Category Archives: Book review

Book Review: Kate on the Case: The Headline Hoax

Title: Kate on the Case: The Headline Hoax

Written and illustrated by: Hannah Peck

Published by: Piccadilly Press

Kate on the Case: The Headline Hoax is a fun, fast-paced adventure with lots of exciting twists and turns to keep the reader turning the pages. Hannah Peck definitely has a great understanding of her 7 – 11 year old readership and her brilliant illustrations compliment the text perfectly.

In this third mystery in the series, Kate is thrilled when she receives an invitation to work as a reporter at the local newspaper alongside her hero, Catherine Rodriguez, for her birthday. But then she discovers, Penny Press the proof reader, distraught as she has checked the copy of The Lookout Post newspaper over sixteen times before it went to press and somehow it still contains spelling errors and nonsense headlines. She insists they were not there when she checked it.

Kate and her trusty mouse sidekick, Rupert, have forty-eight hours to discover who the saboteur is before the owner, Figgy FitzHarris, shuts The Lookout Post down for good. Readers can help solve the mystery alongside our two amateur detectives, Kate and Rupert by unravelling the clues and eliminating the red herrings.

A great book to get those brains ticking. Ideal for all KS2 bookshelves.

This book was previously reviewed on Netgalley and Goodreads.

Book Review: The Forgettery

Title: The Forgettery

Written by: Rachel Ip

Illustrated by: Laura Hughes

Published by: Egmont

*The Forgettery* by Rachel Ip and Laura Hughes

The Forgettery is a brilliant book that has a theme of memory and how things can be forgotten over time, touching on dementia in a sensitive and reassuring way. This fantastic picture book was one of my favourites for 2021. It is a celebration of love between a young girl and her Granny and has an amazing timeless quality.

Walking in the woods one day Amelia and her Granny stumble upon The Forgettery – ‘a place where you can find anything you have ever forgotten’ from ‘maps, moments and memories.’ Rachel Ip uses alliteration throughout the book to give the text a lyrical charm.

Each double-page spread is full of exquisite details for children to explore and discuss. I particularly like the warning sign of how memories may be delivered out of the blue, the draws full of all the odd socks, glasses, shoes and handbags and the use of colour that make the images fade and amalgamate into each other to give a dream-like illusion.

Although the word dementia is never mentioned there are hints that Granny’s memory loss is more serious by the things she has forgotten, things that she may do every day. The addition of making a memory book to help people remember their most treasured memories is lovely and I’m sure children will enjoy creating their own. The I also liked the excellent memory making advice on how to make beautiful new memories to remember and share. Children will enjoy sharing their ideas and carrying them out.

I believe this book l will be loved by adults and children alike and both will be happy to reread repeatedly, as it leaves you with a warm feeling of love.

Book Review: The Rainforest Book

Title: The Rainforest Book

Written and Illustrated by: Charlotte Milner

Published by: DK Penguin Random House

The Rainforest Book is jam-packed full of facts and interesting snippets about the rainforest from where they are found, why they are important to how climate change affects them and what the children can do to protect them. It provides a very comprehensive look at the environment the plants and animals that can be found there and how they survive through pollination, seed dispersal, the use of camouflage, colourful warnings and mimicking, living in a pack and the predator/prey relationship.

This book provides opportunities for children to discover and explore their own love of nature. The information also supports the statutory requirements for KS1 plants as well as animals, including humans in that as well as the above information there is also double page spreads about life cycles, mating rituals, looking after their young and deforestation.

The author/illustrator, Charlotte Milner, encourages the children to protect the places that are precious to us by finding out more, looking before they buy, supporting conservation groups, recycling, reducing their carbon footprint, eating less meat, avoiding palm oil and planting trees. A great addition is the step by step instructions to inspire the children to plant their own mini rainforest in a jar.

The vibrant, modern feel using bright colours, photographs and infographics will appeal to children of all ages. I particularly liked the way the use of colour within the illustrations to give you a feel and impression of the rainforest. At the back of the book there is a wildlife index to encourage the children to find look up the different creatures featured in the book.

