Wednesday 3 August 2016

It's Only Stanley by John Agee


Stanley is up to something and everyone in the house wants to know what it is. This endlessly cute little beagle is focused, intense and on a mission.  His tinkering wakes the Wimbledon family one child at a time.  Mr Wimbledon investigates on each occasion but returns to the bedroom over and over again assuring his family 'it's only Stanley'. He's underestimated this beagle though and by the end Stanley, with his own little paws, has trasformed the family home into a rocket so he can fly it to moon. 

With impeccable rhyme, a sense of adventure and a truly loveable main character this book is a clear winner in our house.  I love that Stanley never speaks (except for one long howl at the moon) and instead makes a cacophony of sounds with his tinkering. The text is so carefully worded that it's a joy to read aloud and with brilliant illustrations to boot I recommend you all get acquainted with young Stanley.