The Incredible Book Eating Boy, by Oliver Jeffers

THE INCREDIBLE BOOK EATING BOY

by Oliver Jeffers

Henry is a little boy who loves books. He doesn't read them, however; he eats them. He eats all kinds of books, but red ones are his favourite. The more books he eats, the cleverer he becomes. He wants to become the cleverest person in the world, so he eats three or four books at a time. Eventually, of course, Henry starts to feel ill. What's more, he has been eating books so quickly that the things he has been learning get mixed up.

All sorts of experts tell Henry that he must give up eating books. At first he feels sad, but then he picks up a half-eaten book and starts to read it. He enjoys it so much that he realises he could become the cleverest person in the world by reading book after book. So this is what he does, but every so often he can't resist nibbling the corner of a page.

Oliver Jeffers has created a totally original story in “The Incredible Book Eating Boy”. It is highly imaginative and full of humour that both adults and children will appreciate. The illustration on the title page of Henry with a pile of seven books cramming his wide-open jaw gives a taste of what is to come. Further on, Henry juggles with books and catches one in his mouth. He imagines taking part in a quiz show and being adorned with a huge gold medal for being the smartest person on Earth. It's the stuff of dreams.

The text of “The Incredible Book Eating Boy” looks as though it has come from an old typewriter, and occasionally hand-written words are inserted. While this sounds a little strange, it does in fact suit the eccentric style of the book. The text is superimposed on the illustrations, and sometimes the background is a little dark. Most pages have only a small amount of text, so young children who do not have a huge attention span will not get bored. The adult readers and slightly older children, however, will get quite a bit of amusement from the little extras that Jeffers has included. When Henry is eating so many books that information in his brain is getting confused, for example, Jeffers gives the example 2 + 6 = elephant.

Oliver Jeffers' illustrations for “The Incredible Book Eating Boy” are unusual to say the least. Backgrounds are predominantly beige or brown and look as though they have been painted on pages of old notebooks. Sometimes ruled lines and squares are visible. Most of the characters are illustrated in a much more colourful way than the backgrounds, so the overall effect is not too dismal. Apart from the colour, however, the drawings are quirky and amusing. Jeffers shows Henry with letters getting mixed up inside his brain, and then presents a picture of him with a bulging tummy crammed full of books. In two of the illustrations, enormous books with faces, arms and legs confront Henry; one of them chases him and threatens to eat him. The final mention that Henry still nibbles pages from time to time is brought home by the fact that the bottom corner of the last page actually has a piece missing from it.

While “The Incredible Book Eating Boy” may not be the ideal choice for young children who are obsessed with princesses or fairies, its originality and humour will appeal to many listeners and readers. As a read-aloud picture book, three and a half might be a suitable starting age. For independent reading, children up to at least eight years of age are likely to enjoy the story as it is not a childish one. Jeffers has come up with a book that young readers are sure to remember and want to read to their own children when they grow up. It is definitely worth borrowing a copy from the library, but the chances are most families will want a copy of their own to keep.

The Incredible Book Eating Boy

by Oliver Jeffers

Paperback, 32 pages

Harper Collins Children's Books, 2009

ISBN 9780007182312

Clown, by Quentin Blake

'Clown' is a picture book – that and only that, as it consists solely of pictures without text. It tells the story of a clown that is dumped in a dustbin along with other unwanted toys. Managing to escape, he is befriended by a little girl, but her mother is less than impressed when she takes him home. She throws him out of the window and he is chased by a dog. Things seem to be going from bad to worse when the dog's thug of an owner tosses him right up into the air. He is in luck, however, as he flies through the window of a poverty-stricken family. After helping the daughter with the chores, he takes her out with her baby brother in a pram to the dustbin where they retrieve the rest of the toys.

I first came to love the illustrations of Quentin Blake through the novels of Roald Dahl that my sons read when they were growing up. I have enjoyed some of his illustrated stories such as 'Mister Magnolia' and 'Mrs Armitage, Queen of the Road', but 'Clown' is the first book of his I have come across that is composed purely of illustrations. Blake has a sketchy, exaggerated style of drawing that may not be to everyone's cup of tea but usually conveys more than enough humour to make it appealing.

