Julia Jarman

As Class Two makes their way through the zoo, something is following close at their heels! The lithe anaconda silently sidles behind the otherwise engaged children until…GULP! Down goes Kyle, deep into the belly of the beast! One by one the children are added to the feast until fellow classmate, Molly, springs into action to pull her pals from the grimy, slimy gut of the snake. Though the premise appears dark, this humorous picture book exudes playfulness throughout the short, rhyming text show more and bright, silly images that illustrate the fantastic nature of the story. Each page boasts exaggerated and unrealistic character features coupled with simple yet emphatic text that zigzag’s every which way. The vibrant, almost electric colors are softened by subtle texturing and blurred patterns that are superimposed upon the surface of each component of the cartoon-like artwork. With its comical context and explicit cues for sound and emotion, adults will enjoy sharing a laugh with children of all ages as they read aloud this slithery tale. show less

Not a bad take on what it might be like for a first time offender in a Juvenile prison in Britain. Lee robbed an old lady and pushed her over and she ended up in hospital, but then to make matters worse, he then burgled her house and stole more money because he knew she wasn't there. So he gets sent to ParkHall for 12 months. In the time he is there, he loses his girlfriend, his mother and hits rock bottom as he tries to survive between two warring gangs. Brutal but without the swearing, show more this kept me reading to see if Lee would try and turn his life around or end up a serial jailbird like his father. The only major criticism I have is that it is written how Lee would speak; using the word "were" ALL the time instead of "was" (e.g. He were askin' for it). As an English teacher, this drove me INSANE throughout the book, as I kept wanting to correct Lee's grammar. show less

Fun book. When Kangaroo visits France, he falls in love with the cancan. Back in Australia, he decides to set up his very own Cancan Café. But will his auditions fall flat on their face, as wombats and possums just slither and sluther? Kangaroo's spirits start to droop, but then he hears a rumor that there is someone who really can do the cancan.

Hopefully, your child will never need to hear a storybook about an aging grandparent with dementia or Alzheimer's Disease - but if she does, this is it. Lovely Old Lion is crafted with sensitivity and kindness.

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