The Adventures of Miss Petitfour

Miss Petifour is an eccentric singleton who lives with her many cats. She enjoys baking and making things and often takes flight (with her feline friends in tow) to collect whatever her whims suggest she needs. With a supporting cast of townsfolk - and a slightly lovelorn, sports car driving Mr Coneybeare - this is a beautiful and gentle collection of short, interwoven stories. The book itself looks gorgeous, with the stunning illustrations by Emma Block adding to the overall rather nostalgic and innocent feel that the main protagonist brings. The tales of Miss Petitfour, her cats and the many characters of the town are both easy to read and amusing. However, it is the language that really draws me into these tales. Michaels' use of a poetic and descriptive style of prose is truly beautiful. Furthermore, the words highlighted in red and blue will be hugely useful to teachers trying to approach the grammar elements of the new English curriculum. There are some incredibly well-crafted examples of fronted adverbials, synonyms and alternative conjunctions as well as discussions (in the thoughts of Miss Petitfour and the author) about the beauty of words. This is a great book if you are interested in the craft of language, or just want to read something where the plots are heart-warming and simple. There's a real feel good factor about these stories and it is a refreshing change that there are no baddies, vampires or shocks. Indeed, there is a little part of me that would like to be Miss Petitfour! 132 pages / Ages 7+ / Reviewed by Mikeala Morgans, teacher.

Suggested Reading Age 7+