Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: problem

  • Esme’s Birthday Conga Line

    Esme’s Birthday Conga Line

    Its Esme’s birthday and she is so excited. She lives on the top floor of a very tall building. She also lives with her Grandparents Mimi and Pipo. They have given her a gift but they have forgotten one little thing, there’s no birthday party been planned. No cake, no piñata, no balloons or streamers. Oh dear! What can she do.

    El Tom her cat, helps Esme plan a very special birthday party and together they decided to invite everyone who lives on the many floors of their apartment block, until they get to the top floor where Esme and her grandparent live.

    On each floor live people who love to do things; some like to cook, others like to make things out of paper and then others can play music on their guitar, which is very good, as Esme’s gift from her Mimi and Pipo was a guitar, which she cannot play! She makes music sound terrible!

    Esme’s Birthday Conga Line is a wonderful chapter book which will have wide appeal to children who love a good story and really get making the most out of very little when the need arises.  It is full of fun, initiative, problem solving and absolute pleasure when things eventually work out just as Esme planned it; with a little or a lot of help from her friends.

    Marissa Valdez, with her trendy illustrations captures the spirit of the little girl who recruits her neighbours to help her celebrate, as she realises that her Grandparents have simply forgotten what it is like to have a small person living with them once again, especially when it is birthday time.

  • Nelican’s Lemons

    Nelican’s Lemons

    Nelican’s Lemons from Riya Aarini is a rather quirky look at what happens when life does indeed dish up lemons; in this case a crate full, to a hapless pelican, Nelican.  Poor Nelican, what is he to do with the unexpected present left at his door.

    He is at a loss to know what to do with this unexpected windfall, as no one he knows wants the lovely, ripe golden, but very sour fruit. He has tried all the people in the little town where he lives, but no one at all wants to take any of them. He is getting very tired pulling the crate around and decides there has to be a solution to the problem if only he can find it.

    Nelican sits down and begins to think until he comes up with a way to share the fruit and have some fun. What do you think it could be?

    The wording is a little obscure, best described as fractured prose, the illustrations from Mariana Hnatenko are gloriously rich in colour and action, which gives a vibrancy to the storyline young beginner readers will enjoy.  

    Nelican’s Lemons a cheerful, happy and most interesting look at turning the negative into the positive with the use of a whole lot of initiative. A fun read with a lovely message embedded.

  • News Hounds: The Puppy Problem

    News Hounds: The Puppy Problem

    Moving homes isn’t always easy. Gizmo, ‘sausage’ dog and prince of the urban jungle, moves from the only home he has ever known in the city, to the country with his owner Grannie.  How will he survive? But Gizmo isn’t the only one who is anxious. He soon discovers that Jilly the Irish wolfhound, has a more immediate problem. Her owner is planning to sell her puppies Wolfie, Wilfred, Wilma and Willabelle.

    Together with other newly made friends, Gizmo sets about to help Jilly keep her puppies in the district. He soon realises that no problem is too big to tackle if he has a ‘can do’ attitude.

    With its eye catching illustrations and clear text, this ‘chapter book’ will appeal to emerging independent readers.  Watch out for more ‘News Hounds’ stories coming soon.

  • The Box Cars

    The Box Cars

    Remember when life was somehow simpler, or al least seemed to be and fun was had playing with the definitely simpler treasures, such as old cardboard or wooden boxes. Fresh air was something that was a massive part of the day and fun was had by hanging out with your best friends. The Box Cars is a celebration of times past, but also a reminder that these times fondly remembered, can once again be a thing of the present with just a little bit of imagination and effort.

    Liam and Kai raced their box cars side by side, two best friends enjoying what they loved best, being outside and racing make pretend cars they had built with a little help and a lot of old bits and pieces.  The park was their racetrack and they created all sorts of happenings in their minds; one day they were police cars chasing criminals and on other days they were fancy limousines carrying movies stars. Perhaps they were a taxi carrying Mrs Ducks’ ducklings safely to the to the other side of the playground.

    Eve was always at the park as well. She cheered them on and ran alongside the cars as they raced about their business. Lim offered Eve a ride in his boxcars but that left him by himself, that was until Liam and Kai decided to share one boxcar, so they could all play together until disaster struck. Find out how the friends solved the terrible dilemma and built a boxcar made for three.

    Lovely bright and fun illustrations along with short but specific use of language has created the wonderful, fresh outdoor feel of the park, the thrill of racing the cars, the challenge of invention and the sharing and enjoyment the children feel when a problem is solved with a great end result.

    Perhaps building your w own box car is a project and activity to add to the list for the next school holidays. Start collecting your boxes now and find out what fabulous fun can be had with the simple and enjoyable pleasures to be found in a cardboard box!