5+: Daddy Lost his Head - Quentin Blake, Andre Bouchard

Release Date: 05/05/11

BOOK BLURB:

What would you do if your daddy lost his head? Make him a new one of course! All you need is some old newspapers, paint and a potato for his nose. It turns out there are lots of advantages to having a dad with no head: he doesn't shout or snore, he always agrees with you, and he loves doing the hoovering. But will Daddy ever find his real head?


REVIEW:

This is a complex book to review as to be honest I wasn’t sure to which age group it was aimed, some of the elements are quite scary. The story has a lot of text and whilst its very clever with the outline it does feel more like a title aimed at fans of Roald Dahl especially when you add the artwork of Quentin Blake.

All in its very clever and a title that I did get a huge laugh from, especially when I read it to my oldest nephew who, as my gauge of ultimate fun, lets me know what he thinks. Having said this, it could well be a book that will need to be slit up into parts as it will take you a while to read and whilst we did get through it, it was a two part read with a huge play session in the middle. Not that that’s a bad thing but with many children wanting a whole story before bed, it could well be a title that you’ll have to take your time with and if you can’t devote over half an hour for that then this isn’t the best book for you.

5+: Patrick - Quentin Blake

Release Date: 07/10/10

BOOK BLURB:

Welcome to the wonderful world of Patrick! For when he plays his violin, the most extraordinary things start to happen: fish can fly, and cows can dance and trees grow cakes instead of apples. There’s fireworks and fun and colours everywhere, when Patrick performs his magical tunes…


REVIEW:

A story from the artist perhaps best known for his Roald Dahl illustrations and one that proves that he has the talent to tell the tale on his own. Within this title is a story of magic, a story of adventure and a story of wonderful colours. Obviously it’s more for his illustrations that the reader is most likely to be sold but with a tale that has lots of different elements alongside really bright colours, it’s a tale that will keep the reader amused from start to finish. Great stuff.