BLG reader Deborah brought us a fabulous book to read together: Jack and the FlumFlum Tree written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by David Roberts.

How much do we love to read rhyming text together? A whole lot! Add in some quirky repetitive phrases like,

“Don’t get your knickers in a twist,” said Jack.

“Let’s have a look in the patchwork sack.”

and well, we know we have an energizing, engaging book to jump into!

Jack’s granny had great big purple spots (lots and lots). The diagnosis: the moozles! Oh no! But . . . there is a cure – the fruit that grows on the flumflum tree on the faraway Isle of Blowyernose!  So Jack sets off with Rose and Stu and a patchwork sack full of an odd assortment of items (careful readers should pay attention to what is in the sack!) The journey to the Isle of Blowyernose is not an easy one. Circling sharks, a leaking boat, and Stu overboard are some obstacles that the crew must overcome. Those items in the sack are very handy and the three adventurers complete their mission successfully. Such a fun read aloud! Students were repeating reoccurring lines quickly and loved to guess which item from the sack the children might need to solve each problem. There is nothing like a room full of shrieks of  “Ohhh!” and “Ahhh!” and children shouting out answers in unison. Verdict: This book is a winner! Perfect for buddy reading and sharing again and again!

Our student reviewers report:

Truman: I like the part when they sailed to Blowyernose and they blew their noses!

Khai: I really liked the illustrations because they were nice and bright!

This is a fabulous author/illustrator pair and we enjoyed another of their books – Tyrannosaurus Drip last spring with a BLG reader.

Julia Donaldson has a fantastic website to check out with information about all of her books. Exciting news?! Julia is the new Children’s Laureate. Read about her goals and passions here.

David Roberts is one of my very favourite illustrators. His website is wonderful to explore.