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I'm Number One ISBN: 9781406326024
Graham, Bob and Rosen, Michael
Published by Walker, 2010
When the little girl and her mum leave for school, the toys come to life, and A-One, a toy soldier, takes over. First, he demands that the other toys wind up his key - which they do - while A-One exclaims they are 'useless' and 'hopeless'. Nevertheless, they get him going. Then he makes them feel silly about the things they are wearing: Maddy the duck's hat, Sally the doll's rucksack and Sid the pig's scarf - and in the process claims them for himself. When the others start to giggle and make word games of the adjectives he has used against them, he begins to find them funny too. He then realises he can't wind his own key, and with that realisation, he gives the other toys back their belongings and announces: 'I'm A-One...I'm one of the gang.' While A-One is a bully, he is able to confront his own problem and solve it. The illustrations are simple with lots of space surrounding the toys' antics, and the family dog watches the proceedings with interest. I particularly enjoyed the letter propped on the hall table addressed to M. Rosen at Walker Books!" A nice parable about handling a behavioural problem with a light touch.
Age: 3+