Geek Girl : All That Glitters by Holly Smale

"My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek." The fourth book in the award-winning GEEK GIRL series. Harriet Manners has high hopes for the new school year: she's a Sixth Former now, and things are going to be different. But with Nat busy falling in love at college and Toby preoccupied with a Top Secret project, Harriet soon discovers that's not necessarily a good thing...

 I received this book from the publishers for an open and honest review. 

Star Rating

Holly Smale does it again!! I absolutely adore the Geek Girl series and every time I read one I have wonderful flashbacks to my youth. I was the kid who LOVED school; the lessons, the books, the teachers, the friendships. Today, I often find myself reminiscing with friends and wishing that I could go back in time for a day to watch my 15 year old self. Reading the tales of Harriet Manners is the closest I will ever get to reliving my youth (unless someone finally invents time travel) but that is good enough for me. This brilliant series by Holly Smale not only reminds me of my own time spent in school, but of the books I used to read when I was younger - Jacqueline Wilson, The Babysitter's Club, Sweet Valley High (all classics may I add).

Once again, this story is  full of more fascinating facts that will delight and surprise you. It often makes me wonder where Holly Smale gets them all from. I like to think she has a room in her house full of encyclopedias entitled 'random crap'.

'If you had a million snow crystals and compared two of them every second, you'd be there for nearly a hundred thousand years before you found two that matched.'

In this fourth-book, in the award winning series, Harriet Manners finds herself in sixth form, struggling to make new friends and learning the hard way that school life can be brutal. In this installment I feel that Holly Smale has really cemented Harriet's character and allowed her to find her voice. Harriet is witty, sarcastic and unceasingly funny and there were many occasions that I found myself laughing out loud (always a sure fire way to make yourself look insane to innocent bystanders).Holly Smale deals with the theme of friendship in a light-hearted yet meaningful way. The plot line is one that will resound with it's teen readers and I am sure many will admire the way Harriet deals with the challenges that face her. 

'If with every act of kindness, we shine a little brighter and the darkness gets a little lighter. With every type of friendship, space gets a little smaller and we get a little closer.'

Before I sign off, I can't end the post without quoting an extract from Holly Smale for all the book lovers out there. I leave you with this... 

'With my curtains shut and my bedroom door closed, I've devoured words like never before: buried myself in books and submerged myself in stories. I've read during breakfast, lunch and dinner' until the sun's come up and gone down and come up again. And not just fact books. I've fought dragons, attended balls and chased a whale. I've won wars, lost court cases, travelled India, ridden broomsticks and stranded myself on numerous islands. I've died a dozen times. Because here's the thing about a book: when you pick up a story, you put down your own. For a few precious moments, you become somebody else. Their memories become your memories; your thoughts turn into theirs Until, page by page, line by line, you disappear completely.' 

Snappy Birthday by Laura Ellen Anderson

When a very special invitation arrives at number 24, the children are filled with excitement. A birthday party? What fun!

But their next door neighbour is not all he seems. For a start, he has a large snout and very sharp teeth not to mention scaly skin and an incredibly long tail...

Yes, there's no two ways about it - their neighbour is most definitely a crocodile! Erm, crocodiles don't eat children, do they?

An energetic, laugh-out-loud picture book.

 

I received this book from the publishers for an open and honest review.

Star Rating

With a particular love for lengthy chapter books, my Year 2 class haven't wanted to read many picture books this year. However, when Snappy Birthday turned up in the post they were desperate to read it that very day and the upshot was... they loved it! 

One day a birthday invitation turns up at number 24. The children are invited to their neighbour's house for tea and who doesn't like a party? So off they set to the house next door where they discover a CROCODILE standing tall. Throughout the story, the crocodile chases the children and tries desperately to eat them. My class weren't sure if this was a game or whether the crocodile was really a villain. Eventually we discovered that this was indeed an evil crocodile. How would the children escape?


This book was fun, colorful and beautifully illustrated. The rhyming was well done and added to the flow of the story. Humorously, my class this year have a thing for cake. Many suggestions are related to cake. When asked what we might call our reading groups, one boy suggested cakes. I wasn't convinced that the 'carrot cake group' was the best name for it. With this cake infatuation in mind, my class were particularly delighted when the crocodile was stopped by "THE BIGGEST CAKE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN."
 
I should add here that the children wanted to give this book 4 1/2 stars. The 1/2 star was taken away because the front cover and blurb "gave the game away". One little boy was particular adamant that this book would have been much better if the crocodile had been a surprise, and I must admit I completely agree with him! Another child suggested that there should have been some other scary creatures at the party such as monsters and trolls. So we ask you kindly Bloomsbury, any chance of a part two??

