I was recently lucky enough to be selected to become one of 25 'Yummy Mummy' book reviewers for Top That! Publishing.
That means that starting this month I will be receiving complimentary copies of their brand new books for review. Quite simply, if my children and I like the books, I will be posting a review. However, if I think that the books are in need of improvements I will be contacting Top That! Publishing to discuss what changes could be made in order to make sure that their books are better for future reprints. In doing this I hope that I will be able to provide inspiration for you in potential reading materials for your children and also to be able to help Top That! publishing make great improvements to their books as well.
So the first book I have for review is 'Gobble! Gobble! Gobble' by Simon Mayers and Hilary James (front cover is pictured above).
REVIEW: My 2 and a half year old wanted to open the book straight away due to the quirky looking turkey on the front cover (pictured below). I really liked the drawing style of the illustrator and because of the drawing style it would be easy to distinguish other books by the illustrator. The drawings have a rough and edgy feel which somehow make the story feel more like the good old fashioned books as opposed to the ones that use computerised graphics.
A nice little touch to the book was the place to write the name and this will be a great feature when this book becomes a treasured hand-me-down.
On to the story plot; if you are looking for a deep and meaningful book for your child then this isn't it (and let's face it what 2 and a half year old wants a deep and meaningful book), but if however you are looking for something with a comical and light-hearted feel then this book is for you. The whole book revolves around a humorous sing-songy rhyme about funny scenarios involving turkeys. None of these scenarios would ever happen in real life but the book provokes the child to imagine how funny these encounters would be if they did happen. Giggles galore!
So the first book I have for review is 'Gobble! Gobble! Gobble' by Simon Mayers and Hilary James (front cover is pictured above).
REVIEW: My 2 and a half year old wanted to open the book straight away due to the quirky looking turkey on the front cover (pictured below). I really liked the drawing style of the illustrator and because of the drawing style it would be easy to distinguish other books by the illustrator. The drawings have a rough and edgy feel which somehow make the story feel more like the good old fashioned books as opposed to the ones that use computerised graphics.
A nice little touch to the book was the place to write the name and this will be a great feature when this book becomes a treasured hand-me-down.
On to the story plot; if you are looking for a deep and meaningful book for your child then this isn't it (and let's face it what 2 and a half year old wants a deep and meaningful book), but if however you are looking for something with a comical and light-hearted feel then this book is for you. The whole book revolves around a humorous sing-songy rhyme about funny scenarios involving turkeys. None of these scenarios would ever happen in real life but the book provokes the child to imagine how funny these encounters would be if they did happen. Giggles galore!
The poor turkeys do have to encounter some negative press in the book with their dim-witted portrayal but this all adds to the humour element. The repetitive words and rhyme make children want to join in and become part of the book, which is a great key in involving them in the plot of the story.
Further to this, the book comes with a CD featuring the 'Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!' song. My son loved this song! I imagined being able to turn the page to accompany the beat of the music but the lovely mandolin music went far too fast for this. So I would suggest maybe listening to this beautiful CD first and then you will be familiar with the melody in which the book is aimed to be sung with and you can slow it down a bit so that you can progress through the book with fervour and style.
Overall, this books contains everything that will intrigue little ones; farm animals, rhyme, comical situations and repetition. The size and amount of text is just right as their attention span is held for just the right amount before they want to turn the page.
If I had any criticism of the book, it would be only the fact that I don't like where the CD is placed. Because it is placed as a focal point on the front page to illustrate that the book comes with a CD, my son instantly wanted to pull it off resulting in the front cover ripping slightly. So I would make the suggestion that perhaps the CD be moved to the back away from eager little hands.
Overall, this book is most definitely a winner in the Sweet Craftiness household.
Rating 4/5
For more info please visit http://www.topthatpublishing.com/
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