The Genie's Curse by Tom Percival
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A brilliant new highly illustrated series featuring all the fairy-tale characters you know and love having brand-new adventures!
This book takes you to a land where popular fairy tale characters live, there are problems and they need to solve them.
This was the first book in the Little Legend series I read to my children at school and to be honest I found it difficult to get into it. After reading it to them I realised that it is one of a series and I think you may have to read them in order. When reading it there was little introduction to who was who and I think this was down to it being in the middle of a series. This was a shame as I feel the children who I read it to didn't enjoy it as much as they could have.
This is a book I would recommend you read to a child if they are under 7, there is some tricky language in the story and they may find it hard to decode the words and their understanding may not be there. We read this together as a class so I regularly stopped and we discussed what had happened and what they thought may happen next.
The story is action packed and keeps you interested all the way, I am glad the children had the opportunity to listen to this, it is just a shame I didn't realise there were others in the series. I do have the next one and it maybe better as they will have a little bit of background info on the characters now.
There are nice illustrations throughout the book, which help bring the story to life. IT was a quick read, I only had time to read for 10 minutes a day to the children so it took me a few weeks to get through, however if you are reading this to a child at night you could probably get through it in a week.
I have rated this book on the enjoyment from the children, from my previous comment, the children may have enjoyed it better had we begun at the beginning of the series and if you were to purchase this, that is what I would recommend you do.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
The Moomin Colouring Book by Macmillan Children's Books
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This stylish and unique Moomin Colouring Book features original artwork from the coveted archive of Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomins; one of the most cherished children's book series ever written.
Beautifully conceived and designed, this contemporary colouring book features striking patterns and scenes as well as all your favourite Moomin characters and their most memorable quotes. The perfect gift for Moomin fans of all ages.
When I was sent this book to review I couldn't wait, I remember The Moomins as a child and loved it. I especially loved it when I went to Finland and discovered they have a Moomin Land! - Anyway enough of that, lets get on with the review.
The paper is quite thick, although I haven't used sharpies on this as I am unsure whether it would be thick enough to stop the colour coming through. I have used pencils though and I was really impressed with the look of it.
The sleeve of the book is beautiful too with gold elements on it, although it is not a hardback it is really sturdy and strong.
I took this into school for the children to colour during some free time and they loved it, they are 6 and 7, the illustrations are perfect for them. They are not too detailed or difficult to follow, which was perfect for them.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Solomon and Mortimer by Catherine Rayner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Solomon Crocodile and his friend Mortimer are bored. They want to find some fun, but what can they do? Tree-climbing is tricky, chasing lizards doesn't end well and flying turns out to be a lot harder than it looks. But then they spot the biggest hippo in the river. Just imagine the splash he'd make if two naughty crocodiles were to surprise him! But Solomon and Mortimer are about to get a whole lot more than they bargained for...
Sure to delight fans of the original Solomon Crocodile, which has sold over 100,000 copies worldwide, this warm, funny and charming tale from the Kate Greenaway Medal winning Catherine Rayner is one that young children will ask for again and again.
This is quite a naughty book, where the crocodiles are playing and attempt to creep up on another animal in the lake. To begin with you don't know that they are playing and initially the children I read this to were generally worried about this.
The story however was a cheeky one, which was humourous, only a few of the children I read this to got the joke. Although those who did found it very funny.
It would have been nice to have read the previous book with these characters in but it didn't stop the children enjoying this one.
This is a fun tale of how crocodiles like to play. The illustrations and the colouring in the book are lovely. It looks really fresh and clean.
I would like to say thanks to the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Lucy Locket: Online Disaster by Emma Moss
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
NEWSFLASH . . . VLOGGING IS GO!
It's bad enough having to move house, school and country all at the same time, without making a fool of yourself on the first day of term. But that's just what Lucy's done - and one of her classmates has videoed the whole thing and put it online!
Lucy's so stressed, her stammer's become worse than ever. So when a friend encourages her to create her own videos, she thinks it's a terrible idea - surely she's embarrassed herself enough for one lifetime!
But when Lucy finally gives vlogging a try, she's amazed to find that people actually want to watch . . .
Includes tips for making your own vlogs!
I bought this book on a bit of a whim today, I wanted something light and easy to read. This book is certainly that.
This story is about Lucy, she has moved over from the US as her mother got a job as a vet. (Not really sure why that meant they had to move abroad...surely there are vets in the US??) Lucy has left her life and her best friend (Morgan) behind, she is dreading her first day at school and is worried she won't make any friends.
