Tusk

Author – Colin Bateman
Format: PaperbackDeep in Africa, Michael and Katya are in desperate danger. The SOS team is having a spot of rest and relaxation – all except its two newest members. Michael and Katya are on a trek through the jungle, where they are threatened by lions, elephants, ivory poachers …and someone much more unexpected

Thanks to Hachette for giving us the opportunity to offer this to our members

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My son Hunter (who will be 8 in August) read this book and this is his review.I liked the book, it was so cool. I liked that it was about the savannah. It also had another story in it. I liked how they got away from the stampede in the Savannah and how one person was flat as a pancake after the stampede.

i give this book a 4/5

 

Unfortunately

 

Unfortunately
Author: Alan Durant & S Rickerty

When you are walking through the jungle, almost anything can happen. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s bad, but fortunately sometimes it’s good …Young children will love this funny and original story full of different twists and turns with a fabulously unexpected ending! Written by an award-winning author, the story is brought to vivid and vibrant life by an exciting new illustrator.

Thank you to Hachette for the opportunity to review this book
Our reviewer was Ticklebear

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Unfortunately I’m not a professional book reviewer but fortunately I know a good book when I pick it up to read to the kids.
My 5 year old loves it and has requested it to be read to him at bed time quite a few times since we got it last week.

It has nice bold illustrations and is a well written story with lots of twists. It follows a boy who goes for a walk in the jungle and lots of unfortunate and fortunate things happen. Its simple to read and I’ve already recommended it to one of my friends as a good read to her under 5’s.

Logitech Rechargeable Speaker S715i

Thank you to Logitech for the opportunity to review these


Custom-tuned sound
You get two 3” laser-tuned neodymium drivers for a rich mid range, two ½” neodymium tweeters for crisp high notes, and four 2” passive radiators for deep bassEight-hour rechargeable battery*
Forget about costly and wasteful disposable batteries. Instead listen longer—wherever you are—thanks to the eight-hour NiMH battery.
Actual battery life will vary with use, settings and environmental conditions. Rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cyclesPortable design
Take your music from room to room, over to a friend’s house for a party or with you when you travel.Wireless remote control
You’re in control of important functions like power, volume, play, pause, shuffle, skip and repeat from up to 30 feet (10 meters) away.

Auxiliary input
A standard 3.5 mm stereo jack opens up your music possibilities to just about any portable music player or computer.

Trayless dock
Your speaker’s innovative dock design works with iPhone as well as any iPod with a Universal Dock Connector.** without the need for those annoying trays.
Supports earlier iPod models (1st generation – 3rd generation) and other portable music players and smartphones via 3.5 mm auxiliary input

Travel case
Your speaker, AC adapter and remote pack neatly into the bag for travel

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My Rating – 10/10

O.M.G – let me just say that I think I am in love.

Received this from Logitech to trial for a few weeks and I am going to hate having to give it back because for the first time in ages I can listen to my music when and where I like. It has a rechargeable battery so it was easy to unplug and take into my room the other night where I promptly fell asleep listening to my songs……oops. It was still playing when I woke up a couple of hours later.
But with the rechargeable battery you also have so many other options, you can take it to the beach while you relax listening to the music you love, you can take it to a party and can change the music on your iPod to suit what is currently your favourites. The options really are unlimited and I love mine.
This great little unit is SO easy to use… even for a technophobe like me and the sound quality is quite simply amazing. It was a case of plug it in, put in the iPod and hit the start button. I have an older iPod Nano and it worked fine with it.
If you are looking at getting one of these for your teen…….the sound gets loud but without being house shaking loud and even at it’s loudest, the clarity of the music is great. Same with having it down low, you can still hear the music without the static noise that you sometimes get with other speakers.
The speakers are not huge, so can be put onto a shelf almost anywhere and not be in the way, or in danger of being knocked off.
I think the only fault would be the remote and the possibility that I could quite easily lose something that small. But that’s a problem I have….not the product. But in saying that, you can still play the music even without the remote.

All in all this is a great product and one I would definately recommend for anyone, either for yourself or for the kids

Tommee Tippee – Discovera natural flow cup (6m+, 260ml)

For generations, Tommee Tippee products have been loved by babies and recommended by mums around the world. For your complete peace of mind all our products are developed in close consultation with health professionals and tested to not only meet but exceed industry standards.Tommee Tippee discovera natural flow cup(6m+, 260ml)•Easy transition from first cup to independent mealtime drinking
•Truly non-spill
•Our SAMTECH™ valve and flexible spout enable easy drinking
•Easy-to-hold handles
•Hygienic cap to protect spout

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I was lucky enough to get this to review. when it turned up my boy was so keen to try it. I gave it a wash and filled it up. It is truly non-spill which i love. Dont have to worry when in the car that water is going everywhere. It has a wee lid that is attached to the lid so you wont loose it. the lid is very easy to screw on unlike other ones i have used and handles so is easy to hold. It is pretty robust can handle being thrown and banged on things. It is BPA free aswell. It comes with some instructions on how to clean the valve and put it back together.

