Can You Find Billy's Beetle? (Billy's Beetle - Mick Inkpen)

Member Name: tb4ms

Product:	Billy's Beetle - Mick Inkpen
Date:	20/02/08 (95 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great story and illustrations.

Disadvantages: None

Mick Inkpen is a fabulous children's author and in Billy's Beetle he has achieved the high quality set by all of his books.

~ The Story ~

When Billy's beetle escapes from its matchbox the hunt begins to find the beetle.
Billy first asks a girl if she has seen his beetle. When her reply is no, Billy moves on with the girl in tow when along comes a man with a sniffy dog. The sniffy dog digs deep underground and finds a hedgehog, 2 spiders, some worms and a worm, but unfortunately for Billy, not his beetle!!

And so the hunt continues and before long a host of characters get in on the act: the girl, the sniffy dog, the hedgehog, the polar bear, the ooompah band and the elephant.

Eventually, with all of the characters in tow, the hedgehog spots the beetle but by this time, Billy's interest in his beetle has been surpassed by them coming across a furry caterpillar. Like all young children, Billy is easily distracted by this new little minibeast and wanders off unbeknown to the others until .......... the girl realises that they have found the beetle, but lost BILLY!

There then proceeds a short hunt for Billy.......the sniffy dog runs along on his extendable lead until he comes across a little pig who says: "Excuse me, I've lost my furry caterpillar, have you seen him?"

The whole mottly crew set off on the hunt and once again it is the hedgehog who finds both Billy and the furry caterpillar.

~ The illustrations ~

Mick Inkpen is not only a great author but his illustrations appeal to young and old. They are very bold and detailed and all set against a white backdrop.

Children love 'spying' the teeny tiny beetle that Mick Inkpen has added to each illustration and they really like the idea that they can see it when the characters in the story can't!

There is a humorous element in the drawings with the exhaustion on the elderly man's face when his sniffy dogs keeps fleeing along and pulling him with him.

Mick Inkpen seems to like having fold out pages, there's one in Kipper's Balloon and Threadbear and he doesn't fail in this book to get one in............the last pages open out to display the long, long extendable lead of the dog in his search for Billy and the furry caterpillar. This is another element that children like in this book.

~ The style ~

A very simple story line which enables children to re-tell the story in the correct sequence of characters that join in with the hunt for the beetle. In my experience this has appealed to 3 - 5 year olds.

Children also find it amusing when the man proudly announces that his sniffy dog has found the beetle when in fact he has smelled some sausages and dashes to get them.


~ Price and where to buy it ~

The paperback is £5.99
But for better bargains visit amazon.co.uk for the following used and new books:
Paperback from just 1p
Hardcover from £2.79

There is also an audio cassette available from £2.99 and an audio CD from £3.69
Just watch out for P&P charges!

~ Other books by Mick Inkpen ~

He is a prolific children's author but here are just a few:
Kipper's A - Z
Jasper's Beanstalk
In Wibbly's Garden
Kipper's Balloon
Everyone hide from Wibbly Pig
Threadbear

In short, Mick Inkpen's style shines in this marvellous, fun book and children rarely tire of joining in with the hunt for Billy's Beetle!

Summary: A fab children's book.