Humans are staying inside due to the pandemic and the animals decide to host their own sporting event: the Animalympics!
This children’s book is written entirely in rhyme. It is actually quite lengthy which is impressive for poetry in my opinion. The ingenious merger of sports and animals is very entertaining and there is a good level of detail about the animals’ behaviour and a variety of sporting knowledge.
The illustrations are beautiful and cleverly show the animals taking part in a variety of sports. The pictures really bring the words to life. Most show the animals in realistic poses (such as the bats performing martial arts and the walruses playing handball) but some animals are shown on hindlegs or in an upright stance to also be sporty.
Animals are given the chance to show off their prowess, using their natural skills to compete and enjoy a celebration of all sports. I love that a wide range of land and sea animals, birds, insects and reptiles are included so I’m sure your child will spot their favourite animal taking part!
Animalympics is a warm book that will make you and your child smile. It is a clever celebration of both humans with their sporting invention, and animals with their natural abililties. Plus the author used this book to support UK zoos which have struggled during the Covid crisis as well as regularly donating book profits to children’s charities.
Animalympics book blurb:
Woodpecker Will presents the Animalympics! Whilst the humans stay indoors, the animal kingdom takes over to hold the sporting event of the century! Join the golfing ostriches, trampolining moles and weight-lifting gorillas (plus many more) in a fun rhyming adventure for all ages.
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Author Bio –
Josie Dom is a children’s author learning to embrace her individuality.
Join her in a world of imagination where anything could happen and the most important things are friendship and kindness.
Josie lives in the small town of Halstead in Essex with her husband Nic Phine (illustrator of the Lum books), their son and daughter, a mixed-up dog (LabLurchTrievOodle) Frank and a big fluffy ginger cat called Mittens.
Although Josie’s books are too young for her children now, it was their love of stories when they were little which inspired Josie to pick up her pen and create.
After a lifetime in sensible office jobs, Josie is relishing the opportunity to explore her creative side.
Josie is passionate about supporting causes close to her heart. Each year, Josie donates 15% of profit on book sales to a children’s charity.
In 2020, due to Covid-19, Josie penned an Animalympics which she used to raise funds for UK zoos.
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Giveaway to Win a signed copy of Animalympics, an Animalympics gold medal plus stickers and bookmarks (Open to UK only)
*Terms and Conditions –UK entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
Single mum Beverly has just broken up with her most recent boyfriend Ethan. Her 8 year old son begins receiving presents and she suspects Ethan is trying to worm his way back into their family unit. But Beverly is also haunted by her memories and, when Riley disappears, she is forced to confront the past…
The Mother’s Fault is a psychological thriller set in the present day in Australia.
The book is written from three perspectives: Beverly and Riley both in the third person, and a mystery person written using first person narration. This increases the tension over the first third of the book as we see this person’s intent but do not know their identity.
I think the author was clever to use Riley’s childish voice to bring his character to life and offer an unexpected and unusual dimension to the style. His focus on things that adults might not spot felt authentic and his thought processes give the reader a chance to understand the plot twists.
The pace and drama increases significantly as Riley is abducted from his garden. The identity of the stranger is revealed to Riley as a panicked Beverly anguishes over the past. Her decisions in the past have overshadowed her life for eight years so despite the devastation I think it did her good to confront her demons. Meanwhile, our sympathies for the abductor grow as we learn of their unhappy childhood.
The Mother’s Fault book description:
She’ll do anything to save her son. But what if telling the truth means losing him for ever?
On a crisp winter’s evening, Beverly is cooking for her son. Eight-year-old Riley is climbing a tree in the garden, and Beverly smiles as she watches him. Nothing makes her happier than her precious child having fun – she never thought they’d be happy again.
The water on the stove is boiling, and Beverly slides in a handful of spaghetti. When she glances out of the window again, Riley is not there.
She races outside, her heart thumping. Riley is nowhere to be found.
