Pearson's Book Panel - Ages 1-7 - Review thread

[AnnMumsnet]

You may know Mumsnet have been working with Pearson to provide some special learning-related content for you. Linked to the site is a Pearson shop where you can buy educational books for children. We invited MNers with a child aged between 1 and 7 to review the books available and this thread is for the reviews. Panellists will be sent up to 5 packs of books and reviews will continue to be added each month until the end of the year. Pearson will link to this thread from the shop.

As a thank you for taking part there will be a monthly prize draw for reviewers for all those who have submitted a review in that month. The prize each month will be £50 of John Lewis vouchers - the first draw will take place on 31 August and will be for one prize of £100 of John Lewis vouchers.

Below are the questions Pearson would like you to answer - when posting your review please add in the age of your child and please include the question as well as your response.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

Many thanks
MNHQ

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

we recieved the year 2 pack which is reading together , ben 10 which dd was not overly impressed with im afraid though her twin (boy)thought it was fabulous , all about mummy's,chocolate & the wrong jumper.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

she didnt like ben 10 at all but then she is a girly girl so not too concerned about that one to be honest and book went to good use as her brother loves it. The other books she found interesting and managed to read without any help from me.
Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

Overall very good

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

She liked the pack bar one book mentioned above.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Yes , they were very easy to read lots of factual information as well as fiction and not too many difficult words in so suitable for her age range.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

Yes dd is covering egypt next term so im sure she will take the book into school to show friends and teacher.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
I'd give the pack 4 stars as not a very girlie pack sent really but easily read without help.

thanks for our pack its given me a few hours sanity back during the summer holidays

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

A1 reading together. charlie and Lola I;m really ever so not well.
Bridget fidget and babysitter Bear.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme
does your child use at school?

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

DTD chose Charlie and Lola first to read then Babysitter bear. We have lots of Charlie and L already so I she knows and likes them and the telly programme. She listened carefully to both stories, but the biggest reaction was when she laughed when the bear fell in the pond in babysitter bear.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
I thought t was good quality, the mostly level for her right now, as she is 4, and appealing pictures. I did think Bridget Fidget plot was a bit clumsy and whern I read it to her, her last choice, I dont think she followed it.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
She's only 4 but when asked straight after reading all three she said she liked best one was Charlie and L. We often reas 3 books in one go, as she has a twin brother and older sister so often I let each kid pick one book then I readd all three to all three kids.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
I think babysitter bear would not last long as seemed a the most babyish for this age. I'd like a book to last a while before I'd buy it. Charlie and Lola are gd but not particularly would recommend as they are all very similar and formulaic so miss out the best aspect of getting books for kids - amazing them with new crazy, stimulating books.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
Not really old enough

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
We have a lot of books already having 3 kids so these are not exciting enough to stand out and become favourites. Also Sch hol time so lot more things com[peting for kids time.
erm, we do often buy books fro charity shops so best thing about these books is they are all prstine, and new ! say er, 2.

Opps for Q3 Meant to say ....... We have lots of Charlie and L BOOKS already so I she knows and likes them and the telly programme.

and to add to mine, DC is now reading Robodog and is loving it :)

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

My daughter and I have been reviewing a Foundation / P1 pack. The books are for reading together.

The books are "I'm really ever so not well" from the Charlie and Lola series created by Lauren Child, Babysitter Bear by Catherine and Laurence Anholt and Bridget Fidget by Joe Berger.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

My daughter is 4 but will not be starting school until August 2012.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

My daughter enjoyed looking at the pictures whilst I read the stories to her. She was particularly excited by the stickers in the Charlie and Lola book!

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

"I'm really ever so not well" from the Charlie and Lola series created by Lauren Child

My daughter is familiar with the Charlie and Lola characters from other stories we have read and she likes them because she can identify with the characters - she has a brother, although he is younger than her in a Peppa Pig / George fashion rather than older as is the case with Charlie and Lola. Generally the dynamics between the duo accurately represent the sort of sibling love / hate relationship that my two enjoy and it was touching that Charlie was helping to look after Lola. My daughter was amused that he ended up catching a cold as well. It would be a good story to get out next time they aren't feeling well.

