Tag Alan MacDonald

Gordon in the City / Huxley and Flapjack Wild West Escape

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Gordon in the City
Alex Latimer
Oxford Children’s Books

Gordon the erstwhile ‘meanest Goose on Earth’ is now, thanks to Anthony the Piglet, a reformed character. Indeed it’s been almost twelve months since he started trying to be good.
One day as he walks home feeling happy with his new self, he sees a letter pinned to his door. It’s an invitation to present the trophy for the Meanest Goose on Earth to this year’s winner. Hmm!
Being the great friend that he is, Anthony says he’ll disguise himself as a goose and accompany Gordon to the City for the presentation.

This he does and the two arrive expecting one of the four previous runners-up to receive the award. That however, is not what happens. Big surprise or rather, shock horror for Gordon when he discovers the winner. Moreover he and Anthony are invited to stay with her. Not a good idea at all as Gordon rapidly discovers.

Next morning Anthony has disappeared and Gordon starts reverting to his old wicked ways under his host’s influence. Fortunately he comes to his senses and having been told that something dangerous has happened to his friend, Gordon knows he must save him. Is there anyone or any goose, he can call upon to help and if so, what will be the outcome?

I know lots of young solo readers who will be honking their loudest for Gordon and Anthony in this their 4th adventure and looking forward to the next one.

Huxley and Flapjack Wild West Escape
Alan MacDonald, illustrated by Francesca Gambatesa
Little Tiger

Best friends Huxley the koala and Flapjack the penguin return in a third story and what an adventure they have when they sign up for a job as cowhands at Daisy Bank Farm. This is because Huxley wants a new guitar and has spent all his money. He even goes so far as to tell Dolly the farmer that they can horse ride but on their very first day things start going wrong. However they make it through to sundown when the cows are returned to their pen at Daisy Bank, safely behind a shut gate, so Huxley assures his friend.

Next morning, shock horror! The cattle pen is empty and after looking all over the farm, off they set to search further afield. Eventually they reach Bull Bottom Farm owned by Big Bull. The curmudgeonly fellow insists that all the cows on his land belong to him and are marked with a letter B. But is he telling the truth and if not can Huxley and Flapjack work out which are Dolly’s and get them back to their rightful owner? Could music be the solution?

With an abundance of daftness, this foray into the world of cattle farming is full of action, a bit of guitar strumming and Francesca Gambatesa’s fun colour illustrations. It’s just right for those ready for first fiction books.

Huxley and Flapjack: Trouble At Sea / Wigglesbottom Primary: The Pirate Cat

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Huxley and Flapjack: Trouble At Sea
Alan MacDonald and Francesca Gambatesa
Little Tiger

This is the second story of best friends, Huxley, an outgoing koala and Flapjack, of a somewhat nervous disposition who prefers staying at home whereas his bestie likes to seize every opportunity for a new adventure.

It’s a hot summer’s day and the two are spending the day on the beach, Flapjack hoping to be able to finish reading his book. It seems unlikely this will happen as the rescue of a wildly thrown ball (you can guess by whom) results in a meeting with underwater explorer, Winston, or Wizz for short.

Wizz invites the two to join him aboard his submarine to search for the shipwreck of the Isabella on board which he suggests they might find some treasure. Needless to say Huxley immediately starts imagining the possibilities whereas Flapjack is rather worried, especially when his friend takes over steering the craft. This almost inevitably leads to a troublesome situation but also a discovery; make that several, not to mention a shark encounter

when the two friends try to untangle the submarine’s propellor from the seaweed. Do they find treasure though? That rather depends on what you call treasure.

Full of drama and with one of Francesca Gambatesa’s illustrations on every spread reflecting the humour of each situation, this is ideal summer reading for new solo readers.

As is:

Wigglesbottom Primary: The Pirate Cat
Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Becky Moor
Nosy Crow

This latest in the Wigglesbottom Primary series is, like its predecessors, pitch perfect for newly independent readers. Like the others too, it contains three zany episodes, the first being the titular The Pirate Cat which starts when Miss Riley announces a Y2 class trip to the beach. However it’s not for the purposes of paddling, sand castle building and picnics. Rather the children are to spent their time participating in a beach clean up project. The possibility of a prize makes things rather better but then what should appear on the sand but a black and white cat; a cat Jayden King immediately suggests could be of the piratical kind.