This is the ideal book for anyone who is interested in the environment and are intrigued to discover more about learning the ways they can help. It is guaranteed to help children to develop a deep passion for conservation. The perfect addition for all school libraries.

This book was originally reviewed for Armadillo Magazine.

Book Review: Amazing Mum

Title: Amazing Mum

Written and Illustrated by: Alison Brown

Published by: Farshore Books

With Mother’s Day only a month away in the UK on Sunday 19th March 2023, Amazing Mum, is the perfect book to buy for your kids as it showcases all the incredible, versatile and diverse things mums do to care for their family, which are often taken for granted. It provides a much needed glimpse into the world of being a mum today.

This rhyming picture book aimed at three to six year olds portrays a wide variety of strong, independent mothers as they go about their everyday roles as parents from juggling careers, repairing things when they break and being there to watch their children in their school performance to meal times, bath times and story times.

Alison Brown’s gorgeous illustrations have a snuggly, fluffy feel to them providing the ahh-factor that will get the children of all ages turning the pages. Mums and carers all over the world will most definitely recognise themselves in these adorable anamorphic illustrations. Amazing Mum

Amazing Mum was released on 2nd February just in time for Mother’s Day and is the first in a series with Amazing Dads being launched in April 2023 – yes you’ve guessed it – just in time for Father’s Day on Sunday 18th June 2023.

You can buy copies of Amazing Mum or pre-order Amazing Dad both written and illustrated by Alison Brown from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.

Book Review: Rain Before Rainbows

Title: Rain Before Rainbows

Written by: Smriti Halls

Illustrated by: David Litchfield

Published by: Walker Books

*Rain Before Rainbows* by Smriti Halls and David Litchfield

Rain Before Rainbows was published in 2020 just as we were emerging from lockdowns and the scary time of Covid was behind us. It was released by Walker Books in conjunction with Save the Children to raise awareness for the ‘Saves the Stories’ campaign. It is a beautifully colourful picture book, which is easy to read and leaves the reader with a magical feeling of love and a positive outlook for the future.

Our female protagonist and her fox friend are forced to leave their home and most combat the fierce wind and rain in the dark. They encounter raging storms and symbolic scary dragons travelling across the sea before reaching a brighter new world full of promise and new friends.

This is a clever well-crafted picture book where every word is there for a reason. There is a rhythmic quality that builds around the theme of hope. So there may be ‘rain before rainbows’ and ‘clouds before sun’ but with a little patience and determination we can all survive the bleakest times and scariest of dangers. The illustrations are full of poignant details that add to the atmosphere of the book.

It is the ideal picture book for discussing hopes and dreams in a PSHE lesson giving young children a chance to reveal their own desires. It will also be perfect for talking about refuges having to leave their homes.

A great edition to bookshelves and libraries.

You can buy copies of Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Halls and David Litchfield from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.

Book Review: Saving Neverland

Title: Saving Neverland

Written by: Abi Elphinstone

Illustrated by: Geraldine Rodriguez

Published by: Penguin Books

Saving Neverland is another exciting adventure based on Peter Pan by J M Barrie with the added addition of an excellent range of stunning illustrations by Geraldine Rodriguez. The main character is ten-year-old, Martha Pennydrop. She has recently moved to Number 14 Darlington Road with her younger brother, Scruff and their over-worked father. Their mother left to go backpacking in Thailand never to return. Nana has been replaced by Fluffington the nonchalant cat and Scruff does not go anywhere without his trusty teddy None-the-Wiser. Martha has taken on parental responsibility in an effort to grow-up after the ‘Terrible Day’ six months ago. She has even relegated her favourite toy, Armageddon, a large woolly mammoth shaped beanbag, to the attic.

Beautifully written Saving Neverland hooks you into the up-and-coming adventure from the start. Their exploits are cleverly foreshadowed by the discovery of some mysterious gold dust in the bottom of the bedside drawer in their shared room. That night Peter Pan returns through their bedroom window needing the children’s help. He believes only Martha and Scruff can save magic from the icy grip of a dreadful curse cast by Captain Hook. Martha is our reluctant hero but when Scruff is kidnapped she realises she must rediscover all the imagination, magic and belief she has buried deep inside herself for so long to save her brother – and Neverland.

