Children's Book Spotlight - Molly's Magic Brolly by Sarah Morrell

Molly's Magic Brolly by Sarah Morrell

Published 22nd September 2019 by Blue Falcon Publishing

I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from publishers website)

Molly is desperate for a nice, new dolly. So when Grannie sends her a special gift, Molly is sure it’s the dolly she’s been dreaming of…

but she’s in for a surprise!

Molly’s Magic Brolly is an enchanting tale of new adventures and old friends.

This beautiful picture book will take young readers on a journey of magic and wonder! Aimed at children up to approximately 7 years old, it contains an important lesson about gratitude and appreciation, which is brought to life by playful colour illustrations.

My Thoughts

Another great children's picture book from Blue Falcon Publishing. I don't think I've received a book from them yet that I haven't liked! This ones written using rhyming phrases which is one of my favourite writing styles for children's books. I love the way the story flowed and there were some aspects of repetition throughout that will encourage the children to join in with the story telling. Some lovely illustrations throughout too that children will love. 

I agree with the above synopsis and I think that this book does a great job and prompting important discussions about gratitude and appreciation with older children however, the fun writing style and lovely illustrations will appeal to younger children as well. On first sight this book does seem geared towards girls however, I think that many children, girls and boys alike, will enjoy this book so please don't let this put you off. This is one I will be sharing with my class and I hope they enjoy the experience as much as I did. 

Children's Book Spotlight - Greedy Gertie by Salma Zaman

Greedy Gertie by Salma Zaman

Published 9th March 2019 by Blue Falcon Publishing 

I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from publishers website)

Greedy Gertie is a wonderful waffle-eater! But when it comes to dancing, she’s no good at all. Gertie is in a wheelchair, and everybody knows you use your legs for dancing.

One day, Gertie discovers a bunch of animals doing wonderful, unique dances. They encourage her to join them, but Gertie refuses. She’s sure she will get in a muddle and mess things up… but the wise old owl has other ideas!

Will Greedy Gertie find her talent for dancing? Or will she stick to eating waffles like there’s no tomorrow?

Salma Zaman has written this uplifting tale to promote disability awareness and acceptance to young readers. In 2018, Salma won the ‘Yorkshire Women of Achievement’ award for her contribution to the arts.

My Thoughts

So here we have yet another colourfully illustrated children's book from Blue Falcon Publishing, they seem to be going great with these super fun children's books at the moment. This one has some fantastic diversity too. This book focuses on Gertie the Cow, who is in a wheelchair, and how she is able to join in and achieve alongside her friends. This story actually reminds me of a more popular children's book with a similar message but I like that this book focuses on a character in a wheelchair. I think this is really important to show children, and the story itself lends really well to some really important discussions about differences and supporting others. 

As with all great children's books this one is also written in rhyme which means the story flows well and it's really beneficial to children's language development. So, with some lovely colourful illustrations, a fun rhyming story and some important discussion topics I think this one would be a great addition to any child's bookshelf or teachers reading repertoire. 

Blog Tour - A Pirate's Song by Justin Davis

A Pirate's Song by Justin Davis

Published 13th June 2019 by Blue Falcon Publishing

I was gifted a copy of this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Ahoy there me hearties!
Are ye brave? Are ye strong? Can ye sing a pirate's song? 
Will ye search for treasures old, 
jewels and trinkets, pearls and gold?
Then climb aboard and join our crew.
Quickly now, there's work to do!

If you've ever wondered what it's like to be a pirate or fancied hauling anchor and sailing the seven seas, then this is just the tale for you! This bright and beautiful rhyming picture book from award-winning children's author, Justin Davis, will capture the imagination of any budding sea dog!

My Thoughts

This book is super cute and I really enjoyed reading it to my little boy. I loved the bright coloured illustrations and these definitely captured my 8 month olds attention too. The illustrations are also quite simple and I think this will help to keep young children's attention as well. This story is also written in rhyme and has a very rhythmic flow whilst reading which is quite common in children's books but it always works really well. It means the story is fairly quick to read, fun to listen too and keeps children engaged. I like the repetition of the song throughout too as this will encourage children to join in with the story. There isn't really a message that comes through with this story, it's more just for fun which is okay but I did like that there were pirates of both genders along with a POC depicted within the illustrations. 

One of the things that I thought was really interesting with this book was the activities at the back. I think this added a little bit extra to the story and made it a little bit more interesting to children. I also loved the questions as this really helps to support children's comprehension and understanding of stories which is a key skill for them to learn. 

Overall I thought this was a cute children's book with bright, fun illustrations. I think this will be enjoyed by lots of children and I will be keeping this one on my sons bookshelf for when hes older as well as borrowing it to share with my class at school. 

Thank you to Blue Falcon Publishing for inviting me to be part of this tour. If you want to check out any of the other bloggers taking part you can check out the schedule below. 

