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BOOK
REVIEWS - FLORIS BOOKS |
The
Elves' Big Adventure by Daniela Drescher
ISBN: 978-086315-594-9 £8.99
Old
Redcap, an inventor elf, is proud of his best creation: a hot-air balloon
with extra wings for steering.
Suddenly Bluecap, a young elf, comes rushing through the woods. A fox has
nibbled at the ropes holding the balloon down! Redcap and Bluecap both grab
a rope, but can't stop the balloon rising into the sky -- with the two elves
still attached.
Eventually darkness falls, and so does the balloon. When they wake the next
morning, they find themselves in the land of the fairies, stuck on rocks
which turn out to be a sleeping dragon. Their adventure is only just
beginning.
This is an exciting new story from the author and illustrator of In the Land
of Fairies, In the Land of Elves, and In the Land of Merfolk.
Totz2teens Member Review:
My daughter and I read this book together. At first I thought it
may be more for a younger child but actually the way it is written and the
length of the story it is probably right for tiddlypeeps and young Tweens.
I am not sure I would pay £8.99 for it but it is a lovely book and the
illustrations are pretty. The story itself is a sweet tale of an elves
adventure in a hot air balloon which offers up a few surprises. My
daughter enjoyed listening to this story and it held her attention whilst we
were pointing out the creatures and fairies in the picture too.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 3/5
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Pelle's New
Suit by Elsa Beskow
ISBN:
978-086315-584-0 £4.99
Pelle has
a lamb whose coat grows longer and longer, while Pelle’s Sunday suit grows
shorter! Pelle shears the lamb, and the wool is carded, spun, dyed and
woven. Finally, the tailor makes a new suit for Pelle.
Totz2teens Member Review:
Charming. This little book makes you feel all warm inside.
Pelle needed a new suit and his lamb's coat was growing very long. The
story tells the tale of how Pelle has to do jobs for other people in return
for them to help get the wool from lamb to suit. Its very cute and the
pictures are clear and easy to help explain the story.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5 |
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The Sun Egg by
Elsa Beskow
ISBN: 978-086315-585-7 £4.99
A
mysterious orange egg has fallen into the woods. "It's a sun egg!" declares
the elf who finds it nestled on the forest floor. Soon she and her friends
find out what it really is, but not before the little elf has one of the
best adventures she has ever had.
Totz2teens Member Review:
What a lovely magical little story. The illustrations are
delightful and the story is just so very sweet. The inquisitive nature
of the woodland folk and how their innocent lives are affected by this SUN
EGG and how they discover its real identity. This book is produced as
a gift book and I think it would make a lovely addition to a present for a
young girl.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5
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The Wings of
Rusksh by Anne Forbes
ISBN: 978-086315-602-1 £5.99
'Strange as it may seem, as he came in to land at Edinburgh Airport last
year, the captain of the London flight reported sighting a dragon ...'
A year on, and life has calmed down for Neil and Clara MacLean. A quiet meal
in The Sultan’s Palace restaurant. What could go wrong? But they hadn’t
counted on the mirror! How is it connected to the missing Sultan’s Crown,
and what secrets does the mysterious Black Tower hold? Winged horses, snow
witches, magic mirrors -- how did they get here and where are they going?
From an Edinburgh literally cloaked in tartan, through the forbidding
Highland hills, Neil and Clara set out with old and new friends on a
perilous journey full of danger, daring -- and a reluctant broomstick.
Totz2teens Member Review:
CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED
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Uan the Little Lamb by Sandra Klaassen
ISBN: 0-86315-561-8 £8.99
On a remote Scottish Island, two children find an abandoned lamb and take
her home. They call her 'Uan', which in Gaelic means lamb.
Slowly the lamb grows up and they love playing with her and taking her
everywhere. What will happen when she becomes a sheep?
Totz2teens Member Review: Ahhhh. This is a tremendously sweet
story of a little lamb abandoned by its mother and how a family takes it in
and looks after it. Although not an in-depth story it is just enough
for a young child to understand how the little lamb must be feeling.
The pictures are so well structured, Uans face when they find her is so
forlorn and I as the reader felt all maternal for this sweet little animal.
It has a lovely ending too and I felt quite smiley once we had finished
reading this book. I can see we are going to read this one a few more
times today already!
Totz2teens Member Rating 5/5
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Summer nature activities for
children by Irmgard Kutsch & Brigitte Walden
ISBN: 978-086315-586-4 £12.99
Packed full of fun nature activities that will help children engage with the
season and learn practical new skills. Activities are drawn form the four
elements - water, fire, earth & air. They provide detailed
instructions on growing and cooking fresh herbs, working with grain and
making delicious bread.
Totz2teens Member Review: This book is full of innocent fun activities
to do with children. From June - August you have the chance to try out
different activities. Herbs, butterflies, jam, water, soap bubbles and even
building a clay fire. I would say that this book is for the parent or
carer so that they can then plan the days activities as some of the things
to do are rather in-depth which is actually great because they could be a
wonderful family summer venture. I am now itching to get out and make
a caterpillar house so that we can see them grow to beautiful butterflies.
