Challenging Stereotypes (Yuk! Kes Gray)

Member Name: tb4ms

Product:	Yuk! Kes Gray
Date:	16/03/07 (109 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A humorous book which challenges stereotypes, a little!

Disadvantages: Daisy is a tad too obnoxious for some!

This is a really popular series of books with the 4 - 6 year old girls I teach and even the boys can appreciate the humour in the illustrations, though I would hate to have a Daisy in my house, too much back-chat!!

~ Daisy Books ~

Daisy is a little girl whose naughtiness and cheekiness, really appeals to the children in my class.

She's a bit of a tomboy and doesn't do dresses etc which is great as she goes a little way to challenge stereotypes.

There are quite a few books in the series, some of which I have listed below:
* Really, Really
* Eat Your Peas
* If I was Boss
* A Bunch of Daisies
* You Do!
* 006 and a Bit

~ YUK!,~

It begins with Daisy and her Mum discussing a bridesmaid dress. Now a lot of little girls would be in their element but not Daisy, she doesn't 'do' dresses!

Daisy explains to her Mum that she won't be a bridesmaid if she has to wear a dress. Mum tries all ways of getting around Daisy, mentioning different family members who will be sad if she doesn't wear a dress.

Totally unperturbed by this Daisy comes up with all sorts of different outfits that she could wear at the wedding:
* her football kit
* scuba gear

Her Auntie asks her to come and try some dresses on pointing out that Daisy would look lovely in a dress.......... the problem is that Daisy doesn't 'do' lovely!'

So off they go to the wedding dress shop. Daisy tries a host of frilly, over the top, meringue type dresses on and to each she says 'YUK'. I'm in agreement with Daisy on this as they are on the whole horrendous!

With Daisy not 'playing the game', everyone feels that they had run out of ideas until Daisy makes a suggestion. She proposes that she will in fact wear a dress if she can draw / design it and so exhausted were they, the adults agreed.

The next double page involves Daisy creating her dress, with signs on her door saying that she is busy and asking for dinner to be left outside the door and she wasn't to be disturbed.

And so the reader is kept waiting as the book brings us to the day of the wedding....... Her Auntie walks down the aisle and behind her walks a not so typical bridesmaid in the form of Daisy!

She is wearing a green silk dress, yes a dress! But a dress with a difference. She adorns a ninja headband. A maximum confetti action belt and a sling type garment around her shoulders.

Daisy felt great and had an even better time at blasting the confetti at the end of the service! Much to the annoyance of many of the adults.

~ The Author, Kes Gray ~

I wrongly assumed that the author was a female.

Kes Gray began his career in advertising and his most famous tv adverts have been for Carling Black Label, Prudential and the NSPCC.

In 1997 he took one months sabbatical and produced his first and most acclaimed picture book 'Eat Your Peas'. This was published in 2000 and became the first picture book in 10 years to win the overall prize at the 2001 Federation of Children's Book Awards.

Following the HUGE success of Eat Your Peas, Kes Gray has developed a series of Daisy books.

He has written a number of other children's books and also writes young fiction for Oxford's Treetops Schools reading series.

~ The Illustrator, Nick Sharratt ~

Nick Sharratt studied graphic design at London Art College and got a job drawing humorous illustrations for magazines, sweet packets and Easter Egg wrappers.
He illustrated school textbooks before going on to write and illustrate his own picture books, his first one being 'What Do I Like?'

Nick Sharratt now spends half of his time illustrating other writer's stories and half his own books and has been very successful working alongside Kes Gray in the Daisy series of books.

~ Style, Format and Illustrations ~

Nick Sharratt is great at protraying Daisy and even the illustrations of her match her slightly obnoxious, demanding and strong-willed characteristics.

There is quite a bit of text on certain pages but Kes Gray has combined this with some repetitive text so that even the younger, less able readers can join in with Daisy's 'YUK!' statements and boy, do they add expression to it!

~ My Verdict ~

I have to be honest and say that if I was to be given the choice of children's books, this would not be my first choice, she's too cheeky at times and in my opinion her Mum has absolutely no control of her. However, it is written for children, and it really appeals to them so Kes Gray has been very successful.

I do, however like the way that it challenges stereotypes in a light-hearted way so it's a huge plus in that respect.

A great book for any Daisy fan! I have based the ratings on the children I have read this to.

Summary: A popular series of books.