Morgan is a vlogger and wanted to encourage Lucy to get into it. Lucy doesn't feel comfortable in front of the camera, especially without Morgan there and feels she couldn't ever vlog. Morgan has bought Lucy a camera as a leaving present in hope that perhaps she will use it.
Lucy's first day at school is a total disaster, one that encourages her stammer to come out. Lucy suffers from this when she is nervous or stressed, so trying to keep her awful day from her parents, doesn't go down too well as they can spot something has been up right from the beginning.
This is a story of friendship, new beginnings, struggling with new situations and discovering who you are.
I did enjoy this story, it did exactly what I wanted it to do. It was light-hearted, had an element of romance and a lot of friendship. I would however question the age this book is aimed at. It is suggested for audiences 10 and up, there is no bad language or anything in the book, but personally I wouldn't want a child of 10 reading how to start their own YouTube channel, which tips are given at the end of the book. I would say due to the nature of the story 14 and up would be more appropriate. That is just my personal opinion and others may not agree with me on that.
Overall I did enjoy the book and I read it in one sitting. If you are looking for a fun quick read I would recommend this to you. This kept me entertained for a couple of hours in the afternoon. :)
Hooray for Hoppy! by Tim Hopgood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
An engaging book about springtime and the senses from the Booktrust award-winning illustrator ofWOW! Said The Owl, a first book of colours, and TIP TAP Went The Crab, a first book of counting.
When Hoppy the rabbit wakes up on the first day of spring, he discovers a world full of wonderful things! But after he's sniffed the fresh air, listened to the singing birds and tasted the fresh green grass, he starts to feel a little lonely. And so he finds a way to wake up his friends so they can enjoy the sights, smells and sounds of spring all together.
Hooray for Hoppy by Tim Hopgood is a bold and beautiful introduction to the senses includes an activity spread to help children learn all about the way they can use their senses to interact with the world around them, whilst the stunning artwork has a retro charm that will appeal to all ages.
This story is about a little bunny called Hoppy, he is waiting for spring and he can't understand why it isn't yet. Every morning he looks out of his hole, hoping that today maybe the day, after a few days he doesn't know what is happening, until one day he thinks spring may have actually arrived and goes on a hunt to check.
This is a cute little story that covers the 5 senses through beautiful illustration and language. This takes the audience on a journey into spring and when is is sure it finally has arrived and cannot understand where every one else is, decides he needs to do something about it.
The children I read this too were a group of 6 and 7 year olds, they really enjoyed this even though they are very secure with their senses. They did enjoys discussing elements of spring and how they knew it had arrived. At the end of the story the book recaps the senses, as a teacher I enjoyed using this as reflection and comprehension for the children. We then referred back to the text to find the answers and use the pictures to aid their answers.
I think this book would be great for introducing spring and the senses to younger children, I would also be interested in discovering this author to see if they have done the other seasons through a book. I also liked this book as the language within it would be suitable for a younger reader to attempt on their own, this has been a great addition to the classroom book corner.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Noisy London by Marion Billet
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It's time to visit London - what a noisy city! Watch out for the beeping double deckle buses. Mind the gap on the tube and hear Big Ben chime the hour. Find out who's roaring at the Natural History Museum and listen to the monkeys chitter chatter as ZSL London Zoo. Finish off the day with a royal visit to Buckingham Palace: remember to look out for the naughty crown jewel thief on every page!
Noisy London has six sounds to listen to, including a genuine Big Ben chime and 'mind the gap' recording. Young children will love pressing the noises as they discover the sights in this hustling, bustling book about London.
With tons of detail and things to spot, this beautifully illustrated sound book by Marion Billet is a must-have for children visiting noisy London Town!
When I was sent this to review I was so excited to share it with my class. It arrived over half term so before I took it to school I shared it with my best friends son, who is 2. He absolutely loved this book.
This story takes you on a tour of London, to the zoo, Covent Garden, on the tube and to Buckingham Palace. The text is short and it would encourage those just starting out reading to pick this up independently. The book is inviting to young readers and I also enjoyed reading it.
The pages are made from board which is perfect for little people as they are sturdy and easy for a toddler to use. He also loved the noisy buttons and sat attentively while I read the book to him and wanted to press the buttons when I showed him the picture.
When I took it to school the children are 6 and 7, so a lot older than the toddler who enjoyed the story. The children commented on the illustration of the book and they really liked that it was bright and colourful. They also liked the fact that the story had rhyme in. Although they enjoyed the book, they did comment on the fact they thought it would be better and more enjoyed by children under five, due to the nature of the book and the sounds.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Zippo the Super Hippo by Kes Gray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Zippo doesn't want to be an ordinary hippo. He wants to be super! Being good at swimming and splashing in mud aren't really superpowers, though. Perhaps he can fly like his friend Roxi. But who's ever heard of a flying hippopotamus? Especially one with such a big bottom . . .
From award-winning author Kes Gray and exciting new illustrating talent Nikki Dyson. This fantastically funny superhero will be flying into children's imaginations everywhere!
When this arrived for me to share with my children I couldn't wait, I knew this would appeal to them and I wasn't wrong.
This is a really cute story about a hippo, who really wishes he had a super power. His friend Roxi encourages Zippo the hippo to realise that he is special and he does have a super power, he just needs to find it.
The pair of friends go through different talents Zippo feels he has, all of which Roxi doesn't believe is a super power. Roxi suggests a new talent that Zippo may have that hasn't even thought about. Zippo practises his new talent but feels that perhaps it isn't right for him. Roxi gets Zippo to see what his talent really is.
The children I read this story to really enjoyed it, they liked to see what Zippo was going to try next. The illustrations are wonderful and the book is so colourful which helps to keep the children interested in it. All children were able to tell me if they liked or disliked the story, all of which say they liked it. They also said it is a story they would like to read again.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
The Flying Bath by Julia Donaldson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
When everyone has left the house in the morning, the bath toys spring into action and head off on exciting adventures in their magical flying bath! From giving a muddy piglet a shower to putting out a fire for a frightened baboon, they have water at the ready for any emergency - but they're always home for the children's bathtime at the end of the day. The simple rhyming speech-bubble text is great to read aloud, and perfect for developing reading confidence. Richly detailed, sumptuous artwork completes this irresistible book for young readers.
This is another picture book by the very popular Julia Donaldson. When this arrived on my doorstep to share with my KS1 class I couldn't wait. They love to have stories read to them, but especially love a Donaldson book.
This is a very cute story about a bunch of animals who set out to help others. When the family leave the house in the morning, the little bath critters get straight on the phone to find out who needs their help first. The bath ends up going on a journey across the world helping animals in need.
I really liked this aspect of the book, every new page the bath was somewhere new, this really excited the children too, they liked to guess where it was going next and who they were going to help. The illustrations were truly wonderful too.
The children, once the story had ended loved it and said they would read it again and again. It really excited them and they said they would give it 5*, however from an adult's point of view, I personally didn't think it was as good as some as Donaldson's previous books. Saying that, they can't all be as good as The Gruffalo or What the Ladybird Heard.
If you like Donaldson's books, this is certainly one to add to your collection, however I don't think it will be as big as her earlier stories. I have decided to award 5* as that was the opinion of the children and they are the ones who get the true enjoyment from it.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Tina isn't like the other cows. She believes that the sky is the limit, that everything is possible. But her sisters aren't convinced - and when Tina tells them she has climbed a tree and met a dragon, they decide that her nonsense has gone too far. Off they go into the woods to find her . . . and soon discover a world of surprises!
When this arrived on my door step to read with my class I couldn't wait to take it to them. When I choose to share it with them they were instantly giggling. The sight of a cow hanging off a tree had them in stitches, they couldn't wait to find out the story.
Tina the cow always has wonderful ideas and wants to try them out. Her sisters think she is silly and as a cow can't do that. Throughout the story Tina does try to change her sisters point of view and eventually she manages it.
During the story the children all sat there in silence just waiting to see what would happen next. They made comments about the book and all said that this was the type of story they would want to hear again, either by reading themselves or have it read to them.
I felt thrilled I had the chance to share this wonderful picture book with them and would be keen to read more from Merino. It was a joy to read that left you feeling warm and fuzzy. The illustrations are beautiful too. All the children agreed this deserved 5*.
The children came up with an adjective to describe how they felt about this story, you can see this picture of this below. I read this to class of year 2 children, they were 6 and 7. This book would be suitable for children younger too.
I would like to thank the publisher for sending this in exchange for an honest review.
Star Paws, Christmas Sticker Book
Macmillan Children's Books
5 of 5*
'Ding Dong Merrily 'tis the season of festive cheer! There are presents to wrap, feasts to prepare, snowballs to throw and some fabulously festive outfits to choose! Get sticking with bells, bows, snow white beards and jazzy winter knitwear!'
When Macmillan contacted me to ask if I would like to review their Star Paws series, I jumped at the chance. This was one of the fabulous books that arrived with the postman!
As a class teacher I like to share my books with them, to help get a first hand review from them. However unlike the others in the Star Paws series, where I have shared them with the children; Star Paws Christmas I am saving for them, for a time in December. So this review I have completed without the children, however from their reaction of the other Star Paw books, I think I can have a guess what they will think about this one!
