Category Archives: Picture Books

Just Like My Dad App News plus Book Giveaway

For those new to the blog, you may not know that I we are huge fans of David Melling in the Chaos household. This addiction goes back six years, when I purchased a copy of Just Like My Dad from one of our local bookshops for Mr Chaos’ first Father’s Day when MG was only a few months old.

That book is enjoyed as much now as it was then. Well, technically it’s enjoyed much more as there’s only so much a four-month old gets out a book, and we’ve double the children now! But I’m sure you understood what I meant before I decided to add needless clarification…

Just Like My Dad app screen

Today, 13th June 2013, Just Like My Dad is being released as an app. Perfect for Father’s Day sharing, it includes burp and fart sounds. What more does any self-respecting 2-8 year old want than burp and fart sounds? Apparently this also applies to most dads too, but I try to avoid gender stereotyping…

I don’t have anything to run apps on, so normally leave app reviews to the wonderful CApptivated Kids. But the fact that the app includes David Melling illustrations and is based on Just Like My Dad would make it worth the £1.99 price tag in my opinion!

Just Like My Dad app screen

The Just Like My Dad app is released in iOS and Android versions, and is available from the iTunes AppStore and Google Play in the UK, Europe, Australia and North America. I’ll add links as soon as I get them.

I normally ignore press releases in my reviews, but as this isn’t a review here’s some facts from the press release:

  • Narrated by a child actor to appeal to children using the app
  • ‘Read to me’, ‘Read by myself’ and ‘Record myself’ options
  • Available in all options, each screen has automated and touch-activated animation
  • Available in all options, each screen includes touch-activated sound effects, including farting skunks and burping dad and son lion
  • Children get to torment ‘dad’ by ripping plasters off the dad lion
  • ‘Record myself’ option allows a child and father to have fun recording the story together

Sounds like fun. I think my two would particularly like the ripping plasters off dad lion part! Amazingly I haven’t actually reviewed Just Like My Dad yet, but for an idea of the style I have written about Just Like My Mum.

Just Like My Dad app screen

To celebrate the release, Hachette have offered me five sets of the Just Like My Dad board book plus toy lion to giveaway. If the lion is anything like the mini Hugless Douglas from his book/toy set then it is cuter than cute (and small enough to smuggle into schoolbags for a bit of comfort away from home…) I wish I could enter my own competitions!

Just Like My Dad Book and Toy Box Set

To be in with a chance of winning one of these book/toy sets, please enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. The prizes will be sent direct from the publisher. Obviously they won’t arrive in time for Father’s Day, but this is a book to be enjoyed any day of the year. The deadline is midnight on Tuesday 18th June. Open to UK addresses only. Winners must reply with addresses within 5 days of drawing, or another winner will be drawn. Five prizes on offer.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Father’s Day Books

Is it really Father’s Day this Sunday? I know it’s always the third Sunday in June, but I had in my head that it was 23rd June, not 16th! Then again, I think today is the 2nd of June, not the 11th. Or perhaps April. 2010. So my date-keeping isn’t that impressive…

There are lots of lovely books involving Fathers but I hope you don’t mind if I only cover two recent releases that I’ve been sent!

I Love My Daddy: Giles Andreae & Emma Daddy (Orchard Books, 2011)Firstly, there’s the board book version of I Love My Daddy from the team of Giles Andreae and Emma Dodd. A lovely celebration of dad-ness that quite fits our family (the dad is shown cooking pancakes; this is the only thing Mr Chaos volunteers to cook – apart from BBQs of course!) I like how the toddler child pictured could be male or female, making this accessible to any gender of blonde, white child. It is a nice book. It’s not a stand-out or particularly showcasing the talents of Giles Andreae or Emma Dodd, who between them have an amazing body of work, but it’s a nice book. I was going to offer our copy as a giveaway (my two being a bit on the old side for board books apart from their extra-special ones) but someone’s used this book to lean on when drawing so there are small dents in the cover and it’s not good enough (in my opinion) to give away. However, if you’d like it, the first person to contact me will get it in the post – not in time for Father’s Day alas!

