Book Review: If I Never Forever Endeavor

Author/Illustrator: Holly Meade

Interest Level: Ages 4 and Up

Publisher: Candlewick Press

Teacher Guide: Suggested Activities

From the Book Jacket: Safe inside his cozy nest, a young bird considers whether or not to give his new wings a try. Wings might take him swooping and gliding, sailing and flying, through a great big, wonderful world. But what if he tries and the wings don't work? What then?

A gentle nudge for hesitant fledglings - of all ages and species - to step out, to dare, and to try. Who knows? If you try, you might...fly!

Why It's On My Book Shelf: Endeavor. What a beautiful word the author chose to get an important life message across to children. Life is all about making decisions everyday with the possibility of learning something new. Maybe something big and challenging! In this beautifully written and illustrated work of art a little bird goes through this struggle. Staying in it's cozy nest would be the easy decision. But the brave thing to do would be to give those wings a try. You bet kids can relate to this sort of dilemma in many situations. What was most helpful when navigating the conversation with students was using the VERY HELPFUL activity and discussion guide. I also think this is a great graduation picture book for someone. Loved it.


A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Review: Perky Little Penguins

Perky Little Penguins

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

Publication date: 2007
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-84616-338-8


Summary/Back cover:
Perky little penguins
coming out to play,
looking for their playmates...
here they are - hooray!


Follow the delightful little penguins as they slide and jump and waddle around their world, and show you just how much fun they can have in the ice and snow.

Review:
This author/illustrator combo is one of my favourite, so I was very keen to read this book myself.  It is a sweet wee book, written in a gentle rhyming style that I've come to know and love from Tony Mitton (author of Terrific Trains, amongst others).  I found it to drag a wee bit by the end, but my 2.5 year old was engrossed in it, and enjoyed seeing the penguins bouncing around on the ice.

My rating: 4.2 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: The Foggy Foggy Forest

The Foggy Foggy Forest

Written and Illustrated by Nick Sharratt

Publication date: 2008
Publisher: Walker Books
ISBN:  978-1-4063-0337-7

Summary/Back cover:
What can that be in the foggy, foggy forest? A bear in a chair? An elf by himself? Peer through the foggy pages and take a guess!

Review:
This book is lovely - a bit different from any other book out there, as the pages are made from opaque pages, with a silhouette on the right hand side of each page, so children and parents alike can guess what is on the left hand side of the page - with a repetitive line of "What can this be in the foggy foggy forest" followed by a rhyming line ("An elf by himself," "An ogre doing yoga" etc), this book will keep you guessing right to the very end.

The objects in the silhouette do get stranger and stranger as the book goes on, but that just makes it more interesting for the parents reading the book, I think!  The pages, although paper, appear to be quite strong, so this is a good book for young readers to flick through by themselves - my 2.5 year old has spent a lot of time lying on the lounge floor with this book.

My rating: 4.4 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Who's Driving?

Who's Driving?

Written and Illustrated by Leo Timmers

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Gecko Press
ISBN: 0-9582720-2-6

Summary/Back cover:
Wheeooh wheeooh wheeooh
There goes Elephant in his fire engine!
Vrooooomm!
Was that Cat? Giraffe? No, it was Hare!
What will Pig drive?
Full of shining cars and screeching tyres, Who's driving is a picture book for all drivers, young and old.
Engines on, seatbelts fastened.  Come along for the ride!

Review:
This is such a simple wee book, but appealed greatly to both my 2.5 year old and my husband!  Each page consists of 4 animals walking towards a vehicle, with the line "Who's driving the..." - fire engine, limousine, jeep, etc.  The animals each have a different costume on - a fire fighters uniform, a flash rich-lady's dress, a safari outfit, etc.

The first time we read this book, my 2.5 year old just pointed out his favourite animal on each page, but after he had shown him to look for the outfits, he was able to correctly "guess" (read: memorise!) who drove each vehicle.  By the third or fourth time through this book, he was "reading it" himself - actually saying "Who's driving the fire engine?  Elephant!"

Definitely a great book for young boys, and probably many girls as well.

