Review: The Ultimate Unicorn Joke Book by by Egmont Publishing UK

The Ultimate Unicorn Joke Book
by Egmont Publishing UK
Release Date: September 6th, 2019
Publishers: Red Shed
Genre: Kids 3 - 8 years old 
Source: For Review
Pages: 96
Goodreads: Add to TBR

 

Get ready to giggle glitter and laugh yourself silly in this hilarious new joke book all about . . .

. . . UNICORNS!

Where do unicorns throw their rubbish?
In the glitter bin!

What’s a unicorn’s favourite TV show?
Neighhhhbours!

Which unicorn smells?
The POO-nicorn!

Full of jokes, puns and one-liners about unicorns, mermaids, wizards, rainbows and much, much more. This book is hot-to-trot and you’re guaranteed to laugh yourself HORSE!

With a sparkly foiled cover and purple inside printing for an extra special magical touch, this is the perfect gift for fans of unicorn, mermaids, glitter, sparkles and anyone who loves a uni-corny joke!

The Review: My 8 year old daughter loves getting involved with reviewing books so when The Ultimate Unicorn Joke Book came up for review I immediately said yes because I just knew my daughter would enjoy it, and I was definitely right.

The Ultimate Unicorn Joke Book is a fun, magical and laugh out loud book filled with 160 different jokes about unicorns, mermaids, wizards, horses, rainbows and much more. Sparkly Jim ‘the funniest unicorn’ really is a bundle of laughs. My daughter absolutely loved reading all the jokes and finding her favourite ones where she would tell all the all the family to see if they could guess the answer. She even took it to school to share the jokes with her friends. 

The book is illustrated beautifully with eye catching designs and filled with unicorn’s having fun. I just enjoyed this book just as much as my daughter and it’s the perfect little present for Christmas or birthdays for young girls.

Thank you to Egmont for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

                                                                     Rating: Really Liked It - 4 Flowers 

{Blog Tour} Douglas, You Need Glasses! by Ged Adamson #DouglasYouNeedGlasses

Posted by Donna
Release Date: 17th May 2016
Finished Date: 30th July 2016

Publishers: Schwartz & Wade
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Source: For Review
Format: eBook 

Pages: 40

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Meet Douglas, a dog with a big problem: he needs eyeglasses but doesn’t know it, and his bad eyesight tends to land him in some pretty hairy situations.

Readers will laugh along with the new picture book character Douglas as he chases a leaf that he mistakes for a squirrel, walks through wet cement because he can’t see the warning sign, and annoys the neighbor’s dog by mistakenly eating out of his bowl. And when Douglas’s owner Nancy finally takes him to what is clearly an eyeglass store and Douglas asks, “Why are you taking me to a shoe store?” everyone will be giggling. 

After an eye exam confirms that Douglas needs glasses, and Nancy helps him find the perfect pair, readers will rejoice with Douglas as he sees all the amazing things he’s been missing!

Both kids and parents will laugh out loud—and may even recognize themselves!—while reading this utterly irresistible, hilarious picture book.

The Review: As soon as I heard about this book I just knew it was one my daughter and I had to read. It's been a while since we last reviewed a children's book together and Douglas, You Need Glasses! was definitely the perfect choice.Douglas is a dog. He's near sighted. He chases leaves instead of squirrels. And he's always mistaking animals like cats for crabs. It's safe to say Douglas's eye's really get him mixed up. So the only option for his owner - Nancy, is for her to take him to the eye doctors for some glasses. 

Douglas, You Need Glasses! is an enjoyable read for the whole family to enjoy time and time again. It's the right length of a story so your little ones can't get distracted and it also provides some very detailed and funny illustrations to keep them entertained. It also offers some real life events that may even help your little if they are in the same situation as Douglas. I'm definitely going to have to buy a hard copy of this book for my daughter so she can take it into school for story time. 

Thank you to Geb Adamson & Kate Ormand for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

AUTHOR BIO:  Ged Adamson is a writer and illustrator. His first two books, Elsie Clarke And The Vampire Hairdresser and Meet The McKaws, are both published by Sky Pony Press. A third, Douglas, You Need Glasses!, will be published in May 2016 by Random House. He sees two books published in 2017 – Shark Dog in Summer 2017 and published by HarperCollins and I Want to Grow will be released in Fall 2017 by Boyds Mill Press.

