We've been talking about the lightning zigzagging across the sky and the storm, how it frightens the snail. The story is a little complex for the youngest, however the two-year-olds I bought it for have been enjoying identifying the volcano, the monkey climbing the tree and the seals and penguins in the land of ice and snow but can't fully follow the storyline. This book, like all Julia Donaldson's rhyming books, is very helpful for language development in small children. Check out my profile page for more reviews of toddler books and puzzles and educational toys and games.īeoordeeld in het Verenigd Koninkrijk 🇬🇧 op 6 augustus 2019 I honesty cannnot recommend highly enough this and all other Donaldson/Scheffler collaborations. The book itself is a high-quality hardback with thick board pages to withstand the envisaged heavy use. You can see a few of my favourite pages in the photos above. As always, Donaldson’s narrative is showcased to perfection by Alex Scheffler’s stunning illustrations, which offer lots to talk about and explore. It has everything: alliteration, onomatopoeia and an exquisite collection of adjectives to spark little imaginations and boost vocabulary. The sweeping, rhyming narrative is a work of genius: lilting, evocative and an absolute joy to read aloud. What a lovely lesson to teach young children! When disaster strikes, it’s the little snail, despite her size and feelings of inferiority, who uses her ingenuity to save the day and get them both safely home. A tiny snail with ‘itchy feet’ hitches a ride on the tail of a ‘great big, grey-blue humpback whale’ and sets off on a fabulous adventure around the world. There is so much to love about The Snail and the Whale, it’s hard to know where to begin.

I can’t imagine any toddler not being totally captivated by every one of her books. Just how does she do it? Time after time, she comes up with the sweetest stories and characters and then, as if that isn’t hard enough, she transforms them into fun, catchy rhymes. I am totally in awe of Julia Donaldson and her amazing talent.

Snail and the wail