This is a beautiful set of children’s books that have been written by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Barber Gibson, Ruth Harper and Nancy Leak that I received from NetGalley to review. Each book is 32 pages long and full of colour. There is a special message in each story about love, friendship and security. I don’t have children, but when I do these will be books I will want to read to them!

Book 1: The Kissing Hand

School is starting in the forest, but Chester Raccoon does not want to go. To help ease Chester’s fears, Mrs. Raccoon shares a family secret called The Kissing Hand to give him the reassurance of her love any time his world feels a little scary. Chester Racoon does not want to go to school – he would much prefer to stay home and play. His mother won’t let him however, but she does give him a small gify – a kiss in his hand. Whenever he feels sad, he just needs to remember that gift.

I thought this idea was wonderful. This portrays love and security to a small child – or racoon – who is scared of something. The story is so well written – simple, yet effective. Chester’s mother is soothing yet firm. She explains all the fun things that Chester will do and how she will be there at the end of the day.

The illustrations are beautiful and are on every page. There is not too much text so the child will not be overwhelmed.

This book is written for children who have to face hard times – a new challenge – and it brings comfort and hope. This is well written and even as an adult it brought a smile to my face. It is a lovely concept and a well written and presented book.

5/5

Book 2: A Pocket Full of Kisses

In this tender sequel to the New York Times bestseller and children’s classic The Kissing Hand,Audrey Penn provides parents with another tale of love and reassurance to share with their children. Chester Raccoon has a baby brother-and thebaby brother is taking over his territory. When Chester sees his mothergive his baby brother a Kissing Hand-his Kissing Hand-he is overcome with sadness, but Mrs. Raccoon soothes his fears with her own special brand of wisdom, finding just the right way to let Chester know he is deeply loved. Brought to life by Barbara Leonard Gibson’s warm illustrations, this story is perfect for families who are adjusting to all the changes new members can bring. 

In this book, Chester has a baby brother. He feels his brother is taking over his life and that he is losing the love of his mother – especially when he sees her giving his a special kiss. His mother has to teach Chester that his brother is just as special as him and show that she loves him the same as before all at once in this book.

I imagine this to be a challenge for most parents – the adjustment for the oldest when a new family member comes along. I think again, Audrey Penn is delicate in how she writes about this issue for children. She is sensitive to their needs and acknowledges how they would be feeling, yet deals with it in a loving way – showing how parents can love both children the same.

Again, this book is full of illustrations and not full of text. The illustrations are gorgeous, and bring the book to life.

This is so well written and enjoyable. I think Penn deals with these issues well and I think small children everywhere will enjoy her books.

5/5

Book 3: A Bedtime Kiss for Chester Racoon

Addition: Review e-book

Genre: Children’s

Rating: 4/5

Synopsis:

Willie Wiggles hates his slippery feet. He just slips, slides and spins all over the place. But what he hates even more are the special shoes that have been made for him that will help him to walk just like all the other kids. Willie thinks that they are the “stupidest, ugliest shoes in the whole world.”

Discover how sometimes we worry about things about ourselves when actually there is nothing to worry about in the first place.

This is a story about Slippery Willie – the boy who slips and slides everywhere. In an effort to prevent this, his Mum buys him very secure shoes. Willie, however, thinks the shoes look ridiculous and doesn’t want to wear them. He gets so upset about the shoes that he has a nightmare that everyone, including planes overhead and buildings are laughing at him. All is resolved once he wakes up and speaks with his Mum.

This book is only 24 pages long, and is fully illustrated. As an adult, I enjoyed the book, and could even relate to the worrying! This was a fun book that children will engage with. The story is simple but teaches how worrying about something achieves nothing but makes you sad and scared.

I thought the illustrations were lovely. They didn’t dominate the story but they added to the story. They added an element of humour to the book too:

The only problem I had with this book was the constant use of the word “stupid”. I felt that was unnecessary and I’m not sure I would want my child speaking like that. Other than that, this was an enjoyable book that I think children will have fun reading and laughing along with.

I saw these questions over at The Diary of a Domestic Goddess, and thought I would answer them too!

1. Who is your all-time favourite author, and why?

My favourite all time author is Roald Dahl. I love his books. They gave me hours of entertainment when I was small, and now keep me entertained as an adult. I’m currently re-reading James and the Giant Peach, and I’m laughing, and I’m gripped, and I love the illustrations by Quentin Blake. I don’t think it is possible to be too old to enjoy Roald Dahl, I love him.

2. Who was your first favourite author, and why?  Do you still consider him or her among your favourites?

Enid Blyton. I loved everything of hers that I read. I loved The Magic Faraway Tree, and remember my Mum reading that to me and my brother – and the Secret Seven, the Famous Five, Mallory Towers…the list goes on. I loved them all! I always found myself wanting to live in those books! I haven’t read any of these books in a long time, but I really want to – I’m sure I would still love them. I think I would still put Enid Elyton as a favourite author because of the memories I have of reading her books and really enjoying them.

