Zebras and pink cakes! (Zigby and the Monster - Brian Paterson)

Member Name: dougal868

Product:	Zigby and the Monster - Brian Paterson
Date:	07/12/08 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great story with lovely illustrations

Disadvantages: None!

Zigby and the Monster is part of a series of Zigby books by Brian Paterson. The books come in small board book format with very simple text - aimed mainly at babies; and larger story type books like this one. The main character Zigby is a very cute zebra who loves pink cakes and has various adventures with his friends Bertie Bird, McMeer and his cousin Zara.

Zigby and the Monster tells the story of the day Zara thought she saw a monster and how she and Zigby go off to try to find the monster but keep finding various other creatures. They then find what they think is the monster but have a happy surprise when it turns out to be Bertie and McMeer who are dressed up for the carnival!! They then all go off to the carnival together.

The text is quite simple but it makes a nice bedtime story and it's also not too long so is good for younger children who might not have a great attention span. Each time Zigby and Zara encounter a creature, Zara says why that can't be her monster e.g. 'my monster was spotty' so children can look at the creatures to see if it's spotty or not, etc which really keeps them interested in the story. The pictures are also fantastic - very cartoony, bright and bold. The animals are very cute and the colours are really vivid and eye catching.

I originally found out about Zigby when we received the Bookstart pack from our Healthy Visitor when our eldest daughter was a baby. The pack contained a Zigby board book called Zigby the Picnic which our daughter LOVED! So, when I found Zigby and the Monster I couldn't not buy it! At that time she was around 9 months old and, although too young to understand the words, she really seemed to enjoy us reading it to her and particularly loved the illustrations. She is now 3 and still loves Zigby, as does her little sister!

The RRP for Zigby and the Monster is £4.99 but it's a little old now and we have found a few other Zigby titles for £2-£3 in places like discount bookshops so you may find a bargain!

Summary: A great book from a great series