Reviews
There are so many incredible books available at the moment that it is impossible to read them all, no matter how hard I try! Here are my thoughts about some of the books I have read and how I think they could be used in school as well as Q and A sessions with authors and illustrators.
One Cat, Two Cats
Bright and beautiful, ‘One Cat, Two Cats’ is quite simply brilliant! Bursting with gentle humour, children will love the simple rhyming text and the feline antics on every page.
The book is wonderfully interactive with lift-the-flaps and pop-ups galore encouraging children to count the cats along the way. Each feline is full of character and every reader- grown-ups included- is sure to have their favourite and track them through the book. Cat Number One is already called Peggotty in our house, named after one of our beloved cats whilst Number 7 is Ebenezer, not because of the colouring or shape, but because of his cheeky expression!
The story might lead to children drawing twenty cats of their own- or making simple finger puppets- giving each a collar bearing a number, which could then be used to help children sequence numbers to 20. The illustrations in the story lend themselves brilliantly to oral story telling, developing descriptive and positional language whilst talking about the pictures. There is so much to explore and enjoy with this book- and not just with little children as it could easily be used to inspire paper engineering projects with older ones!
Robust pages and quality production make this a book which can - and will be!- enjoyed again and again!
One Cat, Two Cats
Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Rob Hodgson
Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1805136125
Publishing 14th August 2025
You can read my review of ‘The Tyrannosaur’s Feathers’ here and ‘The Plesiosaur’s Neck’ here.
How Many Dinosaurs is Too Many?
When a child meets a lovely orange dinosaur, they are delighted. But one dinosaur is never enough and soon they have ten colourful, energetic dinosaur friends. However, the disruption and chaos caused by these messy, cheeky characters is soon just too much and so the child decides that they all have to go. Once alone, the child is left feeling sad…until they are reunited with their original friend. One dinosaur is perfect!
Full of energy and humour, the rhyming text is a delight to read aloud as the antics of the dinosaurs at first delights and then worries the little child. There is no indication as to whether this is a boy or a girl, making it easy for readers to identify with the character as the adventure develops. Children will enjoy counting along as each new dinosaur appears and the book is sure to inspire counting and matching games with toys or pictures of dinosaurs.
The illustrations are wonderful, offering plenty of opportunities for finding the different dinosaurs in each picture and noticing all their antics. Children are sure to notice the worried expression on the little orange dinosaur’s face as things get out of hand and the child realises that, perhaps, what they wished for is not as good as they thought it would be! In the end, the two friends are reunited, realising that two makes perfect company!
A lovely story for home and school!
How Many Dinosaurs is Too Many?
Lou Peacock, illustrated by Nicola Slater
Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1839945519
Pop!
One afternoon, Dave and his friends burst into life when a pan of corn is put on the hob. Bouncing around the pan, at last the popping stops and after a shower of sugar, they all settle down to watch a movie.
Bursting with bright, colourful illustrations, ‘Pop!’ is wonderfully quirky and full of fun! Matt Carr manages to convey such personality to Dave and his pals as they pop into life. The lively rhyming text is perfect for reading aloud, with lots of ‘popping’ noises to join in with. The story also offers a brilliant excuse for making and sharing popcorn, enjoying watching the process, discussing what’s happening and relating this to the book.
The story links brilliantly to learning to count to 10- and beyond! Children will enjoy drawing Dave and his cheeky popcorn pals, numbering and naming them, as well as creating their own characters. A brilliant tale for home and school!
Pop! Matt Carr
Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702306228
