Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright! - Fiona Walters & Britta Teckentrup: reviewed by Sue Purkiss

The subtitle of this book is 'An animal poem for every day of the year'. It's a simple idea and a brilliant one, and it's resulted in this most sumptuous book - satisfyingly huge and beautifully coloured. 

There's a vast variety of poems. Some are short, simple, and funny; others are much more complex. But I don't think it would matter if the poem for one day might be a bit difficult or a bit simple, because there would be more than enough in the illustrations to evoke discussion, admiration, wonder. It will make a most marvellous present. The cover price is £25, but it's widely available at £16-17.

I don't think I need to say any more: I'll just show you some examples.

 

You probably can't read the poem: it's The Sparrow Hawk by Russell Hoban:

Wings like pistons flashing at his sides

Masked, above the meadow runway rides,

Galloping, galloping with an easy rein,

Below, the fieldmouse, where the shadow glides,

Holds fast the small purse of his life, and hides.

The hippopotamus has two poems. This is the one for the 13th, by Jack Prelutsky:

The huge hippopotamus hasn't a hair

on the back of his wrinkly hide; 

he carries the bulk of his prominent hulk

rather loosely assembled inside.

The huge hippopotamus lives without care

at a low philosophical pace,

as he wades in the mud with a thump and a thud

and a permanent grin on his face.

Butterfly, by Michael Harrison, is short and very sweet:

Butterfly

Butterflies

Butterflown

The book is an absolute treat.

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EDGAR AND THE SAUSAGE INSPECTOR, by Jan Fearnley. Reviewed by Saviour Pirotta

Jan Fearnley's latest picture book for Nosy Crow is a hoot. Edgar and his sister Edith live at the end of an alley. Edgar loves Edith very much and one day sets off to buy her favourite treat. Sausages!

Sadly, coming out of the butcher's, Edith is waylaid by a food inspector, a rat, who pronounces the sausages tainted and makes off with them, presumably for further inspection in a lab. The same unhappy meeting keeps repeating itself on further shopping sprees and it soon becomes apparent that the inspector is not all he claims to be. This pushes the otherwise peace loving Edgar over the edge, with fatal consequences for...but no spoilers here.

Fearnley's story is a delicious tale of sweet revenge.  Told in a fast, edgy style with gorgeous retro illustrations that remind me of the ever-popular Madeline books. It's one that I'm sure will prove popular with many readers. The ending would also be great to engender discussions about the nature of revenge and 'getting your own back.' A treat in more ways that one.  Let's hope there are more adventures of Edgar and Edith on the way. They are an adorable pair.


Saviour Pirotta's latest picture book, The Unicorn Prince, is illustrated by Jane Ray and out now. Follow Saviour on twitter @spirotta.

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The Knight who said ‘No!’, text by Lucy Rowland, illustrations by Kate Hindley Review by Lynda Waterhouse

Ned is the one and only child in the village. He is a little knight who likes to say ‘Yes’ and to do what he is told straight away, be it washing up, picking up cabbages or obeying orders to go indoors when the dragon arrives.

Then Ned wakes up on the morning:

‘He felt quite odd: all hot inside,

And cross from top to toe.

He shook his head from side to side

And then Ned answered…NO’

This prickly feeling lasts all day with Ned testing out the power of ‘No’ well into the night when he refuses to go inside and hide from the dragon, with surprising results.  

His friendship with the dragon helps those angry, prickly, lonely feelings to disappear for the moment. The story is not preachy but Ned learns that there is a time for ‘Yes’ and a time for ’No’ and that it is OK to have those prickly cross feelings. I also like the hint at Ned’s developing empathy when he has an inkling that the dragon might be all alone like him.

Lucy Rowland’s text is written in rhyme with a lively rhythm that children will enjoy listening to, anticipating the next line and joining in. The language is rich. This is a book to be read, re-read and enjoyed! Kate Hindley’s distinctive, colourful and bold illustrations have a vintage and folk art feel reminiscent of Pat Hutchins. They beautifully capture Ned’s world, his changing moods and his relationship with the dragon.

The book also has a QR code for a free audio reading.

