Tag Tim Budgen

The Snappy Shark

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The Snappy Shark
Michelle Robinson and Tim Budgen
Scholastic

It’s not a good day for Mark the shark.When he plays with his friends nothing goes right be it during the hide-and-seek game,

the painting session or the shell hunting. Eventually he swims off in a big huff and goes into a cave, overwhelmed by his feelings.

Alone now, Mark has time to think and he recalls how his inability to keep his temper in check has upset his pals. Several slow, deep breaths later, Mark feels a lot better and ready to apologise to his playmates for his snappiness. “I’ll NEVER snap again,” he promises but suddenly a large fishing net entraps them all. Now Mark has a dilemma: to snap or not to snap …

Fortunately for all, he makes the right decision and henceforward he’s a ‘brand-new fish’ safe in the knowledge that he has a strategy to use whenever he starts feeling stressed and tempted to snap. Moreover his friends know the perfect game they can all enjoy together.

All children feel overwhelmed by their feelings from time to time and the calming strategy Mark used in Michelle’s fun rhyming narrative is one that any youngster should learn to do.

George and the Mini Dragon

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George and the Mini Dragon
George Webster with Helen Harvey, illustrated by Tim Budgen
Scholastic

George loves animals and longs for a pet but his parents say it would be far too much work. Consequently when he discovers a tiny dragon at the bottom of his garden after making a wish at his 7th birthday party, he smuggles her inside so his mum and dad don’t find out. George names his new pet Lava and soon discovers that she’s a lively, strong minded, mischievous creature so concealing her is going to be something of a challenge not only at home but at school too.

It’s not long before Lava’s mischief making is noticed by George’s school friends; the art lesson rapidly becomes a glitter scattering opportunity for more than the pupils. Before the lesson ends their class teacher announces that there’s to be a school talent show on the coming Friday. George and his pals, Faiza and Jason. sign up to do a magic show using the set George was given for his birthday. George also has to work out what to feed Lava on.

As the week passes, it seems that the dragon is unhappy. Could she want a friend; she even tries to do the Makaton sign for ‘friends’. – I love that. Maybe though, it’s a dragon friend Lava wants. Then things get a tad chaotic with the fire alarm being set off not long before the talent show begins; it’s a false alarm but Lava is missing. Can George’s Amazing Magic Show even take place? Happily yes and it might just prove even more magical than the contestants or participants could ever have imagined.

Written in collaboration with author Helen Harvey, it’s great to see an inclusive story for younger readers; this one celebrates friendship, family and being yourself, (George has Down syndrome and uses Makaton to help him communicate). Tim Budgen’s illustrations further enliven the tale.

It’s Time For Bed

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All Aboard the Bedtime Bus
Karl Newson and Tim Budgen
Little Tiger

The queue for a special bus is long, so don’t delay:don those pjs and get ready to come aboard with a host of other sleepy heads. Dreamland awaits; here come the passengers singing their yawns away on a magical journey from one stop to the next till they finally reach Slumber Land with teeth already brushed and bedtime stories read.
An enchanting combination of Karl’s lulling rhyming text with its repeat refrains and Tim Budgen’s playful scenes of the dreamy journey that’s just right for getting human toddlers ready for bed and sending them calmly off to sleep.

Monsters At Bedtime
Laura Baker and Nina Dzyvulska
Happy Yak

The fourth in the Monsters series is a really fun pre bedtime read. In Laura Baker’s rhyming text and bold bright illustrations we follow the funky, mischievous monsters through their end of day, eventually somewhat sleepy, routine. (So glad I’m not the large story sharer shown in Nina Dzyvulska’s reading scene. Even wearing my teacher’s eyes everywhere hat, I think I’d miss some of the monster mischief going on there.)
Don’t be surprised if your own little human monster wants to spend a long time poring over every spread, relishing all the mischief as well as searching for the bat monster lurking in each vibrant illustration.

Also on the bedtime theme is:

Five Steps to Bed
Claire Potter and Ailie Busby
Bloomsbury Education

Two young children describe the transition from their mother-annoying bedtime preparations to her thoughtful ruse of asking her offspring to help improve the evening situation before it gets out of hand. The children decide the steps they need and illustrate each with a picture. The pictures are then ordered and used to create a routine comprising bath (what kind would they choose), followed in turn by toothpaste, pyjamas, bed and finally, dream – what weird wonderful one would they want.
Young listeners can, having heard the story, help create their own bedtime routine.

Michael the Incredible Super-Sleuth Sausage Dog

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Michael the Incredible Super-Sleuth Sausage Dog
Terrie Chilvers, illustrated by Tim Budgen
Firefly Press

In this second Michael story, the sausage dog decides that in addition to being a celebrity mind-reading expert, he wants to be a detective mastermind. The reason being Susan the Chocolate Labrador has gone missing. Could it be a case of dognapping as Police Detective Wrinkles suspects: if so that will mean the filming of Michael’s TV show featuring said Labrador will have to be halted. However, when a ransom note is discovered signed by DogX and Associates, there’s no doubt in Michael’s mind: a detective he must be. That way he can surely boost his TV ratings, which have recently nose-dived.