Dragon Jelly by Claire Freedman and Sue Hendra

 

Come to Max's MONSTER party,

There's GOO-LICIOUSfood to eat. 

It's creepy-crawly, stinky fun -

don't miss this scary treat!

Star Rating

I received this book from the publishers for an open and honest review.

Anyone who follows my blog will know that five star reviews, from either myself or the children in my class, are a rarity. Therefore I am proud to present 'Dragon Jelly' by Claire Freedman and Sue Hendra, a story that my class were insistent deserved a cool five stars!!

When asked what they liked about this book, one girl told me it was "ICKY STICKY GOOEY FUN." I could not have put this better myself and this catchphrase sums up Claire Freedman's writing perfectly. In this story we are taken on a whirlwind tour of Max's MONSTER party where there is GOO-LICIOUS food to eat including ear-wig rolls, cockroach crisps and an eyeball birthday cake with ear wax candles. 

The children all expressed their wish to attend a party just like Max's. They particularly enjoyed the bad breath contest which turned the air thick yellow-green and made all of Max's friends pass out. The children were also delighted to discover the teeny, fiery dragons that flew out of the monsters' party bags. 

The only negative response given was that the book was too short with one little boy stating, "I wish the book was longer, maybe the length of a chapter book, so we could read more of Max's icky fun." This, in itself, says it all; a five star read sure to delight and surprise anyone who picks it up!

Love Monster & the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright

 

When Love Monster finds a mysterious box of chocolates at his door, he can't believe his luck. But he's soon thrown into a whirlwind of turmoil. Should he keep the chocolates for himself... or risk sharing his good fortune with his friends?

This super-funny-rumbly-tummy-sherbet-explosion of a story shows that when faced with the selection box of life, following your heart brings you the best treats of all!

Star Rating

I received this book from the publishers for an open and honest review.

Although my year 2 class love receiving and reviewing books from all the wonderful publishers who send them, the children are as stingy as me with their 5 star ratings. However, in this instance my class were unanimous. We all agreed that Love Monster & the Last Chocolate was a worthy winner of the rare 5 star rating. We absolutely loved it!

Returning from his holiday and feeling slightly down in the dumps, Love Monster finds a mystery box of chocolates on his doorstep. This discovery instantly cheers him up and Love Monster finds himself hoping that his favourite chocolate of all time will be inside - a double chocolate strawberry swirl. Lots of the children, and myself included, agreed that this is definitely the best flavour in the box. When asked which flavour was the worst the children screamed 'COFFEE' and to our delight we soon discovered that this was also Love Monster's least favourite chocolate. However, before tucking into the chocolates, Love Monster finds himself in a 'whirlwind of turmoil.' He is a good monster deep down and knows that he should share his good fortune with his friends! Love Monster descends into a debate with his own conscience; he just doesn't know what to do. 

One of the children described Love Monster as adorable as she "thought he was going to eat all the chocolates himself but his heart told him not to." The children were delighted that Love Monster made the right choice with one child saying, "He wasn't selfish as he changed his mind and did the right thing." This book teaches children the importance of sharing  and thinking of others. My class went on to express how they wished someone would leave a box of chocolates on their front door so they could share them with their friends. Maybe Love Monster will pay their classroom door a visit soon!

 

The Dawn Chorus by Suzanne Barton

 When Peep awakes one morning to the sound of beautiful birdsong, he follows the melody and finds the Dawn Chorus. Their music enchants him - if only he could sing with them! But despite trying his hardest, Peep realises he doesn't fit in with the other birds in the Dawn Chorus. 

What Peep doesn't know is that he's about to meet someone very special who will change everything...

Star Rating

I received this book from the publishers for an open and honest review. 

First of all my Year 2 class and I must say a big thank you to Bloomsbury for sending us this beautiful hardback version of The Dawn Chorus. The illustrations are exceptional and really add to the charm of this book. 

The Dawn Chorus tells the story of Peep, a young bird desperate to fit in and find his place in the world. One morning he awakes to the beautiful sound of birdsong and sets off to discover where this sound is coming from. Along his way he meets some characters who helpfully direct him to the source of the sound - The Dawn Chorus - which is essentially a choir made up of birds. Desperate to be a part of this amazing sound, Peep auditions for the choir but a series of unfortunate events means he is unsuccessful. Feeling sad and alone, Peep meets a bird who looks just like him, a bird who will change everything. 

