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Early Reader Book Reviews
Beastie Bros: The Curse of Captain Slugbeard
David O’Connell, pub. Scholastic
Not having read the first two books in this series, I was really looking forward to reading this one and learning who these Beastie Bros are!
Now I know, they are the adopted brothers Dribble the snail and Dash the firefly. They love to find themselves as much mischief as possible and this time Dribble has a new invention: a Bubbler (made from superpowered midge farts), perfect for making fizzy drinks. Cool Nat promises to trial the invention in Grottibottigan's Juice Bar if the bros fetch him some seaweed from Bogbrush-on-Sea... Of course, they agree but the treacherous pirate Captain Slugbeard is rumoured to have buried his treasure on the very beach they're going to. That could mean they can have a treasure hunt but since he's apparently placed a terrible curse of bad luck upon anyone who tries to steal his loot they hesitate.
When the brothers run into the naughty Dung Heap Gang, who seem very eager to sniff out the treasure, Dribble and Dash know it is time to try out Dribble's latest invention. Will it help them beat the beetles and escape the curse. or will they fall into the clutches of pirates? We best not forget there are also Prudence the prawn - creepie crawlie of the sea - and Big Steve the sardine who could be either friends or foes…!
Having looked forward to reading this I wasn’t disappointed. It’s such a fun read. Who would have thought that minibeasts could lead such interesting, adventurous, funny lives? This truly is a madcap story that will grab readers attention and find them turning the pages just to see what happens next. While I was reading this one thought kept running through my mind - how much reluctant readers are going to love this book. It’s this mixture of fiction and graphic novel all the way through. Plus, there are fun illustrations on most pages. This is a great read and gives younger children somewhere to escape to.
Helen Byles
Finders of Silverthorn Forest. The Faraway Adventure
Rachel Chivers Khoo, illus Laura Catalan, pub. Walker Books
Silverthorn Forest is home to an enchantment of animals, all of whom want to share stories of their adventures in the woods with young readers bridging the gap between picturebooks and fiction, chapter books. There are humans in these woods too, they are the friends of the animals and the stories, whilst a wonderful adventure into the imagination, stay true to habitats, seasons and the world of woodlands, as much as possible.
Tuft is a young Finder and he wakes early from his hibernation. What better thing to choose to do when your animal friends are still sleeping the winter away than to embark on an adventure with your human friend. So, Tuft and Max do just that, animal and human set off for an adventure in search of the Faraway Forest. Tuft hopes they’ll find the original homeland of the Finders, Max isn’t sure it’s possible but wants to help the search. What neither of them expect is the fierce storm quickly approaching and the dangerous rescue mission it is about to create for them…
Charming reading with a touch of magic, a huge dose of imagination and an enormous dollop of adventure. Children will fall in love with the idea of reading chapter books, with the characters and with this series. They are certain to want more and since this is the second title, with the author having written two others in another series, they won’t be disappointed!
Louise Ellis-Barrett
Guardians of the New Moon: The Year of the Tiger
Eric Huang, illus. Phung Nguyen Quang, pub. Little Tiger Press
The Western Forest is burning. To reach the Most Majestical Majesty, the Jade Emperor, Biao the Tiger must win the Great Race. Fourth in the series of the Guardians of the New Moon books, The Year of the Tiger by podcaster and writer Eric Huang is a whimsical tale fused with Asian myth and magical worlds. The Great Race is taking place, Ming and Miaow are already in, since the Jade Emperor invited all beings on Earth to participate. Chaos ensues however after Biao the Tiger escapes the burning forest, her home, to devise a rescue plan to save it from the destruction caused by humans.
The Year of the Tiger is beginning and Biao the Tiger’s presence is imperative. Best friends and Guardians of the New Moon, Ming and Miaow, head out on the order of the Jade Emperor to bring the Tiger back. Another magical adventure begins.
For young readers aged 7-12 the series encompasses it all. Adventure, friendship, a fantasy world and lots of fun with fruits of immortality, talking trees, ghosts, shapeshifters, red leopards with five tails and more! The black and white digital illustrations by Phung Nguyen Quang, instil expression in conjunction with the story and it’s interesting to note that environmental conservation is the plot around which the story is developed. Part of a series this story can be explored as a standalone too. Children will learn about different emotions and have fun with portmanteau words like ‘panda-monium.’ They'll love the pace of the story which brings a new adventure in each chapter and highlights the importance of community, friendship and forest preservation.
Ishika Tiwari
Reggie Rabbit and the Metro Mice
Swapna Reddy, illus. Becca Moor, pub. Oxford Children’s Books
This book is one in a series featuring Reggie Rabbit who is an amateur detective. He is just leaving school for the day with his friend and detective partner Pipsqueak when they are approached by Mo, a mouse who is very shy but is desperate for some assistance and has come to ask for their help.
The story takes us to meet the metro mice living in the Metro Tunnels beneath Bearburgh. We learn they are in danger and their homes are under threat. But what is causing the problems in the tunnels? Has it got something to do with Nora Masque the criminal racoon? Are other crimes connected? It is up to Reggie, Pipsqueak and Mo to work together to uncover what’s going on and see if they can find a solution.