Children's Book Spotlight - Spy Danger by Justin Davis

Spy Danger by Justin Davis 

Published 20th November 2018 by Blue Falcon Publishing

I was gifted a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Synopsis (from publishers website)

Spy Danger, the second book in the Baker Family Series.

Pacing the dark, deserted rooms of Castle Arden, the scarred man checks his plan for the hundredth time.
The plan he has worked on for months.
The plan he is about to put into action!

The Baker children can’t believe their luck when they find out they are staying at a castle for the weekend.
But when they uncover a plot to steal forgotten treasures, Millie, Jamie, Zach and their dog Harvey know they have to act.
Are they smart enough to outwit the thieves?
Can they decode the clues in time?
Or has their spying put them in too much danger?

My Thoughts

This was a really cute chapter book ideal for young readers aged 6-9 years old. The characters were delightful, the children had a lovely, fun nature and were always up for an adventure. I liked that the parents played a role in this story too as often they can be missing from children's books. There was even an adorable dog included in the line up. 

The story and writing were quite simple which makes it an ideal read for the above age group. However, if you find yourself reading it with a child then there's enough there to keep an adult entertained too. I found that I enjoyed reading on to find out what happened next. The plot was fun, the mystery aspect offered a lot of opportunities for discussion and, thinking as a teacher, I think this would a good book to promote reading comprehension. It does say that this is the second in a series but I think the story holds its own enough to be read on its own. 

Overall I found this to a really lovely adventure story suitable for young readers. A great one to read together or for them to read on their own. I'll be keeping hold of this one for my sons bookshelf. 

Children's Book Spotlight - Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins

Eleanor Hurl the Peculiar Girl by SL Kins

Published 31st October 2018 by Blue Falcon Publishing 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from the publishers website)

Eleanor Hurl is a peculiar girl with an extraordinary imagination, which unfortunately has a nasty habit of getting her into trouble! Children will love this beautifully illustrated tale with a very important message – even the kookiest kid has something special to give!

My Thoughts

This is another great picture book, with an important message from Blue Falcon Publishing. I enjoyed the illustrations however, they are of a darker colour palette and therefore more appealing to an older audience as opposed to my 4 month old. Sticking with the darker theme, this would be a great story to read to children around Halloween time that isn't necessarily scary. However, I think that my class of children (4-5) may be a bit young as there are a couple of pages that I would say maybe aren't suitable for them and therefore I would say it would probably suit the 5-7 age range. 

As I've said in previous reviews of children's books I enjoy picture books that rhyme as they help to engage children and to support their understanding of rhythm, as well as being fun to read. This one had a lovely flow to it and was very easy to read, I didn't find myself stumbling over any of the rhymes at all. I also enjoy books with a message and this one had just that too. This would be a lovely book to use with children to tackle the topic of bullying and understanding how all children can be different and unique in their own way. The was lots of opportunities for discussion throughout. 

Overall I thought this was another lovely book with some great illustrations. I think it would definitely appeal to children in the 5-7 years age bracket and, although I don't think I could necessarily use it with my class, I will be recommending it to my fellow teachers. 

Children's Book Spotlight - Pete the Cheeky Parakeet by Cheryl Lee-White

Pete the Cheeky Parakeet by Cheryl Lee-White

Published 15th October 2018 by Blue Falcon Publishing 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis (from publishers website)

When Pete the Parakeet’s favourite person goes on holiday without him, he’s left behind with the rest of the family – and they’re not his biggest fans!

Will Pete realise that being the bird with the bad attitude won’t get him anywhere?

This amusing rhyming tale will bring lots of laughter and learning to story time!

My Thoughts

As a reception teacher (4-5 years) I'm always looking for new books to share with my class. I've also just had a baby so building a library for him is also important to me so when I saw Blue Falcon Publishing was looking for reviewers I offered my services. 

This is a delightful children's book with bright colourful illustrations that captured the attention of my 10 week old as I read it too him. The story is written in rhyme and this is one of my favourite things when it comes to children's books because I find it helps the story flow. It also gives some rhythm to the story which is really important for children to hear, in order to develop this skill themselves. There was a great rhythmic aspect to this story as I read however, there were a few rhyming couples that didn't quite fit and that made me have to back track a little but I think that would be rectified the more you read it.

The other thing I like when it comes to children's books is those that have a moral or a message within the story and this one had just that. This is the sort of book that I would use with my class when we are talking about friendship and being kind to one another. Pete the Parakeet is quite unkind to everyone apart from one person. When this person leaves he realises he hasn't got anyone to play with so he apologies. This is a really important life skill that needs teaching to children and this book would definitely offer a way of looking at this. 

Overall I thought this was a really fun book with an important message. It's one I'll be added to my repertoire of books that I use within my teaching.