August 2017, Cico Kidz, 32 pages, Paperback, Review copy
Summary from Cico Kidz
Archie and his big sister Amber are two of the Shady Bay Buddies who live in the close-knit community of Shady Bay Island. They love playing outside together, but one day Archie falls from the garden swing and hurts his arm. He's very worried when it's made clear he'll need to see the doctor. With his mum and Amber by his side, Archie goes off to the doctor is pleasantly surprised to find it's not that bad after all. There are fun things to do there and the doctor is very kind.
Archie and his big sister Amber are two of the Shady Bay Buddies who live in the close-knit community of Shady Bay Island. Archie is starting school and wondering what to expect. Amber reassures him that it will be fun. We join Archie as he gets ready for school, meets his new teacher, Miss Whimsie, and enjoy lots of fun activities on his first day. He even makes a new friend called Woolie.
Nayu's thoughts
I fell in love with these books the moment I discovered rather than being drawn or painted, the characters were crocheted! Emma has such a talent, the characters are adorable and look extremely well made. I expect she had a lot of fun making them, and whoever photographed them had fun too! I'm more a flat crocheter, animals aren't my type of skill (prefer something without a pattern that I don't have to think about or follow as it's easier when I'm tired (which is all the time...)).
I want to reach out to touch Archie and his friends as he experiences what can be intimidating situations for people regardless of how old they are. The backgrounds are a mix of real life objects, fabric, and illustration, which add to the appeal of it. The tales are equally charming, dispelling Archie's worry about getting his arm checked out and the milestone of starting school, with the crochet characters adding a lot to the story. I love Archie's sister who seems to be there supporting him through life along with his trusty toy bunny - his answer to the last page on the school book was hilarious! I half expected to see bunny in the washing machine, which can be an ordeal in itself, so perhaps there will be another tale on that.
Suggested read
Another sweet and hilarious read that I've enjoyed in the last few months is Hamster Sitter Wanted by Tracy Gunaratnam and Hannah Marks (Children's, Picture book, 10E/10E)
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