Nosy Crow

ww.nosycrow.com

ISBN 978 1 78800 208 0

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The Secret Diary of John Drawbridge by Philip Ardagh, illustrated by Jamie Littler – review by Lynda Waterhouse

I am always surprised by the many ways that books find you and lure you into their secret worlds. This beauty came into my hands after I had read about it in a National Trust magazine. My excuse for hunting it down was for ‘research purposes’ as I was preparing for some creative writing sessions at Windsor Castle and St George’s Chapel. I already had Ewart Oakeshott’s A Knight and his Castle and several academic tomes but what I needed was a book that combined historical facts, a great character, brilliant illustrations, a cracking storyline, pathos and humour. I needed to find the Secret Diary of John Drawbridge!

John has just moved to Widemoat Castle to begin his training to become a knight. He has to start at the bottom and on his bottom ‘because training to be a page one getteth knocked over quite a bit.’ Not many people could write at the time so John is composing this diary in his head and we are all invited to become mind readers which doesn’t happen every day.

Unfortunately John’s annoying big brother, Hubert, is also at the castle. There are two other pages in training, Martin and Cadwallon, and there is Doug who ‘smelleth much of dog’ as he lives in the kennels.

This books is full of fascinating facts about the life of a page in a castle. The diary format works well as does the use of footnotes. Jamie Littler’s illustrations are a delight.  

John’s life is in danger as he races to uncover a plot to attack the castle – if you want to solve the mystery as well as learn plenty of fascinating facts whilst having a good laugh then you need to read this book.

There is now a copy lurking on a bookshelf inside Windsor Castle and I am looking forward to reading the other books in the Secret Diary series.

ISBN 978-085763-901-1

Published by Nosy Crow in partnership with the National Trust

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The Fairiest Fairy by Anne Booth & Rosalind Beardshaw review by Lynda Waterhouse

This is a warm and charming picture book that should be a staple in every book corner, library and home. Why? Because it tells the story of Betty, the trainee fairy ,who starts at fairy school and find that it’s a tough and hard place to get things right. Her teacher shakes her head and thinks she is such a messy muddle.  Betty’s confidence takes a bashing when she can’t scatter all the dew drops so they sparkle in the sun, perfect her morning spell to wake up every flower or paint a pretty rainbow.

‘But little, messy Betty had a

Broken-hearted cry.

“I’m always in a muddle,

Even though I try and try”’.

This week all 6-year-olds will take their phonic test .. err .. pardon me .. will be screened and, no matter how kind the teachers are, a lot of the children, like Betty, will get into a muddle  and feel heartbroken.  They won’t understand that the main point of this test is so that schools can be held accountable and that their teacher’s pay will be linked to the results. A perfect time to read them this story and show them that there are other things that matter more than getting the ‘right’ answer. Betty is brave and clever and kind. She helps out a rabbit, a baby blackbird and a butterfly with tangled laces. She makes friends and learns the importance of friendship and working as a team.  

Rosalind Beardshaw’s colourful illustrations perfectly capture the mood and rhythm of the rhyming text. The book also includes a free Stories Aloud smartphone audio book.

ISBN 978 -0-85763-316-3

Published by nosy crow

www.nosycrow.com

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Captain Beastlie's Pirate Party by Lucy Coats and Chris Mould - reviewed by Damian Harvey

Captain Beastlie is a dirty, smelly pirate but his ship is smart and his crew are clean. The filthy captain shouts and bellows, stamps and stomps around his ship as he counts down the days left until his birthday - just in case his crew should have forgotten.

Children will delight in Beastlie's dirty habits - 'picking a bogey out of his nose and licking it', then 'rootling a glob of peanut butter out of his ear', and much more besides. They will also love seeing his crew as they busily prepare a birthday surprise for their bellowing captain. But what is it they are preparing?

Lucy's text is a joy to read with its rhythms, pirate language and expressive dialogue. A great book to share and a real must to read aloud to a bunch of lily-livered limpets ahar! But please beware! It's impossible to read in anything other than a traditional pirate voice... And quite right too.

Chris Mould's artwork is always a joy to see and here he brings Lucy's characters to life with lots of fun and added detail in his own inimitable style giving the readers so much to look at.

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