by Fransie Frandsen
SYNOPSIS
Are Mummies scared of monsters? There’s a noisy monster under Alexander’s bed. Baby T’s monster has a rumbling tummy. Daddy has monstrous problems at work. And Mummy’s sister finds monsters in a faraway place. But what about Mummy?
Join Alexander in his latest colourful quest to find the answer to the puzzling question, Are Mummies scared of monsters?
REVIEW
Something a little bit different from my normal reviews today! I had the opportunity to read Are Mummies scared of monsters? with my daughter to celebrate Mother's Day and this book was such a pleasant surprise. From the title and front cover alone I really wasn't sure what to expect, it didn't give much away about the type of story or the style of illustrations, but they are stunning. I come from a design background and despite this being a children's book, I was equally as taken by the design and images as my daughter was.
The book is actually aimed at children aged 5-7. My daughter is almost four but is a very keen reader and she was absolutely obsessed with the collage style illustrations. They are full of colour and there are a lot of details hidden on each page. She wanted to read through it again and again, picking out different elements of the illustrations, naming different objects or animals and asking lots of questions at the same time.
The book has such a lovely message too. It is obviously aimed at building the relationship between a mother and her child/children, and even though some of these messages were a little advanced for my daughter's age, she was still able to get a lot of enjoyment out of the story and it is a book we can come back to as she gets older and is able to understand and enjoy it in a different way.
Are Mummies scared of monsters? is the third book in the Alexander's Questions series, and with each book looking at a different family member, there are currently options suitable for Dads and Grandmothers too with hopefully more to come. It is a really lovely book to add to our collection - unusual and funny - and a book that I'm sure will be read many times over the next few years!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Fransie Frandsen is an author, fine artist and illustrator. She was born in South Africa and studied graphic design in South Africa, Denmark and the United Kingdom. She subsequently completed a post-graduate degree in Art Psychotherapy in the UK, where she worked as an art therapist for several years. During this time, she worked with children and focused mainly on the communication, attachment and bonding between parents and their children, which is also the underlying theme in her children’s books. Humour and curiosity are present throughout Fransie’s practice as an artist and storyteller.
Exhibitions of her fine artwork are on display across Europe, with recent exhibitions in London, Genoa and Milan.
Fransie currently lives with her family and The Barkingtons, two busy Westies, in Geneva, Switzerland, where her studio is located.
Follow Fransie on Instagram @artfox.bookwolf or visit her website: www.fransiefrandsen.com
Thanks to Fransie Frandsen - @artfox.bookwolf and @midaspr for the opportunity to read and review.
Fiction: Children's Fiction / Illustration
Publisher: Alexander's Questions
ISBN: 978-1912892556
Pages: 62pp