It isn’t, but it certainly ensures that the litter grabbers are put to good, if unexpected, use; moreover the moggy – Carlos – is actually a regular passenger on the bus used for the class trip.
Episode two, The Tallest Pupil in the World is so called because Miles suddenly has a growth spurt that gets rather out of control. Can this really be so or is there another reason that his trousers are way, way too short when he puts them back on after PE?
The Halloween Disco concludes the book and inevitably its announcement causes MEGA excitement but ends up with one of Class 2 in a decidedly sticky mess thanks to ‘ghost slime’ no less.

Brilliantly funny, laugh out loud silliness conjured up by an author with a wonderful imagination, abetted by an illustrator who accentuates the drama in every situation.

Dirty Bertie: Pets and Pests / The Determined Kitten

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Dirty Bertie: Pets and Pests
Alan MacDonald and David Roberts
Little Tiger

This is a bind up of three previously published Dirty Bertie books: Fleas!, Rats! and Bees! each of which contains three episodes in the life of the lad with a magnetic attraction to mischief-making possibilities. He’s involved in such escapades as flea catching (thanks to Whiffer, the house is infested with the things); Bertie and Gran take the pooch to the vets where as you’d expect, chaos soon ensues. In another episode, having locked the supply teacher in a cupboard, Bertie learns what it’s like to be a teacher, under the watchful eye of a slightly bemused school inspector.

He also participates in a cross country run with his classmates that results in a too close for comfort encounter with cows, sets a mouse loose in the classroom (accidentally of course) and decides to try his hand at being a bee-keeper courtesy of Mr Monk’s bees. All this and more besides.

Adult readers aloud, youngsters just starting to fly solo, and listeners at home or in the classroom will find it impossible not to come under the Bertie charm especially with the wealth of comical black and white illustrations.

The Determined Kitten
Holly Webb
Little Tiger

While out walking the dog in the park with her Dad, Rosie comes upon a box containing five ginger kittens, evidently they’ve been abandoned by someone. There appears to be something wrong with one of the kittens but nevertheless Rosie manages to persuade her Dad to take them home. Once Mum sees them, she insists they must be taken to the local animal shelter. To Rosie’s surprise, Sam the cat fosterer lives in an ordinary house and is willing to take them on and help them find new homes. She tells Rosie that she’s welcome to come and visit the kittens at the weekend but also mentions the possibility that little Bill has something called cerebellar hypoplasia, also called wobbly cat syndrome. Rosie continues visiting and helping Sam but it’s not long before all the kittens except Bill have gone to new homes.
Rosie is determined to persuade her parents to let her adopt Bill but Mum is quick to remind her of what her teacher has said about her struggling to concentrate in lessons. The reason for this however, is because she’s being bullied but Rosie doesn’t say so at that point.
How will the bullying problem be resolved and where will kitten Bill eventually find a home?

Just right for animal loving readers around Rosie’s age, especially those who have a penchant for cats.

Dirty Bertie Wild! / Puppy Club: Minnie Home Alone

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These are both additions to series popular with new solo readers: thanks to the publisher Little Tiger for sending them for review.

Dirty Bertie Wild!
Alan Macdonald illustrated by David Roberts

The small boy with some disgusting habits returns for three more crazy escapades. The first, from which the book takes its name is an account of a class visit to Go Wild, a trip Bertie anticipates will be the best school outing ever, especially as the children are allowed to get muddy. However his spirits fall considerably when he learns that he’s been assigned to timid Mr Weakly’s group, the worst possible person to have as leader. There’s absolutely no chance that his group will win the prize for the best group – or is there?
Vroom! sees Bertie’s Gran deciding to start driving lessons so she can take her test in her brand new sporty red Mini. A recipe for disaster surely especially with Bertie and dog Whiffler in the car while she’s being instructed and can you believe when she takes her test. Never mind if she fails – there are always alternative ways of travelling.
Finally in Grounded, Bertie goes to great lengths to join his friends Darren and Eugene when they go skateboarding in the park.