His cartoons have appeared in magazines such as Punch and Prospect, in books and on film. He’s been a storyboard artist and a caricaturist. He also works as a composer for TV and film. He lives in London with his partner Helen and their son Rex.

 Links: 
Twitter https://twitter.com/ged_adamson
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gedadamson/
Website http://www.gedadamson.com

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{Review} The Magical Snow Garden by Tracey Corderoy, Jane Chapman

Posted by Donna
Release Date: September 1st, 2015
Finished Date: November 29th, 2015

Publishers: Little Tiger Press
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Far away, where snowflakes twinkle like stars, Wellington penguin dreams of growing a garden. "Impossible!" say his friends. "You can't grow a garden in the snow." But Wellington is determined to create something truly magical...Snuggle up and share this heart-warming picture book about refusing to give up on a dream. Written by Tracey Corderoy (Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam) and with enchanting illustrations from Jane Chapman (The Little White Owl), The Magical Snow Garden is a must for any child's Christmas stocking.

The Review: This story follows Wellington the penguin who has dreams of growing a garden. The problem is he lives where it snows so it's impossible to grow plants and flowers. However, Wellington has another idea. He thinks he can create a garden from recycling old pieces of material, buttons, sea shells and many other objects. And he's set to prove everyone who told him he couldn't wrong. It's a story about determination and always believing you can create anything you want. And Wellington's personality really shines through out the story and his big ideas are definitely something to marvel at. 

This book went down a right treat with my Daughter. As soon as the pile of books arrived The Magical Snow Garden was the first story my Daughter picked to read. With it's beautiful illustrations and it's touching and magical story this was definitely a perfect story to read around the holidays. And as a parent it was so much reading a story that was so perfectly well put together.

In all, The Magical Snow Garden is a fantastic story with even better pictures that will definitely capture any child's attention.   

Thank you to Little Tiger Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} One, Two, Baa, Moo by Jonathan Litton

Posted by Donna
Release Date: 13th August, 2015
Finished Date: 1st August, 2015

Publishers: Little Tiger Press
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 12

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Have fun learning to count with this pop-up extravaganza designed specifically for little learners. 

With colourful farm characters, engaging text and ingenious pop-ups children will be counting from one to ten in no time!

The Review: One, Two Baa Moo is a bright and colourful counting pop-up book that is perfect for your little ones that can have fun while learning to count. My daughter loves any books that has pop ups in so this definitely caught her attention. 

The picture book has simple but detailed illustrations of beautiful farm animals and on each page has its own rhyming text to reflect the animal featured on that page. It was fun reading the text to my daughter because she was excited to hear what came with each animal. 
We also enjoyed that there was a variety of animals such as a horse, cow, chicks, sheep and piggies. My daughter commented how pretty each animal looked and I couldn’t have agreed more. The pop-up to each page was designed great to give the story that extra POP! The pop-ups themselves were sturdy and didn’t appear like they would break easily. 

As much as we enjoyed this book I do think it may have been a little young for her. She’ll be 5 in October and already knows how to count. So while we both enjoyed it, I don’t think it’s a favourite but we’ve put it aside for a family friend who has a younger child whom we think will love it even more. 

Thank you to Little Tiger Press for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} My Little World I Spy on the Farm

Posted by Donna
Release Date: July 6th, 2015
Finished Date: July 5th, 2015

Publishers: Little Tiger Press
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 24

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

How do bears survive in the winter and what are baby owls called? 

Find the answers to these questions and many more under the flaps and through the peek-through holes of the forest! 

Explore the forest and search for all your favourite woodland animals in this fact-packed bite-size animal safari!

The Review: My Little World I Spy on the Farm is a fantastic wipe clean sticker book that your little one is bound to love. My 4 year old is obsessed with this book right because it’s providing endless hours of fun for her while learning too. She’s a huge fan of stickers any way but she loves when it comes in an activity book because she knows she’s in for a treat. 

The great thing about this book is the fact that it’s not just a one-time activity. Because the book can be wiped clean and you can remove the stickers, it can be used as a many times as your child likes. My daughter loves to arrange all the animals in all the right places but then after she likes to mix things up and place the animals in the wrong positions and creates little play scenes. She really uses her imagination and as a parent, I love nothing more than watching my child have fun. And this activity book really provides that. 

It’s not just about having fun though. It is a learning book so my daughter learns as she plays. There are counting pages, colouring pages and writing pages. There’s also pages dedicated to different shapes, learning colours and different objects. And most pages are themed, In the Hay Barn, In the Dairy to name a few and have a scenes to relate to that theme which is most enjoyable especially with the vibrant illustrations that pop from the pages. 