It doesnt look too difficult....
Tot2teens Member Rating: 4/5
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Quest for a Kelpie by Frances Mary Hendry
ISBN: 978-086315-580-2 £5.99 Paperback
It
is 1745, and young Jeannie Main is a tough fisher lass in Nairn in
north-east Scotland. She lives a simple, quiet life until a gypsy warns her
of a greater fate than she ever dreamed: that she, a poor working girl,
would decide the fate of two kings.
As Jeannie tries to comes to terms with her destiny, she is plunged into
adventure and danger which could determine the future of her country. One
final test remains: risking her life by riding the Kelpie, the most feared
monster in all of Scotland.
This is a fast-moving, thrilling story set at one of the crucial moments in
Scotland's history. It was the winner of the first BBC 'Quest for a Kelpie'
prize.Totz2teens member Review:
This historical story is
based on a teenage girls life in 1745. Located in Nairn in north-scotland
her life is harsh and she has grown up in a Fishing family, living from hand
to mouth.
Through an act of kindness she helps a Gypsy girl and as a result she is
foretold that she would encounter a fearsome creature, A Kelpie. The Kelpie
being a spirit of a beautiful tame horse standing by a riverside. Anybody
foolish enough to mount the horse and it would rear and charge headlong into
the deepest part of the water, drowning the rider.
The detail in this story is beautiful. Its aimed at teenagers and my only
negative would be that there is a lot of Scottish terms which you have to
check at the back of the book in the glossary to see the English meaning.
Getting past the first chapter with having to constantly refer to the
glossary may put them off. But once past that its was a very good read.
Totz2teens Member Rating 4/5
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Flash the Sheep Dog by Kathleen Fidler
ISBN: 978-086315-581-9 £5.99 Paperback
Tom Stokes is an orphan. His sister is going to America to get married, but
where can he go? They remember an uncle and aunt they scarcely know who live
in the borders of Scotland.
After the city bustle of London, Tom finds his uncle's farm barren and
lonely. How can he adjust to such a life? Help comes in the form of a
sheepdog pup, and his loneliness is forgotten when Tom realizes it is his,
to love and to train (maybe to be a champion?). Life on the hill-farm, with
his new friend Elspeth, and Flash, becomes adventurous and challenging.
Then his sister writes that Tom can come and live with her in America, and
he is faced with the most difficult decision of his life …
Totz2teens Member Review:
Tom Stokes is an orphan, who's sister is going to America to
get married, so he goes to live with an Aunt and Uncle on the borders of
Scotland.
Having lived in London all his life he finds the farm a complete change and
somewhat lonely. He tries to fit in and struggles until he gets his own
border collie puppy.
Its a lovely gentle story of a boy and his best friend. Learning to trust
again and being accepted into a family. It has a nice feel about it and
would suite 9 yr old upwards.
Totz2teens rating 4/5
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Creative Felt by Angelika Wolk-Gerche
ISBN: 978-0-86315-613-7 £8.99
People have been making felt without specialist tools
for thousands of years. This book teaches how to make felt in easy,
step-by-step stages, along with helpful photographs and diagrams.
The second half of the book is a wealth of ideas of things to make with
felt, ranging from toys and dolls to beautiful accessories and gifts
Totz2teens Member Review:
I found Creative Felt to be an interesting book. I learnt about
the history of felting and also how its actually acquired. I found
this really interesting and its a marvellous process that develops the felt.
Then the creative part comes with making some really fantastic crafty items.
I couldn't actually do the actual making of the felt which is a shame
because I can imagine it to be very satisfying. There are some really
beautiful little things to make which is what I used this book for.
Little gnomes and posy holders - I will save these for Christmas time.
Totz2teens Rating: 5/5 - very informative and useful book.
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The Little Hamster,
The Woolly Sheep and
The Prickly Hedgehog by Elly Van Der Linden & Debbie Lavreys
ISBN: 978-086315-605-2, 978-086315-604-5, 978-086315-603-8
£4.99 each - released 27th September 2007
A set of three chunky board books designed for little hands. The books
explore animals at home, in the garden and on the farm. Very young
children will love the bold, clear animal pictures and brightly coloured
text pages.
Totz2teens Member Review:
These books are just perfect for little ones. I personally liked
The Woolly Sheep best because it was animals and the noises they make.
So we were able to read through going moo, baa ect - always good for a
laugh. The other 2 books are lovely too. The Prickly Hedgehog is
based around animals that you may find in the garden and hedgerows
whilst The Little hamster is about household pets. They all have a
great relevance to a Childs life as they are all animals they may see during
their day. These are definately the sort of book you read time and
time again.
Totz2teens Rating: 5/5
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The Hut in the Forest
- A Grimm's Fairy tale illustrated by Bettina Stietencron
ISBN: 978-086315-615-1 £9.99
A woodcutter's daughter finds a house in the woods and is asked to make
some supper for the old man and animals who live there. Will she do
the right thing? This is a Classic fairytale from the Brothers Grimm
about selflessness and looking after everyone equally.
