COMPETITION: The Owl and the Pussycat & The Further adventures of the owl and the pussycat GIVEAWAY.

So here it is! My first competition!


I'm so exited to be running it and having a lovely prize to give away.


Yesterday I posted my review of The Owl and The Pussycat by Edward Lear and The Further Adventures of The Owl and The pussycat by Julia Donaldson, published by Puffin and both illustrated by the very talented Charlotte Voake.

They would make a lovely Christmas gift and if you want to know why please check out my reviews of each book. 

Thanks to Penguin I have a set of these wonderful books up for grabs and all you have to do is enter below!

The blog comment and following on twitter are mandatory** but the other entries are optional. The more you have, the more likely you are to win :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway




*This giveaway is open to UK entrants only, sorry.
** Anyone who hasn't done both the mandatory entries will not be counted in the competition,

The Further Adventures of The Owl and The Pussycat by Julia Donaldson & Charlotte Voake - Review

So I've been super lucky this week and along side the new publication of the owl and the pussy cat I am also reviewing The Further Adventures of The Owl and The Pussycat by Julia Donaldson.

This book again is beautifully illustrated by Charlotte Voake who brings the story and it's characters to life.


I'll let the pictures do the talking....

 Julia continues where Lear's poem leaves off, in a mix of her own charming style that has been so successful and Edward Lear's original poetic techniques. She introduces characters and places from Lear's other work's into her story. I think this is a lovely idea, although if anything, I would say as an adult reading this book it helps if you are familiar with Edward Lear and his works, otherwise you might feel she is introducing too much nonsense. From a view of a child who the book is actually aimed at I'm sure the more nonsense the better and other Lear devotee's I'm sure would approve too.

The book has been well received, being shortlisted for both the spec savers national book awards and the CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway medal. It has an RRP of £7.99 but can also be found at the cheaper price of £5.99 at the Book Depository.

We received a paperback copy of the book complete with the CD. My 3 year old has a bit of a thing about CD's that come with books so she had this straight on and plonked herself on my knee to listen and read* along. The CD, in which the story is narrated by Julia herself, does go at quite a fast pace so to enjoy the pictures it's best read by an adult (or the child themselves if at reading age). However it's a great addition along side the book and expands the experience and enjoyment of the book.

Reading along with the CD for a second time.

This book, along side The Owl and The Pussycat, would make a lovely Christmas gift and for those of you lucky people reading who have joined me on my new blogging journey, I have a set to give away here.

*read through viewing the pictures 
** This is not a sponsored post and all views are my own. I was however given a copy of the book to review by The Bigshot. 

The Owl and The Pussy Cat by Edward Lear & Charlotte Voake Review

'The Owl and the pussycat went to sea,

in a beautiful pea green boat.

They took some honey and plenty of money

wrapped up in a five pound note.....'

The Owl and the pussy cat, a well known classic nursery rhyme by the wonderful Edward Lear was a favourite of mine as a child. I have been fortunate enough to get my hands on a copy of both the latest edition of the poem, published by Puffin, as well as The Further Adventures of The Owl and The Pussycat by Julia Donaldson! The latter of which I'll be reviewing in a separate post. 

Wonderfully illustrated

This edition has brought the poem to life once more for a new generation of children to enjoy (and for us older ones to continue to enjoy). It has been beautifully illustrated by the talented Charlotte Voake, who's artwork brings a magical feeling to the books.
Obviously the way a book is illustrated has a particular importance in books for young children, it allows children to see the story through their own eyes when they haven't learnt to read yet. When choosing books for G, the way it's illustrated strongly influences whether I'm going to buy it or not. I do love lovely pictures!

Beautifully detailed

Beloved children's author Julia Donaldson has written a foreword for this edition, introducing new readers to the world of Edward Lear. I think this is a lovely touch and will bring the attention of her young fans to a wonderful old classic.

This hardback copy has a RRP of £10.99 but can be found at a lower price's at various retailers including the price of £7.69 at The Book Depository.

I think that this publication of the poem, along side The Further Adventures of The Owl and The Pussycat, would make a lovely Christmas gift. They are beautiful books to be treasured for years to come and we were excited ourselves to receive them through the post! They are my Young Children's book of the fortnight recommendations.

For those of you lovely people who have joined me on my new blogging journey I am giving a set away of these lovely books here!

* This is not a sponsored post. We were however given a copy of the books to review by The Big Shot. All views are my own.