Christmas Gift Ideas: Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory and the Ice Cream Castle
Growing up as a Philippa was great, I loved having an unusual first name but I was always upset when we went on holiday and checked out the souvenirs with names on. They very rarely had my name (most often we got things in Wales where it is a more common name) and I was often disappointed. My brother had a much more popular name so he could usually get something which made matters worse. I, therefore, always have a soft spot for anything with my name attached to it. We were recently sent a copy of 'Phillipa Knickerbocker Glory and the Ice Cream Castle' by Sarahjane Funnell to review and Bud was most amused by the little girl in the book having the same name as Mummy.
The book tells the story of Phillipa (not spelled the same as me, another hazard to an unusual name with multiple spellings!). She is a little girl who loves ice cream and looks forward to her Saturday treat of an ice cream Knickerbocker Glory. This week she closes her eyes while enjoying her treat and she and her pet cat Mr Whiskers are transported to a magical ice cream world.
I wasn't sure what Bud would make of this book as it is definitely aimed at girls. It is very girly and pink and he seems to have decided that pink is for girls since the arrival of his baby Sister,. None of us are sure how this has come about because we've always tried not to say that but he has absorbed it from somewhere. Anyway, the illustrations are very pink, and very girly. Phillipa wears a tiara to eat her ice cream. The story and the amount of ice cream featured in it won through though and Bud really enjoyed this book. It is a little longer than those we normally read together and he is a little younger than the intended age range but we've read it a few times since it arrived and it is yet to make it to the bookshelf, it is in the 'constant rotation' pile of books in his book basket instead. Last night he even persuaded his Dad to read it to him and it got a thumbs up from both of them.
We were sent a copy of this book to review but the thoughts and opinions contained within this post are unbiased and all my own.