As usual, my class had some comical contributions towards the review of this book. Overall the children enjoyed it but they seemed to be annoyed with Peep for being so lazy. One child commented that "Pip shouldn't have been late for his audition. If you are going to turn up late then of course you are going to fail." Another child suggested that the book would have been better if Pip had decided to build his own choir, not just of birds but an assortment of different animals. This lead on to a ridiculous discussion about singing frogs and rabbits that could play the piano. I couldn't help but think of the scene from The Little Mermaid at this point.

 

 

As stated, this is a heartfelt story of a tiny nightingale desperate to belong, by an exceptionally talented new author-illustrator.

Geek Girl : Picture Perfect by Holly Smale

Harriet Manners knows that:

• New York is the most popular city in the United States.
• Its official motto is 'Ever Upward'.
• 27% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

But she has no idea how her family will cope Stateside. Or how to 'become a brand' as the models in New York put it. And, even more importantly, what to do when the big romantic gestures aren't coming from her boyfriend...

Does geek girl go too far this time?

Star Rating

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the other books in the Geek Girl series I was thrilled to discover Holly Smale's new addition in hardback in my local Tesco. Picture Perfect by Holly Smale sees the return of all our favourite characters including Harriet Manners herself, her best friend Nat, Toby the stalker and, of course, Harriet's hunky boyfriend Nick. 

In this installment, Harriet Manners sets off for an adventure in New York when her father gets a new job based in the big city. Along with her stepmother Annabel and her baby sister Tabitha, the family set off for what Harriet thinks will be the trip of a lifetime. However, things are not quite as they seem and Harriet  soon realises that she will based an hour and a half away from the bright lights of the city in a boring town called Greenway. From this moment on things start to go downhill... 

This third book in the series by Holly Smale was as good, if not better, than it's predecessors. Again, it is full of random and unusual facts that compliment the story line perfectly. I loved the New York setting as this is a city I am desperate to visit and enjoy reading about. 

With it's short chapters, this book is incredibly hard to put down and I found myself racing through it in a day. Once again, Holly Smale has succeeded in creating a thoroughly enjoyable, easy read and I for one cannot wait for the next in the series! 

There's a Dinosaur in my Bathtub by Catalina Echeverri

Hello! My name is Amelia and I have something very important to tell you. Shhh!

It's a secret so you mustn't tell anyone in the whole wide world. Promise? OK, so (and I'm whispering so no one else can hear) there's a dinosaur in my bathtub. His name is Pierre and he comes from France. We have lots of fun adventures together. Would you like to travel to the moon with us? Or share our giant ice cream? You would! Then what are you waiting for?

Star Rating

I received this book from Bloomsbury for an open and honest review. 

Here we are with another book review from my Year 2 class! Overall they loved this short story from Catalina Echeverri and after much to-ing and fro-ing decided on a four star rating. I say to-ing and fro-ing because one child was particularly adamant that this story would have been better if the dinosaur was Spanish, not French! When asked why he replied, 'because a French dinosaur is silly.' Amazing! 

This story draws young children in well from the title page with Amelia whispering, 'I have something very important to tell you. SHHH! It's a secret so you mustn't tell anyone in the whole world... OK?' A recipe for success in any children's book is when the character speaks directly to the child, pulling them in and making them feel like they are part of the action. My class were eager to find out Amelia's secret and were amused to find out that the dinosaur was called Pierre from France. 

The story goes on to explain what life is like for Amelia living with a dinosaur. All of the children in my class expressed their wish to have a pet dinosaur particularly when it takes you to 'lands where the trees are made from candyfloss and where you can be taken on a sweetie tasting tour by a jelly bear in a cowboy hat.'

Throughout the book, Amelia and Pierre go on many adventures together that had my children gasping in delight. The final pages end with Amelia tucked up in bed and resulted in a class debate as to whether Pierre was real or it had all been a dream. The general consensus was that it had possibly been a dream but the children hoped, for Amelia's sake, that it had all been true. 

This is a entertaining, sweet story about friendship and adventure. The illustrations are fantastic , particularly the page where Pierre packs his suitcase to return home. Who would have known a dinosaur's favourite food could be super MEGA extra cheesy popcorn? 

Penguin In Love by Salina Yoon

Penguin is looking for love.
Instead, he finds himself in the middle of a curious situation...

And as the mystery unravels, something very special happens - Penguin finds his soulmate.

A heartwarming story about life's biggest adventure - love!

