Review - Tamara Small and the Monsters Ball by Giles Paley-Phillips

A magnificently illustrated clever rhyming book about a little girl called Tamara Small who is frightened of all the noises she hears while trying to get to sleep. When she sees a shadow and hears a noise, a hand grabs her and she gets whisked away in the middle of the night by a big hairy monster. To her delight though she is taken along to the Annual Monsters' Ball where she sees witches, ghosts and ghouls, a breakdancing werewolf and dancing monsters everywhere! Tamara has a fabulous time and is given a very special gift before she is returned home.

Giles Paley-Philipps has a wonderful way of not only making his stories cleverly rhyme but also manages to make them surprising and exciting for a youngster to enjoy and keep their interest. The illustrations that accompany the words are bright and brilliant with vivid colours and fabulous looking characters.  With a highly inviting cover to attract youngsters this boo is sure to be a winner and what better time than the eve of Halloween to review it. 

I was first introduced to Mr Paley-Philipps when Ollie and I reviewed The Fearsome Beastie last year.   Ollie loved it, so when Giles asked me if I'd like a copy of this one to review, I was over the moon and so was Ollie.  He was just as impressed as he was with The Fearsome Beastie and said that his favourite bit was the surprise that Tamara received before she went home!  He loved the illustrations too and we must have read this book now at least a hundred times, we have to read it about five times each night!  I think that probably sums up Ollie's thoughts on the book.  It is definitely his new favourite book! 

The book is Illustrated by Gabriele Antonini, a freelance illustrator and character designer from Rome. Gabriele works for international publishers especially in the UK. To see more of Gabrieles’s fantastic work please go to www.gabrieleantonini.blogspot.com.

To buy a copy of this book, please click the link below. 
http://www.themaverickshop.com/childrens-books/tamara-small-and-the-monsters-ball/

Giles is currently on a book tour, dates and times are below.  I'm sure he'd love you to turn up along with your children to hear him reading from the book.

Wed 31st October – 11:00 – 14:00 – Waterstones, Woking
Fri 2nd November – 14:30 – 16:00 – Discovery Centre, Stratford
Sat 3rd November – 11:00 – 13:00 – Waterstones, Worthing
Sat 10th November – 11:-00 – 12:00 – Waterstones, Brighton
Sat 17th November – 11:00 – 15:00 – Waterstones, Hastings
Sat 24th November – 10:00 – 13:00 – Waterstones, Islington
Sat 1st December – 11:00 – 15:00 – Waterstones, Horsham
Sat 8th December – 10:00 – 14:00 – Waterstones, Chichester
Sat 15th December – 11:00 – 14:00 - Waterstones, Redhill

Giles has also written There's a Lion in My Bathroom: Nonsense Poetry for Children by Giles Paley-Phillips and Matt Dawson. If you would like to find out more about Giles and his work, you can check out his blog here. 

Giles is married to Michelle and is Dad to two young children Elijah and Sonny. He was born in East Sussex in 1977 and grew up on the south coast. He neglected his education to pursue a career in music. He spent a number of years performing extensively around the UK, including slots at the Glastonbury festival. His debut book 'THE FEARSOME BEASTIE' won The People's Book Prize, Bizziebaby Gold Award and Highly Commended in The Forward National Literature Award and was Shortlisted for The Rotherham Children's Awards(Maverick Books).  Tamara Small and the Monsters' Ball' will be followed in 2013 by 'The Things you never knew about DINOSAURS' (Gullane).    

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