Spaniel Surprise is a Christmas special from 2000, in the popular “Animal Ark” series. These books are suitable for children of 8 and above. The origiSpaniel Surprise is a Christmas special from 2000, in the popular “Animal Ark” series. These books are suitable for children of 8 and above. The original Animal Ark series went to 94 books, all written between 1994 and 2008. Lucy Daniels certainly seems prolific, I thought, but shhh - don’t let on to the kids - it’s a pseudonym!
In fact the books were conceived by Ben M. Baglio, who employs a team of writers to write the books. However he also wrote the book series “The Pet Finders Club” himself, using this pen name, (his own) which features a group of three children who search for people’s cute lost pets. The commissioned writers for the Animal Ark series live in Canada. In the USA apparently he is credited as the author, although this in itself acts as a pseudonym for the various authors of the books. I’m sure in England many Junior school children will quote “Lucy Daniels” as being one of their favourite authors.
The books are cosy, feel-good stories, based around a vet’s practice and a fictitious television programme, “Give A Dog A Home” which aims to find homes for dogs who have been rescued from bad circumstances. Each book features Mandy, whose parents are both veterinarians at “Animal Ark”: the name of their surgery. In each story, the aptly named Mandy Hope discovers an animal in trouble and tries to help it. She is assisted by her best friend James, and other people in the village.
In Spaniel Surprise, Lucy and James are trying to help their friend Ben, who is desperate to have a dog as a pet. He watches “Give A Dog A Home” on TV every week, and even records it so that he can watch it over and over again. There is just one problem - his mother does not want to have a dog.
Mandy is determined to help this family, and to convince Ben’s mum Mrs. Hardwick that puppies aren’t always noisy and messy. It’s just a question of Ben picking the right one to suit them. As the story proceeds, the reason for Ben’s Mum’s attitude becomes clear, and a visit to the very special dog rescue home is planned. They meet the presenters of the programme and Mandy realises that not only does a family have to choose the right dog, but the dog also has to feel happy with its new owners.
The title Spaniel Surprise reveals the necessary happy ending. (view spoiler)[ Ben may not have been chosen to be the new owner of the dog he had fallen for on TV, but the Hardwicks do happily become the owners of another lovely dog: a spaniel who also needs a new home. (hide spoiler)]
This is a novel with 10 chapters, which is suitable for readers who have just begun to read chapter books. There are also a few pencil illustrations in the book. The “Animal Ark” series of books are not graded, but there are roughly two levels, and this is one of the simpler books, for younger readers.
The only way to tell who actually wrote Spaniel Surprise is to look at the back of the title page, where each author is named with a ‘Special Thanks’. Spaniel Surprise is in fact by Narinder Dhami. To me this takes ghost writing to a whole new level, but apparently we have not yet got away from the Victorian in-house authors, so much loved by Charles Dickens. Ben M. Baglio also created the brief for another series of children’s books called “Dolphin Diaries”
These cosy books are deservedly popular, and children will see good examples of caring for others, friendship, loyalty, courage, taking responsibility, and independent creative thinking, in addition to learning about animal welfare. The earlier ones however are dated. For instance in this one, the children had to wait by one landline for a call, and since this was the vet’s practice, they were given a few coins so that they could use a payphone and free up the vet’s phone. The recording of the TV programme was also made on videotape. 2000 may not seem long ago to some adult readers, but where domestic gadgets are concerned, it is certainly a different world....more
The Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit is a large format book which contains all 4 stories by Beatrix Potter, which feature Peter Rabbit.
They are “ThThe Complete Adventures of Peter Rabbit is a large format book which contains all 4 stories by Beatrix Potter, which feature Peter Rabbit.
They are “The Tale of Peter Rabbit”, “The Tale of Benjamin Bunny”, “The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies”, and “The Tale of Mr Tod”.
The original watercolour illustrations from Beatrix Potter’s tiny books are used, but before her stories were ever taken on by a large publisher (Frederick Warne), the author had the Peter Rabbit stories printed privately. This large format volume also includes some of these black and white pen drawings, which is a rare treat.