It is a superb contribution to all previous Peter Pan stories and sagas, complimenting the books and movies perfectly. Abi Elphinstone has obviously done a lot of research as it met all my hopes and expectations for a novel based on the incredible world of Peter Pan with some brilliant imaginative twists. She has created a fantastic cast of well-rounded and believable new characters, including new Lost boys and even a new Fairy called Muddle.

I particularly like the way Peter Pan has been kept in character from the original book in that he is as arrogant as ever and there is still the underlying theme of the transition from childhood to adulthood. I also loved the complete move away from the gender stereotypes of the original novel written in 1911. It made my laugh out loud when Martha puts Peter in his place when he expects her to resume the duties Wendy used to do.

Saving Neverland will draw you back into the magical world you remember reading as a child. I recommend this book to all Peter Pan fans. It is a great addition to the permanent bookshelf. I can see Saving Neverland and this ingenious quest becoming a new Peter Pan movie.

I have previously reviewed this book on NetGalley, Goodreads and Amazon.

You can buy copies of Saving Neverland by Abi Elphinstone from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org.

Book Review: Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny

Title: Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny

Written by: Emily Ann Davison

Illustrated by: Deborah Allwright

Published by: Nosy Crow

*Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny* by Emily Ann Davison and Deborah Allwright

Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny is written in a fun and loving way. The main character, Yo-Yo, is a hyperactive bunny who finds it extremely difficult to stay still during quiet times. She is an adorable protagonist whom both children and adults will easily identify with. The rhythm of the words correspond to Yo-Yo’s excitable nature. The illustrations by Deborah Allwright are beautiful and capture Yo-Yo’s feelings perfectly.

To help Yo-Yo her Grandpa teaches her and her siblings, Roly and Flo, some yoga moves to try and help her calm down when she gets over excited. But as any hyperactive person and teacher and parent of a hyperactive child will know, it is hard to concentrate when you are feeling restless and are easily distracted.

However, this does not mean the information has not been absorbed as author, Emily Ann Davison, cleverly demonstrates when Yo-Yo feels lost and alone in the forest. Rather than panicking Yo-Yo tries a few of the yoga moves her Grandpa taught her. The vocabulary used by the author becomes more calm and reassuring as Yo-Yo manages to control her rising anxiety.

Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny is a great book for teaching children how to manage anxiety and stressful situations. It would also be great for children with anger management issues. I particularly like the brilliant addition of the bullet-pointed instructions for some of the yoga poses at the back of the book. children of all ages are bound to ant to give them a go.

I would recommend this book for reading times at home and at school. It would also be ideal for stimulating a discussion on techniques for dealing with anxiety as part of a PSHE and empathy lesson.

You can buy copies of Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny by Emily Ann Davison and Deborah Allwright from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.

You can read my author interview with Emily on my blog here: An interview with… Emily Ann Davison.

Book Review: Detoxing Childhood: What Parents Need To Know To Raise Happy Successful Children

Title: Detoxing Childhood: What Parents Need To Know To Raise Happy Successful Children

Written by: Sue Palmer

Published by: Orion Books

Detoxing Childhood is geared to parents of the twenty-first century. The book is divided into three distinct sections. Sue Palmer provides a range of easy-to-follow tips and strategies to help parents solve the complex problems of child rearing. This book combines common sense with up-to-date research.

The first section is full of excellent and practical advice about eating habits, sleeping habits, family life and play. The second section leads parents through the various stages of child care and education, which would also be useful reading for all educators. The third section is dedicated to how to avoid the dangers of electronic devices. In this final section, Sue Palmer suggests we re-evaluate our modern life to overcome our bad habits and virtual addictions.

Although, her observations and advice are spot-on, I feel most modern families would be reluctant to put it in to practice. In some cases, I can foresee there will be a need for a new kind of support group.

