More book reviews for you lovely lot!

We were sent some lovely illustrated books from Maverick Books (who look after our favourite author Giles Paley-Phillips); Tabitha Posy (was ever so Nosy), and The Cautionary Tale of the Childe of Hale. Instantly recognisable due to their large square format we couldn’t wait to rip open the envelopes and get reading.

First thing of note - once again Maverick have ensured the illustrations cover the whole page (something we were very excited to see). In the case of Tabitha Posy the illustrations are huge, vibrant and colourful, and work perfectly to capture a child’s imagination (all credit to the illustrator Jona King as he clearly understands kiddies). Dexter lunged at the pictures whilst listening to daddy read which is usually indication enough that he’s enjoying himself.

In the story, Tabitha goes to the zoo on a school trip and meets an assortment of animals (including penquins, monkey’s, kangeroos and tigers) and there’s plenty more to spot in the foreground of the pages. It suddenly occured to me that Dexter hasn’t come across these animals before so it serves as a great introduction to the natural world.

Deferring to Daddy for feedback, he did state that he found the rhymes hard to get his tongue around as it didn’t subscribe to the normal ‘couplets’ format. Rather this was an A,B,C,B rhyme scheme that isn’t as easy to read aloud.

Wihout giving the story away, Tabitha finds her excessive nosiness getting her in a spot of bother with the animals. It’s a cautionary tale where her inquisitive nature borders on dangerous and she has to learn to tame it to keep safe.

The second book The Cautionary Tale of the Childe of Hale has to go down as one of my favourite bedtime reads for the little man. Back to my favourite couplet rhyme A, A, B, B it’s easy to impress a toddler with its easy-to-read format. Not only this, it’s long enough to settle him down and get him sleepy. Inspired by the adventures of a real-life giant born near Liverpool in the sixteenth century - it’s also got a great historical back-story.

The pictures are more traditional in this book and the colours are more muted - but it does compliment the story. We did however find that Dexie’s eyes were straying although he was still grinning away at Daddy as he read the story. As stated, it’s perfect for bedtime as it’s all about the intonations of your voice rather than relying on pictures to get them enthused. You get the feeling this was a labour-of-love for the author Rachel Lyon. It’s a beautiful story packed full of empathy for a gentle giant who traded in small village life for riches and fame, and lived to regret his decision.

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