SchoolZone

Make with Maisy

Lucy Cousins

Walker Books Ltd

ISBN 9781406339659

Maisy loves to make-and-do! Paper lanterns, feather masks, food collages ...what will she make today? Painting and drawing, cutting and gluing - Maisy's very first make-and-do book will keep little hands busy creating all kinds of wonderful things! Brimming over with simple, exciting and fun craft ideas, every spread is a feast for the eyes and blends together easy-to-follow instructions, classic Maisy illustration, and spectacular photos of the finished crafts - all made by the inimitable Lucy Cousins herself! It's time to get making! This book includes 18 amazing activities! Everything from making a shoe box house to a magic wax painting! This is a book to return to, time and time again. It includes wipe-clean pages - perfect for messy hands! This is a brand new style for Lucy Cousins! This title includes an amazing blend of photography and illustration that leaps right off the page.

Maisy is quite justifiably popular and immediately recognisable for toddlers everywhere, but this book is a new departure for her. Make and do craft books are also very popular with parents, carers and nursery workers particularly in very wet summers like this one, but what takes this to another level is the immersion into Maisy’s world - all the crafts are related to characters and have a purpose - like making a house for Panda for example.

As one has come to expect, but should not take for granted, the illustrations are stunning: simple, bold and enormously expressive. This, combined with very clear photographs of the everyday materials that you need, and expertly clear, concise instructions, make you itch to get started on projects that are eminently achievable by very young children and their helpers.

I love the fact that the photographs of the finished project show that they are a bit wobbly and look like genuine child creations. However apparently they were made by Lucy herself, which just goes to show how perfectly she inhabits the toddler's world. The sturdy, large format of this book means that it will withstand the constant use it is likely to get!