The only thing I would say about this activity book that could possibly make it better is, if it came with an erasable marker. We had to order one from the internet as we didn’t have one – which wasn’t a problem – but for a 4 year old who is very impatient, she felt like she waited a life time before she got to use this activity book.  But in all, My Little World I Spy on the Farm is definitely an activity book I’ll be recommending to my family and friends. 

{Review} Grandad's Island by Benji Davies

Posted by Donna
Release Date: July 2nd, 2015
Finished Date: July 4th, 2015

Publishers: Simon & Schuster 
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 4 - 8 
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

After the phenomenal success of The Storm Whale and On Sudden Hill, this new book by Benji Davies deals with the emotional topic of losing a grandparent. Subtly told, this beautifully illustrated book tackles a difficult subject with great sensitivity and depth.

The Review: Grandad's Island is a beautiful story about a young boy who is trying to understand why his Grandad father won't be in his life anymore. It's a story about losing a loved one and while this might put some people off from reading, it could actually help you more than you think.

This book couldn't have come at a more perfect time. My 4 year old has recently started questioning a lot of the normal day to day things and losing a loved one or even knowing that she could at some point die, it was an emotional thing for her understand and she would keep getting upset and asking more and more questions. So like I said, when Grandad's Island arrived - and we honestly didn't know much about this book before hand - while reading it I noticed that everything slowly came into place for her and I could see she could understand it that much more. Someone dying is definitely a difficult subject to tackle but I have to applaud Davies for doing it so subtly and in all honestly, in such a clever way that this story can really help your little one understand a hard subject.

In all, Davies has created a honest and touching story that is rich in detail with vibrant illustrations that capture the story perfectly. For me, this was definitely a win of a story and it's one that we'll keep for a long time. 

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for giving us the opportunity to review this in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Little Snappers Peek-Through Forest by Jonathan Litton and Kasia Nowowiejska

Posted by Donna
Release Date: July 6th, 2015
Finished Date: July 5th, 2015

Publishers: Caterpillar Books
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Hardback 

Pages: 12

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

How do bears survive in the winter and what are baby owls called? 

Find the answers to these questions and many more under the flaps and through the peek-through holes of the forest! 

Explore the forest and search for all your favourite woodland animals in this fact-packed bite-size animal safari!

The Review: Are you looking for the perfect book for your children to read, where they can explore the wonders of nature? Well then, this is the book for you because this a fantastic book!

Little Snappers Peek-Through Forest is a brightly illustrated children's picture book that opens up the minds of children to the wonders of nature. While enjoying the cute and detailed illustrations, they can explore the a selection of animals in their natural habitat and learn exciting facts about them from the 'Did You Know' section of the picture book, which is cleverly hidden by little flaps at the end of each page. Not only that, but there is also a 'Can You Spot' section to the picture book with little flaps hiding certain animals making the story not just your average story book but, a fun and entertaining read that will capture any child's attention. There are so many different animals to discover through-out the story including deer, wolves, bears, skunks, foxes and many more.  It's fun turning each page because you honestly don't know what's coming up next and it's also lovely to look at each page. There were even one or two facts in the story that not even I knew the answer to, so I was pleasantly surprised that adults could learn from this picture book too.

In all, Little Snapper Peek-Through Forest a perfectly crafted picture book that will offer your little ones a fun learning experience and my daughter and I would love to read more books like this one!

Thank you to Caterpillar Books for giving us the opportunity to review this in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Noisy Dinosaurs: My First Touch and Feel Book by Jonathan Litton

Posted by Donna
Release Date: June 1st, 2015
Finished Date: July 5th, 2015

Publishers: Little Tiger Kids
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 3 - 5 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Hardback 

Pages: 12

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

Touch, feel and hear the noisy dinosaurs on every page of this interactive chunky board book, packed with bright photographs, tactile textures and exciting dinosaur roars!

About the Author: Jonathan Litton has written numerous children's books in prose and verse. He loves using his science background to write about sea creatures, space and saving the planet, but is also fond of penning stories about pirates, princesses and picnics. When not writing, he can usually be found on his bike.

The Review: Noisy Dinosaurs is a great way to introduce your children to the wonders of dinosaurs and in such a fun way too. Featuring six different dinosaurs, you can listen to each one roar and also feel the textured parts of their bodies. 

