The Bolds

Title: The Bolds
Author: Julian Clary
Illustrator: David Roberts
Publisher:  Andersen Press
Published: 2015
Format: Paperback
Source: My own copy

Two English speaking hyenas leave the Masai Mara to take on the identities of Fred and Amelia Bold, a young couple from Twickenham. Fred gets a job writing jokes for Christmas crackers and Amelia makes hats from unusual items such as egg boxes. They have two young children Bobby and Betty and are very happy with their new life in the suburbs. The children have a human friend, Minnie, who knows their secret, but can be trusted not to let on to anyone else. The only problem they have is their grumpy next door neighbour, Mr McNumpty, who is extremely unfriendly. One day the Bolds visit the local safari park so that the children can see the wild animals and get a taste of what life in Africa was like for their parents. Whilst there they make friends with the park's hyenas and hatch a plan to rescue Tony, an elderly hyena at risk of being put down by the vet.

The story is told in such a way that you can imagine Julian Clary reading aloud to you. The style is very chatty with plenty of asides from the narrator which makes it very easy to read. I think that this book would be great to read aloud. An audio book read by Julian Clary would be brilliant except for one small problem; you would miss out on David Robert's fantastic illustrations. The book is packed with illustrations which complement the text perfectly and really bring the story to life. I particularly liked the way that the pages are black with white writing when the story takes place at night or in the dark. Mr Bold's job writing jokes gives Julian Clary the excuse to include plenty of Christmas cracker type humour, which can make you groan, but in a good way. The story itself is really funny and made me laugh out loud a lot. I was particularly amused at the thought of Mr McNumpty dating Joan Collins and living the high life. The book is quite thick for one aimed at younger readers, but that is because there are so many illustrations which will appeal to children making the move to longer books. It is really easy to read and the story races along. I am really looking forward to the publication of The Bolds to the Rescue in March 2016. It sounds as if it will be another brilliantly funny book.

The Next Together

Title: The Next Together
Author: Lauren James
Publisher: Walker Books
Published: 2015
Format: Paperback
Source: My own copy

Katherine and Matthew meet, fall in love and change the course of history, again and again, with one or both dying in the process. So what do they need to do to break the cycle? 'The Next Together' covers four of these meetings during the siege of Carlisle in 1745, the Crimean War in 1854, 2019 and 2039. They play a vital role in preventing catastrophes, but why do they keep being born over and over again and who is controlling their lives?

The book jumps back and forth through time, but it is easy to keep track because a different font is used for each period and the time and place is listed at the start of each chapter. I really liked the fonts used because they fitted the period described. I could open the book at any page and know immediately where Katherine and Matthew were in time. The story is told in the third person for the most part, but for 2019 hand written notes, texts and emails between the two allow the reader to eavesdrop on what is happening. It was interesting to see the part that changing technology played throughout and to consider how different the story would be if that technology had been available in the earlier periods. Lauren James has clearly researched the historical periods thoroughly, but hasn't allowed herself to be obsessed with accuracy at the expense of a good story.

I loved this book, the idea is brilliant and I was kept gripped to the end. And what an ending, the very last page opened up a whole new line for the story to follow. I found myself thinking, 'oooh does that mean what I think it does?' It also hinted at other periods that are still to be covered. I am really looking forward to the sequel 'The Last Beginning' coming out to find out if my ideas are correct, although I'm not sure if I can wait a whole year.

What Happened When in the World

Title: What Happened When in the World

Publisher: Dorling Kindersley

Date of Publication: 2015

Format: Hardback

Source: My own copy

  

The cover says “history as you've never seen it before!” So it has a lot to live up to and it does. This book uses maps to illustrate history though the ages. Each double page spread features a different map to demonstrate the impact of events through time, starting with the Ice Age and ending with the rise of China as a trading nation. As we have come to expect from DK the information is presented in short paragraphs with colourful illustrations and photographs. Most pages include a quote from someone involved at the time, thus bringing the history to life. The pages are jammed with facts and dates, but are easy to read and will keep most readers engrossed.

There are pages about all the usual periods in history along with others that will make you think, such as the spread on slavery which shows that there were more slaves transported to South America to work in gold and diamond mines than anywhere else. It really brings home what a terrible trade this was, showing the slaves going to the Americas, the essential products being shipped to Europe and guns, rum and beer amongst the products sent to Africa in exchange for people.

