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The Enormous Turnip; The Elves and the Shoemaker; The Gingerbread Man; The Little Red Hen; The Sly Fox and the Little Red Hen; TheThree Billy Goats Gruff

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BfK No. 118 - September 1999

Cover Story
This issue’s cover is from a stunning new picture book, Mary’s Secret by David McKee (Andersen Press, 0 86264 909 9, £9.99). An ecological fable about doing without cars, McKee’s story with its bright pictures full of well observed detail is set within Mary’s cheerful family and at her school. His bold, painterly illustrations use the page so confidently and dextrously that their quirky, decorative perspectives seem entirely natural. Thanks to Andersen Press for their help in producing this September cover.

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The Enormous Turnip

 Jan Lewis
 Irene Yates
(Ladybird)
32pp, 978-0721497389, RRP £2.99, Hardcover
Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant
Buy "First Favourite Tales: The Enormous Turnip" on Amazon

The Elves and the Shoemaker

 Tania Hurt-Newton
 Lorna Read
(Ladybird)
32pp, 978-0721497372, RRP £2.99, Hardcover
Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant
Buy "First Favourite Tales: The Elves & the Shoemaker" on Amazon

The Gingerbread Man

 Anja Rieger
 Alan MacDonald
(Ladybird)
32pp, 978-0721497310, RRP £2.99, Hardcover
Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant
Buy "First Favourite Tales: Gingerbread Man: Based on a Traditional Folk Tale" on Amazon

The Little Red Hen

 Liz Pichon
 Ronne Randall
(Ladybird)
32pp, 978-0721497396, RRP £2.99, Hardcover
Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant
Buy "First Favourite Tales: Little Red Hen" on Amazon

The Sly Fox and the Little Red Hen

 Marc Chalvin
 Mandy Ross
(Ladybird)
32pp, 978-0723272816, RRP £2.99, Hardcover
Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant
Buy "First Favourite Tales: Sly Fox And Red Hen" on Amazon

TheThree Billy Goats Gruff

 Sam Childs
 Irene Yates
(Ladybird)
32pp, 978-0721497365, RRP £2.99, Hardcover
Under 5s Pre-School/Nursery/Infant
Buy "First Favourite Tales: Three Billy Goats Gruff" on Amazon

This new series of almost square hardback books is bright and colourful, with text and illustrations working together on every page. The various illustrators tell the tales well, showing action and emotions and disasters yet to come, and the speech bubbles help move the stories along, offering a change of pace. All of these books use ellipses at the end of some pages to encourage a pause and a prediction, and the texts are rhythmic, with opportunities for building confidence and reading independence. Lines of text on each page vary from one to five, three lines only being a good average. The stories read aloud well, and have original additions which hold the reader’s or listener’s attention. ‘Come back here, little ginger feet/face/head/paws’ for example, as well as all the familiar expected lines. Whilst the language used may not be poetic, the vocabulary choices tend to be lively and varied.

Whilst Ladybird suggest the series is ideal for reading aloud and sharing with two to four year olds, several of these stories would be suitable for guided reading in the Literacy Hour, and at £2.99 each have to represent value for money.

There are also a further six titles available: Chicken Licken, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, The Magic Porridge Pot , and The Three Little Pigs .

Reviewer: 
Gwynneth Bailey
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