3. Who’s the most recent addition to your list of favourite authors, and why?

Sarah Dessen. I discovered her when I was blogging about young adult books. Every one of her books that I have read I have loved. I found her gripping, entertaining, touching, realistic and just fantastic. I read Just Listen first and it blew me away. I haven’t found a bad book by her yet – thankfully!

4. If someone asked you who your favourite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth?  Are there any you’d add on a moment of further reflection?

Terry Pratchett, CS Lewis, Sarah Dessen, Erica James, Wendy Virgo, Philippa Gregory, Roald Dahl. After some thought… Enid Blyton, Ben Elton, Dorothy Koomson, Beatrix Potter, A A Milne, Mark Driscoll, Debbie Macomber, Elizabeth Noble, Nicholas Sparks, Sophie Kinsella, Stephanie Meyer, JK Rowling, Andrew Wilson and Jane Austen I think.

5. Which “unknown” author do you recommend to people most often?

Probably Wendy Virgo. She writes theology books, mainly for women and I love her. I wrote a Recommended Author post about her. The books are easy to read, engaging and for me, life changing. I think everyone should read her books.

This is the monthly read for July at the Book Club Forum, so the review will be slightly different.

Synopsis:

Conceived by a shy British don on a golden afternoon to entertain ten-year-old Alice Liddell and her sisters, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have delighted generations of readers in more than eighty languages. “The clue to the enduring fascination and greatness of the Alice books,” writes A. S. Byatt in her Introduction, “lies in language. . . . It is play, and word-play, and its endless intriguing puzzles continue to reveal themselves long after we have ceased to be children.”

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

I didn’t have a favourite character I don’t think. I found Alice a bit irritating – I thought she was a bit pompous. I found the Queen funny, with her continual “off with their head!” She was just amusing. I was surprised by the fact I quite liked the Cheshire Cat. In the Disney film it freaked me out, but he was quite pleasant in the book.

2. Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

I liked the tea party. It is one of the parts that has stayed with me. I was entertained by the idea of the game of crotchet, with live animals. The thought of them escaping did have me chuckling. I didn’t like the swimming in the pool of tears though. I found that depressing to read.

3. Was this the first book you’ve read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

I love children’s classics and am hoping to read through the Wordsworth list. Although I only found this book “OK” it hasn’t put me off. I prefer the books by Francis Hodgson Bennett to Carroll however I just love this genre. I don’t think you can ever be too old for children’s books.

4. Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

Again it is the idea of the pool of tears. That is something not in the film so it took me by surprise and I just didn’t like it. Why was it there? It was so odd. And the animals all running away from her…I just found it a bit strange.

5. Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

It was an OK read. I would give it 3/5 I think. I won’t be rushing to read it again. It wasn’t as eccentric as I was expecting, and like I’ve said, I had no real favourites but it was a pleasant read, and not very long.

Well done Neil Gaiman! He has made history by being the first author to win both the UK and the US awards for children’s books. A while back Gaiman discovered he had won the Newbery Medal for his book The Graveyard Book but yesterday he won the Cilip Carnegie Award also. He told BBC Breakfast this morning that he had been wanting to win this since he was 7! Well good for him, especially as he is the only author to win both prestigious awards.

Here is the tailor for the book:

Graveyard Book

Again, well done Neil! I can’t wait to read this.

Source: http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/27949

Synopsis from Librivox:

What Katy Did is a children’s book written by Susan Coolidge, the pen name of Sarah Chauncey Woolsey. It follows the adventures of Katy Carr and her family, growing up in America in the 1860s. Katy is a tall, untidy tomboy, forever getting into scrapes but wishing to be beautiful and beloved. When a terrible accident makes her an invalid, her illness and recovery gradually teach her to be as good and kind as she has always wanted.

I remember having this when I was little, simply because my name is Katie too (although note the different spelling) and I don’t think I ever read it. That all changed when I decided to read some of the Wordsworth Children’s Classics. I liked this book and I will read the next two, although this has not been my favourite from the classics.

The story follows Katy Carr as she does some serious growing up. At the beginning of the book she is carefree, and although not inconsiderate, she thinks more about fun than looking out for others. Then she is struck down by what at first seems to be a cold, and it finds her bedridden for over a year. There are some big changes in the house while she is ill and all this leads her to grow up and accept more responsibility.

This is a nice story and liked the subtle changes in Katy’s character. This story starts full of fun and adventure and as the story progresses there is a lesson in how to deal with what life throws at you and about how to step up and stop wallowing in self-pity. There is a good message in this book and I think children will learn from it.

As an adult I liked this. It wasn’t the best I have read but it is worth reading. It is an interesting story with some lovely characters and I think parents and children alike should read this book.

I downloaded this book from: http://librivox.org/what-katy-did-by-susan-coolidge/

Waterstones Synopsis:

Life’s no fun unless you’re pretty in pink! All Jillian wants is to be like the princess-y girls who rule her class. What she doesn’t want is to hang out with a load of dork boys. But it’s only when her plans go hilariously wrong, that things start turning unexpectedly right…

This is a book that is aimed at young teenage girls but I enjoyed it. I assure you, I would have loved this when I was around 12. As a school assignment the class have to keep a diary for a year. this is Jillian’s diary. She is a girl who is on the fringe of school society – she doesn’t really fit in anywhere, but she would love to be a popular girl. This record of her year follows her as pursues her wish.