The book is written partly as graphic novel, partly as chapter book and has colourful illustrations by Becka Moore. I would say it is ideal for children who find a chapter book intimidating as the cartoon features break up the book into easy chunks. The book could also be ideal for sharing, with adults reading the chapters whilst children focus on reading the comic style pages. This could provide lots of opportunities to discuss what may happen next.
Swapna Reddy has created a great character in Reggie Rabbit and as this book is part of a series, there are plenty of opportunities to expand on these brilliant detective stories. This book can be read as a standalone story but I am sure once you are hooked you may want to read the previous books.
Helen Finch
Sadie Jones and the Ball
Sally Nicolls, illus. Asley King, pub. Barrington Stoke
There must be hundreds if not thousands of retellings of the story of Cinderella and how she and Prince Charming dance together at the ball. But what of the other guests who’d been invited? How their evening went is something we never know – until now!
In this fabulous retelling we hear how the Queen, in search of a wife for Prince Charming invites every unmarried girl in the whole kingdom to the ball but conveniently doesn’t invite any other men. For Sadie Jones, the smallest kitchen maid in the palace, not only is she bored, what’s fun about a ball where only the Prince gets to dance, but she wishes her best friend Joey had been invited too. As she grows ever crosser Sadie encourages her friends to break the rules and dance. But as more and more people join the dance floor the Prince reveals just how selfish and spoilt he is and Cinderella runs from the ball, leaving just a glass slipper behind to show that she was ever there. It seems it’s up to Sadie to save the day and show everyone what a party really should be like.
In this wonderfully fresh take on a classic tale Sally Nicolls has not only told the story from the perspective of a young kitchen maid but has twisted the plot and opened up the story to include some very powerful messages about acceptance, inclusivity and kindness.
Having been specifically designed to support struggling or dyslexic readers, the text is well spaced and printed on yellow paper and is accompanied on every page by the wonderfully detailed illustrations of Ashley King. This book is full of energy and surprises and is particularly suited to those aged 7+.
Tracey Corner
Small Poems for Big Imaginations
Neal Zetter, illus. Will Hughes, pub. Otter-Barry Books
This a very creative book full of poems by performance poet Neal Zetter. Small Poems for Big Imaginations - the title itself suggests a break from correctness in favour of creation; these little poems and limericks are for the curious, quirky, dreamy kids who love to build with words- anything full of whimsy. You may have heard of similes, but have you heard of dissimilies? Do you know what a ‘Whodunnit’ is? Or how long a Long Poem is? The book offers answers to such queries in a wonderfully creative way. For instance, this is what the writer thinks of the word ‘Sorted’ -
“If things don’t go here
If things don’t go there
If they don’t really seem to go anywhere No need to worry Stress, fret or fuss
Just file them under M For Miscellaneous.”
On correct words to be used instead of ‘Fastly’ he writes -
“You could ‘rapidly’ run an Olympic race, disappear ‘quickly’ without a trace, ‘promptly’ pack your bags for holiday, ‘speedily’ gobble up a takeaway,
be ‘swiftly’ blown over in a strong gale, even slide slowly like a slug or a snail. But you could never fly fastly like a plane or a bird because fastly definitely isn’t a word!”
The book also features a satirical poem on the wives of King Henry VIII along with the first poem Neal Zetter wrote at the age of six; a limerick. The illustrations are adorable and will help children aged 5-8 relate develop a good understanding of the words. This amusing collection of poems educates and inspires children to simply create and give wings to their thoughts and express what a certain word or situation brings to their mind.
Ishika Tiwari
Watts & Whiskerton: The Great Glacier Hotel Heist
Meg McLaren, pub. Piccadilly Press
This is the third book in the highly commended Watts & Whiskerton series for younger readers and the best part? You can start with any of them!
I loved the names and appearances of the characters in this series: Pearl Whiskerton the cat, and Watts, an extremely dapper dog dressed in a checked suit with matching bowler hat. In this story they’ve decided to head to the Great Glacier Hotel and Ski Resort for a vacation. Unfortunately for them both they either seem to find mysteries wherever they go or the mysteries are following them (although, of course, they love solving mysteries.) As soon as they arrive at the hotel their plans for a quiet holiday turn into another high-stakes investigation - the priceless Ice Crystal has been stolen from the hotel safe. To make matters worse, Watts' parents are the prime suspects.
To clear the Watts' name, they have to solve a locked room mystery, question some very slippery suspects, including suspicious staff, and navigate their way through heavy snow. The question is, do they have enough time (perhaps with help from clumsy Claude the clumsiest waiter in the world) be able to manage to ski, sleuth and save the day before they go home?
With fabulous drawings on every page, speech bubbles, pictures of Watts' notes and so much more for the reader to enjoy, this story is a delight and offers so much. It's full of mischief, mystery and snow!
Carol Farley
