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.
NNFN2023: The Tyrannosaur’s Feathers
Like many young children, my son was fascinated by dinosaurs when he was little. We spent many happy hours at the Natural History Museum in London and the one in Oxford, collected hundreds of plastic models and books and could identify many different types! This fascinating and absorbing book would have delighted him.
Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor engage in a lively discussion about how old-fashioned T-rex is looking and how much he needs a make over. Together, they go on a journey of discovery to match his appearance to the most recent evidence. Notes alongside their conversation help to develop understanding and the use of ambitious vocabulary is something which young dinosaur lovers seem to thrive on and enjoy!
The combination of humorous banter, the illustrations which change in response to this and the abundant scientific information makes this a real winner of a book. Additional pages at the end of the book offer the ‘latest evidence’, reminding the reader that there are always more discoveries to be made! A brilliant addition to any bookshelf!
The Tyrannosaur’s Feathers
Dr Adam S Smith and Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Stieven Van der Poorten
UCLan Publishing ISBN: 978-1915235596
You can read my review of ‘The Plesiosaur’s Neck’ here.
