Tag Katie Abey

Medusa Gorgon’s Bad Hair Day

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Medusa Gorgon’s Bad Hair Day
Bethany Walker, illustrated by Katie Abey
Scholastic

Meet Medusa Gorgon age twelve. She works as a guardian in the temple of the goddess Athena. Medusa is rather hot-tempered and her best friend, Arachne has suggested that writing a diary to release and channel her feelings would help her. A good idea indeed but then Medusa upsets Athena who banishes her to the twenty-first century to retrieve the goddesses’ shield, the very shield and prized possession that Medusa might have disposed of into Hades’ well in a fit of anger over her friend, Arachne, being turned into a spider.

The outcome is that Medusa’s life becomes a series of very bad days. For starters, thanks to Athena, she’s had her hair changed into snakes, ‘vile, ugly, angry, slithering snakes’ that constantly hiss atop her head. There’s an awful lot to learn in this place of banishment including things relating to human homes in England. She certainly can’t let her ‘carers’ do such things as drink from the toilet

and as for life at Shadwell Academy secondary school, bewilderment doesn’t come into it. Then comes the language issue: yes she is able to understand and speak the language of the twenty-first century but ‘actually knowing what they’re talking about’ is a very different matter (so true). And who should Medusa try to make friends with – another tricky thing to try and get right.

With friendship at the heart of the whole story, this is a great read – funny, pacy and splendidly illustrated by Katie Abey. The book draws quite heavily on the Greek myths but it matters not if readers are familiar with Medusa, Arachne, Athena, Hades et al. (I should mention that there’s an on-going correspondence between Athena and Hades via Hermes Express Air Tortoise aka H.E.A.T.) And as for the shield – is it ever returned to Athena? Then what about the fate of Arachne? To find out, you must get a copy of this hilarious book for yourself.

Cafe Chaos

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Cafe Chaos
Catherine Wilkins, illustrated by Katie Abey
Nosy Crow

On Hope’s first day at secondary school, she and her best friend Leila are shocked to find that Skyla, the bully from primary school has not moved abroad as she’d told everyone but is also there. As if Hope doesn’t already have a great deal to contend with: her family’s cafe, Cafe Crumble, needs to start making a profit and then her Auntie Rita turns up, announcing that she’s come to visit for a while.

Moreover, she’s to share Hope’s bedroom. Rita’s son Connor is already living with them and thinks he knows all there is to know about running a business. Then there’s her elder sister who is only interested in acting. Hope’s life is descending into chaos and nobody at home, especially her mum, has time to listen to her.

Thank goodness for Leila who is ready and willing to help her deal with bullying Skyla and her cronies. As for the cafe, could it be possible that dressing up as a giant ice-cream can help make sufficient money to pay off the bank loan and finally become solvent. That and Grandma Margery’s skills in baking pastries perhaps.

A heart-warming story engagingly written, delivered with a large slice of humour thanks in no small part to Kate Abey’s sprinklings of amusing drawings. With a cast that includes several quirky characters, this book will definitely tickle the taste buds of readers around Hope’s age, especially those who have a penchant for cake.

How to Survive Time Travel

jillrbennett Leave a comment

How To Survive Time Travel
Larry Hayes, illustrated by Katie Abey
Simon & Schuster

Ten year old Eliza Lemon (it’s her journal we’re reading) and her young brother Johnnie – he of the super brains and weak left leg – discover their parents have disappeared, leaving in their place a little old oak tree with three symbols on the trunk.

Johnnie informs big sis. that the car (also missing) is in fact a time machine. Now of course she knew that really didn’t she? The two quickly realise that they and they alone, (and especially without interference from the ‘pure evil’ Sadie Snickpick) must do something to rescue them; the problem being, what?

After some dangerous activity involving a tool they certainly shouldn’t have been wielding the two manage to fell the tree and inside there is a shoe bearing a message from their parents informing them they’re stuck in 5000BCE (or is it?), providing a grid reference, asking for help and saying everything they need to solve the riddle of the sphinx is in the shed. All they have to do now is build themselves a time machine and get away within two days or face the dire consequences of what the dreaded Sadie has already set in motion. Simple! Though maybe they’ll end up having to face them anyway.

The fight is on – in more ways than one … Can Eliza keep her head? And more important can they (including dog Myrt) tolerate horrendously itchy bites by rainforest insects, get the better of the weird, dastardly Boy-God, deadly snakes,

a rainbow hued sphinx and foil the next plot to destroy the planet. As for surviving time travel to ancient Egypt – who knows? Our journalist Eliza is, in her dad’s words, the “Girl Who Never Gives Up”, so maybe, just maybe …

Laugh out loud funny, this nail-biting foray into the past, with suitably quirky black and white illustrations by Katie Abey, will keep readers on the edge of their sofas as they follow the highs and lows of Eliza and Johnnie’s time travelling exploits. A cracker this!

