Category Archives: Book reviews by Lexi

Reviews by Lexi Rees of a wide range of newly released children’s books.

The power of a burp (and a giveaway)

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I always enjoy Robin Bennett’s books – check out my thoughts on my personal favourite, The Hairy Hand, here. Anyway, he’s got a new one out so as part of his virtual book tour, I invited him to join me for a chat about his creation process.

“Breaking the Rules in Children’s Books”

Monster Max started with just one hook: what if you could turn yourself into a monster just by burping (but turn back, by simply sneezing). This appealed to me because it meant my central character had the sort of power and control that you can only dream of aged 9. And the ability to bend statues or eat dustbins whole. It’s obviously got a lot of comic potential, too – because we all sometimes burp or sneeze by mistake and this was going to leave Max, quite frequently, with a lot of explaining to do.

I also decided to ignore one of the cardinal rules in children’s writing: I didn’t get rid of the parents. In fact Max’s parents are both fantastic – Max is given the space to fight his own battles with his arch nemesis, the genius inventor Peregrine, but they are supportive enough to give him the confidence he can – and they never take parenting – nor Max – too seriously.

And the rule breaking didn’t end there, I’m sorry to say. A famous editor once said that children’s books must obey all the laws of life – except one: i.e. you can only get away with one big lie. So clouds might have cities hidden in their soft folds but water must still be wet, little brothers annoying and tea should be at 4pm sharp.

And this is why I modelled Monster Max on books like Paddington, where almost everything is comforting and normal – and nice – except for the one huge anomaly that everyone politely ignores because they’re British. So, in Paddington, people are far more put out by his table manners than the fact he’s a talking bear, in Monster Max his parents tend to take his super power with a pinch of salt and spend more time nudging him to use his brains, be nice to his friends and brush his teeth. It’s this gentle, understated way of life and the well-being of his parents – his mother in particular – that Max realises he has to use his monster powers to safeguard.

And that was the clincher for me … because, at the end of the day, lots small boys want to save their mums. Hence his reformed monster motto – To Protect and Do Good Stuff

So, that’s Monster Max and the first book, the Bobble Hat of Forgetting. It’s a happy book, I hope and positive, which is always welcome – especially now. And I also hope there will be many more, each with their hurdles to overcome for Max and his friends … and jokes … lots more jokes.

Back to me. It reminds me of the boy AA Milne poem “Disbedience” (one of my absolute favourites) protecting his mother!

James James 
Morrison Morrison 
Weatherby George Dupree 
Took great 
Care of his Mother, 
Though he was only three. 
James James Said to his Mother, 
“Mother,” he said, said he; 
“You must never go down 
to the end of the town, 
if you don’t go down with me.” 

Giveaway to Win a Monster Max Cuddly Toy (UK Only)

Enter via Rafflecopter here http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494409/? 

*Terms and Conditions –UK entries only, welcome.  Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below.  The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over.  Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data.  I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Author Bio

Aged 21 Robin was all set to become a cavalry officer; aged 21 and a half, he found himself working as an assistant gravedigger in south London wondering where it all went wrong. Robin has gone on to start and run over a dozen successful businesses from dog- sitting to cigars, tuition to translation. The list is quite exhausting. Robin is married with three young children. He spends his time between Pau in the Pyrenées and Henley-on- Thames.  

Monster Max and the Bobble Hat of Forgetting is Robin’s first book with Firefly Press publishing in February 2021. He has also written other books for children, published with Monster Books. 

Rampaging Rugby, first in the Stupendous Sports non-fiction series for 7-11-year-olds will publish August 2021. 

Follow Robin on Twitter @writer_robin and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/robinbennettauthor/

Scavenger hunt extravaganza

As we enter another half term in lockdown, most of us are searching for activity inspiration. Just before Christmas, my latest book, Scavenger Art was published which hopefully solves some of those “I don’t know what to do/ draw” cries. I’ve been thrilled with all the amazing reviews from parents, teachers, mindfulness coaches, and young artists. And was delighted to see it included in this article, originally published on Kickstarterz and shared with their permission, so here you go …

There are so many different variations and themes you could adopt to create a fun and exciting scavenger hunt. The best thing about them is children absolutely love them. From colour to themed scavenger hunts, the possibilities are endless. Below are some of our favourite variations of different scavenger hunt ideas you could do, or get creative and invent your own. (We would love to hear your favourite).