My rating: 4.3 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: One to Ten and Back Again

One to Ten and Back Again

Written & Illustrated by Sue Heap & Nick Sharratt

Publication date: 2004
Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN: 978-0-141-38339-2

Summary/Back cover:
Start with one boy called Nick and add one girl called Sue, then count all the way to ten cakes for tea!

Review:
This little board book is now working it’s magic on my second child. Both my son and daughter have loved the nice clear, colourful images.  The drawings are very attractive, the text is completely pithy and to the point:

“Two woolly gloves,”
“Two shiny shoes.”

The images offer lots of opportunity to talk about colours, every day objects, patterns, animals and, of course, numbers.  My daughter memorised the text within a month of reading it and would “read” it to me at each bedtime storytime. I’m sure the same will happen with my son as his language skills grow.  This little book will be one of the great tools to bring that range of language out of him, I have no doubt.  Cannot recommend it highly enough.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review written by Ms Oh Waily

Review: Whoosh Around the Mulberry Bush

Whoosh around the Mulberry Bush

Written by Jan Ormerod

Illustrated by Lindsey Gardiner

Publication date: 2007
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-0-19-279173-3

Summary/Back cover:
This book takes its inspiration from the much-loved song ‘Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush’: the words can be sung to the same rhythm and there are animal noises and actions, too.  It’s a book that invites lots of high-energy enjoyment but it’s also a book that can be shared with young children to talk about habitats around the world, encouraging them to develop an awareness of the great diversity of wildlife that our planet supports.  The book begins with animals you might find in a garden or on a farm.  There are also animals from seashore, ocean, desert, rainforest, savannah, arctic and wetland habitats and the book finishes with a group of nocturnal animals in a night-time setting.


Review:
We first borrowed this book from the library and my daughter just loved it.  Even the very non-musical will manage to sing this book, if they choose to.  It covers a good number of animals and allows for discussion on unfamiliar habitats.  But, frankly, it’s the singing and dancing that accompanies it that my children love.

The images are simple and full of cheery colour.  The words are written in a manner that reflects the whooshing and swooshing.  My only other comment would be managing to sing the words with the correct rhythm the first few times.  But once you have it, the joy in singing and dancing with the children is wonderful.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review written by Ms Oh Waily

Review: Farmyard Hullabaloo

Farmyard Hullabaloo

Written by Giles Andreae

Illustrated by David Wojtowycz

Publication date: 1999
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-84121-563-1

Summary/Back cover:
The rooster wakes the farm up
With a cock-a-doodle-doo!
The sheepdog won't stop barking,
And the cows begin to moo...


Come into the farmyard for a noisy, rhyming animal romp your little ones will love!

Review:
This is a book I've been keen to read for quite a while now - Giles Andreae is a firm favourite author in this household (with children and parents alike!), and my 2.5 year old has been pointing this particular title out in the back of other Andreae books for ages now, as one he wants to read.

Written in the same style as Commotion in the Ocean, this book is a collection of individual poems, for each animal on the farmyard.  My son enjoys telling me what the animals are before I read the poem, and has taken to guessing what the next animal over the page might be.

This style book works well for us, as it means I don't feel like I'm "breaking" the flow of the story when my son wants to ask questions or point out interesting things before we turn the page - it is also a book that he is learning to "read" to himself - I've heard him sitting and quietly saying "cock-a-doodle-doo" and "funny floppy neck" (that'd be the turkeys, by the way) as he flicks through the pages.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Hey! What's that Nasty Whiff?

Hey! What's that Nasty Whiff?

Written by Julia Jarman

Illustrated by Garry Parsons

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Children's Books
ISBN: 978-1-407109-96-1

Summary/Back cover:
Helpful Hyena is tired of cleaning up everyone else's mess, so she takes a break. But when the poo starts to pile up, her friends soon realise that it's up to everybody to look after our planet...  And they all discover that anything is possible - with a little help from your friends!

Review:
The title of this book is what made me grab it off the library shelf, and it certainly made my 2.5 year old laugh - mostly because of the pictures of a hyena with a vacuum cleaner!  This book is aimed to make children learn the "pick up after yourself" message, but I'm not sure it completely hits that mark - I turned the final page, expecting there to be more story, and was disappointed to find that the story didn't really 'finish'.

