Tag Leigh Hodgkinson

Fart Zoo / Not Another Unicorn Book

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Fart Zoo
Leigh Hodgkinson
Walker Books

Have an air freshener close at hand when you share this malodorous book with youngsters for you’ll be paying a visit to an exceedingly pongy place.

At this unique zoo (make sure you read all the signs at the entrance) you will encounter more than twenty fart varieties so wearing a nose peg or a face mask might be a good idea. Read too the signs relating to the beastie(s) in each enclosure. Thanks to Leigh Hodgkinson’s narrative and madcap visual portrayals you will quickly discover they come in all shapes and sizes including those sneaky, cheeky …

shlumpy and grumpy, squeaky and freaky, even posh farts (though how that’s possible I truly wonder) and several others.

Finally, however comes an empty enclosure: seemingly a fart has done a runner but where could it possibly be? Chaos rapidly ensues. With the zoo gate wide open the escapee might be anywhere, but it’s not actually left the venue. A couple of eagle-eyed security staff eventually apprehend the whiffer (Evade Fartum), put it back on its recliner and lock the gate but how long will it remain there is anyone’s guess – check out the final scene.

Replete with silly speech bubbles, this is fetid fun for little ones and any adult with a sufficiently strong constitution to read aloud Leigh’s rhyming rendition. (Wearing my science studies hat, the final User’s Guide to Farts is not strictly correct as a classification. For instance ‘Escaping farts should be Fartum evado and ghostly farts should be Fartum umbrabilis and so on … ie only the genus name is capitalised, not the species.)

Another subject with great appeal for young children is:

Not Another Unicorn Book
Laura Baker and Chris Jevons
Scholastic

The unicorn narrator of this book is anything but pleased at the possibility of being in a unicorn book, vowing she would ‘never, ever ‘ do so but fate takes its course …


There’s nothing for it but to escape its covers as soon as possible. Try as she might with her chomping, poo-dodging and running, her search for adventure doesn’t match up to her expectations. Maybe being in a unicorn book is not actually so bad after all. Assuredly it has its compensations.

Undoubtedly countless little human unicorn lovers will fall for the protagonist in this rainbow coloured setting with its sparkly starry sprinkles that even hover over the poo piles and delicious-looking confections shown in Chris Jevon’s dramatic scenes

The Princess and the (Greedy) Pea

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The Princess and the (Greedy) Pea
Leigh Hodgkinson
Walker Books

Take a popular children’s song and a favourite fairy tale, play around with those key ingredients then mix them together and the result is this clever and very funny new fairy story.

It begins with a ravenous pea that becomes the subject of a new take on ‘There was an old lady who swallowed a fly’, but now said pea does the swallowing and what he swallows is a Brussels sprout. Don’t ask me how a tiny spherical object managed to gulp down a considerably larger, similarly shaped one but that’s how this story goes.

Now this pea just happens to have found the delicacy among the feast laid out on the table of a royal residence and not content with the sprout, this pea goes on to stuff himself with soup, bread, pie, a fancy cake, pickle

and cheese. Having slurped, munched, wolfed, gobbled, noshed and guzzled all of this, our pea feels the need for a cuppa; you can guess what he needed after that. You’re probably thinking he had not a tincy wincy scrap of space left for more but if so, you’re wrong: despite an apparent lack of teeth, into pea’s mouth goes the chomped up table. Serve him right if he suffers from a terrible stomach ache, but instead , off come pea’s shoes and up the stairs he goes for a snooze beneath the stack of mattresses on a four-poster bed. ZZZZZZ

Now comes the fairy tale princess with a very grumpy expression on her face and a very rumbly tummy. Into the bed she climbs and having spent a considerable amount of time tossing around on account of both lack of food and a lumpy bumpy bed, out she tumbles. What do you think she says as she hits the floor? …

Leigh Hodgkinson’s playful, patterned illustrations that complement her text so well, have plenty to amuse. Pea’s expressions are splendid as he relishes every morsel of the meal; so too are those of the royal moggy and the princess. A delicious offering from beginning to end, but for those familiar with the inspirations for the tale, it will taste even better.