This was an easy read and fairly entertaining. This is a perfect book for teenage girls. Jillian has a life-changing year with many ups and downs along the way. She was a nice girl to read about and she really matured and grew throughout the book. I liked how her attitude changed and she became the girl to be friends with.

There were some fun events to read about – such as her garden party  and the trouble with her brothers. I wouldn’t say she reminded me of me when I was her age but the brother trouble I could relate too! I think she is a normal girl who wants to fit in and a lot of girls will relate to that. I think they will find this book encouraging but also fun to read.

This is definitely a girly book and a quick book to read. I read it in an afternoon. It was a simple, pleasurable book.

Amazon synopsis:

This title is suitable for children of ages 12 years & over. When Picky’s Mum forces her to look after Gran, who has dementia, Picky is accidentally transported back to the year 1685, where a man in a wig insists she is someone called Amelia and tries to kill her. Managing to get the dress off just in time, Picky returns to the present with the dress covered in blood. Who is Amelia? Is she dead? Will wearing the other dresses in the chest take Picky back in time too? And does she dare put herself in danger again?

When I agreed to review this book I did not know what to expect. This is a young adult book that features time travel and 18th century London. I actually quite enjoyed this book and would recommend it to all.

Picky is not a pretty, popular girl, who is told by her Mum that she has to spend her weekends looking after her Gran who suffers from demetia. On her first visit she finds Gran in the attic looking in an old box. She convinces her Gran to leave, but on her way down she locks Picky in the attic. For warmth Picky puts on one of the dresses from the box – and finds herself transported to 18th century London, where a man is trying to kill her – although this man thinks she is called Amelia. Picky, sensing danger and adventure starts to investigate this incident…

This is a good story. Picky is a girl who is easily likeable. She isn’t a popular girl but she is a nice girl who looks out for others. She could have used her brain a bit more – her lack of common sense and knowledge did irk me at times but overall she has a good heart. I imagine she was written as a girl who had better to things to worry about than school to appeal to the younger readers.

I think the issue of time travel is well dealt with. Fortunately for Picky there was always a reason to turn up in the dress maker’s attic and she was able to leave the 21st century due to her Gran’s condition. The history seemed decent enough but I’m not sure Picky would of had quite so many conversations with her footman Jones. The book was exciting and a quick-read. I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen – I was hooked and I really enjoyed this. It is aimed at teens but as an adult I enjoyed it. There is history, time-travel, suspense and bad dresses – what more could you ask for?!

4/5

Waterstones Synopsis:

George’s grandma is a grizzly, grumpy, selfish old woman with pale brown teeth and a small puckered-up mouth like a dog’s bottom. Four times a day she takes a large spoonful of thick brown medicine, but it doesn’t seem to do her any good. She’s always just as horrid after she’s taken it as she was before. So when George is left alone to look after her one morning, it’s just the chance he needs…

I loved this book! In my opinion this is one of Roald Dahl’s best books. Even though it is a children’s book, as an adult I really enjoyed it. The story is about George who is fed up with his bossy, grumpy Gran, so he mixes his own medicine which he gives to her.

Dahl is an incredible writer, and Quentin Blake is a fabulous illustrator. His pictures just complete the book and make the story come to life. Here is an example of his work, taken from a current exhibition:

George’s character is great fun. His imagination is wild. The ingredients he puts into his medicine are insane and very funny to read. I loved the outcome, it was genius! I think my favourite character however was his Dad. Instead of being concerned about his mother-in-law he wanted George to re-create the medicine so they could sell it!

There is so much fun and humour in this book. As it is a children’s book it did not take to long to read – it isn’t very long. So I recommend if you have a spare half hour, spend it reading this. It will not be time wasted!

4/5

Waterstones Synopsis:

When a huge cyclone transports Dorothy and her little dog Toto from Kansas to the Land of Oz, she fears that she will never return home again. She and three friends she meets along the way make their way to the Emerald City where they hope to find the Wizard of Oz and have their wishes granted.

Having seen the film many times I was excited to read this book, and I wasn’t let down. Dorothy is taken in her house to the Land of Oz in a cyclone and there she meets some great characters: the Tinman, the Scarecrow and the Lion. With her friends and Toto in tow, she embarks on many adventures to get to see the Wizard of Oz.

This is a very well written book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book is full of the adventures you expect, including killing the witches and the Queen Mouse. I loved how Baum writes – he is engaging  and the events are gripping. Even though I knew what was going to happen I was hooked and loved the stories.

My favourite character was probably Dorothy. She bought the best out of everyone but ultimately was an innocent little girl who loved her family and just wanted to get home. I just liked her attitude and the way she was so welcoming to everyone.

On an interesting note: the witches shoes in the film are ruby red, but in the book they are silver! My Mum informs me that they changed the colour because silver did not show up enough in the film

This is a great read for both adults and children, and it made me want to watch the film again!

3/5

This is where I got the audiobook: http://librivox.org/the-wonderful-wizard-of-oz/