In 'Clown', the illustrations are all in full colour; sometimes they fill an entire page with a border, and sometimes they are smaller sketches showing a sequence of events across the page. Blake uses a wide variety of hues in his watercolours, yet they have a subtlety about them. There is, however, one gorgeous full-page picture where the clown, clutching flowers, follows the girl pushing the pram filled with toys and her baby brother. The sky is a shocking pink behind the grey silhouettes of tower blocks and a church spire. The baby, with a wide smile, leans forward in anticipation while the girl is turning back to make sure the clown is keeping up with her. Back home, Blake shows the toys all lined up on the bed; in the same room the table is laid and potatoes are being served in a pan. The iron bedstead, bare light bulb and peeling paint tell us this is a struggling family, yet mum is full of smiles and kisses when she comes home. It is a far cry from the home of the poor little rich girl who rescued the clown earlier; there the room was crammed with ornaments, mirrors and fancy furniture, but there was no appreciation of the clown. Neither did mum seem to care about her daughter's feelings.

'Clown' is a book that could be shared by an adult and a young child in much the same way as a picture book that includes text. If the child is very young, the adult could tell the story as they turn the pages, but a slightly older child could be encouraged to describe what is happening in the illustrations. This would be an excellent way of developing narrative skills, or even basic verbal expression. On the other hand, children that are not yet able to read could enjoy this book alone, following the story without feeling they are missing out on something because they cannot decipher a text.

My own experience of 'Clown' is with pre-school children, but I can see the book being used with children of primary-school age who could write their own text to accompany the pictures. I don't think they would find it too childish; in fact the humour would no doubt attract their interest. It could be an ideal resource for writing character descriptions and dialogue as well as narrative.

'Clown' won the International Bologna Ragazzi Award in 1996. It is not hard to see why. I would recommend it for children of three up to six or seven, older if is used as an inspiration for creative writing.

Clown

by Quentin Blake

Paperback, 32 pages

Red Fox, 1998

ISBN 9780099493617

Price £5.99 (Amazon £4.02)

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure, by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto

Flinn, a seemingly ordinary boy who likes pirates and dinosaurs, is on a school trip to see dinosaur skeletons at a museum. He and his friends are in awe of the huge skeleton of the giganotosaurus, which the guide tells them was even mightier than Tyrannosaurus Rex. They are also intrigued when the guide shows them an empty glass case from which Captain Rufus Rumblebelly's treasure was stolen the night before.

Flinn and friends follow a trail of feathers and gold coins, thinking that it might hold a clue to the treasure. It leads them into a dark cupboard and, surprise surprise, the back of the cupboard falls away. The children find themselves in the cabin of a pirate ship where Rumblebelly's grandson, Gordon Gurgleguts, has been tied up and left. He admits to having taken the treasure from the museum, but it was then stolen from him.

Gurgleguts appoints Flinn as captain of the ship, and off they set to Bag o' Bones Island in search of the thieves and treasure. The culprits are of course the pirate dinosaurs, who manage to capture Gurgleguts and threaten to barbecue him. Tyrannosaurus Rex, however, remembers his previous encounter with Captain Flinn and brings on his fearsome cousin, Gigantosaurus. This huge monster is terrified of a tiny spider hanging from Flinn's hat. Flinn seizes the opportunity to grab the treasure, free Gurgleguts and tie up the dinosaurs. It's not long before they are heading back on the ship. At the museum, the guide is delighted to see the treasure returned, but there's no way he's going to believe in pirate dinosaurs.

“Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure” is Giles Andreae's sequel to Flinn's first adventure when he vanquished Tyrannosaurus Rex. The idea of Flinn and his friends falling through the back of the cupboard not only has shades of C.S. Lewis' “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”, but is a repetition of the way the children found themselves on a pirate ship in the previous book. The story itself is, however, full of humour and excitement, and the ingredients of pirates, dinosaurs and lost treasure are bound to appeal to many young children.

Giles Andreae has of course invented the giganotosaurus, and has included a friendly note before the story starts on the pronunciation of the name, breaking it down into six syllables. I think a fair few adults will appreciate this. “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure” is a great read-aloud adventure, but with lengthy dinosaur names and insults like “dastardly dunderheads”, it is not an ideal book for a child learning to read. Most of the text is in a large font, in fact some words and phrases are extra large for emphasis, but sometimes the font resembles handwriting. The text is superimposed on the illustrations, and in a few cases the background is a little dark.

Russell Ayto's illustrations are wonderful and definitely bring the story to life. He uses vibrant reds, blues and yellows alongside more muted colours, and really goes to town with the characters. The dinosaurs have huge toothy grins and evil eyes, while Gurgleguts is a round body with stick-like limbs and tiny spotted handkerchief on his head. As in the previous book, there is a colourful cross-section of the pirate ship showing mice in hammocks, a bed with a skull bed-head, and a soppy Gurgleguts hugging one of the children goodbye.

