Follow Me!
Ellie Sandall
Hodder Children’s Books
‘Wake up! Follow me! ‘Exhorts the lemur leader of the pack as he heads off, swinging and leaping down the tree and off across the arid landscape leading his friends through flora and fauna and the pages of the book.

En route they encounter various birds, reptiles, chewy things to munch on, and hop and jump on -well maybe not that one!

All that leaping and swinging is tiring work though, so after an energetic adventure, it’s time to head back to the tree for a well-deserved … rest. PHEW!

 

This is packed with lovable lemurs and Ellie Sandall has managed to give each one its own individuality – no mean achievement. Her mixed-media scenes are full of humour, while at the same time, capturing the feel of the Madagascan landscape. (One can almost feel the heat coming off the ground.)
Lemurs certainly seem to be in vogue as far as picture books are concerned this year. For me, this particular one is the leader of the pack, thus far.

Get Out of My Bath!
Britta Teckentrup
Nosy Crow
What is it about elephants and baths? This is another favourite topic for picture books of late. Britta Teckentrup’s cleverly constructed, immediately interactive book starts with Ellie taking a bath and playing with her duck; and we are asked to play along by tipping the book from side to side to create waves, then turning the page one way and then the other. Suddenly though, we – Ellie and readers – are confronted by a crocodile intent on snapping up Ellie’s rubber duck. Shouting at the croc. only brings another creature – Flamingo –

to the fray … followed quickly by Tiger, a mouse – more shaking and shouting required, unless that is Ellie’s water-sucking plan works. Oh good, it has. No water left, just a host of shivering animals that need additional human shivers to make them disappear.

Safely alone once again, Ellie is able to refill her bath and resume her ablutions.
A bath time book that’s fun to share just before or after a bath; don’t try reading it to your little one during bath-time though. I doubt even those shiny pages will stand up to a soaking.

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