The Royal Rabbits of London; Santa Montefiore & Simon Sebag Montefiore, illustrated by Kate Hindley5/2/2020
After being spared from a tasty rabbit pie by King Arthur the cleverest and bravest rabbits of England wanted to show their gratitude and vowed to protect the Royal Family of England from that day forward. And now deep below Buckingham Palace in a vast warren live the Royal Rabbits of London, who protect the Royal Family from the evils of the world.
Far from London, in the countryside of Northamptonshire, lives a small, skinny rabbit named Shylo Tawny-Tail. Shylo is a runt of a rabbit; weak, feeble, slow and clumsy. He longs for adventure and secretly visits Horatio, an old grey rabbit who can tell him stories of brave and fearless rabbits. When Shylo overhears the evil Ratzis, the enemies of the Royal Family, planning a dastardly plot against the Queen from which they hope to make squllions of pounds, it is up to Shylo to find the Royal Rabbits of London and stop the the mischievous Ratzis. Can this runt of a rabbit return as a big, brave buck? There are so many important messages crammed into this read. Shylo teaches the reader the importance of being brave and overcoming your fears. It is very much a journey of self-discovery for the young rabbit as he learns that you don’t have to be big to be brave. There are also wider messages on how as a society we are glued to our phones, children spending too much time staring at screens and the dangers of the internet that are all subtly woven into this delightful read. The black and white pencil illustrations that every-so-often appear are delightful. At the start there is a map outlining the journey that Shylo will go on and some important rabbit terminology so readers know a buck from a bunkin and a Hopster from a Thumper. At the back of the book there is plenty of bonus content where readers can test themselves on what they have read, learn about Buckingham Palace and hear from the authors with their thoughts on the book. Funny, charming and with beautiful illustrations, Shylo and the Royal Rabbits of London will capture the hearts and minds of young readers. What are you waiting for, hop hop hop along into an adventure with Shylo and the Royal Rabbits of London. Recommended for 7+.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |