Splash Day

This is from the Barrington Stoke Little Gem series and is a little gem. It is a perfect chapter book for early readers who are just venturing in to a little more text one each page. It’s a great hand held size and is based on an actual splash day which takes place in a school in Brighton says Nick Sharratt, the author.

It is a straightforward story told in a bright and colourful way through rhyme. There is suspense at the beginning as there are all sorts of ‘vessels’ out in the playground and we wonder why. It really makes you think about the excitement engendered in a special day like a splash day – we probably don’t think of it in the same way as adults at times so regaining the joy of this is rather good for us!  The pages then introduce all the characters who will take part in the splash day including all the teachers – great drawings of people with rubber rings, flippers and wet suits… This all builds up into splashing itself, there is a surprise in store for all the pupils too. The book wraps up nicely with everybody drying out.

This is a perfect pocket first chapter book encourager with those distinctive, humorous Nick Sharratt illustrations and rhyme.