Review: Big Digger ABC by Margaret Mayo

Author: Margaret Mayo

Illustrator: Alex Ayliffe

Source: Hachette Children’s Books

Published by Orchard Books

Release date: April 2015

Hardback: $24.99aud

Synopsis: The ultimate book of vehicles from the creators of the bestselling Dig Dig Digging!

Explore the amazing A to Z of vehicles in this ultimate book of things that go. This bright and busy picture book is packed with all the vehicles little ones love, from diggers and fire engines to spaceships and underwater robots.

Margaret Mayo's lively, rhythmic text is perfect for reading aloud, while Alex Ayliffe's bold and colourful illustrations bring each mega machine to life in glorious detail. With one vehicle for every letter from A to Z, this is an exciting introduction to the alphabet and the perfect picture book for machine-mad little ones. 

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

As a toddler, my son was obsessed with everything to do with vehicles – especially emergency and construction so this book would have been amazing for when he was younger.

The illustrations are wonderfully detailed and are vividly appealing, they catch your eye and hold your interest which I feel is important in a  book such as Big Digger ABC.

It is educational, not only with the vehicles but also with the alphabet – each letter showcases a different vehicle starting with that letter, it is an all-round perfect book but I definitely feel little boys would prefer it. The writing is wonderful and is in rhyme which is always a lot of fun, my 7 year-old daughter read this out loud and thought it was great.

Thank you kindly to Hachette Children’s Books for the opportunity to read Big Digger ABC.

About the author: Margaret Mayo is an acclaimed storyteller and author who has been creating stories for children for over 35 years. She has written more than 50 books, including the bestselling Dig Dig Digging, Choo Choo Clickety-Clack and Stomp, Dinosaur, Stomp! A former teacher, Margaret uses her wide-ranging experience with children in her writing. She lives in Brighton.

About the Illustrator: Alex Ayliffe is a bestselling, award-winning writer and artist. Her distinctive papercut illustrations are bright and bold with lots of child appeal. Alex has illustrated many books for children, including the bestselling Emergency! and Boo Barney, winner of the Sainsbury’s Baby Book Award. She lives with her family in Hertfordshire.

Review: The Complete Guide to a Dog's Best Friend by Felicity Gardner

Author:  Felicity Gardner

Illustrator: David West

Publisher/Source: Hachette Australia

Release date: 24/012/2015

Paperback $14.99

Synopsis: Have you ever wondered what your dog is really thinking? Read this book to find out!

An older, wiser dog offers hilarious advice to puppies about how to be a pet, including quickly grabbing any snacks left laying around before your owner changes their mind, helping out by 'sorting' the rubbish and always leading the way on walks.

All dog-lovers will laugh with recognition at this very funny story from a talented husband-and-wife duo.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

The Complete Guide to a Dog's Best Friend by Felicity Gardner is a wonderfully illustrated and humorous story about how to choose your new best friend - your pet dog.

My daughter was able to read this book easily and with understanding, with large text and some wonderful humour, it was written from the point of view of an older, wiser dog, you get a glimpse into what they're thinking which the kids found to be quite funny, we could relate to their antics.

The Complete Guide to a Dog's Best Friend is a delightful, easy read that I highly recommend, especially for dog lovers. The pictures by David West are detailed and vibrant.

Thank you to Hachette Australia for the opportunity to read and review The Complete Guide to a Dog's Best Friend.

Biographical Notes 

Felicity Gardner is an illustrator from South West Sydney who studied illustration and design at the Design Centre, Enmore. Her work has featured in various magazines, advertisements and exhibitions and she is the illustrator of WHERE'S MY POTTY, SNOWY AND SNUFFLES, MY GRUMPY DAY and THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO A DOG'S BEST FRIEND. As well as illustrating THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO A DOG'S BEST FRIEND, she also co-authored the story with her husband David West. They based the story around their own dog, Banjo, who is the bossiest member of their family.

David West is a primary school teacher from South West Sydney. THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO A DOG'S BEST FRIEND is the first children's book that he has co-authored with his wife Felicity Gardner, but this is not his first book. With the help of his students, he has created multiple other books that have been self published and distributed around the playground.

• Other details
  
  
• ISBN: 9780734415424
• Publication date: 24 Feb 2015
• Page count: 24

Review: Amelie and Nanette – Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes by Sophie Tilly

Amelie and Nanette – Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes

Author: Sophie Tilly

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Age group: 0-5 years

Pages: 32

Release date: 1^st October 2014

Amazon - TBD - Goodreads

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

Amelie and Nanette are very excited! Christmas is coming, and they are busy making their fairy costumes for the party at school. There are cakes to bake and paper chains to make too. But on the day of the party, poor Nanette starts to shiver and sneeze – and has to stay at home! 

They are both very sad, but when Nanette gets better, a special fairy comes to visit, and Pilou the dog delivers a sack full of cards from her school friends! 