There, There: Sam McBratney & Ivan Bates (Templar Publishing, 2013)Secondly, is a book I am far more excited about. There, There by Sam McBratney and Ivan Bates is stunningly beautiful. Sam McBratney is the writer of Guess How Much I Love You?, a book that is a classic but only a so-so book for me. What really makes There, There are Ivan Bates delicious illustrations. I’ve just realised I’ve managed to miss a whole series of books illustrated by Ivan Bates and will be tracking them down forthwith! This story follows Hansie Bear (what a gorgeous name!) as he plays and, as small children do, he gets minor hurts along the way. His dad is there, watching him from a suitable distance, allowing Hansie freedom to play and learn but always being there for a hug and the comforting words of “There, there…” This is a lovely book to share with small toddlers who may be afraid of trying new things, reassuring them that we’ll always be there for them (but not wrapping them up in cotton wool so they can’t appreciate the world or have fun!) but also lovely to share with older children who already know this and who will fall in love with cute little Hansie and his Dad. MG and DG do think he’s cute, and can relate to how Hansie gives his dad a hug at the end to cheer him up because we’re a family who supports each other and our girls have hugged Mummy and Daddy when we’ve been down too. A gorgeously beautiful book with a lovely message, and a fantastic Father’s Day gift too – you’ve still time to order this in to your local independent book store or buy online in time to get it for Sunday. We won’t be giving our copy away I’m afraid!

Last year I reviewed My Daddy by Curtis Jobling. The first Father’s Day book I bought Mr Chaos was Just Like My Dad by David Melling, which six years on is still a firm favourite.

Disclaimer: We were sent copies of I Love My Daddy by Hachette Children’s Books and There, There by Templar Publishing for review. No other financial reward was given and the opinions are my own. I was not asked to write this post.

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Mabel and Me Best of Friends by Mark Sperring & Sarah Warburton

Mabel and Me Best of Friends by Mark Sperring & Sarah Warburton

Mabel and Me Best of Friends: Mark Sperring & Sarah Warburton (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2013)

Unlikely friends are a common theme in children’s books. Unlikely friends. But let’s think about that for a bit. Terry Pratchett writes in his Discworld novels that million-to-one chances work out nine times out of ten and it seems to me that unlikely friends are just as likely. I’ve written before how author / illustrator partnerships where the collaborators are friends seem to produce books that stand out more, whether they were friends before or became friends from working together, and the partnership of Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton shines through in Mabel and Me Best of Friends.

I’ve loved Sarah Warburton’s work for several years now and have previously raved about The Princess and the Peas, a collaboration with Caryl Hart. I’m not sure Caryl and Sarah knew each other well before working on The Princess and the Peas but they certainly completely “got” each other and what was needed there, and Sarah showcases her talent for matching pictures to text again with Mabel and Me.

Mabel and Me‘s unlikely friendship is between a little girl and her “strange little creature thing with scrawny hairy rodent legs” friend. “Me” takes centre stage with Mabel only saying a few words throughout the book, although these words are significant as well as being “hugely harrowing and diabolically difficult” on occasion.

The words chosen throughout the story are spot-on. Many phrases from this book have entered the everyday subconscious of the Chaos household. “Hey, you, you in the tutu!” being a particular favourite. But it’s not just the words that are spot-on; each character’s expression conveys so much meaning. The shocked faces of Monsieur Famous French Photographer and Senora Prima Ballerina (and what wonderful names they are too!); Me’s perplexity, indignation and forlornness (amongst others); and most of all the looks of friendship between Mabel and Me.

