I’m incredibly grateful to Peta Rainford for a copy of Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland in return for an honest review. Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland is published today, 14th November 2016, and is available for purchase from all good book sellers and from Amazon.

Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland

Isabella is back for her second adventure!

In this colourful, rhyming picture book, the accident-prone little witch falls through a hole in the ground and lands in Numberland – a place where nothing quite adds up (because all the numbers have disappeared!)

She makes new friends, encounters an old enemy and, though the odds are against her, finally saves the day. YOU CAN COUNT ON ISABELLA!

Readers of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland will see some parallels between Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland and that wonderful, crazy children’s classic.

Fans of Isabella, Rotten Speller will also love Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland. Peta Rainford has created a book that buzzes with vibrant, amusing pictures and interesting, funny, rhyming words. This book will encourage young children to think about the importance of numbers and how numbers are used in our everyday lives, while at the same time being very, very silly! A useful tool for parents and teachers and a fun story for early readers and younger children who enjoy being read to.

My Review of Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland

When Isabella falls into Numberand, something isn’t quite right – all the numbers have disappeared.

What a smashing children’s book Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland is.

I have to comment immediately on the quality of the illustrations. They are actually quite childlike and naive in style so that I think they will appeal to children instantly. There is plenty of colour and a lovely range of creatures from bugs to a dodo, giving lots of discussion points for parents and teachers to share with youngsters.

I really liked the way in which Isabella is a strong female and able to look after herself whilst making new friends – such important messages for children. Similarly, the story has a great plot with Isabella encountering evil that is outwitted by thinking, rather than force, so that children receive their happy ending, and positivity is rewarded.

The focus on rhyme within the narrative, and number as a central point to the plot, gives huge potential to enhance children’s literacy and numeracy whilst enjoying a super story in its own right. I also really liked the nods to Lewis Carroll through the white rabbit, playing cards, the tea party and the idea of being late and even to Macbeth with the cauldron and spells. This would be a lovely way in to sharing classic stories with children later. Similarly, other aspects could be developed beyond the simple enjoyment of a story well told. Cooking and measuring could be turned into games as a result of reading Isabella’s Adventures in Numberland and I think it’s a super book for children aged around 3-6. I really recommend it.

About Peta Rainford

Peta grew up on the Isle of Wight so long ago she can remember buying crisps from the school  tuck shop for 2½p. As a child she loved words, and loved drawing too, but she had no idea what she wanted to do when she grew up. She studied English at York University and then worked in London as a business journalist and editor for 14 years. She went to art classes and even studied fine art at St Martins, but she still had no idea what she wanted to do when she grew up.

Peta moved back to the Isle of Wight in 2006, and it was here that Peta, now balancing the roles of freelance writer and mum, decided to write and illustrate her first book for children. It was a revelation: a way of combining picture making with her love of words – not to mention an outlet for her awful jokes. It may have taken more than four decades, but finally, Peta knows what she wants to do when she grows up.

You can find out more by following Peta on Twitter and visiting her website.