Wow, what a treat for the eyes! Simon Bartam is a master of acrylics, producing some of the most stunning illustrations in Children's books today. He's also a dab hand at producing something a little out of the ordinary, and in Dougal's Deep-Sea Diary, Bartram uses the diary style to tell the story of Dougal - a bored 9 to 5er who can't wait for his deep sea diving holiday.
Each day's diary entry is accompanied by a sumptuously detailed picture of Dougal's exploits. With so much detail packed into each page, it's quite easy to get distracted from the story and lose yourself in the wonderful illustrations.
We loved the way the book ends and will definitely be hunting out more of Simon Bartram's books.
Without a doubt, a well deserved book of the week
Charlotte's best bit - Hunting for mermaids (and dinosaurs) throughout the book.
Daddy's favourite bit - Absolutely stunning artwork
Rating - 5 out of 5 stars, book of the week