Postman Pat Makes a Splash ¦ Postman Pat's Day in Bed

Books about popular TV characters, such as Heggerty Haggerty or Super Ted, have frequently failed to match the printed word to the understanding level, and reading level, of the children who watch the programmes. Disappointment has been the result as a child has chosen a story of one of her favourites and then found it downright incomprehensible.

However this new series of Postman Pat books really hit the right note. They are clear, bright, well designed, well written and catch just the right tone for 4-7 year olds, first to listen to and later to read for themselves.

Postman Pat Makes a Splash has a jolly, slap-stick plot about an awkward baby and an even more awkward nanny. It went down very well with my class, who kindly explained to me who everyone was and where they lived as well as the habits and likes of Jess, the cat.

Postman Pat's Day in Bed introduces an interesting punk postlady, called Molly, and the entire population of the village who rally round when Pat is laid low by 'flu,

Neither book has spent more than two minutes on the bookshelves before being borrowed again and, best of all, have inspired the first really independent reading of at least two older, slower readers.