I received this copy from Bloomsbury for an open and honest review. 

Star Rating

Arriving just in time for Valentines day, I received this copy of 'Penguin in Love' to read to my Year 2 class. As predicted, this book had very mixed reviews from the children in my class. In short, the girls LOVED it and the boys HATED it. Prepare yourselves for a humorous review...

This book tells the story of Penguin, a lonely soul who is looking for love. With the help of some clever puffins, Penguin meets Bootsy a fellow knitter who has run out of knitting wool. Together, Penguin and Bootsy set off on an adventure to discover who has stolen their wool. As the penguins grow closer they begin to fall in love... until a huge blizzard comes and blows the penguins apart! Will they ever find each other again? 

Very random I hear you say! Yes, this story line is bizarre but consequently it is incredibly cute and the ending will have even the coldest of hearts smiling. The girls in my class (including myself) absolutely loved this story branding Penguin "the cutest animal ever." The girls liked that the story was "all about love" and were pleased to discover that there was a happy ending. The children quickly realised that the puffins had stolen the wool on purpose so that Penguin and Bootsy would fall in love; with one child commenting that the puffins were "just like cupid."

The boys in my class, however, were not as impressed. One boy told me that he "doesn't like people in love" and that he certainly did not like this story as kissing makes him "feel sick." Much to my amusement, most of the other boys agreed and said this was definitely a book for girls. One child told me that "knitting is boring and a waste of time." When I explained that knitting  was actually very important and asked him where his clothes came from he replied "the shop". Something tells me I need to do a little more work on materials and where they come from. 

This an extremely cute and heartwarming story but definitely one for the girls!

The Story Machine by Tom McLaughlin

Elliott is a boy who likes to find things out and, one day, he stumbles across a machine. At first, he can't work out what the machine is for - it doesn't beep or buzz like all of his other machines and it doesn't have an ON/OFF button. Then, quite by accident, Elliott makes the machine work. The machine makes letters! Elliott thinks it must be a story machine but, sadly, Elliott isn't very good at letters and words. How can he make magical stories without them? But wait, some of the letters look like pictures. Elliott is good at pictures and, as he discovers, pictures make stories.

I received this copy from the publishers for an open and honest review.

Star Rating

 

Although this is a short and simple story, the illustrations are beautiful and make this a book worth purchasing. The illustrative style is reminiscent of Oliver Jeffers work and anyone who follows my blog will know that I love his picture books for this very reason.

This story is about a boy who paints pictures with words. Upon finding a strange machine, Elliott begins to make his own stories, however he soon finds out that he isn't very good with letters.  

"He did his best but he kept getting them all jumbled up." 

In all classes, you will always get a group of children who LOVE writing stories and those that don't. I was always one of those children who loved reading and writing stories, the skill of putting pen to paper coming fairly easily. As Tom Mclaughlin explains, it is important to point out to children that anyone can make stories, even if they use pictures instead of words. That is what the story machine is about: how you don't always have to use words to make stories. 

I chose not to read this story with my Year Two class as they are now at that stage where they can use letters and words to create imaginative and exciting stories. Therefore, I asked if it could be read to a Reception class of 4 and 5 year olds. It is important at this age to build a passion for reading and writing and for children to realise that even if you're "not very good at letters and words" you can still create magical stories.

The children in this class enjoyed the story, particularly when Elliott realised it wasn't the story machine making the pictures, it was him! One child commented on how old the story machine was (a typewriter being very different to iPads and Laptops young children see nowadays) and some had never seen a typewriter before with one child remarking that they thought it was a cash register! Some children decided they did not like this book as they were upset when Elliott poured water on his story machine, resulting in it not working!

With beautiful illustrations and a good message for young children, The Story Machine is...

 "A winner of a book about the power of drawing and storytelling." (Oliver Jeffers)

Marmaduke the Very Different Dragon by Rachel Valentine & Ed Eaves

Marmaduke's not like all the other dragons - his ears are too big and he never even tries to fly. He just doesn't fit in, however much he wants to, and so he feels terribly lonely.

And Princess Meg? Well, she wears trainers and breaks into dance at the most inappropriate of times, which means that she sticks out like a sore thumb. She doesn't really have any friends, but then she's far too busy having fun to notice . . . 

Until one day when Marmaduke and Meg's lives collide in the most exciting, brilliant and surprising way and they both realise just how much they need each other.

I received this copy from the publishers for an open and honest review.

