Book Reviews

"Funny and charming, this book is simply super!"

"Super fun, super playful, this stunning picture book captures the youthful imagination and burgeoning independence of caped crusader SuperJoe. With clever comic-style illustrations and warm-hearted humour, it's a timely reminder that everyone needs a reassuring hug from Mum sometimes."

"Who wouldn't want a scarf 'soft as a mouse's touch and warm as roasted chestnuts'? That's just the type of special garment crafted by the titular cloud spinner, a boy who transforms clouds into elegant threads in Catchpool's ecological fable. Jay's now-signature paintings of exaggerated figures awash in a cracked varnish lend a timeless air of fantasy and whimsy to this original tale."

"There are definitely lessons about taking only what you need, about care for the needs of others and about listening to what is unsaid, but they are fully inside the story and only add to the pleasure."

"The repetitive pattern creates a fabular feel suitable to such a politely conveyed moral tale!"

"Colourful, attention-grabbing illustrations, together with succulent onomatopoeic words, make this a most desirable book for young children who love making sounds and words."

"The touching words and the softly realistic pastel illustrations bring warmth, light and colour to a very positive treatment of bereavement."

"Michael Catchpool's Hopping Mad covers a lot of ground in its colourful pages: friendship, selfishness, misunderstanding and the sort of row over possessions that leaves everyone worse off. Fred and Finn are neighbours arguing over the number of frogs in each other's ponds, building bigger and bigger defences every night to keep their amphibians in. The story provides good counting practice, and David Roberts' illustrations are pleasingly slimy, splashy and sticky."

"This is a very enjoyable read. The well-paced narrative is direct, with lots of dialogue and an obvious pattern. The use of alliteration and descriptive vocabulary gives it a lyrical quality."

"This is a rare example of a counting book that is also a moral fable, and in which, as a result of their greed and possessiveness, the boys finally — and satisfyingly — end up with nothing. This is an impressive book for young children: a cautionary tale about how not to control the natural world, with detailed, earth-toned illustrations that simply burst with energy."