Hotel Flamingo: Frosty Fiesta

It’s very quiet at Hotel Flamingo as the nights are getting darker so Anna is delighted when she is asked to arrange a hibernation party for Mrs Turpington, one of the hotel’s longest residents. Finding themselves completely snowed in, however, Anna is just feeling pleased there aren’t more guests when lots of bookings come in and she learns that the Winter White-out Games are taking place on Animal Boulevard, leaving Anna and the hotel staff with plenty to organise!

I love the Hotel Flamingo series and know how many children enjoy them so I was delighted to discover ‘Frosty Fiesta’, the latest in the series.

Offering the perfect mix of text and illustration, ‘Frosty Fiesta’ is perfect for newly independent readers developing their reading stamina as well as making a most enjoyable shared read. The gentle humour and cast of colourful and endearing characters are so engaging and there are some new guests to get to know amongst the familiar faces.

Anna once again shows herself to be caring, hard-working and loyal, determined to make sure everyone’s stay at her hotel is the very best it can be, even if it means building an ice hotel to accommodate extra guests! When it looks as if the Winter Games are going to have to be cancelled, she rallies everyone to make sure that everything is ready. She also ensures that Mrs Turpington’s guests manage to make their way through the snow so that her party is a great success.

The illustrations are as delightful as ever, helping to make this a very tempting read!

Hotel Flamingo: Frosty Fiesta

Alex Milway

Piccadilly Press ISBN: 978-1835870891

Huxley and Flapjack: Wild West Escape

Huxley, the impulsive koala, and Flapjack, the timid penguin, are back in a new adventure! Spotting an advert in the paper, Huxley decides that becoming a cowhand is the perfect way to earn some money. Not deterred when Flapjack points out that they can’t even ride horses, Huxley accepts the job and the two friends find themselves in charge of a herd of cows. However, when they lose all the cows, they must track them all down before heading home to the farm.

Ideal for younger readers, ‘Wild West Escape’ is another delightful escapade for these two loveable, and very different, friends!

As usual, everything goes wrong as Huxley blithely wanders into a new situation, deaf to the cautious voice of Flapjack. Their series of mishaps will have children chuckling and then cheering as everything turns out right in the end! The story is full of gentle humour and packed with lively, colourful illustrations, making it a very engaging and enjoyable read.

One of the many lovely things about this story is that, like the others in the series, it allows for conversations about friendships. Huxley and Flapjack are very different characters and yet enjoy a close friendship. Whilst Huxley brings Flapjack out of his comfort zone and enables him to be more adventurous, there is also scope for gentle discussions about listening to the ideas and feelings of others with the more impetuous or dominant! Whilst Huxley and Flapjack’s adventures never lead them into any real or lasting harm, there are times when Huxley should ‘look before he leaps’!

As well as being very appealing, the illustrations offer plenty of additional information and ‘clues’ about what is going on in the text. Reactions to Huxley’s guitar playing, Flapjack’s many facial expressions and the duo’s final task before they head home are brilliantly captured in this way. Perfect for cuddling up and sharing, the book also falls neatly into bridging the gap between picture books and longer reads!

Huxley and Flapjack: Wild West Escape

Alan MacDonald, illustrated by Francesca Gambatesa

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1788957403

You can read my review of ‘Trouble at Sea’ here and ‘Race to the Rescue’ here.

Croaky: Search for the Sasquatch

Croaky Hopper is a fearless frog, desperate to follow in the hops of his TV hero, Tennessee Toad. When he joins the Woggle Scouts, he meets Sheena the mouse and Winston the puffin and is whisked off on his first adventure, Camping in Crystal Creek National Park. However, Croaky soon discovers that the real reason they are there is to search for a Sasquatch and the real adventure begins…

Full of humour and fun, ‘Croaky: Search for the Sasquatch’ is exactly the sort of book my son would have loved when he was younger! Engaging from the very first page, it offers adventure, lots of laughs and a very endearing main character, all enhanced by plentiful, lively illustrations. The text is bold and clear, standing out even against some of the stronger coloured backgrounds and presented in achievable chunks. There are also sections presented in the comic book style, making this a fabulous hybrid of graphic and early novel, sure to appeal to a wide range of readers.

Croaky is a wonderful character. Due to his longing for adventure, Croaky has struggled to make friends, but with in Woggle Scouts, he has found Sheena, a highly organised, badge-loving, clever mouse and the leader of the pack, former adventurer, Winston the puffin. He is a bit impetuous, but he is brave and kind and determined, completing the perfect adventuring team!

At the end of the book, the reader is able to ‘earn’ a pathfinder and looker badge by completing activity pages. Croaky is sure to become a huge favourite and, as this is the first of a series, have everyone looking forward to his next adventure!

Croaky: Search for the Sasquatch

Matty Long

OUP ISBN: 978-0192785183

Published 7th March