We can follow the whole family history of Peter Rabbit through these 4 stories. After his adventures in Mr. McGregor’s Garden in the first ever book, Peter grows up to be a respectable vegetable gardener himself! He sometimes helps out his more feckless relations, and now and then gives the odd cabbage to his sister Flopsy (who has married his cousin Benjamin Bunny). We also learn what befalls some of their offspring.
The Flopsy Bunnies unwittingly eat too many lettuces and suffer from the soporific effects, thereby falling straight into the hands of Mr McGregor. The fourth story is twice as long as any of the three preceding ones. In it, Tommy Brock the badger tricks Mr. Tod the fox, and kidnaps another litter of flopsy bunnies, because of the carelessness of their grandfather Old Benjamin Bouncer.
We also discover that Cotton-tail has married the little black rabbit who was sweet on her in a different book. But of the 3 rabbits who were Peter’s sisters, nobody every mentions Mopsy, and we do begin to wonder about Mr McGregor’s fondness for rabbit pie …
“Brambly Hedge runs along the edge of a cornfield. There’s a hornbeam tree, four crabapple trees; a large tree stump overgrown with moss and ivy, some“Brambly Hedge runs along the edge of a cornfield. There’s a hornbeam tree, four crabapple trees; a large tree stump overgrown with moss and ivy, some elderberry bushes, a splendid oak tree, and a clump of hawthorn. Brambles and honeysuckle, foxgloves, ferns and wild roses grow alongside in a tangle of leaves and stems.”
If you, or small children you know, enjoy the Peter Rabbit stories of Beatrix Potter, Alison Uttley’s “Little Grey Rabbit” stories, or Kenneth Grahame’s unforgettable classic “The Wind in the Willows”, then you might enjoy the “Brambly Hedge” books by Jill Barklem. These too are anthropomorphic tales set in the English countryside featuring small, fully dressed woodland creatures. But Jill Barklem narrowed her focus right down, and just wrote books about mice, who live in the roots and trunks of trees and hedgerows surrounding one field, in a small area of countryside.
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Jill Barklem loved the countryside around Epping in Essex, where she grew up. After school she studied at the famous St. Martin’s School of Art in London, and for five years while she commuted on the tube train, she read about traditional English customs, flora and fauna and other related topics which would eventually be portrayed in her stories. Towards the City from Epping, the trains are horrendously overcrowded, so Jill Barklem chose to daydream, and transport herself in her imagination to an oldfashioned peaceful place, with plenty of space, and a friendly community of … mice! The tube train terminates at Epping however, so this part of the return journey is quiet, and yes, you can even get a seat!
As Gillian Gaze, she had written a handful of picture books for Lion publishing and later contributed illustrations for children’s Bibles. She was not satisfied with her work on these however and wanted to draw from nature. Jill Barklem illustrated the “Haffertee Hamster” books by Janet and John Perkins, and continued to be inspired by her observations of nature and the countryside. In 1977 she married David Barklem, an antiques dealer. Her new husband then urged her to use her knowledge and skills as preparation for a series of books, and “Brambly Hedge” was born.
The first four stories were “Spring Story”, “Summer Story”, “Autumn Story”, and “Winter Story”. All were initially published in 1980, in a miniature format and style similar to the books of Beatrix Potter. Since then there have been many new editions and reprints, in various sizes.
“Brambly Hedge is on the other side of the stream, across the field. If you can find it, and if you look very hard among the tangled roots and stems, you may even see a wisp of smoke from a small chimney, or through an open door, a steep flight of stairs deep within the trunk of a tree. For this is the home of the mice of Brambly Hedge.”
“Brambly Hedge” is a charming little world on a small scale. There are Mr. and Mrs. Toadflax and their children, but also their friends and family, who all live in the roots and trunks of trees and hedgerows. Jill Barklem went on to write 6 more “Brambly Hedge” books, the final one being in 2010. She made sure that every recipe for the tasty food enjoyed by the mice at picnics and feasts could actually be made from foraged ingredients. And even the strange contraptions and mechanical implements she created within Brambly Hedge were given the same treatment. She made miniature working models of all the machinery in the mouse mill and dairy.
