One thing that I really like about reviewing children's books on here with Little Miss C is that we've now been doing it for long enough that I'm starting to see second, or even third, books by the same author and therefore starting to get a feel for them and their work. It almost seems strange that up until only three years ago my only experience of children's books was what I remembered from my own childhood, and even then it's something of a hazy memory, especially when it comes to picture books.
We were recently sent a copy of Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties by Sophie Tilley to review, specifically because the publicity manager at Bloomsbury had noticed a previous review on the blog of her Princess Evie books and seen how much LMC enjoyed them. Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties is the first in a new series of books about best friends Amelie and Nanette and it has such a gorgeous, almost vintage, feel to it.
The artwork in the book is adorably sweet and it's lovely to just see a story about the friendship between the two girls. Together they have some lovely adventures and LMC thought it lovely to see how much these two friends did together. Although it did make her a little bit sad that she didn't have a best friend to do things with – but how can you explain to a three year old that at her age she doesn't really need to worry about best friends as such just yet?
The thing that I loved about this book the most is not the story itself, but just the feeling of it having been set in a slightly older time if you know what I mean. The illustrations could easily make you think that you've stumbled across a vintage book whilst the story and characters are timeless. TheFrench edge to it all – especially through the girls' names - also just adds a certain je ne sais quoi too. I'm really looking forward to seeing some of Amelie and Nanette's future adventures.
Disclaimer: We were sent a copy of Sparkly Shoes and Picnic Parties for the purposes of this review.
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