Tag Ged Adamson

Be Normal! / How To Bath A Giraffe

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Be Normal!
Ged Adamson
Nosy Crow

Theo, the story’s narrator, is hugely excited at the prospect of the arrival of a dog of his own and has prepared well. However one thing he hasn’t prepared for is a dog like Geoff Thorndike; he’s a dog like no other. Geoff arrives clad in trousers and jacket and pulling a wheelie case, turns down the offer of water and makes smoothies – delicious ones at that. Come bedtime he turns his nose up at the special doggy bed and usurps Theo’s bed instead. Time passes and it’s evident to Theo that Geoff is anything but keen on the normal doggy things though he does accept a walk in the park

His response to ‘sit’ is well let’s say, something of a surprise.
Then Theo’s pal Ravi suggests a game of fetch; this Geoff participates in – kind of –

and after the squirrel incident Theo has had enough. Embarrassed, he tells his friends that his pooch just doesn’t do many normal doggy things but he’s kind and funny and that’s perfectly fine with him. ‘I’m lucky to have you,” he tells Geoff. Having now come to appreciate his dog,Theo accompanied by his friends go home and have smoothies – you can guess who makes those and then Geoff offers to perform his one silly trick …

It’s great to have a story for young children wherein being different is valued. It’s a vital life lesson and Ged Adamson’s fun book conveys this message brilliantly.

How To Bath A Giraffe
Sam Wilde and Sarah Horne
Oxford Children’s Books

The latest in team Wilde and Horne’s How To series features another pet of the peculiar kind – a giraffe. This one appears in response to the poster displayed in the neighbourhood and astounds the boy narrator’s family with its stature. Clearly there are likely to be issues when caring for such a creature – drinking might be one;

but the most challenging of all is giving the giraffe a bath. The whole story is pretty ridiculous but it’s lots of fun, gently informative and it’s also inclusive (the child narrator has a hearing aid).

Sarah Horne’s illustrations are a hoot and Sam Wilde’s narrative includes lots of interesting facts about giraffes as well as a ‘Top giraffe facts’ final spread. Astonishingly, giraffes and humans have the same number of neck bones (seven).

This In Not Polar Bear / Ruffles and the cold, cold snow

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Here are additions to favourite Nosy Crow picture book series – thank you to the publishers for sending them for review.

This Is Not A Polar Bear!
Barry Timms and Ged Adamson

No matter what the ursine character looks like, readers are assured that the large white furry creature is NOT a polar bear. What is evident from the outset however – polar bear or not – is that he’s exceedingly versatile and can turn his paws to all manner of activities such as roller skating, violin playing , ski-jumping, high board diving, train driving,

disco dancing and more. Moreover when it comes to keeping a friend safe, helping with a spot of research,

tunnelling for treasure or even saving the world then it’s pretty clear who to turn to: that new and truly astonishing friend who sports a bobble hat and scarf. Should young listeners acquire such a friend, I wonder what name they would give it.

A splendid addition to team Timms and Adamson’s This is not a series which despite its chilly setting, bounces along apace when read aloud and is illustrated with panache in Ged’s vibrant scenes that contain a wealth of humorous details.

Ruffles and the cold. cold snow
David Melling

Playful Ruffles and his teeny tiny kitten pals return in a wintry tale that tests the pooch’s courage to its limits. Like this reviewer, Ruffles does not love the cold, cold, slippery slidey snow, in contrast to his feline friends. They absolutely delight in it until that is, they find themselves buried so deeply they can’t free themselves.

When Ruffles hears their desperate Miaow! Miaow-ings for help, he feels scared:

supposing he too sinks and gets stuck in that snow …
After some thinking, worrying and whimpering, he thinks some more. Can he find sufficient daring to attempt a rescue operation and get the kittens safely back home to the warm indoors?

BRRRR! Definitely one to share snuggled up in the warmth of a nursery or home, preferably with a hot drink.

