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I’ve been itching to review The Beasties by Jenny Nimmo, illustrated by Gwen Millward ever since we discovered it at the start of the year. It’s one of those books that we’ve renewed the maximum times possible from the library because we just can’t let it go.
Photo: betsssssy
Daisy has moved house and is finding it hard to fall asleep in her new room. She lies awake listening to unfamiliar noises.
What was that?
Daisy’s heart went pit-a-pat.Was it a truck in the street?
No.
It sounded like…… a story!
From out of the darkness a growly voice tells Daisy an exciting story about a faraway king and his ring.
Daisy wondered about that ring.
Was it gold or silver
or studded with jewels?
She wondered
and wondered until
she fell asleep.
The next night again there are again strange noises Daisy is not yet used to. But this time a clickety voice cuts through the darkness to tell a captivating story about a beautiful bird. Before Daisy knows it she’s transported, and happily dreaming.
The third night it’s a musical voice with a sing-song story that lulls Daisy to sleep, but on the fourth night everything is silent. Daisy can’t sleep and longs for a story.
And then there is the faintest of growls. Daisy summons up all her courage and looks under her bed and almost screams – there are The Beasties.
But the Beasties are so very small and so very friendly and it turns out that they are the secretive storytellers who have been visiting Daisy each night, leaving treasures under her bed to inspire stories.
Photo: wildxplorer
And when Daisy asks for another story, Floot (the Beastie with the musical voice) insists that Daisy tell her own story and hands her a shell. At first Daisy doesn’t know what to do but she thinks hard, and slowly begins to weave a story around the shell. As her story ends Daisy smiles, hugs the shell tight and drifts off to sleep imagining herself in her own story.
The Beasties sneak out of Daisy’s room knowing her bed won’t seem so big and her room won’t seem so strange now she can tell her own stories. Their work is done.
A book about how stories can comfort, reassure us and makes us feel at home – this is a fabulous read. Perfect for bedtime, ideal if coming to terms with moving house or rooms, I love how the story acknowledges worries, but turns them round. The girls love joining in with the repeated refrain “What was that? Daisy’s heart went pit-a-pat” and they adore the pictures of trinkets and knick-knacks littering the floor under Daisy’s bed – they know this sort of treasure only too well as it’s exactly the stuff they are always collecting; a feather from here, a round stone from there, a button, a ribbon, a broken earring.
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this looks like a great book, might have to put it on the ‘to order’ list
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I love the storytelling festival! What fun ways to encourage storytelling. I got some blank board books from http://www.barebooks.com. My kids love to use them to create stories – nothing like having a “published” book!
Thanks Jojoebi, yes our was a library copy which is now on the wish list!
Hi Camille – blank books – a fantastic idea, shall have to look for a UK/European company that does something similar. Thanks for the suggestion.
What a rich wonderful post. My son has his own blog and he is 6. he writes sotries on there about his lego! It helpos him structure his imagination and gives hime an audience and comments which he loves. He sometimes with a little prompt tells his sister stories in the bath too.
He is very lively boy and finds it hard to relax. So rather than quiz him about his day after school we listen to audio book s inthe car to help him relax …it works brilliantly. Stories are ace!