Book Corner

As a change from me, I have asked Fiona Ross to review this month's book. LYNN WINTER.

Does Anybody Love Me? by Gillian Lobel, is the book that Lynn has asked me to review this month.

When Lynn handed it to me I read the title and answered the little girl's question "Does Anybody Love Me?" with a definite NO!

As you can see, Charlie is feeling lost and unloved because despite her best efforts everything has gone wrong again! She has packed her little red case with juice and cookies, grabbed her only friend Panda and disappeared to her secret hiding place under the laurel bush at the bottom of the garden.

The first thing they did was party on the juice and cookies. Fortified by this feast Charlie becomes a brave sea captain as they play a game of Shipwrecks, it's fun pretending the weather is bad and there's no water! This idyllic game is short lived when reality takes over again, a real thunder storm and no juice left, it goes dark under the fir trees, Charlie shivers, not so brave now, there is suddenly a flash of lightning, a rustle in the bushes, Ohhhh who's there? I won't give the game away. Safely home with her family does her question have a different answer?

This is a delightful book that I would enjoy reading with Niamh aged 3, fully illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw, the obverse pages provide lots of conversation about how the characters are feeling at the time. Enjoy.

Fiona Ross