Puppy Club: Minnie Home Alone
Catherine Jacob, illustrated by Rachael Saunders

Harper is really looking forward to her first school residential trip – four days away from home. However she’s very concerned about how her puppy Minnie will cope with being left alone when her parents are both at work and with his business taking off, Dad too is quite likely to be out of the house. The last time he’d left Minnie by herself she chewed through the cable of his laptop. She begins to think that perhaps she should pull out of the trip.
Harper and her friends do some research and learn that separation anxiety is a common problem with puppies. So begins ‘Operation Home Alone’ as they call it, with just two weeks to go until that school trip. As Harper tells Dad when they’re out for an early morning walk with Minnie, the business of ‘having a puppy is a learning experience for all of us.’ How true that is: it seems to be one step forward and then several back whenever Minnie is left alone.Then Dad drops a bombshell: he’s going to be on a business trip that coincides with Harper’s time away.
Her fellow Puppy Clubbers rally round doing everything they can, but will it be enough to ensure Minne is okay in Harper’s absence?
Another wonderfully warm story of camaraderie for young KS2 readers especially those who love dogs.

Huxley and Flapjack: Race to the Rescue

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Huxley and Flapjack: Race to the Rescue
Alan MacDonald, illustrated by Francesca Gambatesa
Little Tiger

Koala bear, Huxley, who finds possibility in each new day, and his best friend, Flapjack, a penguin that worries rather a lot, share a tree house on the edge of the woods.

One morning a delivery from the postwoman includes notice of a new store opening in the town so they decide to go and pay a visit to this Jolly Goods establishment. It’s an enormous place and things are a tad confusing for the pals but Huxley quickly gets into his stride and enjoys trying out or trying on lots of the gear on sale. While the koala is deliberating what to spend his pocket money on, somebody on a skateboard whizzes past the pair.

The bear eventually decides on an outfit that makes him look just like a superhero. Unfortunately though back comes the skateboarder wearing a mask just like the one Huxley has just bought, there’s a collision causing watches and jewellery to spill from his sack, and the skateboarder retrieves the goods, snatches away Huxley’s purchase and off he zooms.

There’s a case of mistaken identity by the store manager who thinks Huxley is a thief. Off pedal the two friends in pursuit of the person they’ve decided is the real thief, with the manager scooting behind.

A chase ensues through the town and eventually the pals are apprehended by the manger who takes them back to his office. Eventually a plan is devised to catch that actual skateboard thief but can Huxley and Flapjack outwit Fast Fingers Frankie and arrive home in time for tea?

A fast-moving fun story, ideal for new solo readers with zany, dynamic full colour illustrations by Francesca Gambatesa on every spread. I suspect this duo will gain lots of young followers who will eagerly anticipate their further adventures.

Dirty Bertie: Splash! / Dirty Bertie: Mighty Mishaps / The Trapped Puppy

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These are additions to popular young fiction series – thanks to publishers Little Tiger for sending them for review.

Dirty Bertie: Splash!
David Roberts, illustrated by Alan MacDonald

This is Bertie’s 35th set of escapades and some people will be surprised that he’s still as full of crazy ideas as ever. In the first Bertie and pals, Darren and Eugene are finally being treated by Bertie’s mum to a visit to Splash City, the new waterpark. However they hadn’t reckoned on arch enemy Know-All Nick also being there and worse still, Nick’s cousin, Alex is one of the lifeguards. Alex is quick to point out the set of rules that must be obeyed or serious consequences would result.

Can the three friends still have the fun time they’d anticipated, that is the vital question.

Moggy! sees the three friends, aided and abetted by Whiffer, searching high and low for neighbour, Angela Nicely’s missing moggy, Pusskins, with a reward of £50 on offer to the finder. Eventually they find what Bertie is sure is Angela’s cat but it turns out to be a case of mistaken identity. Somebody else has found Pusskins; but who and what happens to the promised reward?

In Breakdance! Miss Boot announces that to celebrate the school’s seventy-fifth anniversary, Class 3 will dance for the parents – and rehearsals get under way immediately. Bertie is determined not to participate and comes up with a clever plan. It turns out there’s more than one way of Breakdancing: game, set and match to Miss Boot.
Ridiculous as ever, but that’s what makes these stories such fun.

If readers have missed previous high jinks of the Bertie kind, the publishers have recently released another single volume bind-up Dirty Bertie: Mighty Mishaps: containing Yuck!, Loo! and Toothy!