However,despite that, the story is quite cute, and is written in a rhyming fashion.  A couple of quite funny verses that my son didn't get the rhyming humour of were:

"I finish up their dinners.
I sweep up all their crumbs.
We two care for Planet Earth
While they sit on their - "


"Tums," agreed Hyena


and...

Vulture said, "Let's go on strike,
Stop doing what we do.
They might appreciate us
When they start to smell the..."


"Rubbish?" said Hyena


Definitely worth a read if you find it at your local library, and great if you need to teach your children how to tidy up after themselves (because, frankly, what children don't need to learn that lesson?!)

My rating: 3.9 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Hamish the Highland Cow

Hamish the Highland Cow

Written and Illustrated by Natalie Russell

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0-7475-5938-4

Summary/Back cover:
Hamish is a highland cow and is very hairy.  He hates having baths and NEVER cuts his hair.  Hamish is often very SMELLY, until one day his friends decide they have had enough.  They hatch a plan that involves a hairdresser and Hamish's favourite sweets - toffees!


An exuberant story with bold, bright illustrations from a very talented artist.


Review: 
This book is perfect if you have a child that is reluctant to go to a hairdresser - the book ends happily with Hamish having received a spruce-up.  The illustrations are lovely and bright, and the story quite sweet - but it didn't catch my 2.5 year old's imagination for too long (incidentally, we have no problems with him at the hairdresser, so we didn't use the book for that purpose - just as a reading book).  My 9 month old enjoyed the story though, and kept reaching out to touch the bright pages.

My rating: 3 out of 5 - beautiful pictures, but the story is nothing overly special, I didn't feel.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: The Very Quiet Cricket

The Very Quiet Cricket

Written and illustrated by Eric Carle

Publication Date: 1990

Publisher: Philomel Books

ISBN: 0-399-21885-8

Summary/back cover:

One day a tiny cricket is born and meets a big cricket who chirps his welcome. The tiny cricket tries to respond, but there is not a sound. And so the quiet cricket makes his way in the world, meeting one insect after another who greets the cricket with the cheery hello of its species – the hum of the bee, the whirr of the dragonfly, the screech of the cicada. Finally it matures and meets a female cricket who evokes from the quiet cricket “the most beautiful sound that she had ever heard!”

The trouble with Eric Carle books is that once you’ve read The Very Hungry Caterpillar all his other stories are disappointing, by comparison – even if the books are really good, as the The Very Quiet Cricket is.

The story is sweet, the admiration Carle has for insects is ever-present, and the pictures are in beautiful Carle-style. The colours and writing aren’t quite as rich as in The Very Hungry Caterpillar, however, and The Very Quiet Cricket lacks the charm of the “caterpillar” holes and layered pages of fruit. There-in lies the problem with the book – the undeniable urge to play comparison with Carle’s best-seller.

The story adds charm by playing a little chirping cricket sound that is only revealed as you get to the last pages. That’s the other problem with the book – the chirping runs on a battery that will ultimately need replacing.

My rating:  3.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs

Written by Giles Andreae

Illustrated by Russell Ayto

Publication Date: 2005

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

ISBN-13: 978-0-140-56921-6

Summary/back cover:

When Flinn discovers a pirate hiding in a cupboard, it’s all aboard, me hearties, for a real live pirate adventure! But there are some mean baddies on the loose…

Will fearless Flinn be able to captain the ship and defeat the Pirate Dinosaurs?

This is a great tale of a boy and his friends who stumble across a pirate in the school stationary room and begin the adventure of a lifetime fighting dinosaur pirates.

If you are familiar with Giles Andreae’s other books this story isn’t told in rhyme but it does flow beautifully with lots of opportunities to “ROAR!” and “Yo ho ho!”

Although I’m not usually one for limiting a book’s audience I would say this one would suit a slightly older audience than my 23 month-old boys, who didn’t have the patience for all the words I had to read before the next page got turned. The illustrations are also more edgy and less cute and cuddly than some other children’s books.

All up a swash-buckling adventure probably best read to the 5+ age group, with obvious appeal for children who love pirates and/or dinosaurs.

