Tumble Tots; Starting School

The first of these two books didn't impress me greatly. It is simply a prolonged advertisement for the Tumble Tots exercise classes and, since we don't have one locally, it didn't have many things our children could relate to. (If we did have a class locally, I'd have still been reluctant to appear to be advertising it.) The photos are lovely, though, and a change from drawings for this age group.

The second book Starting School is a follow-up to Fiona Pragoff's excellent I go to Nursery School and uses the same format of clear, interesting photos of everyday school life combined with a rather deadpan text. Starting School would be a good book to read to playgroup/nursery/reception children to lead to discussion about 'big school'; there is nothing here to disturb so none of the caution Frankie's First Day might need! A little more humour might have been welcome in this one; however it is reassuring and realistic and small children will find lots of interest in it. Even if they are not as lucky as Lucy - in a class of only 22!