Tick Tock Around the Clock

Imagine my delight to receive a book by Ruth Brown in the post. Ever since I read A Dark, Dark Tale, I've been a fan of her work and this is a particularly beautiful book. Subtitled a Day in the life of a cat, this picture book follows the cat from morning until evening, with simple rhymes and glorious illustrations. The ginger cat creeps through the pages, with a few mishaps along the way, until it is time to go to sleep, curled up on a chair.

Ruth Brown captures the cat and the squirrels absolutely perfectly, giving them personality and mischief in their eyes. Children will identify with the routines of the day and enjoy the rhythm in the text. This book will also work well for learning sounds in early phonics teaching, with all the sounds for Aspect 1 (Environmental sounds) as well as easy words for Aspect 7 ( oral blending and segmenting). I'm always on the look out for books that really enhance Phase 1 teaching and this one is a really wonderful example.

Picture book / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 0+

From first waking up to curling up at bedtime, ‘Tick-Tock Around the Clock’ follows the adventures of a beautiful ginger cat. Sparce text and plenty of onomatopoeia accompany exquisitely observed illustrations as Tick-Tock passes his day in the most cat-like way.

Each picture is perfect for exploring in detail, allowing children to create their own stories about what is happening as well as enjoying joining in with the noises which colour Tick-Tock’s adventures. There is so much to notice! Anyone who has a cat will delight in the feline traits which have been beautifully captured, particularly 'When in doubt, wash!'

Little children will enjoy following the daily routines which structure Tick-Tock’s adventure and will quickly fall in love with this gorgeous ginger kitten whose adventures and misadventures are full of gentle humour and fun.

Picture Book / Review by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 3+