There's a Snake in My School!

David Walliams does it again! What a fantastic story. My 3 year old was enraptured right from the very start. The story tells of a Primary school class and it is 'bring your pet to school day'. Miranda 'likes to be different' and of course brings in her pet anaconda. The other students are in awe of her snake and the snake is one very clever pet. But, the head teacher soon locks up all the pets in a cupboard and upsets the students. The ending is very clever and soon the pets are all released just as the head teacher mysteriously disappears.... Walliams is a fantastic author who puts so much thought into the learning element of the story as well as keeping it light and enjoyable. The key adjectives are in bold to highlight the important language feature and also for the reader to put emphasis on the word. Reading this story aloud, my son giggled and squirmed throughout. It was such an easily delightful story to read and I loved every minute. The illustrations are beautiful and fit perfectly with the tone of the story. A new aged Dahl, Walliams writes with ease and his stories engage both the reader and the child. His stories stand out, with creative flair and a cheeky element to his characters. He builds the right balance of hero and villain with plenty of discussion points throughout the story. This story is a definitely a family story to be read at any time of the day. Children aged 3+ will fall immediately in love with Miranda and her clever anaconda. Picture book / Ages 3+ / Reviewed by Joanna Hewish.

Suggested Reading Age 3+

It was bring-your-pet-to-school-day, and Miranda had a pet with a difference ' a giant snake! Her classmates were terrified of Penelope the python, and their pets were terrified too. However, they soon came to realise that Penelope was great fun. She loved playing with children and could transform into a climbing frame, a slide and even a fireman&'s pole. Miss Bloat, the headmistress, had a terrible shock at the sight of Penelope. She shouted at Miranda for bringing a snake to school and then confiscated ALL the children's pets. She stuffed Penelope into a bin, and squeezed the other pets into a cupboard. When Miranda knocked on Miss Bloat's door to ask for Penelope back, she got quite a surprise. Miranda and Penelope rescued all the pets, but things were never quite the same for Miss Bloat. This book is a celebration of being different. Miranda is fun and brave, and she really doesn't care what people think. Walliams's mischievous humour shines through and the story is brought to life by Tony Ross's lively and characterful illustration style. The drawings of the snake are especially beautiful, and really capture the imagination - illustrating how great it would be to have a pet like Penelope. A creative use of typography adds to the visual charm of the book. The mildly dark sense of humour lends this picture book to a slightly older age group. It would be great to read aloud, and is the perfect length and style for a reception class story time. It would also be fun to share at bedtime with plenty to spot and discuss in the illustrations. Picture book / Ages 4+ / Reviewed by Emily Fellah

Suggested Reading Age 5+