Picture Book Picks - The Boy Who Cried Ninja

The Boy Who Cried Ninja
by Alex Latimer

As soon as I saw the title and the ilustrations on the cover of this picture book, I wanted to delve between the pages.

I wasn't disappointed.

It's a far-fetched tale, but I love it.

Tim has a strange cast of characters visiting his house and they are rather naughty too. The ninja ate the last slice of cake, the astronaut took his dad's hammer and the giant squid ate his school bag.

Tim tells his parents the truth, but as you can imagine his parents don't believe him. In this case truth really is stranger than fiction, so Tim decides to lie. When the pirate drinks all the tea, Tim tells his parents he did it and yet he still gets in to trouble. Tim needs to take some drastic action.

This is a fabulously original story with crisp, beguiling illustrations. A great read for any child (and adult).

Picture Book Picks - You're a Hero Daley B!

You're a Hero Daley B
written by Jon Blake
illustrated by Axel Scheffler

This is an old favourite of mine and I do mean an old favourite. It was written nearly 17 years ago. It hasn't aged a bit as a story or for it's illustrations. It is illustrated by the artist who illustrated The Gruffalo. So you can imagine just how good the illustrations are.

I must have come across it about 15 years ago when I started working in the children's library and it was one of the first books I started to collect myself for my future children. In fact I haven't read it to my wee boy yet, so I must have stored it somewhere extra safe. I must have a hunt for it.

You're a Hero Daley B is the story of a rabbit called Daley B who is rather confused about who he is, where he should live, what he should eat and why he has such big feet. There is a rather hilarious illustration of him lying on the ground with his feet in the air wondering if they are for keeping him dry when it rains and a wee mouse sheltering under them. Of course, his guesses are all bizarre and very funny. It's not until an evil weasel appears that he learns the truth.

This is one for the parents as much as the children.

Oh, and it is also available in Chinese.

Picture Book Picks - Doodle Bites

I'm back with a selection of my favourite picture books. The ones I read to the children who visit the library. They are targeted at the under fives, but when school is out, the older children do tend to drift over to listen, so let's just say for all ages.

My first choice is a picture book that has been around for a couple of years now, but I just discovered it recently and I absolutely love it. It is Doodle Bites by Polly Dunbar.

Polly's book can always be picked out by her beautiful illustrations. Her pastel coloured backgrounds and simply drawn characters are a joy. Nothing fussy and each page is quite sparse, but the characters have wonderful expressions on their faces that carry you through the story.

This story is one in a series about a group of animals who live in a little yellow house with a girl called Tilly. This story focuses on the crocodile called Doodle. One morning Doodle wakes up feeling 'bitey, bitey' and gets into all sorts of trouble. She even bites poor Tumpty (yes, an elephant) on the bum!

This book will make you laugh out loud. So sweet, but very funny! I can't wait to read the other books in the series.

Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex

Artemis Fowl and the Atlantis Complex
by Eoin Colfer


This is the latest in a long line of tales about the devious, teenage, criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl.

Artemis has gathered his group of fairy co-horts in a remote location in Iceland to unveil his latest plan. His greatest plan ever! A plan to save the world. That doesn't sound like Artemis at all. Artemis doesn't help other people unless there is something in it for him, usually money. Something isn't quite right, he is thinking about other people and counting in fives.

Before the others can put their finger on what is wrong with their young friend, they are under attack from what should be a friendly vessel.

Killer space probes, unfriendly robots, zombie wrestling fans and the unlucky number four, well unlucky for Artemis anyway. Will any of them make it out alive this time? It's looking really unlikely.

This is the seventh and penultimate book in the Artemis Fowl series. The books are all centred around the teenage mastermind Artemis Fowl, whose only goal in life is to make money through illegal schemes by taking advantage of the fairy underworld he has discovered.

The books are written with a great deal of humour and often leave you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next.

I have to say I was a little disappointed with this book. I usually whizz through the stories, laughing up'roariously, especially at the antics of the kleptomaniac, gasey and rather pongey dwarf - Mulch Diggins, but I just didn't find the book as thrilling or as funny as usual. A great disappointment.

If you want to continue the story of Artemis, I would recommend you read this, but just don't expect as many laughs as usual.

Christmas Picture Book Selection

Well, I am back from maternity leave and it is time to get this blog back up and running again. I had great plans to post while I was off, but that was before I realised that free time would become a thing of the past.

Christmas is approaching very, very fast, but there is still time to visit your local library or bookshop to pick up a book or two. Here is my top picks in picture books.

Aliens Love Panta Claus
written by Claire Freedman
illustrated by Ben Cort

Another fabulous book in the alien series by Claire Freedman. You would have to live in outer space to have missed out on these cheeky little creatures, but wait a minute, if you live in outer space you will probably know who they are already! In which case, I hope they left you with at least one pair!

In this Christmas special the Aliens are helping out in santa's workshop and giving away underpants instead of stealing them.


I'm Not Santa
written and illustrated by Jonathan Allen

My second pick is I'm Not Santa starring Baby Owl. My baby loves the Baby Owl books and I have to admit to a fondness for them too. They are very amusing with beautifully simple illustrations that convey so much. The expressions on the creatures faces are just fabulous.

In this story we have a case of mistaken identity as Baby Owl sets out for the day with his santa hat on. As you can imagine, he loses his patience very quickly. Very funny!


Christmas Is Coming
written by A.J. Wood
illustrated by Stephen Lambert
paper engineered by Jonathan Lambert

If you are looking for something rather special, look no further than Christmas Is Coming. It is filled with the most beautifully illustrated and crafted pop-ups.
For the full effect it is best to lay the open book on a table. Oh yes and I nearly forgot to say, it is a Christmas story about a mouse.