My daughter loved this book especially when she is so interested in dinosaurs already, I'm guessing most children are at that age. But for her, this was a definitely a hit. She started playing with it immediately and before I even had the chance to read it with her, she'd already gone through all the pages and listened to each dinosaur roar. She was excited. And I loved watching the happiness on her face from reading this book because it offered her multiple fun and also a chance to learn that little bit more about dinosaurs. 

I thoroughly enjoyed it too. I enjoyed reading it to her and I loved that each dinosaur has it's own page with a small description. The illustrations are fantastic with detailed pictures and big lettering that makes it easy to read.

This would make a perfect gift for a child that is already interested in dinosaurs or even to a child who would like to explore the world of dinosaurs more. 

Thank you to Little Tiger Kids for giving us the opportunity to review this in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Love Monster and the Last Chocolate (Love Monster) by Rachel Bright

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  March 24th, 2014
Finished Date: May 10th, 2015

Publishers: HarperCollins
Genre: Children's Picture Book 
Ages: 3 - 6 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo 

A delicious new story about Love Monster, the only monster in Cutesville, from phenomenal, award-winning picture book talent Rachel Bright!

When Love Monster finds a mystery box of chocolates at his door, he can’t believe his luck. But he’s soon thrown into a whirlwind of turmoil. Should he keep the chocolates for himself? Or risk the perils of sharing his good fortune with his friends?

This super-funny-rumbly-tummy-sherbert-explosion of a story shows that when faced with the selection box of life, following your heart will bring you the best treats of all.

The Review: This is just the perfect type of story I love reading with my daughter. A story that teaches her about real life emotions and Love Monster's story is a good one. 

When Love Monster returns from home from holiday, he finds a box of chocolates on his door step and he then has to decide if he should keep them all for himself or if he should share them with his friends. 

Like I said before it's a good message for children, mainly because we can all agree we've been in the same situation as Love Monster where you have something you want to keep all to yourself but you know deep down that you need to share with others. Sharing is really important to anyone's life, especially children because you don't want them to become spoilt. So reading Love Monsters story and being able to relate to him, I think children will clearly understand the message behind it. My daughter certainly did. 

Rachel Bright has done a great job with Love Monster and the Last Chocolate. We have a beautiful story with beautiful and bright illustrations that pop from the pages and every page has added extra details that really helps bring this story to life.

Thank you to HarperCollins for giving us the opportunity to review this in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book (My Little World) by Jonathan Litton & Fhiona Galloway

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  April 6th, 2015
Finished Date: April 10, 2015

Publishers: Little Tiger Press
Genre: Children's Jigsaw and Sticker Book
Ages: 3 - 6 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 16

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US 

Children will enjoy learning a variety of animal words as they assemble this colourful, durable jigsaw! 

Together with the wipe-clean sticker book, this activity set develops problem-solving skills while providing hours of animal-themed learning fun.

The Review: If you were to ask my daughter what her two favourite things to do are she’d tell you straight away she loves jigsaws and stickers. She’s fascinated with them which I’m guessing most children are too, but it’s rare (for me at least) that I ever see children playing with these two things together. So this is Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book is so perfect for children because it combines two of their favourites all together.

What we loved about this item is that it’s bright, colour and so fun to use. The illustrations in the sticker book are lovely and very realistic and help children learn new animals. It also helps them learn which animals come from which environment. Isabel is quite familiar with her animals but found a few a little tricky to place. She really enjoyed trying to work it out. And of course she can re-use the stickers because you can unstick them.

And the jigsaw comes in 36 big pieces so it’s not too fiddly for little hands. It also has lovely illustrations and a lovely black border making it easy for children to know which pieces are the outside pieces.

In all, Animals Jigsaw and Sticker Book was a great hit in our house and I’ll definitely be keeping eye out for more of these.

Thank you to Little Tiger Press for giving us the opportunity to review this in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Hooray! It's a New Royal Baby! by Martha Mumford & Ada Grey

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  April 9th, 2015
Finished Date: March 4th, 2015

Publishers: Bloomsbury Childrens
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Ages: 3 - 6 years old
Source: For Review
Format: Paperback

Pages: 32

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

The Royal Palace is in chaos yet AGAIN, but what on earth could be the cause of all the excitement? Yes, you've guessed it - there's a new baby on the way!

