We were recently sent a new picture book, and Boo had me reading this one to her straight-away!
Little Lou and the Woolly Mammoth by Paula Bowles
When Little Lou finds a wriggly, squiggly piece of wool amongst a pile of toys, she curiously gives it a tug. But – what’s this? The wool tugs back – there’s something at the other end! And as Little Lou follows the wool, she realises that it’s attached to . . . A giant woolly mammoth! Quick, RUN!
But soon the woolly mammoth gets snagged, and he starts to get smaller . . . And smaller . . . And smaller. In fact, he is so small that he doesn’t really seem so scary anymore – he’s just the right size for a cuddle!
This is a beautifully illustrated book, and a sweet tale of a burgeoning and unlikely friendship. Initially Little Lou is afraid of the Woolly Mammoth, based on appearances alone, but as he shrinks down, she becomes more comfortable with him, and they settle into a happy attachment.
Boo enjoys this story. She particularly likes it when the Woolly Mammoth ‘shrinks and shrinks and shrinks’ (this quote from her is accompanied by shrinking actions!). It’s been a nice way to talk about not judging people by their appearance, but by getting to know and like them based on their actions and personality instead. I think children are often better at this than us adults anyway, but it was still a good opportunity to talk it through. Little Lou is adorable, and we both like seeing the Woolly Mammoth shrink down – great pictures!
Thanks very much to Bloomsbury Publishing for sending us a copy to review. It’s available to buy from 8th May.
Oh I love the illustrations on the cover – Something a bit traditional and the sort of thing I would love to read x
It’s adorable. A really sweet read 🙂