Book Reviews for Children Aged Three and Over
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Martha, No! by Edward Hardy nd Deborah Allwright
Martha is a whole handful of trouble. Ten nannies this year have tried and failed to keep hold of her but the eleventh, Miss Harrington-Chive, is willing to try. She has looked after hundreds of children and Martha looks so sweet and angelic! For their first day out together they visit the park, a museum and an art gallery and each time the curious Martha wanders off and gets into places she shouldn’t, causing havoc wherever she goes. She tries making pizza, balancing teacups and making her own masterpiece and each time Miss Harrington-Chive, getting more flustered by the minute, shouts out ‘Martha, no!’.
Occasionally we get picture books that are so bland and empty of content it’s a stretch to review them. Thankfully, Martha, No! is nothing at all like those! Each page is a visual feast of colour and texture. The art work is stunning, detailed enough to keep the eye on each page and with a great impact for each ‘Martha, no!’ that was also quite often funny. The story works in perfect harmony to the fantastic illustrations with a lilting rhyming scheme just begs to be read aloud. This could become a firm favourite with kids, especially ones just like Martha
Occasionally we get picture books that are so bland and empty of content it’s a stretch to review them. Thankfully, Martha, No! is nothing at all like those! Each page is a visual feast of colour and texture. The art work is stunning, detailed enough to keep the eye on each page and with a great impact for each ‘Martha, no!’ that was also quite often funny. The story works in perfect harmony to the fantastic illustrations with a lilting rhyming scheme just begs to be read aloud. This could become a firm favourite with kids, especially ones just like Martha
My Sister is an Alien by Rachel Bright
Alfie love aliens, rockets and the moon; in that order. Nothing else is as exciting as space, not even new baby sister Ruby and that’s why Alfie’s the only one who notices there is something strange about the new girl in the house. She looks like an alien, speaks like an alien….. Ruby is an alien! Alfie is determined to get her back home and together they prepare a space ship for the moon. They blast off and before they know they are there playing with all the other aliens but before long it’s time for the sleepy boy to go home. But if he goes home he’ll have to leave Ruby behind and that makes Alfie sad. There’s no reason for him to worry though because his sister’s coming home!
Rachel Bright has created a brilliant book with My Sister is an Alien. The illustrations are charming, interesting, full of life and colour and filled with small things it will take many readings to notice. There is no chance that either parent or child will get tired and bored of flicking through these lively pages picking out the two stuffed twos that appear on every page or seeing what antics the characters are up to.
Best of all is the story. A small boy with a new sibling, who he doesn’t understand and who his parents won’t stop talking about, learns to love her nonetheless as they take an imaginary journey. Alfie is a great character very similar to all small boys with his head constantly in the clouds. He turns out to be not only a great and imaginative playmate for Ruby but also a loving and caring brother.
We’d recommend My Sister is an Alien to both parents and kids and if there is a new born in the house then this lovely picture book would be a great way of explaining to worried young minds that this is an opportunity not a loss.
Sing a Song of Bottoms by Jeanne Willis and Adam Stower
Sing a Song of Bottoms is exactly what it claims to be on the cover - a rollicking, bouncing celebration of all things bottom. It’s irreverently funny, as a book about bottoms must surely be, which will easily please little ones in the same way as Jeanne Willis’ first book, Bottoms Up. Sing a Song of Bottoms includes all shapes, sizes, colours and species of bottom, and does it with style and panache.
There are two areas in which this book absolutely excels. Firstly, the artwork is great. Bright, extremely colourful and drawn perfectly to compliment the text, the illustrations add great humour and interest to the story. Make a special point of noticing the mice in swimming shorts, which we particularly liked. What really lifts this book is the text. The rhymes flow so naturally from the page it really is more like singing than reading, perfect for reading aloud.
Milo Armadillo by Jan Fearnley
It’s Tallulah’s birthday and all she wants is a pink bunny rabbit. A pink bunny rabbit is hard to find, however, and so Tallulah’s grandmother decides to knit one. Tallulah is delighted until she realises that he isn’t quite right; rather than a bunny rabbit, her new best friend is an armadillo. She tries to make do and names him Milo. Milo Armadillo can jump and dance, can sail and play the saxophone, but he still isn’t quite as good as a pink rabbit. Saddened that he can’t be what Tallulah wants, Milo Armadillo tries his best to change himself to a rabbit, but nothing works. When she gets home and realises he is missing, Tallulah realises what a special friend she had in Milo Armadillo and is desperate to find him again.
