3 Book Reviews for Reading Together or Younger Independent Readers. (Sent by Matador)

I'm sent a lot of books for review, and I'm ridiculously behind with Young Fiction because, as you may have seen, the Coronavirus is taking up my time. I took a break today and had a look at 3 recent releases which are ideal for reading together, or for children aged around 6+ to read alone. 

The 3 fully illustrated picture story books are all self-published and sent to me by Matador for review - and they are all really good, with bold illustrations, modern style and lots to talk about... 

There's No Place Like... Written by Greta Mitchell and Illustrated by Alice Haskell.

This is a lovely little tale about a big robot which space-loving youngsters might recognise. The Curiosity Rover is sent on a mission to Mars. He is lonely out there and although he is busy doing science, he really wants to find the Opportunity Rover, so that he has a friend.

 

He can't find the other Rover, buried in the sand. In reality they landed thousands of miles apart, so he almost definitely never will, but he continues in his mission, safe in the knowledge that more Rovers will come, one day. (I've got good news for you Curiosity! They are already en route.)

It's a bit of a sad and lonely story, but it ends with hope, and it's no more sad than it was watching the news and knowing Opportunity had been covered in dust at the time. It does make you appreciate the Earth a little more, and the ground beneath your feet. 

A nice, thought-provoking story, with gorgeous illustrations which really manage to capture the size of everything - space itself, the dust storms, and the distance from the Earth. Paperback, full colour illustrations, 40 pages, rrp £9.99. 

My Teachers Are Animals. Written by Mark Bonner, Illustrated by Alex Crump. 

This is a large A4 sized glossy paperback which is big and bold from the start. The teachers really are animals, and quite content to give the children some sort of completely amazing and probably unrepeatable school day. 

They fit a lot into their day, including explosions in the swimming pool for science, ants who write for you and Art with an elephant. And if you get filthy, it isn't a problem, you just get changed. It's completely impossible, but a school a lot of children might very much like. 

The illustrations have absolutely masses going on, and the text is in various styles, cropped into paragraphs or sentences around the page, so it's not daunting for a reluctant reader. There is lots to think about and discuss - and plenty of humour.... 

This is a great book for reading together with a young school group, and it does definitely show some of the hazards of being taught by 'real' animals. Paperback, full colour, A4 size, 40 pages, rrp £7.99. 

Community Cop Colin: Keeping Safe. Written by Martin Greenlees, Illustrated by Ian R Ward. 

This is a scenario told in the form of a story, and it's written by a genuine ex-Community Police Officer. It tells the story of 2 children who get lost when shopping, and it does contain genuinely scared children, but it's not super heavy, and their ordeal is over quickly. 

The book emphasises what children should do if they become lost, where they should go for help. If you can't see your Mum, you may have no choice but to talk to a stranger. Find someone in a uniform. 

All children have the ability to get lost and so this is sensible advice they all need to learn. It's told in a realistic, but non-sensational way, and the gentle and comforting images really work incredibly well. The characters are full of emotion. 

A good book to clearly explain to youngsters how best to keep themselves safe - it may well come in handy some time. Paperback, full colour illustrations, 20 pages, rrp £4.50.

All of the books are published with Matador and available from good book shops. I've popped Amazon affiliate links below. If you order through my link I earn a few pence as a thank you, but you don't pay any more...