Today we hear from Bookbabbler Fenya…

Million Dollar Mates: Catwalk Queen – Cathy Hopkins

A pop diva comes to live at Porchester Park and is involved in a modelling competition. Jess is encouraged to enter too. But does she really want to be a catwalk queen?

I enjoyed this book as it was a girly type of book about modelling but also had a dilemma and solution. The little mysteries and choices, which led to big parts of the story, made it perfect.

This book was good because it had a mixture of sad, happy, flabbergasted and loved emotions. It was also intriguing because it shows that no matter who you are or what you look like, you can get your greatest wishes, which I think is best. Like Jess, you could become a top model, a top famous superstar’s casual friend, and the boy of your dream’s love, even if you think you’re the plainest person living! In my opinion, it brings hope to most girls, as nearly all of us don’t like our look.

There are very few downsides to this book. However nothing is perfect. It was kind of annoying the way it was like; is she doing the modelling competition? No. Maybe. Yes. Maybe. Yes. It was also a little slow in parts.

The Author, Cathy Hopkins, is very good at writing these sorts of books, as I have read some of her other stories and they are all excellent and all about girls, boyfriends and makeup. She is very imaginative, though most of her stories are the same sort of thing. Nevertheless she is very creative when it comes to writing, and can use a lot of good words.

I am really starting to get interested into these sorts of books. I find the fascinating stories funny and unpredictable.

Thanks, Fenya, and thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending us a copy to review. It’s here for you to buy now..

Today we have a  review for little ones, by Wendy…

Blast Off – Malachy Doyle

This  book is  part of the QED storytime series. These introduce young children to the pleasures of reading and sharing stories.

Blast off is about a group of animals who find an empty spaceship and set about deciding  who will fly in it as there is only room for one of them. Jim Giraffe is too tall to fit, Sally Sheep is afraid of the dark and Henry Horse isn’t fit enough. After all the tests Rocco the bunny is selected to be an astro bunny! The text is intermingled with lovely bold illustrations that really bring the book to life.

There is a count down through the book and then one at the end when the Rocco the bunny flys off into space. My kids really enjoyed the book and especially enjoyed shouting out the countdown. As the book is simply written it is also ideal as an earlier reading book.

At the end of the book are notes for parents and teachers which give ideas for discussing the story and other activities based around it. We had great fun discussing how we would decide who went in the rocket and then counting down for our rocket launch.

Thanks, Wendy, and thanks to QED Publishing for sending us a copy to review. You can order it here now…

Today we’re excited to be telling you about a new book, the first in the Fury trilogy, out September 1st. Get a feel for it with the trailer, and then read Bookbabbler Iffath’s review..

Fury – Elizabeth Miles

The students living in Ascension, Maine are currently in winter break. Emily can finally spend time with the boy she really likes and Chase has met a pretty girl he thinks may really like him. BUT. All is not well in paradise because Emily’s crush also happens to be her best friend Gabby’s boyfriend, Zach. And Chase? Well, his girl may well be hiding something from him, something very big. It looks like both will have to learn that what goes around, comes around. The hard way.

The story begins with us reading from Em’s perspective and alternates between her and Chase pretty smoothly, so that we never get confused which doesn’t sound like anything special, but trust me, it is. I wasn’t sure what to expect in each chapter and was biting my nails, literally waiting for something to go horrible, horribly wrong.

I can’t really say I could relate to Chase, but the novel was written so well that I could almost (almost) step into his shoes and feel what he felt. I so wanted it so that things would turn out good for him, but we can’t all have what we want, right? Em was different. I thought she was quite selfish, making excuses for what she was doing with Zach and thinking that they’d tell Gabby and it’d all be OK, and I didn’t really like her as a character, but both her and Chase progressed as the story went on and Em was a lot more likable than what she started off with, having learnt from her mistakes. And although sorry ISN’T enough, I really felt for her when things got out of control at the end. Oh, and some of the secondary characters were really great,; JD, Zach and Gabby. They each played an important role in the telling of the story and I thought that they were portrayed with a high amount of skill.

