rescues | Red Reading Hub – Jillrbennett's Reviews of Children's Books

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The Storm Whale in Winter
Benji Davies
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books
Some friendships are forever, no matter the distance between the two friends. Such is the case with young Noi who, in The Storm Whale, formed a strong bond with a young whale washed ashore on the beach near his home and later returned to the sea by the boy and his dad. Now with the coming of winter, Noi’s father sets out on one last trip in his fishing boat, but his failure to return by nightfall alarms his son as he waits and watches from his window.

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Seeing something far out at sea, Noi knows he has to leave the safety of his bedroom and braving the snowstorm raging outside, he goes, as fast as the icy shore will allow, towards the water’s edge. Frozen sea prevents him launching his boat and so Noi continues on foot and is soon lost, or so he thinks. Suddenly he spies in the flickering lamplight, a strange shape:

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it’s his dad’s boat, stuck in the ice but there’s nobody aboard. Nobody aboard, but Noi is not alone: all around the boat is the entire whale family including his friend, the storm whale.

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Another storm has brought the friends together once more. But that’s not the only re-union to take place that freezing night …

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However, it’s certainly one that father and son will talk about often.
Once again, Benji Davies has created a truly heart-warming tale, a tale that celebrates the power of love and friendship and the courage it can engender in the face of adversity. What superbly atmospheric scenes of swirling snow and icy seas grace the pages of this long-awaited wintry sequel.

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Paws McDraw
Connah Brecon
Little Tiger Press
This is subtitled ‘The Fastest Doodler in the West’ so let’s meet the ace doodler himself. Seemingly he’s taken a leaf – or several – out of that white bear of Anthony Browne’s books. This is not in any way to undermine the one under review; it’s a super-duper, full of laughs, story.
Reputedly, Paws McDraw (love that name) is able to draw his way- with a few slick squiggles – out of any danger.

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Now though his skills have been called upon by the bunnies and he’s about to face his toughest challenge yet. One of their number, Timmy is in deep trouble – literally – at the bottom of a well and it’s down to Paws (and his pencil) to effect a rescue – which he does pretty smartly and off go the bunnies to celebrate, carnival style. Soon everyone is having themselves a ‘rootin’-tootin’ time’ and filling their faces with cupcakes. All of a sudden though, who should show up but the Rascally Raccoon Gang demanding that the revellers hand over all the yummy-scrummy cupcakes.

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Can Paws possibly stop those dastardly cupcake rustlers with a few deft doodles …

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or has he well and truly met his match with this evil threesome? Seemingly they have got jail busting down to a fine art …

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Will a spot of prestidigitation do the trick perhaps? It’s certainly something that bunnies absolutely love, so we’re told, along with cupcakes that is, and there is assuredly a rather scrumptious finale …
A right rootin’ tootin’ riotous read if ever there was one. Bursting with delicious details, and with a plethora of speech bubbles, and simply teeming with bunnies, Connah Brecon’s illustrations, like his hero, deserve three resounding cheers. Hip, hip CUPCAKES! Hip, hip CUPCAKES! Hip, hip CUPCAKES!

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