Ivor Baddiel

The laughs to be had in looking at failed predictions wear off after the first few pages, and then what are we left with? A tired idea taken too far.

Granted, there is much to be gained from studying human-kind's admittedly terrible track record of prediction. But the authors miss the point completely, and seem happy to chortle away and damn those that try as loony and damn those that don't as spineless. There are much richer ideas and consequences that go fully unaddressed in this book.

All in all, a poor attempt at humour masquerading as science. Or vice versa.




… (mere)

In Cock-a-Doodle Quack! Quack!, a baby rooster goes around the farm asking other animals what they say (i.e. a cow says “Moo! Moo!”) because he cannot figure out the correct words to say in the morning to wake everybody up. Through a process of trial and error, during which he adds the words that the other animals say to the phrase “cock-a-doodle…,” he eventually lands upon the correct phrase and wakes up the other animals. This book is fast-moving and entertaining, one that will keep the attention of young children with its large, bright painted pictures, animal sounds, and humorous story. Young children will also be drawn in by the story’s predictability, knowing that whatever animals the rooster goes to and asks what they say, he will add that phrase to the phrase “cock-a-doodle…” This book would be appropriate for a farm/farm animal-themed story time, since it is short, has large pictures that the whole group can see, and reinforces the sounds that animals make. It also teaches children a lesson about not giving up, but instead trying harder and harder until they find a solution to their problem.… (mere)