We liked the interjection of songs that were written into the book. This is always good for stories that are being read aloud. It gives the reader and child the opportunity to have a sing story through the story. The part about germs was an important nod to health education, particularly useful for our family as we are toilet training my daughter's little brother and encouraging him to wash his hands.

The trademark Charlie and Lola illustrations containing real images of grass, biscuits and pink milk interspersed with vivid child like drawings representing a child's view of the world create the perfect mix of realism and escapism. The child like language of "flutterby" are endearing and enjoyed by adult and child alike.

Babysitter Bear by Catherine and Laurence Anholt

This book was a pleasant book about a Babysitter Bear which is a useful book for children and showed spending time with a babysitter as a positive experience. As it happens the twist in the tale was that the central character arrives home with the Babysitter Bear to a new baby sibling. It is a touching tale that would be a perfect gift for an older sibling when a new baby arrives. The tale is not gender specific so ideal for boys and girls alike.

The story shows the day as a journey and the central character and baby sitter bear meet familiar animal friends along the way. The story is filled with colourful illustrations. I would say this story would be suitable for ages 2-3. It is perhaps a little on the young side for my 4 year old.

Bridget Fidget by Joe Berger

This was a new author and character for me. The name "Bridget Fidget" with it's rhyme amused my daughter greatly. It is very appropriate for those children who won't sit still! Not only can they identify with the character but the story is fast paced and the illustrations are lively. It is also quite a speedy book if you don't have too much time or need to pin down a lively toddler for story time.

I particularly liked the retro-style fifties illustrations. This is all very fashionable at the moment.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

The Charlie and Lola story was my daughter's favourite of the three books. I think this is because she can identify with Lola. My daughter is quite a sedate and typically "girly". I think Bridget Fidget was a bit too lively for her and as I mentioned before, the Babysitter Bear story would have been ideal for her at 2 or 3 years old.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Yes, I think Charlie and Lola is an excellent series and I would recommend "Baby Sitter Bear" to parents of younger children, especially if they are about to have a new addition to the family. I would recommend "Bridget Fidget" to parents of the more lively children!

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

My daughter would recommend the Charlie and Lola and Bridget Fidget to her friends and she would recommend Babysitter Bear to her little brother who is 2.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

Overall I would give the pack a 4 out of 5 stars rating.

Q 1. We got the Year 1 pack DD is 5 and going to be in Year 1 in September.
Q 2. Sorry can't remember the reading scheme at school but it's not the Oxford Reading Tree one - DD at end of summer term was reading level 5 books including Ali and Amina stories if that helps...Would say that the books had less text than the ones she's recently read at school though
Q 3. Think she enjoyed the variety and mix of factual and fictional writing. However, because they didn't necessarily consolidate the words/phrases she has been learning at school think she felt a bit thwarted at times.
Q4. I liked the variety and that it gave her something not too difficult to use to practise her reading and not forget some of the tricky words she's already learned.
Not totally sure that I was that keen that every book used different characters etc....it would have been nice to have some continuity - maybe repeat characters in different packs?
Q5. DD liked some of the books more than others (but that applies to school reading books too) - think she liked the ones which included nouns she has already learned to read - eg. bench!
Q6. I might, but most likely if they were using this type of reading scheme at school too....it didn't particularly feel as if these books flowed on in a fluid manner from the texts she's been using at school. But on the other hand the glossy books were exciting for her to look at!
Q7. she said 'no' quite emphatically when I just asked her!
Q8. Would probably give then 3/5 - liked the variety and the different types of subject matter to appeal to girls and boys but as I said think they would suit children most who were already using this scheme at school!

We just got another pack of books. Apparently the old pack was not suitable, although DS liked it and was getting on well with it!
We've now got Dear Zoo, Each Peach Pear Plum and Meg and Mog, all of which we've already got so I feel a bit of a fraud.
Anyway, I'll review them and pass on the extras copies to a friend.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
We got the year 2 turquoise pack think they are learning to read ones.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
At school they have the Kipper and Chip books mostly. The story ones in this set were better than those.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
My daughter enjoyed the story books because they were not too long and had nice pictures. She was not too interested in Cars, cars, cars because that was for 'boys'

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
Its always nice to have new books and I thought they were nice ones although I don't think we will be reading Can you do this? over and over again because once you have done it then that's it.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
She liked the books when they arrived and enjoyed looking at them but has not shown much interest since

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
I would recommend them if they were cheap or free, they were not interesting enough to spend money on as they wouldn't become a childs favourite book

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
Probably not as she didn't find them interesting enough or take a liking to any of the characters

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
I would rate these books 3 stars

Thanks for letting us try them out!

