Book review day! Just in time for the end of Book Week!!
I am utterly amazed that a 22 year old from (you guessed it) ADELAIDE - William Reimer is a published author!! What an incredible achievement for such a young age. His children's book A Ferret Named Phil has a very important message to tell as it aims to help children deal with bullying.
Kindly gifted for the purpose of this review :)
William has always wanted to be a writer, and settled on Phil the Ferret as the main character for his book after Mem Fox had already taken every other cute animal. He actually wrote the original version of this story at the last minute in Year 11 believe it or not!
Read more about his story here - his determination to have this book published is both remarkable and inspirational.
Phil (bless his little furry socks) is the sweetest little character. His scarf and hat are just the cutest! I can just imagine the type of kid he would be if he were a real kid. The story starts as Phil's parents are warning him what to do if Hugo the bully (wait until you see him!) picks on him. A great starting point for a discussion with young children about this topic.
I love the way the book is written is rhyming couplets. It flows really well and is fun to read aloud. The language is positive and most importantly, Phil learns how to stand up to a bully without resorting to violence.
Check out Hugo the bully! What a spot on character choice!! I wont spoil the ending for you though. You'll have to read it for yourself.
Recommended for children ages 3-7 years, either for home, preschool or school. Bullying is such a predominant issue at the moment, and I've not come across a book quite like this one that's specifically aimed at young children. They'll be able to relate to Phil and his friend Jane and see things from their perspective. You certainly feel the empathy which is a difficult skill for young children to grasp.
There's also a colouring book available from the website - making the book a great starting point for a unit of work (multiple copies for classroom use are permitted). William's aim is that every kindergarten and school in the country has a copy of THIS BOOK! Help him reach this goal and order here (be sure to enter the code "types" and the sale will be tracked back to me - which means I earn a small commission, but it doesn't cost you any extra).
Lauren xx
PS - I hear there's a sequel in the works :)
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