Star Rating

 

 Although this book comes under the 0-5 age category I had no qualms about reading it with my Year Two class and they absolutely loved it!This is a great book to use within a PSHE lesson or an assembly to teach children about the value of being unique. It covers both the challenges and the positives of being yourself and standing out from the crowd. 

Marmaduke the dragon is different. He has sticky-out scales, enormous ears and very unusual wings. The other dragons are unkind to Marmaduke and often laugh at him. 

"I don't like being different!" he sighed, as a tear rolled down his cheek.

However, when he meets Meg, a very different Princess, Marmaduke's luck changes and he realises the true value of being different.

In a class of 28 children (who love stories), all but one raised their hand to tell me they enjoyed this book. One child told me she thought "Marmaduke was cute" while another "liked the fact he was different." All the children were pleased that Marmaduke finally found a Princess to protect and were relieved it had a happy ending.  The one child who raised his hand for disliking the book did so for the following reason, 

"I didn't like this book at all! The purple dragons were so mean to Marmaduke and it made me feel sad."

This response alone shows that this is a perfect book for teaching young children right from wrong, particularly when meeting people who are different in some way. One boy in my class told me that "if you are not like other people then you are different. But surprisingly the purple dragons were jealous of Marmaduke in the end. So maybe it is best to be different!"

This story is very well written with some great story language for children to use in their own writing.Although my class loved this book they were, however, disappointed that the front cover ruined the revelation of Marmaduke's wings towards the end of the story. This small drawback aside, this is a great book for young children (and teachers of all ages). 

Out 13th March 2014!

Pinocchio by Michael Morpurgo

"My name is Pinocchio.
I reckon I must be just about the most famous puppet the world has ever known.

But I'm more than just bits of wood and string.

I'm me. So it's about time that I, Pinocchio, told you my story...

I received this copy from the publishers for an honest and open review. 

I would be seriously concerned if there was anyone on this earth who hadn't heard of Pinocchio and thanks to the Disney franchise it has become one of the best known children's stories across the globe. Here, Michael Morpurgo has teamed up with the talent illustrator Emma Chichester Clark to retell this children's classic through the eyes of Pinocchio himself. 

Written in the first person, Pinocchio takes us with him on a journey to lands afar where we meet a whole host of strange and mysterious creatures. My Year two class were particularly amused by the evil Blind Cat who, humorously, repeats everything his Lame Fox sidekick says. The chapter names add humour and interest to the story and my class were eager to discover each new title and what adventures that chapter would entail. 

Chapter Five

At the Inn of the Red Lobster, and that Talking Cricket again (yes, I know you thought he was dead, and so did I!) 

The story contains lots of shocks and surprises and the children in my class gasped their way through each delightful chapter. Every so often Pinocchio speaks directly to his audience, drawing the reader in and creating a sense of involvement in the story. This is always a recipe for success in a children's book as the protagonist appears to jump out of the pages and join the children in the room.  

"And I know what you must be thinking. How could you be that gullible, that stupid, Pinocchio? I've been asking myself that question on and off ever since."

Pinocchio will remain an all time classic and this unique interpretation certainly deserves a place on children's bookshelves everywhere.

Hide! The tiger's mouth is open wide! by Adam Frost

 A tiger with toothache is terrifying! As Tom and Sophie are about to find out... But when your dad is a zookeeper and your mum's the zoo vet, there's also grrrreat fun to be had. An animal-packed zoo caper with stacks of behind-the scenes peeks at London zoo!

Tom and Sophie Nightingale live on a barge with their zookeeper dad and vet mum, and as many animals as you can get on a small boat. Surely there's no room for any MORE animals in their life?

When a tiger at the zoo has a dental dilemma, Tom and Sophie can't help but get involved. But there is a carnivorous culprit closer to home that they must also diagnose - and quickly! 

Star Rating

 

I received this book from Bloomsbury for an honest and open review. 

Initially, I was wary about reading this book to my Year 2 class as I thought it would read as an 'educational' book and lack a substantial story plot. However, I was pleasantly surprised and, although it is packed full of animal facts, the children thoroughly enjoyed the story behind them.

In this story Tom is reluctant to go to the dentist for a check-up, a feeling that the children in my class could strongly connect with (although some children did tell me they LOVE going to the dentist as they have the best stickers known to man.) Having a dad who works as a zoo-keeper and a mum who works as the zoo vet, Tom and Sophie are invited along to the local zoo to help care for some animals who are having their own dental dilemmas!

