Edward and the Great Discovery product reviews

Children love discovering things and a story about another child discovering something has got to excite and inspire. Edward wanted to be just like the rest of his family and this is pretty much how any child reading the book would be.

I liked the way that the odd word was emphasised in the text by making it a little larger than the other words and putting it into italics. It wasn't overdone and therefore it was quite effective. The amount of text on each page is small and promotes a significant emphasis on the illustrations. The illustrations are definitely worth a good look, I loved them. They have dimension added so that the images aren't flat and the eye is drawn into them. The mix of coloured backgrounds and simple images on white backgrounds was visually appealing. There is a simple colour scheme for the majority of the book and when red is introduced, it stands out.

The page that has all the holes in the back garden made me giggle a bit. I could just imagine a child, who had decided that he was going to discover something, digging all over the place. It could make for a rather interesting lawn and something that might NOT make a parent giggle if it really happened. It would be one of those moments you were tested as a parent as to how to react - cherish the exploration of the child or scream.

The book is beautifully finished. It was lovely to hold and read. The front of the book is classy and gave the feeling that it would be a good book to read and enjoy. It has a shiny and slightly textured surface.

I don't think I would be too keen to pay $30 for the book. Although we would be likely to reread it, I am not sure if it would become a favourite in our household and justify the extra money spent for a hardcover.

I read this book to both of my girls this evening at bedtime. This book is $30.00 and is a hardcover. The cover is a matt finish with a raised gloss on the image of Edward and his egg as well as the lettering. I personally felt the finish of the cover and the quality of the book was well worth $30, and it would make an excellent gift book.

To the story itself, this is a relatively quick read. It's not particularly word heavy, but we get the picture as to who Edward is and what his problem is. He has a long family history of greatness. It's something he has strived for himself. He feels that he is failing to live up to those expectations, even though it seems he is the one placing them on himself. When he gets his moment in the sun, he doubts it for what it is. But learns a super important lesson along the way.

The illustrations are beautiful. They have a cartoon quality to them, but they are thoughtful and filled with whimsy. There was one page where my eldest daughter got a little confused as I think they were going for a time-passing effect, but it looked like there were lots of the discovery instead. However, once we cleared up what was happening, she understood. Plus it helped us having a useful conversation about what they could be doing or finding out.

My daughter just loved his discovery and asked if she could find one herself. I suggested that it might not be possible, but that we could always have a go. Then we checked through Edward's kit in the back of the book as well to see what we might need for some archeology in the backyard. I use to daydream about doing just that when I was little, and I remember digging up some coins in the backyard too. So that might just be something we try over the holidays! I can see we will be re-reading this one a lot while we do as well.