Children's Books > C Children's Books > Helen Cooper

Advantages: Hairy or Scary?
Disadvantages: None

The Bear Under The Stairs. A HUGE favourite of mine; beautifully written and completely captivating. Well worth reading to children from a very young age, and continued to lower junior, because it deals with overcoming fear and apart from anything else, is a beautiful read. We discovered this story my younger son was four (way back in 1995) and for a while, it was the only book we were allowed to read at night. It really struck a chord and every ...
...believe there are things under the stairs or under a bed? I began to wonder when I was going to be asked to leave out food. He wasn't afraid of the bear, and actually felt that he was having a hard time of things and had to be looked after. Let me try to explain… THE STORY The story focuses around a little boy, William, who is convinced that there is a bear living under the stairs. Is he imaginary, is he real? We never find out but children tend ... Read review

Advantages: See opinion.
Disadvantages: See opinion.

...books Marnie didn’t get was Pumpkin Soup. Cat, Squirrel and Duck live in an old white cabin deep in the woods. They play music during the autumn evenings; Cat has bagpipes, Squirrel has a banjo and Duck sings. They always have a huge pan of the best pumpkin soup you ever tasted sitting on the stove. Cat slices the pumpkin, Squirrel cooks and stirs and Duck ‘scoops up a pipkin of salt, and tips just enough in’. They work in harmony, these three friends, ...
...simply have to make some pumpkin soup. Cat and Squirrel even let Duck stir. Peace is restored. And yes, that soup was still ‘the best you ever tasted’. Pumpkin Soup was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway award given to children’s books and deservedly so. It’s a triumph. It’s funny, it’s endearing and it’s written in such a simple, rhythmic way it’s a joy to read aloud. It addresses in a very simple but gentle story the issues surrounding friendship ... Read review

Advantages: Truly Magical Pictures
Disadvantages: None

...Cooper)~ ~ About The Book ~ The baby who wouldn't go to bed is written and illustrated by Helen Cooper. This is the first book I have bought by her, although she has written others: The Bear Under The Stairs~which is the winner of the Young Judges Award for the Smarties Book Prize. Little Monster Did It!. The baby who would'nt go to bed~ which is the book I am reviewing here has won the Kate Greenaway Award for Children's illustrations. ~ The ...
...reading this book). "NO!" said the baby. The story is about a baby who doesn't want to go to sleep so he gets into his car and sets off on a night time adventure. Baby is determined to stay up all night and play which a lot of mummy's and babies can relate to. Baby revs up his car...vrrruuuum-chugga-chug...it is more fun if you make car noises as you go along in the story and use different voices for the characters (e.g growly voice for lion, loud ... Read review

Advantages: Lots of interesting and thoughtful plots to throw you.
Disadvantages: Can get rather slow in the middle.

I have rated this book 4/5 star. It is a deep and meaningful book all about apartheid. It is a reverse of the British apartheid in South Africa, as Sephy and Callum (main characters) live in a world where white people are second best and black people are rich and powerful. This is a very compelling book. It is not to be read if you are looking something light and cheerful. I would recommend this book to anyone in their teens to adults as it is not ... Read review

Advantages: Lovely character
Disadvantages: N/A

Mr Daydream is another Mr Men story from the Mr Men Collection written by Roger Hargreaves, which contains 46 books. Mr Daydream is number 13 in the series and is a pale blue cloud shaped character with a very broad grin. This is the picture of him that is one the front of the book, which is itself small square and white. Mr Daydream's name is then printed above this picture in bold block capitals. On turning the book over you can then see smaller ...
...format as all the other Mr Men stories with writing on the left hand side of the book and colourful pictures on the right. The pictures are extremely bright and cartoon like and so ensure a child's attention is captured throughout the duration of the story but the writing itself although their isn't much of it making the books great for bedtime, it can be rather small. The book itself is a story about Mr Daydream and this is exactly how the story ... Read review