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"Happy Mouse Mansion"
These books are now almost as popular with adults as with children, mostly for the beautifully busy and detailed artwork and the complete world in miniature that Jill Barklem has created. They have been translated into 13 languages and have sold more than 7 million copies.
As with “Peter Rabbit”, and all the furry and feathered folk of Beatrix Potter, the drawings lend themselves to merchandising. When the first 4 books in the Brambly Hedge series were first published, one large bookstore had a display depicting a kitchen scene from “Winter Story”. The set was 18ft x 6ft and had taken the design team from Collins’ publishing three months to create. The prestigious “Royal Doulton” china features her designs, there are posters, colouring and sticker books, collectables from “Border Fine Arts”, and even Brambly Hedge chocolates! All the titles have been adapted for television; “Winter Story” was first broadcast in the UK on Christmas Day in 1996 and in the US in 1997.
The Brambly Hedge Treasury is an oversize book, so the illustrations are particularly eyecatching. It has an introduction which consists of extra illustrations and text. One complicated watercolour has a numbered diagram of all 10 characters or families in the series alongside, which are shown in the large pictures. You do have to look quite closely though! The publishers say that this series is suitable for ages 3 - 6, but they were very popular in the school which the author’s children, Lizzie and Peter attended, (and where I was the deputy head teacher for a time) and that was for children between 7 and 11 years of age! This was due in a large part to the illustrations, which are like little puzzles, and authentic in their detail. The next double page spread is another numbered watercolour of the field and its environs, again with a key.
The hornbeam tree is where the Toadflax family live, and there are other locations such as Crabapple cottage, Elderberry lodge, Old Oak Palace (where Lord and Lady Woodmouse and their daughter Primrose live), Hawthorn Rise, home of old Mrs. Eyebright, the Dairy Stump, Old Vole’s Hole and so on.
Then there is a section about the history of the families who live in Brambly Hedge, followed by two full length stories (both of which had been previously published separately) “The Secret Staircase” (1983) and “The High Hills” (1986).
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"Crabapple Cottage, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Apple"
It is a visually stunning book, with the Autumnal hues of many beautiful, closely focused and detailed drawings. Jill Barklem’s illustrations top both Beatrix Potter’s and Ernest H. Shepard’s (the original illustrator of “The Wind in the Willows”) in my view. However, I do not find the stories match the quality, and are strangely unmemorable. They are nowhere as engaging as their classic predecessors’ tales.
However I was saddened to hear that this local author had died at the early age of 66. She has left a lasting legacy in the world she created, and the botanically correct and painterly Artwork is loved by millions around the world. These designs well deserve to be lifted from my default, hence I will rate this book at 4 stars....more
In England, before Harry Potter, there was Mildred Hubble, a girl who attended Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches. Unfortunately accidents seemed to foIn England, before Harry Potter, there was Mildred Hubble, a girl who attended Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches. Unfortunately accidents seemed to follow in her wake. Poor Mildred was so disaster-prone that everyone knew her as the “Worst Witch in the School”.
The author of the books about Mildred, Jill Murphy, showed a keen interest in writing and drawing her own stories as far back as the age of 6. She made her own enormous library of hand-written and illustrated books stapled together, whilst still at primary school. Like many children of the 1950s she enjoyed reading boarding-school stories, and these plus her own education in Wimbledon, provided the inspiration (and some material) for Miss Cackle’s Academy in the “Worst Witch” series.
In fact Jill Murphy began to write “the magical tale of an accident-prone girl attempting to navigate the magical codes and murky corridors of Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches” while she was still at school, using herself as the model for Mildred. She put the book on hold while at Chelsea and Croydon Art Schools, then spent a year living in a village in Togo, West Africa, before returning to the UK to work as a nanny. Publishers had rejected the book, saying to her that “children would be frightened about a school for witches …” Finally though on her return the first book was accepted, and proved to be an enormous success.