The contemporary and paranormal genres have been combined together to create Fury, and can I just say how well they worked together? Miles’ writing was clever and distressing, leaving me at the edge of my seat. There were some parts of the story that I didn’t agree with, but I can’t deny the fact that Fury was an addictive read. I finished it in one sitting and wanted more more more! The storyline is unique and the plot is intricate. I don’t think there was once a moment where it failed to deliver what I expected, no, what I wanted.

I LOVED the greek-mythology aspect of the story! I’ve read about Furies only once before in Starcrossed (by Josephine Angelini) and it sparked a great interest! Imagine if something like that really happened..? If the furies went around, getting their revenge on people for the bad things they’d done to others? Makes you think twice, doesn’t it!

Chillingly dark, Fury will suck you into a world full of drama, intrigue and the I’m sure the furies will be happy to show you exactly how they’re feeling about Emily and Chase’s choices…

Thanks, Iffath, and thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending us a copy. Find out more about Fury at www.furybooks.com. It’s out next month, so you can pre-order it here now..

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Bethan…

Operation Eiffel Tower – Elen Caldecott

Lauren, Jack, Ruby and Billy live by the seaside with their mum and dad. But their parents are always arguing, and then their dad moves out. Lauren and Jack decide they have to get them together again. And so begins Operation Eiffel Tower …in which the four children try to raise money to give their mum and dad a treat in an attempt to make them happier. First they want to send their parents to Paris, but quickly realise they can never afford that, so instead they set up a dinner for two under the Eiffel Tower in the local crazy golf attraction. But will it get their parents talking again? A funny and very moving story that tackles important issues with a light touch.

This book is about four children called Lauren, Jack, Ruby and Billy, whose Mum & Dad are always arguing and eventually split up. The children are determined to get them back together again and not even a car accident will stop them. In a magazine they see a picture which shows a man and a woman kissing in front of the Eiffel tower whilst sitting at a table with delicious food on it, and immediately start saving up money so that they can send their parents off to Paris. However when all their money-making ideas have been used and they still haven’t made enough money they have to start thinking about somewhere closer to home…

This is a rather exciting book, I especially liked reading about all their money-making schemes. I would recommend it to children aged 6-9. I would give 5 stars!

Thanks, Bethan, and thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending us a copy.

Today our author in residence shares her favourite books with us….

5 Favourite Reads by Stephanie Burgis

I devour books like chocolate, so it’s dangerous to ask me to start talking about them…I could go on forever! I’ve even got a page on my website completely devoted to my top favourite Kat-related books you can check out here. But when Bookbabblers invited me to write a guest post here about five favourite reads, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to talk about some of the books I’ve loved most recently:

1. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book One: The Mysterious Howling, by Maryrose Wood

I’m afraid this one is only published in America, but it is available through amazon.co.uk, and it is SO worth it. I haven’t laughed so much over a book – and I mean uncontrollable giggling out loud! – for a long, long time. When Miss Penelope Lumley leaves the Swanburne School to become a governess, she is astonished to discover that her new charges aren’t just wild, they were actually raised by wolves…and the results are hilarious and adorable. I loved, loved, loved this book, and I can’t wait to read the second book in the series!

2. The Penderwicks, by Jeanne Birdsall

Oh, this book was so much fun! Four sisters and their absent-minded father spend their summer in a self-catering cottage on a secluded estate in America, meet and rescue a lonely boy, and create an enormous amount of (very funny) trouble. It reads like an inspired combination of Little Women and Swallows and Amazons, with the feeling of really classic literature. I loved the characters so much, especially the relationships among the sisters.

3. I also adore the third book in the Penderwick series, The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, which is due to come out in the UK in February 2012.

The Penderwick girls are split apart for the first time ever, and the younger Penderwicks end up unleashed without their protective big sister to deal with disastrous (and hilarious) first love, musical genius, and melodrama. This book stands alone beautifully, so you don’t have to read either of the earlier Penderwick books before you enjoy it…but why wouldn’t you want to? (I didn’t love Book 2 as much as the other two books, but I wouldn’t have missed Book 1 for the world!)

4. Catherine, Called Birdy, by Karen Cushman

This one is out of print, frustratingly, but there are lots of cheap, used copies available, and it’s so worth hunting it down. Set in the Middle Ages, this is the diary of stubborn, grumpy, rebellious and completely lovable teenager Catherine. Her voice is so strong and engaging, and I utterly adored being swept into her medieval world, complete with captive bears that must be saved, shaggy-bearded suitors that must be somehow disposed of, and older brothers that must be taught their proper place.

