ReadItDaddy's First Book(s) of the Week - Week Ending 26th February 2016 - "Bod and Breakfast" and "Bod and the Cake" by Michael and Joanne Cole (Egmont Publishing)

True story about the hero of today's pair of stunning "Book of the Week" entries - we share the same barber!
For an entire generation of kids, Derek Griffith's superb vocalisations were always the precursor to some truly great telly. If you whistled the opening bars of the theme to "Bod" I guarantee that most folk my age will instantly know the tune and will probably follow your whistling with "Here comes Bod!"

Now Michael and Joanne Cole's original stories are coming back courtesy of Egmont Publishing and so a whole new generation of children can catch up with this quirky character and his friends Aunt Flo, PC Copper, Farmer Barleymow and Frank the Postman.

I wondered how well received these books would be and what Charlotte would think of these really quirky little tales.

I'm glad to say that she's really truly a chip off the old block and absolutely loved them.

In "Bod and Breakfast", everyone chips in to help Farmer Barleymow catch some escaped chickens. Everyone thinks that Farmer Barleymow's farm is a brilliant place to spend some time so they cook up a plan to turn the farm into a comfy Bed and Breakfast cottage.

There's much excitement as preparations are made for the first three mystery guests, three gentlemen who fancy a stay in a rural setting with a slap-up full english breakfast into the bargain.

And in "Bod and the Cake" Aunt Flo is making one of her special fruit cakes. No one wants to miss out but with everyone leading such busy lives (including Aunt Flo herself), will anyone ever make it to tea?

I can't quite put my finger on why these books feel so different and fresh even after all this time, and why the show itself was such a hit...

(See, you'll never be able to get that tune out of your head now!)

Michael and Joanne's Taoist beliefs are probably a lot to do with why such simple stories become so engaging and still relevant even today (the core message in "Bod and the Cake" is actually quite disturbingly relevant to us, as everyone in the house rushes around just trying to cope with the normal weekday rush of school and work, let alone any time for baking!)

Fabulous and brilliant books (and there are more in the range besides, do go and check them all out including our favourite "Bod and the Cherry Tree").

Charlotte's favourite bit: Frank getting in a total mess decorating in "Bod and the Cake"

Daddy's favourite bit: Ah, happy memories of a truly awesome TV proggy and of course a suitable role model for baldies everywhere. Here comes Bod, and d'ya know what? Bod still ROCKS!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Egmont Publishing)

"Bod and the Cake" and "Bod and Breakfast" 

Written and illustrated by Michael and Joanne Cole

Published by Egmont Publishing

Publication Date: 5th February 2016