Show and Tell with Rob Biddulph
#AD – This is a collaborative post with Harper Collins
“Meet Class 2L, These kids are excited.
Today’s Show and Tell day, and you’ve been invited”.
Ask Erin what her favourite part of the school day is, and up there with the PE sessions and playtime with her friends, Show and Tell days would come pretty near the top, right up there with the rest.
At one point, in the hustle and madness of school mornings, whilst I would be rushing around gathering up book bags, PE kits and jars for the PTA (sigh), she would try to convince me every day that it was Show & Tell day, desperately plotting a way to smuggle one of her prized possessions past the school gates.
When I heard that one of the girl’s favourite authors, Rob Biddulph was releasing a new book in a school setting called Show & Tell, it sounded RIGHT up the girls’ street and I was super excited to add it to our collection.
Introducing Rob Biddulph
If you haven’t heard of the children’s author Rob Biddulph yet then I really have to ask – where have you been??
Rob Biddulph is a multi-award winning children’s book writer and illustrator, with 8 previous books to his name including Blown Away (Winner of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2015) and GRRRR!, nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal.
The girl’s favourite (and mine!) is Rob’s third book – Odd Dog Out, a funny tale of a dog who learns its OK to blaze his own trail and stand out from the crowd. If you haven’t read the book, you may still remember this story if you were one of the many Mums across the UK who specifically checked in to watch CBeebies Bedtime Story (possibly even recording it), after hearing Tom Hardy had been chosen to narrate (and because I like to treat you ladies – you can watch him reading it here.)
We love Rob’s books because not only are they packed with light hearted humour that makes the girls laugh out loud, but from a parents perspective they are ideal for reading with your children before bed; their rhyming lilts with the perfect pace and tempo having an almost hypnotic effect, getting them calm and content as we snuggle up before they head to the land of Nod.
Settling Down for Show and Tell
The girls were really excited to discover that Rob Biddulph’s new book had landed on our doormat, so we immediately sat down together to read it out loud. As I expected, Show and Tell almost instantly captured the girls attention, with its bright colourful illustrations drawing them in and triggering lots of discussion.
Right from the outset, when Class 2L are first introduced, the girls began pointing at the illustrations, the first of which featured every child in the class. The girls immediately started to ask each other “Which one looks like you?” “Which one do you want to be?” “Which one looks like Mummy?”.
It was great to see such a diverse range of children within the book, representative of the children they have at school, with an A-Z of names and a variety of racial groups, religions and a child with a disability featured within the illustrations.
Don’t underestimate the ordinary
As with all of Rob’s books, the rhythmic rhyming story is an absolute delight to read, with an almost musical feel as the words rolled off my tongue. I loved watching the girls little faces in awe as the story began to unfold.
At the beginning of the book we meet Class 2L, with an A-Z of children who thanks to their teacher Mr Lumsden, are taking part in Show and Tell day. With a prize on offer for the child who impresses the most, each child desperately tries to out trump their friends by showing off their items from the big to the small, the basic to the bizarre. There is an impressive collection on show, but Class 2L are about to learn a very important lesson about what really matters in life.
Show and Tell comes with a really lovely moral and life lesson – that you don’t have to be the biggest, the boldest or the loudest to be special – it’s what’s inside that counts. Even the most seemingly every day things can be magical too.
We all really enjoyed the story, and the girls immediately asked to read it again, which I most definitely take as a win!
Finding the hidden secrets
More than just a bedtime story, Show and Tell also comes with some hidden surprises of it’s own – with 5 items to find that have been hidden throughout the pages of the book.
I fully expected this to be pretty straightforward, but with detailed illustrations with lots of funny items to spot and massive amounts of attention to detail, it actually took us quite a while to find them all. Erin in particular really loved the anticipation of trying to tick them all off the list.
I won’t ruin it by revealing their location, but what I will say is that we found one incredibly hard to find, and when we finally did, Erin howled with laughter as it was very cleverly hidden! Some real thought has obviously gone into where the items are placed within the book.
This added extra was a really fun interactive part of Show and Tell and a great way to bond with your children, discussing the pictures and talking about what they can see as you try and find the hidden items.
A parent’s view of Show and Tell
It’s not a great surprise to hear that Show and Tell was a huge hit, and just like Rob Biddulph’s previous books in our collection, Show and Tell most definitely didn’t disappoint. An ideal book for children who are familiar with a school setting or just starting in reception, this completely relatable heart warming tale serves as a lovely reminder to see the good in every day and the magic in the ordinary.
The Girl’s thoughts on Show and Tell
You now know what I think about Show and Tell but what did the girls say? Here’s what they said when I asked them what they thought of the book.
“It was funny, I liked the children who had Big Ben and the moon, but one little girl bought in a stamp and that was just as special”.
“I liked the teacher cos he had a big mustache and friendly eyes.”
“The one [hidden item] was really cheeky, and it was hiding in a really good hiding spot. We asked Daddy to find it and he couldn’t – it was really funny”.
“I liked all the pictures, but the one with all the school children was the best. One of them looked just like me with plaits in her hair”
Rob Biddulph’s Show and Tell is available to buy in all good bookstores now including Amazon Waterstones or via Hive to order from your local independent bookseller.
Want to read Show and Tell with your own children?
We’ve teamed up with Harper Collins to offer 1 lucky winner a bundle of not 1, not 2, but FIVE Rob Biddulph books (including Show and Tell). Whether you’re new to his books or a long standing fan, this is a great way to introduce your children to the joy of rhyming stories and their strong underlying messages and morals – that friendship, bravery and taking part not winning are the important things in life.
To enter use the GLEAM app below:
UK Entries Only. Standard Giveaway Terms and Conditions Apply.
Can tell from your images this is book we would like to read
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