Mark Sperring

A little witch named Wanda winds up at a school for fairies in this amusing "first day of school" story from English author/artist Mark Sperring, whose other picture-book outings include such titles as The Fairytale Cake and Mermaid Dreams. With her lunch of octopus sandwich and "lizard's breath lemonade" safely tucked away, Wanda finds her way to Miss Dewdrop's School, where her fellow pupils, from Tulip Fluffyglow to Willow Peachbreath, are just a little bit different from her, and the show more pink decor made her feel oddly out of place. When she spies a woggle of witchy pupils flying past her window, she realizes that she has come to the wrong school! Can she find her way to the right one, and more importantly, does she want to...?

Children who enjoy magical stories without much bite to them will appreciate this sweet story, which, though its resolution is something of a foregone conclusion, will still prove very entertaining. The illustrations by Kate and Liz Pope are full of fun, with Wanda sticking out like a sore thumb, amidst her pastel-clad peers. Recommended to young readers who like witchy tales, and to anyone looking for reassuring "first day of school" stories. show less

Adorable book with a non-specified premise about a child and their parent/guardian. The illustrations are adorable and beautiful as well. The two characters throughout the book are a big mouse and a little mouse, holding hands throughout the book while exploring new places and having new adventures together. The words rhyme throughout the story, and the message of the story is that the big mouse will always be beside the little mouse in life. This book would be a great bed-time read!

What won't a kid do to stay up late? Max puts on a magnificent show. The narration is written in a highly theatrical, circus-y style, which lends so well to read alouds.

This humorous story written by mark Sperring was written to entertain. I’d have to admit, being an adult even I found this book funny. The picture book looks at bedtime from a different perspective. Is this how the kids see it? What I loved the most about this story is that while reading it, we can add so much effect. For example, saying drumroll please, or abracadabra can be exciting. This is something we can do throughout the whole story. Also the illustrations are really nice. They are show more colorful, bright, and funny. I also love how the style of writing is different for each pages. Each page has its own unique writing style whether that is big, small, bolded, or even drawn. The kids will really enjoy this, I sure did! show less