I would give this a 10/10.

I love it and so does my 15 month old boy

Tommee Tippee – Closer to Nature bottles

Thank you to Tommee Tippee for the opportunity to review theseHelping your baby breastfeed for longerDesigned in conjunction with breastfeeding experts, the revolutionary new Tommee Tippee Closer to Nature teat mimics the natural flex, movement and softness of a mum’s breast, to make switching between breast and bottle easier than ever before. The unique shape of the Closer to nature teat encourages your baby’s natural feeding action so that switching between breast and bottle becomes second nature. The Closer to Nature 260ml bottles have been designed to be held in the most natural positions during feeding and can be held in 3 ways: cradled comfortably in the hand, gripped in the same way as a traditional wide neck bottle and held from the base; making feeding comfortable for both mum and dad.

With it’s unique anti-colic valve which you can actually see working, the Closer to Nature bottle is at the heart of an entire breastfeeding support system which also includes a breast pump, sterilisers and accessories specially created to help you combine breast and bottle feeding.
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Review by Kirst

10/10
I’ve used other bottles with my older girls but with the little one these are the only bottles we have used.
I decided to bottle feed from the get go and the bottles just seemed so natural. The are easy to hold because of the shape and because of the vent my girl has had minimal wind and spills.

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Review by Bex

10/10
When my youngest was around 9 mths, i decided to try & wean her as i was finding feeding her myself very demanding. I wanted to still feed her but also let someone feed her from a bottle. So i tried her with the Avent bottles which ive used for my other 4. She refused to take the bottle everytime. Someone suggested i tried the Closer to nature ones so i did & she took to them almost straight away, i wished i’d tried them earlier. I loved the fact that the teats were very soft & were almost just like a nipple and the shape of the bottle makes them very easy to hold. I would definately recommend these bottles. They seem to be as close to breast feeding as you can get with a bottle.
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Review by BexT1

Rating 10/10,

Koby loves his CTN bottle, the teats are large, reminds me more of a breast than the smaller teats. They flow well and wash up nicely.
Def recommend.

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Review by ChellesM

Keiran loves these bottles, when I was still breast feeding and doing top up feeds these were the only ones he would use! Guess my boy is a boob boy lol

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Review by CrazylilBub

I also use these for my Daughter and find them very good. One thing I love is that the measurements are moulded into the make of the bottle not just printed on. I found with my sons bottles, Tommy Tippee, after a few rounds in the steriliser the printed measurements came off and I had to scratch them into the side of the bottle so I could measure it out which was a pain.
I have a Closer to Nature Steriliser too and I find that it’s hard to get all the bottles to fit in where they should but that is more a design flaw with the steriliser not being made right.
As for the anti colic valve, my daughter gets it suctioned onto her lip so we need to make sure it is at the right angle otherwise she is on and off the bottle and gives up on feeding.
Overall though I still give it a 10/10 as it helped me combine breast and bottle feeding once my milk lost it’s goodness. If it wasn’t for these bottles I would have missed out on an extra few weeks that I got to feed my daughter

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Review by Kellz

This bottle gets a 10/10 from me too. My now 2 year old has used these since 3 weeks old, and I was even able to get her using both bottle and breast for the crossover to bottle feeding. Any wind she had was easily dealt with which was a big difference from her older brother. I love it, its easy to use, the baby loved it, and its easy to clean and fill.

Colorific Funny Faces Kitty

Colorific Funny Faces Kitty
Thank you to Holdson  for the opportunity to review

Ages 2-4
Use the handle to spin the cogs on the puzzle to create funny faces. Help your pet eat his food. Two designs: Puppy or Kitty.
Made from plantation wood, hand crafted and beautifully painted.
Development Benefits: Emotional: recognition of emotions and expressions. Cognitive: ability to solve problems, thinking skills, object recognition and basics of cause and effect.
Age: 2 to 4 years. Product Size: H 22cm x W 25cm x D 6cm. Part of the Giggles Pre School Range

Review by Kahlansmum 

Rating 8/10 (and the only reason its not 10/10 is because it has caused a few tantrums… not the toys fault at all haha)
From the moment that Deb dropped this wonderful little toy off Kahlan was adamant it was ‘her’ toy, and immediately wanted to get into the box, which we did.
I must say that this toy is made beautifully, great quality, and wonderful vibrant colours. No sharp/rough edges either which is great.
Kahlan immediately figured out that it was like a puzzle, and the pieces were taken in and out for about the next half an hour, yes… silence and attention for almost half an hour! Wonderful. However she then proceeded to pack a tantrum when she couldn’t get the cogs in place how she wanted them and ended up biffing the pieces, which then created the need for a scavenger hunt to find them, so I guess providing amusement in another way??
Kahlan isn’t so interested in the fact that the cogs turn around, and although she knows that they do, and knows how to make them do that she is more interested in the puzzle aspect of it and will do it time and time AND time again. This toy has become a firm favourite in our household, and still does create the occasional tantrum, but more so now because she doesn’t want it put away at dinnertime etc.
It is a beautiful, well made, yet simple toy. I would recommend it to anyone with a child around this age (2 ½ ), however if they have a bit of a short fuse then maybe wait until a little bit later. Thankyou so much for the opportunity to review this.

Thomas & Friends Sodor Crane & Quarry Set

Thomas and Friends Sodor Crane & Quarry Set
Thank you to Holdson  for the opportunity to reviewIt takes a really useful engine to move cargo around the Island of Sodor.
After picking up important deliveries at the Cargo Crane, the engines take a trip up the mountain and down through the Quarry Mine Tunnel.
Age:3+ years. Made from Real Wood. Part of the Thomas Wooden Railway Collection 

 

My girls LOVED putting this together and playing with it. The pieces are easily held by little hands and easy to put into place and make a track. If however, you want the exact track that is on the box, you need to follow the instructional picture it it is pretty easy.
Everything is extremely well made and you just know that this is going to be one of those toys that lasts a lifetime…even with children that are a bit rougher.
My girls were able to sit down together and play which for them is a minor miracle. Because this has a few different bits you can do (other than the track etc) they were both able to be turning things and making them work.
The set came with 2 trains, a carriage and a cargo load that can be lifted off the carriage with the crane….something my girls found a LOT of fun to do.

All in all I would give it 10/10 as far as the set goes and it will be loved by all those Thomas fans out there for years to come

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My son Thane got to play with this and it was so great for me to see him playing so well with a toy and seeing the big smiles it put on his wee face.The pieces were just the right size for his wee hands. He really enjoyed playing with the Sodor Crane he loved how he could attach the block on the end as it has a magnet inside the block to make it attach. This meant my son was able to crank the little red handle on the side and wind it up and down he spent a while just playing with this bit. He also really enjoyed Thomas the train and he was pushing him around the track making “choo choo” sounds, it melted my heart seeing him do this as he has never really expressed such noises during play time. This is a great toy made out of long lasting wood so it will last for many a year to come. While it is value for money in the construction of it (extremely well made), it probably would have been out of the range our family budget at the moment but is one I would definately have kept an eye out for on special.

Who’s the Princess? – Chimp & Zee Games

Who’s the Princess? – Chimp & Zee Games
Thank you to Holdson  for the opportunity to review

Dress for the ball – but watch out for the wicked Queen!
Contains a 3D fairytale castle,  enchanted foresst game board,  4 x 3D coaches, 4 x Princess playing pieces,  1 wicked Queen, 16 Princess cards, 2 dice and rules.
Age 3 – 5 years. 2 – 4 players.

Review from Kirst

I think this game is great for little girls.
The game is easy to set up and my 5 year old can do it so no input is required from me.
The only thing with this game is the set for it is quite large so you need to stand up and reach over it to move the pieces around the board or get someone else to move them for you, but you know what kids are like, they all want to move their own pieces.
Instructions are easy to follow but my daughter didn’t like the fact that the queen could take bits that you’d already collected away, so we often dont play with the queen.
All in all a great game for little girls!
I give Who’s the Princess a 9 out of 10

John Deere – Big Scoop Dump Truck

This Big Scoop Dump Truck is built sandbox tough.
Constructed of ultra-durable plastic, this heavy-duty dump truck features realistic moving parts, authentic decoration, and incredible detail. Perfect for indoor or outdoor play.
Size: 38cms.
Age: 3+ years. Part of the John Deere Kids Collection

