The Kiss that Missed - David Melling

...included a CD reading of the story by The Fast Show and Harry Potter actor, Mark Williams.

***Who is David Melling***
David Melling, an English writer and illustrator, began his career illustrating children's book in 1993. He not only works on children's books but also a number of reference books.

Today, Melling not only illustrates - he has also written several successful children's picture books including the ...
...Just Like My Dad and The Ghost Library.

***What is it all about***
This is the story of a young Prince who's busy father the king doesn't have time to come in and say goodnight properly and instead, blows him a kiss as he rushes down the hallway outside the Prince's bedroom. Much to the Prince's horror, the kiss misses and flies out the window instead of landing softly on his cheek.

In order to calm down the distraught ... more

Author/Illustrator: David Melling
Publisher:Hodder Children's Books
Publish Date: 2003
Pages: 32
Age Suitability: 3-6 (although Amazon says 9-12???)
Price: RRP £ 5.99 I got mine for £7.99 as part of a 3-4-2 deal at Waterstones as it included a CD reading of the story by The Fast Show and Harry Potter actor, Mark Williams.

***Who is David Melling***
David Melling, an English writer and illustrator, began his career illustrating children's book in 1993. He not only works on children's books but also a number of reference books.

Today, Melling not only illustrates - he has also written several successful children's picture books including the sequel to The Kiss that Missed - Good Knight Sleep Tight, Jack Frost, Just Like My Dad and The Ghost Library.

***What is it all about***
This is the story of a young Prince who's busy father the king doesn't have time to come in and say goodnight properly and instead, blows him a kiss as he rushes down the hallway outside the Prince's bedroom. Much to the Prince's horror, the kiss misses and flies out the window instead of landing softly on his cheek.

In order to calm down the distraught Prince, the royal knight is sent out into the darkness to find the kiss and bring it back.

What the Knight finds as he travels deep into the forest on the trail of said kiss marks the beginning of the adventure with unexpected twists to be found at the turn of each page.

***What I thought of the story***
My son chose this book himself. Being a typical two and a half year old boy he has a fascination with Pirates and monsters, firemen and dinosaurs but nothing compares to dragons and hero knights on white horses.

I read it with my son the first night we bought it and both of us laughed almost from beginning to end.

It has everything any toddler could want - humour, a silly horse and his even sillier companion the knight, scary shadows in the dark forest and a dragon which turns into a big softy just as you expect it to turn on our hero ferociously.

I was impressed not only with the great imagination of the story but also how touching it was. Underneath the adventures that kids love to read about, of which there were plenty, there was a lovely, touching moral to the story and a lesson to be learned almost more by parents than by kids. It is so important that we make time, no matter how busy we are to spend with our children. The Prince, like our own little ones appreciate and depend on the small things like a kiss goodnight so much more than we often know.

The whole idea of a kiss missing and having to be chased is unique and Melling brings the lovely story to life through simply written, fantastically descriptive and almost poetic text with a sprinkling of the ridiculous.

***What I thought of the illustrations***
I have said before, I think an author who illustrates his own stories is on to a winner. No one can put imagery to a writer's vision exactly as he sees the story better than he or she can themselves.

Meller's pictures are vivid and brightly coloured giving your children loads to look at as you read with them. He uses a cartoon style which matches the humour of the story. The characters, animals included have all been given terrifically animated faces full of expression. The dragon who the good Knight meets up with along his way is particularly adorable. Far from being a fierce fire-breathing, people eating monstrosity, he looks like a goofy creature whose brain is far too small to control his hulking body. His face lights up with inquisitiveness and is totally endearing.

Not only do the illustrations help the reader to identify with the characters, they also tell the story almost on their own. With each page that you turn you are faced with a new tableau which sets up the scene exactly as it is being told.

***What I thought of the audio cd***
Mark Williams is simply a funny man. He is funny to watch and equally funny to listen to. He lends his dopiness to the characters perfectly and I found myself listen to it thinking it was exactly as I heard the story in my head.

There are two versions of the story on the CD. The first is a reading accompanied by all the relevant sound effects and the second is meant to accompany the book with signals throughout indicating when the pages should be turned.

Having the audio cd helps your kids to feel a part of the story allowing them to get caught up in it simply by listening. It is a fantastic thing to have and both Kyle and I enjoyed it. Having said that, I quite like Kyle to be able to create his own idea of the story through his own imaginations instead of having it handed to him, so it is for occasional use only and certainly wouldn't replace bedtime stories.

***Conclusion***
This is a quirky, imaginative, funny, sweet story with illustrations to match. Without a doubt it gets a thumbs up from both Kyle and I. I will be looking for Good Knight Sleep Tight as a follow-up.
 

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