My rating:  4 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Up in the Tree

Up in the Tree

Written and illustrated by Margaret Atwood

Publication Date: 2008 (originally published in 1978 by McClelland and Stewart)

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

ISBN: 978-07475-9192-4

Summary/back cover:

Up in the Tree is the charming story of two children who decide to make their home in the leafy branches of a tree. Wonderfully playful and whimsical, this is vintage Margaret Atwood.

She wrote and illustrated the story and designed the text, to create beautifully integrated words and pictures. First published in 1978, Up in the Tree is Margaret Atwood’s first book for children, and something to treasure from beginning to end.

Margaret Atwood, the well-known author of adult contemporary literature such as Surfacing and Alias Grace, is one of my favourite writers. I was surprised to find a book by her amongst the children’s section in my local library – I didn’t realise she wrote kids’ books.

Like her novels for grown-ups, this children’s story is a little… unusual. By which, I mean that she creates more questions than she answers. Why, for example, are the children living in the tree? Where are their parents? What is the magical creature that rescues them? I guess the answer is simply that the story is a little far-fetched, reflecting the imagination of children.

I was once told that in order to enjoy the television show The Simpsons I had to switch my brain off and not think too hard about it. I should probably follow the same advice when I read certain children’s books, too!

As Atwood explains in a sort-of foreword to this edition, the images are limited to a palette of two – red and blue – due to budget restraints when the story was originally published. I love the vintage-ness and simplicity of these illustrations and my kids don’t seem to mind them, but it’s something to bear in mind if you prefer modern, full-colour picture-books.

The story itself is easy reading and fun, if a little strange.

My rating:  3.8 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: The Tiger Who Came to Tea

The Tiger Who Came to Tea

Written and illustrated by Judith Kerr

Publication Date: 2006 (first published in 1968)

Publisher: Harper Collins

ISBN: 0-00-721600-9

Summary/back cover:

The doorbell rings just as Sophie and her mummy are sitting down to tea. Who could it possibly be? What they certainly don’t expect to see at the door is a big furry, stripy tiger!

This book is so familiar that it must have been told to me as a child. Given that it was first published in 1968 it is standing the tests of time by still being in print, today.

The story is a delight to read and will keep your young ones intrigued. Especially if they love tigers just like one of my sons does.

I’m not sure if the tiger is meant to be real or imaginary, though. I didn’t know as a kid and I still don’t know, now. I think it’s open to interpretation.

Keep in mind that the story and illustrations reflect the era in which it was first published, so if you’re a strong feminist you might find moments such as this one a bit difficult to take:

‘Sophie’s mummy said, “I don’t know what to do. I’ve got nothing for Daddy’s supper…”’

That aside, I think this book is great and recommend it for every child’s book collection.

My rating:  4.8 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Love You Forever

Love You Forever

Written by Robert Munsch

Illustrated by Anthony Lewis

Publication Date: 2000

Publisher: Random House

ISBN: 0-09-176813-6

Summary/back cover:

A mother cradles her newborn child and sings a gentle lullaby:

‘I’ll love you forever.

I’ll like you for always.

As long as I’m living

My baby you’ll be.’

With a simple text and rich, luminous illustrations, Love You Forever is a book to be shared… a tender affirmation of enduring love that children will carry with them throughout their lives.

I first heard about this book on FRIENDS when Joey gives a dramatic reading of it for Emma’s first birthday. Unfortunately, he only read the first page and I had no idea that I needed to read this book armed with a packet of tissues. This story is guaranteed to make you cry.

It follows a mother and her son from soon after his birth until he grows into a man. At each passage of time his mother expresses her love by singing the ‘I’ll love you forever’ lullaby as her son sleeps.

It is an endearing story of everlasting love between parent and child. If you want a book to gift to your child when they leave home, this would be it. In the meantime, read it to your children while they’re young and try to get to the end without crying.

My rating:  4.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Written by Mem Fox

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Publication Date: 2008

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

ISBN: 978-0-67-007239-2

Summary/back cover:

As everyone knows, nothing is sweeter than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes…

From two of the most gifted picture book creators of our time, here is a celebration of baby fingers, baby toes and the joy they – and the babies they belong to – bring to everyone, everywhere, all over the world!

This book has major cute factor. The illustrations abound with a melting pot of chubby baby goodness – little children from around the world giggling, embracing and showing off their ten fingers and ten toes.