Book Review: The Best Bear Tracker

Title: The Best Bear Tracker

Written by: John Condon

Illustrated by: Julia Christians

Published by: Templar Publishing

*The Best Bear Tracker* by John Condon and Julia Christians

The Best Bear Tracker is another ingenious picture book from John Condon with a great twist at the end. This is definitely a book that children will want to read over and over again. The young girl is a highly likable, curious character full of hope and determination.

From the start she is talking straight to the reader, teaching them the rules of bear tracking and how to be brave if you are set on completing your quest. I love the duplicity of the story with the text telling a totally different story from the illustrations, creating a truly interactive experience. Great for extending the children’s observation skills. Young children will enjoy spotting the bears she has missed.

In the classroom this picture book would be fantastic for stimulating discussion about bravery and when they may have felt afraid and how they reacted. You can discuss when it is good to persevere and when it is better to stop.

The Best Bear Tracker could also be used to help children think about what things they need to take with them when setting off on a journey from a walk to school in the morning to what they may need to pack when going on holiday. They can compare the items they think they will need for different activities compared to the items that the young girl took with her to hunt for a bear.

This is a must have book for school book corners and a great book to read aloud to your child at bedtimes. I would highly recommend this book.

You can buy copies of The Best Bear Tracker by John Condon and Julia Christians from your local bookshop, or online at uk.bookshop.org, an organisation with a mission to financially support local, independent bookshops.

You can find out more about John and his picture books on Twitter @John_Condon_OTT, Instagram @john_condon_author, Facebook @john.condon and on his website: www.johncondon.co.uk.

To read my exclusive interview with John Condon to celebrate the release of The Best Bear Tracker in August 2022 go to: Special Guest: Q & A with John Condon

You can read my review of The Pirates are Coming! by John Condon and Matt Hunt here: Book Review: The Pirates are Coming!

You can discover more about John and his writing tips in another interview I did with him, this time for the September 2019 Writing for Children slot in the national writing magazine Writers’ Forum: An interview with… John Condon

Also discover the highlights of John Condon’s book launch for The Pirates are Coming! here: John Condon’s book launch

Book Review: When Plants Took Over the Planet. The Amazing Story of Plant Evolution

Title: When Plants Took Over the Planet. The Amazing Story of Plant Evolution.

Written by: Dr Chris Thorogood

Illustrated by: Amy Grimes

Published by: QED Publishing

When Plants Took Over the Planet. The Amazing Story of Plant Evolution
by Dr Chris Thorogood and
Amy Grimes

When Plants Took Over the Planet. The Amazing Story of Plant Evolution documents a concise history of plants from the first water plants that have been estimated to have appeared around 500 million years ago and through their amazing journey onto land. There is also an excellent timeline of their evolution from the Palaeozoic era to the Cenozoic era.

Dr Chris Thorogood has put his reputation as a botanic field guide writer to good use to create a visually dynamic non-fiction picture book for young people that can be used as a means for identifying different plants and guide young readers through the key aspects of the life of plants, from early ferns which were most certainly munched on by dinosaurs, to carnivorous plants that snap and ‘attack’ their prey, or powerful medicinal plants that can heal ailments and boost health. It even includes how to pronounce the difficult looking Latin words.

The snippets of bite-sized narrative weaves its way through how the multitude of magnificent and mysterious variations evolved into the vast array of adaptations that populate our planet today. It provides examples of how they can be used in medicines, the animals, including humans that need them to survive and also touches on the damage humans are doing to this fascinating resource.

Amy Grimes’ illustrations are bright and bold vinaigrettes inspired by the colours of nature and the natural world. Any child will want to spend hours just pouring over the illustrations to determine the plants similarities and differences.

This large-format, highly illustrated non-fiction picture book could be used to support topics taught at the top end of primary school in particular, living things and their habitats and evolution and inheritance. It will inspire budding young gardeners and botanists to discover more about the world of plants and maybe even go on to grow some truly bizarre and extraordinary plants for themselves.

This book was originally reviewed for Armadillo Magazine.