Boobela, Worm and the potion power by Joe Friedman

Illus. by Sam Childs. Orion Children's Books, 2008. ISBN 978184255 5415 
(Age 7+) This large sized paperback, full of colour and energetic illustrations, tells the tale of Boobela, a child giant, adrift from her parents, and her friend Worm, who sits on her shoulders and offers advice. There are four stories in this volume, the third in the series, aimed at linking reading between picture books and novels.

The first story, The argument, sees a rift between Boobela and Worm, as she struts off down the street without her friend on her shoulder. She needs to explain to the other children she meets that she and Worm have had a fight, and she realises how silly she has been. When tragedy occurs and Boobela needs help, Worm appears and all is right. The four stories are easy to read, have large print and tell a small intimate story in the lives of the two protagonists. 

While a battle rages about putting a recommended age on every book published, it is fascinating to see how this will affect book publishing. This book has a recommended age of 4+ on its publicity sheet. But it is far more than a picture book, and more involved. This book has 108 pages with about 100 words on each page, which in my way of thinking makes it a book aimed at 7+.
Fran Knight