Foxy Tales - The Cunning Plan

Step aside Sir Alan Sugar, take a hike Peter Jones, There's a new Fox on the block with a devious 'Get Rich Quick' plan of the most hair brained and maniacal nature!

Infamous Foxy DuBois and down right dastardly Alphonso the Alligator, (As featured in Egg and Catch us if you Can Can) are united again in a brand new gleaming and glossy illustrated fiction disguise.   

Coasting on hard times and with aspirations above her station Foxy has once again finds herself fending off Alphonso's ravenous advances, this time she has to come up with a most cunning plan in order to make enough dosh to keep Al well fed, thus saving her own skin and making sure she is most certainly NOT dish of the day!

Foxy has her eyes firmly on the prize and hatches a plot fitting of a creature as cunning as the sky is blue.

Plot: > Alphonso dresses up as a lady dog walker > Alphonso distracts rich rotund old lady > Foxy abducts small canine charges > Alphonso 'finds' and 'returns' pups without eating them > Thankful rich rotund old lady pays a generous reward! 

Sounds fool proof? Well prepare to snort out loud with laughter in an utterly embarrassing fashion as this particular crafty plan lands the mischievous pair in hot water (and Foxy up to her elbows in suds) 

Foxy Tales are smart books for ubercucumbercool kids, packed with delightfulness, devious critters and a belly aching laughs on every page. Not to be missed.  

SIDE-SPLITTING THINGS TO SPOT: 

• Mr Billy Bongo - Alex T Smith's real life canine companion playing the role of the slightly weak bladdered star of the show.
  
   
• Chihuahua shaped topiary which would turn Titchmarsh the very darkest shade of envious green.   
• Tiddles piddling on Alphonso's stiletto 
• A partially dressed pug in a bush - BLUSHINGTONS 
• A Tortoise in a jumper
• Some giant alligator sized bloomers - I have a similar pair myself.  

This mirthful tale weaves its way cleverly through the pages becoming increasingly mad cap and mayhem fuelled with every turn. 
Incredibly appealing in it's humour and design these books will be snapped up and devoured in one sitting by readers of ALL ages (including people aged 34 1/2)

Prolific word smith the delightful Caryl Hart and general sweetie illustrator Alex.T.Smith have evidently worked incredibly hard creating these wonderful books and are proving to be a formidable and dynamic creative team worthy of a huge drop of success and unending rapturous showers of admiration! Bravo.
   
Check out Alex and Caryl on Twitter @Alex_T_Smith and @carylhart1

We simply can't wait to get our mitts on book two - 
Foxy Tales The Road to Fame and Fortune. 

Foxy Tales - The Cunning Plan is OUT NOW - 

Published by Hodder Children's Books 

(a complete steal at) £4.99

BONUS TREAT - To coincide with this review we asked for your best fox / reptilian jokes - here are some of our favourites...#foxytales

What do you call an alligator in a vest? An In-vest-igator!

Why did the fox cross the road? He was following the chicken

Waiter, bring me something to eat and make it snappy ........How about a crocodile sandwich sir !

What do you call a lizard that sings for Bad Boy Records? "A Rap-tile"

What is a crocodiles favourite game Snap

What's the definition of a nervous breakdown? ....A chameleon on a tartan rug!

For younger readers... 

Check out Foxy and Alphonso 

in these resplendent picture books! 

 

Blue Peter Book Awards 2014

Animal Kingdom (The World in Infographics) 

by Jon Richards and Ed Simpkins 

Blue Peter Book of the Year shortlisted author / illustrator team Jon and Ed have kindly stopped by at Book Sniffer Towers to tell us a bit more about their book. 

It's just a few days to go to the announcement and both Ed and myself are really excited to be on the shortlist for the Blue Peter Book of the Year award. 

Excited because Blue Peter a big part in my childhood - countless afternoons spent in the company of John, Peter and Lesley (and a few others after them), with rolls and rolls of sticky-backed plastic, gardening advice, burying time capsules, naming pet dogs and preparing the Blue Peter tortoise for another safe winter in a straw-filled box.

It's incredibly flattering to be nominated for the shortlist, and it's even more flattering that the winner is being chosen by more than 200 children.

Having worked for more than 20 years in illustrated non-fiction, we've always had something of an obsession with information and how to convey it. The World of Infographics series has given us the opportunity to take this to a whole new level, condensing information down to the bare facts and use clean, simple graphics to get the message across.

So it's finger crossed for the next few days (and good luck to the others on the shortlist).

Animal Kingdom (The World in Infographics) by Jon Richards and Ed Simpkins is shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award – the winners will be announced on Newsround on the morning of

 World Book Day, 6^th March  www.booktrust.org.uk/bluepeter

Find out more about the whole range of Infographics books by Ed and Jon here 

WISHING Jon and Ed a HUGE truck load of luck! TOOT TOOT 

The Blue Peter Book Awards:

The enormously popular and influential Blue Peter Book Awards have been recognising and celebrating the best authors, the most creative illustrators and the greatest reads for children since 2000. The Blue Peter Book Awards 2014 celebrate children's books published in the last year in two categories: the Best Story and the Best Book with Facts. The award is managed by Booktrust and you can read all about the shortlist and judges here: www.booktrust.org.uk/bluepeter

 

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE ON THE SHORTLIST!

Hector and the Big Bad Knight by Alex T Smith

With a triumphant medieval tooty fanfare here it is - 

The ultimate tale of good conquering over evil and

small becoming MIGHTY 

in a battle of epic proportions! 

