How wonderful to have a book about the environment that actually supports a place looking after seals. Some of the profits from copies of the children’s book Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure will go towards Cornish Seal Sanctuary. I’ve been to the Gweek site on numerous occasions (even losing a gold and diamond bracelet there) so I’m delighted to share my review of Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure today. My enormous thanks to Nick Jones at Full Media for sending me a copy in return for an honest review.

Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure is available for purchase in all the usual places including directly from Full Media here.

Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure

“My bus takes off with a sonic boom, straight through the wall and out of my room…”

Finn and Fred Octopus are off on a magical adventure to the Arctic. They meet a kindly seal, a hungry polar bear and an angry walrus. The whales sing to Finn, and Finn arrives home with an important message to share…

In association with the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Jocelyn Porter’s latest picture book is beautifully illustrated by the super-gifted artist Leo Brown, who has worked with everyone from Roald Dahl to Disney.

Aimed at children aged 3-8, this action-packed rhyming adventure will gently educate your child about protecting the oceans while entertaining them with terrific sea creatures – from seals and polar bears to narwhals and whales!

My Review of Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure

Finn has a magic suitcase under his bed.

As with all the Full Media children’s books I’ve reviewed, Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure has such a luxurious appearance with wonderful illustrations by Leo Brown that really bring the story to life. There’s so much to look at on every page that Finn and Fred will provide entertainment far beyond merely reading the story. I think the facial expressions on Finn and the animals are perfect for helping children to learn emotional literacy.

What works so well with Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure is the Arctic setting. So many young children will have little idea of the area or the creatures living in it and this story brings them into contact with land and sea creatures like polar bears and narwhals and with natural phenomena like the Northern Lights. I could envisage Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure being used in an educational setting every bit as as much as in the home, with all kinds of projects related to geography, nature and the environment linked to the book.

I loved the rhyme scheme as it supports language learning and literacy, as does the inclusion of more challenging vocabulary such as ‘atrocious’ so that reading Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure naturally enhances a child’s learning whilst they are enjoying an engaging narrative. It’s always pleasing to see direct speech so effectively used too as this helps model what is expected in children’s writing. I’d love to see Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure used for drama or a school play.

There’s peril in Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure that helps generate an understanding of how we impact on the natural world. Finn and Fred’s bus accidentally causes damage to the walrus and the pair find themselves under threat from the ravenous polar bear, but it is the lament of the whales that really brings home how children can help protect the seas. I think Finn’s actions at school are a brilliant example and actually empower even the youngest of children to realise they can make a contribution to saving the oceans. That said, the environmental message isn’t sanctimonious, but rather provides small practical ideas that can easily be adopted.

Packed with adventure and excitement that children will love, Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure has a powerful environmental message that couldn’t be more needed. I thought Finn and Fred’s Arctic Adventure was excellent.

About Jocelyn Porter

Jocelyn’s writing career began when she was asked to write a story for a preschool magazine. That story was the first of many. Jocelyn became the writer/editor of several preschool magazines and continued in that role for 15 years. Writing one new story every month, plus rhymes and activities was a tough gig, but very exhilarating.

Time is the big difference between writing for a magazine and writing a book.  You see your work on the supermarket shelves within a few weeks of completion. A book takes longer – a lot longer. Jocelyn has to be patient now – not something she’s good at.

Before becoming a writer, Jocelyn work in higher education as International Students Officer. It was a rewarding and interesting job even though she was on call 24/7.

Jocelyn also trained as a counsellor and volunteered at drop-in centers. She never knew who would arrive for counselling and had to be prepared for anything. This work gave her insight into some of the darker corners of life.

Motor sport was one of Jocelyn’s early loves, she had spine tingling thrill of taking part in a 24-hour national rally as navigator – those were the days when rallies were held on public roads!

Jocelyn work as an au pair in Paris in her teens. Having visited the city on a school trip, she fell in love with it, and always wanted to return.

You can find Jocelyn on Facebook.