Anne Fine in general is supposed to be good for young boys...
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Ok, read it. Terrific book. Love the subtle Scottish flavor. I now want a stuffed Highland bull, and to make a field for it from green and brown scraps of cloth, and hedges from painted paper towel tubes.

I love the heartfelt joy of the family. I'd never have guessed this is new - it's timeless, with a vibe that makes it at least as classic as the stories by [a:Shirley Hughes|99888|Shirley Hughes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1273004018p2/99888.jpg]. I do have to say, though, that I think most 10 yo boys are a bit too old for it. My best guess would be to read it aloud to your whole family when they're about 5-8. The pictures are wonderful.

One nitpick is the release of helium balloons at an outdoor wedding. I believe that's frowned upon, as a danger to wildlife.

I will look for more by the author. ( )

Jamie spots Angus in the toy store window and convinces his mom to buy the toy cow, but must wait until Christmas to play with his new friend in the first chapter of this set of six stories by the Children's Laureate of Great Britain. Their adventures take them from the laundry room, to a wedding in a field of buttercups, to a hospital, all the while learning some valuable lessons. Jamie's emotions are expressed by the lovely pencil drawings on nearly every page. The formatting is a bit confusing; it appears to be an easy-reader book with short chapters, but an eight-year-old may not be interested in the goings-on of a preschooler. In the other direction, many of the sentences are upward of twenty words long and contain multiple phrases. Still, younger children will love hearing these stories read aloud, and the British terms for certain words will incite curiosity and giggles. Recommended as a read-aloud for ages 3-6. ( )

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