An enchanting festive story featuring two very special girls, who discover that the best gift of all is to have a friend to share Christmas with. - See more at: http://www.bloomsbury.com/au/amelie-and-nanette-snowflakes-and-fairy-wishes-9781408836644/#sthash.yuEv8snm.dpuf

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Amelie and Nanette – Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes is such a beautifully illustrated and written book, I would happily give this book as a Christmas gift as it’s about Christmas and how two best friends celebrate and prepare for it together.

The messages within this book were delightful:

‘Because there is nothing nicer than having a best friend to share your secrets and adventures with… ‘{page 1}

It was sweet seeing these best friends super excited about Christmas and their preparations for their school party; Miss seven excitedly want to do the same thing closer to Christmas such as make paper chains and bake fairy cakes – unfortunately, with our climate making a snowman was off the list but the fun the friends shared was wonderful until one of them became sick but the kindness the other showed was a mark of their bond.

The text was easy to read and comprehend, this book was entertaining and easy for my daughter to read without guided help and as previously mentioned the illustrations were absolutely beautiful.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Australia for the opportunity to read and review this title.

We are looking forward to reading more about Amelie and Nanette’s adventures.

About the author: Sophie started her working career as an in house writer for IPC Magazines then moved into the fashion sector before going freelance. She now works from her studio in North Wales where she lives with her husband and three children. Her successful series, Princess Evie's Magic Ponies, was published by Simon & Schuster. 
http://www.sophietilleydesigns.com/

Writes: Picture Books

Author of: Amelie and Nanette: Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties, Amelie and Nanette: Snowflakes and Fairy Wishes

Review: Dragon Jelly by Claire Freedman illustrated by Sue Hendra

Author: Claire Freedman

Illustrated by Sue Hendra

Age group: 0-5

Publisher: Bloomsbury Australia

Pages: 32

Amazon – TBD

Release date: 1^st October 2014

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

TA-DAH! It's DRAGON JELLY time,
A sizzling scrumptious treat.
It's red. It's wobbly. Best of all,
It's SCARY HOT to eat . . . !

Max is having a MONSTER party. They play all sorts of yucky games then cool down in a fruitbat drool paddling pool! Then it's tea-time, with termite tarts, ear-wig rolls and eyeball birthday cake. But the REAL treat is the red-hot dragon jelly!

Dragon Jelly is monstrously gloopy, gunky fun from the bestselling Claire Freedman and Sue Hendra. - See more at: Bloomsbury

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

The cover of Dragon Jelly is vibrant and exciting; Miss 7 loved the glittery swirls and was quite eager to get started on this book and was so engrossed that she didn’t want it to end.

Dragon Jelly is about Max and his monster party with games, entertainment, scary treats and more, it was a lot of fun looking at the wonderfully detailed illustrations and to see what a great time the monsters were having.

The illustrations by Sue Hendra are amazing and the friendship you can see the monsters sharing was really delightful, the party was a lot of fun, even the scary hot dragon jelly!

Miss 7 was able to read the text easily & we thoroughly enjoyed Claire Freedman’s engaging and creative storytelling.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Australia for providing us with a copy of Dragon Jelly to read and review.

  

About the author: Claire Freedman is the bestselling author of the Aliens Love Underpants series for Simon & Schuster, which has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. Spider Sandwiches is Claire's first picture book for Bloomsbury. Claire lives in Essex.
www.clairefreedman.co.uk

Review: Goodnight, You by Geneviève Côté

Goodnight, You

Author: Geneviève Côté

Series: -

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Pages: 32

Amazon – TBD

Release date: 1^st September 2014

Synopsis: Piggy and Bunny are having their first campout. As the shadows loom larger, Piggy and Bunny playfully imagine scary scenarios and how they might deal with them. It's all good fun, until Piggy reveals a secret fear. This sweetly humorous story shines a light on ways young friends can acknowledge each other's worries and enjoy new experiences. Goodnight, You is the fourth book in the Piggy and Bunny series, which features endearing tales that celebrate friendship and encourage individuality and self-acceptance.

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodnight, You was an easy to read simple book with beautiful illustrations and a sweet story within.

We meet Piggy and Bunny, two good friends who are sharing their first exciting camping experience together and the worries and fears that they both have.

This part of the synopsis describes the book beautifully ‘This sweetly humorous story shines a light on ways young friends can acknowledge each other's worries and enjoy new experiences.’ The real fears were realistically written as was the outcome which was appropriate for the young target audience.

This was a lovely book to read to my daughter. I didn’t realise it was the fourth book in the series but it can most definitely be read as a stand-alone, we’ll definitely be on the lookout for the other books though.

Thank you to Kids Can Press via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Goodnight, You.

Review: Izzy the Ice-cream Fairy by Tim Bugbird

Izzy the Ice-cream Fairy

Author: Tim Bugbird

Series: -

Publisher: Make Believe Ideas

Pages: 32

Amazon – TBD

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

"Izzy the Ice-Cream Fairy" is an amazing story book from Tim Bugbird with fantastic illustrations by Lara Ede. Izzy and her friends run a magical ice-cream stall on the beach, until one day they discover that their ice-cream well has run dry. Join the fairy friends as they travel to a new land in search of more delicious ice cream, and find out if they will make it home in time to enter their favorite carnival.