This book was packed full of interesting facts about animals and their teeth. My class particularly liked the more gruesome facts - for example, the rat whose teeth were getting so long that they were starting to curl back into it's mouth. The children learned why herbivores have different teeth to omnivores and which creature has the most teeth. When reading about Harriet the hippo, I showed them an image of the inside of a hippopotamus' mouth and the children were amazed at the sheer size! 

I would highly recommend this book to read alongside a science topic, or just as an enjoyable story for any animal lovers out there!

 

 

Geek Girl Model Misfit by Holly Smale : Review

“My name is Harriet Manners, and I am still a geek.”

Harriet Manners knows a lot of facts.

She knows that humans have 70,000 thoughts per day.

She knows that Geek + Model = a whole new set of graffiti on your belongings.

And that the average person eats a ton of food a year, though her pregnant stepmother is doing her best to beat this.

But Harriet doesn’t know where she’s going to fit in once the new baby arrives. And with her summer plans ruined, modelling in Japan seems the perfect chance to get away.

Can Harriet cope with the craziness of Tokyo, her competitive model flatmates and her errant grandmother’s ‘chaperoning’. Or seeing gorgeous Nick everywhere she goes?

Will geek girl find her place on the other side of the world?

I received this copy from Harper Collins for an open and honest review.

Star Rating

I was actually in the middle of a different, fairly mediocre, book when this beauty arrived through my letter box courtesy of Harper Collins. Upon arrival I opened it up intending to read a couple of chapters and found that, four hours later, I had finished the whole thing. I enjoyed Harriet Manners the first time round in Holy Smale's debut 'Geek Girl' however this time I found her adventures to be 'unputdownable.'

Again, I need to point out the amazing front cover that is sure to jump out on the shelves and appeal to it's target audience of young girls. The chapters are incredibly short (something I personally love) and make the story a very easy read. 

This Geek Girl sequel follows Harriet Manners to Tokyo as she continues on her new-found modelling career. Here she meets some new friends, Poppy and Rin, but are they quite what they seem? On her journey, Harriet faces some new challenges that provide many humorous scenes for the reader but utter humiliation for Harriet herself. Along with new and exciting characters, such as Harriet's grandma Bunty, we are also reacquainted with some much loved old characters including Nick (Harriet's 'boyfriend') and Toby (her crazy stalker). The ending to the book has an enjoyable twist involving some of these characters and left me feeling satisfied.

Sequels are always a brave move and I feel that Holly Smale has surpassed her first installment with Model Misfit. The story is told, through the voice of Harriet Manners, with great ease and humour. Weird and wonderful facts are shared throughout as Harriet shows her 'geek' side. One of my favourites being: 

"99.99999999999999999 per cent of every atom consists of empty space." 

Harriet goes on to explain, "It means that every single thing in front of you right now - the chair you're sitting on, the shoes on your feet, the glasses on your nose, the chocolate in your mouth - is mostly not there. And that includes you."

I shall now be eagerly awaiting Holly Smale's third installment coming some time in 2014.

This Moose Belongs To Me by Oliver Jeffers : Review

Wilfred owned a moose. He hadn't always owned a moose. The moose came to him a while ago and he knew, just KNEW, that it was meant to be his. He thought he would call him Marcel.


Most of the time Marcel is very obedient, abiding by the many rules on How to Be a Good Pet. But one dark day. while deep in the woods, someone else claims the moose as their own...

         Star Rating

I received this book from Harper Collins for an open and honest review.

Being a massive fan of Lost & Found by Oliver Jeffers, I requested this copy from Harper Collins and had very high expectations. Once again, Jeffers has managed to combine a thought-provoking story line with beautiful illustrations that capture children's attention and help to draw them into the plot.

This book explores the concept of ownership and teaches children that belongings should always be returned to their rightful owner. My Year 2 class grasped this concept quite quickly with one child saying that "Wilfred did the right thing. He gave the moose back in  the end." Many of the children told me that they enjoyed the story as both Wilfred and the moose made good choices - Wilfred returned Marcel and Marcel became a good pet. In addition to this, my class were highly amused when Wilfred ended up in a 'perilous situation' tangled in a ball of string and hanging from Marcel's antlers.

Whilst discussing our likes and dislikes, one child told me that they didn't like the book as Wilfred's mum would be worried because he didn't come home. This book has many underlying themes that teaches children rights and wrongs in a fun and humorous way. There is some quite sophisticated language included such as 'enraged', 'perilous' and 'compromise' which allowed for some word level discussion and for children to add these to their vocabulary. 

A beautifully-illustrated, thought-provoking story!