Wednesday 26 February 2014

A Possum's Tail by Gabby Dawnay & Alex Barrow



Hello sunny London and hello to a brand new offering from Tate Publishing: A Possum's Tail. I got carried away with the weather today and splurged on this richly illustrated rhyming tale about a boy called Samuel Drew and his little dog. I'm a sucker for books that include a walk with city landscapes and A Possum's Tale is all that and more.


 Samuel Drew takes his dog (who is actually a pull toy but I don't dare spoil Samuel's fun) for a walk through London town and all the way to the zoo. While at the zoo he inadvertently picks up a little family of possums who tag along behind Simon's dog, out the zoo gates and all the way back through the city streets. Only when he stops for a picnic does Samuel discover that he and his little dog have company. Samuel quickly makes a place for them on the picnic blanket, but they can't resist his bunch of balloons and before he can pour a cup of tea the possum family has taken to the air. I won't spoil the end for you but rest assured, no one goes hungry.


This book is lovely to behold and lovely to read.  E's not yet even seen it but I think he's going to be quickly swept away by Samuel Drew, the cheeky possums and the vibrant scenes from London town.

Visit the Tate's website for more on the book and the amazing team behind the story and illustrations.

All images: Tate Shop online

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown




I'll start by saying there's surely a bit of Mr Tiger in all of us.  Peter Brown, known for another great book Creepy Carrots, has brought together a wicked little story and stunning illustrations to create the fun and infectious, Mr Tiger Goes Wild. 

Mr Tiger is stuck in a world of proper animals who all act as 'they should'.  He bores of this existence over time and in a fantastic display of pure abandon he slowly gives in to his wild side and returns to the jungle.  The grass is not always greener, however, and he realises that he misses a lot about his old life.  He returns to the city determined to navigate it as a new Tiger, one who knows what it's like to go wild and one who won't ever really be the same again. He adopts a new perspective that quickly spreads and liberates the animals around him.

I'm loving this story and E requested that it be read again immediately when I first showed it to him. I've actually had my eye on it for some time and my local library only just managed to get their copy this week... which I snagged straight away (apologies to anyone who has to share my local with me).

Happy Valentine's Day all. For something to love give Mr Tiger Goes Wild a try!