The nursery has been prepared (royal rocking horse? Check! Royal teddy bears? Check!),

the balloons and bunting are up (the young prince's auntie is quite the party planner, you know)

and the welcome committee is ready and waiting at the palace gates.

Everyone is excited. Everyone, EXCEPT the Royal Baby.

Waaah! Waaah! Waaah!

Oh dear. Is there enough room in the palace for TWO royal babies? It looks like the Duke and Duchess have got their work cut out for them!

A brilliantly funny follow-up to Shhh! Don't Wake the Royal Baby! and Happy Birthday, Royal Baby!, and the perfect book for all Royal Baby fans.

The Review: Hooray! It’s a New Royal Baby is about the arrival of the new Prince that will be arriving over the next few months. In the story we see the Royal family trying to prepare for the arrival and Royal Baby George trying to come to terms with him no longer being the baby of the palace. 

What a delightful read Hooray! It’s a New Royal Baby is. I absolutely loved reading this to my daughter because not only is it about the Royal family but it also managed to teach her about them in a fun and entertaining way. For a four year old she is aware that we have a Queen but reading the story and pointing out who was who, was so much fun. She understands that we have a not only a Queen but a whole family of Royal’s who will be welcoming a new baby soon and I just loved the idea behind this story because it gave her a bit of history on who was ruling our country. 

I think I enjoyed the story more than my daughter did, just because it was fun to see the Royal family in illustrations and I think Ada Grey did a fantastic job with them. And I loved how Martha Mumford wrote this story - fun and highly entertaining and full of laugh-out-loud moments. I feel so out of the loop because I didn’t know there were more books based around the royal family and I so want to purchase them for my daughter. It’s a book series that I can see us enjoying for a long time. 

Well done Martha Mumford & Ada Grey! 

Thank you to Bloomsbury Childrens for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.

{Review} Alfie in the Bath by Debi Gliori

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  March 12th, 2015
Finished Date: March 4th, 2015

Publishers: Bloomsbury Childrens
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Ages: 3 - 5
Source: For Review
Format: Hardback

Pages: 24

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Alfie Rabbit is splashing around in the bath. His world turns from real to imagined as a gatefold spread is opened. Now he's on an amazing deep-sea adventure. Alfie is a deep-sea monster waving his tentacles, a little pink crab snapping his claws, a whale spouting water high in the air ...

A delightful book for toddlers, celebrating their irrepressible imagination, with exquisite illustrations featuring all sorts of ocean creatures.

The Review: This is the second time my daughter and I have had the pleasure of reading about Alfie’s adventures’ and this time it’s with Alfie in the Bath. Alfie is a cute little rabbit whom has a big imagination especially when it comes to bath time because he turns his regular bath time in a big adventure where he can explore the waves. We see him becoming a deep-sea monster with big tentacles, then a pink crab with claws, making lots of mess when the water becomes big waves and we won’t spoil the rest and tell you what else little Alfie gets up to. 

Very much like Alfie in the Garden, Alfie in the Bath has the same style of illustrations which are bright and very detailed. Alfie’s adventures keep you and your little one thoroughly entertained and it’s always exciting to turn a page and find that lovely fold out page with more beautiful details. We had fun trying to pick out the different sea creatures we could see underneath the waves and trying to guess what Alfie would come up with next. 

 In all, we’d love to see more from Alfie. We’ve enjoyed both his tales so far and we can’t wait to see what adventures he comes up with next.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Children's for giving us the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Zip it: A Fancy Book of Fastenings by Patricia Hegarty & Fhiona Galloway

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  March 2nd, 2015
Finished Date: March 3rd, 2015

Publishers: Tiger Tales
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Ages: 3-5 years 
Source: For Review
Format: Novelty Book

Pages: 12

Buy: Amazon UK / The Book Depo

Zip Froggy's mouth from side to side. 

See it shut, then open wide! 

Let little hands loose on this first book of fastenings, featuring a zip, button, laces and more!

The Review: Zip it: A Fancy Book of Fastenings is a unique little picture book for young children. It isn’t really a story book but more of a how to guide and introduction to zips, Velcro, tying bows and buttons – things that children will need to familiarise themselves with and in the long run, learn how to use these items. 

I think the idea behind this book is fantastic. It’s a very education and a fun way of learning. My four year old fell in love with Zip It. After I sat down with her and we read it for the first time, she carried on for a while trying to do each page by herself. She even took it to her Nan’s the same day, so it was pretty clear that this book left an impression on her.