The device of the back of the cupboard falling away to get the children onto a ship was disappointing in the first story and even more so when it was repeated in “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure”. Nevertheless, Giles Andreae has created an adventure story that most children, certainly boys, will love. The group of four-year-olds that I read it aloud to reacted to it with plenty of enthusiasm. One of the boys had the book at home and was able to recite a little song from the book as well as join in with a few other lines here and there. It was obviously a book that he had asked to have read to him again and again. Although not a favourite picture book of mine, the humour and sense of adventure make this a story that three to five-year-olds will not be bored by. Slightly older children may enjoy it too, but a young independent reader will probably find it quite challenging. Recommended for any fans of pirates and dinosaurs.

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs: Missing Treasure
By Giles Andreae (Author) and Russell Ayto (Illustrator)
Paperback, 32 pages
Puffin, 2008
ISBN 9780141500492
Price £6.99 (Amazon £4.18)

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs, by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto

Flinn, like so many other boys his age, loves dinosaurs and pirates. One day at school his teacher sends him to a walk-in cupboard to look for the pens he needs to colour a dinosaur picture. While inside, Flinn hears the sound of a man crying. He is amazed to find Captain Stubble, a pirate, shaking and shuddering on the floor under a curtain. The reason for Captain Stubble's despair is that his ship has been stolen. Flinn offers to help him get it back, and out of nowhere three of his friends appear, all clamouring to join in the adventure.

Suddenly the back of the cupboard falls away and they find themselves on board a pirate ship. Captain Stubble appoints Flinn as the new captain, as he would rather be the cook. Off they sail in search of the lost ship, the 'Acorn'. After a long voyage they spot it through their telescope but are horrified to see that it has been taken over by pirate dinosaurs, with a mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex at the helm. They bravely attack, and soon all the dinosaurs except for T Rex jump overboard. Flinn challenges Tyrannosaurus to a duel, and miraculously keeps going until the dinosaur surrenders. Tyrannosaurus promises to be good from then on, and is so impressed by Flinn that he appoints him as the new captain of the dinosaur pirates.

Flinn, however, suddenly realises he should be back at school. They sail home while Stubble cooks shark's fin stew for everyone. Back on shore the children wave goodbye to Stubble and Tyrannosaurus Rex, then clamber back into the school cupboard. As they creep into the classroom, Miss Pie has just finished reading a story to the class. She wonders what Flinn and his pals have been up to, but they just smile at each other and say, “Nothing really at all.”

Giles Andreae has taken two popular groups of characters in the form of pirates and dinosaurs to create a fast-paced adventure that could hardly fail to be a success, especially among young boys. When I asked a group of four-year-olds which stories they would like to repeat in their drama sessions at the end of the school year, “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” was one of their three choices. (The other two were Julia Donaldson's “A Squash and a Squeeze” and “Courtney” by John Burningham.) It is easy to see the appeal. It is, however, hard to overlook the parallel with C.S. Lewis' “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” when Flinn and company fall through the back of the cupboard. Pre-school children of course are unlikely to be aware of this similarity. Even so, whilst there is excitement and a bravely fought duel, the story is neither original nor intriguing. The ending is also somewhat of an anticlimax.

Russell Ayot's illustrations for “Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” are bold, humorous and highly colourful. Tyrannosaurus in his pirate rig-out has evil eyes and deadly sharp teeth, confronting puny Flinn who bravely wields his silver cutlass with a determined expression. At one point we see a fascinating cross-section of the 'Acorn' with almost toothless pirate prisoners tied up below deck, and Tyrannosaurus Rex grinning in anticipation as he watches Stubble (who has a great deal of stubble) stirring the stew. There's even a bemused little blue parrot. Smoke puffs out from the kitchen against a scarlet sky.

“Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” is definitely a read-aloud story rather than a book for a child learning to read. The text is superimposed on the illustrations, usually on a light-coloured background but occasionally on red or blue. Some words and phrases appear in a larger font for emphasis, and one or two are in capitals in a font that looks like handwriting. Exclamation marks abound. A lot of young children are familiar with the names of various species of dinosaur that appear here, such as stegosaurus and triceratops, but that does not of course mean that they would find them easy to read. Phrases such as “All hands on deck!” or “Right, me hearties” lend authenticity to the pirate theme, but here again originality is sadly lacking.

“Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs” is a particularly lively book that is more than likely to hold the attention of children, especially boys, aged from three up to six or perhaps seven. It is not the greatest, most imaginative story, but children of that age may not be so critical. One or two of the illustrations could be frightening for a very young child, but on the whole they are amusing and bring the story to life. This is a picture book that may not be the favourite for the adult reader, but could be very popular with a child that loves action with pirates or dinosaurs or both.


Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
Giles Andreae (Author) and Russell Ayto (Illustrator)
Puffin, 2006
Paperback, 32 pages
ISBN 9780140569216
Price £6.99 (Amazon £4.99)

Courtney, by John Burningham

A boy and girl try to convince their parents to let them get a dog; they say it could guard the house and play with them. Mum and dad protest at first, saying that dogs need to be fed and walked, and they make a lot of mess. The children promise that they will take care of everything, and Mum gives in. The children set off for the Dogs' Home, pushing the baby in the buggy. Their parents stress that they must get a dog with a pedigree.

At the home the boy and girl don't see the right dog at first, so they ask if there is a dog that nobody wants. A man shows them Courtney, an old grey dog, and the children decide at once that they are taking him home. Their parents of course are not impressed by this mongrel; the children are sent off to bed and Courtney settles down to sleep in the kitchen. Next morning there is no sign of him, but he comes back later in the day, dragging a trunk behind him. He appears to be well travelled.

Courtney loses no time in donning a chef's hat and apron, cooking a meal for the family, changing into waiter's clothes and serving the food, playing the violin as they eat and then juggling to amuse the baby. As time goes on, he sometimes meets up with dogs in the park but spends most of his time doing household chores, watching television with the children or dancing with mum. Tragedy strikes one day when the house catches fire with the baby and Courtney inside; Courtney suddenly appears climbing down a ladder with the baby safely under one arm.

Life goes on, but one morning there is no sign of Courtney or his trunk. The parents remind the children that Courtney is a mongrel who cannot be relied on. The boy and girl, once again pushing the baby along, report Courtney as missing at the police station. Needless to say, the officer doesn't expect a dog who can cook and play the violin to be handed in, but he promises to let the children know.

The following summer the family set off to the seaside for a holiday. Every day the children go off in a boat that is tied to a rock by a long rope. On the last day, however, the rope breaks and the boat drifts out to sea. Mum cries for help, and suddenly there is a tug as the boat begins to be pulled back to the shore by something invisible. The family never find out exactly who or what saved the children, but in one illustration near the end of the book the outline of an old dog can be seen on a cliff top, looking down on the family as they hug each other.

In 'Courtney', John Burningham has created a delightful, imaginative story. It's obviously total fantasy, but the children I read it to found the idea of a dog dressing up and doing household chores or dancing extremely funny. Although Courtney is an old and not particularly attractive dog, there is something very lovable about him and you can understand why the children decided they wanted him as soon as they saw him. I have to admit that it was not on first reading that I noticed Courtney's presence on the cliff top in a picture near the end of the book, but when I asked the children how they thought the boy and girl had been saved, they were convinced that Courtney rescued them. Interestingly, Courtney is the only character in the story who is named.

John Burningham illustrates his picture books himself and he is one of my favourite illustrators. He uses a fair amount of colour with line drawings that are usually quite sketchy; the colours bring them to life but are never overdone. Facial features are minimal yet still convey expressions and feelings. Dad obviously hates the idea of his wife leaning against Courtney as he plays the violin, although on the previous page he was delighted at the prospect of dinner cooked by the dog.

Every page has a white background that makes for easy reading. Usually there are just one or two lines of text at the top or bottom of the page, sometimes slightly more. The font is large and clear. 'Courtney' is definitely a book for reading aloud, but it is such a charming story that a confident reader aged around seven might still find it an interesting story.

First published in 1994, 'Courtney' is not the most up-to-date picture book and I'm not aware of a television tie-in, but two groups of children that I have read it aloud to have genuinely loved it. They were aged three and a half to four years old, but I'm sure slightly older children would still appreciate it. It shows us that it's not always the most attractive creature that is the cleverest or most lovable one. It allows children to give full rein to their imaginations, and has an intriguing element of mystery at the end. I wholeheartedly recommend finding a place for Courtney in any home where there are young children.