The first contains episodes wherein Bertie turns green at the fair, causes mayhem while dressed in his costume for Victorian Day and teaches a toddler her very first word, “Bum”.
Loo! presents a toilet emergency on the way back from a school outing; a sandcastle competition that is nothing but a damp squib; and the possibility of a house move, something Bertie will do his utmost to prevent.
Toothy! has Bertie suffering from severe dentist-itis; jetting off on holiday and having loo queue trouble during the flight and finally, some ice-cream issues of the worrying kind.
Bertie is one of those characters who, despite everything he does, is a real charmer.and all the books are great promoters of the vital ‘reading is fun’ message.

The Trapped Puppy
Holly Webb, illustrated by Sophy Williams

Amelia, her parents and older brother are out walking on the rocky hillside with their dogs, Mickey and Poppet. Amelia throws a stick for Poppet to retrieve, slips over and is a bit dazed. Coming too she realises that Poppet has disappeared but nobody noticed what happened to the puppy. They spend some time looking but with dusk descending they return home hoping to discover Poppet waiting for them. However, the puppy has fallen down an abandoned mineshaft and is unable to get out.

The following morning the search resumes, with the aid, later on of some Mountain Rescue volunteers. Eventually they hear scuffling sounds from underground. Now all they need is to work out a way of extricating little Poppet safely.

The narrative switches between the view point of the rescuers and that of Poppet, which keeps readers on tenterhooks and there are some tense moments – Sophy Williams captures several in her illustrations, but the rescue team are determined. Will Amelia go home with her beloved puppy?

An exciting addition to Holly Webb’s hugely popular puppy series.

Me, My Brother and the Monster Meltdown / Dirty Bertie: A Collection of Chaos

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Me, My Brother and the Monster Meltdown
Rob Lloyd Jones, illustrated by Alex Patrick
Walker Books

The author of this crazy, laugh-out-loud book was aided and abetted by his two sons who came up with the initial idea and some of the bonkers situations in the story. The setting is the unassuming Sussex coastal town of Rottingdean that has a lot of supermarkets and nothing else much apart from a library and a ‘Home for Ancient People’. The key characters are Otis (the narrator), his younger brother Jago (a doodler of weird images) and their four pals, Daisy, Suzie (she who attempts to burp the entire alphabet), Hardeep and Ben. Chaos reigns pretty much sums up this adventure.

When the story opens the local Tesco has just been under attack from a six-headed gingerbread man with a vicious grin or rather several. But there have been other supermarket onslaughts too and because of all this Otis and Jago’s Dad has turned the basement of their home into a survival bunker, such is his panic at the monstrous situation. Even the prime minster is involved, (not panicking in his bunker and giving daily speeches of the (un)reassuring kind); he’s amassed a team of elite scientists called the Bureau of Investigation of Giant Beasts and Unexplained Monsters. Said group have put posters around the town proclaiming DON’T PANIC! and EVERYTHING IS FINE!

Suddenly the penny drops: the Tesco trasher bears an uncanny resemblance to what Jago had drawn two days earlier on his bed frame using his clicker pen of many colours. Strangely enough some of the other giant monsters look familiar too, but none of the grown ups wants to listen to what Otis tries to tell them

so now it’s left to him and his friends to sort out this monstrous mess. On the more serious side, I love the dig at the government about libraries being shut down.

With a fair phew rear end explosions and a liberal scattering of suitably silly illustrations by Alex Patrick (shame Mr Khan appears to be wearing a Sikh pagri), this is a madcap romp if ever there was one.

Dirty Bertie: A Collection of Chaos
Alan MacDonald and David Roberts
Little Tiger

Young readers who have missed the redoubtable Dirty Bertie in his three separate books Worms!, Fetch! and Trouble! will be pleased to know that they can now find them in one bumper volume of mischief.

Any small boy who wants to avoid going to a ‘wear something pink’ party might be tempted to emulate Bertie in the first episode when he receives an invitation from the adoring Angela. Then comes the occasion when Bertie tries – unsuccessfully as you might expect – to be polite for a whole day.
Next we join Bertie as he accidentally adds his mum’s floral arrangement to the rubbish for collection; after all they did look practically dead. Serious trouble looms large so perhaps a substitute entry for the competition could save the day …