A Trio of Activity Books

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Viking Adventure Activity Book
illustrated by Jen Alliston
Button Books

The latest in the series of Button Books unobtrusively educational, history activity books, illustrated by Jen Alliston, has a Viking theme.  If you have a child in the lower part of KS2 this may be part of their history curriculum. Whether or not this is so, books such as this are a particular boon in these days when many youngsters are not at school full time, if at all; and the activities and illustrations in this particular book are more appropriate for a younger (under 8) audience anyway.

It’s packed with a wide range of over 70 Viking related, fun things to do such as making a Viking helmet, beard and shield,

baking some cupcakes to decorate with Viking runes, and using maths to work out your Viking name. There are plenty of puzzles, mazes, counting, matching, anagrams, codes, jokes and more.

Also included are four pages of stickers.

All in all this will engage and entertain youngsters who, along with some Viking learning, will also hone their observational and fine motor skills.

Keep Calm!
Studio Press
Dr. Sharie Coombes, illustrated by Katie Abey & Ellie O’Shea

Aimed at primary age children, this is an activity book written by Sharie Coombes an educationalist and psychotherapy expert, that aims to help youngsters stay calm and cope with uncertainty during, and following, the Covid-19 pandemic.

There are a variety of creative ideas to help with the emotional roller-coaster we’re all sharing, including drawing, writing, and crafty activities.

There’s also mindfulness, calming breathing techniques and yoga (I know from experience they work).

The final few pages comprise tips for parents and carers on self-care and managing children’s emotions.
This little book could well be a boon during these tricky times.

For the same age range, to help combat boredom, especially if your child is stuck indoors, is:

Beano Puzzle Book
Studio Press

Dennis, Gnasher and Minnie the Minx have dug into the 1990-1994 Beano archives and unearthed a host of fun things such as word searches and other word games, mazes, drawing, comics and maths challenges that will help turn young users into word WHIZZ-ARDS and number GNASH-ERS.

Nothing required other than a pencil (or 2) and a switched on brain.

We Catch the Bus

jillrbennett Leave a comment

We Catch the Bus
Katie Abey
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

If you have a little one with a penchant for all things vehicular, then they’ll surely love this book. What it lacks in story, it certainly more than makes up for in the bright, busy, vehicle-packed illustrations that are full of giggle-making details.

Every spread takes a different theme be it buses, planes, trucks, trains, diggers, cars, bikes,

boats, emergency vehicles, tractors or rockets; and children can make up their own stories inspired by what’s happening on any of the pages; there’s certainly plenty of action on each one.

‘We catch the Bus / Which bus would you catch?’ is the lead-in to the first spread whereon we find 10 different buses, all being driven by jolly-looking animal characters and there are plenty of other zany animal characters to spot too. One waiting at a bus stop asks “How many footballs can you count?” while the driver of the book bus inquires “What’s your favourite story?”

Every other spread has a similar relevant lead-in and an abundance of ways to involve youngsters. They could look for the fish on the airport spread or perhaps play spot the fairy tale characters/items; maybe they’ll discover that a certain big bad wolf keeps putting in an appearance.

This book surely guarantees hours of enjoyable immersion.

We Wear Pants

jillrbennett Leave a comment

We Wear Pants
Katie Abey
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

No, this isn’t another story about pants, although that particular item of clothing is the subject of the first spread in this humorous offering. You’ll also see thereon a horse in pants watering plants , a giraffe wearing them – and not only on its rear end; and youngsters will delight in the invitation to search for ‘who is sitting on the toilet?’ Wouldn’t the octopus have pants with eight leg holes? one of my book sharers wanted to know.

Wellies come next and all manner of animals are sporting theirs, including a waterproof wombat and a funky frog that asks readers to ‘Count the rubber ducks’. Not so the cheeky monkey however; that particular creature pops up on every spread offering a sneak preview of which item of attire is coming next.

We Wear Hats invites children to choose a hat – a tricky operation but for me the crocodile won; and I think I’d go for the croc. as my favourite animal too, on account of the fact that he’s reading a book.

The weather is decidedly changeable on the coats spread so many different kinds are show-cased including blazers, anoraks, puffer jackets, macs and ponchos.

Snazzy shorts aplenty are shown off on the beach: “Shorts cover up your pants” announces the bird atop the palm tree, although those belonging to the tortoise close by appears to be serving an alternative purpose.

Glasses, scarves, socks, shoes, T-shirts – watch out for particularly groan-worthy puns here – and pyjamas are also featured and the book ends with a final free choice page asking “What will YOU wear today?” Now there’s a thought …
Entertaining, absorbing and most definitely giggle inducing (that’s adults as well as children); a great book for sharing and absolutely full of language development potential.