Thank you to Holdson  for the opportunity to review

When I opened the delivery box I was glad to see that there was minimum packaging with the John Deere Big Scoop Dump Truck, unlike other toys on the market where there is excess packaging.
As soon as I took the truck out of the delivery box and had turned it over to undo the twist ties holding it in the packaging, Daniella came over and started spinning the wheels, getting excited.
I then gave it to her to push around the lawn -it didn’t take her too long to work out that if she put too much pressure on the back the tray would tip up. The truck moves easily on the lawn which is great.
We then went to collect the feijoas that had fallen off the tree and Daniella automatically started to put them into the tray and now the Dump Truck comes out with us every day to collect the feijoas – I have turned this into a counting game by counting the feijoas as she places them into the tray.
The wheels cleaned off easily (grass clippings – she hasn’t taken it into the garden yet) to then take inside and move the feijoas onto the kitchen table. We then moved into the hallway and I pushed the truck gently down the hall – we have wooden floors so I can’t comment on how it would go on carpet but can’t see it being a problem. She went after it and instead of picking it up and carrying it back to me like she does with balls, Daniella sat down and pushed it back to me.
Because the John Deere Dump Truck is made of plastic, but it feels like a tough plastic that won’t break easily like other brands, it doesn’t do any damage to the skirting boards if it is accidentally pushed off in the wrong direction.
My only criticism would be that it is very hard for her to pick up and walk with it. Daniella picks it up by the tray only so the body of the truck falls down and makes walking difficult. As she gets older she may start to pick the truck up by the body and I can’t think of a way that the tray could be secured but easily released by a toddler.
Thankyou for picking us to review this truck as I can see Daniella having fun with it for many years to come – every day a different toy(s) is found sitting in the tray being pushed around

Last Dance with Valentino

LAST DANCE WITH VALENTINO

By Waugh, Daisy

ISBN13: 9780007419302
Price (NZ RRP): $ 34.99

Leaving war-ravaged London in 1916, Jennifer Doyle and her reprobate father set sail for America. As the boat draws near to the soaring skyscrapers of New York a world of possibilities is promised, so when Jenny discovers that her father has arranged her work with the neurotic Madame de Saulles, she is devastated.
Life at the Box, the home of the de Saulles, is Gatsby-like glamorous but with cloying undertones of malice and madness, and Jenny’s blossoming romance with dancer Rodolfo offers rare relief. Secrets infect the household until, one tragic day, the lives of the inhabitants are changed forever.
Years later, Rodolfo has taken his place in the Hollywood pantheon as Rudolph Valentino, the most desired and talked about star of the day. His love for Jenny remains, but fame is all-consuming. When a chance arises for the pair to meet again, can their love story have a Hollywood happy ending, or will the tragic echoes from their time at the Box thwart them one last time?

I finished this book last night. It took me roughly 3 days to read. I wouldn’t say it was the best book I have ever read. To begin with I struggled to get into it, but I continued to read and as I got further into the story grabbed my attention and I few times I wanted to shout at the girl in the book and go “You stupid girl, if you’d just (won’t say or it would ruin the story) then you would have (again won’t say or it will ruin the story)”.

The story itself flicks between the young woman (Lola Nightingale) in 1926 as Rudolph Valentino lies dying in a hospital bed, and 1916 when she first came to America with her father as Jennifer Doyle. It tells the story of when she first met Rodolfo Guglielmi a professional dancer when she was a children nurse (or nanny) for the De Saulles family, and of how they fell in love but fate conspired to keep them apart, until they meet again in 1926. he is now hollywoods heartthrob Rudolph Valentino and she is making a name for herself as a scenarioist (screenplay writer).

One of the things I enjoyed about the book is that they used actual people from that time, so although the book is fiction it has an element of truth to it. Daisy Waugh weaves her story in such a way that you can almost believe it happened exactly like that and you find yourself wanting the two of them to get together in the end. Throughout the story you can easily visualise what it would be like to live in that time and all I can say is although it would be fun to go back in time and see what it was like I think I am happier here in 2011.

Also at the end of the story Miss or Mrs Waugh fills you in on some of the background of some of the people that are in her book: for example Mr amd Mrs de Saulles, Francis Marion (scenarioist and good friend of Mr Valentino), Mary Pickford (famous Actress and best friend of Francis) and a few other people, and she even mentions her inspiration for the story, The mysterious and elusive Jenny. The name that Rudolph Valentino was thought to have mentioned in the ambulance ont he way to the hospital and on his death bed.

In the end I really enjoyed the book, hence the reason it only took me three days to read it.

I would rate this book as 4/5
I would have made it a 5 but as I said it was difficult to get into to begin with