There is too much to love about this book. From the copyright page styled as a wall with posters pasted on; the end papers showing the characters in daytime and night; the detailing of the city they walk through; the cat in one window eying up a goldfish in another; the fez and stetson thrown in the air (Fezzes are cool!); the photobooth with a mustache; more wall posters…

The detail in the illustrations make this book a joy to read over and over again, plus give so many jumping points for follow on projects: houses and architecture; Europe; ballet; photography; design; dance; emotions… Not to mention what can be taken from the text: alliteration; mixed-up sayings…

Overall and beyond all that, this is a lovely story about friendship that we all enjoy on different levels. Although suitable for toddlers and up, there is so much in Mabel and Me that makes it perfect for older children so I’d recommend for any household with children aged 2-10.

Mabel and Me Best of Friends is currently out in hardback with RRP of £12.99 and is worth every penny; it’s out in paperback on 4th July.

You can read a lovely story behind the creation of the book and a newsflash mini-story starring Mabel and Me on Sarah Warburton’s blog plus an interview with Sarah here. I’m not leaving Mark out on purpose, I just couldn’t find much of an online presence to share!

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Mabel and Me Best of Friends by Sarah Warburton and HarperCollins Children’s Books for review. No other financial reward was given and the opinions are my own. I was not asked to write this post.

Sarah also wrapped the book beautifully and added some lovely extras, which made me squeak loudly when we opened the package. Huge and extra-special thank-yous from us all to Sarah xx

Mabel and Me book and cards

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300 Picture Books

At the beginning of the year, I signed up for a ‘book challenge’ to read 300 picture books in 2013. It was aimed more for picture book writers and wannabe writers, to look at around 6 books a week for inspiration, and the originator stopped updating their site in early February. However, when you have small children, reading 300 picture books doesn’t take as long as you’d think, and I took the challenge and ran with it…

I started to use Goodreads to track the books we read each week, missing some repeats here and there but more or less keeping track of the majority of books I read to MG and DG throughout the year. I left out books that weren’t on Goodreads (mainly TV-tie ins or things like Thomas the Tank Engine Books, Disney princess rubbish and so forth, and non-fiction books) and I took the challenge as 300 different picture books read.

Many of these books were read over and over and over again. Some days I’d read (for instance) Each Peach Pear Plum six or seven times; other days I’d read six or seven different books; some days if we were all tired I’d not read any books. I haven’t counted the books that MG has read (and she’s reading more and more of the bedtime stories to her little sister now, it’s lovely) or the ones Mr Chaos read. How many actual stories we’ve read in the first five months of this year, I don’t know, but it’s more than 300; maybe I should start reading chapter books!

One of the books I read on 1st January was We Love You, Hugless Douglas and it was one of the books I read on 31st May. The official 300th book on the Goodreads list was Hugless Douglas.

There should be 300 books showing below, any missing are due to my accidental editing:

