it to arrive. When it did, I found a children's horror story that had a good plot, plenty of back story, mysteries that I wanted to explore further, and best of all some genuinely creepy moments.

The hero of the story, Kyle, is an ordinary 12-year old, who had an imaginary friend called Mr Mumbles when he was younger. As is the case with everyone, he forgot about Mr Mumbles with time, but this Christmas, Mr Mumbles comes back to haunt him, wanting revenge for having been forgotten. Mr Mumbles himself is a pretty scary creation, his mouth having been sewn together, and being a Michael Myers-esque monster that never stops coming for you. It's certainly enough to give children the creeps, much more so than the generic monsters in Goosebumps ever did with me. The idea if your imaginary friends coming back in a twisted and evil version, wanting revd he for having been forgotten is brilliantly originally, and worrying for those of us who had imaginary friends - luckily I didn't!

The characters are very well written and full of snappy dialogue. Kyle is a hero that kids can root for, dropped into this situation seemingly out of the blue, but able to step up bravely to try and put things right. He's assisted by a mysterious girl, Ameena, who turns up at just the right time and seems to know exactly what's going on, but there's a lot more to discover about her by the time the book has ended, and we leave not knowing a great deal about HOW she knows it all. Kyle's forgetful grandmother is fun, clearly not as crazy as everyone thinks her to be, and the Big Bad of the story is creepy and manipulative, and oozes evil in that glorious way that villains of children's films do so well.

What makes this world that Barry Hutchison has created so good is the alternative Hell-version of our own Earth that Mr Mumbles comes from, and that Kyle is transported to. It's a world overrun by monsters from our nightmares, and it's clear that someone is trying to break down the barriers between it and our own world. For Kyle, that person is someone far too close to home...It sets up the plot line for the entire series (six books worth) brilliantly, and it's obvious that this isn't the last we've seen of this evil dimension.

There's also a deal of magic involved in the story, with Kyle able to seemingly channel some kind of mystical energy into helping him defeat Mr Mumbles, turning a plastic bow and arrow into a real life weapon for instance.

Overall, this is a great start to a horror series for children that clearly has depth to it, in a way that an on-going, 'monster of the week', style series could never hope to achieve. I look forward to tackling the next book in the series, Raggy Maggie, which promises to be even creepier, as it features that most frightening of horror movie villains, a little girl with a rag doll...

9/10