Keith Goes Glam product reviews

Miss Six' reaction to Keith Goes Glam made everybody laugh. She declared that she loved it because it was a book about "all the things you are not allowed to do to your sibling" - that is, tease him and generally make fun of him! Despite this, she also saw the humour in the story and was able to acknowledge that both she and her brother know all about sibling rivalry.

The book has a cover designed to appeal to preschoolers' response to things tactile. To complement the vivid golds and pinks of the graphic, the word "Glam" has a shiny surface as do Keith's outfit and glasses. This invites little fingers to trace the outlines. Even though Mr Three is not yet able to read, he could relate to the book in this way.

Both children loved the illustrations. They captured perfectly the fury of one sibling being teased and treated like a baby, while the other smirked and delighted in getting one over on him. The expressions on both Queenie's and Keith's faces are beyond priceless. Queenie lying on her back in fits of laughter at poor Keith's embarrassment is just perfect. In contrast, the glare on Keith's face as he sees her and starts plotting his revenge is classic. It is as dark an expression as any wronged sibling has ever displayed!

Miss Six was able to read the whole book to her mother and little brother with a little help. The sentence structure was uncomplicated. and the rhyming pattern made it even more accessible. She persisted right to the end, asking for help with new words like ecstatic and debacle. She was fascinated to find that chihuahua is not written as it sounds, but there are probably older people around who would also have difficulty sounding that one out.

Every child who has ever been made to wear an item of clothing not to his liking will relate to Keith's dismay when his Mama insists that he gets dressed up. She has a particular love of sparkly clothes, with lots of glitter and fussy decorations. Poor Keith is not impressed; he has a perfectly good coat of his own, after all. What is even worse is that Queenie is allowed to wear her own fur with just a simple collar when she is going out. There is room here for a whole conversation on whether parents should treat their children equally. Personally, I thought Mama was unfair to Keith and needed to be taught a lesson!