Totz2teens Member Review:
A traditional tale about a woodcutter who sends his daughters to give
him his lunch but lays down seeds and other edible items for them to follow.
They get lost in the forest and knock on a door! Each daughter in turn
enters the house and cooks a meal and goes to bed. What happens next
would give the story away so I wont say. Its a nice story and to be
honest when we read it it opened up the discussion of whether you would
really do something like that and how dim the woodcutter was. Also
would you really just go into someone's house - is that appropriate?
It was a good story on this level also. The illustrations are soft and
pretty too.
Totz2teens Rating: 4/5
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A Bell for Ursli by Selina Chonz and Alois
Carigiet
ISBN: 978-086315-614-4 £9.99
In this classic Swiss children's story, a little boy called Ursli spends a
scary night in the alpine mountains to find a big cowbell so that he can
lead the spring procession through his village.
Totz2teens Member Review:
A lovely traditional Swiss story. It is lovely to read story's
that are not known to us but are well known elsewhere. Helps you feel
a little cultured. The boy Ursli is desperate for a large cowbell and
wanders around trying to obtain one. He remembers one but its a long
way - whilst he is there it is dark and he has to stay the night.
Meanwhile his parents are of course frantic about his whereabouts.
Thankfully he returns safely to take part in the parade.
Totz2teens Rating: 4/5
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The Cat who decided by Margaret Forrester
ISBN: 978-0-86315-612-0 £5.99
Why does nobody want the mixter-maxter kitten?
The little stripey cat is on a journey. He is sent from the farm
to the city and passed from owner to owner. No one seems to love
him for just being him. Once he moves into the tall house in
Edinburgh and finds his name — Mac — life gets more interesting.
He makes friends with two musical ladies next door and discovers
he likes Bach... and cat treats. He explores, and has many
adventures.
Then, just when he starts to feel settled, unsettling things start
to happen. Will he ever find someone to love him for always?
Totz2teens Member Review: CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW
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Little Red Riding Hood - A Grimm's
fairy tale
ISBN: 978-086315-622-9 £9.99
This is the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale of a little girl who goes
through the woods to deliver food to her grandmother. Marjan van
Zeyl's illustrations bring the story to life.
Totz2teens Member Review: A lovely edition of this favourite story.
It is quite grim(!) and I personally remember being quite frightened of this
story when I was young. It always amazes me how the grandmother and
Little Red Riding Hood manage to get out of the wolf alive but also with no
mess on their clothes! A useful story to remind children not to wander
too far though. The pictures are soft and kind and when reading the
book we enjoyed looking at the creatures in the pictures.
Totz2teens member Rating: 4/5
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Hansel and Gretel - A Grimm's fairy tale
ISBN: 978-086315-623-6 £9.99
But the old woman had only pretended to be kind. She was really a
wicked witch who waylaid children and then killed, cooked and ate them up.
She had built her house out of gingerbread to entice them. Witches
have red eyes and can't see very far, but they have a keen sense of smell
and know when humans are coming. As Hansel and Gretal approached, she
laughed wickedly and said "Here come two children who will never get away
from me."
Totz2teens Member Review: The story of Hansel and Gretel is a
well known story written by the brothers Grimm. It tells the story of
2 children whose father is forced by their step mother to take them and
abandon them in the forest because they have no food in the house.
Hansel and Gretel are aware of the proposal and drop stones to guide them
home. The next time the parents take them they use bread which
unfortunately gets eaten. They then come across the witches home made
from Gingerbread. The book is written in a nice way and the pictures
help tell the story too. We enjoyed reading this book.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5 |
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What's Hiding in There? by Daniela
Drescher
ISBN: 978-086315-634-2 £8.99
Explore the hidden world of the elves and fairies, and lift the flaps to
discover even more of their secrets.
Totz2teens member Review: What's Hiding in There? is a board
style book with flaps for the child or storyteller to lift. In
the world of the elves and fairies you can lift a flap to see what's hidden
underneath. The creatures are beautifully illustrated in a very
natural way. Myself and my child found this book to be great fun
lifting the flaps and seeing what surprise could be found underneath.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 4/5
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Toby & The Flood
by Rebecca Price
ISBN: 978-086315-635-9 £5.99
Toby is in trouble. His bed is always wet. But one
night, Toby and his friend, Mr Beaver, find themselves in a
flooded valley. Can they help before the village is washed away?
Beautiful illustrations and an engaging story combine in a
delightful book that children will love, and which will help young
children to understand and overcome bedwetting in a stress-free
and enjoyable way. Parents will seize on this in relief, as
finally a book exists to deal with a common, yet distressing,
childhood situation.
Totz2teens Member Review: Toby is a little boy who
wets the bed. Whilst Mr Beaver his favourite toy is being
washed he falls asleep. His dream is about a flood in which
he tries helping a little girl. This sensitive subject is
dealt with brilliantly. Its not actually the be all about
the story but explains why Toby could be a bit anxious about
visiting the toilet. Its a lovely story that a child may not
necessarily work out that has the bed wetting storyline in it.
The pictures are drawn to make Toby and Mr Beaver seem very
friendly and cheerful. A delightful read.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
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