Review: The Wonky Donkey

The Wonky Donkey

Words and Music by Craig Smith

Illustrations by Katz Cowley

Publication date: 2009
Publisher: Scholastic New Zealand
ISBN: 978-1-86943-926-2

Summary/Back cover:
Just look at that donkey over there... Ha! It's a wonky donkey!
Award-winning song with hilarious illustrations that will have you laughing out loud!

Review:
How have we got this many reviews without reviewing The Wonky Donkey?! This is a firm favourite in our house, and is not allowed to be read - it has to be sung!  Fortunately, the book comes with a CD, so parents can learn the tune - but don't try to sing along with the composer, Craig Smith - he has a fantastic speed that he can say the words with! This story was originally the song, and later became the book.

Every Kiwi child should have a copy of this book - it's going to become one of those Kiwi icons in a few years, along with jandals, pavlova and Buzzy Bee!




My rating: 5 out of 5 - one to own, not just borrow from the library!


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: I'm Coming to Get You!

I'm Coming to Get You!

Written and Illustrated by Tony Ross

Publication date: 1984
Publisher: Andresen Press
ISBN: 978-1-84270-743-2


Summary/Back cover:
After wreaking havoc on the planets of its own galaxy, a hungry monster sets off in its spaceship for a pretty blue planet called Earth.  A little boy called Tommy Brown, who is particularly scared of monsters, is singled out for a visit...


Review:
What little boy doesn't love monsters that yell out things like "I'm coming to get you!" - my 2.5 year old requests this book almost every night, immediately before bedtime (and we then often hear him calling out the same phrase from his bedroom, and giggling away!).  A funny wee twist at the end of this story makes the monster not nearly as scary as it had tried to be throughout the story, and even got a smirk out of my husband!

My rating: 4 out of 5 - a good boys' book.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Who's Making That Noise?

Who's Making That Noise?

Written by Philip Hawthorn and Jenny Tyler

Illustrated by Stephen Cartwright

Publication date: 1994
Publisher: Usborne Publishing
ISBN: 0-7460-0850-3


Summary/Back cover:
Who is making that noise? Is it really those noisy boys?  You can find out by lifting the flaps in this charmingly illustrated book.

Simple rhyming text makes this book a pleasure to read aloud, and young children will enjoy joining in with the boys as they proclaim their innocence.

Children will also enjoy finding the little white mouse and Stephen Cartwright's yellow duck on every double page.


Review:
Lift-the-flap books are always a hit, but this one is a particular favourite with both my 2.5 year old and my 8 month old.  Different animals are hiding on each page, and each animal is making a different sound (banging with a pot lid, tooting on a trumpet, etc).  A very noisy book to read, but a lot of fun!  Keep the cellotape handy though, as I find that, with noise, comes boisterousness and accidentally ripped flaps!

My rating: 4 out of 5.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Ducky Dives In!

Ducky Dives In!

Written by Richard Waring

Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees

Publication date: 2003
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 1-84362-193-2

Summary/Back cover:
Mucky Ducky loves mud! He really adores the squelchiest, squishiest, squashiest kind of muddy puddle...
But Mummy Duck likes to keep her little duckling out of mud and mischief, so how will she stop Mucky Duck from diving into the squelchiest puddle of all?

Review:
This story, I reckon, has a moral for Mums in it, rather than the kids!  Mucky Duck loves to jump in muddy puddles, but his mother is always trying to keep him clean and tidy - what mother of young children can't relate to that?!  In the end, Mummy Duck embraces her messy side, and ends up having a ball of a time with her young duckling.

I was attracted to this book because of the illustrator, and wasn't let down by the beautiful, bright pictures.  The story itself contains lots of those onomatopoeic words that kids love (and I love to read out loud!), so this book had us giggling throughout.

Definitely worth a read.

My rating: 4.7 out of 5


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Stuck in the Mud

Stuck in the Mud

Written by Jane Clarke

Illustrated by Garry Parsons

Publication date: 2007
Publisher: Penguin Books
ISBN: 978-0-141-50007-2

Summary/Back cover:
Early in the morning, down on the farm,
a new day was dawning, peaceful and calm...
... until Hen discovers that one of her chicks is stuck in the mud!
How many animals will it take to pull Chick out of the mud?

