Flotsam and Jetsam - A Home by the Sea, by Tanya Landman

"A tiny beach...

An upturned boat...

A whisper of smoke..."

Two little people named Flotsam and Jetsam emerge from the inky depths of the sea and make a home in a cave on the beach until they find a boat and use that instead. They meet a little crab and call him Sainsbury, and together they have lots of adventures and troubles great and small.

For example, when an unpleasant black backed gull perches on their chimney (a piece of drainpipe) and refuses to leave, and a beach ball gets stuck in their doorway.

It's really exciting but is still nice and calm. It was a really good bedtime story. You don't get many books which are happy and calm like this, but still surprising

This is one of our absolute favourites. So charming and sweet, but funny and clever too. We've read it lots of times now, and like an old favourite teddy, there's something very comforting about it. No peril in this one! 6+ -Rosa's Mum

Flotsam and Jetsam - A Home by the Sea

Published 2006 by Walker Books

92 pages

Dodos Are Forever by Dick King-Smith

Two lovebirds named Bertie and Beatrice get married with the help of a parrot called Sir Francis Drake (but we can call him Frank). When "sea-monkeys" show up on their island and start killing dodos, their lives change forever. Another peril is when rats swim

ashore and start eating dodo eggs. Their numbers dial down quickly. Yikes!

With Frank's help, and their friends Fatima and Felix, they manage to survive and live long and happy lives.

The way the words were written made me feel like I wanted to read more and more and more. Then when I had to put the book down for bed, I felt very upset because I wanted to keep reading.

Although it had a few moments of terror (for example, when Bertie's auntie was hit by a coconut and it rubbed out her memory) it was really exciting and fun. It had some nice descriptions and drawings and I could picture everything in my head - like the beginning when Bertie asked for Beatrice's wing in marriage.

I'd say this book would be for anyone between 3 and 12!

Dodos are Forever by Dick King Smith

Published in 2021 by Sweet Cherry Publishing

103 pages

Dragon Boy by Dick King-Smith

This is a story about a boy, his pet, a pair of dragons and eventually, another dragon.

There were lots of twists to this story and it did get a bit scary, so I asked Mum to read ahead to make sure it would be okay! At first I thought that Albertina Bunsen-Burner (one of the dragons) was going to kill John, the boy, but she turned out to be kind after all.

*spoiler alert!

I did guess that John would help the dragons hatch their egg but that didn't spoil it for me.

Sometimes it was a bit like a dictionary and I learnt lots of new words.

There was lots of action and adventure and I laughed my head off in places. And I loved the happy ending.

I really really loved this book

This is a longer book with lots of dense text, and requires a bit more stamina. I read a few chapters for Rosa to keep her going, and also to get her through some of the moments of peril where she might have decided it was a bit scary and put the book down. We raced through the pages together. A classic as far as I'm concerned! Suitable for 8+ -Rosa's Mum

Dragon Boy by Dick King-Smith

Published in 2021 by Sweet Cherry Publishing

191 pages