Time to use your talent and charm to your advantage, Michael and you’d better be quick about it. There’s just two days to drive to Three Paw Creek, meet the villainous kidnapper, be a su-paw hero and rescue Susan, then get back in time to restore your show to the top of the ratings chart.


Things don’t go exactly to plan however. To say the overnight accommodation – Dog House Motel – is substandard is being generous, especially as Detective Wrinkles has booked herself in at the vastly superior Bouncy Ball Hotel.

Far worse is to come though, for Michael’s plan goes completely off the rails when he too is dognapped. With Pamela calling the shots, this is cheesily catastrophic . How on earth is Michael going to extricate himself, not to mention Stanley and Susan from their place of incarceration? And what of that all important show?

A witty tail wagging, twisty turning delight for KS2 readers especially the dog-loving kind. Tim Budgen’s illustrations add to the zestiness of the tale so make sure you paws and look at them properly.

Pugicorn / Once Upon a Bedtime

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Pugicorn
Matilda Rose and Tim Budgen
Hodder Children’s Books

The vogue for unicorn stories doesn’t appear to be waning but a Pugicorn – that’s something a bit different and certainly not what little Princess Ava has in mind when she visits Twinkleton-Under- Beanstalk’s Magic Pet Shop to pick her perfect unicorn pet.

Informing her that they’ve sold out, the kindly Mrs Paws offers Princess Ava instead, another horned creature with a ‘snuffly nose’ and a curly tail.

A challenge is then issued to her new pet by the determined Princess … ‘Think Unicorn!’ she tells him.

Such thinking proves useless on many occasions and despairing of her acquisition, Princess Ava heads off to the Unicorn Picnic sans Pugicorn.

Yes she does have a wonderful time; but on the way home she and her pals lose the way

and their unicorns prove useless path finders through a now, creepy-seeming forest.

Can loyalty in the form of a little pet Pugicorn save the day (and the night)?

Acceptance is the name of the lesson for young Lola and for the countless little unicorn fans out there who will fall for this new horned character adorably portrayed in Tim Budgen’s magical scenes for Matilda Rose’s enchanting tale.

Once Upon a Bedtime
David Melling
Hodder Children’s Books

It’s sundown in Sleepy Street as a long yawwwwnnn floats through engulfing a very tired Rabbit.

It’s time for bed but Rabbit, eager for a bedtime story, still has to have a bath as Ellie elephant points out.

Various other toy characters, Ollie ostrich,

Monkey, Bird , Crocodile each in turn adds something to the routine until at last all are ready assembled in bed with a cuddly apiece and rabbit begins to read the story.

Suddenly there comes a strange sound from beneath the bed.

The others take cover, leaving Rabbit to investigate.

What she discovers is another character who hasn’t got a cuddly. What is to be done? Can the friends help?

Full of endearing characters, this warm-hearted book showing the importance of having your cuddly close by at bedtime, from the Hugless Douglas creator David Melling, is sure to appeal to little ones as a wind-down to sleep story.

As Nice As Pie

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Dolci and Ellena relishing the story …

As Nice as Pie
Gary Sheppard and Tim Budgen
Maverick Arts Publishing
When Mavis Manewaring decides to share her freshly baked loaf with a bird one day, little does she expect that within a week she’ll be catering for twenty, all enthusiastically stuffing themselves with her delicious pasties and pastries …

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A couple of weeks later, her hungry throng has reached hundreds: birds of all shapes and sizes– great greedy gannets, a plump parakeet, chubby-cheeked crows, potbellied pigeons and the like have heard the news of the tasty fare Mavis has been dishing up to the avian throng. What’s more it’s not merely bread, but biscuits, buns and bacon baps she’s feeding  her winged visitors. Mavis’s shopping bill must have gone through the roof and now it seems she’s no time for anything else but satisfying the ever-increasing throng.

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Enough is enough decides the long-suffering cook and having baked a giant flan case, she issues an ultimatum to the hungry hoards: either join her in a co-operative venture or become the filling for that “Birdie Surprise” flan.

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For her guests, blind-folded at her request and already knee-deep in gravy, it’s a no brainer and before long there’s a new co-operative enterprise operating in the village …
Rhyming stories seem to be all the rage at the moment but unless they’re well written, the rhyme works against them. This one of Gary Sheppard’s, with its sprinklings of alliteration and jaunty rhythm works a treat. Add to that Tim Budgen’s chirpy, chucklesome illustrations and the outcome is an altogether tasty read aloud. And then there are those counting opportunities and potential for discussions on teamwork and sharing.

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