Martha Maps It Out

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Martha Maps It Out
Leigh Hodgkinson
Oxford Children’s Books

Young Martha might be small but her thoughts are anything but: her mind full of BIG things.
She absolutely loves drawing maps, creating them out of almost everything from the universe to her bedroom in the top floor flat in which she and her family live; she even makes maps of her thoughts, her questions and her dreams.

Through Martha’s cartographic creations readers share with the girl her entire world as she guides us through the pages and beginning in deepest space, we zoom inwards page by page to planet Earth with its awesome flora and fauna, her city, her street and community, her block of flats, her own home and her room.

From there we travel outwards once more through the thoughts, questions and those BIG dreams of a future where absolutely anything is possible: a life of discoveries … excitement,

adventure, wonder, not forgetting of course, love.

Leigh Hodgkinson is brilliant at presenting quirky details in her visuals and this book of Martha’s maps is absolutely alive with them. To these are added a wealth of labels that children will love to explore as they, one hopes, like Martha will share that sense of optimism and excitement about what the future might hold. Bursting with classroom (and home) potential, this splendidly upbeat, and unusual picture book is one to return to over and over wherever you are.

Winnie-the-Pooh The Great Heffalump Hunt / Goldilocks and the Three Potties

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Winnie-the-Pooh The Great Heffalump Hunt
Giles Andreae
Egmont
My initial thought on opening the parcel containing this book was ‘Oh no! Messing around with Pooh Bear!’ But then I read the rhyming story aloud all the way through and was utterly enchanted: it is Giles Andreae after all and he knows how to write a rhymer if anyone does.

The story simply trips off the tongue rather like that delicious honey that Pooh just cannot resist consuming; even when it’s his very last jar: and it’s supposed to be Heffalump-catching bait in the pit that Piglet has dug in the hope that it, rather than ‘Fresh Piglet(s)’ will become the creature’s next feast.
“That jar of honey in our trap.” / groaned Pooh, “it was my last. Oh bother! Double bother! / And if no-one’s listening, / BLAST!”

So saying, off goes Pooh, leaving Piglet all alone in bed, pondering on the “horrid, hairy Heffalump” and whether it will indeed, prefer the sweet sticky stuff or “juicy piglets in his tummy.” But then before you can say ‘Heffalump’ it’s time for Piglet to foray into the forest and see what, it anything is in that pit.

Delicious! It certainly left me, and my listeners, hungry for more …

Goldilocks and the Three Potties
Leigh Hodgkinson
Nosy Crow
Even fairy tale characters have to learn about using a potty; young Goldilocks is no exception. Fed up with soggy nappies, she decides it’s about time she began wearing “Big girl pants’ instead. – so long as she has the perfect pair _

Of course, though, wearing pants means remembering to use a potty when you need a wee: that too has to be just right. Then there’s the question of timing: there are occasions when it seems you really need to go but it turns out to be a false alarm; other times you might leave it a little too late …

Sure enough though, Goldilocks soon gets the hang of things making her mum and dad very proud parents indeed.
Just the book to share at home or in a nursery setting, with toddlers embarking on potty training; and equally those just past that stage who will delight in Goldilocks’s toileting activities from their own slightly superior, ‘been there’ standpoint.
There is plenty to amuse in Leigh Hodgkinson’s scenes be they indoors or out in the woods. The infant Goldilocks is an adorable character and that final spread will surely make readers aloud chuckle as much as their young audiences.

