Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster

I've only just managed to get Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster back from the children in my school to review it properly. What a hit Nibbles has been with every class!

Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster is a simple story of Nibbles the Book Monster who runs amok in a library, nibbling different books until he finds one he really likes. The text is clear, concise and accessible for Key Stage One (ages 5+) to enjoy but this is not the selling point of this book; it's the paper engineering.

The author and publisher Little Tiger have created a marvellous tome that is many books within books, where you can turn mini-pages to watch Nibbles eating his way through the stories. He is revealed by the holes he leaves in the pages and covers, which all add a ridiculous element to the min-book page. So in the recipe book a key ingredient becomes slime, which is seen through a whole from a different book called Once Upon a Slime. We see Hansel and Gretel expecting to arrive at the Gingerbread cottage, only to find Nibbles has eaten it and been sick, which leaves a hole though which an unsettled white mouse suddenly finds himself no longer next to Hansel and Gretel in the forest, but surround by hungry felines in the Cat Pop-Up book. Then he nibbles his way into Old MacDonald, bursts the farmer's tractor tyre and leaves a hole in the barn so all the animals escape into a noisy, smelly jumble. Poor Nibbles, will he ever make it back to his own book...?

In the classroom, Nibbles: The Very Hungry Book Monster is great for story time; there are lots of details to spot and talk about and the mash-up of different text types and genres is a fun way get children thinking about all the different types of book a library holds. However, this book would also be a fantastic starting point for a DT project on simple paper engineering. While this one is very complex, it would be very easy for Years One and Two to plan, design, write and illustrate their own simple story which contains a nibbled hole, that adds something new and silly to the page. Certainly a book that every DT subject leader needs in their toolkit!

20 pages / Reviewed by Wendy Kelly, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 5+

Nibbles the Book Monster has gone searching for snacks, but he can't seem to find a book to satisfy his tastes.  One's too slimy, one's too sweet and the next is too smelly - will he ever find a book which tastes just right?

Nibbles The Very Hungry Book Monster is the fifth adventure for everyone's favourite mischievous monster. Like the other stories, there is so much for little children to enjoy as they follow Nibbles, peeking through die cut holes, lifting flaps and following trails of footprints, making this certain to become an 'again, again!' story.

This book about books is perfect for starting discussions about other stories and different types of books. In his search for a tasty snack, Nibbles eats his way through a recipe book, the story of 'Hansel and Gretel' and a version of 'Old MacDonald Had a Farm' which is certain to get readers giggling, but there are plenty of other books to explore in the pictures, offering many little jokes along the way.  As Nibbles eats his way into the 'Cats Pop-Up Book', for example, he leaves them an escape hole, making a mouse in 'Hansel and Gretel' look very worried!

Children could suggest other books which Nibbles might enjoy tasting and perhaps create their own pictures exploring his adventures. They might like to make mini books, complete with holes for a Nibbles finger puppet to pop through, allowing them to develop their own stories about this loveable monster.

Readers are sure to enjoy spotting little details in the illustrations, like the 'wanted' poster for Nibbles in the library or all the things he has nibbled on his way across town!  Like each of the previous books, The Very Hungry Book Monster is sure to become a firm favourite, to be read again and again!

Picture book /  Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+