Nick Sharratt

A variety of animals in a variety of assonant vehicles, sung to the tune of “The Wheels on the Bus”

Not to be “that person” about a kids book but, this is anti-bus propaganda. The cool thing about The Wheels on the Bus is that it’s about the normal, everyday occurrences of riding the bus! There’s no need to change the lyrics unless you find riding the bus completely unrelatable, which my niece won’t if I can help it! (I do actually enjoy this book.)

The illustrations, consisting of a black-and-white silhouette of a fairy tale scene (which is then revealed in full colour on the next page) are clever and fun. I especially like the pictures of the ogre doing yoga and Cinderella and Snow White spraying each other with water pistols. However, the constantly recurring question "What can this be in the foggy, foggy forest?" and the resulting answers to said question are rather unimaginative and not all that complementary or even complimentary show more to the deliciously fun and humorous illustrated scenes.

The Foggy, Foggy Forest is thus to be primarily recommended for its illustrations. This would be a good book for an inquisitive and imaginative child, especially if the rather mundane text is either ignored, or primarily used as a starting point for further discussion and independent storytelling. show less

From lollipops to rabbit plops, burnt ghosts to hot toast, strawberry tea to goblin pee there are many things to be discovered inside the witch's kitchen. Open the refrigerator door to the left and you may discover something yummy, but open it to the right and you may discover something terribly yucky.

My two year old daughter adores this book! This is another book that I was weary of with all the flaps and openings because she is unfortunately very brutal on books (well, everything). Not show more that she always does it on purpose, it's just that our sweet Littlebug is a bit of a klutz. So how do I know when she truly loves a book? Well, in the case of a pull/lift/flap/etc. book I know because she treats it with extra special care and that's exactly what she's been doing with What's in the Witch's Kitchen?. She's been bringing it to me quite often over the last few weeks and I've even caught her one or two times opening and closing the little flaps with the utmost care.

Each page has the option of opening a different item in the witch's kitchen to discover either very yummy or yucky things by flipping the flap to the left or right. To be honest, at first I couldn't figure it out. It took my four year old son showing me how to do it (yes, my four year old is smarter than I am). The flaps, though appearing to only open one way can actually open either and it's so so neat! Both the kiddos and myself have sat flipping the doors back and forth for quite some time because it's just so much fun. Then, at the end you have the great surprise of a full two page pop-out witch coming to life before your eyes!

What's in the Witch's Kitchen? by Nick Sharratt is a creepy spooky story that even the littlest Halloween fans will appreciate and their parents will happily read to them. Filled with delightful rhyming texts and adorable illustrations it's easy to help the very youngest of readers enjoy a sometimes scary holiday. As you flip back and forth the doors, cupboards and more readers will discover just exactly the witch has hidden in her kitchen. Could it be a yummy treat or something dreadfully yucky?

My original review was posted at There's A Book. show less

British children's author and illustrator Nick Sharratt delivers a fun-filled witchy lift-the-flap adventure with this latest book aimed at younger children! Just in time for Halloween comes What's in the Witch's Kitchen?, which provides two answers to its own question: one naughty, and one nice. (Oops! Sorry, wrong holiday!). With clever accordion-style flaps, that reveal one image when lifted one way, and another when pulled in the other, young readers are in for both trick and show more treat!

Although quite familiar with Sharratt's name, I can't think of any other work by him that I have happened to read. I wouldn't say that this first foray has completely blown me away, but I did find it pleasantly engaging, and I imagine young children will enjoy lifting these flaps, and trying to figure out how they can be lifted on both sides, to reveal different images. Recommended to those looking for Halloween appropriate titles for the younger, pop-up book set! show less