Anyone who knows me knows that I love to read. It's something I've always enjoyed and I think it's so important that we grow and nurture a love of reading for future generations. We are really missing our trips to the library but thankfully we have a rather hefty children's book collection and I've been making the most of our libraries online ebook loan service to keep my kindle well stocked with reading material. Here's what we've been reading this month....
Not all children's books are created equal. There are some that just feel like classics from the very first page and this book by Martin Kirkham is one of them. It feels like I'm reading a Roald Dahl classic or perhaps a Quentin Blake. Martin's style is reminiscent of Allan Ahlberg, only cheekier.
Portrayed as a guidebook for children and written in perfect rhyming verse Arthur Skid's Chronicles of Being a Kid Volume 1 is a hilarious exploration of every child's rites of passage. From dressing cats as babies to siblings pooping in the bath this book covers every crazy eventuality. It had both myself and my 3 year old crying with laughter. It's as enjoyable for adults as it is for children.
The book captures a child's perspective perfectly and I would love to know the real life inspiration behind titles such as 'underwear elastic isn't that strong' and 'you cannot stick hair back on with glue'.
I was gifted this book for review but honestly it would have an equally glowing review if I'd picked it off the library shelf or bought it with my money.
Enter to win a signed copy of Martin's hilarious new release using the rafflecopter at the end of this post. Not lucky enough to win? Use code launch to save £2 off the purchase price via Martin's website.
Let me begin by saying, never have I ever owned a children's picture book that has been made with such high quality paper. This book is a joy to hold, it has really thick luxurious pages that aren't too stiff.
The storyline follows Max and his cuddly toy Toffee as they embark on a brave voyage to retrieve the golden treasure. The message from the story is about being true to yourself and doing what makes you feel comfortable rather than worrying about what others may think. It's also about appreciating what you have and holding it dear.
The illustrations are detailed and reflective of the storyline, they are soft and muted in style and quite traditional. The story itself isn't one of my favourites to read aloud as it feels a little clumsy in parts but it's a good quality book, that has a strong moral message and beautifully quaint illustrations.
I love this book. My 3 year old is less sure, perhaps because she thinks of McDarkly as a swamp monster rather than the gentle, patient, creative character that he is. She is perhaps a little too young to fully grasp that side of his character though she does love that he has a lot of butterflies.
The general premise of this book is that McDarkly's swamp is dark and dank, but it's his home. When his home is threatened he does all he can to save his swamp but disaster strikes at the last moment- or so it seems?
It's a great book with a strong moral about seeing the beauty in everything. It's about positivity and teamwork and how we can all be respectful of other people's viewpoints. A true tale of beauty being in the eye of the beholder.
I've read both The Holiday and Lies by T. M Logan and I loved both. The Catch is no exception, in fact it has grown my love of T. M Logan that little bit more. The Catch is equally as thrilling and suspense filled as the others but this one is a little bit darker. It's a clever novel, with many unexpected twists and turns and I had no idea what was true or false until I reached the crescendo of an ending.
Click To Read My Full Review Of The Catch By T. M Logan.
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Thanks For Reading,
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*Items marked with this symbol were sent for review. Opinions are unaffected by this and are genuine.
Some great looking books here. My boy may be just a little too young for some but will give Chronicles of a kid a try. He is still scared of everything so may have to wait a little while to try out King of the Swamp though!
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The first one looks sweet!
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