Sunday 17 March 2024

Wednesday 13 March 2024

Babyliography CLXIV

J. Mappin, The Solar System / The Seven Continents of the World: A Lift-the-Flap Book

2010 / Board books / 24 pages

***

For future reference, I imagine.


Moira Butterfield, Children Like Us: Homes Around the World

2016 / Library book / 32 pages

*

She prefers escapism over documentary.


Various, Read with Oxford: Stage 1 – Phonics – The Town Mouse and Country Mouse and Other Tales

2018 / Library book / 64 pages

**

She only bothers when there are ponies involved.


Bernette Ford and Sam Williams, No More Hitting for Little Hamster!

2011 / Library book / 32 pages

**

Cute enough for re-reads, but she still didn't get the message.


Chris Naylor-Ballesteros, Bella the Storyteller

2023 / Library book / 32 pages

***

Another self-aware book, she'll be so over metafiction by the time she starts primary school.

Saturday 9 March 2024

Babyliography CLXIII

Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt, Chocolate Mousse for Greedy Goose

2005 / Preschool book / 24 pages

*

Phonics drilling via unhelpfully unfamiliar animals.


Sharon Rentta, Dogs Go Shopping

2010 / Preschool book / 32 pages

**

Ideas for a distant birthday.


Julia Donaldson and David Roberts, Jack and the Flumflum Tree

2011 / Library book / 32 pages

**

Julia Donaldson and her bloody refrains.


Unknown, Pokémon: Where's Pikachu?

2023 / Library book / 40 pages

**

Last year's update with fresh puzzles to tax non-colourblind kids for all of a few seconds.


Hilary Robinson and Nick Sharratt, Mixed Up Fairy Tales

2005 / Library book / 32 split pages

****

The comedy potential of treating the Enormous Turnip as if it's a person still hasn't run out.

Tuesday 5 March 2024

Babyliography CLXII

Fred Blunt, Unicorn Not Wanted

2023 / Library book / 32 pages

***

Surprisingly good for a unicorn book, in her favoured genre of belligerent metafiction.


Optical Illusions book

Library book

***

You know, one of those things that ruins your child's vision. Maybe I'll spot it again in the library and take a photo so I can compulsively update with the specifics.


Chris Van Allsburg, Jumanji

1981 / Library book / 32 pages

***

I don't know if the restless night that followed was related.


Lucy Rowland and Mike Byrne, Who Did a Wee? Wait and See!

2022 / Library book / 32 pages

*

A companion to the equally unicorn-baiting poo book. One day she'll have taste.


Kristyna Litten, Ori's Stars

2020 / Library book / 32 pages

***

She may have a one-track mind, but this cosmic neomyth had a pretty enough cover to break through.

Friday 1 March 2024

Alrightreads: Films V

Eiko Kadono, Kiki's Delivery Service

1985 / Ebook / 259 pages

****

Not as good as the film, but some fun deleted scenes and illuminating context for minor details.


Alastair Phillips, Tokyo Story

2022 / Ebook / 112 pages

***

Developers' guide for the painstaking mundanity simulation.


Kunio Hara, Joe Hisaishi's Soundtrack for My Neighbor Totoro

2020 / Ebook / 184 pages

***

Unavoidably a celebration of the joyful film as much as its inextricable and sometimes somewhat strange music.


Paul Farley, Distant Voices, Still Lives

2006 / Ebook / 96 pages

****

Authenticity appraisal and poetic paean.


David Bishop, Randall D. Larson and John Freeman, Back to the Future Annual

1990 / Ebook / 64 pages

***

Not bad for a Christmas cash-in, but basically the three-in-one souvenir magazine with some interesting behind-the-scenes nuggets padded by redundant plot summaries. In fairness, the last video wouldn't be out for a while.

Tuesday 27 February 2024

Alrightreads: Preliminary

Nigel Kneale, Tomato Cain and Other Stories

1949 / Ebook / 256 pages

***

A diverse assortment of Manx produce, but a disappointing debut for one of the first great TV writers.

Faves: 'Chains,' 'Curphey's Follower,' 'The Pond'


Mark Millar, Nigel Kitching and Daniel Vallely, Saviour, Book One

1989-90 (collected 1990) / Ebook / 128 pages

**

The incomplete, derivative saga of tramp Jesus and His inexplicably Jonathan Ross-faced adversary.


David Lee Brodbeck, Brahms: Symphony No. 1

1997 / Ebook / 126 pages

***

Beethoven: The Next Generation.


Charlie Brooker, Unnovations

2002 / Ebook / 128 pages

****

A glans-watering opulence of morbid, inappropriate and deranged essentials.


Roald Dahl, The Gremlins

1943 / Ebook / 52 pages

***

Surprisingly non-jingoistic World War II fantasy with mismatched but interesting Disney concept art.

Sunday 25 February 2024

Friday 23 February 2024

Alrightgames: Monopoly Junior – My Little Pony

Monopoly Junior: My Little Pony – Friendship Is Magic

2015 / Trading board game / 2-4 players

***

Simplified almost to the brink of pointlessness, but still a step up from Orchard preschool games. I made sure to get the version that actually had places on the board rather than characters, I'd rather she become a ruthless landlord than a slaveowner.

Wednesday 21 February 2024

Alrightgames: Catz

Catz

2002 / Game Boy Advance emulator game / 1 player

***

I took on the recreational stress of feeding reminders so she didn't have to, what's one more critter to worry about? Kitty Eden deciding to join her on the bed was a heartwarming moment.

Sunday 18 February 2024

Alrightreads: Games V

Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer, Shooting Stars with Reeves and Mortimer

1996 / Ebook / 120 pages

**

The game was the least interesting aspect of the show, and this DIY dilution seems awkward and fiddly, but their Viz-style top tips elsewhere gave some chuckles.


Mike Dugdale, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – The Ultimate Quiz Book

2012 / Ebook / 33 pages

**

"Ultimate" is overselling this blog post with ideas above its space station, but it put me through my paces, scoring a respectable 123/150 (though I dispute what counts as a two-parter, and the false claim that PKD's 'We Can Remember It for You Wholesale' is a novel). There were also at least five typos, can't win 'em all.


Rusel DeMaria and Zach Meston, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 & 2: Sega's Official Player's Guide

1993 / Ebook / 173 pages

****

About time I learned how to play these. Why are all the badniks gendered as male? Because they don't have ribbons and big eyelashes, I guess.


Matt Dinniman, Dungeon Crawler Carl

2020 / Audiobook / 446 pages

***

A gamer's gateway to reading, like adventure gamebooks didn't nail that in the 8-bit era.


Callista J. Hawkes, Spurtacus: A Choose Your Own Erotic Story

2014 / Ebook / 237 pages

**

An authentic slavery simulator, particularly in the way it teases you with the illusion of choice. They don't care if you've got a headache.