5. Vanished, by Sheela Chari

Another book that’s only published in the US, I’m afraid, but oh, it is wonderful! Eleven-year-old Neela lives in Boston and dreams of becoming a professional musician if she can ever overcome her shyness. When her instrument, a traditional Indian veena, is stolen, Neela is swept into an international mystery and ends up researching curses, traveling to India, and making new friends along the way. I love the way this book meshes exciting adventure and mystery with absolutely beautiful writing.

And now I’m off to the library to discover more books – my very favourite kind of treasure hunting!

Thanks, Steph – fab choices! We’ll be hearing more from Steph throughout the month, but in the meantime, you can find out more about her here and get her books here…

Today we have a review for little ones, by Wendy…

I Wish I Could… Sleep! – Tiziana Bendall  

This book is part of a series of books by Tiziana Bendall on the I Wish I could …. theme. Other books include I Wish I Could…Roar! and I Wish I Could…Read!

Little Bear is trying to go to sleep when he hears a strange noise and even though he is scared he has a look to see what it is and discovers it is an owl. He tells owl that he can’t sleep and owl suggests he tries his nest but as he is too big he breaks the branch that the nest is in and ends up in a pile of leaves. He then tries Raccoon’s bed in a tree trunk but that is too small and he wants to go home to his own bed. A passing moose offers him a lift home in his antlers where he falls fast asleep. The moose puts Little Bear back in his bed telling him what a brave Little Bear he is.

This is a simple sweet story with lovely water colour style illustration and is ideal as a bedtime story. My 4 year old loved this especially as he always wants to sleep somewhere different to his bed. As the book is simply written it is also ideal as an earlier reading book.

At the end of the book are notes for parents and teachers which give ideas for discussing the story and other activities based around it. We made a collage of leaves from the garden as suggested in the notes.

Thanks, Wendy, and thanks to QED Publishing for sending us a copy. It’s here for you now..

Today we’re taking part in the Hunting Lila blog tour. We’ve a Q&A with the author, Sarah Alderson, followed by our review of the book. You can then catch the next part of the tour tomorrow over at Nayu’s Reading Corner.

Q&A with Sarah Alderson

When did you first decide to start writing?

I didn’t grow up with a burning desire to be a writer. I didn’t staple paper together when I was six and write stories about fairies that lived at the bottom of the garden. OK, I wrote some really, really awful poetry for a while which I think my ex-boyfriend still has and hopefully won’t put on ebay when I’m famous. When I was about ten I was asked to write a story about an invention – any invention that we could think of – and the page stayed blank. When I was eighteen my English teacher told me not to bother applying to read English at university.

I did write other things despite these early warnings to take up maths instead; diaries, newsletters, amusing emails to friends, love letters (sent and unsent) an early blog at the start of the century, countless essays about the Renaissance, the resistance and neo realist cinema, and then once I started work I wrote millions of words of wildly creative nonsense in the form of funding reports and applications to government for large amounts of money.

Then, in 2009 my husband and I decided we’d had enough of living and working in London and wanted to travel the world looking for somewhere else to live – somewhere hot, somewhere we wouldn’t have to work 9-5. So I resigned, and then started having panic attacks over what I would do to earn money.

That very day I was swimming and trying to work out what I could do and I thought ‘I know I’ll write a book’…and that really is the story of how I decided to write.

Hilariously, if I’d done any research and discovered what the average writer earns I might have kept swimming until I came up with another idea. But luckily I didn’t because once I started writing I couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured it out before. I’m meant to write. It’s my passion. I get lost in it every day.

Before I got a publishing deal I had constant doubts that I could actually be a writer, call myself that or even make money from it. And then I met someone, a journalist, and told her my dream and she looked at me as if I was being stupid and simply said, ‘Be a writer.’

I said to her, ‘I can’t just be a writer.’

And she asked, ‘Why not?’

It was the best advice I ever got. Because from that point on I started calling myself a writer and actually believing it. Two days after she told me that I had my first feature piece accepted by the Guardian. Four months afterwards I signed my first book contract.

What made you set ‘Hunting Lila’ in California?

