LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Energetic, giggle-inducing, and driven by a little girl’s wit, Nadia Shireen’s Billy and the Beast is a blast of picture book brilliance.
During a forest walk, “which was something they liked to do now and then”, Billy and her ever-present sidekick Fatcat are unnerved by a terrible rumble. When they realise the rumble is Fatcat’s tummy, Billy comes to the rescue by presenting him with the snacks she keeps in her hair. So far, so good - problem solved! But it soon emerges that there’s a Terrible Beast in the deep, dark forest, and he’s making a truly Terrible Soup…
Thankfully, Billy is brilliantly inventive when it comes to persuading the Terrible Beast from doing a truly terrible thing, and her thought processes are great prompts to spark discussion when reading this aloud with little ones – what would you do? Indeed, this is a joy to read aloud, with lots of luscious onomatopoeia to revel in. What’s more, as always, Shireen’s illustrations conjure character with energy, and in gloriously stylish tones.
Joanne Owen
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About
Billy and the Beast Synopsis
While out on a lovely walk in the woods, Billy and her trusty sidekick Fatcat hear a terrible rumble... a terrible rumble coming from a Terrible Beast! He's making a Terrible Soup out of all of Billy and Fatcat's friends!
Luckily, our brave heroine Billy has a trick or two up her sleeve (or in her hair)... Join quick-thinking Billy on her mission to defeat the Terrible Beast (and save those adorable little bunny rabbits too). Young readers will adore this hilarious story, packed with playful, energetic and simple to read text.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781780080680 |
| Publication date: |
31st May 2018 |
| Author: |
Nadia Shireen |
| Illustrator: |
Nadia Shireen |
| Publisher: |
Jonathan Cape Ltd an imprint of Penguin Random House Children's UK |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
32 pages |
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Press Reviews
Nadia Shireen Press Reviews
It's still all too unusual to see a brown girl star in such a brilliantly funny and very commercial picture book and Shireen has created Billy in fantastic style. She's a very modern heroine, quick-thinking, courageous and resourceful with a stash of handy props in her truly excellent big hair. Children will adore the repetitive read-aloud text, endearing characters and just the right amount of peril for a bedtime story - with a highly satisfying ending. And visually it's a complete treat too: Shireen's typically lively bold graphics brim with energy and expression, aided by really striking design. This might just be my favourite of her fabulous books to date. - The Bookseller
While the title may nod to a certain fairytale there's not even a whiff of ballgowns or romance in Nadia Shireen's joyous monster-slaying adventure. Refreshingly, the heroine here is a brown girl with a yellow cagoule, skinny jeans and a fabulously frizzy beehive in which she stashes essentials from emergency doughnuts to useful devices. British author Shireen has created her best character yet in the feisty and fun Billy, who rescues her woodland pals from the claws of a goofy green beast. - The Guardian
Clever Billy outwits a Terrible Beast who wants to eat her woodland friends. The characters are enterprising, the text surprising and the layout engaging, with paths that wind across the page and changes of perspective; and the pictures are humorous, not least the worried face of a fox dangling upside down. - The Sunday Times
Nadia Shireen's Billy and the Beast celebrates the experience of those often left out of picture books, with its brave brown heroine and the outrageous array of props she stores in her huge cloud of hair. Lively, energetic, full of well-timed humour (and a sidekick called Fatcat), it's a great story for everyone, especially those not used to seeing themselves centre stage. - The Guardian
These are the most brilliant, beautiful and silly picture-books out there at the moment. Little doorways of joy. - Caitlin Moran
Author
About Nadia Shireen
Nadia Shireen enjoyed making homemade magazines and comics as a child, and during her time studying law at university and her subsequent career in journalism, she started to sketch again. Her debut book Good Little Wolf received a mention in the Bologna Ragazzi Opera Prima Award, and went on to win the UKLA Book Award. Nadia’s subsequent books have since been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, The Sainsbury’s Book Award and the Waterstones Children's Book Prize.
Nadia now writes and draws full time, and dedicates her spare moments to tweeting about pop music and championing diversity and tolerance, values that are powerfully depicted in all her books. In 2017, she collaborated with Book Trust to promote their Time To Read campaign, sending 700,000 copies of The Bumblebear to school children all across the UK. Nadia joined forces with Book Trust once more, as their official Writer and Illustrator In Residence for 2018. In addition, Nadia is an official friend of the Ministry of Stories, and supports the Penguin’s Write Now initiative for discovering under-represented voices. She lives in London with her son. Billy and the Beast was recently shortlisted for the inaugural Booktrust Story Time Prize.
More About Nadia Shireen
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