Ellie’s
Magic Wellies by
Amy Sparkes (words) and Nick East (illustrations), published by
Egmont
Wellies
– the footwear of choice for many children – shiny, bendy and
synonymous with messy play, a footwear permission slip to squelch in
mud, kick through leaves or (best of all) jump in puddles. The
saviours of boredom on a rainy day, wellies turn splashing into
adventure.
Last
weekend, our four year old chose a new pair. A deep-space blue with
cosmic swirls and sparkly stars. She was thrilled, but nothing could
have prepared her for what happened when she put them on and did her
maiden jump in our back garden – they have LIGHTS! Blue flashes
illuminated her soles – shimmering in the small pools of rain that
dotted our patio.
We
have recently been enjoying the fabulous ‘Ellie’s Magic Wellies’, in
which we meet a girl called Ellie Pengelly who is fed up of watching
the rain. Her mum tells her she’a popping out to the dentist, and
that auntie Flo is coming over to look after her.
Peacock
feathers adorn Flo’s purple hat, and she carries a handbag that
commands “Give it wellie”. Ellie knows this wet and dreary
day is about to take an exciting turn. And Flo has a surprise gift
for Ellie – a pair of golden, winged wellies – fit for a toddler
Hermes.
But
when Ellie leaps into a huge puddle she doesn’t just produce a big
splash – out jumps a small, purple creature in a woollen gingham suit
and hat – a Flibberty Gibberty (who we think might have escaped from
Amy Sparkes’ Do Not Enter The Monster Zoo’).
Together
they set out on an alliterative adventure of messy play, told through
a funny and smart rhyme. “Let’s juggle with jam, jiggle with
jelly…guzzle and gobble” exclaims the creature. They
“hippetty-hopscotch” and “zippetty-zoom”.
Nick
East’s marvellous illustrations fizz with energy and burst with
colour, and we watch as the new pals turn the house upside down.
Luckily, Ellie’s wellies have another important magic power – the
ability to help with tidying up, just in time for mum’s return. It’s
time for the creature to go home too – but who knows? The next time
Ellie splashes in the puddles, maybe the Flibberty Gibberty will
bring some friends.