The resulting “Worst Witch” books are a perennially popular series of amusing stories for children of about 7-10 years old. Part of their appeal is that the pupil types are easy for readers to recognise. J.K. Rowling has said that she wanted Harry Potter to grow up alongside the children who read about him, and Jill Murphy had an ongoing story too, with Mildred ageing as the books continue. The later books are for slightly older reading ages, having around 20 chapters rather than just 10 as the first 3 books.
The lessons, such as “Potion” or “Spells” are common to both series. The first episode is a story about a lesson for learning how to fly on a broomstick. All the pupils are given a pet cat, with special capabilities (just as Hedwig the owl, Cruikshanks the cat and Scabbers the rat in Harry Potter). Also the same sort of characters are present in both. Mildred’s class teacher is called “Miss Hardbroom”. She has a strict authoritarian manner and a bony face, with her hair tied tightly back in a bun. No doubt this reminds you of somebody …
Mildred also has an arch rival called Mabel, who is privileged and clever, but unpleasant in her manner, nasty and devious.
Each story has plenty of black and white illustrations by its author Jill Murphy, every other page or so. Plus each book is a great example to children of this age, of literary technique: of how to tell an exciting and amusing story, about the latest scrape Mildred has got into. There are seven books in this collection:
“The Worst Witch” “The Worst Witch Strikes Again” “A Bad Spell For The Worst Witch” “The Worst Witch All At Sea” “The Worst Witch Saves The Day” “The Worst Witch To The Rescue” “The Worst Witch And The Wishing Star”
The collection contains nearly all Jill Murphy’s “Worst Witch” books, from the beginning of the series in 1974, published when Jill Murphy was 24, until 2013. Then in 2014 a new book was added: “Three Cheers for the Worst Witch” followed in 2018 by: “First Prize for the Worst Witch”. Jill Murphy was to die in 2021, but showed no sign of letting up with the Worst Witch books, and apparently had plans to set the next in an animal sanctuary.
Those who were fans of the original books when they were children may now find that their children - or even their grandchildren - are reading them with enthusiasm. The Worst Witch series of nine books is still highly successful, and has also been adapted for television and stage. Jill Murphy has been called “one of the most engaging writers and illustrators for children in the land”.
So did Jill Murphy pave the way for Harry Potter? Perhaps … although the books have a different feel, and are largely intended for a younger audience (despite adults enjoying them). And have the books dated? Only in the way that Harry Potter is dated, in its conception of a an old-fashioned boarding academy for children. Are they feminist? Yes, Mildred is as independent and knows her own mind as much as she ever did, back in 1974.
I am about to give this series to my little cousin, who will be 8. She likes “books with chapters” and books about witches. I hope she likes these!...more
The Spirit of the Maasai Man is a beautiful book, about a topic very near to my heart. Why then have I give it a lower than average rating?
The simple The Spirit of the Maasai Man is a beautiful book, about a topic very near to my heart. Why then have I give it a lower than average rating?
The simple truth is that I think it is misconceived.
It is a large horizontal picture book, first published in 2000 by “Barefoot Books”, whose aim is to “work with artists, writers and storytellers from many cultures, focusing on themes that encourage independence of spirit, promote understanding and acceptance of different traditions, and foster a lifelong love of learning.”
The author Laura Berkeley has written several book in this series. She has worked for “Swan Rescue” and at the time of publication was the assistant secretary to the “Elsa Conservation Trust”, helping to educate African children in all aspects of conservation awareness. She is an extremely talented artist, whose detailed paintings are very naturalistic.