Reviewed with ds aged 5:

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
We had Zip&Zap, Shaun the Sheep, and Dinosaurs. Yellow stage I think.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
Uses ORT. These were much harder than the ones from school so far, and the illustrations were much more varied. When i looked at them, I thought there was no way he'd be able to red any of it, and I was very shocked that he could!

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
He absolutely loved them! Part of it was just getting some books in the post, but he actually really did enjoy the books, particularly Zip & Zap. He liked the storyline, and the fact that he could read alot of the words!

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
They were much better than my initial feeling upon opening the packet. I'm not sure how the dinosaur one fitted in with the others - not 100% sure if this is more of a reading pack or a reading together pack, as Zip&Zap was child level, but dinosaurs definitely wasnt.The pictures are fantastic; really appealing. I think the system is too complicated though; why cant it just be a colour, then numbered, per level? There seems to be all sorts of branches and subdivsions that I havent worked out yet.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
"Zip and Zap is funny and I like reading it. They dont know what a sheeps is. Zip and Zaps names they rhymes. Shaun the Sheep is funny too but its good on telly. The dinosaur book isnt as good as aliens.The alien one was the really best. I like the front and the back and the middle."

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
As books, definitely worth giving them a go, for the reasons outlined above. Ds isnt very into reading, but these books caught his attention! The level system is complex though. I would definitely buy/use them as books in themselves, but not sure about using as a system unless I really sat down and thought about it!

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
I dont think he would recommend books to anyone yet; he is too young for that. He might show someone and say 'thats a funny one'.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
4 stars, based on the ones we had.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

A: We got a bag of the phonics bugs ones which I presume are for reception children (DD will be four next week, and starts reception in September). We got a pirate book, one about Angelina's red bicycle, and a third called something like 'The Hat Trick' (I have come away for a few days and the books are at home, sorry).

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

A: I believe DD's school use Oxford Reading Tree, and that's what she will get next year when she goes into reception. DD is already reading pretty proficiently, though. She kept badgering me to tell her how to read so I bought her a set of ORT books, and she has ploughed through to the third or fourth level in a very short time. The books we were sent proved somewhat unchallenging, DD whizzed through them. I think I prefer the structure of the ORT books, to be honest. Although DD didn't have too much trouble with them, I was surprised by some of the difficult words thrown into an otherwise very easy and repetitive text; maybe that's deliberate, I don't know, but it seems a bit counter-productive. The content is a bit more interesting, though. The stories aren't particularly more complex or inventive than the ORT ones, but they are very different in the way they look, the characters in them, etc, and I can imagine that variety will ultimately prove more interesting for children.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

DD was very excited to get the books. The Angelina book was especially thrilling, because Angelina gets a red bike for her birthday, and DD has asked for a red bike for her birthday! She has read that one quite a few times. She wasn't so enthralled by the pirate one. She is quite a pirate fan, but I think she found this book really very repetitive, and got bored very quickly. She liked the Hat Trick one because she found it funny.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

A: I quite liked them. I think that in some ways they are overambitious (trying to practice too many sounds in one book) and in some ways not ambitious enough - ie, repetition a good thing, but there's room for it to not get boring. We did really enjoy the Hat Trick and Angelina ones.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

A: She loves Angelina and she likes Hat Trick. She's not so bothered about the pirate book - as I said, she got bored of it.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

A: I would possibly recommend the Hat Trick and Angelina books, but this would be from an 'engaging story' point of view, rather than a 'helpful to the learning' point of view.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

A: She's probably a bit young, but she was keen to share them with her little friend from across the road.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

