Tag Angie Morgan

It’s Really, Really Not Fair

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It’s Really, Really Not Fair
Angie Morgan
Otter-Barry Books

Nothing in her life is fair according to Polly. She wants to fly like a pigeon, climb a mountain, dig her way to Australia and paint the house, but her Mum says no to them all. “It’s REALLY, REALLY NOT FAIR!” Polly shouts, stamping and stomping. Instead of all these outlandish ideas, Mum suggests her daughter should eat her fish fingers; but Polly has now decided that she hates them

and starts screaming very loudly. Finally she’s all screamed out and it’s then she hears a loud noise on the opposite side of the garden gate. It appears that the little boy next door is prone to screaming too. Shock horror.

Mum excuses his behaviour by saying it could be because he’s tired. This prompts Polly to feel tired too and look forward to tomorrow and some more crazy notions. Fortunately Mum is on hand to come up with an acceptable counter suggestion before Polly falls fast asleep.

Angie Morgan’s insightful story, which explores the idea of fairness with gentle humour, will resonate with parents and carers; young listeners will be introduced to the notion that not getting what you want doesn’t mean that it isn’t fair. Polly’s melodramatic behaviour is brilliantly portrayed as she learns that important life lesson.

I Really, Really Don’t Like Parties

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I Really, Really Don’t Like Parties
Angie Morgan
Otter-Barry Books

When Dora discovers an envelope containing an invitation to Rashid’s birthday party at the bottom of her book bag, her heart sinks: she does not like parties at all. Mum insists it will be fun but Dora is creative thinking up all kinds of reasons why she can’t possibly go, even if her friends will all be there.

Mum is having no nonsense though and packs her off to the party.

Dora is right about it being a very noisy affair but does her best to participate in some of the games. Then comes the teatime announcement. Dora dives under the table and there to her surprise finds she’s not alone. Tom is already there and he’s tucking in to a plate of food which he shares with Dora: that’s two party haters and two new friends having a great time together.

Some time later Dora receives another party invitation. I wonder what her reaction will be to this one.
As a young child I would have been a Dora, though I probably wouldn’t have invented such wonderful excuses nor gone under the table and I know a number of children who feel the same about hectic noisy parties now.

Angie Morgan’s illustrations of Dora’s excuse sequence are both hilarious and heartfelt. She cleverly uses humour – visual and verbal – to convey a very important message: we are all different in our response to loud, busy situations and Dora’s feelings about them are perfectly valid.

Small Stanley’s Big List of Scary Stuff

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Small Stanley’s Big List of Scary Stuff
Angie Morgan
Otter-Barry Books

We all worry from time to time but I doubt many people have lists of worrying things as long as Stanley’s. Though this small boy’s world feels bursting with horrors, he longs to be brave like the superheroes he reads of. Instead however, he compiles a ginormous list that never stops growing, for wherever he goes, whatever he does, Stanley thinks of another item to add to his list

– even not having his list with him. It’s no surprise then that he stops playing with his pals – it’s just too difficult; but eventually things get totally out of hand.

Off goes Stanley to consult his Grandad who suggests a walk in the fresh air. In itself this is a good remedy for worries; but no sooner had they ventured out than a wind gets up. Another scary thing and one that snatches the list right out of Stanley’s hand, up and away.

Needless to say the wind pays no heed to the boy’s cries but as they walk back home, he feels strangely lighter and decidedly playful. He even goes so far as to accept his friend’s invitation to play. Hurrah! And now playing with friends has replaced list making, though very occasionally Stanley does wonder what happened to that tally of terrifying items.

The book concludes with Stanley’s short list of helpful hints about feeling scared, for those who read his story.

Angie Morgan’s mixed media illustrations are full of amusing details that both children and adults will appreciate though the former may need help reading the tiny writing on some of Stanley’s lists. Her vibrant artwork really brings to life Stanley’s emotions; and the interconnectedness of the words and pictures works splendidly.

Stick! / That is Actually MY Blanket, Baby!

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Stick!
Irene Dickson
Nosy Crow
The joys of finding and playing with a stick are explored in an unassuming tale of a small boy and his dog as they take a walk together. There are so many pleasures such a simple, natural object can yield including a game of throwing, retrieving, use as a tapping instrument, an aid to balancing, a corn swisher, a drawing implement …

a mud stirrer, or a floater. Such a versatile find.

All in all a delightful celebration of playing in the great outdoors told through a brief, straightforward text and rendered in vibrant scenes that have a slightly retro feel.
Quite simply, a breath of fresh air and a reminder of the importance of free play with natural objects.
With its minimal text closely matched to the illustrations, it’s great for those just starting to read as well as for sharing with the very young.

That is Actually MY Blanket, Baby!
Angie Morgan and Kate Alizadeh
Little Tiger Press
Many young children form an attachment to a blanket or other soft toy from which they become virtually inseparable; so it is with Bella the small female protagonist in this story. Her ‘Blanket’ has been everywhere Bella has and absorbed a good few spills, smells and a whole lot of dirt in the course of their adventures together.
Then along comes a new baby brother, an adorable creature but what a crier. Bella tries all kinds of diversion tactics but suddenly something catches New Baby’s attention. New Baby has a lovely new blanket of his own, a cosy stripy one that should do the trick as a pacifier but no: he prefers Bella’s muddy, painty, stinky one and doesn’t want to let go.
Bella doesn’t act in haste though, snatching her blanket back as many youngsters probably would; rather she encourages her tiny brother to use his own pristine blanket in all kinds of messy activities in the hope it might in time become as much loved as her own.

Until then, who knows: perhaps her patience, loving words and sharing compromise will do the trick?

Endearing characters steal the show in this unusual take on a new sibling.