It is a feel-good story that will make you want to snuggle your children as you read it (even if they’ve been acting like right terrors all morning!)

Your little ones will enjoy showing off their ten fingers and ten toes at the relevant points during the story and don’t be surprised if they request the special kisses on their nose at the end.

My rating:  4.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Book Review: Noni Says No

Author: Heather Hartt-Sussman
Illustrated by Genevieve Cote
Publisher: Tundra Books
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

From the Book Jacket: Noni can do all sorts of things: tie her own shoelaces, recite the alphabet backwards, even walk to her friend Susie's house all by herself. But what Noni can't do is say no. When she finally finds her voice, the consequences are not what she - or the reader - expects. Many children will root for Noni as she learns that you can stand up for yourself and still be a good friend.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Lots of kids put up with bad behavior in their friendships because they are afraid if they say "no" they will hurt the other person's feelings and lose them as a friend. As we read, a student pointed out, "Well, if they don't want to be your friend anymore because of that - they weren't your true friend in the first place." Ahhh....music to my ears!

Noni can't say no to Susie because she fears there will be a confrontation or maybe it will end the friendship. Susie on the other hand has no problem saying no. In fact, maybe she needs to learn to be a little more balanced and say yes. It even gets to the point where Noni allows Susie to cut off all of her hair! I kind of appreciated the extreme example. If you don't say no, you can be putting yourself in an awful situation. But Noni finally reaches her limit and has to say no. Before I turned the page to show Susie's reaction we talked about how a good friend should respond when they are told no. So do Noni's fears come true? No, they don't. Susie simply says, "Okay." Just like a good friend should.

This will be in my personal home library as well as at school. It's important to me to raise a kind child, but I worry that in the process some kids can become pushovers. A well balanced child should be empowered to say yes and no in social situations.

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Book Review: Cloudette

Author/Illustrator: Tom Lichentenheld
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Interest Level: Ages 

From the Book Jacket: Being small has its advantages...if you're a little cloud like Cloudette, you can always find a good spot to watch the fireworks. But what if you want to do something big, like help a garden grow? When a thunderstorm blows Cloudette far from her neighborhood, she discovers what a little cloud can do that makes a big difference.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: Cloudette has gotten a lot of praise and rightfully so. It's a 'build your kids up' kinda story. This little cloud knows she has gifts and is determined to not let anything stand in her way. I also love how she wants to do good - to be a blessing. She is a little cloud with a big heart. Being around children everyday I get to watch them discover themselves. Cloudette is an adorable story with a needed message to help kids be the best they can be.

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Like: 

Book Review: The Worst Day of My Life Ever! My Story About Listening and Following Instructions (...or not!)

Author: Julia Cook

Illustrated by Kelsey De Weerd
Interest Level: Ages 4-8

Book Website: www.juliacookonline.com 

Publisher: Boys Town Press
Additional Resources: The Worst Day of My Life EVER! Activity Guide for Teachers; Poster Set

 

From the Book Jacket: RJ has had a rough day...he wakes up with gum stuck in his hair, misses recess because he's late to school, earns a zero on his math homework, kicks the ball into his own team's soccer goal, and messes up Mom's kitchen with his overflowing pancake batter! With his mother's help, RJ learns that his problems happen because he doesn't listen or pay attention to directions from her, his school principal, teachers, or even his friends.

This book is the first in the BEST ME I Can BE! series to teach children social skills that can make home life happier and school more successful. Tips for parents and educators on how to reinforce the skills are included.

Children can also listen to the author's entertaining rendition of RJ's story on the accompanying CD. One track features the text only while a second track includes cues on when to turn the page for youngsters just learning to read.

Why It's On My Bookshelf: All of author Julia Cook's books are STAPLES in my academic skills curriculum. There's a very simple reason I re-read them over and over every year -  they WORK. The best way I know how to help kids overcome academic deficits is to practice these weaknesses. What better way to introduce skills then through an engaging story of a character going through the same struggle.

Some kids have no problem following directions, but other kids like RJ come to school everyday with the best intentions and leave feeling down on themselves. That really breaks my heart. As an educator it's my job to help those students find success. The whole reason I started this blog is because I am finding that success through books. If we want kids to follow directions - lets teach them in a loving and supportive way. 