A: 3/5

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
Yellow set for Y1, for learning to read.
Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
DD (4, next week she's 5 ) uses ORT at school, these books were harder, but then she's an August birthday so isn't on a high level for her year.
Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
She LOVES Zip and Zap ( we have Zip and Zap and the Thing ), we've read it at least 6 times already. The Dinosaur fact book less so, and she quite likes the Shaun the Sheep one.
Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
Good mixture, and love Zip and Zap. Vety, very funny, great illustrations too. Much better quality than Biff n Chip etc.
Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
Love Zip and Zap Mummy! Can we take it on holiday with us?
Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Yes, a real welcome change. Esp as I've done it all before with DS, much more intersting for me too!
Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
Def recommend Zip and Zap.
Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
5

Oh, and I have had to help her with quite a lot of the words as I would assume the level its aimed at is average child going into Y1. She's an Aug birthday as mentioned, and isn't flying with her reading yet.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

A: Bug Club Orange. I have no idea if these are learning to read or reading together ones. I would assume learning to read as DS has been assigned to the Year 2/P3 panel.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

A: My DS is home educated so we have no experience of reading practice books/schemes.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

A: Yes. He really liked the 'Chase in New York' book and the 'Fun Festivals' one. The 'Chase' one has a good 'twist' that he enjoyed and the graphics were good. The 'Festivals' one was suprisingly good. From the cover we weren't expecting much but it really caught his (and his 3 year old brother's) imagination. Lots of talking about the different festivals and looking up stuff about them online. The 'Casper' one was okay but not one he's been asking me to read over and over. The 'Flips and Spins' one he found boring.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

A: Very good. Really liked the Bug Notes/Time pages at the front and back. Helped get a lot more out of the books.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

A: He says he loves the 'Festivals' book best. Wants more of that one and the 'Chase in New York' one but not the others. He said, "Tell them please really nicely so they send me good ones."

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

A: Yes. They were fun but also had the bonus of the pages for parents.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

A: Yes. He's already shown the 'Festivals' book to a few friends.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent.

A: 4 out of 5. Books were good but the 'Flips and Spins' one was so uninteresting I can't give it 5 out of 5.

My son is 2 years 3 months.
Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
Reading together, Meg & Mog, Dear Zoo, Each peach pear plum.
Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
N/A
Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
My son has is really enjoying his new books. Meg & Mog contains many of his current favourite thing, Witches, Owls, eggs! Nice and clear pictures to point to. With Dear Zoo he eagerly turns the page, opens the flaps and watches our faces for the expressions we use. Each peach pear plum has been a little hit & miss, he is not familiar with the traditional characters, so the first reading was a bit of a flop, no idea who he was looking for. Then he wanted to read it again and totally got it. All the books he carried though and put on his book pile, so I'd say he liked them. Meg & Mog and Dear Zoo are read several times a day but Each peach pear plum has been dropped for the moment.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
If I had bought these books I would have bought them at least a year ago. I can see Meg & Mog will be a good first reading book. The story doesn't flow, but I don't think this matters. I think Each peach pear plum is a bit dated and twee, the drawings are very fussy, but went down better than expected with DS. Dear Zoo I think works on so many levels. Lift the flaps, animal noises, saying the animals, surprise faces/voices.
Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
I'd say he liked them, as he added them to his book pile that he knows get read to him and requests them at story time.
Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
I would recommend Dear Zoo for parents with younger children, will keep their interest for a couple of years. Meg and Mog yes for a first reading book, but nothing special. Each peach, pear plum, not really, I just don't get it.
Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
N/A
Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
3* Dear Zoo would be higher, Each peach lower.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We got the Year 1 learning to read Bug Club pack.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

Ds mainly brings home ORT books and had only just moved off stage 1+ (he has had the first stage 2 book the week before he broke up. I was a little concerned about the difficulty of these when I first saw them as most are beyond what he has brought home.

I did recognise some of the characters (sid and nan) out of some books he has brought back from school though. And I remember commenting at the time that Ds seemed to prefer these books to ORT.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

Ds really surprised me as this is the first time he has actually been excited to read. I think the fact that the books are stretching him to his limit is exciting him and he is so proud that he is reading books that are so much harder than the ones he has had from school.

