Orchard Books ISBN 9781408337776 £6.99
This is part of a series of ‘Badly Drawn Beth’ books which follow the adventures of heroine Beth as she copes with the everyday delights and disasters of childhood! The Show Must Go On depicts Beth’s trials and tribulations as she faces the impending embarrassment of a singing Dad, a Mum teaching at her school and a potentially evil childminder whilst preparing for a school talent show! The book is full of vibrant and comic-like illustrations and clever use of text font and size to help the story to leap out of the page. It is a very accessible text for those moving on to extended reading from early picture books and the humour and vibrant mood will make it very appealing to a wide audience. A great addition to a home collection particularly for more nervous readers as the imagery helps to guide the reader and illustration and text have equal weight. It could also be used as a stimulus for cross-curriculum work on literacy and art within the context of a fictional piece of writing.
Laura Davies, Project Development Coordinator for Fair Foundations, Chwarae Teg