Courtney
by John Burningham
Red Fox, 1996
Paperback, 32 pages
ISBN 9780099666813
Price £5.99 (£4.11)

Great Picture Books for Reading Aloud

Reading aloud is an ideal activity to follow a free play session when the children are ready to sit still and be calm for a while. It fosters listening skills that are the basis of the learning process, encourages a love of books and instils a desire in the children to be able to read the stories themselves. Whilst the children I read to love traditional tales such as The Gingerbread Man or Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, we usually read contemporary stories. I'm listing some of our favourite books here.

Shark in the Park by Nick Sharratt (Corgi Childrens, ISBN 0552549770) is the story of a young boy, Timothy Pope, who goes to the park with his telescope (which obviously rhymes with his name). Each time he looks through the telescope, he sees something that looks like the black fin of a shark, so he shouts out 'There's a shark in the park!' This is repeated several times throughout the book, and the children know when it's coming and love to shout the phrase out themselves each time. Of course what Timothy sees is not a shark; the first time it's a cat's ear, once it's his father's quiff, another time a bird's wing, and so on. Great amusement. As his father finally decides to take him home, they turn their backs on the park and there in the duck pond appears an ominous black fin. The repetition and the humour both make this a popular story.

Here Comes the Crocodile by Kathryn White and Michael Terry (Little Tiger Press, ISBN 185430979X) is perhaps our greatest favourite, and one which also lends itself particularly well to drama sessions too. The scene is set in the hot, green jungle, and as the crocodile stirs in the river he sends a shiver throughout. He's hungry and on the lookout for his prey. Encountering several animals such as monkeys, flamingos, an elephant and a zebra, he threatens each of them in turn. They each have an excuse at the ready: the elephant claims that he is made of solid grey rock and will break the crocodile's teeth, whereas the zebra says his black stripes are pepper and his white stripes salt. The flamingos insist they are made of candy floss which will make the crocodile sick. Having failed to trap any of the animals, the crocodile is by that time so hungry that he rolls on his back crying' 'Boo-hoo, I want my mummy!' The reader can put so much expression into this that it sounds ridiculous and will have the children curling up with laughter. The animals all take pity on the crocodile, so the monkey shares some bananas, the zebra offers grass and the elephant gives a generous spray of water from his trunk. They are all together and thinking how wonderful life is when suddenly a tiger springs out of nowhere saying 'I am ready for tea!' This is another opportunity for putting plenty of expression into your voice, and as the story ends we discuss who will win the fight: the crocodile or the tiger? The text is in the form of a rhyming poem, and included in the illustrations is an image of what would happen to the crocodile if he ate that particular animal. A wonderful book.

Barty's Ketchup Catastrophe by Sally Chambers (Piccadilly Press Ltd, ISBN 1853404845) is a story that the children never tire of. Barty is actually a sheep who is obsessed with tomato ketchup. He has it on everything: his breakfast cereal, his sandwiches at school, and even on birthday cake, at which point the children always come out with a chorus of 'Uughh!' and we all agree that none of us would eat cake with tomato ketchup. One day Barty is invited to a sleepover at his friend Cedric's house. He is so excited and eagerly packs his overnight bag. Even though the children I read to are only four years old, they do already go to sleepovers and can easily identify with Barty's excitement. When Barty arrives at Cedric's, they play in his room until it's time for tea. Pizza is served, with grass topping of course, and Barty asks for some ketchup. Horror of horrors, Cedric's mum looks in the cupboard and announces that there isn't any. Barty sits quietly for a while, too embarrassed to cry, and has a drink. Eventually he decides to try the pizza and finds that it isn't so bad after all without ketchup. When he returns home his family wonder if he has got over his obsession, but no. Next time he is invited to Cedric's he makes absolutely sure he has packed the ketchup. I'm never quite sure why this is such a firm favourite, but perhaps the children have been through similar experiences of having a meal at a friend's house and finding that it's not quite like it is at home. The text is simple and the illustrations certainly look friendly.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books Ltd, ISBN 0774523230) is a story that probably appeals as much to adults as it does to children. A family sets off to look for a bear and has to go through all weathers and settings on the way. They encounter mud, for example, and say, 'We can't go over it, we can't go under it; oh no, we'll have to go through it!' These words are repeated each time they come to a new obstacle, such as a forest or a snowstorm. Then follow onomatopoeic phrases that describe the experience, such as 'swishy swashy' for long grass. When they finally come upon a bear in a cave, however, they are terrified and rush back the way they came, so we see they journey in reverse order. They go into the house, run upstairs and jump into bed, only to realize that they didn't shut the front door. Down they go to shut the bear out and feel safe at last. The bear wanders back to his cave and looks particularly forlorn; we feel that he was so looking forward to some company. 