As he is a reluctant reader, I think having familiar characters (Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Grommit, Basil Brush and Lego City has really appealed to him.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

I really like it. I like the variety and the illustrations. The stories have kept ds interested. I like the use of familiar characters from tv too. I am well aware it is not everyones cup of tea but when faced with a child who panics about reading, it has proved useful. Ds has always loved being read to (we go through 12 library books a week) but is lacking confidence to read himself. These books have helped a great deal. He has made a pile of books tonight he wants to read in the morning. This is the first time I haven't had to force him to read.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

"I think they are rather good actually. I like Lego. Shaun the sheep is funny. I want to read Zip and Zap to Baa (Grandma) to show her how good I am now"

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Yes. Ds has found them really interesting and it has boosted his confidence no end. I think some school books can be a little dry and dated. These books definately seemed to engage him.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

I asked him this and he said "Yes, I think so. Well, if they liked books anyway!" That is fairly good praise from ds, he usually gives buts and maybes!

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

I am going to give them a 5. This is purely because I am impressed that ds has been so interested and excited to try them. This hasn't occured with a good 80% of his school books so I am really pleased.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
We reviewed the pre-school DK set, ?My first words? and ?My first numbers?. It was for ?reading together?. The child who I?m meant to be reading these books with is 3 years 8 months, but we also read them with her one year old sister.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
N/A

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
The three year old did enjoy looking at the books, but the ?My first words? book held limited appeal and seemed too ?young? for her (we have a similar book, albeit larger, called ?My First Words: Lets Get Talking? by Dorling Kindersley, which she loved as a 1-2 year old, and which her 1 year old sister loves now), yet on the other hand is definitely more complex than the book we already have because it introduces names like ?spirit level? alongside the usual ones and she was interested in telling me what the words were by looking at the images. I also read it with the one year old a few times and she enjoyed it and it held her interest very well. The ?My first numbers? book is more age-appropriate for the three year old as she loves the counting section at the end.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
Both books are good quality, sturdy board books and are visually appealing. The ?My first words? book appealed more to the 1 year old than to the 3 year old but the 3 year old has enjoyed practising counting, adding up, etc, which is new to her.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
My eldest daughter said that these were ?very good books? but I should add that she says this about most books. She hasn?t clamoured to have them read to her repeatedly as she does with most storybooks but when I have picked them up she has been eager to ?read? them together, which means that she tells me, and her little sister, what each picture is of, and then we practise counting and adding/taking away.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Not particularly, ie I wouldn?t go out of my way to recommend them because they haven?t captured my daughter?s imagination, but I would say that they are attractive, good quality books that both my girls have enjoyed ?reading? with me.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
She doesn?t really recommend books yet, but she does want to read storybooks with her friends, eg Hansel and Gretel, etc. Word type books are a little different though and I can?t see her going out of her way to tell her friends to read these. This isn?t a criticism of these particular books, just a fact about this sort of book.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
3

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?

We got the preschool pack for ds3 who just turned 3 years old. It had Dear Zoo, Meg and Mog, and Each Peach Pear Plum. They were for me to read to him.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?

Not applicable

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

Yes, he was very excited to get them and loves them. We have already read Dear Zoo and Each Peach Pear Plum at his Grandma's house, but he was happy to get his own copy. He had not had Meg and Mog before. He has asked for them repeatedly over the last few days.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?

A very good set for a young child. All three are classics.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?

He loves them.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?

Yes I would. They are classic preschool books that most households will have at some point.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?

He is not old enough but I imagine he would.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent

5

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
We had the learning to read phonics bug set ? ?Sid?s nits?, ?Tim?s din?, ?Kit?s kip? and ?Dig Sid dig?.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
DD is 4 in August and starts school in September so has not had any books from school yet. However I have borrowed a few ?Sails foundation? books by Heinemann from my school over the holidays just to see how she gets on. I?ve really liked the Sails books as although they concentrate on a very small core vocabulary there is a lot going on in the pictures so you can expand the story.

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?

DD liked looking at the books at first especially as they came as a special parcel for her and had stickers etc. She doesn?t as yet know how to blend phonics together well enough to sound out words so couldn?t read them independently though I can see how they could be really good once she has had some letters and sounds input in school.

