Book Review: Don't Ever Look Behind Door 32 by B.C.R. Fegan

Don't Ever Look Behind Door 32 

by 

B.C.R Fegan

 

Publisher: TaleBlade

Publication date: 14^th March 2018

Pages: 32

Format Read: eBook
Source: Author via Book Publicity Services

  Blurb:

The magical Hotel of Hoo is a mysterious place with some very unusual occupants. As our guests explore the strange hotel, they are invited to experience everything it has to offer with just one warning… don’t ever look behind door 32.

This imaginative picture book aims to take children beyond the first ten cardinal numbers, and introduces them to the patterns of counting in a fun and accessible way. With rooms to explore and unique objects to count, children will enjoy lingering on each page as they make their way closer to the forbidden door.


My thoughts:

A counting book with a difference, Don’t Ever Look Behind Door 32 extends the counting experience beyond 20 to 32. The illustrations are delightful and a little bit spooky as a young boy and his little sister arrive to stay at the Magical Hotel of Hoo, a sprawling old castle dimly lit by moonlight.

Nicholas Noo the amiable hotelier shows them around each room. Being the first guests at the hotel their room will be room1 and the reader learns that most of the other rooms are permanently occupied by an ever increasing number of ghouls and creatures. Dragons, elves, monsters, ghosts, goblins and giants all have a room and a purpose.

The cadence is spot on with this rhyming story which makes for an easy read as the words flow effortlessly. The suspense builds as the pages turn and the children are reminded throughout, never to look behind door 32.

My almost 4 Granddaughter loves everything spooky and even after reading the book over and over she still became excited as the tension mounts to that last door. She charmingly calls it the Transylvanian door story. She’s not quite up to counting to 32 which gives the advantage of extending the book as the child grows.

Not all items to count are in as plain sight as say the 3 Knights, behind door 3, or the 5 dancing zombies, behind door 5. I was eager to have the book to myself to peruse each page and find the items that matched the corresponding door number.

Don’t Ever Look Behind Door 32 is not only a delightful rhyming story but also a counting book that stretches the child’s ability whilst stimulating their imagination.

The illustrations by the talented Lenny Wen are colourful and descriptive, filled with mischief and magic, they hold stories of their own.

I’ve added mine and my Granddaughter’s favourites below.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received this book to read and review through  Book Publicity Services

 About the author:

 

  BCR Fegan is an award-winning author who has written a number of fairy tales and fantasies for children and young adults.

Raised on a small hobby farm only minutes from some of Australia’s greatest beaches, Fegan grew up inspired by the power of natures ambience. From the intensity of the frequent summer storms, to the overwhelming serenity of a lonely beach in the early hours of the morning. His ravenous appetite for both reading and writing soon saw him drawing on the transformational influence of the world around him to craft short stories, poems and picture books.

As time wore on, Fegan also found inspiration in the magic and depth of authors and compositors like Hans Christian Andersen, the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault. He was mesmerised by the potency of small but beautiful phrases that were carefully carved from the minds of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Robert Frost. He grew to appreciate the worlds meticulously created by David Eddings, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis.

Eventually, he began to forge his own complete works. Weaving his own magic, piecing together his own phrases and crafting his own worlds. Agonising over plots that would inspire, characters that would be loved and circumstances that would delight. In time, his efforts saw a number of children’s books and young adult fiction produced. Through the efforts of TaleBlade Press, these works are now being published with that same careful dedication.                           

This review is part of the Book Lover Book review Aussie author challenge