This is such a wonderful story about finding the best in people and being yourself. It is briallantly illustrated, with a very modern feel to the drawings while still managing to have a comfortable, traditional atmosphere. The fonts used change a little here and there, especially when describing Gran’s clicking knitting needles, adding another layer of interesting detail to the pages and the colours are great. Each page draws the eye with patterns, colour and texture and yet it never overshadows the story. Kids are going to love this, I certainly did, and would recommend it highly.
The book also has a knitting pattern at the back to make your own Milo Armadillo, a great touch that will certainly be needed as kids fall in love with this cute character with a lot of talent!
Our thanks to Walker for sending us a copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
This is such a wonderful story about finding the best in people and being yourself. It is briallantly illustrated, with a very modern feel to the drawings while still managing to have a comfortable, traditional atmosphere. The fonts used change a little here and there, especially when describing Gran’s clicking knitting needles, adding another layer of interesting detail to the pages and the colours are great. Each page draws the eye with patterns, colour and texture and yet it never overshadows the story. Kids are going to love this, I certainly did, and would recommend it highly.
The book also has a knitting pattern at the back to make your own Milo Armadillo, a great touch that will certainly be needed as kids fall in love with this cute character with a lot of talent!
Our thanks to Walker for sending us a copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
Box of Tricks by Katie Cleminson
Katie Cleminson’s debut, Box of Tricks really is a beautiful picture book. The smattering of bright colours on the front cover is a theme that is carried through all the illustrations in this tale of a girl creating her ideal world in her imagination.
Firstly, Eva imagines her ideal best friend, a giant polar bear called Monty. Next she pulls rabbits from a hat to be guests at a huge party with food, dancing and animal musicians. This is a lovely story that shows the power of imagination in children’s play and does it well. The illustrations use colour so well, with splashes of colour across every page that work well with the black and white figures of Monty and the other animals. They are also quite intelligent and show a lot of humour; I particularly liked the rabbit hidden at the bottom of a page that was pulling another rabbit from a hat. These little touches add a lot to an otherwise simple story. The actual text is easy to follow and easy to read, which makes this book a good choice for kid’s just starting to read alone who nonetheless want interesting, eye catching illustrations.
As an adult, I really liked this book. The illustrations are sweet and funnily detailed in places and I liked the use of colour, however I do wonder about its appeal to younger audiences. The text adds enough of a challenge to children just starting to read alone but I think it would pass a younger child by. It might not be the best choice for younger children who like the flow and sound of words rather than reading them alone.
Our thanks to Red Fox for sending us a copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
Firstly, Eva imagines her ideal best friend, a giant polar bear called Monty. Next she pulls rabbits from a hat to be guests at a huge party with food, dancing and animal musicians. This is a lovely story that shows the power of imagination in children’s play and does it well. The illustrations use colour so well, with splashes of colour across every page that work well with the black and white figures of Monty and the other animals. They are also quite intelligent and show a lot of humour; I particularly liked the rabbit hidden at the bottom of a page that was pulling another rabbit from a hat. These little touches add a lot to an otherwise simple story. The actual text is easy to follow and easy to read, which makes this book a good choice for kid’s just starting to read alone who nonetheless want interesting, eye catching illustrations.
As an adult, I really liked this book. The illustrations are sweet and funnily detailed in places and I liked the use of colour, however I do wonder about its appeal to younger audiences. The text adds enough of a challenge to children just starting to read alone but I think it would pass a younger child by. It might not be the best choice for younger children who like the flow and sound of words rather than reading them alone.
Our thanks to Red Fox for sending us a copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
Title.
Bridget Fidget’s favourite toy is Captain Cat, her “special one and only” and nothing can part the two of them. So when Bridget losses a tooth and receives a shiny gold coin in return she doesn’t hesitate to entrust her friend with it on their journey to the best toy shop in the world. Dingle Bangs is full to the roof of all kinds of amazing toys and is the perfect place to spend shiny golden coins. Disaster strikes as Bridget hurtles around the shop and Captain Cat accidentally falls into the basket of another little girl and it’s not until Bridget’s friend, Billy, turns up in his pedal car that she notices. Together the pair search all over but Captain Cat is nowhere to be found and it’s soon time to leave but as they head out Bridget sees him in the arms of the little girl! Billy hops into his car and they race after the catnapper, performing an amazing stunt that ends up with Captain Cat safely in Bridget’s arms. Not everyone is happy however as the girl has grown fond of her new friend but luckily for everyone Bridget has a shiny new coin and a big heart.
