Book Review: Evie & the Animals / Matt Haig / Illus. Emily Gravett / 6 & Upwards

Published by Canongate

NY Published: June 2019

Evie has a talent. Something that makes her different from everyone else. She is unique.  She is able to communicate with animals with her mind – telepathy. Her Dad would prefer she kept her talent to herself, but it’s difficult, especially when she comes across animals that are suffering. She feels she has to do something about it – which makes her life complicated – especially with explanations…

This is about daring to be who you are and something else – kindness.

It is a lovely book – not only is it a  beautiful story, but it is also beautifully illustrated by the fantastic Emily Gravett.

Due to be published in June, in hardback (I know), but sometimes you should buy a book in hardback – when the format compliments the story – which will be the case with this, I have no doubt at all.

I am so excited by this – I have asked Matt’s publicist whether he will come in to Finchley Road O2 to sign copies. It’s the weekend. Hopefully early next week I will hear that he is coming…I will let you know… Perhaps Emily will be wonderful and come too – it would be FANTASTIC to have both visit the store – we could have a stupendous and wonderful duel event…

 

 

 

Book Review: The Maker of Monsters / Lorraine Gregory / 6 and upwards

Published by Oxford University Press

NY Published: May 2019

A fun Frankenstein-esque tale. A wild adventure of escape and bravery. It reminded me a little of Stitch Head (Guy Bass), that I reviewed some time ago, I think. This has fewer illustrations (so perhaps for readers who are a little older) and revolves around our hero, trying to do something about hoard of revengeful monsters…on the way making friends and standing up for what is right.

This has some wonderful character parts too – particularly Tingle and Sherman, Brat’s original friends…

Perfect for those who are beginning to get their reading legs going – a wild rampage of a book…

Book Review: Boot / Shane Hegarty / 6 & upwards

Published by Hodder & Stoughton

Boot: Silvery-green and shaped like a light-bulb. Belly round and tough, yet soft to touch or hug. Four chunky fingers. No toes. Head an oval with a small screen along the front with colourful dots that flow together to make a face. Boot is a robot.

This is a lovely positive tale about a robot who has, it seems, lost his owner. He has only three memories to help him find her, and those aren’t exactly the most detailed or helpful. Whilst obviously a story of friendship and determination, with a brilliant villain in the piece, it also touches on memory loss and dementia, but without that taking over the book. On the way to finding his young owner Boot meets various other robots, some of whom have taken refuge in a fun-fair…

This is lovely – a great story about why we hold on to things and what is important.

Shane Hegarty is also the author of the Darkmouth series for older readers.

 

 

 

Book Review: The Extincts / Veronica Cossanteli / 6 to Adult…

Published by Chicken House

Never judge a book by its cover. I started this proof, whilst reading at least three others. Which isn’t such an irregular event, however, I was thinking of finishing and reviewing White Rabbit Red Fox before starting anything else.This proof, though, seems to have an axolotl on the cover. For those who are unaware these are fascinating salamanders, which keep their larval features throughout their lives – which makes them rather curious. You can buy them as pets, but its a complicated business, and I suspect they’d prefer to be wandering around the rivers of Mexico…

So when I began the proof it was with the hope that an axolotl would be involved in this story. I have to admit that I have only reached page 56 – which isn’t very far to be fair, but there isn’t a salamander (whether a Mexican axolotl or not) in the first few pages… so this is to be part one of a two part review…because there is bound to be one, or at least something very similar in the story….

This is a funny and wild book, about a boy whose bicycle is stolen. He needs a new one – urgently, however, since his Dad left, there hasn’t been much money for replacement bikes, and so he applies for a job that is advertised in the local shop.

This is a book about animals. Not the usual sort (though there are dogs and cats in it too)  for example there is an early mammal from the early Mesozoic era, and a baby legendary kraken…that keeps escaping from the bath… Since visiting Madagascar, I find I have quite an interest in creatures that are early forms of more recent ‘editions’….and this book ticks that box beautifully.