  • Colour – By using colour in the hunt, young children have the opportunity to learn about colours and for older children it’s an exciting challenge to find such a colourful mix of items. Why not create a rainbow scavenger hunt, where children have to find items the colour of the rainbow

. clolour scavenger hunt

  • Letters – Finding items beginning with certain letters is another fun and challenging hunt we can use. Why not have your child find items that spell their name, football team, pet name etc. Whatever their age or ability this one is a fantastic way to enhance learning and fun.
  • Treasure Hunt – Get creative and draw a map of your house/garden and put clues to the location of the treasureyou want your children to find. Items could include, favourite toy, teddy bear, real or chocolate coins.
  • Team Hunt – More than 1 child? Then why not create team games and see who can find items on the list first. If not you could always have parent vs child hunts were you can create a list for each other, say 7 items each and see who can find all the items the fastest.
  • Theme – There are so many themes you could include to make your scavenger hunt feel more topical and relevant. Such as seasonal (things found in spring, autumn etc), football themed, superhero and senses (things you can smell, for example).
  • Art/Mindfulness – A great activity we came across was the mixing of drawing and a scavenger hunt, creating Scavenger art. Perfect for children and families alike, with so many great skills acquired, such as creativity, mindfulness and developing drawing skills.

One book we came across was a perfect recourse for this different kind of hunt, and can be found here. With 52 scavenger hunt ideas in, it’s a perfect companion to any scavenger hunt.

Scavenger art
Scavenger Art, Lexi Rees

Review

“What a wonderful book! It’s easily accessible and adaptable for any circumstances, age, or even weather. An ideal present, this fun book would be appreciated by any child who loves to draw. Invaluable for both parents and educators, there are hours of enjoyment to be had within its pages.” Art teacher

So there you have it, a basic list of ideas to get you started for a scavenger hunt for kids and parents alike. 

What do a reindeer, a monkey, and a cow have in common?

I can honestly say that’s not a sentence I ever thought I’d write! Until I received a review copy of Billy and the Balloons by Elizabeth Dale.

I confess I was a little worried that the title and cover might give away too much, but there is just so much fun and magic in this book, that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Think Peter Pan meets The Snowman and you’re on the right lines.

The “up up and away” fold out page was a complete surprise. I’d actually love a poster of this page for my Christmas decorations.

I also have to sing the praises of illustrator Patrick Corrigan. Not only are the colours are absolutely divine – rich and warm – but the illustrations manage to find that perfect blend of nostalgic and fresh.

PS – pass the mince pies – unlike Santa, I’m not planning to climb down any chimneys!

Blurb

Fly up, up, and away with Billy! When the wind takes Billy and his colorful balloons on a ride in the sky, he ends up having the most magical Christmas ever.

A small boy + a big bunch of balloons = magic! Billy’s dad has a special touch with balloons, turning them into every imaginable shape and creature. But one Christmas Eve, the wind whips up and tiny Billy finds himself and his father’s balloons floating away through the clouds. Lots of friends, both human and animal, scurry to the rescue–but instead of bringing Billy down to earth, one by one they end up coming along for the ride. Will Billy succeed in landing safely . . . and help Santa and his tired reindeer deliver their presents too?

Author biography

Elizabeth Dale

I began writing magazine fiction and have sold thousands of stories all over the world, but when my daughters were born and I started reading to them, I was reminded just how wonderful children’s books are, and decided to try writing them myself. They are the most fun of all and I have had over eighty books published from picture books up to novels for up to age 12. 

Some of them deal with issues I have faced with my own children such as a pet dying – Scrumpy (Andersen) or an over-adventurous hamster – Hammy (Orchard), others cover issues common to many children, such as being scared of monsters – Nothing Can Frighten a Bear (Nosy Crow), being different – Delightfully Different Dilly (Quarto 2021) and being small – Billy and the Balloons (Salariya) and Off to Market! (Frances Lincoln -a runner-up in the Dundee Picture Book Award and based on my journey on an over-crowded minibus in Uganda filled with villagers, furniture and animals!  

I have also written a couple of interactive picture books where the reader has to be a hero and pull faces, shout, stamp and twist and turn the book to help save a child from impending disaster – Chase Those Witches!(Salariya) and Save The Day for Ada May (Willow Tree Books.) The latter has won two Awards and been short-listed for a third. Of course there is always room for books which are just pure fun, whether they’re rhyming – Mix Up Monday (Maverick) coming in 2021 or non-rhyming – When Betsy Came To Babysit (Tamarind, read on the Cbeebies Bedtime Hour). 

I have recently moved into writing Non-Fiction picture books – Trailblazer (Maverick) is the story of Lily Parr and her battle to play Woman’s Football in the early 20th Century.

As well as my picture books I have written a lot of Early Reader texts – fun stories that help young readers develop their reading skills – for Franklin Watts and Maverick Books as well as Junior Fiction for Egmont.