I’ve signed the charter 

 

The Famishing Vanishing Mahoosive Mammoth

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The Famishing Vanishing Mahoosive Mammoth
Hollie Hughes and Leigh Hodgkinson
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
What a wonderful word mahoosive is and how perfectly it sums up the star of this show and his gargantuan, nay insatiable, appetite. And his side-kick, best friend bug is his perfect ally in seeking to sort out the ‘famishing vanishing’ problem upon which this story rests.
Now I for one find it hard to believe what this creature says on the very first spread …

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and he’s fortunate that said Bug is near at hand – or rather trunk – to step, nay fly in, to save the sorry situation. First comes a MAHOOSIVE breakfast, followed swiftly by a snack, neither of which appear to improve Mammoth’s mood, nor sate his appetite (ungrateful beast); he merely keeps up his complaints of feeling funny inside and statements about vanishing. Bug mentions brunch; that idea is scuppered though by Mammoth’s consumption of this …

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and so the two agree to ‘do lunch’.
Even that – and it’s a five star affair, leaves Mammoth unsatisfied and Bug right out of ideas. Well maybe not quite because they just happen to be at the seaside where there’s a plethora of treats to be had, both small and large …

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Will that long-suffering, resourceful Bug ever find a way to satisfy his dear friend’s all-consuming need?
The distractions appear to be a good thing …

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but are they enough to fend off the otherwise inevitable stomach explosion Mammoth is rapidly heading for? Or maybe, just maybe, there’s something else even better …
Delivered through a deliciously funny rhyming text that’s a pleasure to read aloud and wonderfully patterned, brightly coloured illustrations depicting two immediately endearing characters, this whole MAHOOSIVE enterprise is a delight. I shared it on a day of Brexit doom and gloom so far I was concerned and it certainly did bring on some cheer. My listeners loved it, demanded a re-read and several of them were later heard repeating a certain word over and over. If only this final gorgeous picture –

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could have been symbolic of what a whole lot of us were hoping for …

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Are You Sitting Comfortably?

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Are You Sitting Comfortably?
Leigh Hodgkinson
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Where do you like to read? Do you have a special place? Most of us do although for me, any place will do so long as I have a book I want to read.
The child narrator of Leigh Hodgkinson’s latest offering shares his thoughts through a jaunty, rhyming text about good places to sit and read and he’s pretty specific about what he wants or rather, what he doesn’t want. It must be comfy – agree, and not buzz-buzzy – definitely not;

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fuzzy’s out too, as is anywhere dark and noisy, so definitely none of these …

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Cleanliness is important too and it mustn’t feel ‘slippy, slimy, soggy’ …

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Distance is another consideration – somewhere quite close is on the must have list, as is a comfortable temperature – not too hot or too cold and heights are problematic too …

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Will our book-loving little chap ever find that comfortable spot? Hold on – seems he’s having one of those light bulb moments here …
But what conclusion does he come to? That would be telling, wouldn’t it but I have to admit I agree wholeheartedly with his final words … what bibliophile wouldn’t.
Another cracker in which the author’s skill at capturing a young child’s vivid imagination simply spills right across every spread: those chairs all look so inviting;

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on second thoughts, perhaps I’d steer clear of the toothy one for long reads.
Added enjoyment comes from the print itself – it’s exuberant, playful and an encouragement to children to have fun and be creative in the presentation of their own writing.

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Monstrous Reads

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The Big Monster Snoreybook
Leigh Hodgkinson
Nosy Crow
I’ve loved all Leigh Hodgkinson’s wonderfully playful books: this monster metafiction is no exception. It introduces, readers, courtesy of a supposedly unseen mini-monster, to all manner of large monsters that are all supposedly, fast asleep. This is called a ‘`Snoreybook’ after all.
First off there’s knobbly-kneed Norris with the chitter-chattering teeth. Our next encounter is with Jemima and Barbara: sleeptalking is their claim to fame.

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Then comes Tony with his tippy tappy toes, followed by fidgety Fiona, she of the five feet.

