ReadItDaddy's Book(s) of the Week - Week Ending 18th March 2016 - "Polly and the Puffin" and "Polly and the Puffin - The Stormy Day" by Jenny Colgan and Thomas Docherty (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

We're not sure how we missed the first of these books, but we're catching up - so here's a double Book of the Week for the utterly adorable "Polly and the Puffin" and "Polly and the Puffin - The Stormy Day" by Jenny Colgan and Thomas Docherty...
Puffins. Could there be a more adorable bird? They almost look like a living caricature, with their neat black and white coats and their glorious orange and colourful beaks.

Polly is a little girl who is lucky (very lucky) enough to live by the sea, and always loves having adventures amongst the rocky shores and sand dunes. But one day there's a loud "CRASH" downstairs, and Polly discovers a tiny little Puffin has made a rather impromptu entrance into the house. Yipes! Polly and Mum decide to look after the puffin who has a hurt wing, and looks like he needs a good feed!

Polly decides that Neil is a great name for a puffin (and who are we to argue) - and Neil promptly replies with an enthusiastic "Eeep!" Mum is quick to point out that Neil is not a pet, he doesn't belong to anyone but Polly knows she's found a very special friend. The first story serves as an introduction to Polly and her fab feathered cohort and it's a totally adorable little tale.

One hungry little Puffin!

Gentle storytelling and truly gorgeous illustrations throughout, we very much enjoyed "Polly and the Puffin"...

...and book two is even better!

In "Polly and the Puffin - The Stormy Day" Polly and Neil return for an exciting stormy adventure as the weather closes in, and both Polly and her Mum worry about their dad - who is out in the storm aboard his fishing boat.

As the waves grow higher and higher, Polly wonders why Neil has flown off - directly into the heart of the storm! Eep indeed!

But perhaps Neil has a plan - a plan to ensure that Polly's dad makes it home safe and sound, back to a warm fireplace and a snuggle!

Early readers are going to completely and utterly adore these books, perfectly paced with lots of illustrations and great storytelling, keeping them both exciting and compelling as we see Polly and her Puffin pal Neil embarking on different adventures.

We may have missed out on Polly the first time around, but we're so very glad we've caught up with her and Neil now! Eep-tastic!

Love those welly boots, Polly (Neil doesn't look so sure though! Oh and yes, Charlotte nearly ALWAYS puts the wrong foot on first!)

Charlotte's favourite bit: Tense and exciting moments as Neil flies into the darkening clouds to 'rescue' dad.

Daddy's favourite bit: Instantly feeling like well loved classics, this pair of gorgeous little stories are utterly brilliant - introducing a fab little girl and her awesome little puffin sidekick for what we hope becomes a whole range of new adventures. We utterly love these! Eep!

(Kindly sent to us for review by Little, Brown)

"Polly and the Puffin" and "Polly and the Puffin - The Stormy Day"

Written by Jenny Colgan

Illustrated by Thomas Docherty

Published by Little, Brown Young Readers

Publication Date: "Polly and the Puffin" (Feb 2015) "The Stormy Day" (Feb 2016)