Illustrator biography

Patrick Corrigan worked as an art director at a design studio before becoming an illustrator of educational and picture books for children. He illustrated Save the Day for Ada May!, which won the picture book category in the 2019 Northern Lights Book Awards.

This puppy is just for Christmas

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know I I’m a fan of everything Carol Thomas writes, for grown-ups and for kids. We’ve done her first picture book, Finding a Friend, in my book club, so I was excited to see a sequel is out. And I’m a sucker for a Christmas book. So I invited Carol to chat …

Hello Lexi, thank you for having me on your blog to chat about the release of my latest children’s book, Being a Friend at Christmas.

It is the second in my Little Pup series of books, but each can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone story. In this book, Little Pup is looking forward to his first Christmas in his new home. But he remembers the dogs he has left behind in the shelter. He has a plan to ensure they have a happy Christmas too, but he needs Father Christmas’ help to make his wish come true.

Being a Friend book cover

Aimed at under 7s, the text is purposefully rhythmic and written in rhyme to make it accessible to its young audience, who can join in and anticipate words and phrases. The pictures are bright and colourful. I illustrated the book myself and had great fun capturing the puppy’s thoughts, feelings and expressions. The book has been described as the ideal gift for all young dog lovers, which is lovely to hear!

As I like my books to be shared and to inspire a conversation, the story also carries a message about being kind, thoughtful and generous. These things are important all year round, but especially at Christmas. At the end of Being A Friend, there is an opportunity for children to make their own Christmas wish.

I always love hearing from readers. At the end of Finding a Friend, readers were asked to name Little Pup; I enjoyed hearing all of the wonderful names he was given. This year, I hope to hear all about the Christmas wishes Little Pup has inspired. If readers would (with help from their parents and carers) like to get in touch, they can do so here: https://www.carol-thomas.co.uk/contact-me/

Thanks Carol! If you’d like to meet the pup, check out this cute book trailer: https://youtu.be/q8Yhj7AfwPE

And of course, here’s the purchase link: http://getbook.at/BAFAmazon

About the author:

Carol Thomas lives on the south coast of England with her husband, four children and lively Labrador. She has been a playgroup supervisor and has taught in primary schools for just over twenty years.

Carol writes for both adults and children. Her children’s books have irresistibly cute, generally furry characters young children can relate to.

To find out more about books by Carol Thomas:

https://facebook.com/carolthomasauthor

Wombat & Wow

If you’ve followed me for a while you’ll know I loved Daisy May’s Daydream Parade so I was eager to listen to Wombat & Jones. And I wasn’t disappointed. What fun! Again, the author’s BBC CBeebies Radio background is very evident and this is razor sharp.

Young listeners (ages 3-5) will love it but, with my mum hat on, I promise the parents will enjoy it too. No screechy shouty voices here. Just crisp and clear characters with very distinct accents so they’re easy for everyone to distinguish between.

The writing is strong. Who doesn’t love “a wombat called … errr … Wombat”. And “Badger, the giraffe, who wasn’t a badger at all” is bound to make you smile.

There’s a moral, but it’s not overdone, and at 50 minutes it’s perfect for a car journey.

Enjoy 🙂

Blurb

Wombat and Jones are excited to attend the famous Boris Beaker’s banana bread baking class and like many other friends in town they can’t wait to get to work on making scrumptious banana bread. However, there’s just one problem — before class gets underway, Boris discovers that all of the bananas have gone missing!

Boris Beaker and his disappointed students know there is no chance they can make banana bread without this key ingredient, but Wombat isn’t willing to give up that easily. Putting her investigative skills to the test, she gets help from her trusty sidekick — Furlock Jones — and together they attempt to solve The Great Banana Mystery.

Written by author Arran Francis, creator of multiple series for BBC’s CBeebies Radio, Wombat & Jones: The Great Banana Mystery is a funny tale about friendship, problem-solving, and teamwork. Simple mistakes and jumping to conclusions can happen after all, but Wombat & Jones try their best to put it right and learn from them. 

https://www.wombatandjones.org/thegreatbananamystery

Author Bio

Arran Francis is the creator of multiple series for BBC’s CBeebies Radio and has worked as an audiobook producer on behalf of MacMillan Audio, Audible and Harper Collins. He launched Wombat and Jones Audio in 2019 with the aim of writing children’s novels to be released exclusively in audiobook format.

The audiobooks for the Daisy May’s Daydream Parade and Wombat & Jones series were released last summer with further books in the series and standalone titles being scheduled for publication in 2020.