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Big-burbling-bellied Brian dreams of cream cakes so sweet readers need to take care – if he wakes up.
DINGA LINGA LING – that’s the alarm clock rousing those monsters from their slumbers, and snoozing has stoked their appetites. It’s a good thing little children are NOT to their taste; rather they have a penchant for little monsters but of course, we’ve not seen one of those anywhere recently have we? But what is that din? It couldn’t be a BIGGER monster – could it? Time for those BIG monsters to beat a hasty retreat seemingly.
Plan accomplished –

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Enormous fun; Leigh Hodgkinson immediately creates a bond with readers and maintains that magical connection throughout.

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One group of 4/5 year olds I shared this with were riveted and some immediately responded with their own monsters.

 

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Marilyn’s Monster
Michelle Knudson and Matt Phelan
Walker Books
Marilyn waits … and waits for a monster of her own, Her classmates all seem to have acquired in one way or another a monster which has become their very own as playmate, protector

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or constant companion. Eventually however, with everyone else paired up, Marilyn tires of just waiting and decides to take those monster matters into her own hands. Off she sets on a monster finding mission. Her success is far from immediate but when she and ‘her monster’ finally do come face to face, they know it was meant to be.

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This is a lovely, longish fantasy story that works on many levels: it concerns wanting to fit in – to have what others have; it’s also about being true to yourself, about sticking to your goal, about companionship, perhaps about journeying, going after your dreams and discovering your own particular place in the world. It all depends what you are bringing to the story as much as anything else. For me there are shades of Philip Pullman’s dæmons too.
Adorable rather than scary monsters, abound in this beautifully told tale. Phelan’s pencil and watercolour illustrations splendidly capture the changing emotions throughout

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as well as delightfully depicting those larger than life creatures with a gentle, mock-scary humour.

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And I just love all the different ways the various monsters came into those children’s lives …

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Knudson’s knitting together of this tender tale is absolutely spot on.

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Spellbinders

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The Witch with an Itch
Helen Baugh and Deborah Allwright
Jonathan Cape pbk
When the little witch passes her final exams she cannot wait to start working her magic outside school. Her first subject is a frog – he’s destined to become a hat but, at the crucial moment, an itch comes upon our young heroine causing her wand to wobble and point instead at a flower – whoopsie! The frog’s still there but …

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A similar thing happens with the spider; this time it’s a toadstool not the arachnid that becomes a broom.
Another failed attempt follows and then a thoroughly frustrated little witch loses her cool completely hurling her wand to the ground in disgust.

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Suddenly beside her she notices a little girl with one hat, one pot, one broom plus the frog, spider and newt. And, she knows what’s been causing that aggravating itch; moreover, she knows how to get rid of that trying allergy once and for all.
Suitably spirited, wonderfully expressive illustrations and a lively, rhyming text that gives adult readers aloud the opportunity to let rip are the main ingredients of this diverting tale by a debut author.
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Winnie’s Big Bad Robot
Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
Oxford University Press
Winnie’s decision to wave her wand and turn her junk robot into a real one is far from clever, all the more so when the big bad creature makes a grab for her wand and starts wielding it. Before long, not only has her house has become robotic but Winnie the Witch has become Winnie the Robot.

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Now it’s left to faithful Wilbur to retrieve the wand and restore things to their natural order once more. But can he do it?
Another crazy caper illustrated in Korky Paul’s witty, exuberant style. Those robotic rabbits, ducks and frogs are superb but all the spreads are crammed with
delicious details.
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Especially for those who like to add their own creative touches of magic to a story is:

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Spells and Surprises Activity Storybook
Marnie Edwards and Leigh Hodgkinson
Nosy Crow pbk
Best friends Princess Sapphire and Emerald the Witch become pupils at St Aubergine’s School just in time for the annual Hallowe’en festivities. First though there are all manner of lessons to be learned, not to mention costumes to be made and strange noises to be investigated. So it’s just as well that the pupils are ready to help each other out. Toasted marshmallows all round, I say.
There’s lots of fun to be had herein – glue, sequins and glitter at the ready: there are opportunities for adding to every one of the forty or so double spreads.
This one is definitely more likely to appeal to girls, probably from around five but perhaps younger depending on the individual. And don’t forget those witchy hats; time to head over to Mixtopia for some magical happenings.
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Trolls, Toucans and Travels