In Fetch! Bertie has a robot dog, Tiny, in tow, poor Whiffer’s status is relegated and both end up getting into all kinds of scrapes as a result. You’d expect nothing less. Then there comes an invitation to attend a garden party hosted by none other than Her Majesty the Queen. Now Bertie has to be on his very best behaviour but guess who the dogs that he offers to give their daily walks belongs to: it definitely isn’t the maid. After such an exclusive outing he’s sure to be on form for his cousin’s wedding where he’s to be a pageboy and even worse, wear a kilt …

Finally Trouble! – there’s a plethora of that for sure. First Bertie forgets he has a maths test and tries using a magic potion to make Miss Boot forget all about it; this of course doesn’t quite go to plan. Next he goes to a sleepover at Know-All Nick’s home: he’d rather sleep in a cave with vampire bats but nonetheless he is made to go. Is there perhaps a way Bertie could make this work for both boys? Finally in this hilarious collection, Bertie manages to teach Masher the school bully a lesson.

Scrapes galore, bad habits – of course – and emotions that all children will relate to; plus plethora of pricelessly funny illustrations: what more can a fun loving reader of a certain age possibly want?

The Story Shop: Blast Off! / Dirty Bertie: Poop!

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These are two young fiction titles from the Stripes imprint of Little Tiger – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

The Story Shop: Blast Off!
Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tony Neal

The Story Shop – now there’s an irresistible name to give a place selling stories, but if that isn’t enough to lure in customers, then surely the idea that this particular establishment run by shopkeeper Wilbur and Fred Ferret his assistant, sells stories you can actually BE in with characters you can meet, should be irresistible. Moreover they have a huge stock of plots and props just waiting for customers.
On the particular day the story starts, the first customer to enter is a rather boastful mouse. Said mouse knows just what he wants, demanding “Something out of this world”. Then it’s time for the story pot to appear, and the ingredients to be added. With that task duly done, and an important reminder given to Mouse, WHOOSH! POP! the adventure begins. In no time at all Mouse, together with Fred, find themselves on the moon, whereupon a certain rodent very quickly lands himself in a whole lot of trouble with the resident aliens in a very cheesy environment. However having managed to get away from that particular whiffy situation, largely thanks to Fred’s help, Mouse quickly discovers planets with other kinds of aliens. On the Planet of Games he recklessly bets his tail on a game of Tiddlywonks with Phoebe FairPlay as his opponent. Will he, or will he not, end up tailless.

In the third of the linked adventures complete chaos ensues when a certain Mouse lands on Planet Cog. Can order be restored and even more important will the two space adventurers manage to return safely to the Story Shop?

Bursting with fun and humour, and a wonderful celebration of the power of the imagination, this first of a new series, full of smashing illustrations, is spot on for emergent readers.

Dirty Bertie: Poop!
David Roberts, illustrated by Alan MacDonald

Is there no end to Dirty Bertie’s misdemeanours? Ideal for those fairly new to chapter books here are three further episodes. The first relates what happens when the zealous park-keeper, he who has recently erected new signs, bans him and Whiffler from the park on account of the pongy deposits his pooch has supposedly left on the grass. Could it perhaps be a case of mistaken identity …
In the second chapter there’s more mistaken identity only of the human variety this time. This happens when Bertie tries his level best to get his unfavourite class teacher, Miss Boot, an award for excellence in education and in so doing see her promoted out of his school.

The trouble is that the arrival of the judge pretty much coincides with that of another visitor.
Finally – well not actually finally as we know Bertie will be back – he manages to get himself on a film set in the role of an extra: what could possibly go wrong?

Splendid shenanigans as ever when this young lad is involved, and hilariously illustrated with Alan MacDonald’s plentiful line drawings.

Dirty Bertie Tricks and Kicks / Mermaids Rock :The Emerald Maze

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Here are two recent Little Tiger fiction titles for primary readers – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

Dirty Bertie: Tricks and Kicks
Alan MacDonald illustrated by David Roberts

This bumper volume brings together three books Mascot!, Spider! and Ouch! in the Dirty Bertie series so you can expect a wealth of comic chaos for your money.

First comes Mascot! wherein there are actually three self-contained stories featuring the boy that trouble seems to seek out. For starters having entered a ‘be junior match day mascot ‘ competition, Bertie proves to be the very best mascot for Pudsley Rovers soccer club despite sporting a lion costume (against strict instructions) and scoring a goal (accidentally).
Next is Swot Camp – the Bright Sparks camp that Bertie is sent to – ‘school for swots’ he calls it, doing his upmost to be sent home in disgrace. The third tale sees Bertie manage to get himself in the team for the inter-schools Junior Science Challenge and with his incredible robot, the fierce Bootosaurus,

surprisingly wins the contest, only to shock and somewhat displease, she who was the inspiration for his design.
All of that only takes in the first book.