Review:
This book reminds me of the old song, There Was an Old Woman who Swallowed a Fly, who ends up swallowing animal after animal, each getting bigger than the previous.  The same thing happens here, as different animals try to help pull Chick out of the mud - my 2.5 year old enjoyed guessing (or remembering, as the case became!) which animal was going to appear next.

Written in a rhyming style and with gorgeous illustrations of, frankly, quite distressed looking animals, this is a story that's been read many times in our household.

My rating: 4 out of 5.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: The Scallywags Blow Their Top!

The Scallywags Blow Their Top!

Written and Illustrated by David Melling

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0-340-98816-9

Summary/Back cover:
Have you ever lost your temper?  The Scallywags are always in trouble for losing theirs.  But this time, the wolves finally meet their match...


Review:
Being the proud owner of a 2.5 year old who has learnt all about the art of tantruming, and is quickly learning how to boss his 8 month old brother around, this book came at an ideal time - the gist of the story is a bunch of wolves that argue with each other, but then end up being bossed around by a little sheep, and realise how unpleasant it is to others when they lose their temper.

This story had my son laughing, but then afterwards, we were able to talk about how it's not nice to be in a grump, and what we can do instead of having a tantrum in different situations.

If you're interested in buying a copy of this book, you can find it here at Fishpond.

My rating: 4 out of 5 - a good book, which my son really enjoyed over and over.


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Lenny Leopard's Jungle Dance

Lenny Leopard's Jungle Dance

by Guy Parker-Rees

Publication date: 2011
Publisher: Orchard Books
ISBN: 978-1-40831-207-0

Summary/Back cover:
Lenny Leopard loves to dance
But he can't find the beat.
Elephant says he'll show him how - 
Just stamp and stomp your feet!


This fun-filled jungle boogie will delight all young children.  Pull the tabs to see the jolly jungle animals dance, and watch out for the surprise pop-up at the end!

Review:
My 2.5 year old loves this book!  It has everything - beautiful illustrations by Guy Parker-Rees (illustrator of Giraffes Can't Dance), rhyming text, and something to play with: each page has a pull tab to make different jungle animals dance.  The pages seem sturdy enough, but I've not been brave enough to leave my son to read this book unsupervised (there is a warning on the back of the book, saying that it is not suitable for under 36 months, due to small parts, so it's only fair that I don't let him read it by himself yet!)

It takes quite a while for us to read this book, as we have to make the animals dance on each page a number of times before we're allowed to turn the page - but it makes for a lot of giggles, and, very often, an imitation of each dance!

If you'd like a copy of this book, you can find it here on Fishpond.

My rating: 4.9 out of 5 - a great read, and fun to play with as well!


Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Apple Banana Cherry

Apple Banana Cherry

Written by Joy Cowley

Illustrated by Elizabeth Fuller

Publication date: 2000
Publisher: Scholastic New Zealand
ISBN: 1-86943-467-6

Summary/Back cover:
Joy Cowley's wonderful read-aloud rhymes make learning the alphabet so much fun for young readers.

Review:
I have to confess that if it was not for the name Joy Cowley on the cover, I would have completely overlooked this book. What immediately draws me to children's books are the illustrations and I'm sorry to say that I found this book lacking in this department. Some of the illustrations are even scary (Jack the jester, not jolly as the book says but more crazily eerie).

However Cowley doesn't disappoint with her words. Moving through the alphabet, we have wonderful rhymes for each letter and most are fantastic to read out loud, the humour being something both parent and child can appreciate. The favourite in our household is the following;
Oo Orange
An orange rolled into the nest, where the little chickens played.
"oh, look!" cried the chickens, "at the orange mama laid!"

Great fun, only let down by the less than mediocre illustrations.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review written by QTCass

Review: Frog

Frog

Written by Susan Cooper

Illustrated by Jane Browne

Publication date: 2002
Publisher: Random House New Zealand
ISBN: 0-370-32635-0

Summary/Back cover:
Little Joe can't swim, despite having a pool in his backyard and siblings and a Mum who are great swimmers. When a stray frog makes it's way into their pool, it is Joe who is able to return him to the pond he belongs to and in return is given the confidence to start swimming.