I love California. After Bali it’s my favourite place in the world. It’s so spectacularly beautiful. I wanted to write about places I had been to, that I would feel confident describing, and I knew I didn’t want to base the book entirely in south London where I grew up. I mean it’s just not as glamorous really, is it?

But the ultimate decision to base it in California came when I was researching Marine bases. Lila’s brother Jack and his best friend Alex work for a shady military organization. I wanted them to be trained marines (too much watching 24 and Generation Kill). They needed to be able to handle weapons, kick serious bad guy butt, have access to sensitive information, know how to go on the run without being detected and… ok, maybe I just have a thing for a man in uniform with an amazingly ripped body who rides a motorbike dangerously…yeah, that would be closer to the truth.

When I was researching the book I looked up Marine bases in the US and found there was one in southern California. And double excitement… it was where Top Gun had been filmed. It was a Bingo! moment. I think I sat there grinning as all the pieces slotted into place (minus Tom Cruise).

How long did the book take to write?

Hunting Lila took me about four and a half months to write. I was working full time when I wrote it and so could only write in the evenings after my daughter was in bed. OK… I’d also write a little bit when no one was watching at work. Don’t tell them.

My first draft was very, very long. My agent made me edit it and that took another month. I’m a really fast writer though, and now I live in Bali and write full time (and have a housekeeper to do all my laundry) it only takes me about four to six weeks to write a book.

What are you currently working on? Is a sequel to Hunting Lila planned?

I’ve already written the sequel to Hunting Lila. I finished it before I even had a book deal. It just needed to be written. And I didn’t care if it ever saw the light of day. I wrote it for Alex and Lila. That sounds crazy but in my head they were so real I felt like I had to finish their story – I couldn’t leave them hanging. Luckily Simon & Schuster didn’t want to leave them hanging either – book two comes out in summer 2012.

I have a really good idea for a third book but we’ll see how the first two go before I start writing that one!

I’ve written three books in another series too (I told you I’m a fast writer). The first of those, Fated, is out in January. It’s about a seventeen-year old girl who finds out she’s a demon slayer. There’s a powerful love story, a cast of colourful characters and tons more action. I like my girl characters to be the ones who can really handle themselves, who don’t need rescuing all the time. I love the theme of that book – it’s about whether we’re in control of our own destiny or not, and how important it is to determine our own identity; not letting ourselves be told as a teenager who we are and what to believe in, but figuring it out for ourselves and then holding true to it.

What do you like to do other than writing?

I read voraciously. But only when I’m not writing. I find it too distracting to read other people’s books when I’m writing one.
I live on a tropical island so I spend a lot of time hanging out at the beach, machete-ing coconuts and getting massages. It’s a tough life but someone’s got to do it.  My husband’s a DJ and I’m obsessed with music (you can follow my playlists for Hunting Lila and my other books on spotify http://open.spotify.com/user/sarahalderson ).

I dance. A lot.

And watch a criminal amount of movies and TV series’ – basically anything made by HBO, written by David Simon or created by Alan Ball.

What are your favourite books?

This changes over time but the most constant ones on the list are:

Senor Vivo and the Coca Lord – Louis de Bernieres
The Poisonwood Bible – Barbara Kingsolver
A Room with a View – E.M. Forster
If this is a man – Primo Levi
Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell
Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkein And from the last couple of years in young adult:
The Hunger Games Trilogy – Suzanne Collins
Perfect Chemistry – Simone Elkeles
Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour – Morgan Matson

Tell us a bit about Hunting Lila

There’s a girl – Lila. She’s half-English, half-American. She’s been in love with her brother’s best friend Alex for most of her life but he doesn’t know it. She’s also hiding the fact that she has the ability to make things move just by looking at them, except she’s not very good at controlling it.

One day walking home from school she gets mugged at knifepoint and accidentally turns the knife on the mugger, almost killing him. She hightails it to southern California, where her brother and Alex live. They’re working for a mysterious organization called The Unit.
Lila discovers pretty early on that her brother and Alex are hunting down the people who killed her mother five years before and then comes a series of other revelations which force Lila into a series of situations.

I don’t want to give too much away, suffice to say there are several gasp out loud moments and just when you think you know where it’s going there’s another twist.

