story time books

Josh and Phil Undy, son and father, and their cast of hangers-on, relatives and friends, are back with new games and adventures. From trying to tackle the seventh strongest man in the world, through to wife-carrying races and a grab-that-tail-feather competition on national television, this book, like the others in the series, can be read on its own, but is even better if you’ve read the others, as each book tells you more about Josh and Phil, Amy, Aunty Faber and others.  Great fun for seven- to ten-year-olds, and their parents and teachers.

This is a new Koala paperback edition of a picture book by Steve Smallman with illustrations by Nick Schon. It tells the story of how, “a long time ago, when the world was quite new,”  a monkey noticed that while the birds were brightly coloured, most of the other animals were rather drab. In fact, “They all looked as dull as an elephant poo.” So the monkey, discovering a paintbox and brushes, decided to liven things up a little and painted the animals their unlikely colours while they were having an afternoon nap. When they woke up they were not as amused as the monkey, until the bear grabbed the paints and “painted the monkey’s face red, white and blue./ And then for good luck did his bottom end too!

“And still to this day when the monkey goes by,/The animals giggle, they laugh till they cry./His bum is still blue as a bright summer sky,/ He looks like a clown – and now you know why!”

Great fun! Two- to six- or seven-year-olds love talk of poo and bums, and this gives a rhyming story as a bonus, with bright illustrations. A modern addition to the old tradition which includes Kipling’s Just So Stories and Ted Hughes creation stories which explain how the animals came to be the way they are.

This novel by David Jones is one of those books which is almost impossible to review without giving away parts of the story which are better discovered by the reader, but I’ll try. Gerry, a teenage boy, is flying with his parents to their camp where they are studying a troop of baboons when the plane crashes and Gerry loses consciousness. When he wakes up, he has a most unusual surprise in store. This is a well-written story so that even the most unusual twists seem very easy to believe, and this is one of those novels in which the reader learns quite a lot, in this case about differences (and similarities) between human and baboon behaviour. Good for anyone ten-years and over who enjoys a good story, particularly those who love animal stories.

Jonathan Stroud, author of the Bartimaeus trilogy is the creator of this fantasy novel which works wonderfully well on several levels. It’s a gripping adventure fantasy about a rather vertically challenged and incredibly stroppy (anti)hero called Halli who loves the stories of the heroes of the past and dreams of recreating them. But it is also a wonderfully cynical look at the way in which history is manipulated by those in control, and how that history has similarities, and differences, depending on which descendent of which hero is telling the story. It will therefore appeal to a wide range of readers, from nine or ten-year-olds who love a good fantasy yarn to sophisticated teenagers who will appreciate the political satire. And because our (anti) hero meets up with Aud, a girl from another family who joins him on parts of his questionable and questioning quest, it should appeal to girls as much as boys. Wonderfully written, as you would expect from Stroud if you have read the Bartimaeus books, and a rattling good yarn in an utterly believable alternative world. Highly recommended.

This is Des Hunt’s seventh novel. This one is set on the Wairarapa coast and there’s the characteristic mix of environmental and human concerns in an adventure story. Jake is in his last year of primary school when his father introduces a complication to his life, a new woman and her daughter. In his anger at having his life disrupted Jake does some silly things. Then the local overseas rock-star landowner is subject to paparazzi harassment and Jake becomes involved. Lots of issues, from celebrity status, through press ethics to whale strandings but the story manages to maintain its hold on the reader and roll on to an exciting climax. Good reading for 9-year-olds and upwards, probably particularly, though not exclusively, boys.

Big Bruv and Little Bubba (monsters of some kind), go for a walk in the big wide wood in this picture book by Nigel Gray, illustrated by Simon Scales. Little Bubba is scared of every noise and dives back into the den, but Big Bruv reassures him each time, that it’s a crow, or a branch, or thunder. Eventually the anxious one gets so confident he races on ahead and scares Big Bruv, then reassures him, and they walk off happily together. Colourful illustrations, with the monsters particularly spectacular, and a reassuring message.

Happy New Year!

The shop opens again today for another year. Hope to see you soon. No doubt the new books will start to arrive today, so there will be new things to look at almost immediately. Still lots of summer to enjoy, and a new book may be just the tonic needed to rekindle the joy of reading in a child you care for.