Review:
My 2 year old becomes quite fixated by certain things. He loves fish, the movie Despicable Me and currently, this book. As an adult I can't quite see the appeal; the illustrations are fine, but nothing too exciting and the story itself is straight forward but does not have any of the bells and whistles (onomatopoeia or funny voices etc.) that his other favourites have. But there is something about this little frog he adores, so this comes highly recommended to other kids from my one.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Review written by QTCass

Review: Baby Loves Peekaboo!

Baby Loves Peekaboo!

Written by Dawn Sirett

Photography by Dave King

Publication date: 2008
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
ISBN: 978-1-40532-915-6

Summary/Back cover:
Where is baby hiding? Peekaboo!

• Lift the big flaps with baby
• Help baby develop thinking and memory skills
• Enjoy hours of peekaboo fun!

Review:

This book has been one of the biggest hits with both my children - my 16 month old will bring this book to me multiple times a day at the moment, and adores me calling out "Peekaboo!" as he lifts the big cardboard flaps on each page.  Along with the flaps, there's things to feel on each page too - fluffy or fuzzy pieces.

This is a wee bit different than other lift-the-flap books, as the flaps are much sturdier and better suited to the roughness of young children - making it perfectly suited to my two rough-and-ready boys.  

I definitely recommend getting one or two of these books (we also have Bedtime Peekaboo, which is equally as popular) - if your children are a bit old for them now, grab them as a lovely gift for a new baby - they'll get plenty of wear.  Our books are looking rather tatty with so much use now, but it's still holding together!

My rating: 4.3 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Mickey on the Move

Mickey on the Move

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Play-a-Sound

Publication date: 2009
Publisher: Publications International, Ltd
ISBN: 978-1-4127-6928-0

Summary/Back cover:
Mickey Mouse is on the move! Read the story, turn the gears, and press the sound buttons to help Mickey and his friends fix their vehicles and finish the race.

Turn 8 gears to find hidden sound buttons! Press 13 buttons to hear wobbly wheels, bicycle bells, and more! "Hot dog! Say super cheers!"

Review:
If you've got a child that loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the telly, they'll absolutely adore this book.  Its pretty much exactly the same format as a TV episode (with Toodles and the mouseketools, even!), but in book form.  In addition to reading the story, there are buttons to press which make a variety of odd sounds - and there are pictures within the story (in the middle of sentences) to tell the little readers when to press a particular button.

My three year old adores Mickey Mouse, and this book has been a major hit with him.  He loves it when it's read to him (and he presses the buttons as we go), but he loves it equally as well when he plays with it by himself - there's enough detail in the illustrations on each page that he knows what's going on, and the text has the pictures of which buttons to press, so he can "read" it himself.

The book is a sturdy board book, and the gears and buttons seem pretty solid too - time will tell how long it will last, but I'm hoping it will last long enough for my 1 year old to be allowed to read it, too.  The battery cover for the noises is also easily accessible (but screwed down, for safety), so the batteries can be changed if needed in the future.

Definitely worth getting your little Mickey Mouse enthusiast.

My rating: 4.4 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Where is the Green Sheep?

Where is the Green Sheep?

Written by Mem Fox

Illustrated by Judy Horacek

Publication date: 2004
Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0152049072

Summary/Back cover:
There are red sheep and blue sheep, wind sheep and wave sheep, scared sheep and brave sheep, but where is the green sheep?

The search is on in this cozy, sheep-filled story from acclaimed author Mem Fox and popular Australian cartoonist Judy Horacek. Complete with sleepy rhymes and bright illustrations, this book is sure to delight children of all ages, from the very young to those just beginning to read.

Review:
This book has such a simple text base that it means preschoolers can learn to read it to themselves quite quickly - and it has the mystery of the missing green sheep throughout, which keeps the littlies guessing until the very end.

The entire book is made up of rhyming text such as:
Here is the blue sheep.
And here is the red sheep.
Here is the bath sheep.
And here is the bed sheep.
But where is the green sheep?

