Home > Categories > Books > Kids - General > Ava and Angus Showtime review

Ava and Angus are off to the Doolimba show, with its fun rides and lots of cute animals! But when daring twins Donna and Danny Donnelly tempt Ava to sneak into the animal's shed at night time, dozens of prize animals escape their pens! Ava and Angus's delightful trip has turned into a disaster!
Will the Donnelly twins own up? Or will Ava and Angus take all the blame?
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We were lucky enough to be given a copy of this book in exchange for a review and it was great timing as I'm always on the lookout for new books suitable for miss 7 who is really enjoying her chapter books, although still preferring to be read to. This is a series that we had not yet come across and it turned out to be a great discovery.
The main character is Ava and it is explained in the first chapter that she (and her dog and her parents) have taken a year off to travel in 'the Adventurer' and experience whatever comes their way. I'm guessing this is not the first book in the series and probably won't be the last, but they very easily stand alone and a young child can even figure out what is going on.
As you can probably guess from the blurb, there is a moral dilemma going on and so of course a lesson to be learned for the main character and the reader, and it all resolves well.
It's nine chapters long, which is a bit longer than some of her other early reader books but the text is of a reasonable print size and I think that my daughter would be able to read this book herself, and understand it, should she want to. I would call it a small step up from the likes of Billie B Brown books and Ella and Olivia books which some may be familiar with.
I read this aloud over the course of a week with 1-2 chapters per night and my daughter loved it, and the chapters are not too drawn out. My daughter is very keen to hunt out more books in this series and I recommend this as particularly a book that girls can relate to and that can keep their interest. I mark it down on re-readability only because I don't think these books are really designed to be re-read unless it's picked up again much further down the track. But at this price, I don't think it really matters. I definitely recommend this book.
Random listing from 'Books'...
The snapper swam towards the whale, and in his ear she spoke, "Kia ora mate, remember me? You thought I was a joke. I may be small and you are huge, but I'll help you in your plight. I have the strongest, sharpest teeth, and through this mesh I'll bite."
Kindness and courage flows two ways in this sweet-as, under-the-sea Kiwi adaptation of the traditional tale, The Lion and the Mouse. A welcome addition to the Kiwi Corkers series.
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"Character - the willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life - is the source from which self respect springs."
Joan Didion (1934 - ), 'Slouching Towards Bethlehem'