Bunnies in a Sleigh by Philip Ardagh and Illustrated by Ben Mantle - #bookreview

 

It's Christmas Eve at the North Pole, a magical, wondrous night. 

But inside Santa's workshop, somethings not quite right...

***

The Blurb

The Sunnytown bunnies are back for a third picture book adventure, and it might just be their best one yet! It’s Christmas Eve and Santa’s elves have fallen suspiciously unwell (just WHO gave them all those candy canes?), so it looks like Santa needs some help. Luckily, our gang of vehicle-loving bunnies are here to the rescue. Cue chaos at every turn – hopping in and out of chimneys, getting stuck in snow, stuffed in stockings, and having the time of their lives on Santa’s sleigh. It’s a crazy Christmas, but it’s SO MUCH FUN.

My Review

To be honest, I almost knew I would love this book before I even opened the cover. There is a slight craziness to the titular bunnies on the front cover which I found very appealing.

Pre-schoolers and infant aged children (3-6 years) will adore this book. It is the story of how when the elves get tummy ache from eating too many candy canes on Christmas Eve, and are too poorly to help Santa out with his deliveries, the bunnies step in and save the day.

Children will love the rhyming text and the quirky delightful illustrations by Ben Mantle. They are vibrant, joyous and colourful and are a great accompaniment to the text. It is fun and humorous, and adults will enjoy sharing this with their little ones.

Philip Ardagh, Ben Mantle and Walker Books make an excellent team as they have produced this fabulous book that children will love. I highly recommend slipping a copy of this into the stocking of a little one.

There have been two previous 'Bunnies' books, Bunnies on the Bus and Bunnies in a Boat which I think would be worth reading.

Book Details

ISBN:  978 1529507126

Publisher:  Walker Books

Formats: Hardback and paperback

No. of Pages:  32 (paperback)

Purchase Details

Bookshop.org

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Blackwell's

Waterstones

About the Author:

Philip Ardagh is a prolific writer who has been published in 40 languages around the world. His titles include the bestselling Eddie Dickens trilogy, High in the Clouds, co-written with Paul McCartney, and Stinking Rich and Just Plain Stinky, the winner of the 2009 Roald Dahl Funny Prize. He stands two metres tall with a most impressive beard, and lives with his wife and son in Kent, the Garden of England. Find him on twitter and instagram as @PhilipArdagh.

About the Illustrator:

Ben Mantle is the illustrator of Follow the Track All the Way Back by Timothy Knapman, Kiss the Crocodile by Sean Teylor, Bunnies on the Bus and Bunnies in a Boat by Philip Ardagh, and is also the author-illustrator of Frog vs Toad. Find him on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram as @BenMMantle.

( book and media courtesy of Walker Books)

(all opinions are my own)

(bookshop.org affiliated)

Reading Roundup for March 2021

 

I have been taking a short break from blogging. I find it necessary every once in a while just to keep my writing and reviewing fresh and to focus my mind.

However, I am back now and raring to go. Although I have not been reviewing I have been doing plenty of reading and I thought you might be interested in seeing what I have read during this month. There are no review links for these book but keep an eye out from the first of April when I will be reviewing again.

I make no apology for the photo of the cute little bunny rabbits above (courtesy of istockphoto.com). I know there must be a bookish link somewhere but the truth is, I just could not resist posting this picture. I hope it makes you smile as much as it has me.

Books I Have Read This Month

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart - this was my favourite book for March. A worthy winner of the 2020 Booker Prize.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - another excellent book from Matt Haig and it came a very close second as my favourite read of the month. I have previously read his book How to Stop Time and you can read my review by clicking on the title.

The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths - This is number 13 in the Ruth Galloway series and it remains my favourite series of the moment. I have read the previous 12 books and have reviewed The Janus Stone (#2), Ruth's First Christmas (#4.5 a novella), Dying Fall (#5) and The Woman in Blue (#8). Just click on the title to read my reviews. 

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - Another excellent book from the pen of the Booker Prize winning author of The Underground Railroad.

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher - This is the first novel I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it.

Not in America: Book 1 in a Jewish Family Saga by Roberta Kagan - I enjoyed this book. It is the first in a four part series and I have already have the second book, They Never Saw it Coming, on my kindle. All four books are available for free if you have kindle unlimited.

The King's Witch by Tracy Borman - This is the first in a trilogy by the amazingly talented Tracy Borman. I am definitely planning on reading the second book in the series, The Devil's Slave.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris - I really disliked this book. I know it was hugely popular and many people like it but it was not for me.

Books I Did Not Finish

Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff - This was the book chosen for my physical (yet virtual) book group. I really did not like it. It read more like a text book than a biography. Only one person in the group managed to finish it. I shall say no more!

Big Girl, Small Town by Michelle Gallen - I was just not in the mood for this book once I started it. I have heard many good things about it. It was shortlisted for several awards so I may well give it another try at some point.