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?

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!”

Noisy Neighbours (I am Reading)

Text: Nicola Moon

Illustrations: Liz Million

Year: 2003

Publisher: Kingfisher Publications, London

Age: 4 – 8 years

No. of Pages: 48

Book Type: Chapter book for new readers, Paperback

ISBN:  978 0 75341 143 1

The I am Reading series is the perfect stepping stone for young readers as they move on from picture books to chapter books. 

This book has two stories. Noisy Neighbors is about accommodating and adjusting with neighbors while Just in Time is about helping one another.

By the way, the neighbors in question are quite the odd combination – George the panda, Louis the rhinoceros who also plays the trumpet and Harriet, a dog, I think, who loves to go Vroom-Vroom-Whirr on her motorbike.

Excerpt from Just in Time

The next few days seemed very long. Louis couldn't concentrate on playing his trumpet.

Harriet couldn't concentrate on fixing her bike.

George couldn't concentrate on anything at all. He thought he would burst with waiting.