The Little Mermaid: Ariel and the Aquamarine Jewel.

Title Ariel and the Aquamarine Jewel.

Author Unknown.

Illustrated by Unknown.

Published by Parragon 2010

Format Hardback

When Ariel finds a beautiful jewel on the beach, she can't wait to find out where it came from. But there is a sad story behind the necklace - a wave has washed away all of Atlantica's treasure. Will Ariel be able to find the rest of the missing jewels?

The first thing I should admit is that this book was not purchased for my son but for myself. Having always been a fan of The Little Mermaid I couldn't resit adding this charming book to my collection. 

The story is set after the end of the Disney movie, after Ariel becomes a human princess. It is short and simple, set during one day where Ariel returns to her home of Atlantica to help recover some missing jewels. 

If the reader is new to The Little Maermaid then this story is a lovely adventure to read, introducing you to some new, fun characters. If the reader is already a Little Mermaid fan then it's a nice treat to see what Ariel and the others have been getting up to.

Although the story is simple it does have a good message, encouraging being helpful to others whether rewarded (as Ariel is in the story) or not.

For me the best thing about the book is the artwork. The illustrations are stunning, very different from other Disney and previous Little Mermaid books. There is one particular page where Ariel and friends are searching the sea for the missing jewels. The illustrator has hidden the jewels across the page, allowing the reader to try to spot them themselves. A fun thing you can do together or your Lil monster can do alone. 

All in all Ariel and the Aquamarine Jewel is a lovely storybook with beautiful illustrations that can be enjoyed for years.

Harry and the Dinosaurs at the Museum

Title Harry and the Dinosaurs at the Museum.
Author Ian Whybrow.
Illustrated by Adrian Reynolds.
Published by Puffin books 2004
Format Board book (although also available in paperback)

 Harry's sister, Sam, is studying the Romans for a school project, so Mum and Nan take them both to the museum. Harry finds out all about his ancestors but he and the dinosaurs soon get bored of all the ancient artefacts. So Harry teaches them some fun tricks, like climbing, sliding, and playing hide-and-seek. But soon they're having so much fun that they get lost! Will Harrys family know where to find them? 

My review

Me and my son really enjoyed this book. With it being a board edition it meant we could read it together and my son could read it by himself with out the risk of pages being accidentally ripped.

It is a very visual book, illustrated with lovely, bright coloured interesting pictures. There is a lot going on in each picture and you can discuss what is happening in each aswel as reading the text, my Lil monster loved pointing out all the different bits that caught his eye.

From my point of view, as a parent, there were a few touches that I particularly liked. One was how, as the family move through the different Museum sections (Caveman, Ancient Egypt and Roman), the reader is given a few subtle, basic but interesting facts on each period of history. Another was how when Harry is lost and approched by the 'person in charge' he knew to give his name, address and telephone number. A good lesson for the young reader to learn.

There is one point that some parents may not like about this book and that is Harrys often bad behaviour. There are a few examples of this in the book, Harry soaking his sisters homework with the hose pipe, his occasional nagging to move on or to eat and his ultimately getting lost when he gets bored. For me persoanlly I didn't feel it lessend the book. I think Harry is a real and normal boy who fights with his sibling and gets bored and restless on trips out but who has a lovely relationship with his toy Dinosaurs.

All in all Harry and the Dinosaurs at the Museum is an enjoyable picture book which can be enjoyed by most.