Dracula: A BabyLit Counting PrimerThere Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a FlyDave and VioletA Bit More BertOne, Two, Flea!Slow Dog FallingThe Goldilocks Variations: A Pop-up BookTreasure HuntBye Bye BabyCops And RobbersEach Peach Pear PlumDuck's Day OutSix Little ChicksGiraffes Can't DanceRumble in the JungleBabies, Babies, Babies!. by Laurence Anholt, Catherine AnholtSmall Knight and George and the PiratesAnna Hibiscus' SongAnt and BeeMore and More Ant and BeeMore Ant and Bee: Another Alphabetical StoryPeter & the WolfBeware of the FrogMadelinePip, Pip, Hooray!. Karen BendyWhere Are You Pip?. Karen BendyOliver Who Would Not SleepHow Big is a Pig?Secret SeahorseUugghh!Open Very Carefully: A Book with BiteThe Runaway BunnyGorillaKnock Knock Who's There?Handa's SurpriseKangaroos Have JoeysMiffyDear Zoo: A Lift-the-Flap BookThe Tiny SeedThe Very Hungry CaterpillarWho's Afraid of the Big Bad Book?Lulu and the Best Cake EverLulu and the Treasure Hunt. by Emma Chichester ClarkThe Great Fairy Tale DisasterThe Great Nursery Rhyme Disaster. Written by David ConwayPumpkin SoupThe Baby Who Wouldn't Go to BedNo!The Grunt And The GrouchMerry Christmas MaisyCheer Up Your Teddy Bear, Emily BrownEmily Brown and the ThingFIRST WEEK AT COW SCHOOLTen In The BedPretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from AfricaNight KnightBeeguTen Tickling ToesThe Magic Pear Tree: A Folk Tale From ChinaA Farmer's Life for Me: With CDCinderelephantI Love My DaddyI Love You. by Giles Andreae, Emma DoddHairy Maclary, Shoo!My Cat Likes to Hide in BoxesOther ArkRoom on the BroomTyrannosaurus DripWhen A Zeeder Met A XyderThe Pirate CruncherThe Pirates Next DoorKing of Space The Skipping-Rope SnakeI Want A Mini TigerLollopyThe Monster Who Ate Darkness. Joyce Dunbar, Jimmy LiaoEric The LiontamerGo for It, Ruby!Ruby Flew Too!The Best Gift of AllClimbing RosaTen Little Fingers and Ten Little ToesAliens Love Underpants!George's DragonChu's DayCrazy HairThe Day I Swapped My Dad for Two GoldfishSmiley SharkHaving a PicnicThe Best JumperThe AcornThe Tobermory CatWhat's the Time, Mr. Wolf?Three Little GhostiesLittle Mouse's Big Book of FearsMeerkat MailThe Rabbit ProblemWolf Won't Bite!The Sea Of TranquilityPeter Pan Sound BookLollipop and Grandpa Go Swimming. Penelope Harper & Cate JamesOh No, George!Dave. Sue HendraWanda and the Alien. by Sue HendraMrs. Mopple's Washing LineJolly TallLittle Bear's TrousersOld BearRuby, Blue and BlanketThe Great Big Book of FeelingsStrawberries Are RedElephantAlfie's FeetAll About AlfieAn Evening at Alfie'sAnnie Rose Is My Little SisterBouncingDoggerHidingThe Snow LadyDon't Get Lost!Rosie's WalkThe Elephants Who Always ForgotThe Monkey and the PeanutsThe Magic Hoop. Chlo & Mick InkpenThis Is My BookMoomin's Lift-The-Flap Hide and SeekThe Hueys in the New SweaterThe Hueys in... It Wasn't MeThe worst princessMog in the GardenPrincess Evie's Ponies: Diamond the Magic UnicornPrincess Evie's Ponies: Indigo the Magic Rainbow PonyPrincess Evie's Ponies: Neptune the Magic Sea PonyPrincess Evie's Ponies: Silver the Magic Snow PonyPrincess Evie's Ponies: Star the Magic Sand PonyPrincess Evie's Ponies: Willow the Magic Forest Ponylucy ladybirdLily Takes a WalkI Want My Hat BackThe DarkThis is Not My HatJack FrostLittle Wizard. Kazuno KoharaWe're Sailing to Galapagos: A Week in the PacificThe SneezeWendy The Wide Mouthed FrogPeekaboo Little Roar. Jo LodgeIcky Sticky Monster Pop-UpLet's Find Mimi in the City. by Katherine LodgeLet's Find Mimi at Home. Katherine LodgeKatie