Just One More
Written by Joy Cowley
Illustrated by Gavin Bishop

This is a delightful collection of whimsical stories and tall tales for four to six year olds from the inimitable Joy Cowley. Short enough for reading aloud with young children (even those slightly younger than four) yet challenging and interesting for older children to read alone. The tales are tightly woven, brimming with fantastical creatures and magical occurrences. The stories often contain a subtle lesson to absorb, such as the pirate who finds it’s no fun to have all the treasure (toys) and no friends to play with.

Stand outs in our house are ‘My Tiger,’ a tale of delicious comeuppance, and ‘The Bag of Smiles,’ have you ever wondered why chickens don’t smile?

The stories are humorously illustrated by the amazing Gavin Bishop, whose drawings bring so many of the characters vividly to life.
My three year old tells me “I love this book cos it’s really funny stories,” hearty praise indeed. As the title suggests your children (like mine) will most likely be clamouring for ‘just one more’ and given the briefness and humour of these stories you’ll be more than willing to oblige .

Mel Ewart, Awatere Playcentre