The spirit of the Maasai Man, it is said, is a powerful symbol of all that is best within the person who is in tune with the animal world. The author’s note at the end tells why she chose the Maasai Man to be the liberator of the imprisoned animals. It explains how East African children are taught to respect their cattle; animals who they believe were given to them aeons ago by their god “Engai”, who resides on a mountain in the Rift Valley. The author describes these peoples’ way of life, and tells us the reason why the Maasai Man is often depicted standing on one leg:
“To stand on one leg is an act of being still. It is a position that many aboriginal people adopt, and it serves to remind us that there should be balance in our own lives and that we should have moments of stillness to reflect on our action towards other living beings, human and animal alike.”
Laura Berkeley wrote the book to draw attention to the “Born Free Foundation” (formerly “Zoo Watch”) which was founded in 1983 by Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers. They had been inspired by Joy and George Adamson, after making the film about Elsa the lioness, who was restored to the wild in “Born Free”. The trigger was the tragic death of Pole Pole, an elephant in London Zoo. She had been taken from her wild family at the age of two, by the Kenyan Government, and was given to London Zoo after the film.
In 1969, Pole Pole starred with the couple in a film called “An Elephant Called Slowly” which was set in Kenya. But her time afterwards in London Zoo was a torture to the young elephant. She had a barren, concrete enclosure and swayed abnormally to and fro, a victim of what we now know to be stereotypic or repetitive behaviour. It is an abnormal behaviour, frequently seen in captive animals, especially large animals of high intelligence, and is considered an indication of poor psychological well-being in these animals. Pole Pole was lonely and confused, prematurely aged by captivity. Yet when Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers visited her in 1982 and called her name, Pole Pole went to them immediately, her trunk reaching out to meet their outstretched hands.
Having been unable to persuade the Kenyan government to set Pole Pole free after the film, Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers now campaigned to give Pole Pole a better life. In 1983, London Zoo agreed to send her to their country branch at Whipsnade to be among other elephants. Whipsnade in Bedfordshire is a huge parkland, where large animals have much more freedom, and can live more naturally in family groups. Apart from the two tigers who pace continually around the perimeter of their domain, I would say that it provides an acceptable and interesting environment for most of its animals. However, being kept in a travelling crate for many hours proved too much for Pole Pole. She collapsed and was euthanised. She was just 17 years of age, yet wild elephants can live for 60 years or more. The public were outraged, and “Zoo Check” was formed.
The Spirit of the Maasai Man is a fantasy, with the Maasai Man as a personification, or perhaps a metaphor, for the spirit. The story is about large animals such as elephants, tigers, gorillas and polar bears, for whom confinement in a zoo is a cruel agony.
‘“Why do the zoo beasts cry?’ ‘Because they cannot hear the songs of the wild.’”
The Maasai Man visits each of the animals in their cage in turn, and shows them the free life they could have. We learn the environment and lifestyle for each animal. The Maasai Man sings throughout the night, and in the morning all the animals are free, and in the wild where they belong.
“‘Why do the beasts sing?’ ‘Because they are free,’ replies the Maasai Man.”
Virginia McKenna (Travers) has written a foreword, in which she says:
“… most of us know there is ‘something’ beyond the world we see and touch and small, something intangible. We call it a spirit and we, like the animals in their cages, can be transported in our minds beyond the walls of our houses and school rooms into a world where our souls can be free from pain, far from suffering.”
The blurb puts it this way:
“by summoning up this spirit, we can give a voice to the voiceless and restore dignity and hope in the living creatures who surround us, whether animal or human. By subtly examining the timeless ideals of love, hope and freedom, this beautiful book will provoke deep thought, much discussion and a great sense of optimism in all those who read it.”
On the contrary though, I was left with a profound sadness, depressed about the ongoing confinement of zoo animals, especially those who were not bred to this half-life, and have no prospect of a better one. Wildlife parks are continually improving, but there is still much to be done.
I would put the book’s reading age at about 7 to 8, but the subject matter is very contentious, and it would need to be addressed very carefully. If I can be upset at these images, how much worse for a young, impressionable child. In my view, there are better ways to introduce the subject of animals in captivity; the improvements and the alternatives.