This second Bridget Fidget picture book is both funny and charming. The story is pacey and very entertaining, full of strange and amusing words that grab the imagination. With its bold writing style any parent reading the book aloud will soon find themselves shouting out various parts of the tale and acting out others. Bridget is a brilliant character with a kind and happy disposition that doesn’t fail to endear her to the reader but she’s also a bit of an action hero as she hurtles through the air after jumping of a moving pedal car. In fact Bridget’s character sums the book up as both are fun, exciting and so very loud!
The illustrations add brilliantly to the story with their colour and expressiveness. It’s a real joy to look at the character's expressions as they go through all kinds of emotions and the whole effect serves to bring even more life and excitement to the tale.
With it’s lovely story and excellent pictures this will certainly be a great favourite with many readers and their is much to recommend it. Fingers crossed that there is another adventure on the way!
Our thanks to puffin for sending us a copy.
Review by James@KidsCompass.
This second Bridget Fidget picture book is both funny and charming. The story is pacey and very entertaining, full of strange and amusing words that grab the imagination. With its bold writing style any parent reading the book aloud will soon find themselves shouting out various parts of the tale and acting out others. Bridget is a brilliant character with a kind and happy disposition that doesn’t fail to endear her to the reader but she’s also a bit of an action hero as she hurtles through the air after jumping of a moving pedal car. In fact Bridget’s character sums the book up as both are fun, exciting and so very loud!
The illustrations add brilliantly to the story with their colour and expressiveness. It’s a real joy to look at the character's expressions as they go through all kinds of emotions and the whole effect serves to bring even more life and excitement to the tale.
With it’s lovely story and excellent pictures this will certainly be a great favourite with many readers and their is much to recommend it. Fingers crossed that there is another adventure on the way!
Our thanks to puffin for sending us a copy.
Review by James@KidsCompass.
Birdsong by Ellie Sandall
One small little bird lands on the branch of a big tree and starts to sing. Pretty soon one colourful bird after another joins the first and adds their song to the last. Soon birds of all shapes, sizes and colours are all singing a wonderful song together.
But one bird, the biggest bird of them all, wants to show off. He lands amongst them and sends them flying with a huge cry. Sitting on the branch by himself, ruling the roost, he feels very smug. Little does he know that one small and seemingly insignificant butterfly is about to ruin his day!
This is a bouncy story to read aloud with nicely flowing rhymes. There are also a lot of amusing noises for the parent reading the story to try and make as the birds sing to each other, much to their embarrassment and to their child's delight. There is also a nice little message behind it as the big, bullying bird gets his come-uppance from a butterfly.
The illustrations are somewhat unusual and also very simple but no less pleasant for that. Most of the background is very neutral with darkish, sombre colours but the birds themselves are a riot of colour that is not only eye-catching but also lends the story real life.
Birdsong makes a very enjoyable bed-time story and should provide more than a few nights entertainment.
Our thanks to Egmont for sending us a copy.
Review by James@KidsCompass.
Big Bear, Little Brother by Carl Norac
Big Bear is out wandering the frozen wastes when he hears a cry coming from the cliff above. It’s not a hunter as he expects, but a small boy tumbling through the air. Big Bear rushes over and catches him and so starts a wonderful story of friendship. They soon learn that despite their different looks they aren’t so different from each other. In fact they are just like brothers. But with all their fun they haven’t noticed the terrible weather approaching. All Big Bear can do is try and protect his small friend from the wind. Suddenly there’s a shout! It’s the boy’s father out searching for his son in the snow. The time has come for the two friends to part but they will always remember each other and the wonderful time they had together.
A beautiful tale of friendship between a polar bear and a little boy as they journey together in the snow, this is beautifully written. As this charming story flows along peacefully, the author raises the issue of acceptance despite our external differences. Deep down, he implies, we are all the same.
The book is fantastically illustrated with some very lifelike characters all depicted with muted colours that give you a real feel for the cold arctic conditions. There isn’t always a lot to see besides the main characters as the backdrop is invariably just a frozen waste but the affection and care between bear and boy is so wonderfully shown that it really doesn’t matter.
Our thanks to MacMillan for sending us a copy.
Review by James@KidsCompass.
A beautiful tale of friendship between a polar bear and a little boy as they journey together in the snow, this is beautifully written. As this charming story flows along peacefully, the author raises the issue of acceptance despite our external differences. Deep down, he implies, we are all the same.