Lila’s on the run a lot of the time, being hunted, and it’s not until the end of the book that you find out exactly why she’s being hunted and what exactly the stakes are.

Nothing’s really what it seems. It’s a love story, but it’s also a thriller. And Lila’s pretty funny so it’ll make you laugh too.

Are any of the characters based on real people or are they purely fictional?

Well, my dad read Hunting Lila and thought Lila was just like me but he’s the first person to think that. She has elements of me, but so do all my characters – even the psycho ones – they’re all a part of me.

Alex, Lila’s long-term love interest, is based on a few people – initially I was inspired by Alex Skarsgard (yep, I even named him after him!) after seeing him in Generation Kill but then as I wrote he took on a lot of my husband’s characteristics – and his eyes – this intense crystal blue colour with flecks of amber at the centre, also my husband’s integrity and his inscrutability. The fact Alex is hard to read makes him mysterious but he also has an innate kindness and gentleness. He’s not macho or aggressive because he doesn’t need to be. He’s completely self-assured. Basically, all the qualities that in my mind make up the perfect man.  The possessiveness that Jack, Lila’s brother, demonstrates and the relationship he has with Lila, is based a lot on my own brother and our relationship – there were a few times when we were growing up he got mad at me for dating his girlfriends’ brothers. And a few times he defended my sixteen-year old honour. He never punched a tree though.

The only character who is based completely on an actual person – kind of, well all apart from his telekinetic ability – is Harvey. He’s based on my best friend’s husband. I put him in the book because my best friend reads every chapter as I write and I thought it would amuse her. I didn’t realize how big a character Harvey would become. In book two he rocks it. I have a whole fantasy cast in my head. You can see more here: http://sarah.johnalderson.net/casts/

Thanks, Sarah! Those questions were put together by Bookbabbler Sarah, and here’s her review of Hunting Lila…

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson 

17-year-old Lila has two secrets she’s prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she’s been in love with her brother’s best friend, Alex, since forever. After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust – her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they’ve found them. In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone – there are others out there just like her – people with special powers -and her mother’s killer is one of them…

Hunting Lila is a paranormal thriller, which will leave you on the edge of your seat. This is Sarah Alderson’s first novel and it is an amazing debut.

The novel begins in South London, but is mainly set in California. Lila Loveday, the heroine, is a seventeen year old girl at pains with herself for two reasons; firstly she is in love with her brother’s best friend Alex (but he doesn’t know this) and secondly she possesses a secret power allowing her to move items with her thoughts, but she does not really know how to control this.

After a mugging where Lila sees her powers come into action, she flees to Los Angeles (buying a ticket on her father’s credit card) to the sanctuary of her elder brother Jack. However, rather than a few days to relax it is here that Lila’s life really begins to change and paranormal seems to become normal. Lila goes to California to escape her fears and yet it is here that she must confront them.

Lila discovers that Jack and Alex are working for an organization called ‘The Unit’ and are trying to track down her mother’s killers. I fell totally in love with the character of Alex, both protective and gorgeous and I can see why Lila is obsessed with him! By the end of the novel, I felt that I knew the characters and I think this is because the author has cast their roles so well. Lila is funny and approachable and her obsession with Alex makes her very down to earth. The characters of Alex and Jack are the type of male that every girl dreams of; good looking, in uniform, and brave!

The ending of this book is real edge of your seat reading, I was totally enthralled. This is my favourite read of the year so far, gripping throughout it is a paranormal and romance linked perfectly together. I cannot wait to read the next book from Sarah Alderson. Fans of paranormal and romance should read this, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks, Sarah, it sounds brilliant! Thanks to Simon & Schuster for sending us a review copy – it’s here for you to buy now…

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Luke…

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar

The summer is looking bleak for Alton Richards. His girlfriend has dumped him to go out with his best friend, he has no money and no job. And then his parents insist that he drives Uncle Lester to his bridge tournaments four times a week.

Uncle Lester is old, blind and very sick….. and very rich. Which is why his parents are desperate for Alton to worm his way into his good books. But they’re in competition with other distant relatives.

Not expecting much from the outings, Alton soon finds himself getting to know a lot about his uncle, his family’s history, and pretty Toni Castaneda, another contender for Uncle Lester’s inheritance.

