Vikings in the Supermarket

Nick Sharratt's unique illustrations will entice children into his first collection of poetry. They dominate the pages providing a wonderful scaffold into the poems themselves. Populated by a host of appealing characters (including the Vikings of the title, a mermaid, pirate, vampire bat and a royal family), there are poems to suit everyone here. 'Fangsalot' is a fabulous bit of rhythmic fun in which a naughty vampire bat sets of a nasty series of fang-growing and biting, only to get his just deserts in the end. In 'Posh Paint' the king and family just can't agree on what colour they should use to cheer up 'dull grey Crumbly castle' and finally settle on a multi-coloured solution, thus creating the 'funkiest fortress ever'. There's lots of scope here for children to design their own funky castles. Similarly, 'The Mermaid and the Shoe' offers rich opportunities for further talk, writing and drawing. The poem suggests the shoe could be used as a boat, a box for shells and rocks and a home for a family of sea-horses (amongst other things): what other possible uses can the children think of the shoe? (As an aside for older children, there are opportunities here for some playfulness with modal verbs: try substituting 'must' for 'could' - 'She could use it as a box...'; and see what the impact on meaning is.) I have slight reservations, just occasionally, about the quality of the rhyme and the ease with which it can be read aloud. The delightful 'Vikings in the Supermarket' took me a few goes to get right - but it was worth the effort. Reviewed by Alison Kelly, consultant.

Suggested Reading Age 5+