Genie and Teeny: Make a Wish (Genie and Teeny, Book 1)

Genie and Teeny: Make a Wish is the first in a series of magical adventures from the award winning writer Steven Lenton. In traditional Genie stories you have to rub the lamp to release the Genie, but for poor Grant, a cracked teapot will just have to do. In a book filled with magic, adventure is never far away with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader wanting more.

When Grant the Genie is cast out of Genie World, he lands on Earth with a big, fat bump! Without a lamp to call home, he has to settle for an old cracked teapot instead. Grant is very lonely until he meets the puppy, Teeny. Then Genie and Teeny are kidnapped by the evil purple-loving Lavinia Lavender, and find themselves on-course for a rollercoaster of an adventure - when all they really want is a place to call home…

This amazing early chapter book will captivate children, develop their love of reading and spark their imaginations. This would be the perfect book to read a couple of chapters of each day as a class book, an individual reading book or a book to study during Guided Reading sessions. The wonderful illustrations add humour to the story which has been carefully written. The font size, layout and quantity of text on a page has been judged to perfection for the younger reader, who will constantly want to read more. As soon as I had finished this book I picked up book 2 to see what Genie and Teeny got up to next!

160 pages / Reviewed by Amanda Shipton, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+

Grant is a genie; not a particularly good genie either - he often mishears the wishes and creates havoc. One day he mishears the Queen and ends up being banished from the world of genies. Grant ends up in the real world and moves into a teapot and meets Teeny, a dog. Through a series of misadventures, Grant and Teeny become friends. They meet a purple loving villain called Lavinia Lavender and find themselves kidnapped. Grant still does some spectacularly wrong wish granting but of course everything turns out for the best.

This book is absolutely perfect for the younger reader just starting out on their reading journey. It is short enough to manage as well as being heavily illustrated; Steve Lenton is both author and illustrator of this book. The pictures are wonderful and zany, as is the story, and the pages are full of movement and excitement. Grant's spells will ensure much laughter and there are many jokes; both lavatory humour (always popular) and the downright silly. In short, this book is a lot of fun (it even says so on the cover) as well as witty and with an entertaining storyline.

I can imagine this book would be enjoyable to read aloud, as well as for independent reading and it does not shy away from using a good level of vocabulary as well as never talking down to children.

160 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+