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Troll Swap
Leigh Hodgkinson
Nosy Crow pbk.
Meet Timothy Limpet. Unlike other trolls, Timothy is nice, polite and tidy, his cave light and dry; a rubbishy specimen is what his fellow trolls consider him. Meet Tabitha Lumpit, a noisy, messy, loopy little girl who likes nothing better than jumping into muddy puddles and making a ‘super-splashy muddy mess’, much to the consternation of her long suffering parents. When these two characters meet, they decide it’s time for operation place swap. Though initially surprised and delighted at the changes, the trolls and parents soon begin to miss the old Timothy and Tabitha. Equally Timothy and Tabitha find their new ways of being, equally dull; time for plan two – operation swap back. So, do all live happily ever after? Not only that but loopily too.
Sporting spotty clothes, and bobbly headgear, the two misfits are a delight.
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The Toucan Brothers
Tor Freeman
Macmillan pbk.
Meet the super plumbers of Tapton, Sammy and Paul. Their skill is unrivalled when it comes to plumbing problems. One day however, a new plumber arrives on the scene, one Flash Rover. He beguiles the townspeople with all his flashy gear, undercutting his toucan rivals and stealing their business. But, before long, this dodgy dealer has a flood on his hands: thanks to all his botched jobs and short cuts the entire town is awash. Then of course, it’s time to call in the real experts and sure enough the talented toucans save the day with their watery wizardry and send the dastardly dog packing to the jubilation of all Tapton’s residents. For sure he’s one dog that won’t be plying his trade there again.
The toucans’ tale truly trips off the tongue as the talented tradesmen turn near tragedy to triumph. There is talent aplenty too in Tor Freeman’s truly funny, action packed illustrations. Every spread is liberally scattered with visual jokes and dotty details. These in themselves will ensure hours of fun for young children even without an adult reader aloud to orchestrate the action.
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Russell, Grunt and Snort
Jason Chapman
Red Fox pbk.
Russell is certain there’s more to life than muddy fields and pigpens so he starts hatching a plan. A plan that involves, an upturned pigpen, some twisted hedgerow twine, some broken branches and some very tricky cliff -edge manouevering but by the following evening he and his two companions are heading off into the sunset. Well, that was what they thought. However, the world outside the farm is much more dangerous that the three pigs had anticipated especially when they start receiving ‘join us for dinner’ invitations. So will the porcine trio end up as pork chops or can they find that perfect place with all the apples and truffles they can eat after all?
The ending does seem rather abrupt but despite that there is plenty to amuse in this tale of misadventure and the illustrations are great fun; the expressions on the faces of both hunted and hunters are superb.
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Eleanor’s Eyebrows
Timothy Knapman and David Tazzyman
Simon and Schuster pbk.
Insulted at being called ‘silly, scruffy, hairy little bits of fluff!’ Eleanor’s eyebrows take off to have a life of their own in the Big Wide World, determined to find somewhere or someone appreciative. They try out various roles including being caterpillars, a magician’s moustache, woolly hand-warmers for lady beetles, tyres on a stick insect’s motorbike, even an exclamation mark on a SLOW DOWN SIGN. None however prove satisfactory. Having frightened off her own Granny, an eyebrowless Eleanor meanwhile, is realizing the error of her ways. She makes various attempts to replace her missing facial features, but to no avail. Time to think seriously about the next move for all parties concerned; time for a spot of signwriting …
All ends happily in this totally crazy tale, which is certain to make your own eyebrows do more than a little twitching. Tazzyman’s illustrations of the assorted quirky characters both human and otherwise perfectly complement the text .
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