Next is Spider! where it’s a case of is it or is it not a tarantula – enough said! An oversized, very late Christmas present – a sweater knitted by Gran is the star of the show next, followed by Bertie getting involved in a spot of metal detecting.

In the third book Bertie’s over enthusiastic hammering lands a trip to A&E; then his swimming lesson is a hugely embarrassing experience thanks in no small part to some borrowed and very saggy Speedos and finally, there’s the Inter-Schools Quiz in which guess who participates, much against his will.

Illustrated with David Roberts’ distinctive, wonderfully quirky drawings, with his clear love of life in the mischievous lane, Bertie is the naughty boy everyone loves to be vicariously.

Mermaids Rock:The Emerald Maze
Linda Chapman, illustrated by Mirelle Ortega

This is the fifth story featuring Marina Silverfin and her fellow Save the Sea Creatures gang members.

Now mysteriously, the magic whirlpool is malfunctioning and there’s a ban on using it. Nevertheless, Marina can’t resist swimming very close to it, so close that her seahorse, Sami, ends up accidentally getting flipped straight in. Without stopping to think, Marina dives in after Sami but having found him, she discovers that she’s not the only one in the dark depths she doesn’t recognise. Her friend Naya suggests it might be one of the underground rivers she’s read about.

Deciding to continue exploring, the river, caves and pools they make some amazing discoveries but then suddenly the whirlpool disappears leaving them stuck, stranded in a cave with no way out. Is it to be a case of cat-astrophe or can the friends muster all their skills, save the day and get themselves safely back home?

With Michelle Ortega’s black and white illustrations, this is another exciting, engaging tale for young mermaid enthusiasts and lovers of the natural world. (The book concludes with some information about cenotes and the associated animals.)

The Long Way Home / Dirty Bertie: Bees!

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These are 2 new Stripes Publishing books that are just right for newly independent readers: thanks to Little Tiger for sending them:

The Long Way Home
Corrinne Averiss and Kristyna Little

Baby elephant Otto likes nothing more than adventuring with Nanu and he’s thrilled when Nanu announces they are to spend a day climbing right to the top of Lion Mountain. Old she might be, but Nanu is extremely wise; she’s also brave and bold and shares Otto’s enthusiasm for exploration.

As they prepare to set out Nanu reminds the little elephant what an explorer needs to remember at all times but from the outset, Nanu seems to be having a forgetting kind of day. First she leaves the fruit out of the backpack and then she forgets the name of their destination and once they reach the top of the mountain it transpires that she’s actually left the backpack behind.

All those things are relatively easy to remedy but then as they start back down, it’s evident that Nanu has forgotten the way home and instead has been taking them into the depths of the forest.
Now it’s up to young Otto to remember everything his Nanu has taught him about being ‘a great elephant explorer’ and endeavour to get them safely back home.

Corrinne’s story is a wonderfully warm one that demonstrates pachyderm style, the importance of both family relationships and memories. A warmth that is brought out beautifully in Kristina Little’s gorgeous illustrations: who could resist falling for Otto and Nanu?

Dirty Bertie: Bees!
Alan MacDonald, illustrated by David Roberts

There’s never a dull moment when young Bertie is around and if you were to collect every one of the books regaling all his misdemeanours, they would fill an entire shelf.

This one presents three more. The first relates what happens when Bertie’s taste for the delicious honey he splurges onto his breakfast toast leads him to entertain ideas about becoming a bee keeper like his neighbour, Mr Monk with whom Bertie has previously had the odd run in. That sounds like trouble to me … and sure enough it is.

Story two sees Bertie and his Gran doing a spot of Great Aunt Morag sitting while his parents are otherwise engaged.

Surprises come thick and fast when the three of them head for the park where a nerve-wracking day unfolds.