Doubting Thomas

Doubting Thomas
by Morris Gleitzman


Thomas is mortified, it just isn't funny at all! It shouldn't happen to a decent human being!

Morris has itchy nipples!

Very, very itchy nipples!

It is a secret that Thomas is keen to keep to himself, but soon Thomas realises that his nipples have a special talent, they can tell when people are lying. Thomas secret leads him to adventure with his friends in Paris.

This is such a funny book! I urge you to pick it up sometime soon.

Eating Things on Sticks

Eating Things on Sticks
by Anne Fine

Such a great title for a book, don't you think? It intrigued me as soon as I read it. Of course, I don't plan to reveal what those things on sticks are, that would just spoil the fun, but I will tell you a little about the story.

This is the latest offering from past Children's Laureate, Anne Fine and I do enjoy an Anne Fine book, although there have been one or two over the years that I haven't been so keen on. I suppose it is a case of "you can't please all of the people, all of the time!". Saying that, most of them are pretty darn good and Eating Things on Sticks is one of the gems.

On another note, Eating Things on Sticks has been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize 2009 in the 7-14 age category. The £2,500 prize was founded in 2008 by Michael Rosen as part of his Children’s Laureateship to honour those books that make children laugh. The winner will be announced on 10th November.

Anyway, back to the story!

Eating Things on Sticks is the story of a boy named Harry. To call Harry accident prone, would be an understatement! The story opens and Harry has just burned down the family kitchen. Harry is left feeling a bit astonished that it happened and woebegone at the outcome. Harry's mum wants to send Harry away to live with his Aunt, while the kitchen is rebuilt. The last thing Harry wants to do is live with his Aunt Susan. Aunt Susan takes him on long nature walks and that is bad enough, but spending any time with his lisping, frilly frock wearing cousin Titania, just doesn't bear thinking about at all.

Harry manages to persuade his mum to let him stay with his Uncle Tristram. Next, Uncle Tristram has to be persuaded, but a little blackmailing later and Harry is on his way to a remote British Island to spend the summer with Uncle Tristram and his dotty girlfriend Morning Glory.

Did I mention Harry is accident prone? Yes? Well, as you can imagine, Harry stumbles from one disaster to another whilst on the island.

Angels, men with funny beards, helicopters and eating funny things on sticks.

A must read! Very funny.

Picture Book Picks - The Foggy, Foggy Forest & Mrs Muffly's Monster

These two picture books are going down a storm at story times. If you are looking for a book to borrow from your local library or one to buy as a gift, then you wouldn't go wrong with one of these.














The Foggy Foggy Forest
by Nick Sharratt

Nick Sharratt writes a mean story! They are always great. Be it a novelty pop-up book or a story in rhyme, he always pitches it just right and children love his books.

The Foggy Foggy Forest is a real treat. The reader is invited to step into the forest and to guess which characters they can see as silhouettes in the fog.

The black illustrations are printed on something similar to a thick opaque tracing paper, but once you turn the page you see the characters in full, glorious colour. Cinderella and Snow White are having a water pistol fight, there is a unicorn playing the horn and an ogre doing yoga.












Mrs Muffly's Monster
by Sarah Dyer

Mrs Muffly is being very secretive!

Mrs Muffly is a strange little lady who lives alone in her house at the top of a hill. But is she living alone? Rumour is, she is living with a monster! On Monday, Mrs Muffly goes out on her motorcycle and buys a huge pile of sugar. Is this to keep the monster sweet? On Tuesday she buys 27 dozen eggs. Are they for the monster to style it's hair?

This hilarious book, with it's zany illustrations travels with Mrs Muffly through the rest of her week until a big surprise on Sunday.

Vesuvius Poovius

Versuvius Poovius
written by Kes Gray
illustrated by Chris Mould


There is a problem in Ancient Rome, a very whiffy problem.

IT WAS ANOTHER PONGY DAY IN ANCIENT ROME...

Soldiers gasped on their way to war. Children fainted on their way to school. Everyone hurried on, as fast as they could, trying to get away from the whiff. The whiff of the unmentionable.

The unmentionable is pooh. The Emperor has declared this word a FORBIDDENUS WORDUS!

The good people of Rome still have the problem, they just can't mention it. Instead they have to be creative, using phrases such as "sugar lumps" and "chocolate custard".

Something has to be done about the situation and along comes our hero and inventor Vesuvius Poovius. He is just the man for the job! Vesuvius has a eureka moment and starts work on an,ahem, let's say a Jam Tart Disposal System.

This is a picture book for older readers, many an adult has laughed out loud whilst reading it! Lots of amusing illustrations from the talented Chris Mould and a very funny story.

How Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant

Kirsty Jenkins Stole the Elephant
by Elen Caldecott


....she does, Kirsty Jenkins really steals an elephant! It's true! Why does she steal an elephant, that's what I would ask?

Here is Kirsty's story.

Kirsty enjoys spending her free time with her grandad on his allotment. It is a happy place to be and full of adventure (if you have enough imagination to see all the wild animals that live there), but then grandad takes ill and has to go to hospital. Grandad makes Kirsty promise that she will look after his allotment for him when he is gone, but then along comes trouble in the form of Mr Thomas from the Council. He says that Kirsty is too young to look after the allotment and that it should go to the next person on the waiting list. Kirsty isn't going to take this lying down, a plan has to be hatched and it does indeed involve an elephant!

Visit Kirsty's blog to find out what happens to Kirsty after she steals the elephant.