The repetitive nature of the text helps preschoolers to know what is coming next and to help read along.  My 3 year old enjoys telling me what sort of sheep is coming next by looking at the beautiful cartoon pictures, and my 1 year old enjoys pointing out the sheep on each page (not a hard task, as they're lovely, uncluttered pictures).

This book is definitely a winner here, and I've seen it for sale in our local bookshop with a soft-toy green sheep - that would go down very well, here!

A book worth having on your bookshelf - it comes in both paper-pages and board-book copies, so even your littlest people can read it to themselves.

My rating: 4.3 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Dazzling Diggers

Dazzling Diggers

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Ant Parker

Publication Date:1997
Publisher: Kingfisher
ISBN: 978-0-7534-5304-9

Summary/back cover:
“Diggers are noisy,
strong, and big.
Diggers can carry
and push and dig.”

Be dazzled by the diggers and their daffy animal drivers in this bright and bouncy picture book. Zippy wordplay, zappy art, plus a helpful picture dictionary make learning about machines fun!

Review:
Here is yet another book from the Amazing Machines series. I don’t know how the author and illustrator managed to make a whole book about diggers and write about them so that pre-schoolers can understand, but they succeeded! My children now know that diggers can have wheels or tracks and be driven with levers or steering wheels.

Like the other Amazing Machines books we have at our house, Dazzling Diggers is a favourite of my children. If your children love big machines, they’ll no doubt love this book, too.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Flashing Fire Engines

Flashing Fire Engines

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Ant Parker

Publication Date:1998
Publisher: Kingfisher
ISBN: 978-0-7534-5307-0

Summary/back cover:
“Big, bold fire engines,
waiting day and night,
ready for a rescue
or a blazing fire to fight.”

Jump on the fire engine with a trio of brave animal firefighters in this exciting picture book. Zippy wordplay, zappy art, plus a helpful picture dictionary make learning about fire engines fun!

Review:
From the Amazing Machines series comes Flashing Fire Engines. My pre-schoolers are crazy about fire-trucks and absolutely LOVE this book. They soon learnt all about the helmets and masks the firefighters wear from the dictionary in the back and love to point them out as we’re reading. I even learnt a few things, myself, like how the firefighters get water out of a fire hydrant, and why they even need fire hydrants when there is water stored on the truck.

This is a great wee book that’ll be a hit with any kid who is interested in fire-trucks.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Cool Cars

Cool Cars

Written by Tony Mitton

Illustrated by Ant Parker

Publication Date: 2005
Publisher: Macmillan Children’s Books
ISBN: 978-0-330-52008-9

Summary/back cover:
“Cars are really handy
for getting us around.
They whizz about on busy roads
and make a zoomy sound.”

Cruise down the street with some dotty animal drivers in this cheerful picture book. Zippy wordplay, zappy art, plus a picture dictionary make learning about cars fun!

Review:
This is another book in the Amazing Machines series, others of which have already been reviewed on this site. This story introduces children to different sorts of cars, including taxis and race-cars. It also briefly covers road signs, and car maintenance.

For children who are a little bit young for non-fiction books, or who prefer a more sing-song approach to learning, the Amazing Machines books are a fantastic introduction to cars, trains and the like. We have four Amazing Machines books in our household and they are without a doubt the stories my two year old boys most enjoy looking at and request to be read to them.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Are you My Mother?

Are You My Mother?

Written and illustrated by P.D. Eastman

Publication Date: 1960
Publisher: Beginner Books
ISBN: 0-394-80018-4

Another classic story that even your parents might know from when they were kids (depending when your parents were born). This one is about a baby bird that hatches while his mother is out collecting food. So begins the baby bird’s journey to find his mother. Along the way he encounters many other creatures and machines, and to each one he asks the question: “Are you my mother?” until, at last, the mother and baby are reunited. In summary, it’s a story about belonging.

