Wednesday 15 January 2014

The Whimsy Wood: Posie Pixie and the Copper Kettle, Posie Pixie and the Lost Matchbox by Sarah Hill and Sarah Maucline (Children's, 5 years +, 10/10E)











November 2013, Abela Publishing, 60 pages, Paperback, Review copy

Themes: pixies, animal friends, helping others, good manners, using what you have, being cautious, finding what you need, music, laughter

Content: Oodles of cuteness

Summary from Abela Publishing for the series
The books in Sarah Hill's series are based in a woodland setting called Whimsy Wood. The series is divided into five sets, each containing seven books, making a total of thirty-five books in the series. Each book is written for a specific month in the year, so the flora and fauna change accordingly as you read through the series. Finally, there is a proverb hidden within each story for the reader to find, giving the story a real meaning. The majority of characters within the series are woodland creatures, with the occasional pixie or fairy and a dollop of humour thrown in!

Book 1, Posie Pixie And The Copper Kettle, sets the scene for the rest of the series and explains why Posie Pixie finds herself in Whimsy Wood. How does the copper kettle come into it? I hear you ask! Aaaah. Well, youll just have to read the book to find out!  

Summary from Abela Publishing for Posie Pixie and the Lost Matchbox
'Having settled in to Whimsy Wood and found her quirky copper kettle house in book 1, Posie now finds herself on a hunt for something else....Follow Posie on her second adventure in this delightful series and meet some more of the fun Whimsy Wood characters!'

Nayuleska's thoughts
 This is an enchanting series. Posie's adventures are not full of major peril which makes them a pleasing gentle read. She figures out what she wants/needs and sets off to get it. With the help of both new and old friends Posie's life is enriched by the journey she undertakes for each book. I loved how she acted when she first met the character in book 1, and liked her bargaining skills in book 2. She is one astute pixie, whose character is brightened by the colourful illustrations. I was captivated by Posie's cute outfit-just look at her hat! 

Characters can be found making an unnoted appearance on most pages, even if its only a whisker or tail showing. The level of detail adds to the magic of this sweet series, like Posie's friend staying at home while she sets off on her errand and the way one shop keeper is always adjusting her stock. I took off a mark because I wasn't entirely fond of the spacing used in the typeset, but I did soon get swept away by the story.

Suggested read
Another cute, magical series is Fairy Animals of Misty Wood: Chloe the Kitten by Chloe Small (Children's, 5 years +, 10E/10E)

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