This Is Not A Dinosaur! / Drawing Outdoors

jillrbennett Leave a comment

This in Not a Dinosaur!
Barry Timms and Ged Adamson
Nosy Crow

The NOT dinosaur that the small boy in this story meets is definitely a versatile creature. Said large green, possibly prehistoric being that appears in the playground offers all manner of exciting, special and useful possibilities as a playmate. It can become pretty much anything and everything from a sign-osaur to a soccer star supersonic-kick-osaur; it might morph into a tonsorial wonder-worker trimming and skilfully styling your tresses,

or a fearsome freebooter sailing upon the ocean deep. One thing is certain: should you decide to befriend this beastie, there are fun adventures aplenty in store; you might even find yourself scaling a mountain, flying through the air

or tip-toeing into a creepy haunted house.

With its wealth of wordplay, Barry Timms’ rhyming text combined with Ged Adamson’s funny, action-packed scenes of a burgeoning friendship add up to a super story to share with young humans, definitely NOT dinosaurs around the age of the un-tailed protagonist, be that at home or in school. I’ve no doubt if you read this with a Foundation Stage or KS1 class, they will imagine themselves into many more playful NOT dinosaur situations. The classroom potential this book offers is huge.

Drawing Outdoors
Jairo Buitrago, (translated by Elisa Amado) and Rafael Yockteng
Greystone Kids

Between two lush green mountains, beside a pure blue river in the middle of nowhere stands a small school. Education is far from dull for its pupils however. Through a girl narrator we hear about one particular day when their teacher greets them with the news that their learning will be done outside and she leads them off with notebooks and drawing equipment at the ready. ‘We are explorers” says the narrator. Even the twins who have already walked a long way to reach school leave their reluctance at the door, motivated by the prospect of an adventure day out.

First into view as they reach the river bank, among the lush vegetation stands a Brontosaurus!

Then, there’s a Triceratops,a Stegosaurus, Pterodactyls, a roaring Tyrannosaurus Rex. Finally, the group sit to eat their snacks on a branch “as big as an Ankylosaurus”.

Then with a wealth of drawings it’s back to that school with ‘almost nothing. A blackboard, some chairs. And … a teacher, and a Brontosaurus that’s as big as a mountain.’

With Jairo Buitrago’s spare, matter of fact text, it’s left to listeners and readers to decide whether the dinosaurs we see in Rafael Yockteng’s landscapes are real or not. Their book pays homage to the imaginative teachers who truly value creativity one wishes all children will meet in their time at school. I’m sure re-reads will the requested after a sharing of this story with young children.

This is Not a Unicorn / Ruffles and the Red, Red Coat

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Two fun picture books from Nosy Crow Books – thanks to the publishers for sending them for review

This Is Not a Unicorn
Barry Timms and Ged Adamson

This is a wonderfully silly tale of a ‘NOT’ unicorn with a very special horn that is able to morph into all sorts of incredible things. So, be ready for a truly magical adventure wherein, along with a little girl, readers participate in a hilarious corn-u-copia of delight as they experience the appendage that becomes, among other things a trumpet, an ice cream scoop, a pump, a wishing wand, a ginormous fishing net, a feather duster, a helicopter rotor blade, an angle poise lamp,

an x-ray machine, even a space rocket – awesome!

Central to this rhyming romp of a book, replete with fun wordplay, is the warm friendship between the two main characters as they let their imaginations take flight.

Ged Adamson portrays the creature with a rainbow-hued mane, the dayglo pink and other colours being picked out in other details in every one of his wonderfully imagined scenes.

With unicorns remaining one of the favourite characters among younger children, Barry Tims and Ged Adamson created a winner here.

Ruffles and the Red, Red Coat
David Melling

Adorable pooch Ruffles loves to do the usual doggy kind of things such as playing, sniffing, fetching, digging and chewing; but there’s one thing he does NOT love at all and that’s his new red coat. He absolutely hates the thing to the extent that he manages to extricate himself from it and cast it aside. But then he decides that he really wants to go outside in the rain, play in the puddles and have a jolly good time.

Out he goes and soon along comes his friend, Ruby sporting her brand new blue coat. Together they romp, frolic and jump

until some large bully dogs arrive and that’s the end of their puddle. Now Ruffles is wet, cold and grumpy but Ruby is still in a playful mood and tries to encourage Ruffles to play again – with no success.

Off she goes leaving him all alone but then back she comes carrying something red. Can she persuade her Ruffles to think again about his hated garment?

David Melling’s combination of simple text and illustrations that positively exude charm, work really well in what is sure to become a favourite with under fives. Slightly older children might start reading some of the words themselves.