This is a wonderful book with a puppet integrated into it. It has to be one of the most engaging books I have ever read. Sid comes to life straight away through the puppet, interacting with you.
My kids find it hilarious and play along, sitting on their hands and peeking through their fingers, while I pretend to nibble them with the puppet.
Puppets are a fantastic aid to telling stories and have been used to do so since ancient Greece and probably before that. I must admit, my love of puppetry is part of the reason why I like this book. The puppet really lets you become the character, and allows for a great interaction with your kids.
Conflict, is often at the centre of great children’s books, from Brothers Grimm’s Rumpelstiltskin to Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling, and it is a big part of this book. The kids shout back and we see that Sid is not so scary after all. I think that this is a great lesson for children, that it is good to speak up when someone is being mean, to be able to conquer your fears, or at least to play at doing this in a fun and safe environment. Through playing, they learn and practice and grow in confidence.
In the end Sid needs our sympathy and we realise he is just grumpy and actually likes fish finger not real fingers. We can all sympathise with that right, I mean who doesn’t like fish fingers! All joking aside I think this is a great lesson, it is important to understanding that often people are mean because they are upset for some reason. That they just need some sympathy and attention, I think we all have a bit of Sid in us.
This wonderfully crafted story comes wrapped up in bright illustrations that help bring Sid to life, Sid stares out from the page drawing you in. This is built on by the text that speaks directly to you! The text is free flowing and bold, standing out and is a pleasure to read. There are mini narratives and bits of text that can get lost in the first reading but are genuinely funny.
I recommend this energetic read if you like getting stuck in and putting on silly voices. Not one for a quiet time before bed, but certainly lots and lots of fun.