Last night we went to the cinema to watch The Sheep Detectives . It was a great, fun film packed with all the rollercoaster emotions you want from any movie. Interestingly, despite the fact the film was perhaps aged at a younger audience, everyone at the screening was quite a bit older. We made a comment later that, despite the fact the film is a PG rating, there was no way any of my nieces would be able to handle it. But the most appealing thing about the film was just how appealing it was! It was a murder mystery, of course, but it also bordered on drama, comedy, and romance. It certainly catered for all ages, with some of the references and topics which would be completely lost on young children. And it was not afraid to deal with some pretty brutal topics. In many respects, we expect these genre-collisions in films - we applaud them and celebrate them as crafty and creative. It's a shame, I think, that many books which portray a similar mixed approach at often overlooked as di...
Review
I should begin this review by apologising to Dan Bailes, the author. I had promised to review Marlon's most recent adventure months ago but, after a very busy three or four months, I'm only just getting round to it.
But I am so pleased I did eventually get round to reading Marlon and the Scary Something. It is a charming book, and one which deals with issues of anxiety and fear in childhood in a way that rarely strays into being heavy-handed.
The story follows Marlon, a cat who certainly feels like he's got the cream! He's just lounging around and winding up his brother when suddenly a dog appears! He doesn't even know what a dog is at this point - he just knows that this new arrival makes him feel afraid.
Over the course of the book, Marlon realises that the best thing to do is to face his fear and, eventually, it all ends very well.
This is a personal book for the author, who explains in the afterword that he experienced anxiety as a child. This really shows - I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to discuss fear and anxiety with their child.
Marlon's story would have been an absolute 5* for me, but I just wasn't as convinced by the little bits with the children and their parent discussing the story. By contrast, Marlon is a charming little guy, and his newfound fear (or friend?!) is written brilliantly too.
There aren't very many illustrations but, where there are, the style is really lovely.
I'm looking forward to taking this book into school - I can already think of one or two pupils who will really enjoy and benefit from this book.
In summary, a lovely story which will invite your little ones to start talking about any fears and anxieties.
Blurb
When Marlon stumbles into the Scary Something he freezes, stares at the creature and scurries home to safety. Why is the creature there? What does it want? And why is Marlon so scared?
Oh no! Marlon's caught in a web of worry.
He's nervous, anxious and frets about the creature all day. That Scary Something has Marlon stuck on a Creature-Feature-Merry-Go-Round. What can he do?
Anxiety is thief! It's stealing Marlon's joy!
Can he break free and stop being afraid? Can he learn how to believe in himself, quiet his anxieties and face his fears?
It’s Book 2 of Marlon’s Marvelous Adventures!A cozy cat adventure, perfect for kids 6-9 and cat lovers everywhere! Dog lovers too!
You can find the book on Amazon
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