Beautiful illustrations and funny, rhyming text makes this story a delight to read with one child or with a group.

Features & Benefits: Brilliant new fairy storybook that will delight children and adultsCharming illustrations and wonderful, rhyming text combine to make this super cute storyAnother adorable story from the creators of the popular "Camilla the Cupcake Fairy"

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Izzy the Ice-cream Fairy is a delightful story that Miss 7 absolutely loved, with its beautiful illustrations and a wonderful story she was entertained from the very first page.

Izzy is a fairy who runs an ice-cream stall but realises one day that their ice-cream has run out so they take a journey to new lands to search for more yummy ice-cream.

With easy to read and comprehend rhyming text, this book was a lot of fun to hear read aloud.

The characters were delightful, the overall story vibrant with detail and the problem the fairies had to solve and the resolution was done very well.

We will definitely be reading more books written by Tim Bugbird.

Review: Fancy Nancy – The 100th Day of School by Jane O’Connor

Fancy Nancy – The 100^th Day of School

Author: Jane O’Connor

Illustrated by Robin Preiss-Glasser

Series: Fancy Nancy

Publisher: Harper Collins

Pages: 32

Amazon – TBD

Release date: 6^th August 2010

Synopsis. (Goodreads)

The 100th day of school is coming up, and Nancy doesn’t know what to bring in for the class project. Will she be able to think of something imaginative in time for the big day?

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

Fancy Nancy is very popular in our household, Miss 7 absolutely adores sweet little Nancy and her fancy words.

This book follows Nancy and her class in celebrating 100 days at school. They have been assigned a project to think of something to take in to celebrate but poor Nancy is a little lost as to what she should create and spends a few days trying to decide; we see her think up a few creative projects over these days but she isn’t quite happy and nothing seems to be good enough.

There was an event in this book that was a little sad but it is also what bought about Nancy’s unique idea which also held a special place close to her heart for more personal reasons.

This beautiful series has the most lovely illustrations, wonderfully detailed and a lot of fun; it shows a lot of imagination and creativity and kept Miss 7 excited from the very first page; she did find a few of the words difficult so this probably wouldn’t be the best book for a new reader but easy definitions for the more complex words were also provided.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book with my daughter; it was sweet and fun, beautifully written and visually appealing. I highly recommend this series.

The beautiful Fancy Nancy website it also a must view for all little girls – here.



About the author: Jane O'Connor is the author of more than thirty books for children, including Nina, Nina Ballerina, illustrated by DyAnne DiSalvo, and the Fancy Nancy picture book series. Ms. O'Connor lives with her family in ever-posh New York City.

Review: I Need a New Butt by Dawn McMillan, Illustrated by Ross Kinnaird

Title: I Need a New Butt 

Authors: Dawn McMillan

Illustrator: Ross Kinnaird

Publisher: Dover Publications

Release date: 17^th September 2014

Pages: 32

Amazon - TBD

Synopsis (Goodreads)

A young boy suddenly notices a big problem — his butt has a huge crack! So he sets off to find a new one. Will he choose an armor-plated butt? A rocket butt? A robot butt? Find out in this quirky tale of a tail, which features hilarious rhymes and delightful illustrations. Children and parents will love this book — no ifs, ands, or butts about it!

Review: 5 out of 5 stars

My kids found this book absolutely hilarious! Anything to do with bums, bottoms, butts etc. has them giggling so when they read the first line ‘I need a new butt! mine has a crack’ they were in hysterics.

I Need a New Butt is written in rhyme, small amounts of text per page with a cute picture – of the little boys bottom, he went in pursuit of answers to what could have happened to make his bottom crack, it was quite the adventure with him imagining the different types that he would like to fix it with.

This is a cute book that will have your little ones laughing which is always delightful to hear, highly recommended for toddlers.

Thank you to Dover Publications for the opportunity to read and review I Need a New Butt.

About the author: (authors website) 

I live in an amazing place, on the Thames Coast of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand. 

I work from a little studio in my back garden. I look out my studio window across the park to the beach. Many of my stories are about the sea, or about nature. We have the bush close by and I love to walk alongside the Waiomu Stream, right up to a grove of magnificent Kauri. 

But not all my stories come from nature. I keep a watch on what’s happening around me and I listen to what people say. Sometimes a joke can give me an idea. But most of my stories come from my own experience…the happy times, the sad times, and the special people I’ve known. 

You’ll see that I do a lot of readers for schools. I enjoy doing these. They’re like a story and a puzzle combined. The story is the most important part but there are lots of reading level challenges to get right too. The readers go all over the world, with some of them translated into other languages. 

Come and see us sometime. Bring your swimming gear and your fishing rods. If you let me know you’re coming I’ll make you some hokey-pokey biscuits. 

dawn@dawnmcmillan.co.nz