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack? I wasn?t a huge fan of the stories as I found them quite stilted for a child to read. I can appreciate the fact that they are easily decodable after learning very few letter sounds but found them a bit boring. I did like the cover information for parents.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
She wasn?t that interested but I think she would come back to them after she has learnt some sounds in school.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
I think they are OK as part of a varied school reading scheme but I wouldn?t suggest buying them.

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not? Not at the moment as she prefers her story books.

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent I would give it 3

Q3.Q4.Q5 When I did initial review, DD had read about 50% of the books - we have now read all of them. Have to say that her opinion of them hasn't changed -they somehow seem like harder work than the school ones - I would reiterate that I feel the scheme could do with greater continuity - either with the types of stories or repeated use of the same characters. It does feel a bit as if it's been thought thro' to equally appeal to those children (most likely boys methinks) who don't like story books (and can be put off reading at a very young age) and those to whom stories appeal. But I feel thereby lies this scheme's weakness rather than strength.

The stories in themselves do not grab my DD and she is usually one for sitting, picking up books and telling the story to her 'pretend friends' or when she's playing classroom teacher/pupils games! She is used to sitting and listening to more grown up fiction now (we have just finished reading 101 Dalmations - the proper book by Dodie Smith) so just wondering whether she is not finding them stimulating enough in the subject matter?

In defence of this reading scheme though, think that this learning-to-read phase is quite difficult. The relative simplicity of vocab (and story types) of these reading practice books does not necessarily correlate with the sophistication of stories that would naturally appeal to some of the children of this age.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
The revised pack we were sent is DK Colours and Opposites, for reading together I assume!

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
N/A

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
Yes, she enjoyed them. In particular she loves the Colours book, with the coloured objects and the noises they make. She keeps opening up the book to the red fire engine and pointing until I make the "Nee-naw!" sound for her!

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
I was very impressed with these books. They're well constructed and seem like they'll stand up to punishment. The content is accurate and interesting, prompting and encouraging interactivity between reader and baby while looking at them together. They're also not tailored towards a particular gender.

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
She's too young to voice an opinion, but she keeps getting them out of the toy box to play with - which speaks for itself really!

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Yes, I would. I would buy them as a gift for friends with babies too. For all the reasons listed in Q4!

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
N/A

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
Hmm... We'll go for a 5, as I think they're perfect for a curious 13 month old.

Q1 Which pack or books did you and your child review? Was the pack of books for "learning to read" or "reading together"?
It was the preschool one, containing: Dear Zoo, Each Peach Pear Plum and Meg and Mog.

Q2 If a "learning to read" pack, how do the books compare with the reading practice books your child brings home from school? Which reading scheme does your child use at school?
n/a

Q3 Would you say your child enjoy reading or looking at the books? Why/why not?
Yes, she enjoyed looking at them, and having the books read to her, though she got a bit impatient with Each Peach Pear Plum as it is not very interactive for a toddler (would be more appropriate for older children who knew all the nursery rhyme characters they were supposed to be looking for). She really, really enjoyed Dear Zoo, and actually enjoyed Meg and Mog a lot too, which surprised me as there is not much interactivity in that one- I think the colours and pictures are more striking than the realistic-colour in EPPP maybe?

Q4 What's your overall review of the book pack?
It was a good book pack, but I would say the age targetting was not great- the books would be more appropriate for older preschoolers, rather than toddlers. I don't know if Pearson divided up the preschool category, but there's a lot of difference between a 20mo (my daughter) and a 3.5 yo. I would also probably not buy this set for her tbh as she is still likely to rip pages in paper books (most of her books are board books, a few paper ones- you can get a lot more variety of board books now than in the past I think).

Q5 And what is your child's review of the book pack?
She seemed to enjoy 2/3 of the books. We tried again with EPPP later and she did like it a bit more, but not as much as the others. I think the style appeals more to parents than to toddlers.

Q6 Would you recommend these books to another parent? Why/why not?
Probably if they had older preschoolers!

Q7 Do you think your child would recommend these books to their friends (if they are old enough!)? Why/why not?
n/a

Q8 What star rating would you give this pack of books overall? Please use a rating system out of 5 where 1 star is poor and 5 stars are excellent
I think 3-4.