It is a noble effort, from people with high ideals, and I so much wanted to love this book. But it addresses real issues with fanciful thoughts, and I believe that to be foolhardy. Have the conversation by all means, with a child who is ready to address the issues. But do not divert them with imaginative ideas; tricking them into thinking this issue is illusory.
Animals live in the present, and we do them a disservice in anthropomorphising them when we talk of how we trap and confine them for our own pleasure and “education”.
The tiny books by the English botanist and watercolourist Beatrix Potter are enormously successful, and have been ever since she first created Peter RThe tiny books by the English botanist and watercolourist Beatrix Potter are enormously successful, and have been ever since she first created Peter Rabbit in 1901. Here is my review of that classic masterpiece. LINK HERE.
Altogether there are 23 such tales. Children and adults alike love the anthropomorphised woodland creatures, countryside animals and pets. However some of the tales now mention objects and occasions which no modern child would recognise without a bit of explanation. It has to be said that some stories show their age, and are perhaps better appreciated by adults, who have fond memories of them.
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is one such odd little tale. In a way it is the timeless tale of a young scallywag, whose adventures are retold through many cultures, for instance as Brer Rabbit, or Anansi the spider-man. In this case Squirrel Nutkin is a bold and cheeky young squirrel, who refuses to be suitably respectful to an old owl. He teases the owl mercilessly, and seems to get away with it time after time. Finally though, (view spoiler)[ the owl pounces, and Squirrel Nutkin loses half of his fine tail, of which he had been so proud (hide spoiler)].
This is a large scale format of the book, complete with all the original illustrations, one at the top of each page of text, and emblems in the top two corners of the page, plus one centre bottom. There are also two pages of stickers; one at the beginning of the book, and one at the end. Each of the 26 stickers is a detail taken from an illustration in the story, and there is plenty of white space in the book to attach them, although there are no specific set places.
I feel this was an odd story to choose to make into The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin: A Sticker Story Book, because a lot of the text comprises riddles set by Squirrel Nutkin, none of which would make any sense at all to the age range it was written for (and little sense to us). However, Squirrel Nutkin has become a sort of folk hero, much as Peter Rabbit has, so it will have appeal.
Even better, Beatrix Potter so loved the Lake District countryside where she lived, that she donated all her considerable tracts of land there to the “National Trust”, who now maintain it for everyone to enjoy. She also generously willed all her property, and the ongoing royalties from her works, to them: a gift which keeps giving....more
The irresistible title Horse in the House describes exactly what happens in this simple story for beginner readers, by Brian Morse.
Sarah is helping hThe irresistible title Horse in the House describes exactly what happens in this simple story for beginner readers, by Brian Morse.
Sarah is helping her Dad with the housework, when a horse wanders in. It makes a terrible mess jumping on beds, trailing mud and knocking things over, but Dad is always preoccupied with the washing up, or some other task. He tells Sarah off for the mess and chaos the horse makes all over the house, and Sarah is grumpy because her Dad doesn’t take any notice when she blames it on a horse. (view spoiler)[Eventually, after causing havoc upstairs and down, the horse escapes through the front door, helped by Sarah. Sarah’s Dad then says he can hear a horse galloping down the road, but Sarah says it must be his imagination. She adds that she is glad that the horse hadn’t made as much of a mess as the gorilla did, the day before, or the hippopotamus, either. (hide spoiler)]
This is a lovely little book, with 3 or 4 lines of text interspersed in between colourful cartoonish illustrations by Nick Sharratt. Focussing on a father and a child is less common. Although the mother is merely absent in the story, it is perfect to give to my little cousin, (who sadly now has no mother) or to other children in this situation. This story book forms part of the “Blue Bananas” series, and is helpfully labelled “National Curriculum Key Stage 1” on the back so we know it is suitable for 5 to 7 year olds to read to themselves. However, children a little older may well also chuckle at the horse’s antics. I certainly did!...more
The Sad Pony is a short children’s book by the prolific English author Jenny Oldfield, writing as Tina Nolan. It is in the “Animal Rescue” series of bThe Sad Pony is a short children’s book by the prolific English author Jenny Oldfield, writing as Tina Nolan. It is in the “Animal Rescue” series of books, and similar in style to the popular Holly Webb books. The book has ten short chapters, and is suitable for children aged 7 to about 9.
