Noah Cooper
Image: Amazon.co.uk
This book has been knocking around Thomas’ room for quite a while now without actually being read. It is a pity, because as soon as it was opened it became a hit. It is written by An Vrombaut and published by Oxford University Press. It is a very simple concept; Clarabella the crocodile has to brush her teeth all day long while all of her friends are off playing and having a good time. By the time she has finished brushing and brushing and brushing her teeth, it’s time to go to bed again, until her friends come up with a surprise plan to help Clarabella out.
The colours used in this book grabbed Tomas’ attention, and the characters are very well drawn. The pages with Clarabella particularly fascinate Thomas. There is also an attention to detail that seems to be important for small kids as they try to look at everything on the page. In this case, Thomas always seems drawn to Clarabella’s teeth and the image of her in the small mirror.
The sentences are just the right length for a kid of 18 months, and there is some playful use of sounds so that Thomas likes to hear the story. The book is just the right length as well; not too short to be read in no time, but no too long for Thomas to get bored or fidgety.
According to the author’s site, she has done lots of animation work for the BBC and Disney Junior, as well as a number of other books. The next time I am back in the UK I will certainly try to find another one of her books.