I’ve signed the charter  

Tinies and Monsters

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Very Little Red Riding Hood
Teresa Heapy and Sue Heap
David Fickling Books
With Red Teddy in hand and blanket, tea-set and a box of cakes safely stowed in her pull along bag, Very Little Red Riding Hood sets out to her Grandmama’s for a sleepover. Before long, what should she meet but a Wolf. “A Foxie!” she cries in delight giving him a big hug. More than a little put out at her lack of fear and her refusal to give him a cake, the Wolf suggests gathering a bouquet for Grandmama. Red – insists our feisty young heroine, inviting ‘Foxie’ to a game of chase all the way to Grandmama’s and a ‘cuppatea’ when they get there. But is this a step too far? Well, there’s a rib-tickling ending but if you want to find out what happens, then get your hands on this sweetly funny variation of the traditional story.
With her toddler talk and winning smile, Very Little Red Riding Hood is an absolute charmer.

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Rosa and Nina sharing Little Red’s exploits

The end papers show the route she took to her Grandmama’s house but also a number of other homes occupied by ‘Very Little’ fairy tale characters. Is this then the start of a series? I do hope so. Certainly this first time collaboration between Heapy and Heap is a whole heap of fun.
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The Tiny King
Taro Miura
Walker Books
In a castle far away lived a king. But the castle was very, very big and the king was a very, very Tiny King. The Tiny King had a big army and a big, big table for his meals but delicious food isn’t much fun if you’re all alone. It’s a good thing then, that the Tiny King fell head over heels in love with a princess, albeit a Big Princess and she agreed to be his wife. Before long, the Tiny King and the Big Queen had lots of children and what seemed like a very big castle for one Tiny King now felt just right with ten children playing and laughing the whole day.
Of course, big families mean lots of sharing: sharing meals, sharing the space on the big white horse’s back and sharing a riotous bath time; and what comes of sharing? Happiness; certainly that’s so in the case of the Tiny King.
Japanese artist and author, Taro Muira uses precision, patterned cut-outs in bold, bright colours and white, to construct simple shaped collage scenes, which stand out dramatically against flat black backgrounds. These scenes remind me of scenes from young children’s small world and construction play.

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Told in a straightforward manner, this simple neo fairy tale is a delight to share with under fives.
(Quite apart from the story, there is a wealth of learning opportunities here: talking about sharing, counting, identifying shapes, mathematical language and concepts relating to size, pattern making, block play, collage and small world castle play.)
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Upside Down Babies
Jeanne Willis and Adrian Reynolds
Andersen Press
There is a lovely twist at the end of this funny rhyming tale of a world turned upside down when ‘the earth went blue and the sky went brown.’ On this fateful topsy-turvy day, all the baby animals find themselves with the wrong mothers. What is Mummy Camel to do when confronted with a baby Polar Bear in the middle of the desert and baby Rooster’s dawn greeting of “Cock-a doodle-dee” definitely does not go down well with a sleepy Mummy Owl trying to get some shut eye in her tree.
With its bold, bright, wonderfully expressive pictures of the consternation all round, and a text that trips off the tongue, this is one to share  with the under sixes and will prompt many an encore to the huge enjoyment of readers and listeners alike.
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Enormouse
Angie Morgan
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Enormouse was big; much, much bigger than all the other mice in Mouse House. But being big had its advantages. Enormouse could lift REALLY heavy cheese, reach high up things and give lifts to tired-legged little mice. One day while out exploring he and his best friend Tinymouse find a large book with pictures of furry animals. That’s when Tinymouse concludes that his pal is actually A RAT. How the other mice laugh at poor Enormouse. Off he goes to find a new home with the rats but, what a shock he gets on arriving at ‘Rats’ House’; there’s mess everywhere. His offer to clean up is laughed at and once again Enormouse feels at odds with his housemates. In the meantime, his mouse friends have seen the error of their ways and set off in the hope of bringing their absent friend back home. But it’s now dark and they don’t know where to go…
From the mouse photo portrait endpapers, every turn of the page brings much to talk about and explore in the mixed media illustrations. The squalor of the rats’ house is truly disgusting with the grubby rodents lolling amongst half eaten fruit, discarded chips, over-turned cans, fish bones, filth and flies. You can almost smell the pong.

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Rosa couldn’t resist coming to see what we were so disgusted at.

The story too offers plenty of food for thought with its themes of not judging by appearances, self-belief, friendship and finding ones place in the world.
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Here Be Monsters
Jonathan Emmett and Poly Bernatene
Macmillan Children’s Books
With the fiercest pirate crew and the fastest pirate ship, fearless Captain Cut-Throat is the meanest pirate to sail the seas. So, when he hears of an island strewn with giant gemstones he is determined to set sail straight away. His crew members though are far from happy; monsters are hiding in the mist, so the legend tells. At first all goes well but then they reach the MIST from which emanates all manner of alarming sounds. “Sail on!” commands the Captain and they do – into the swirling white. ‘ “Here be monsters!” cried the lookout…
‘ “Nonsense!” growled the Captain. “Monsters simply don’t exist.” ‘

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And so he maintains, heading on, unaware of the diminishing crew numbers, until an island comes into view. Once ashore, the penny finally drops but undaunted, the greedy Captain has his mind only on those giant jewels littering the shore. Oh foolish one!
Emmett’s riotous rollicking rhyme rattles along apace and when read aloud, it will have delighted audiences joining in with the repeated refrain of the fearless captain, as they see what he does not – his crew disappearing one by one.
Poly Bernatene draws his inspiration for the dastardly crew from the less attractive members of the animal kingdom with crow, rat, crocodile and blue-bottomed baboon all featuring. The almost filmic quality of his arresting illustrations adds to the dramatic impact of the story.
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