Class Pets - Missy’s Super Duper Royal Deluxe

By Susan Nees

Year: 2013

Publisher: Scholastic Inc., New York

Age: 5 – 8 years

No. of Pages: 72

Book Type: Illustrated chapter book for new readers

ISBN: 978 0 54543 852 0

Missy is excited because she’s going to bring home Eenie-Meenie, Miney and Moe, her class pets. The only problem is that bossy Tiffany also wants them.

Missy plans and plots (hilarious!) but fails to deter Tiffany.

She does bring them home, though. :-)

Excerpt

Now everything was ready. Well, not quite everything. There was just one teeny-tiny thing left to do.

Missy had to ask her mother …

Makeup Mess

Text: Robert Munsch

Illustrations: Michael Martchenko

Year: 2001

Publisher: Scholastic, Canada

Age: 5 - 9 years

No. of Pages: 30

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN: 978 0 43998 896 4

Julie, an industrious (and prospective investment banker!) is excited because she has finally saved up one hundred dollars. She spends the lot on make-up!

After a few disastrous trials which result in her parents falling over in astonishment, she realizes that she doesn’t need make-up to feel or be pretty.

She sells all of her stuff to her friends and earns a windfall. Now, you know why I predicted her career. :-)

This rib-tickling book is yet another gem from the Munsch-Martchenko duo. :-) A big thumbs up!

Excerpt

So Julie took some purple stuff and stuck it on her eyes.

She took some green stuff and put it on her cheeks.

She took some black stuff and put it on her lips, and she colored her hair purple.

Doodleday

By Ross Collins

Year: 2011

Publisher: Gullane Children’s Books, London

Age: 4 – 8 years

No. of Pages:  32

Book Type: Picture Book

ISBN:  978 1 86233 847 0

It’s Doodleday and it’s hilarious!

Despite instructions from his mom to the contrary, mischievous Harvey decides to doodle a fly which comes alive and wreaks havoc in the kitchen. He then draws a spider, to eat the fly. The spider turns on Harvey’s dad, instead.

He then draws a bird to prey on the spider and that doesn’t work either. After some more misadventures, Harvey yells for his mum who rescues the town from Harvey’s doodles. :-)

Excerpt

Harvey couldn’t see what she was drawing.

What could swat a giant fly?

Eat a gigantic spider?

Bring down a monstrous bird?

Be more ferocious than a Giant Squid?

The Wagon Train - A Lucky Luke Adventure (9)

By Goscinny and Morris

Year: 2007 (English translation)

Publisher: Cinebook Ltd., Kent

Age: 8 – 10 years

No. of Pages: 46

Book Type: Comic Book

ISBN:  978 1 90546 040 3

Meet Lucky Luke, “the man who shoots faster than his own shadow.” Set in the Wild, Wild West, Lucky Luke, a cool-as-cucumber cowboy escorts a wagon train across hostile terrain and through inhospitable towns.

There’s plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor, wit and hilarious situations to keep young and old engaged. Remember the magic of Asterix comics? It’s all there except set in a different time and place. :-)

That Bad, Bad Cat (Puffin Young Readers – Level 2)

Text: Claire Masurel

Illustrations: True Kelley

Year: 2002

Publisher: Puffin Young Readers, New York

Age: 3 – 5 years

No. of Pages: 32

Book Type: Educational

ISBN:  978 0 44845 813 7

We love these ‘learning to read’ books on cats. It’s one of the first words children learn to read at kindergarten school.

This book has plenty of “cat” in it to encourage a tiny reader. :-)

Excerpt

He spilled milk.

He stole food.

“Bad, bad cat!” his family said. 

Nuddy Ned

Text: Kes Gray

Illustrations: Garry Parsons

Year: 2008

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, London

Age: 3 – 6 years

No. of Pages: 30

Book Type: Novelty Picture Book, Paperback

ISBN:  978 1 40883 659 0

This hilariously illustrated, cheeky lift-the-flap book is uproarious. The rhyming text sets the tone for a mischievous reading session.

Meet Ned, who is suddenly inspired (!?) to run around in the nude! His parents are flabbergasted as they chase him around town while his neighbors are simply appalled. But nothing, absolutely nothing prepares you for the last page. :-)

Excerpt

“I’m Nuddy Ned! I’m Nuddy Ned!

Jim-jams aren’t for me!

I’m never wearing clothes again.

It’s the nuddy life for me!”