Book Reviews - 'Stuck' & 'Daisy Dawson'

Stuck by Oliver Jeffers

Harper Collins Children's Books

Oliver Jeffer's latest picture book continues to prove his ability to give life and wings to a simple idea and turn it into an adventure. 'Stuck' explores the problems of throwing good after bad. Literally. It all begins with a little boy named Floyd getting his kite stuck in a tree. The ridiculous lengths he will go to, to retrieve it, are beyond belief and you will not fail to be surprised by the boy's lack of logical thinking. Just when you think things can't get sillier they do and just when you think the boy will solve the problem … he doesn't.

So much is left unspoken but as you look at the pictures you will know exactly what the author is getting at.


Perplexing yet entertaining, get Stuck in.

Daisy Dawson On The Farm

by Steve Voake illustrated by Jessica Meserve  Walker Books

'Daisy Dawson On the Farm' is the latest in a sweetly charming series about a little girl who can speak with animals. This is the premise for a string of adventures involving all sorts of creatures, at the seaside, in the snow, in a secret pool and everywhere she goes.

I would encourage anyone with a little girl who is gathering confidence in reading alone to try these books. Firstly they are fun, short adventures with lots of appeal. The text is laid out with plently of space and injected with oodles of illustrations. No page escapes the odd squiggle or sketch so the blocks of text are not daunting but inviting. Early readers will gobble up the words and be flying onto longer books 

before they outgrow their next pair of school shoes.

Secondly, the pictures are perfect. They are a gorgeously thick, charcoally black and, whether it's the bough of a tree arching over the top of a page or Daisy striding along the bottom of one, each drawing is a wonderful frame for the text. The animals are all very believable and expressive and Daisy is a delight.

 

Whether you start at the first or the last book, you will be     sure to dive straight into Daisy's happenings. On the farm, though, we follow her quest to bring relief to the hot, thirsty animals who are struggling through a drought. With her clever plans and ability to take everyone into consideration, Daisy will always find a way in the end.