These are the four books that I would recommend above all others, but there are of course many more that we enjoy. Doing the Animal Bop by J. Ormerod and Lindsey Gardiner (Oxford University Press, ISBN 0192791400) is a lively, rhythmic tale where children could get up and imitate the movements of the animals as the book is being read. Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper (Corgi Children's, ISBN 0552556734) is the story of a cat, a squirrel and a duck that shows how we should share experiences fairly, allowing everyone to have a turn at doing different things in the process. The books in the series about Spot the dog are always popular, especially as they involve lifting flaps to see who is underneath.

The most successful reading-aloud sessions are likely to be those where the reader puts plenty of expression into the voices of the different characters. Rhythm, rhyme and repetition can also play an important part in making listening fun, and of course humour itself will always help children to enjoy following a story right through until the end.

Watch out! Big Bro's Coming, by Jez Alborough

A little white mouse comes running to a frog to ask for help because Big Bro's coming: “He's rough, he's tough, and he's big.” The mouse stretches his arms out as wide as he can to show just how big, then he runs away to hide. The worried frog conveys the same information to a parrot before hopping off to hide as well. The parrot tells the story to a chimpanzee and stretches out his wings to show just how big Big Bro is, but of course his wing span is far greater than the span of the mouse or the frog's arms. By now it seems as though Big Bro really must be a fair size and a creature capable of striking fear in the heart of any other animal. The parrot flies off to hide in his turn, and the chimpanzee rushes to tell an elephant about Big Bro. The chimp can stretch out his arms even wider than the parrot's wings, so the elephant decides that there is good reason for them both to hide.

The animals are all huddled together and the elephant thinks one of them should creep out and have a look around. They are, however, all terrified, but the little mouse bravely offers to go. He soon rushes back, shrieking that Big Bro is on his way and that they must hide. The animals all cover their eyes in trepidation as they hear footsteps. When they finally discover that Big Bro is in fact a mouse, albeit a largish one, they comment on how tiny he is. Not wishing to be made to look a fool, Big Bro takes a deep breath and shouts “BOO!” which really makes the animals jump. The story ends with Big Bro marching his little brother off home while the others remark that he really is rough and tough.

Jez Alborough's “Watch out! Big Bro's Coming” is a simple but effective story that cleverly uses the idea of size and builds the tension up gradually for a young audience. This is a great book for talking about the various animals and how big they are, and how likely they are to be frightened of other creatures. There is plenty of humour and repetition to keep a young child's interest throughout the story.

The text is in a large, clear font that is superimposed on the illustrations, usually on a light blue background so there is no difficulty in deciphering it. On average there are about ten lines per double page, occasionally more but sometimes less. A two-year-old child might be impatient to turn over, but a slightly older child will enjoy taking in the illustrations while listening. A child who is gaining confidence in reading would probably not have too much difficulty tackling “Watch out! Big Bro's Coming”. Rough, tough and chimpanzee may not be the easiest words to read, but there is enough repetition of sentences throughout the book to making reading the story not too challenging.

Alborough illustrates his own picture books, and this one is particularly colourful and appealing. There is always a bright blue sky and plenty of greenery; while the mouse, chimpanzee and elephant are rather neutral colours, the parrot is a beautiful yellow, orange and red plumed bird and the frog is rich green and yellow. The animals usually have wide-eyed, open-mouthed, flabbergasted facial expressions that bring each illustration to life.

“Watch out! Big Bro's Coming” has proved to be one of the most popular picture books that I have successfully used as the basis for a drama session with a group of four-year-old children. Almost all children love pretending to be animals, making the appropriate noises and hopping or flapping their arms like wings. It is an ideal length, and the children enjoy hiding and whispering while waiting for Big Bro to arrive. The story obviously captured their imagine, as they were still saying “Big Bro's coming” during an outdoor play session after the drama. I had suggested that before they go off to school in September we might repeat some of their favourite dramas, and they said that this would definitely be one of their choices.

It is hard to go wrong with Jez Alborough, and if you and your young family have not yet become familiar with his picture books, “Watch out! Big Bro's Coming” would be an ideal one to start with. It is likely to appeal to both boys and girls from the age of two up to five or six. It's great fun for reading aloud, and I thoroughly recommend it.

Watch out! Big Bro's Coming

Jez Alborough

Paperback, 32 pages

Walker Books, 2005

ISBN 0744598346

Price £5.99 (Amazon £5.39)