Sometimes, books ended up in our "Keepers" list not just because they're thoroughly entertaining books, but because they evoke such happy memories and with "Mrs MacReady was Ever So Greedy" - the first of the "Ever So" books by Julie Fulton and Jona Jung, this was one of the first books actually sent for review by a publisher.

We couldn't quite believe people would want to send us real actual proper books for us to write about, but it's a heck of a book, just bouncy, brilliantly rhyming and thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

By today's standards it'd probably be seen as none too politically correct to have a story about a gluttonous woman who just won't stop eating, until she's the size of the Millennium Dome. But we always ended up sympathising with poor Mrs M, who just loved food a bit too much. Easy to see why as Jona Jung's illustrations (and the truly fab end papers) do make your tummy tumble a lot.

Mrs M starts out relatively svelte - but it won't last...

As well as the illustrations, Julie has a gift for making this book a lip-smacking story to read aloud and C demanded it again, and again and again (and yes indeed, like nearly all of our keepers, we still read it to this day for a giggle).

Those little piggies are right to look worried!

My wife often wonders why certain books haven't been donated (or thrown out) years ago but we can't bear to part with this one. Julie and Jona produced several "Ever so" titles for Maverick (most of which we reviewed and loved to bits) but this is the only survivor, just because it's brilliantly entertaining stuff. We've included links to the others though for completeness, and because Julie is so awesome!

Original Review Link: 

Mrs MacReady Was Ever So Greedy by Julie Fulton and Jona Jung (Maverick Arts Publishing)

ReadItDaddy previews "Tabitha Posy was Ever So Nosy" by Julie Fulton and Jona Jung (Maverick Books)

Miss Dorothy-Jane was Ever So Vain by Julie Fulton and Jona Jung (Maverick Publishing)

Daniel O'Dowd was Ever So Loud by Julie Fulton and Elina Ellis (Maverick Publishing)


Also brilliant from Julie / Patrick Corrigan and published by Maverick:

"Mister TV" by Julie Fulton and Patrick Corrigan (Maverick Arts Publishing)

Wow! Can it really be ten years since we first encountered awesome Maverick Arts Publishing? We share the same 10th anniversary year and I'm tickled to see that Julie "Ever So Series" Fulton is still writing for them, and alongside Patrick Corrigan has come up with a superb book celebrating the life of John Logie Baird.

In "Mister TV" this awesome duo chronicle the life of this tinkerer and inventor, who single-handedly changed the world with the invention of a mechanical televisor - the first device to transmit and receive a picture, and the forerunner to later electronic devices that perfected this amazing invention.

Logie Baird was always inventing as a child, though not always with the desired end result - but the lyrical storytelling details his inquisitive nature and his quest to come up with his own versions of gadgets, constantly refining and improving them until at last he came up with his breakthrough invention, the telly - something that still plays such a huge part in our daily lives.

Logie Baird later went on to conduct experiments in 3D TV and colour TV, and is widely recognised alongside others as "The Grandfather of Television".

It's great to see Maverick still publishing awesome books, and this brilliant account of John Logie Baird's life is well worth nabbing if your kids love science and love to learn more about the historical figures behind some of the world's greatest inventions.

Sum this book up in a sentence: A truly fabulous storytelling biography of one of the most innovative, inquisitive and clever inventors and his breakthrough work on bringing modern television to the masses.

"Mister TV" by Julie Fulton and Patrick Corrigan is out now, published by Maverick Arts Publishing (kindly supplied for review). 

Yay! It's time for another book in Julie Fulton's awesome "Everso" series, depicting the strange characters and comings & goings in Hamilton Shady. It's a crazy town and there's always something going on. Not the place for a peaceful holiday.

Even more so as we meet the latest character dreamed up by Julie and ace illustrator Elina Ellis. Daniel O'Dowd might look like a fairly ordinary boy, but like most boys he really isn't the quietest little dude. In fact most of the residents of Hamilton Shady need to walk around with cotton wool in their ears when Daniel is around.

The town is in peril though! Out in the dark reaches of outer space, a gigantic asteroid threatens to collide with earth, wiping out Hamilton Shady in the process. Could a loud-mouthed boy possibly save the world?

You'll have to read the book to find out. We have loved each and every one of Julie's books, but Charlotte was a little bit sad. One character was missing from the book, our favourite gastronome Mrs Macready was nowhere to be seen (or did we miss her completely Julie & Elina?)

"Daniel O'Dowd was Ever So Loud" is out today from Maverick Publishing.

Charlotte's best bit: The poor aliens who have to suffer a severe dose of earache thanks to Daniel

Daddy's Favourite bit: Awesome rhymes, perfect comic timing, another cracker from Julie and Elina

(Kindly sent to us for review by Maverick Publishing)

Like this? We think you'll love these too!

Mrs Macready was Ever So Greedy by Julie Fulton and Elina Ellis

Miss Dorothy Jane was Ever So Vain by Julie Fulton and Elina Ellis

We've been following Julie Fulton's "Ever So" Series, absolutely hilarious rhyming books usually with a good moral tale woven between comedic moments. "Mrs Macready Was Ever So Greedy" is still a much-demanded bedtime favourite as is "Tabitha Posy Was Ever So Nosy" so can Julie and Jona keep up the momentum with a third book? You bet they can!

