Toby’s cat, Jack, is the best cat ever. But Jack is getting old, and Toby will miss his furry best friend terribly when he’s gone. Then Toby meets a crazy cat called Humphrey. In this charming and beautifully illustrated picture book Rebecca Elliott addresses the difficult subject of a child's first experience of the death of a pet with warmth, sensitivity, and well placed humor.

Our Review

A boy recounts his memory of the best cat ever, Jack, a cat that isn’t snooty, scratchy or boring. One day Jack dies, it’s very sad and his owner misses him dearly. The idea of another cat is unappealing, no cat can replace Jack. However when he meets a cat who doesn’t behave like Jack but is still not snooty, scratchy and boring he’s ok with the idea of a new cat, he also thinks Jack would like it too.

Brilliant art work by Rebecca Elliot, It great how the illustrations seem to have their own textures as well as incorporating rich colours. A story that is touching and heart-warming. Would recommend if a child is experiencing the same sort of loss and grief. The story is well told and although a tough subject Rebecca Elliot injects some fun with her cat characters and illustrations. The kids absolutely loved this story.

Toby's sister and baby brother love their schools - they smell of paint and rainbows. Toby doesn't think he likes his new school at all - it smells of ogres and he's lonely. He looks and looks for friends but he can't find any anywhere. He finds an alien, a mermaid, a dinosaur expert and a pirate, but no friends! When his mum comes to pick him up he tells her the sad news - but if he didn't make any friends then who is in the playground waving at him..? Rebecca Elliott's charming Toby books help children deal with new and unfamiliar circumstances. In Mr Super Poopy Pants, Toby got used to the idea of having a new baby brother; in Missing Jack he had to come to terms with the death of his pet cat. Now Rebecca is showing that going to school isn't quite as scary as you might think, using her unique sense of humour and style to create a warm and comforting picture book, which is quirky and funny at the same time.

Our Review

A story about a young boy called Toby and the fear and apprehension of starting a new school. Toby thinks his new school smells of ogre armpits, pigeon poop and sadness. Luckily, whist there on his first day he meets an alien, a pirate, some mermaids and a dinosaur expert who takes him on a velociraptor hunt. He doesn’t realise it but he’s making friends and having a great time and actually loves his new school.

A fun read with a great story which could be read to children in a similar scary and unfamiliar position as Toby. What we really liked were the brilliant illustrations depicting the different adventures of Toby’s imagination from the pirate ship to the prehistoric land, Rebecca Elliot’s artwork is fantastic. Highly recommended.

Magic Words: From the Ancient Oral Tradition of the Inuit is a modern translation (1965) of a very old Inuit creation story by nationally known poet Edward Field. As a poem it captures beautifully the intimate relationship this Arctic people have with their natural world.

Magic Words describes a world where humans and animals share bodies and languages, where the world of the imagination mixes easily with the physical. It began as a story that told how the Inuit people came to be and became a legend passed from generation to generation. In translation it grew from myth to poem. The text comes from expedition notes recorded by Danish explorer Knud Rasmussen in 1921. Edward Field got a copy from the Harvard Library and translated it into English.

Our review

One daughter said “It was brilliant.” The other said “I would definitely pick this up and read it four times.”

We loved this magical book about how animals and people were one and all languages were the same. Magic just happened when words were spoken because that’s how it was in that time. The illustrations were amazing and vividly coloured making this book a fantastic addition to any child’s book shelf. It also allowed some discussion about Inuit people and culture. I would highly recommended.

A funny book about liking the way you look! Everyone occasionally dreams of being a little prettier, taller, slimmer . . . And Nadia Budde’s quirky characters are no different. Some wish they had more hair, some wish they had less. The only one who doesn’t care about his appearance is Uncle Ike—he doesn’t care what his looks are like. Nadia’s catchy rhymes and funny characters will appeal to readers of all ages and (hopefully) help us see that we’re all perfect just the way we are!

Our Review

A book that was well illustrated with images that had crisp colours and a style which was fun and unique. All the characters were interesting and different, and the rhyme was fun and humorous making me and the kids laugh.

The message was also put across in a fun way, it’s important in today’s age that children, who are often subjected to the media and the ideals of physical image, aren’t gaining negative self-images and are instead happy with who they are and how they look, embracing individuality like Uncle Ike.

A great story with vibrant, colourful images and characters. A great book to share with children, and great to get them reading along. Highly recommended.

What do you do with a fire-breathing monster? Adore him! The Monster from Halfway to Nowhere... When the people of a little town discover that the fire-breathing monster in their midst is really a kind-hearted mind mannered monster, they all have different ideas about what to do with him. But the ideas make Mervyn unhappy, until a professor has an idea that lightens everyone s mood especially Mervyn's! The Monster from Halfway to Nowhere... Robbers have kidnapped Mervyn the monster by baking him cakes full of sleeping powder. They think the heist is a success. But the robbers don t know Mervyn . . . and the people from the town that s halfway to nowhere."

Our review

We found this book nice to look at with its vivid colours and interesting illustrations. It was also a warm- hearted story about a monsters kindness and also about how sometimes, people can be quick to judge others. Both stories had nice endings about acceptance and happiness. In the first story the villagers accepted Mervyn and they learn to live happily together. The second story is about a group of robbers who make the mistake of stealing Mervyn. 

My children enjoyed the interesting and brightly coloured illustrations, there were sections where the illustrations and text didn’t match up but the kids didn’t seem to mind. On the whole this was a fun book to read and both girls were happy to read straight through both stories. Definitely recommended.