I started this book with trepidation, as I was unsure what to expect. I love playing cards, but bridge is a game I’ve never mastered, so it was interesting to read a book that centred on the game. The book centres on Alton Richards and the relationship he has with his “favourite uncle” Lester. Uncle Lester has not met Alton since he was a child, but ill health means that to continue playing a game he loves he needs Alton to be his cardturner. Initially Lester hates the bridge games, but he quickly learns the game play and is fascinated by the tactics involved. Alton does have a love interest in the book and it was great to see this relationship develop throughout. As it is to see the relationships develop between Alton and his uncle. Alton’s family only interest in Uncle Lester is his vast fortune and they have various misinformed stories about him and the rest of his family. Alton learns the truth about his family history with his meetings with his uncle, and this part of the book I loved.

There are many in detail instructions on how to play bridge throughout the book, however these are symbolised by a whale, and you can flick through these pages and not lose any of the story. If you can play the game, then the tactics would prove very interesting.

Overall, I loved this book. I loved how Alton and Lester’s relationship developed, and how Alton was able to live out a dream of his uncles. To tell you more would ruin a great story line, so I highly recommend you get this book for yourself.

Thanks, Luke, and thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s Books for sending us a copy to review.

Today we hear from Bookbabbler Fenya…

Heart Magazine: A Dream Come True – Cindy Jefferies

Hit mag Heart Magazine is always at the centre of the goss when it comes to celebs, fashion and style but peppy Ellie is about to discover that it’s not all glitz and glamour behind the scenes…For wannabe journalist, Ellie, getting to do work experience at her favourite teen magazine, Heart, is fantastic. For two weeks she’s going to be part of the glamorous world of celeb pages, fashion shoots and gossip columns. When Ellie is given a dream assignment she can’t believe her luck. She’s going to interview pop stars Pop and Lolly for the magazine and her article will be published in next month’s edition – if it’s good enough. But Ellie soon finds out that she’s got a jealous rival who’s determined to turn her dream job into a nightmare…Her article is sabotaged and it’s made to look as if Ellie didn’t get on with the two stars when in fact they got on brilliantly and the girls even gave Ellie a scoop to publish. Not only that, but someone seems to have a grudge against the whole magazine and is creating havoc in the office. Ellie’s getting the blame for everything that’s going wrong, but she knows she’s innocent and is determined to prove it.

I found this book intriguing because it was about a young teenage girl with an ambition to become a journalist for her favourite magazine, Heart. When she gets to do work experience at the Heart studio, she imagines herself writing tons of articles and meeting an ultra famous mega-star every other day. However, she soon finds out that her fantasy is not going to turn to reality any time soon…

Because of this, the book can be humorous in parts and surprising in others. In some places it can be sad as well, like when Ellie finds her dad’s messages in his old notebook. All of this together, in my opinion, makes a fantastic book. I especially liked it when the disasters happened, as it set my heart on edge, wondering if Ellie was going to get into trouble.

I think that girls of a range of ages would enjoy this book, as it has certainly got my approval. The author, Cindy Jefferies, has set the book on an enjoyable storyline and used a lot of good words, though a lot of these words are repeated with not enough space separating them. Like, for example, “intimidated” is used many times in just one chapter!

For all of these reasons, I would give this book a 9/10.

Thanks, Fenya, and thanks to Usborne Children’s Books for sending us a copy. It’s here for you now…

Today we have a review for little ones, by Wendy…

Ed’s Egg – David Bedford 

This book is part of the QED storytime series. These introduce young children to the pleasures of reading and sharing stories.

This picture book is about a chick called Ed who loved being an egg. When his shell cracks he doesn’t like the brightness or the cold and decides to try and put his egg back together. He stays in his broken egg until he eventually breaks it by tumbling into his Mum and he realises, when he snuggles up with his Mum, that Mums are better than eggs.

This is a sweet simple story that my children loved especially as they have chickens. It has become a favourite in our house.

The illustrations are large and bold and reflect the story well. As it is simply written it is also ideal as an earlier reader.

At the end of the book are notes for parents and teachers which give ideas for discussing the story and other activities based around it. We had great fun pretending to crack out of an egg and talking about chicks.

Thanks, Wendy, and thanks to QED Publishing for sending us a copy to review. It’s here for you to buy now..