But I Am Cute (I'm Not Cute! - Jonathan Allen)

Member Name: arleek

Product:	I'm Not Cute! - Jonathan Allen
Date:	12/06/09 (90 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Funny

Disadvantages: None

Jonathan Allen is fast becoming one my favourite children's authors...are they classed as an author when they write books only a few pages long? I have now read quite a few of his children's books, but this one - 'I'm Not Cute!' - was the first I came across It was in one of my daughter's Bookstart packs, her 18 month one I think, and it was a hit straight away.

The front cover has the words 'I'm not Cute!' emblazoned across the top of the page, then underneath there is a picture of a bewildered looking baby owl...it makes you know that this book is going to be somewhat amusing.

The story is about Baby Owl (he has no name just 'Baby Owl' which I thought was great because my daughter has a fixation with calling any of her little toys, babies, such as Baby Bear, Baby Elephant etc.)

The story is very simple:

Baby Owl has decided to explore the woods...'Nobody will bother ME' he thought...how wrong he was!

First of all along comes Rabbit who thinks Baby Owl is so cute and so small, and gives him a great big hug...Baby Owl is not very impressed with this and protests that he isn't cute and he is by no means small! He is in fact (according to Baby Owl) a huge and scary hunting machine. Then along comes Fox who says something similar, which infuriates Baby Owl even more, and then to make matters worse, Squirrel comes along and tells Baby Owl he is so cute with big baby eyes...By now Baby Owl is fuming and jumps up and down shouting 'I AM NOT CUTE AND I DON'T HAVE BIG BABY EYES!'

Then along comes his Mum who he complains to about everyone thinking he is cute. Mum tells him of course he isn't cute, he is a 'huge, scary, sleek, sharp-eyed hunting machine' and Mum gives him a great big hug. But Baby Owl wasn't happy with this...he throws himself on the floor...'But I am cute'...'I am! I AM!'

Mum knows Baby Owl is tired and puts him to bed and he drifts off to sleep...then she whispers in his ear 'You're so cute Baby Owl'...'For a huge, scary, sleek, sharp eyed hunting machine, that is.'

I thought this story was brilliant, the first time I read it to my daughter; she thought it was so funny, and she picked up the words straight away, the simple sentences really make it an easy book to read and it easily captures a child's attention. The phrase 'I am not cute!' immediately got my daughter's attention (probably because I was shouting it out loud), then when Baby Owl protests that he is cute - 'I am I AM!', she thought this was great and now she 'reads' this bit herself, as well as other parts from the book she can remember.

I love reading this book to my daughter and I'm sure many other parents will enjoy reading it to their children. It's an amusing tale of a moody little owl who just wants to have it his way all the time.

The illustrations really add to the story, they are simply done, with just a white background, but the expressions on Baby Owl's face really jump out at you and you just know he is an awkward, moody little fellow, rolling around on the floor when he is really cross. He seems to be frowning and angry all the time, until his Mum turns up that is, then his expression changes to feeble. Obviously an owl who likes to think he is brave and fierce, but really just wants his Mum.

My daughter enjoys looking at the pictures as well as reading the story; she often stops me mid sentence to ask 'What's Baby Owl doing Mummy?' I think it's his funny expressions that make her ask because they are really quite comical.

Since reading this I have taken other Jonathan Allen books from the library which have also been massive hits with my daughter, but this one still remains my favourite.

Highly recommended.

The price on the back is £5.99 but I have seen it on Amazon for £4.99.

Summary: Baby Owl is cute