Miss Dorothy Jane is - well, as the title suggests, ever so vain and can't bear to leave the house without being topped out in the latest fashions. Her hair must be just so. Her make-up perfect. So when The Queen decides to visit Hamilton Shady for a grand opening, Dorothy-Jane immediately starts thinking about a new outfit. Hamilton Shady's most delightful citizen will get to meet the queen herself and Dorothy-Jane wants to make sure that she's the one chosen!

"Look Daddy there's Mrs Macready!" - Charlotte

You'd expect a self-obsessed fashion victim to be a bit of a bad egg but there's a surprise in store! As we've said, Julie's books are funny but as we follow Dorothy-Jane's attempts to keep her outfit, hair and makeup in tip-top condition on a fairly hazardous trip to the opening ceremony, something happens that  completely changes our perception of Miss Dorothy Jane. We'll leave you to find out what that is, of course.

Julie and Jona are a match made in booky heaven. Julie's rhymes trip off the tongue perfectly, and Jona's artwork is beautiful and colourful and laden with deft little touches of humour (and we loved Tabitha Posy and Mrs Macready making the odd cameo here and there too!)

"Would you have rescued the dog, Charlotte?" - Daddy
"Yes, but I wouldn't want to meet the Queen (!)" - Charlotte

Charlotte's best bit: Miss Dorothy Jane's utterly perfect outfits.

Daddy's Favourite bit: A genuine pleasure to read aloud and a great little moral message woven deftly into the humour. Another triumph for Julie and Jona. 

(Kindly sent to us for review by Maverick Publishing)

There's a mighty fine line between being inquisitive and being downright snoopy and in the sleepy town of Hamilton Shady (which, you may recall, is only just recovering from an incredible exploding woman!), young Tabitha Posy regularly crosses that line again and again.

At home she's a pest, at school she's a fidget and when teacher decides to take the class on a trip to the zoo, Tabitha's curiosity gets the better of her and she ends up in a rather sticky (and slimy) predicament.

We're so pleased to see another in Julie Fulton's "Ever So" series, and so happy to be back in the crazy town of Hamilton Shady with another bold and brash children's picture book character. Jona Jung's fabulous colourful artwork is brilliant (we particularly loved the little snail who crops up from time to time to pass comment on what's going on in the bigger picture - oh and the sad looking bear standing next to the 'do not feed' sign!)

It's the rhyming sing-song text that makes this a huge amount of fun though. Tabitha Posy learns a valuable lesson or two along the way and you'll have to wait until February 2013 to find out if she comes to a rather explosive sticky end like Mrs Macready. Suffice to say that this is more brilliance from Fulton and Jung, and we can't wait to see how the book is received when it arrives on the shelves.

Charlotte's best bit: The sad forlorn looking bear at the zoo. Someone at least throw him a bun!

Daddy's favourite bit: The poor poor folk of Hamilton Shady. Property prices must be dipping there by now! What on earth are they going to have to put up with next?

(We were given the opportunity to look at a preview version of the book not the final product, hence we may review this properly when it arrives in print)

Excellent moustachioed chap Giles Paley-Phillips got in touch with us to let us know that new shiny books are coming from one of this year's standout indie publishers, Maverick Books. We've absolutely loved Tamara Small and the Monster's Ball, The Fearsome Beastie, Grandma Bendy and Mrs Macready was Ever So Greedy so we jumped at the chance of a sneaky look at their release schedule.

First up, the talented team of Julie Fulton and Jona Jung are back with another fabulous "ever so" book from the sleepy (and slightly dangerous) town of Hamilton Shady. "Tabitha Posy was Ever So Nosy" tells the story of a young (and rather curious) girl called Tabitha Posy. Her sticky beak gets her into all sorts of scrapes and squeezes, but you'll have to wait until next february to find out whether Tabitha comes to a sticky end!

If you loved "Mrs Macready was Ever So Greedy" (we certainly did, giving it 4 out of 5 stars) then you're going to love this!

Next February also sees the release of a book we also really cannot wait to dip into. "The Cautionary Tale of the Childe of Hale" reads like a fairy tale but there's a twist, it's actually based on a true story and has a bit of a local connection for us (but we'll leave you to find out what that is!) Did giants once roam the earth? Find out in this beautiful looking book by Rachel Lyon and Vanina Starkoff.

We'll be taking a closer look at both books very soon so look out for our previews!

Not to be confused with the bus-driving ace mechanic from Balamory, this particular Mrs MacCready loves to eat and lives to eat. Scoffing down plate after plate of gorgeous scrumptious food, she pays no heed to her rapidly expanding waistline until one day the only thing that fits her is a ratty old string vest.

Poor Mrs MacReady!

This fantastic little book from Julie Fulton and Jona Jung is crazy, funny and wonderfully irreverent. Like the other Maverick Arts books we've reviewed, there is a moral message mixed with the excellent rhyming text and colourful illustrations, but don't let that worry you too much. Kids love characters like Mrs MacCready and they particularly love anyone who can get away with scoffing all the things kids are constantly told are bad for them! We've often heard that one children's author or another is "The Next Roald Dahl" but Julie Fulton nails that essential mix of craziness and the macabre so effectively, she deserves that particular plaudit more than most.

Absolutely brilliant, loved every morsel of this one!

Charlotte's best bit: Mrs MacCready eating cherries (with worms still inside! Ew!)

Daddy's favourite bit: Mrs MacCready's interfering neighbours trying to hide her from prying eyes.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars