Good Reads: Chatterbooks groups, Petts Wood Library
Children who attend the Chatterbooks groups at Petts Wood Library have been shadowing the 2018 Kate Greenaway Medal. Here are some of their reviews on books they’ve read. Thank you to all the young readers who contributed and to librarian Jenny Hawke.
King of the Sky
Nicola Davies, illus Laura Carlin, Walker Books, 978-1406379198, £7.99
Review by Francesca
This book is about a bird who is a champion. I like that you can find a sooty, black cat and the bird itself on almost every page! I also like how the author describes the bird: ‘its head was whiter than a splash of milk, its eye blazed fire’. As I am half Italian, I was surprised with happiness when I read ‘Re del cielo’ which the boy named the champion bird with. Equally, I loved the illustration of a piazza in Rome with all the racing birds and the ice cream shop (gelateria!) in the background. It made me remember of the times when I sit on the doorstep of the gelateria in Italy, licking my ice cream and watching the pigeons doing their run-ups and searching for food on the ground! It was such a pleasure to read this book!
I rate King of the Sky!!!!!!
I would recommend it to year 1 onwards.
Under the Same Sky
Britta Teckentrup, Caterpillar Books, 978-1848575868, £11.99
Review by Abigail
I think that under the same sky is very heart warming, stunning and intricate because it is about everyone and everything under the same sky and it reminds us where ever we are we’re always together no matter what happens and we are always with each other. I love this book because it brings out your emotions inside and it is very lovely at the end when it says “we dream the same dreams…and we dream them……together” because we are one big family in this world, and we should remember that always.
A First Book of Animals
Nicola Davies, illus Petr Horacek, Walker Books, 978-1406359633, £14.99
Review by Megan
I like this book because it has interesting poems and detailed pictures. I would give it 10/10 because it was very descriptive on every page. I recommend this book to children of any age. I give it a 10/10 because I loved it!
Town is by the Sea
Joanne Schwartz, illus Sydney Smith, Walker Books, 978-1406378863, £7.99
Review by Helena
lt is an amazing book. It is all about the boy’s family and how he knows what he is going to become and he knows his grandad loved the sea so does he and so does his father. A coal miner is what he is going to become.
King of the Sky by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Laura Carlin
Nicola Davies, illus Laura Carlin, Walker Books, 978-1406379198, £7.99
Review by Lewis
This book is about an Italian boy who lives in England but doesn’t like it there. He has a friend called Mr Evans who keeps pigeons. Mr Evans has one pigeon with a milk-white head that always comes last but Mr Evans still thinks it will be a winner. One day when he sends all his pigeons to Rome the one with the milk-white head comes back first. At the start of the story the boy feels like he isn’t at home in England but at the end he feels like England is his home. I feel like the moral of the story is that you should never stop believing in something you love. I really liked this story as I thought it had a strong message and was written in a really engaging way. I really liked how every pigeon was different. I would rate this book 8/10