Using maps as a device to illustrate history really brings it to life and makes it a lot easier to understand at times. Children will be able to learn a lot about their history through this book and it will really make them think about the impact of their forefathers' actions. It is the sort of book that you will pick up for a few minutes and still be reading an hour later.

You Rule! Create Your Own Country

Title: You Rule! Create Your Own Country

Author: Scott Forbes and Emma Laura Jones

Publisher: Lonely Planet Kids

Date of Publication: September 2015

Format: Hardback

Source: Complimentary copy from publisher

I live in the UK, but I also live in Thanesia which is part of the Empire of Austenasia. As a result I was extremely curious to read You Rule! Create Your Own Country. The book is set out in chapters dedicated to the different stages you need to go through to create your own country. It explains in detail how to choose a site for your country, make it official and everything that is needed in the day to day running of your own state. It gives information about other micronations as well as details on “real” countries. There are short tests to complete which will help you to decide how to set up and rule your country. By the end of the book you will be able to set up your own micronation.

I found this book very easy to read. The information is split up into chunks so you can read as much or as little as you like in one sitting. The pages are colourful with plenty of cartoon-like illustrations and photos. There is also a serious side to the book as it explains the politics of “real” countries and the United Nations. Children will learn a lot while having fun. It can lead on to lots of activities, at home or in school, based around maps, design, law and government. There was only one problem with the book; it didn't mention Austenasia! Despite this it is still a really good book.

Beegu

Title: Beegu
Author: Alexis Deacon
Publisher:  Red Fox
Published: 2003
Format: Paperback
Source: My own copy

Beegu is one of the many books that the author and illustrator Alexis Deacon has created by himself. Like his other books, it carefully balances charm and poignancy.

At the start of the story Beegu has crashed onto Earth and has just woken up in entirely new surroundings. She finds it hard to communicate with other living beings and the humans seem to be cold and apathetic to her at first…until she meets up with a group of schoolchildren. The text is short and simple and most of the story is told through the pictures, which are beautifully drawn. The character of Beegu is drawn as a small bioluminescent yellow creature with long rabbit ears and this plus her friendly yet lonely personality makes her a lovable character. The book has some sad moments in it, but it also has happy moments such as when Beegu meets the schoolchildren who are eager to let her play with them. The message of Beegu is about being lonely and finding friends, but also of childhood innocence, which is reflect in both our protagonist and the human children.

In conclusion, Beegu is a sweet and poignant picture book with beautiful illustrations and a message about loneliness and friendship. Children and their parents will equally love the cuddly Beegu herself and these contributing factors mean that this story will appeal to audiences both young and old.

Dork Diaries

Title: Dork Diaries

Author: Rachel Renee Russell

Illustrator: Rachel Renee Russell, Nikki Russell, Leisl Adams

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Date of publication: 2009

Format: Paperback

Source: My own copy

Dork Diaries (originally named Dork Diaries: Tales From A Not-So-Fabulous Life in the USA) is the first instalment in the tween book series of the same name which concentrates on the antics of the dorky Nikki J. Maxwell and her family, friends and rivals.

In spite of the marketing advertising it as the girl’s counterpart to Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, the story’s plotline itself is entirely different, with Nikki moving to the elite Westchester Country Day school and facing off against the resident queen bee MacKenzie Hollister in a school’s art competition. She also makes friends with the zany Chloe and Zoey and attracts the romantic attention of the school newspaper’s photographer Brandon Roberts. All of these characters are memorable and fleshed-out and the hijinks that occur as the plot progresses will have you both laughing out loud and sympathising for Nikki at the same time. The pictures, another gimmick of the book that stand out, are drawn in either a cartoony stick-figure style or a manga influenced style. Being a big fan of manga myself, I really liked this addition to the book and felt that these pictures were really well-drawn and humorous. Furthermore, it features nearly all of the high school genre conventions that we know and love as well as some new additions to it.

Overall, this is a very funny book with brilliant cartoons and memorable characters that everyone can enjoy and sets the tone of the series as a whole as well as providing a good start to it. I would definitely recommend it for the pre-teen and early teenage market.