A super-fun and cheerful picture book with a gentle message about the emptiness of materialism, Sneaky Beak is a great choice for storytime in EYFS and KS1.
Anyone who has ever been swayed by an advert for a new gadget or service upgrade will easily relate to Bear and Hamster as they learn the hard way that some things in life are great the way they are. Once perfectly content, the duo of animal friends are suddenly given cause to question whether they are missing out on something better when they encounter a smooth-talking avian called Sneaky Beak who has impressive salesmanship and a state-of-the-art catalogue of the latest gadgets. Is your bath bubbly enough?, he causes Bear to wonder. Is your bed bouncy enough, your cereal crunchy enough and are you sure you can ever be satisfied without succumbing to the wonders of a rocket trip to the moon?
Young readers will likely already be aware of the ‘upgrade now’ culture and will quickly tap into the story’s clear message about finding contentment in what they already have. Tony Neal’s bright and eye-catching illustrations (we especially enjoyed the close-up of the animals’ facial expressions) are a perfect match for the tongue-in-cheek, lilting story that uses gentle humour and fun characters to offer – in an unfailingly cheerful way – a cautionary tale for the modern generation.
Reviewed by: Alison (Founder of BooksForTopics) & Florence (aged 6) after attending the Little Tiger Picture Book Showcase.