In the third episode Bertie’s mum wins a journalism award with dinner and an overnight stay for two at a four-star hotel hotel as part of the prize. Just imagine the potential for trouble when Mum manages to bag another couple of tickets for Bertie and his sister Suzy to accompany them. But why does Bertie insist on taking his own duvet? A lively occasion really doesn’t describe it …

With its hilarious illustrations liberally scattered, new solo readers will devour this in a sitting; the episodes make fun short reads aloud too.

Pirates Don’t Go To School!

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Pirates Don’t Go To School!
Alan MacDonald and Magda Brol
Little Tiger

There seems to be no limit to the stream of piratical picture books set on the high seas; but a young pirate enrolling in a primary school, now that’s something rather different.

It is though what young Jake, fed up with ‘mopping parrot poop’ from the deck of the Salty Prawn, eventually persuades his Ma and Pa to allow him to do.

On arrival however, he does have some first day jitters.

And when he gets inside the classroom and removes his hat, both teacher and children – not to mention Jake himself – are in for something of a surprise.

His stowaway parrot, Poll, is in playful mood and leads Jake, children and teachers a merry dance

until the young pirate suddenly has an idea.

His action succeeds in calming down the lively bird, much to everyone’s relief, leaving Jake anticipating being sent home in disgrace.

Not so! Miss Cherry is an accommodating teacher and the lad happily spends his first day with the others until it’s time for his family to meet him.

That evening he regales them with the story of his first day at school; but will they allow him to return next morning? You bet; can Miss Cherry cope though?

Dirty Bertie author, Alan Macdonald has struck gold with this unlikely starting school tale. It’s perfect for young listeners soon to start school themselves, but equally will delight anyone partial to funny stories. This one’s made all the funnier thanks to Magda Brol’s spirited scenes of Jake, his family and his new friends, whether at sea or on land.

Pants, Birthdays and Robo-Snot

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The Prince of Pants
Alan MacDonald and Sarah McIntyre
Scholastic Children’s Books
Prepare to be dazzled by Sarah McIntyre’s illustrations for this crazy pants-centric tale of little Prince Pip and his nearly calamitous birthday. The young lad leaps from bed on the morning of his special day and his first task is to choose which of his many pairs of underpants are best suited for the occasion.

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But when he opens the drawer marked ‘Pants’, disaster has struck; it’s completely empty.
Thus begins a search all over the castle …

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and its grounds, a search that yields nothing to the birthday boy, though listeners will enjoy spotting the whereabouts of the various patterned articles; mine certainly did.
But just when it seems as though this is to be a birthday sans pants, Pip opens a door and receives not one, but two, pantalicious surprises.

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This is one more to add to the collection of underpants picture books for which many youngsters have a seemingly insatiable appetite.

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If a T.Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party
Jill Esbaum and Dasha Tolstikova
Sterling
Now there’s a thought – a T.Rex at your birthday party; but that’s exactly what happens to the small boy narrator of this book when he opens the door and discovers a Tyrannosaurus standing on the threshold holding a birthday present.
Seems there’s only one thing to do, though perhaps the birthday boy should have thought twice before allowing this particular guest an entry.
Those T-Rex toenails are not good for the bouncy castle; he gets more than a tad angry when he isn’t allowed to blow out the birthday candles or open the presents, and games are a total no go area.

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In short the whole party turns into a roaring disaster. What’s more, the interloper refuses to help clear up; he flatly refuses to leave when asked, gives his host a funny look and …

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Hmm.
There’s a surprising final twist to this whole silly scenario to add to the fun, humorously captured in Dasha Tolstikova’s concluding spread.

Another favourite topic with early years listeners is featured in:

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Robo-Snot
Amy Sparkes and Paul Cherrill
Scholastic Children’s Books
Robots and snot: surely not? Perhaps never before, but when Little Robot’s nose starts to feel uncontrollably itchy and a vast amount of gooey green stuff shoots from his nostrils, that’s what he decides to call this strange nasal emanation.
Pretty soon his siblings have designs on the sticky stuff – seemingly it can be put to all manner of uses – but Little Robot isn’t prepared to share; he has his sights set on the big time …

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Everything goes swimmingly for a while but then disaster strikes in the form of an unexpected sneeze; Little Robot is left alone and well and truly up to his knees in the now-infamous, green goo of his own making.

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Time for some snot-blotting but what can he use …
Told in jaunty rhyme and through brighter than bright, action-packed illustrations, this is a laugh aloud tale that I suspect will become a ‘read it again’ story time choice.