As much as I have high praises for the book there were a few issues with it. The button page ripped very easy because of how tight the button was stuck to the page. There wasn’t a lot of room for any give to ease the button off. And the typing bows page after multiple goes of re-tying the laces it did start to pull on the book and slightly rip. As an adult we’re a lot careful with things but for children we all know it’s a different case, and the while my daughter was using the book on her own these issues did arise. I’m still a huge fan of this book but I think a little more work on the design of the book would make it even better. 

Thank you to Tiger Tales for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} Train! by Judi Abbot

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  March 1st, 2015
Finished Date: March 3rd, 2015

Publishers: Tiger Tales
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Ages: 3-5 years 
Source: For Review
Format: Board Book

Pages: 28

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Little Elephant LOVES trains. One day, Mommy and Daddy take Little Elephant for a ride on a real train, and Little Elephant is so excited! But on the train, Little Elephant gets angry when no one wants to play trains with him. Cat wants to play with his plane. Penguin wants to play with his car. And Rabbit would rather play with his digger. How will they all find a way to play together?

The Review: Train! is about Little Elephant who loves trains. He loves trains that much he refuses to play with anything else. So when his Mommy and Daddy take him for a ride on a real train, it’s there that he meets other animals but gets angry when no-one wants to play trains with him. That’s because Cat loves planes. Rabbit loves diggers, and Penguin loves cars. But how can these four animals play together when they all like different toys?

I have mixed feelings about this book. My daughter and I enjoyed it but there were times when we were ready to give up. The overall story about Little Elephant and his friends trying to play with new toys rather than the ones they always play with, we enjoyed. The illustrator did a fantastic job with capturing the emotions of the animals and creating bright and beautiful pages to look at. It’s very educational for little ones, especially those that are obsessed with one specific toy because it teaches them that there are other toys out there to play with and it also teaches them that playing together is good. But the story is very repetitive. It was clearly meant to be that way to add to the obsessiveness that the animals had over their toys, but for me I was more frustrated having to read the same words over and over again, while my daughter found it funny to start with but soon lost interest. I’d definitely say my daughter was a little old for this story (she’s nearly 5 years), so I’d say it would suit the a younger audience.

Thank you to Tiger Tales for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

{Review} The Upside-Down Fish by Kate Louise & Laura Matine

Posted by Donna
Release Date:  February 3rd, 2015
Finished Date: February 25th, 2015

Publishers: Sky Pony Press
Genre: Children's Picture Book
Ages: 3-6 years 
Source: For Review
Format: Hardcover

Pages: 36

Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US / The Book Depo

Upside-down Fish lives in a big tank at a pet store filled with lots of other fish. The other fish in the tank swim the right-way up, though, and they don’t understand why Upside-down Fish is so different. This makes him very lonely. One day, a child comes into the store and chooses Upside-down Fish as a pet. He is anxious that he won’t be accepted in his new tank, but much to his surprise, the new fish are friendly! They love that he is different and want to know what it’s like to have the sky below and the ground above. Upside-down Fish realizes that it’s okay to be different—it’s what makes him so special.

Kate Louise and Laura Matine’s The Upside-Down Fish is about being yourself and finding happiness with people who accept you for who you are. Inspired by the author’s own upside-down fish, this is a book for any child who feels a little different and needs that extra boost of confidence that he or she is unique.

The Review: The Upside-Down Fish is a beautiful story about a fish that is not like all the other fish. If you haven’t already guessed this fish is upside down and upset that no-one wants to take him home. It’s not until a little girl decides she wants to buy him because of him being upside that the little fish truly discovers what it’s like to find a home and really fit into the world. 

This is a remarkable and touching story about being socially accepted and I love message behind it and how relatable people will find it. 

Reading this with my 4 year old was really an enjoyable moment. I adore stories that teach her that not everyone is the same and she clearly understood this while reading it. I loved seeing the expressions on her face during the story. I could see the sadness on her face when the upside-down fish was upset and I could see the happiness on her face when we reached the end of the story, and I love how she questions things about the story. It’s simple, we both fell in love with The Upside-Down Fish. Not only is the story memorable but it has beautiful, bright and bold illustrations that complements the story perfectly. 

In all, The Upside-Down Fish is a fantastic read to enjoy with little ones but it’s one adult can enjoy to! Highly recommended. 

Thank you to Kate Louise for giving me the opportunity to review this book in exchange for an honest review.