The Mumsnet Book of Animal Stories is the product of another great story competition hosted jointly by Mumsnet, Gransnet and Walker Books. (Last year we reviewed the Mumsnet Book of Bedtime Stories also produced as a result of their story competition)
The Mumsnet Book of Animal stories includes 10 stories by new writing talents and is a lovely book to explore with children. Mine really enjoyed these animal stories as bedtime stories.
The stories included are:
- Little Miss Wolfy Good by Jenny Davis / Illustrated by Mel Howells
- Captain Yuri and the Space Mission by Susannah O Brien / Illustrated by Fiona Ross
- The Hedgehog who Wouldn’t Sleep by Alison Webb / Illustrated by Narisa Togo
- The Great Meerkat Escape by Nina Hoole / Illustrated by Hannah Beech
- The Tale of the Winged Lion by Eilidh Mackay / Illustrated by Kate Alizadeh
- The Elephant Carnival by Kate Peridot / Illustrated by Briony May Smith
- A Pile of Panda by Julie Innes / Illustrated by Rachel Stubbs
- Atuki and Serai by Jo Tiddy / Illustrated by Martha Anne
- Up In The Trees is Not For Me by Lindsay Littleson / Illustrated by Faye Bradley
- Basil the Brave by Alice Westlake / Illustrated by Emma Collins
What I love about books like this is the variety throughout. There are so many writing styles and illustrations styles that it makes up a truly diverse and lovely book. There will be a story to please every child, from the cheeky “A Pile of Panda” to the exotic and descriptive “The Elephant Carnival” we found there were plenty of great stories to fit any mood.
I was really impressed with how well Mr T (4) sat to listen to these stories. His attention and interest in stories has come on in leaps and bounds over the last year, and he was happy to sit and concentrate, enthralled with these stories which was great to see as this book feels a little more grown up than some of the single story childrens picture books that we have.
I remember loving this type of story collection when I was younger, especially books with unusual stories and tales from different countries. It’s really nice to be introduced to so many new writers and all this previously undiscovered talent.
Mr Z (6) also enjoyed these stories, and it’s a good book for younger readers to attempt since short stories could be less intimidating than a whole book.
The Mumsnet Book of Animal Stories is a brilliant book for young children and is perfect for bedtime stories. It would make a lovely present too. I hope Mumsnet and Walker Books run another competition next year, and I’m already looking forward to see even more of the creative talent that they can discover!
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
We enjoyed this book a great deal, and my four year old especially sits very well listening
I love the Mumsnet story collections, they have such a diverse range of stories 🙂
These books sound really good, my kids would really like these
We reviewed this too and were so impressed. A diverse range of stories that appeals to so many ages! thanks for linking up with #readwithme x