Tag Archives: Ben Cort

Oct2

Watch Out for Muddy Puddles – Ben Faulks/Ben Cort

Posted on by
Standard

muddy

Allen & Unwin

ISBN :9781408867204

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Imprint: Bloomsbury Child

Pub Date: October 2016

RRP $14.99

Being Aussie I was not familiar with Ben Faulks’ name but UK readers will recognise it from his very popular television presence. This is his first picture book and is colourfully illustrated by Ben Cort, who also did the illustrations for Aliens Love Underpants and Shark in the Dark.

This is simply a very fun look at the eternal joy of splashing in  puddles but with a twist of imagination that invites young readers to picture what might be hiding in some of those tempting pools.

Watch out for muddy puddles!

Because you never really know…

What there might be lurking

down in the depths below.

Pirates, fossils deep in the earth, kissing frogs or a gigantic rubber duck all just might give you a surprise but really splishing, sploshing, splashing in  puddles is always just great fun.

Lots of onomatoepia and interesting vocabulary, rhythm and vibrancy will engage young readers from Prep-3.

Watch a trailer here and download activities here.

 

Jan1

Monsters Love Underpants – Claire Freedman and Ben Cort

Posted on by
Standard

monsters-love-underpants-9781847385710_lg

Simon & Schuster Australia

  • Simon & Schuster UK |
  • 32 pages |
  • ISBN 9781847385710 |
  • October 2014

RRP

AU$ 19.99

NZ$ 21.99

Now I’m not entirely sure exactly how much you know about monsters, or indeed underpants, but I will bet you didn’t know how completely inseparable these two are! Can’t you just hear the giggles now as you read aloud this newest of the ‘Underpants’ books?

From the rather wacky creators, Claire Freedman and Ben Cort, comes this latest hilarious romp in the highly entertaining series that has included Aliens and Dinosaurs.

Dazzlingly bright illustrations and an engaging rhyming text reveal to the reader that perhaps that suspected rustling of a monster under one’s bed is because something hairy or spiky is actually trying out YOUR snazziest pair!  I think the best plan would be to hide all the funky underwear away in its proper drawer because these monsters are all too keen to flaunt the loudest and garish undies they can lay their hands on – or bums in!

There are mountain monsters and sea monsters, space monsters and swamp monsters and when they all get together for a monster rave at the Saturday night disco  they jive and jitterbug with their most flamboyant jocks. Of course, they have to scurry home because after all, who could be afraid of a monster once you know they have a peculiar pants penchant!

Check out these fabulous endpages…

monsterundies

As I once did with a Year 1/2 class after reading another famous underwear book (The Queen’s Knickers – Nicholas Allan) I do think some colourfully created ‘underpants’ would make a super display in a classroom or library! It was a great activity for ‘patterning’.

Naturally, such a book is also a great starting point to dealing with the imaginary fears some children may have – use the “Riddikulus” spell and laugh those bogies away J .

Highly recommended for sharing with little people from around 3 or 4 years upwards.

MonstersLovePants_reveal