The book is fantastically illustrated with some very lifelike characters all depicted with muted colours that give you a real feel for the cold arctic conditions. There isn’t always a lot to see besides the main characters as the backdrop is invariably just a frozen waste but the affection and care between bear and boy is so wonderfully shown that it really doesn’t matter.
Our thanks to MacMillan for sending us a copy.
Review by James@KidsCompass.
The Circus Ship by Chris Van Dusen
A ship full of circus animals, owned by the cruel and red faced Mr Paine, is travelling to Boston to perform another circus show. The ship runs into a bad weather and Mr Paine pushes the ship forward into the oncoming storm. The ship crashes on the coast and the animals swim ashore to a village where they cause all kinds of trouble for the local townspeople. One evening a near disaster occurs and the animals prove that they can be useful, which leads to the townspeople and the animals living in peace.
The new found peace does not last long when Mr Paine returns to demand that his animals are returned to him. The townspeople unite to hide the animals in ingenious ways, keeping them safe from the anger of Mr Paine.
This book is an absolute gem of a picture book. So many books have wonderful images but no story, or a fantastic plot that falls short in its illustration, but The Circus Ship manages to combine a wonderful story, fantastic style and composition and the most colourful, detailed and visually exciting illustrations to produce this beautiful little book that ticks all our boxes. Chris Van Dusen has created something that will become a firm favourite for young children both as a read aloud story or for a step up book to help those just learning to read independently. The well crafted rhymes bounce forward with their own rhythm which helps the pace of the story and the vocabulary is challenging in places but not beyond its target reading range of 3-8 years. The images are evocative of an early 19th Century America and have great detail which can lead onto further discussion and learning.
We simply cannot recommend this book highly enough!
Our thanks to Walker for sending us a copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
The new found peace does not last long when Mr Paine returns to demand that his animals are returned to him. The townspeople unite to hide the animals in ingenious ways, keeping them safe from the anger of Mr Paine.
This book is an absolute gem of a picture book. So many books have wonderful images but no story, or a fantastic plot that falls short in its illustration, but The Circus Ship manages to combine a wonderful story, fantastic style and composition and the most colourful, detailed and visually exciting illustrations to produce this beautiful little book that ticks all our boxes. Chris Van Dusen has created something that will become a firm favourite for young children both as a read aloud story or for a step up book to help those just learning to read independently. The well crafted rhymes bounce forward with their own rhythm which helps the pace of the story and the vocabulary is challenging in places but not beyond its target reading range of 3-8 years. The images are evocative of an early 19th Century America and have great detail which can lead onto further discussion and learning.
We simply cannot recommend this book highly enough!
Our thanks to Walker for sending us a copy.
Review by Joanna@KidsCompass.
Stormy Weather by Debi Gliori
Join a rich cast of firm animal favourites, from foxes to bears, in a world of warmth and comfort as they settle down for a good night's rest. Despite rising waters, stormy weather, falling snow and strong winds these little characters curl up and fall asleep one by one in the loving arms of their watchful parents who protect them from the elements outside.
Gentle and soothing this is a wonderful picture book that allows for plenty of cuddling. It will comfort anyone finding it hard to sleep with rhymes that read just like a lullaby.
The illustrations are beautiful, spread across double pages that perfectly portray the sleepy mood the story creates. Wonderfully detailed each page takes your breath away with its sheer charm and calming autumnal feel. Children will be able to imagine the wind and rain outside as they lie warm and safe in their beds. The looks of adoration on the animals' faces, both parent and child, really reinforce the over-all message of love and protection.
A fantastic book for reading aloud this is sure to become a firm favourite with many children who will demand it along with their nightly bedtime kiss and cuddle.
Our thanks to Bloomsbury for sending us a copy.
Review by James@KidsCompass.
Gentle and soothing this is a wonderful picture book that allows for plenty of cuddling. It will comfort anyone finding it hard to sleep with rhymes that read just like a lullaby.
The illustrations are beautiful, spread across double pages that perfectly portray the sleepy mood the story creates. Wonderfully detailed each page takes your breath away with its sheer charm and calming autumnal feel. Children will be able to imagine the wind and rain outside as they lie warm and safe in their beds. The looks of adoration on the animals' faces, both parent and child, really reinforce the over-all message of love and protection.
A fantastic book for reading aloud this is sure to become a firm favourite with many children who will demand it along with their nightly bedtime kiss and cuddle.
Our thanks to Bloomsbury for sending us a copy.
Review by James@KidsCompass.
