Saurus Street by Nick Falk and Tony Flowers

Reviewed by Desere& Michael

Dinosaur books are always fun, well for boys us girls like the fairy tales of Princes a lot more, but as every mother of little boys knows it does not matter if you have to read about slugs it's the time you get to spend together that matters.

And I will admit since the first couple of Dinosaur books I have stated getting more and more interested in the huge beasts. In these two books provided kindly by Penguin Random House South Africa I was delighted to find actual really good stories instead of the usual " Let's learn about dinosaurs" , those are fun too but all mothers know that kids learn more when there is fun and an actual plot to a book.

The covers are fun and inviting and I could see my little boy ( major dino fan) mind start to bring out his imagination the second he saw the titles. The plot was what was most interesting , as I mentioned all adults ooooh and aahhhh but it's always for show, well you know what I can honestly say this time it was not, the plot was really interesting and even I did not see a couple of the things coming, nice job authors!

Fun, entertaining, really catchy and a real  " lekker" reading pastime for kids and mothers!

** Now available at Penguin Random House South 

How Crab Lost His Head and other tales from Africa by Nick Greaves

Reviewed by Desere



This was a surprise book as I ordered something else, but I could not have been more delighted, for after reading these stories with my son, we both had that magical " take me into a land of wonder" feeling, after each and every story.

The book has a total of nineteen magical stories from truly inspiring tale of how the dog and man became friends to the very magical reasons behind just why bats hang upside down.

The illustrations are are really stunning and really seem to simply leap from the pages, not to mention the attention grabbing titles.

My son could not wait for nighttime to arrive so we could jump back into this remarkable world of animals.

This is a definite must read for all little fans of reading, and a bonus when you're the grown up in the little reading relationship, you will learn a thing or two as well, because hidden among-st the stories are stunning and very informative facts of animals.

It's reading fun and knowledgeable power info combined but disguised as kids fun! Great job Nick!

5/5 star review
" Animal fun in the wild, brought to life"

*** Available at Random House Struik South Africa 

Famous Dinosaurs of Africa by Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan

Reviewed by Desere & Michael

Quoting my son's first words when we opened this book " It's so awesomsaures!

And the entire book truly is, amazing and awesome in so many ways. The first thing about the book that stands out are the illustrations. 

Very lifelike and the colors seem to just pop from the pages, which of course is guaranteed to send any dino lover into a happy frenzy. 

The layout of the book is fun and very easy to move through.  The information and fun facts are truly wonderful, and even if you are no dino lover you will get hooked on this book from the first page. 

It's truly remarkable to think that these creatures roamed the earth in areas we call home today, the author takes you deep into the heart of those areas and her words of descriptions are so realistic it was as if the reader is really there, looking at the bones being discovered, seeing the information come to life. 

Through out the read I could see my son's face light up with joy as each page was turned. The author did a incredible job at capturing the true feeling of stepping into the world of dinosaurs and bringing them to life!

I highly recommend this book for all kids out there, even those who are not so much dino fans! And once you start there is no stopping, it is simply too interesting and too much fun! 

5/5 star review 

" Dinosaurs brought to life has never been this cool" 

** Now available at Random House Struik South Africa 

The Complete Book of Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker

Reviewed by Desere

Originally this book was published as eight individual books, but now it can be enjoyed in a stunning complete collection that tells the tales of those magical beings found in our gardens, who have come to teach us all about flowers.

This book is the perfect book for when nighttime falls, and the time to escape calls. Perfect for some special bonding time between mun and daughter.  Through the beautiful illustrations the author brings to life the magic of flowers and how each has their very own special place in a garden.  And through her words she transports any reader into a world where magic lives and fairies play.

We get to learn which flowers bloom in summer, winder, spring and autumn, and even which berries are edible and which ones will send you off into the land of poison.

What I found very intriguing was the fact that the author drew all of the illustrations botanically correct, so it's so much more than just a picture a child or any reader really, one get' s to see what a true sketch of the flower looks like and is then transported into the world of magic of how each little fairy has it's place among the flowers.

The connection of seeing and then writing what I see is a art form not often done or done well, but Cicely Mary Barker did it with absolute perfection!

As mentioned this is the perfect book for a mother and daughter to get in some bonding time, but this certainly does not mean you need to have a daughter or be a little girl yourself to enjoy this read. The book will serve as the perfect reminder of the time you spent with your mum in the garden, or when you played amongst the flowers and pretended you had your very own fairy friends.

The entire read is a magical experience filled with load of educational information and beyond cute in so many delightful ways! Thank you Penguin books for bring back to life the magical world of one of the greatest authors of all time!

5/5 star review
"Within the garden of play lies more than meets the eye" 

Available now at Penguin Books South Africa