All the stories in the series are set in an animal rescue shelter called “Animal Magic”. The shelter is run by Heidi and Mark Harrison, their two children Eva and Karl Harrison and their grandfather Jimmy, plus the veterinary assistant Jen.
The story begins with Heidi and Mark Harrison just leaving for a holiday. Our focus is on Eva, who is about the same age as the readers, or perhaps a little older. The Harrisons’ next-door neighbour, Linda Brooks, has a Shetland pony, Rosie, which she has adopted from the shelter, but who now oddly seems to be quite a handful. This puzzles Eva, as when Rosie lived at “Animal Magic” she was a friendly biddable pony, and Linda is a kind owner. But then Linda slips on some ice trying to look after Rosie, and breaks her leg, so she is unable to look after Rosie any more. The shelter sadly agree to take Rosie back, and advertise for a new home for the very frisky pony.
As we follow the daily activities of the animal rescue shelter, we gradually learn just why the Shetland pony is misbehaving, and there is a happy solution. Eva also has a brilliant idea which will not only find a new home for Rosie, but also reap a lot of advertising and support for Animal Magic.
The Sad Pony is written in simple language with two or three pencil drawings interspersed within each chapter. It can be read as a standalone story, without having read any of the others in the series. However, the first chapters may be a little confusing, as there are several ongoing characters in the books. Therefore the second half of the story flows much better, and gets quite exciting.
Jenny Oldfield has written numerous series of animal books for children, using several other pseudonyms, including Jasmine Oliver, Donna King, Kate Fielding, Kate Pennington, and Sable Hamilton. She has also written for the “Animal Ark” series, along with several other authors, under the name Lucy Daniels. Originally born and brought up in Harrogate, Yorkshire, she says that even as a child she wrote stories and made tiny books, complete with illustrations. She now writes novels for both children and adults, and seems to have almost cornered the market for this type of adventure story. Her books are solidly if unimaginatively written, and are quick reads: page-turners for any children of the right age who love animals. They also include a little useful information on animal welfare by way of the story....more
The Otter Who Wanted to Know is a book for children of about 7 and over which they can read to themselves, or perhaps as a bedtime story with one chapThe Otter Who Wanted to Know is a book for children of about 7 and over which they can read to themselves, or perhaps as a bedtime story with one chapter a day. It is by the popular children’s author Jill Tomlinson, and has nine chapters, with just a few pencil drawings within the text. There are also smaller drawings at the head of each chapter.
The story is about a young sea otter called Pat, and her friend Bobby. In the first chapter called “Questions, questions, questions” we see Pat staying close to her mother and playing among the sea kelp. We learn details such as how Pat keeps a pebble under her armpit, and uses it to open shellfish. Pat is very inquisitive, and bombards Bobby, a boy otter who is a little older than her, with questions. Patiently he explains all about surviving in her home environment, feeding, storms, sharks and killer whales.
Still Pat asks more and more questions, so Bobby takes her to meet Gaffer, an old otter who tells her that there are all different sorts of otters, such as land otters. He also tells her about humans, and how men used to hunt otters. The story continues with a strong message about conservation. We see that as well as being a story of a little otter growing up, this is a worthy account of a species pushed to an endangered status, by the greed of humans. We see that just a few humans care enough to do something about it.
Although I approve of the message, I have to confess that I found this to be a rather dry read, packed with too many facts. Because I had hoped to give it to my little cousin, I also found another more colourful picture book about otters, which will hopefully stimulate her interest enough to want to read this one.
For those children who enjoy this read, here are the others in the series:
“The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark The Cat Who Wanted to Go Home The Gorilla Who Wanted to Grow Up The Hen Who Wouldn’t Give Up The Penguin Who Wanted to Find Out“...more
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