Hector and the Big Bad Knight 

written & illustrated by Alex T Smith 

Published by Scholastic

This tale begins in the sleepy bunting bedecked hamlet of 'Spottybottom' 

A happy trouble free village with the reddest apples and the happiest chickens. 

The peace and tranquillity is brutally shattered when Hector's Granny's magic wand is pinched in one swipe by none other than the BIG BAD KNIGHT! a rapscallion of THE most dastardly order. 

Dashing AND Dastardly

After a hastily organised emergency town meeting, Hector takes it upon himself to retrieve the treasured magic wand - all by himself (well almost all by himself, his trusty sidekick Norman the chicken comes along for the ride) 

Things to spot on this page: Not fussed sheep and temporary foot rest 

The Spottybottom villagers are more than a little dubious that a chap of such a minute and muscle-free stature should take on the Big Bad Knight (this simply can't end well) 

But Hector has a plan!...

With a gingham knapsack filled with useful things Hector and Norman set off in hot pursuit.... and this is how a brutishly bristly yet mysteriously dashing knight with a 'been there slain that' attitude takes on his smallest most cunning adversary yet.

Will Hector prove he is braver and more mighty than his weedy stature suggests? 

Will the Big Bad Knight get his comeuppance? 

...and will Granny ever get her beloved magic wand back? 

I do hope you enjoy this story in all it's anarchic glory as much as I did, a book packed with mild peril, dragons,  pooh and crisps.  

 

Everyone has the potential to be a hero - no matter what. (...and never leave the house without a packet of crisps just in case of unexpected encounters with big fierce dragons) 

We give this book a HUGE triumphant tooty fanfare of approval, a poop-tacular picture book of 

magnificent proportions. 

Nab a copy of this magical adventure NOW 

This is Alex's 9th picture book, can you believe it!? 

That man deserves a Knighthood for services to Children's Literature - someone get on the blower to the Queen. 

From princesses with pugs to sly foxes and cross dressing alligators Alex has an eclectic and limitless imagination. It appears he can unlock his inner child at a moments notice thus creating timeless family favourites over and over again. 

FOLLOW ALEX ON TWITTER @Alex_T_Smith

As always Alex's magnificent flair for creating books which appeal to adults and children across the board is apparent in Hector, what could be more important than creating a book which encourages a shared story experience, this book is gallant and triumphant and if it gives one little person the courage to be brave, confident, bold and clever then we should all give this book our golden seal of approval. 

Etch/sketch style mash-up BRAVO

Rarely have I witnessed an illustrator rocket so deservedly to the giddying heights to which Alex has in such a short time, and it's simply down to four facts...

1. Alex is incredibly hard working, 
2. Hugely talented, 
3. Boundlessly kind 
4. And he still draws for pleasure every single day 

Please visit his blog HERE, it's an utter treat.

With Thanks to Alex, Always 

A BOOK worth a LOOK - Oi Frog by Kes Gray and Jim Field

Ta-Da - Bravo and tooty fanfares! 'Oi Frog' is here - The long anticipated picture book imagined and created by the masterful award-winning minds of Kes Gray and  illustrator Jim Field.

Oi Frog is one of those rare and perfect books which literally leaps off the shelf onto your lap (or the nearest log) everything the cover promises in terms of humour is delivered in bucket loads and more. Such a brilliantly simple concept expertly executed to create a completely satisfying picture book which parents will read over and over and over again without complaint and which little people will sit though effortlessly.   

Inquisitive frog finds himself in a deep discussion with a finicky (some might say down right BOSSY) feline intent on things being done the way they should be (without compromise). Frog has his sights set on changing the rules and is yet to be convinced that as a frog he should always and without exception sit on a log, despite the painful botty splinters he might be subjected to!  

The omnipotent cat diligently explains to frog that each creature has its place and that is the way it has been and always will be.

Life’s rich pageant in all its various shapes and sizes are showcased as the story unfolds with deeply satisfying repetitive rhymes popping up throughout.  Such pure unadulterated joy with hilarious poetic flair. My personal favourites namely ‘Gibbons on ribbons’ and ‘Moles on Poles’ although I did also have a soft spot for the poor ‘Gorilla on a pillar’  

The bold graphic illustrations showcase Jim’s great talent in creating engaging and unique anthropomorphic animals. The characters have such expressive faces you can almost speaking themselves which lends itself very nicely to reading this book over and over, (for ref: Gophers from the deep south , mule from Blackpool, a cow from Somerset, etc etc) each creature could quite easily become a book in its own right, (especially the brogue sporting Hare)   

I am an enormous fan of Jim Fields work and had the great privilege of working with Kes Gray promoting his utterly tear jerking picture book Mum and Dad Glue, Including meeting legendary Bookaboo!

For me Field and Gray were an unexpected pairing which showed great vision on the part of the team at Hodder Children’s but which has proven to be 100% charismatic comedy gold.

This book is destined to be a huge success so buy a copy now, or two copies, or two and one for your best friend.

We give this book a huge Book Sniffer paw print of approval – an absolute Technicolor triumph.

If you like you’ll love...

My Cat Likes to Hide in Boxes – by Eve Sutton and Lynley Dodd - Published by Puffin

A personal childhood favourite of mine…

Illustrator Spotlight

Jim Field

Visit Jims Website http://www.jimfield.co.uk/ or follow him on Twitter @_JimField

Author Spotlight

Kes Gray

Visit Kes Gray’s website www.kesgray.com Follow Kes on Twitter @kesgray

Also check out the chaps at Hodder Children's @hodderchildrens 

With HUGE thanks to the lovely folk at Hodder Children's Books for sending me a copy of Oi Frog!