George (named after the Saint that went around the country killing rare animals) lives with his two older sisters, and his Mum, who runs a shop full of candles and bells. The job he applies for was advertised with the following notation of the qualities that would be required by the applicant:

Interest in Wildlife Necessary. Must be the Right Person. No squamophobes.

I would hope that I would fill this criteria – and if you don’t know what a squamophobe is, you had better read the book. I hope that the word squamophobe becomes an entry in the next edition of the OED.

This has made me laugh out loud. It is a joy.

‘I have my mother’s hair,’ began Prudence, at last. ‘And her eyes. That’s what everybody says. I don’t have any of the rest of her. She’s dead. So’s my Dad. He was killed. By a hippopotamus.’

A ripple of interest washed through the class. You could see Miss Thripps wondering if she had made a mistake. 

‘Hippos are very dangerous beasts,’ she said. ‘Did it happen in Africa, dear?’

Prudence shook her head. 

‘Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London.’

The blurb that came with the proof states it will be a reissue, with a gorgeous new cover. So it isn’t a new book – so you may have seen it before. The new edition (with the gorgeous new cover) is out in now…

Book Review: The Hippo at the End of the Hall / Helen Cooper / 6 – Adult

Published by David Fickling Books.

They say you should never judge a book by its cover. I know it, but sometimes a cover can say so much and you know its the book for you. I knew it, as soon as I saw this in the publisher’s catalogue in the staff room a few days ago. So I ordered a copy. What else would you do?

After all, it has a chameleon on the cover.

Oh, it also has a hippopotamus, a key hole and some bees on it too.

Which are nice, however, I do like chameleons.

This is really something special. Helen Cooper is the author of a small ‘run’ of picture books about soup – Pumpkin Soup, Delicious and Pipkin of Pepper and another picture book title, The Bear Under the Stairs. This, though, is her first novel and what a novel it is.

Helen Cooper makes reference to a wide range of species in the story – there is an elephant shrew (a species I love, almost as much as chameleons),  a pygmy hippopotamus (the eponymous hippo), an okapi is mentioned…a russet kangaroo, nine giraffe (in bits), and an owl (named Flumery). The book is stuffed full of animals with simply superb characters, including the bees.  Ben isn’t sure about them. I think bees are beautiful, but I always show them respect. Actually I have learnt to give all animals respect and a little bit of space. The smallest can have the largest effect on the rest of your day… Then there are the human characters, both good and bad…including a (possible) witch in a bottle… I have learnt to give many human characters space too. Particularly any I think might be witches (especially if they aren’t in bottles)…after all two witches are supposed to be in my ancestry…so it could be said I should know a little about that.

This is a magical adventure with lovely illustrations, all done by the author. The animal characters are not the usual cat and dog types. These are different. Though there is nothing wrong with a cat and dog story…but there aren’t many stories with a chameleon called Leon in it…One of the reason for loving the book so much is that Helen seems to have investigated the behavioural traits of the animals and this is reflected in their characters and what they do – which is marvellous.

I haven’t finished it yet – only started it today when I got it at lunch…I’m up to page 138 …. but one of my favourite parts (so far) is about Leon.

Leon’s tongue shot out like a rocket and recoiled with a bee captured on one end. The bee had no chance, for a chameleon has an incredible tongue, twice the length of its body, with a bulbous ball of muscle at the end like a suction cup, which can move at ballistic speed – faster than a fighter jet. Naturally, the other bees arose in a fury.

‘Where’s your respect?’ Flummery hooted….

Leon turned his back. Languidly he plucked the bee from his tongue and dangled the struggling insect above his bucket-like mouth, murmuring, ‘Shall I swallow you? Shall I bite you in half and nibble your wings?… 

Read it out loud up to Christmas – make a tradition of reading it up to Christmas every Friday and Saturday night from the last Friday in November…till Christmas day.

Its wonderful.

I am hoping to have Helen come to Waterstones Finchley Road O2 in January to sign copies…but have only just sent an email about it to David Fickling Books. Keep your fingers crossed…