and the DinosaursStarlight SailorWho Wants A Dragon?Hansel and GretelZoom, Rocket, Zoom!There, ThereDenverIsabel's Noisy TummyHave You Seen Who's Just Moved In Next Door To Us?Ballet ClassAll Change!Gerda The GooseSplosh!. by David MellingThe Kiss That MissedDon't Worry, Hugless Douglas!Hugless DouglasHugless Douglas and the Big SleepWe Love You, Hugless Douglas!The ScallywagsThe Star-Faced CrocodileTwo by Two and a HalfDon't Kick Up A Fuss, Gus!Bedtime Without ArthurDown By The Cool Of The PoolThe Somethingosaur. by Tony MittonBefore We Go to Bed. Sue Mongredien, Cee BiscoeRed Riding Hood and the Sweet Little WolfWhat-a-Mess In SummerThe Paper Bag PrincessHickory Dickory Dog. by Alison MurrayLittle Mouse. Alison MurrayA Boy Wants a DinosaurAngry ArthurIn the AtticMoonlightThe Mother of Monsters: A Story from South AfricaDodo Doo-DooWinnie Flies AgainWinnie in WinterWinnie the WitchWinnie's Amazing PumpkinWinnie's Magic WandWinnie's New ComputerJack's Amazing ShadowMeg, Mog And OgColoursTimeYes NoElephant Pants. by Smriti Prasadam-Halls, Davi WojtowyczMrs Pepperpot at the BazaarCan You Catch a Mermaid?Ernest. Catherine RaynerSolomon CrocodileSylvia and BirdWhat's a Penguin to Think When He Turns Pink!CinderellaDirty BertieLittle Red: A Fizzingly Good YarnRapunzel: A Groovy Fairy TalePeculiar PetsThe Monster Machine. Nicola L. RobinsonYou Can't Eat A Princess!You Can't Scare a Princess!. by Gillian RogersonBirdsongCopycat Bear. by Ellie SandallHansel and Gretel. Written by the Brothers GrimmSplat Says Thank You!Splat the CatGreen Eggs and HamOh, the Places You'll Go!The Lorax. by Dr. SeussAlphabet Ice Cream: A A-Z of Alphabet Fun. Nick Sharratt, Sue HeapFaster, Faster! Nice And Slow!If I Was BossMoo Cow, Kung Fu CowOctopus SocktopusOne To Ten And Back AgainOuch! I Need A Plaster!PantsRed Rockets And Rainbow JellyYou Choose!Come Along, Daisy!Lily Gets Lost. by Jane Simmons, Jane SimmonsWhere The Fairies FlyBear's Big BottomCatch Us If You Can-Can!Claude at the CircusClaude in the Spotlight. by Alex T. SmithClaude on Holiday. by Alex T. SmithEliot Jones, Midnight SuperheroEllaPrimrose. by Alex T. SmithThe Wonky DonkeyGoldilocks And The Three BearsThe Gingerbread BoyThe Princess And The FrogThe Three Little PigsHodge the HedgehogDexter Bexley and the Big Blue BeastieLooking Good!Silly Doggy!Belle & Boo and the Goodnight Kiss. by Mandy SutcliffeBelle and Boo and the Birthday SurpriseBelle Boo and the Yummy Scrummy DayThe Red TreePrincess Pearl and the Underwater KingdomGigantic TurnipCan You See Sassoon?Frog and a Very Special DayBedtime For MonstersMR Big64 Zoo Lane: Georgina the GiraffeZed the ZebraBubble & SqueakI Heart BedtimeMartha and the Bunny Brothers: I Love SchoolMuffin and the ExpeditionBest FriendsSweet DreamsThe Bear With Sticky PawsThe Bear with Sticky Paws Won't Go to BedOwl BabiesSuper Swooper DinosaurThe Tough PrincessWebster J. DuckGrub in LoveMabel and Me Best of FriendsThe Princess and the PeasWelcome to Alien SchoolThe Spooky Spooky HouseAlphasaurs and Other Prehistoric TypesOne Day in the Jungle (Giggle ClubHarry And The Snow KingMagic Shoebox FarmStinky!, Or, 'How the Beautiful Smelly Warthog Found a Friend'The Tickle BookTim, Ted & the PiratesKnuffle Bunny: A Cautionary TaleThe Pigeon Wants a Puppy!Tadpole's PromiseThe Princess and the DragonHenry and the FoxHow Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?ABC Dentist: Healthy Teeth from A to ZABC Doctor: Staying Healthy from A to ZHarry by the SeaHarry the Dirty DogBig Sister and Little Sister