While it’s a solid story that’s easy to read, similar stories have since been released in bolder colours, with bigger pictures, and probably a shorter story (the bird does seem to encounter a lot of red-herrings before eventually realising who is mother is). Given that similar, more modern, possibly even better stories exist that convey the same theme, I find it difficult to enthusiastically recommend this book unless you are really fond of the originality and vintage quality of it.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Review written by team_s

Review: Cork on the Ocean

Cork on the Ocean

Written by Mark Sommerset

Illustrated by Rowan Sommerset

Publication date: 2005
Publisher: Dreamboat Books
ISBN: 978-0-9864668-0-9

Summary/Back cover:
Bounce on the ocean, ride over waves,
Voyage out into the blue.
A little brown cork is waiting inside
To Share an adventure with you!

Review:
I have a soft spot for rhyming books, and this one has such a gentle rolling rhyme to it that you can't help but love it!  Simple pictures, using only two colours throughout the book (the green/blue and brown as seen on the cover) make this a very relaxing and easy-to-enjoy book, perfect at bedtime for littlies.

The story is about a little cork bobbing about in the ocean and the creatures he meets along the way - the cork is a bit of a philosopher of the sea, which is quite cute.  My 1 year old is calmed right down when I read him this book, and my 3 year old, being a bit of a 'bloke' is always a bit worried about how the cork is going to get out of the ocean, and looking for a 'solution' (there isn't one - the cork is quite happy throughout the book).

This is a lovely book and one that is a well-loved bedtime story in our house.

My rating: 4 out of 5

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Father Christmas Needs a Wee!

Father Christmas Needs a Wee!

by Nicholas Allan

Publication date: 2009
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 978-1-849-41049-6

Summary/Back cover:
A funny festive counting book in brilliant bouncy rhyme!
At every house Father Christmas eats and drinks the tasty treats that have been left for him. But when he reaches number ten he realizes that he's forgotten to do something rather important - AND he really, really, really, really needs a wee...

Review:
This is a cute wee book that appealed to my 3 year old because it has Santa and wees - toilet training is still fresh enough in his mind that discussing wee is still an interesting topic!

The rhyming is a little forced, I think, so it's certainly not one of my favourite books.  However, it appeals to the intended audience, although, having Santa as the main character, it limits the use of the book during most of the year - a good one to pull out in December, though!

My rating: 3 out of 5.  It's good, but not great.

Review written by Bronwyn

Review: Tom and Pippo Go for a Walk

Tom and Pippo Go for a Walk

by Helen Oxenbury

Publication date: 1988
Publisher: Walker Books Ltd
ISBN: 0-74456121-3

Summary/Back cover:
Pippo is Tom’s special friend and the two of them do everything together.
“Just right for small children...beautifully drawn...A most welcome addition to the nursery shelves.” Books for Keeps

Review:
This is a very simple story about Tom and his soft toy Pippo. The story is short, to the point and just right for young children. It uses simple language and has effective illustrations. There are several stories starring the same characters. Both my kids love having these stories and wanted to have the read over and over again. The story lines are simple enough for a young child to ‘read’ the story to themselves or others.

4/5

Review written by Judith

Review: Miki and the Moon Blossom

Miki and the Moon Blossom

by Stephen Mackey

Publication date: 2010
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
ISBN: 978-0-340-95067-8

Summary/Back cover:
A long time ago and very far away, Miki, Polar bear and Penguin wish for a gentle breeze.  But when their wish comes true they begin a journey to a strange new world full of weird and wonderful creatures.  Will the friends ever make it back home?

Review:
This is such a gentle, sweet wee story, that is perfectly suited as a bedtime book.  At first, the story looks like it's going to take a Jack and the Beanstalk type turn (a plant grows up tall overnight), but then it turns into a gentle story involving blossoms and clouds.

My 3 year old son didn't quite "get" the story, and was looking for a solution of how to get Miki home the entire time (and was quite concerned that she hadn't found her house by the last page of the book), but I think that young girls would certainly appreciate the soft tones of this book.  It's not overly "girly" but is probably more suited to the sensitive souls more than rough-and-tumblers.

I love this book, and it's one that I will continue to read to my rough-and-tumblers, as it's a story that is best-read at the quiet wind-down time just before bedtime.  If you are interested in buying a copy of this book, you can find it here at Wheelers.

My rating: 4 out of 5.

Review written by Bronwyn