That's my lion! (Usborne Touchy Feely Books: That's Not My Lion - Fiona Watt)

Member Name: jo1976

Product:	Usborne Touchy Feely Books: That's Not My Lion - Fiona Watt
Date:	11/05/09 (94 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sturdy, durable board book for toddlers

Disadvantages: Short, RRP is quite expensive

My youngest son is fast acquiring a selection of Usborne Books' 'That's Not My...' stories to add to his own home library. For anybody that hasn't come across one of these lovely little board books (and surely all parents of toddlers must have) each book features a certain animal or item with a particular characteristic being highlighted by being 'touchy feely'.

There are an incredible range of stories in this series and it is still growing, with seasonal editions introduced such as 'That's Not My Santa'! My son has three of these books; 'That's Not My Train', 'That's Not My Bunny' and 'That's Not My Lion' which is the subject of this review. All of the books are written by Fiona Watt and illustrated by Rachel Wells.

Like all the books, the story actually starts on the front cover, which features a majestic looking lion with a nose that is 'too fuzzy'. The fuzziness is evidenced by the nose being made out of a rough felt-like fabric. Neither my husband or my oldest son realised that the front page was part of the story and, although they obviously saw the title 'That's not my lion', they didn't notice the writing at the bottom saying 'its nose is too fuzzy' until I pointed it out to them.

The book continues in the same vein with different pictures of lions featured over the next eight pages. None of them are 'my lion' because their ears are too soft, paws too rough, tail too fluffy, or teeth too shiny! Each picture uses a different touchable fabric or material to illustrate the point. The final page tells us 'That's my lion! His mane is so shaggy' complete with lion and a furry, fabric mane. In the series as a whole some of the adjectives used can seem a bit dubious and aren't always words that you would use in everyday life. The lion book just contains simple adjectives that are a good starting block for descriptive speech and understanding.

Like the rest of the series, this book is a firm favourite with my son and has been almost from birth! I love reading to my children and, as this is a very short and sturdy hardback book, this has been read to my youngest on a regular basis since he has been able to support his head. He now knows the words of the book and recognises some of the key adjectives. I spotted him sitting on the floor reading this the other day by himself. No - he's not a baby genius but he was repeating the rhythmn and intonation of the simple story and was clearly saying 'Tha no my lion' to every page. Beautiful!

The added interest in the book, which is more likely to be appreciated by older children, is a little mouse which appears on each page. My oldest sometimes reads this to his little brother and makes a point of spotting the mouse and pointing him out. My two year old has now learnt to find the mouse too and makes little squeaking noises when he spots him.

The book is made from very thick board pages and although it is interactive in the sense that it features touchable and rubbable sections, there are no pop-ups or tabs and suchlike which, while very interesting and educational, don't tend to survive the clumsy enthusiasm of your average toddler. There is nothing within this book or any in the series that is tearable or likely to be damaged at all. The pages and spine are thick enough to withstand many, many reads and would even survive a teething infant without any trouble.

The RRP is £4.99 which seems quite expensive for a small baby book but it is quite good value considering how durable the book is. Personally, I'd recommend buying this second-hand (or borrowing from the library) as the book is likely to be in 'hand-me-down' condition, even after being enjoyed by several children. Copies can also be picked up for around £3-£4 on Amazon.

Summary: A touchy feely lion