Saturday, June 3, 2017

Review: The Elephant of Frimley by Nicholas Rawls



THE ELEPHANT OF FRIMLEY
by Nicholas Rawls
Clink Street Publishing
Picture Book
ages 4+
48 pages


Two sisters and an elephant embark on an exciting adventure in this charming illustrated
children’s book.

After the discovery of an elephant in their back garden, sisters Hannah and Emily make it their adventurous mission to return it back home.

Originally written as a bedtime story for his two daughters, and beautifully illustrated by Louise Jewell, The Elephant of Frimley is a delightful and fun read that parents, primary school teachers and extended families will enjoy sharing with young children.

Purchase from. . .


MY TIDBITS

An elephant appearing in the backyard inspires delightful adventure, the kind this book delivers with ease.

Hannah and Emily are in for a surprise. There's an elephant in their backyard, but he's not happy to be there. Determined to make things right, the two girls head out with the elephant in tow.

Finding an elephant in the backyard. . .and one that cries at that. . .already sets children fantasies into flight. This elephant is full of life, even sprawling across the grass in desperation. It's hard not to like him and wish the girls could help the poor elephant as well. And these two girls are spunky enough to take on the task.

The story is told in flowing rhyme in wonderful large print which is easy to read, and the word choice is very appropriate for young listeners. There is always one scene with text on a two page spread, allowing the reader/listener to concentrate on what's happening at that moment.  The illustrations are colorful and done with a very personal touch.

The plot is not a difficult one, nor does the adventure run out of control. It's fairly basic, with a few slightly fun twists here and there. There isn't the danger of facing an overly clear message in this story either, but rather the plot follows the girls as they try to help out the elephant and bring him to a home. The amount of text and at 48 pages, this book is a little long for the youngest of listeners but works nicely as a goodnight read for ages 4 and up.


All about the author!

Retired and happily living in Farnborough, Surrey, Nicholas Rawls enjoys spending time chatting on-line with his grandson and five adult children who are scattered across the world. When he’s not writing poetry and children’s verse he can be found pursuing his other interests from antique fountain pen restoration to stamp collection, amateur astronomy and learning to play the banjo.



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