Algy's Amazing Adventures at Sea

Review also includes:

The Dragon’s Dentist, John McLay, ill. Martin Brown, 978-1444011043

These titles are both new additions to the growing collection of Early Readers published by Orion and reflect their high quality of both writing and production. Newly independent readers will not be disappointed as both stories have sufficient content to engage presented with accessible texts. In The Dragon’s Dentist, Harry, a young boy who is desperate to become a knight, finds himself compared poorly with the rest of his strong, famous family. Harry decides to take matters into his own hands and prove his worth by capturing the fiercest dragon around. Sure enough he captures the dragon, but not through traditional means, but instead a bit of impromptu dentistry, and a move to the top of the ‘knights-in –waiting list’. Attractively presented with around 4 lines of text per page and colour illustrations throughout, this is a story with sufficient content for those growing in independence to enjoy along or together. In Algy’s Amazing Adventures at Sea (other titles see Algy adventuring in the jungle and the arctic), a loose plank at the back of the shed conveniently transports Algy and his friends to another world – this time to the sea where they meet some pirates and have a lucky escape. There is lots for the reader to discover about Algy as he faces his dislike of the seaside and overcomes a fear of birds to befriend a parrot: a real benefit in a short and simple story which can so often just contain narrative – lots to talk about if the book is shared. Nicely structured too with Algy reluctant to wear a horrible brightly coloured scarf knitted by his aunt, but finding a perfect use for it in the end. Slightly more text is presented in this ‘red early reader’ but it is still packed with bright and cheery illustrations to support the text.