Instinctively, Beverly knows that her son has not just run away. She knows this because of her secret – the one she has kept for eight years. The one that means she has no choice but to keep neighbours at a distance, that stops her sleeping at night.
She thought she’d made the right decision, that she was protecting her son. But now he’s gone. Could this be all her fault?
She’ll do anything to save him. Yet if she tells the truth, she could lose him for ever…
A totally gripping psychological thriller that will get your pulse racing like crazy as it hits you with twist after twist after twist! If you loved The Wife Between Us or The Girl on the Train you’ll be utterly glued to this page-turner.
Author Bio:
Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because, as her professor pointed out, ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’
She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree. In between raising three children, working for her husband and renovating houses, she has published six novels. She lives in Sydney, Australia.
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Famous influencer Rachel Rodrigues is taking her brand in a new direction: she’s pregnant! Behind her ‘authentic’ style is a team of experts and she decides to hire a mother’s help to care for her baby. She hires Abbie who is a huge fan. But both women are hiding secrets…
The New Mother is a psychological thriller and is the first book that I have read from this author.
It is not easy to like either of the main charcaters although both of them earned my sympathy at various points in the book. Rachel seems to have it all but she is suffering from frightening blackouts and is haunted by an event from the past. Abbie is shocked by the reality behind the brand that Rachel presents to the world. Her own deception involves lying to get the job and then hiding her past from Rachel.
There is an unsettling atmosphere to the book as we know that both lead charcaters are lying to each other. I spotted lots of clues that made me think ‘aha’ and then enjoyed seeing how the plot unfurled as the pace increased. I had to suspend my disbelief and just embrace the rollercoaster!
The book is written in the third person and alternates chapters with text from Instagram posts so that we see the power of social media. I read the detail of the IG posts versus reality with such a cynicism and a wry smile being a blogger myself!
The New Mother is thoroughly entertaining and I found myself caught up in Rachel and Abbie’s lives and deceptions.
The New Mother book description:
Who would you trust with your precious family?
Wanted: full-time, live-in help for expectant mother. Must be organised, friendly and willing to do anything.
Rachel is determined to be the perfect mother. She has a birth plan, with a playlist and a bag ready by the door. She’s chosen a lovely light cream paint for the nursery, and in wide-eyed, innocent Abbie she’s found the perfect person to help her with her baby.
After all, every mother needs a bit of help, don’t they?
But Rachel needs a little more than most.
She still makes sure her bedroom door is locked before she goes to sleep. She still checks the cameras that are dotted throughout the house.
Rachel trusts Abbie. Even if Abbie’s smiles don’t always reach her eyes, and the stories she tells about her past don’t always add up, it doesn’t matter.
Because Rachel knows better than to trust herself…
From the bestselling author of Her Husband’s Lover, this is a truly gripping story about how far people will go to find a family. Filled with tension and twists to keep you glued to every page, it is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Shari LaPena and The Girl on the Train.
Author Bio:
Julia started off as a theatre director and playwright. While her children were growing up, she swerved into graphic design. After writing and illustrating two children’s books for an MA, she discovered that her great love was writing prose. The picture books were deemed too dark for publication, so, to save the children, she turned instead to writing for adults. Her first book, Cuckoo, was published in 2011, and she has been writing what she calls her Domestic Noir novels ever since. She also writes for TV and teaches on the Crime Writing MA at the University of East Anglia. She has three grown up children and lives in Brighton with her husband and two cats, Keith and Sandra.
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Detective Morgan Brookes is called to assist prevent the suicide of her childhood friend but Brittany’s behaviour is erratic and Morgan is not able to save her. The other former friends begin to act strangely too, possibly as a result of poison, and Morgan realises their lives are all in danger. Does the current situation relate to the death of a teenaged boy 5 years earlier…?
First Girl To Die is the fourth book by Helen Phifer to feature Morgan Brookes. I have reviewed all of the earlier books in the series: One Left Alive, The Killer’s Girl and The Hiding Place.