And because I am very dull, here are some stats:

20% of the books came from our local library and another approx 20% were review copies from publishers. The remainder are ones we owned or bought this year. Roughly 20% of owned books were bought second-hand; only a handful were gifts from other people!

300picbks

This graph shows how many new picture books were read cumulatively week-by week. As you can see, to start with most books were ‘new’ but as the weeks/months pass, more and more re-reads take over slowing down the total. If I add a linear trend line in, it predicts 700 books by the end of the year. This is skewed by the speed at the start of the year. I’ll guess somewhere between 400-500, assuming lots of library books borrowed. Although there are still huge sections of our (picture) book shelves unread so far this year…

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The Hueys in It Wasn’t Me by Oliver Jeffers

The Hueys in It Wasn't Me: Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins Children's Books, 2013)

The Hueys in It Wasn’t Me: Oliver Jeffers (HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2013)

It Wasn’t Me is the sequel to The New Jumper. Both books could be used as a basis for philosophy for children, and I think would be good discussed by older primary aged children. They don’t work as well as stories, but this is not a bad thing (unless that’s what you’re looking for!)

In It Wasn’t Me, a group of Hueys are arguing. Although when Gillespie asks why, none of them can remember. The visual descriptions of the arguments work very well, so the book could be used to discuss emotions and arguments. I really do see the Hueys as books to use for discussion more than story books.

I asked MG and DG what they thought of both books. They both prefered “the orange one” but I may have biased them by speaking first. Asking about “the blue one”, MG told me the story was about a fly and DG told me the story was about fighting. MG did not like the “scribbles” – I think the negative emotion contained makes her feel uncomfortable. DG liked the speech bubbles changing colours, and the flying elephant.

I’m not entirely sure what the story was really about to be honest. Who killed the fly?! A book that makes you think, but might tie your brain in knots ;-)

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of It Wasn’t Me by HarperCollins Children’s Books for review. No other financial reward was given and the opinions are my own. I was not asked to write this post.

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Babies, Babies, Babies by Catherine and Laurence Anholt

Babies, Babies, Babies by Catherine and Laurence Anholt (Orchard Books, 2012)

Babies, Babies, Babies by Catherine and Laurence Anholt (Orchard Books, 2012)

If you have a baby or toddler and don’t have one of the Anholts’ books on your shelves, I recommend you add one forthwith! If you’re in England, you probably already have their leaflet “Babies Love Books” from the Bookstart baby pack.

Babies, Babies, Babies is a catalogue-style book with each double spread covering familiar things: food, colours, animals, clothes… but with the added fun of rhyming words.

Beans, bread, bananas,
salad, spaghetti, sultanas,
cherries, chocolate, cheese,
pasta, pancakes, peas, [...]

This is a very cleverly written book, as well as being visually appealing. There’s a bunny to search for on each double spread, and so many things to look out for. Not to mention animal sounds and lots of pro-book wording :-)

Babies love pictures of other babies, and this book doesn’t disappoint, being filled with boys and girls of various ages and ethnicities so there’s probably at least one that your child can relate to.

MG (six) and DG (four) are probably a little too old for this book. DG enjoys it, and I think if we’d had it from younger it would be read for a long time, but I think it’s a book that is better introduced earlier than four to get the most from it. Having said that, I love it and am very much out of the age range!

Sensible, silly and sublime, this is a perfect book to share with babies and toddlers.

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Babies, Babies, Babies by Hachette Childrens Books for review. No other financial reward was given and the opinions are my own. I was not asked to write this post.

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Review Books Catchup

I am slightly behind with my review copies. Slightly. Here’s a visual aid:

Review Books

And that doesn’t include the half a dozen at least seven novels from early reader to adult fiction that I also have, but as my focus is picture books I don’t promise reviews for anything else!

Firstly, an enormous and heartfelt thanks to (in alphabetical order) Barefoot Books, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, Hachette Children’s Books, HarperCollins Children’s Books, Little Tiger Press, Pavillion Books and Templar Publishing for supplying the books pictured.

Secondly, there isn’t a “dud” among them, and several of them are utterly sublime.

Thirdly, I have a lot of writing to do! ;-)

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Friends creating books

I have a ridiculous pile of review books to get through, so much so that I will have to schedule time to write in as just writing when I feel like it doesn’t seem to be working for me at the moment, because I don’t really feel like it.

But I really need to share some of the wonderful books I’ve been sent and we’ve been in enjoying, so in lieu of proper reviews (which will follow), I want to talk about three books that MG and DG are particularly loving at the moment. Actually, it’s six books but four are by the same author/illustrator team so I’m choosing one from them.

It’s author/illustrator teams that I want to talk about. I’m merely a (very) interested party when it comes to picture books so I know a few things about how picture books are magicked into existence, but not the full details. So I may get some things wrong here!

In general it appears that for books created by two people, i.e. an author (or “illustrator’s assistant” as Korky Paul described them in a recent event we went to) and an illustrator, the creators may never even meet each other. For the books that MG and DG are loving so much at the moment, this is not the case.

All three books are about friendship in some way, and have been created by friends. This really seems to shine through and make these stories extra special.

friends

Mabel and Me is a hilarious, insightful, quotable and gorgeous book. You can read about Mark Sperring and Sarah Warburton on Sarah’s Blog.

Bubble and Squeak is a delicious, moreish, adventurous and happy book. You can read about James Mayhew and Clara Vulliamy on Clara’s Blog; and on James’ Blog.

Faster, Faster, Nice and Slow is a colourful, contradictory, bouncy and bright book. I couldn’t find any Nick Sharratt or Sue Heap information probably because this is an older book, but it’s extra-special because Nick and Sue both write and both illustrate and both appear in the books. They’ve collaborated on four books together, and this is my personal favourite (DG loves them all extra specially, they are her special books).

Disclaimer: We were sent copies of Mabel and Me by HarperCollins Children’s Books and Bubble and Squeak by Hachette Childrens Books for review. No other financial reward was given and the opinions are my own. I was not asked to write this post.

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The Magic Finger

MG writes everywhere

MG has been writing again. To be honest, she never stops. She started writing a weekend journal two weeks ago which she kept up until yesterday – she might go back to it but when I asked her about writing it she said “You just don’t understand!” so I’ll stick to leaving her to it ;-)

She’s also been writing her own version of The Magic Finger over the last week. I’ve read a synopsis of the book online but I can’t remember the detail so I’m not sure how much of what she’s writing is directly from the story or her imagination but her writing is amazing me again.

So far this story is spread over eight sides of densely packed A5. Her writing is much improved even in the six weeks since she wrote The Lonely Bear, although I think I ought to find her some extra spelling work – I don’t normally do any extra-curricular work because both my girls just learn so much from their own interests but MG loves books of words so it shouldn’t be too hard to leave something around for her to pick up on.

I won’t put the whole book up this time, but here are the first two pages (spelling errors and all – although she’s learning more and more as you can see from the first four words!)

Once upon a time there lived a girl called Eleanor. Her friend Beth came to her house Beth played with my doll first i dided not mined. But when she played with it four a long time i did not like it at all. then i poot my magic finger on Beth. (When i poot my magic finger on Beth a red flash when I did it)

When Beth came to a sleap-over at my house she started to turn into a dolly it went quicer and quicer. in the morning Beth said why do i look like a dolly? “said Beth” maby bucos you wer playing with a dolly “Beth said Eleanor,” well i was playing with a dolly “said Beth.” this secend Beths legs turned silcy nitied legs. and her arms wer turning silcy and her eyes wer buttens. her nose was a butten is well. Beths mowth was nitied red. She had a silcy dress on her.

