Thursday 17 January 2013

Harry and the Dinosaurs First Sleepover by Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynolds (Puffin Books)














I had absolutely no idea how fanatical a fan of "Harry and the Dinosaurs" Charlotte was until we spotted this in the library stacks. We already had a fairly teetering pile of books and Charlotte absolutely would not let us leave without adding this to our stack too.

We've previously loved Ian Whybrow and Adrian Reynold's legendary book series so it was great to spot one we hadn't seen before.

In this story, Harry goes for a sleepover at his best friend Jack's house and takes his dinosaur pals along with him. Making sure they've got plenty of comfortable moss to snuggle down in, things are exciting and new and Harry and Jack have lots of fun - until it's time for bed.

A bump in the night and new surroundings make Harry and his prehistoric friends quite nervous when camping out under the stars at night. But thankfully Jack's dad (who looks a little familiar, bald, jolly, loves dinosaurs! Hmm!) is on hand with the perfect solution to the problem!

It's easy to see why the 'Harry' books are so popular with children, they draw them into a world where absolutely anything seems possible and tiny dinosaur friends love all the same things they do. I love the detail in the illustrations and the storytelling is perfect for a before-bedtime read. No jumps or bumps, just gentle stories with massive appeal. Lovely!

Charlotte's best bit: Those very snug looking moss blankets. Cosy!

Daddy's favourite bit: Jack's dad is me! No it is, honestly!