Wednesday 25 September 2013

#ReadItMD13 Theme Week - "Toot Toot Beep Beep Vehicles-A-Plenty" continues with a review of Richard Scarry's "Biggest Word Book Ever" (HarperCollins Children's Books)


Biggest Word Book Ever!

Written and Illustrated by
Richard Scarry

Published by HarperCollins Children's Books

We may look like we're slightly biased towards Mr Scarry this week. Quite rightly so, because if one children's book writer / illustrator absolutely NAILED the glorious creative and imaginative vehicles we all use to get around, it was Richard Scarry. You name it, he probably turned it into a wheeled winged or seafaring vessel of some sort.

Now, this book is big. REALLY big. It survived a good whumping from the lazy courier (who lobbed it over our fence rather than leaving it somewhere safe when it was delivered), and I don't think anyone's got a book case that can hold this sucker. We certainly don't but we're considering leaving it in the garden and renting it out as a second domicile.

Of course the great thing about a book this big is that you really can do other things with it other than read it...!

You could camp in it...(if you're small!)
Or perhaps use it as a screen to change into your superhero costume behind!
Or soar like a hang glider?
As we've mentioned, it is filled to the brim with brilliant modes of transport. All our favourites crop up in this book, from huge diggers and earth movers, to ferries and aircraft carriers, through to the tiniest little dinky pencil and crayon cars driven by awesome little mice (LOVE those!)

It's a big 'first words' book for babies, who can actually crawl across its surface finding all their favourite little details (it's a big board book so it wipes clean - just in case you were worried about any accidents!)

All your favourite busy town characters crop up within its mighty pages. Huckle the Cat is here, as is Lowly (the worm who graces the cover), and so many other folk going about their daily business as children read and learn different words.

It's a brave, bold and overwhelming book format but it's magical (just seeing Charlotte's face when she unwrapped it was hilarious!)

We're huge Richard Scarry fans, particularly when his books are blown up to mammoth proportions. Fab! Just hope it doesn't give your postie a hernia when he delivers it!

Charlotte's best bit: The sheer size of this book, it's overwhelming but so brilliant and full of wonderful Scarry stuff!

Daddy's Favourite bit: I've always loved Richard Scarry's books, and his crazy vehicles, but this takes things to a whole new level. How on EARTH are we going to store this thing?

(Kindly sent to us for review by HarperCollins Children's Books)