Soon her hol body was buttened silcy nitied on her body. She was like that for ten day’s. the next day was saterday and Beth was still a dolly. on saterday Beth came to my House she played with a difrant toy she played with a robot insted. the robot was shiny and red. when Beth went home i played with the toy robot. Soon Beth was a human agan she was happy that she was normle again. But when Beth came to my house again and she played with my toy robot for a long time i sor red and i poot the magic finger on Beth and when Beth went bac home she started to turn into a robot. When Beth woc up she said why do i look like a robot. on monday Beth came to my house at my house Beth was still a robot. Beth disidid that she would play with a difrant toy bucos it werct bifor this time.

I was going to stop at the first two pages above, but there’s a lovely description of how Beth turns into a toy soldier too:

When Beth went to sleap she startied to turn in to a solger. at bed time when Beth was asleap she startied to hav a solger hat. that was black and then she started to hav a red gacit. and black boots with black tasils. and a yelloe bit at the top. with red trousers with a yelloe belt. with a black tea shirt with silver buttens. and a red bit at the top of the long black hat.

(MG uses ‘g’ instead of ‘j’ frequently, something that needs to be worked on. ‘gacit’ is therefore ‘jacket’. The only word I needed to check with her was ‘nitied’, which is ‘knitted’ but ‘disidid’ (decided), ‘werct’ (worked) and ‘bifor’ (before) took me a while too!)

It’s at this point that Beth’s mum suggests to Beth that Eleanor has a magic finger so Beth goes to teach her friend a lesson – by sitting her on a chair and telling her not to do it again! It was very hard not to but Eleanor stopped using the magic finger, and next time Beth visits they see a magic shoe and a magic ring! I’m very excited to find out what happens next with the two friends, and in reading all the descriptions that MG is adding. Plus, I love how she’s starting to use punctuation in her writing too.

I have no idea if this is average for a 6-and-a-quarter year old, but it seems amazing to me (of course!) I’ve watched her writing most of the story and it’s all coming from her head even if it’s a memory of something she’s already read which makes her descriptions even more wonderful to read (for me!)

I see a lot of blog posts on how to encourage your children to write. I haven’t a clue on how to give any advice on that because I probably need something on how to stop your child writing. MG was writing in her book whilst walking to school one day this week! Every child is different. MG writes. It’s her passion, and it’s a delight for me to go along for the ride…

[I'll add a picture of the actual text later, but my camera card is full so I need to clear it off before I can take pictures and I've just not got round to it!]

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The Super Swooper Dinosaur by Martin Waddell & Leonie Lord

The Super Swooper Dinosaur: Martin Waddell & Leonie Lord (Orchard Books, 2012)

The Super Swooper Dinosaur: Martin Waddell & Leonie Lord (Orchard Books, 2012)

The Super Swooper Dinosaur is a ‘sequel’ to The Dirty Great Dinosaur, which we also have. I bought The Dirty Great Dinosaur because of loving Leonie Lord’s art in Whiffy Wilson and was delighted to be sent the second book in the series. The first one confuses me slightly: at the end the pet dog is shown with a toy dinosaur and I’m not sure if you’re meant to realise that the dinosaur was all in the child’s imagination or whether it was supposed to be real. A bit too deep for small children perhaps, and there seems to be no ambiguity in the sequel.

The Super Swooper Dinosaur tries to play different games with Hal, but he’s not very good at any of them because he’s too big. In the end, they do what he does best – swoop! Seeing a pterodactyl/pteranodon crying is a very silly sight, but the subtext of the story is probably on how to make playdates feel okay when they visit?

Oh, I read too much into these books sometimes! It’s a lovely story of a boy, and his dog, and his dinosaur, in an idyllic village setting with lots of outdoor space, lots of playing, and lots of fun. Great for any child who likes dinosaurs. So, about 90% of all small children then ;-)

Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of The Super Swooper Dinosaur by Hachette Childrens Books for review. No other financial reward was given and the opinions are my own. I was not asked to write this post.

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