Morgan’s has personal involvement of the case and knowledge of the victims which increases the tension and emotion. She is also dealing with fallout from the previous books which involves her family and there are spoilers about her family members in this book.
Morgan’s boss Ben, with whom there is a spark of attraction, causes her great anguish in this book as he suspects her aunt of accidentlally poisoning the women using herbal tea. Morgan jumps straight to Ettie’s defence and finds herself increaslingly isolated within the police team.
The action is fast paced and there are plenty of victims despite Morgan’s frantic attempts to save her former friends. The chapters are quite short to maintain the momentum. The book is written in the third person, mostly in the present day but interpersed with chapters from 2016 to show the connection with the past.
First Girl To Die had me completely hooked and I look forward to the next book in the series.
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Book: First Girl to Die
Author: Helen Phifer
Pub Day: Oct 11th 2021
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About the Book:
Morgan shudders as she leans out of the window and takes in the familiar blonde curls and clear blue eyes of the fallen girl below. She knows this woman, and she realises with sickening certainty that her friend is now gone forever…
When Detective Morgan Brookes is called to the scene of a suicide, she’s devastated to recognise the young teacher sprawled out on the grass like a broken doll. She hasn’t seen Brittany for years. Not since the tragic death of Morgan’s high-school boyfriend ripped their friendship group apart. But when witnesses describe Brittany’s erratic behaviour and jumbled speech that morning, Morgan is convinced the fearless, life-loving girl she once knew didn’t jump of her own accord.
Traces of poison found in Brittany’s blood prove Morgan’s theory right, but no one can find the source. Then Morgan uncovers a distinctive jar in Brittany’s home filled with toxic herbs, and the sight of it turns her blood to ice. She has a jar just like it, a handmade gift from her aunt. Is this a coincidence, a set-up, or could the only person she’s ever trusted with her damaged past be capable of murder?
Then another woman from Morgan’s past is found, close to the scene of that fatal teenage party. Has Morgan been looking at this all wrong? Are these deaths connected to that deadly night? And how could someone from her own family possibly be involved?
With her aunt’s freedom and more innocent lives at stake, Morgan must dig deep into her painful memories for answers. Who else was there that night, and what exactly did they see? She must stop this twisted killer before any more of her old friends become new victims – but at what cost?
An absolutely heart-stopping and unputdownable crime thriller, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Lisa Regan and Rachel Abbott.
Author Bio
Helen Phifer’s love of reading began with Enid Blyton, before progressing on to Laura Ingals Wilder and scaring herself with Steven King. If she can’t write for any particular reason she finds herself getting itchy fingers and really irritable. She loves reading as much as writing and is also very fond of chocolate, Prosecco, The Lake District, New York, white Zinfandel wine, her children and grandchildren, her friends, porn star martini cocktails, Stephen King, watching scary films, Marilyn Monroe, Melissa McCarthy, Idris Elba, Simon Baker, Spandau Ballet, The Munsters and coffee. In no particular order.
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The nights are drawing in and Halloween is approaching! I had a look through my children’s bookshelves to find some stories to encourage some spooky enjoyment.
First up is Spookyrumpus by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees. The scary Halloween charcters are gathering at midnight. Witches, ghosts, spiders, skeletons and more! This is a rhyming book with bright colourful pictures. The characters come to life in the illustrations but are not scary. The book counts backwards from 10 so also has an educational angle.
A book from my childhood that I have now shared with Anya: The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy. A classic novel of magical mayhem courtesy of inept witch Mildred Hubble. A new student at Miss Cackle’s Academy, she has a best friend Maud and nemesis Ethel as she tries to learn magic. But the school is threatened and Mildred is their only hope…
I was a bit late to the Harry Potter scene, not reading the first book until after the third was published. I was then firmly hooked on the series and queued at midnight to buy the final installment in 2007. Last year I began to read the books to the children each night and it has been lovely to share Harry’s adventures (we are currently reading Deathly Hallows and should be finished before Christmas)
Do you have any favorite books for Halloween? Let me know in the comments!
