children’s picture book | Lost in a Good Book

The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat by Julia Donaldson

03 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, The Picture Book Corner Tags: children's picture book, julia donaldson

Published: 2013
Publisher: Puffin Books
Illustrator: Charlotte Voake
Pages: 32
Format: Hardcover Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

The Owl and the Pussy-cat sailed away In a beautiful blue balloon . . . Gruffalo author, Julia Donaldson, revisits Edward Lear’s favourite rhyme in this wonderful new story set in a nonsensical land full of adventure. When their beautiful golden ring is stolen, the Owl and the Pussy-cat must travel far from the safety of the Bong-tree glade as their search for the thief leads them across the Sea, to the Chankly Bore and beyond…

I for one didn’t know there were further adventures of the owl and the pussycat but I am delighted to discover that there are. The book is written by Julia Donaldson and what she has done is carried on the poem by Edward Lear and shown us what the newlyweds are up to.

Donaldson’s rhyme reads as well as Lear’s original, so much so it’s possible to carry on from one to the other. The narrative is as quirky and nonsense as Lear’s was, but still with a solid base storyline to drive it. I loved that Donaldson uses the same repetition and big, obscure words, and there are cameos from previous friends and familiar moments from the first poem.

The premise of the story is that the ring that wed the pair has been stolen and the owl and the pussycat go off in search of it to bring it home. While I understand people may see it as unnecessary, I quite liked the story. Donaldson has stayed close to Lear’s work and retained the nonsensical nature and style so it doesn’t feel completely misguided or unconnected.

Charlotte Voake’s illustrations suit the story well, they are just enough detail and the right design for the nonsense nature of the words. They are slightly different to those in Lear’s poem, but that doesn’t impact the story at all considering Lear’s art isn’t the thing most memorable about it.

If you liked the first poem you may or may not enjoy this. You would need to know the first poem though to really understand this, but it is quirky and fun and the strangeness appeals to kids and isn’t too silly for it to be totally absurd.

Listen and watch Julia read and extract

You can purchase The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat via the following

Book Depository | Amazon UK

Top Ten Tuesday: Favourite Picture Books

31 Jan 2017 Leave a comment

by Amy in Top Ten Tags: children's picture book, top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original and weekly meme created by The Broke And The Bookish

Topic: Top Ten Picture Books

The Velveteen Rabbit

Given as a Christmas gift to a young boy, the Velveteen Rabbit lives in the nursery with all of the other toys, waiting for the day when the Boy will choose him as a playmate. In time, the shy Rabbit befriends the tattered Skin Horse, the wisest resident of the nursery, who reveals the goal of all nursery toys: to be made “real” through the love of a human.

Possum Magic

Grandma Poss uses her best bush magic to make Hush invisible.
But when Hush longs to be able to see herself again, the two possums must make their way across Australia to find the magic food that will make Hush visible once more.

The Tailor of Gloucester

The Tailor of Gloucester tells the story of a poor tailor trying to survive in his freezing workshop over a hard winter. He has a terribly important commission to complete for the Mayor of Gloucester’s wedding on Christmas Day but is ill and tired, and before long is running out of food and thread, as well as time! How will he possibly complete the beautiful coat and embroidered waistcoat?

The Book with No Pictures

A book with no pictures?
What could be fun about that?
After all, if a book has no pictures, there’s nothing to look at but the words on the page.
Words that might make you say silly sounds… In ridiculous voices…
Hey, what kind of book is this, anyway?

Mrs Honey’s Hat

During the course of a week, Mrs Honey’s hat gradually changes without her noticing as her nephew and a variety of animals take items from it and accidentally leave other objects in their place.

There’s a Hippopotamus On The Roof Eating Cake

‘Our roof leaks. My daddy says there’s a hole – I know why there’s a hole. There’s a hippopotamus on our roof eating cake’. The imaginary hippo can do what he likes on the roof. In fact, he does all the things a little girl wishes she could but is not allowed.

True Story of the Three Little Pigs

You thought you knew the story of the “The Three Little Pigs”… You thought wrong. In this hysterical and clever fractured fairy tale picture book that twists point of view and perspective, young readers will finally hear the other side of the story of “The Three Little Pigs.”

Caps for Sale: A Tale of a Peddler, Some Monkeys and Their Monkey Business

This easy-to-read story about a peddler and a band of mischievous monkeys is filled with warmth, humor, and simplicity.

Schnitzel Von Krumm’s Basketwork

Sausage dog, Schnitzel von Krumm, is outraged when his family decides to replace his worn out, beaten up old basket. The new bed doesn’t look right, feel right – or smell right! Something must be done.

Revolting Rhymes

Do you think Cinderella married the prince and lived happily ever after, and that the three little pigs outsmarted the wolf? Think again! Premier storyteller Roald Dahl twists the fate of six favorite fairy tales, in this picture book edition with vibrant new cover art by Quentin Blake. Fairy tales have never been more revolting!

A Brand New Day by A. S. Chung

12 Aug 2015 2 Comments

by Amy in 4 Stars Tags: a. s. chung, children's picture book, four stars

Published: 1st July 2014
Publisher: Pigeonhole Books
Pages: 32
Format: ebook
Genre: Childrens Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Mondays and Tuesdays are fun, going on cooking adventures with Dad. We look forward to Wednesdays and Thursday too when we get to be a green thumb with Mum. Don’t forget the holidays! Spring breaks with Mum and hot summer camping with Dad. Each day is a truly special day!

A Banana Split Story is a series within the Pigeonhole Books collection that features stories about children from separated and divorced families.

Note: I was provided with a copy of this book from the author for review.

This is a sweet story about one child’s experience with divorce, making it into a fun adventure and showing that having two houses, two families, and being apart doesn’t have to be a terrible experience.

The narrative rhymes but in a gentle manner, nothing Dr Suess style that becomes too extreme. The rhymes also remain within the story, the narrative being the focus with the rhymes making it an easy read which flows nicely.

There is only a single sentence often to a double page, with the words reflected in the accompanying illustrations. The illustrations themselves are adorable and while simply coloured, capture great family moments and enhance the story visually.

The message is really sweet and Chung has explored divorce in a simple manner that will speak to kids about new experiences they may be going through. It doesn’t mention any of the reasons why the divorce happened, or any real aftermath, though things are implied such as a step brother. For a quick read but one with an important message this is a great little book and one that brings home the point that while the parents are separated, they still love their child.

You can purchase A Brand New Day via the following

Amazon | Kobo

The Toothless Tooth Fairy by Shanelle Hicks

01 Aug 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in 4 Stars, General Tags: children's picture book, ebook, four stars, shanelle hicks

Published: 11th April 2014
Publisher: Mirror Publishing
Pages: 28
Format: ebook
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
★ ★ ★ ★ – 4 Stars

Bella had it all. The hair, the dress, and the smile. One day, her most important asset was missing…her tooth! Will Bella find the perfect tooth in time for the contest? Will Zelda, the meanest of the fairies, destroy Bella’s chances of winning the crown? Take a journey onto Cloud Nine as Bella searches for a new tooth only to discover the tooth…I mean truth…behind her true beauty.

Note: I was provided a copy of this book to review

The Toothless Tooth Fairy tells the story of Bella, a tooth fairy who becomes the victim of another fairy’s jealousy and must try and replace her missing tooth for fear of losing the imminent smile contest. The lengths that Bella goes to in order to recover her perfect smile are amusing, the humour only added to by Anca Delia Budeanu’s illustrations.

Budeanu’s illustrations are wonderful, they are creative and clever, and bring great colour to the page making you feel like you too are on Cloud Nine. The colours are soft but still manage to stand out on the page, and the uniqueness in each tooth fairy is great as well. The accompanying text is clear and easy to read on the page, displayed as if in its own cloud which only adds to the feeling of being on Cloud Nine amongst the tooth fairies. Displaying the text in this way leaves the illustration to fill the rest of the page, but in doing so it doesn’t take away from the words. The language used is clear and simple, but still filled with a lot of meaning, a little bit of magic, and a friendly tone. Hicks’ story is interesting because there isn’t just one message to take away from it, and while there is a crime of sorts, no one is made to feel like a victim, nor an enemy.

Hicks is clear from the start about what makes Bella beautiful is not just her perfect teeth or her nice hair, but also her kindness. And while Bella becomes self conscious and doubts her own beauty when she loses her tooth, Hicks never makes physical beauty the most important aspect, even the tooth fairy contest isn’t a beauty pageant, it is for who has the nicest smile. This shows that even with Zelda’s jealousy, there isn’t an attack on who is more beautiful than anyone else, nowhere does Hicks say physical beauty is more important than being a good person. This is a wonderful message to give to children who read this, and one that a few adults wouldn’t hurt to remember every now and again.

The Toothless Tooth Fairy is a great book that leaves you with a smile on your face as you finish. There is a wonderful message in Bella’s story that explores feelings of jealousy as well as insecurity, but also promotes the ideas of inner beauty, kindness, and being a friend.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day

20 Mar 2014 Leave a comment

by Amy in General Tags: children's picture book, eric carle, the very hungry caterpillar, the very hungry caterpillar day

March 20th has become The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day which I think is just beautiful. This year marks the 45th anniversary of Eric Carle writing The Very Hungry Caterpillar and in that time that little caterpillar has become much loved all over the world.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar was published in 1969 and the story behind it is rather cool. According to Carle, “One day I was punching holes with a hole puncher into a stack of paper, and I thought of a bookworm and so I created a story called A Week with Willi the Worm.” But how did we get to the caterpillar? Willi was a bookworm, but apparently Willi would not be a great protagonist as a green worm, then Carle’s editor suggested a caterpillar, which made Carle think of a butterfly and there you go. So in a sense we can all now say that very hungry caterpillar’s name is Willi.

On his 84th birthday last year I did a Birthday Book Bonanza with Carle, I also reviewed The Very Hungry Caterpillar, a very fun review to write for such a short children’s book. What I always loved about the book was not just the story, but it was the first time I remember seeing a book be more than just normal pages. This book had holes in it, and you could interact with the book itself in a new way. Of course there would be more and better interactive books as I got older, like Patrick and the Hungry Puppy, Karen and the Little Lost Kitten, and The Jolly Pocket Postman series which was brilliant, but they came later.

What was good about The Very Hungry Caterpillar was it taught you things while being fun, gorgeously colourful, and a great little story. Fun fact! Carle does his own illustrations, and those gorgeous illustrations are the result of tissue paper, paint, and a skill at collages. On his official website (link below) you can find out all about how he does it, as well as all the other Eric Carle books that get overshadowed by The Very Hungry Caterpillar, plus a whole heap more. I’ve linked in the video of Carle discussing The Very Hungry Caterpillar where he talks about the 40th anniversary and also tells you about Willi the worm’s brief moment in the sun.

So to celebrate this great little day you could read The Very Hungry Caterpillar, relive the delight, introduce it to someone new, or even try making your own tissue paper collage. It’s hard to imagine a book so seemingly simple could still be here 45 years later. But just where would we be if that little egg on the leaf, sitting in the light of the moon, had not gone POP and given us the tiny, very hungry caterpillar. I wouldn’t want to know.

Goodies
Official Eric Carle website
Eric Carle discussing The Very Hungry Caterpillar on its 40th anniversary
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art
Eric Carle’s Blog