A FEW FAVOURITE Reviews :-)
REVIEW OF LITTLE CELESTE in Children's Review section of The Guardian
"I loved this book. I rate it 9⅞ out of 10, and I recommend it to people who like stories where the main character faces a challenge." Kat Winters
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Lovely review in Armadillo
mag! Reviewed by: Stephanie Barrett http://bit.ly/1iCwPiW “Shelley only leaves her bedroom for two minutes, but when she gets back, there’s a real, true-life baby on her bed! Who on earth does she belong to?” Once Shelley has decided that perhaps she isn’t “double, triple, raspberry-ripple loony”, it becomes her responsibility to care for the mysterious, magical fairy-esque baby she names Celeste. Shifting between ages, from tiny tot to toddler, Celeste often gets Shelley into tricky situation. Nonetheless, Shelley is grateful for her spontaneous appearances, visible only to her, at moments in her troubled life when she most needs comfort and support. When the truth finally dawns on Shelley as to Celeste’s identity, she comes to realise that a baby crying for attention, love and affection isn’t such a far cry from her own situation… Little Celeste is a surprising, unusual and ultimately very special book. It is not unafraid at any point to face serious problems that children on the cusp of teenage-dom might, and often do, face, but does so with sensitivity. REVIEW OF MOMMY'S LITTLE MONSTER in the Dallas News, US (DallasMoms) “I like the part where he gets mudmilk. I missed my mom and cried when she went out with daddy. I love my mommy too. Kids should read this book. It is cute.” Ian, aged 4 |
The way in which McNiff seamlessly blends humour with a whole spectrum of emotion is remarkably skilful, and unites to create a truly heart-warming book.
Young readers aged around 8-12 will love protagonist Shelley, and be able to relate to her troubles, whether these be feelings of neglect stemming from a lack of attention from a parent preoccupied with their own romances, the upset of being on the receiving end of a parent’s disrespectful and rude boy/girlfriend, the anxieties concerning the move to secondary school, including the potential lack of friends, or the neighbourhood bully. This might all sound like a lot – too much – to cram into one narrative, but these strands are interwoven in a way that at no moment makes the scope feel too expansive. In fact, it has the opposite effect of rendering the book infinitely relatable for young readers facing equivalent problems to Shelley. Just as Shelley turns to Celeste, so children can turn to Little Celeste for their own source of comfort, giggles and encouragement. Source - Facebook.com/DallasMoms
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