Romeo and Juliet (A Colouring Classic) and Pride and Prejudice (A Colouring Classic)

Adult colouring books are very popular at the moment, the current craze across the world. I like many of them, and there are hundreds on the market. However, if I am totally honest I like the orginial books by Johanna Basford and Millie Marotta - pictures made up of lots of different elements and the zentangle designs where patterns are drawn inside of detailed outlines. There are now many different styles of colouring books on the market and there are many which seem to of jumped on the band wagon and not done it very well.

I was sent both of the books, Romeo and Juliet and Pride and Prejudice to review and I admit I was nervous about if I would like them or not. The books in general are good quality, made of sturdy, heavy paper through which colour does not bleed but I would prefer, when making these books, for the publishers to only print the designs on one side of the paper. I am always nervous that the medium chosen to colour in the designs may bleed through and therefore ruining the design on the other side. Also I may decide to frame a picture and therefore miss out on the design on the other side. The designs are clearly drawn and there are definite black outlines on all pictures.  Some of the pictures also have quotes from these famous books which add to the design. And now comes my disappointment - there are many designs which include people, which I don't think have a place in adult colouring books. It is very difficult to colour in people without them looking like a child's colouring and I don't think they add anything to the pictures, rather deflect the attention from the beautiful designs.

 

Thank you to the publishers, Little Tiger, for sending me the books to review.

The Ever So Series 5 Books Bundle Julie Fulton Collection (Vain Dorothy-Jane,Nosy Tabitha Posy,Greedy Mrs Maccready,Bossy Jonathan Fossy,Loud Daniel O'Dowd)

This set of five books contains; Vain Dorothy-Jane; Loud Daniel O'Dowd; Nosy Tabitha Posy; Greedy Mrs MacCready and Bossy Jonathan Fossy.

Rhyming books are always popular with young children, and this set of books contains five books which are written in rhyme about five children.

I have previously reviewed three of these titles on my blog: Greedy Mrs MacCready, Nosy Tabitha Posy and Vain Dorothy Jane.

Some of my highlights of these books are:

• The stories are  written in rhyme, but it is more than simple rhyme. The words are well written and, as Julie Fulton is also a music teacher, I believe this book should be set to music – a great rhyme for children to dance to!

• They are great for children with wild imagination. The books are humorous and will appeal to both young children and the adults who read it to them. With the catchy text it will soon be recited from memory and become a firm favourite at story time.


• The illustrations by Jona Jung are also fantastic - they accompany the text perfectly and will be the source of much discussion with young children with pictures being hand drawn but full of detail and Jona Jung has captured the fun and energy within the illustrations perfectly

• There is a great moral to the story - use books for research and reference! This is one which I can try to urge my children to remember but with the age of the Internet one which is being forgotten (Tabitha Posy)

I really like these books and Julie Fulton is a fantastic story-teller and does brilliant events for children, so if she is ever near you, please pay her a visit.

This set is a great way to buy all five books and would make a perfect gift for young children.

Thank you to the publishers, Maverick Publishing, for sending me the books to review.

Squish, Squash, Squeeze by Tracey Corderoy and Jane Chapman

Squish Squash Squeeze! is the brilliant new picture book from talented author/illustrator team Tracey Corderoy and Jane Chapman (The Little White Owl and The Magical Snow Garden). Packed full of surprises, this funny tale about unexpected friendships will delight small children, as they discover the tiger, crocodile and bear hidden in Mouse's house. With a fantastic pop-up, pull-out ending, it's just the book to squish-squash-squeeze into your bookshelves. Mouse's new house seems perfect, with just enough room for his things. But who's that growling by the piano? And who's that sliding down the banister? Uh-oh! There are some VERY BIG animals living in the house. What a squish-squash-squeeze!

Publisher: Little Tiger Press Group
ISBN: 9781848691896

Another new title from the fantastic Tracey Corderoy - this one squishes, squashes and squeezes lots of animals into Mouse's house and everywhere he turns, he finds new friends, all of whom are rather noisy!

This is one of those books that you know children will love. The story is brilliant, full of noisy animals who children meet every turn of the page and the illustrations by Jane Chapman are bright, colourful and bold and make the reader believe you are in a tiny house with lots of animals squashed in. 

I can imagine sharing story time with young children and this book. As every page is turned there will be laughter and noise as every picture is explored and the tale told - probably not the best to have at bedtime but great for a mid afternoon story time.

Thank you to the publishers, Little Tiger, for sending me the book to review.

Augustus and his Smile by Catherine Rayner (10th Anniversary Edition)

Augustus the tiger is sad. He has lost his smile. So he does a HUGE tigery stretch and sets off to find it. As he climbs mountain crests patterned with frost and swims to the bottom of inky blue oceans, Augustus soon realises that his smile will be there whenever he is happy. He just needs to open his eyes to the beauty of the natural world around him. Rediscover the magic of Catherine Rayner's illustrations with this stunning 10th anniversary edition. With a gorgeous jacketed cover with gold foiling, this picture book would make a perfect gift for a baby shower, christening or birthday. Augustus and his Smile was Catherine Rayner's first book. It was nominated for the Kate Greenaway Award and won the 2006 Booktrust Early Years Award. 

  

Publisher: Little Tiger Press Group
ISBN: 9781848692329

I really enjoy collecting anniversary editions of books and when I received this book I was very excited. It is a beautiful book at first sight and when I saw it was Catherine Rayner I knew that the inside would be just as beautiful.

Catherine Raynor writes beautiful stories about animals and they are accompanied by her gorgeous illustrations. With a name like Augustus, the reader should expect a majestic animal, and Augustus is such a beast, a tiger who is looking for his smile, which he thinks he has lost. It is a lovely story and as the reader turns each page, they are introduced to another beautiful illustration, hand drawn by Catherine and the words of the story, are not just added to the page, but integrated into the illustration, drawing the readers eye into the picture.

As I have previously said, I adored this special 10th anniversary edition of the book and I would recommend it as a special gift to a child, one to share and treasure and maybe to read with their own children in years to come.

Thank you to the publishers, Little Tiger, for sending me the book to review.

Now! by Tracey Corderoy and Tim Warnes

Archie's back! And he's finding waiting a little bit hard. There are SO many fun things to do. The problem is, he just can't wait! Archie wants to do everything ...NOW! This hilarious picture book, starring adorable little rhino Archie, is a must for fans of No!, Why? and More! With laugh-out-loud writing from Tracey Corderoy (The Magical Snow Garden, Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam) and fun illustrations from Tim Warnes (The Great Cheese Robbery, Dangerous!), Now! is the perfect story to share with impatient toddlers who want everything ...NOW!

The most loveable rhinoceros is back. Archie's favourite new word is Now! and, as with many toddlers, does not want to wait but soon finds that somethings need to be waited for. When Archie and family are due to go on holiday they must wait two weeks and what fun they have while counting down!

I really like Tracey Corderoy's books, she is a fantastic children's author and her books suit a range of ages, all containing brilliant characters and her collaboration with Tim Warnes, a fantastic illustrator, brings Archie and family to life.  Archie has been in many books including No!, Why? and More! and all aim to teach toddlers important life lessons.

I recommend this as a great book to give to active and inquisitive toddlers to share at story time.

Thank you to the publishers, Little Tiger, for sending me this book to review.

Blog Tour - You had me at Merlot by Lisa Dickensen

Elle and Laurie are the last ones standing: they're single, they're not having babies any time soon and their weekends aren't filled with joyful meetings about mortgages. For Elle, this is fine. She likes her independent life, but Laurie wants love and she wants it now. So when Laurie begs Elle to come with her on a singles holiday to a beautiful vineyard in Tuscany, Elle is reluctant. She has no intention of swapping her perfectly lovely life for someone else's idea of her Mr Perfect, but ten days under the Italian sun with her best friend and lashings of wine? How bad could that be? Full of sultry summer nights, hilarious moments and plenty of adventure, You Had Me at Merlot will warm even the most cynical of hearts and have you believing in the magic of romance (and the power of a decent glass of wine).

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group
ISBN: 9780751561937

I read this book when it was initially published as a four part series and loved it. It is a feel good book and as soon as picked it up each time I was swept back to Tuscany and the vineyards. I loved Dickenson's writing style, her prose is descriptive and draws the reader straight in but is also mixed with her fantastic humour which keeps the mood upbeat. I also follow the author on Twitter and her quick one-liners are also included within the book.

I love the characters, they are a fantastic cast and I would love to of been on this holiday, under the Tuscan sun, with fantastic company and beautiful Italian sunshine.  It sounds like a great idea for a holiday - a group of singletons with a common love of wine, in the beautiful surroundings.

I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a good book to read this summer - whether beside a pool or in the back garden enjoying the Great British Summer we have been promised.

Thank you to the publishers, Sphere, for including me on this blog tour and sending me the book to review.

Blog Tour - My Favourite Independent Bookshop

June 18-25th is Independent Bookshop Week and 2016 is the tenth year of this celebration. In conjunction with Orion's publication of How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry bloggers are being asked what is their favourite Independent book shop. Unfortunately I don't have a local independent book shop but when I was asked there could only be one answer, Chipping Norton's Jaffe and Neale.

Jaffe and Neale is in the centre of Chipping Norton, a town in the middle of the Cotswolds and is a bookshop and a café - can you think of a better combination? It is a fantastic shop, as soon as I walk in the door I feel like I am returning to see old friends. I found Jaffe and Neale when I visiting Chipping Norton's Literary Festival (Chiplitfest) three years ago and have returned every year since. The bookshop plays a big part in the festival weekend, becoming the hub of the festival for visitors, guests and volunteers. Pop up shops also appear in some of the festival venues, all staffed by the cheerful and friendly Jaffe and Neale staff. All greet vistitors with a friendly smile and ask if they can help, however when Mark Billingham's Saturday night Chiplitfest quiz starts, the gloves are off, and the staff unite to create a formidable team who usually end up in the top three and give the authors teams a good run for the prizes.

Jaffe and Neale host numerous author visits throughout the year and throughout Independent Bookshop Week they are hosting, among others; Carol Duffy, Richard Osman and Alexander Armstrong (a full listing is available here)

Jaffe and Neale is owned by Patrick Neale and Polly Jaffé, both have backgrounds in the publishing industry and can be found working in the store. They opened the bookshop ten years ago, with their focus from the start being good books and good customer service, something which is evident ten years later. As soon as you walk in the store Patrick can be identified by his smart country gentleman attire and Polly is usually behind the counter with her fabulous smile - during festival weekend they can be spotted running between the author's green room, venues and the bookshop but always have time to greet friends and visitors they pass on the way.

Aswell as being an independent bookshop, Jaffe and Neale are a bustling café  stocked with Aga-baked cakes made by  Ceci in her Chadlington kitchen and look delicious. With chairs and tables both inside and out, there is no better reason to while away an hour reading a new book.

 

The bookshop offers something for everyone; with new bestsellers, old favourites and a well stocked non-fiction section, the shop is complete with a fantastic children's department. During festival weekend, an illustrator and/or author can be seen creating a window display which always look fantastic and frequent sessions are hosted at Jaffe and Neale for young bookworms. Independent Bookshop Week 2016 sees a visit from Alice's White Rabbit on Monday 20th June.

I hope I can encourage my blog readers to take a visit to Chipping Norton and pop into Jaffe and Neale. It really is a jewel in the crown of the Cotswolds and the perfect place to relax and enjoy an hour's indulgent book reading in lovely surroundings with the obligatory slice of (delicious) cake.

I am already on countdown to next years Chiplitfest and Jaffe and Neale will be one of the first places I pop into before the events start.