The contents page is set out as a letter to Santa, which is a really sweet addition to the book. Throughout the book, it is Christmas themed, Christmas trees to decorate, snowball fights, dressing up for the school play etc. The illustrations are really lovely and once again the text is really cute.
The text is perfect for children to read independently and follow the instructions given on each page. In the center of the book are hundreds of stickers used to dress up the characters, decorate the tree etc. There are split into sections so it is clear to the children which stickers are used for which character.
Once again this is a wonderful book from Macmillan and a perfect addition to the Star Paws series. Again it would have been nice if the stickers had been re-usable....
I would like to thank Macmillan for sending me this review copy.
Star Paws, Animal Dress Up, Amazing Jobs Sticker Book.
Macmillan Children's Books
5 of 5*
'Come on everyone. It's time to get up, get dressed and get ready for work! There are plenty of sticker outfits to choose from, including doctor, gardener, film director, spaceman, dentist, pop star and wrestler - you'll be completely spoilt for choice!'
When Macmillan contacted me to ask if I would like to review the star paws series I jumped at the chance as my class of year 1 children I knew would love these. This book in particular has been perfect as our topic is 'Ourselves' at the moment and we have been talking about what jobs we would like to do. This introduces different job types from the traditional, doctor, dentist, office worker, to the more exotic such as pop star, film director and spaceman.
The children were slightly disappointed in this book, as they wanted to choose nurse and ballerina like the characters on the front. Unfortunately these were not available inside.
Again the names of the characters are great in the book and inside it comes with hundreds of stickers to dress up the characters for their day at work. The contents page is set out as a job application which is a brilliant idea for this particular book. The text is again humorous and each page has an instruction caption on to help the children complete this independently. The language is in child friendly speak and they should manage to complete without adult input.
Again it would have been nice if the stickers had been re-usable so the children could have had longer playing with the book. This said though, both myself and the children enjoyed sharing and talking about this book, they especially enjoyed adding all the stickers to the characters.
I would like to thank Macmillan for sending me this review copy.
Star Paws, Animal Dress Up, Knights Sticker Book
Macmillan Children's Books
5 out of 5*
'The time has come to dress up animals, so everyone get sticking!
Step into a world of brave knights, dramatic battles and smelly peasants! Design shields for pageants, apply pustules to the poor and enjoy dressing up dogs, cats, guinea pigs and rabbits in some truly amazing medieval outfits!'
When Macmillan contacted me regarding the Star Paws series and would I like to review them, I jumped at the chance. This is the type of books that my class would love and I wasn't wrong!
The contents page is in the layout of a code of honor for the children to sign, and also allows them to find certain pages. The animals in the book have really cute names relating to Sir's, peasants and other knight related titles.
Throughout the book there are instructions for which stickers should go where, you can even design your own shield! In the center of the book are hundreds of stickers, all stickers are in sections that do go together so it is easy for the child to create the picture, it also gives the name of the character that they are suitable for.
I would recommend this book for children of all ages, however I feel it would better suit the lower school so 4 - 7 years. The only thing I would have to say, and this is for all the books in this series is that, it would be nice for the stickers to be re-usable so the children had extra fun time.
I would like to thank Macmillan for sending me this book to review, my class and I really enjoyed it.
Star Paws - Animal Dress Up. Shopping Sticker Book.
Macmillan Children's Books
5 out of 5*
Enjoy the complete retail experience, animal dress-up style, in the fabulous STAR PAWS: SHOPPING! Choose hats in Bears Accessories, help out in the changing rooms, become a stylist, a beautician, or simply shop until you drop! There’s so much to try on and so much to buy – everything from smelly perfumes and crazy fingernails to nice new pants. Packed with over 250 stickers and more daft jokes than you can count, this brilliantly funny, silly and utterly addictive sticker book series is taking the world by storm! (NB: No animals were harmed during its creation.)
When I was contacted by Macmillan asking me if I would like to review a selection of their children's books, I jumped at the chance. These are just the type of books my class love! They are brand new into year 1 and they still like to have time 'choosing' this was a perfect activity for them.
To begin with, this book is lovely. We shared it as a class talking about the characters in the book. Which have very cute names, something else the children loved. The language in the book is very good for children to attempt to read by themselves and actually quite humorous.
In the center of the book there are many stickers, these fit certain pages and there are labels for the children to identify which character they should fit. Overall the children loved this book, they even then went on to draw the characters in clothes they created after.
The only thing I would say about it, is that once it has been used that's it. If there was a way to make the stickers re-usable the children would be able to have longer fun with the book as they could swap clothes on animals etc.
I would like to thank Macmillan for sending me the book, we enjoyed it a lot.