I've already been using The Worst Day of My Life Ever! to do some re-teaching around following teacher instructions. It's going to make a WORLD of difference when we come back after summer break too. Can't wait to kick off some role plays around following directions with the reinforcement of Julia Cook's latest genius.

A Link to This Book and Others You Might Find Helpful:

Kindergators!!!!!!!!!!

Kindergators: Hands Off, Harry! will be released 

on June 21, 2011! Yippee Skippee!!

Review From Publishers Weekly:

This first book in the Kindergators series, which tackles socialization issues, focuses on a familiar figure: the kid who has personal space issues. Harry pokes, pushes, and tackles; he startles one classmate so badly that the victim spills poster paints all over his new clothes (and to add insult to injury, "Benjamin's cubby outfit didn't fit anymore"). Despite repeated admonitions from the firm yet supportive Miss Harmony, Harry seems like a lost cause--until his peers call an "emergency session" of circle time and devise a clever yet compassionate way to teach Harry how to keep a more civil distance. Wells (the Max and Ruby books) takes her time solving the problem that is Harry, and her approach may initially strike some readers as slow and pedantic. But step-by-step, she builds a sense of drama while showing that she knows kindergarten inside and out. Kids will appreciate her faith in their inventiveness and sense of community--and they'll also enjoy the genial, neatly framed collaged images, which use textured materials to convey the alligators' bumpy skin and vibrant wardrobe. Ages 3–6.

Book Website: www.kindergators.com

I've already pre-ordered my copy! 

Can't wait. I see an alligator puppet in my future. 
My own personal review to come!

A Link to This Book:

Review: Amazing Aeroplanes

Amazing Aeroplanes

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Ant Parker

Publication Date: 2002

Publisher: Kingfisher

ISBN: 978-0-7534-1488-0

Summary/back cover:

An aeroplane’s amazing, for it travels through the sky, above the clouds, for miles and miles, so very fast and high!

Jet above the clouds in this picture book with playful art, a kooky animal crew and a brilliant picture dictionary. The story CD lets children follow along with the jolly rhyming text, with music and fun sound effects to accompany the reading. It’s the perfect way to learn about aeroplanes – at bedtime, on car journeys, or anytime at all!

This book is from the Amazing Machines series. As the mother of two boys I’m likely to end up with the entire set. It is worth checking out Bronwyn’s review of Terrific Trains, from the same series.

I purchased this book to prepare my little ones before I took them on their first plane ride. I would absolutely recommend it for this purpose.

It’s not really a story, but more of a rhyming description of each stage in a plane journey. It covers checking in the bags at the terminal, the pilots preparing for take-off, the cabin crew serving drinks and the aeroplane landing at the destination, amongst other things. At the end of the book is a sort of picture glossary of the parts of the aeroplane and the airport. My children aren’t even two, yet, but can now identify control towers!

This edition also comes with a CD. The CD isn’t essential, but it does include a copy of the story with aeroplane noises on it, which I rate as rather cool.

My rating:  4 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: The Lion Who Wanted to Love

The Lion Who Wanted to Love

Written by Giles Andreae

Illustrated by David Wojtowycz

Publication Date: 1997

Publisher: Orchard Books

ISBN: 978-1-86039-913-8

Summary/back cover:

Deep in the African heartland

Way out on the hot sunny plains,

There lived a small lion who didn’t fit in

And Leo was this lion’s name.

Now lions are usually fierce

And lions are meant to be strong,

But Leo just wanted to love everybody

And play with his friends all day long.

One of my sons was lucky enough to have this book gifted to him when he was born. This is a firm favourite in our house-hold, one that we come back to again and again.

Leo is a delightful, loveable little lion who doesn’t fit in with his pride. The rest of his family want to devour the other animals but Leo wants to hug the zebras, not eat them. As a result of this un-lion-like behaviour, Leo is banished to the jungle, but his loveable, friendly nature helps him to thrive and succeed despite this initial rejection.

The story is wonderful, the rhyming is clever and rolls off the tongue nicely, and the pictures are cute and colourful. An absolute winner.

My rating:  5 out of 5

Review written by team_s