Tom Gates: Best book day ever (so far) by Liz Pichon is one in a series of books that explore the character Tom Gates, as he overcomes obstacles in school and at home whilst finding the best ways to have fun.

The story is a great easy read for primary school kids and has a few little twists that create humour for the whole family to enjoy. It is (as the title suggests) about the much loved book week, specifically book day when children are given the opportunity to dress up in a book fair theme. Tom expresses the schools enthusiasm towards the day and explains how he wishes to wear something amazing this year; to make up for his disastrous costume from the year before. He deals with arrogant class mates, helps friends with costumes, enters a competition and has a wardrobe malfunction that he has to overcome.

There are a lot of witty comments by Tom that makes the character hilarious and there are some fantastic costume ideas however it is the illustrations that really make the book fun and exciting to read. Every page is covered in little drawings that are intertwined with the writing creating a beautiful visual story. The majority of the font is in a messy pencil style however different words are highlighted and written in varying fonts which has a strong effect on the storytelling.

Pichon has a great way of making her books interactive in a way that is fun and helps children learn. She leaves spaces for children to draw their own book covers, pictures and write their own stories whilst always reminding them that we shouldn’t draw in reading books.

I think children will love this book because it’s not just words on a page; it’s a picture filled journey that I’m sure many children can relate to.

Laura Honeysett

Price : $7.99 
Ages: 9 +  
Author : Pichon,Liz 
Publisher : SCHOLASTIC UK – LONDON