Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Fun KS1 Maths exercises for younger pupils, 03 Jan 2008
My son was seven in November and is in class two. I have started using these exercises in addition to his homework as he doesn't get a lot of maths work brought home. I am not a pushy mother but actually enjoy working through this book with my son, they are fun exercises and I only do 1 a night. I have been surprised how much I have learnt too, it's amazing how much you forget, ie. hundreds, tens and unit. I would suggest that you get the revision guide book with it as it helps to explain to the kids and yourself how to understand the phrasing they use. The answers are in the middle of the book, so if in doubt you could always get the answer first and work back from that with them!!! I photocopied the pages for them to work from so that the book doesn't get ruined and can be used again for my youngest!

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Fun KS1 Maths exercises for younger pupils, 03 Jan 2008
My son was seven in November and is in class two. I have started using these exercises in addition to his homework as he doesn't get a lot of maths work brought home. I am not a pushy mother but actually enjoy working through this book with my son, they are fun exercises and I only do 1 a night. I have been surprised how much I have learnt too, it's amazing how much you forget, ie. hundreds, tens and unit. I would suggest that you get the revision guide book with it as it helps to explain to the kids and yourself how to understand the phrasing they use. The answers are in the middle of the book, so if in doubt you could always get the answer first and work back from that with them!!! I photocopied the pages for them to work from so that the book doesn't get ruined and can be used again for my youngest!

INFORMATIVE AND ALSO QUICK TO READ, 26 May 2008
I read this book in under an hour. It is very easy to follow and tells you expactly what you need to know so that you can teach your child to read. It is straight to the point and just tells you what you need to know.

I have taught my son the phonics sounds using Jolly & did not know what to do next. This book has given me the confidence to go ahead and teach him how to sound out words & eventually read.

It shows you how to use its reading scheme where it has letters & words at the beginning of each book for your child to practise before they read the book.

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Fun KS1 Maths exercises for younger pupils, 03 Jan 2008
My son was seven in November and is in class two. I have started using these exercises in addition to his homework as he doesn't get a lot of maths work brought home. I am not a pushy mother but actually enjoy working through this book with my son, they are fun exercises and I only do 1 a night. I have been surprised how much I have learnt too, it's amazing how much you forget, ie. hundreds, tens and unit. I would suggest that you get the revision guide book with it as it helps to explain to the kids and yourself how to understand the phrasing they use. The answers are in the middle of the book, so if in doubt you could always get the answer first and work back from that with them!!! I photocopied the pages for them to work from so that the book doesn't get ruined and can be used again for my youngest!

INFORMATIVE AND ALSO QUICK TO READ, 26 May 2008
I read this book in under an hour. It is very easy to follow and tells you expactly what you need to know so that you can teach your child to read. It is straight to the point and just tells you what you need to know.

I have taught my son the phonics sounds using Jolly & did not know what to do next. This book has given me the confidence to go ahead and teach him how to sound out words & eventually read.

It shows you how to use its reading scheme where it has letters & words at the beginning of each book for your child to practise before they read the book.

The perfect partner for helping your children with their homework , 30 Nov 2007
Having met my daughter's maths teacher who showed me this book to be the foundation of her teachings to all the children in Year 3 (7/8 year olds) I knew that this, together with Books 2 to 6, would be the ideal support for homework assistance. Until I bought this from Amazon, I had no guidelines at all and didn't know if the arithmetic I was 'teaching' at home was too hard, too easy or just plain useless. Now with this book I have the perfect assistant, because I know that the specific topics covered and the level of difficulty is exactly matched to what my daughter is studying at school, so it's an excellent revisionary tool, and it's even enjoyable too! Strongly recommended, I have no doubt that with regular use of this book at home my daughter, and her younger sister when her time comes, will have a much better chance of making the necessary grade in Year 6 and go on to our local grammar school. Sounds a bit over-the-top, but in its way, this little book can actually change the course of your children's lives - because the difference between our local grammar school and the comprehensive school is obvious for all to see. Getting a good grade at Arithmetic at age 11 is a fundamental requirement to being selected for a school offering better standards of education and in turn better opportunities in the future. I bought Books 1 through to 6 and I'm pleased I did.

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Fun KS1 Maths exercises for younger pupils, 03 Jan 2008
My son was seven in November and is in class two. I have started using these exercises in addition to his homework as he doesn't get a lot of maths work brought home. I am not a pushy mother but actually enjoy working through this book with my son, they are fun exercises and I only do 1 a night. I have been surprised how much I have learnt too, it's amazing how much you forget, ie. hundreds, tens and unit. I would suggest that you get the revision guide book with it as it helps to explain to the kids and yourself how to understand the phrasing they use. The answers are in the middle of the book, so if in doubt you could always get the answer first and work back from that with them!!! I photocopied the pages for them to work from so that the book doesn't get ruined and can be used again for my youngest!

INFORMATIVE AND ALSO QUICK TO READ, 26 May 2008
I read this book in under an hour. It is very easy to follow and tells you expactly what you need to know so that you can teach your child to read. It is straight to the point and just tells you what you need to know.

I have taught my son the phonics sounds using Jolly & did not know what to do next. This book has given me the confidence to go ahead and teach him how to sound out words & eventually read.

It shows you how to use its reading scheme where it has letters & words at the beginning of each book for your child to practise before they read the book.

The perfect partner for helping your children with their homework , 30 Nov 2007
Having met my daughter's maths teacher who showed me this book to be the foundation of her teachings to all the children in Year 3 (7/8 year olds) I knew that this, together with Books 2 to 6, would be the ideal support for homework assistance. Until I bought this from Amazon, I had no guidelines at all and didn't know if the arithmetic I was 'teaching' at home was too hard, too easy or just plain useless. Now with this book I have the perfect assistant, because I know that the specific topics covered and the level of difficulty is exactly matched to what my daughter is studying at school, so it's an excellent revisionary tool, and it's even enjoyable too! Strongly recommended, I have no doubt that with regular use of this book at home my daughter, and her younger sister when her time comes, will have a much better chance of making the necessary grade in Year 6 and go on to our local grammar school. Sounds a bit over-the-top, but in its way, this little book can actually change the course of your children's lives - because the difference between our local grammar school and the comprehensive school is obvious for all to see. Getting a good grade at Arithmetic at age 11 is a fundamental requirement to being selected for a school offering better standards of education and in turn better opportunities in the future. I bought Books 1 through to 6 and I'm pleased I did.

A lovely book for kids to read, 16 Sep 2008
This is a lovely book with illustrations on each page and gutsy stories in each chapter. It is very nicely presented with a ribbon to use as a bookmark. My son is very fond of this book and regularly returns to it.

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Fun KS1 Maths exercises for younger pupils, 03 Jan 2008
My son was seven in November and is in class two. I have started using these exercises in addition to his homework as he doesn't get a lot of maths work brought home. I am not a pushy mother but actually enjoy working through this book with my son, they are fun exercises and I only do 1 a night. I have been surprised how much I have learnt too, it's amazing how much you forget, ie. hundreds, tens and unit. I would suggest that you get the revision guide book with it as it helps to explain to the kids and yourself how to understand the phrasing they use. The answers are in the middle of the book, so if in doubt you could always get the answer first and work back from that with them!!! I photocopied the pages for them to work from so that the book doesn't get ruined and can be used again for my youngest!

INFORMATIVE AND ALSO QUICK TO READ, 26 May 2008
I read this book in under an hour. It is very easy to follow and tells you expactly what you need to know so that you can teach your child to read. It is straight to the point and just tells you what you need to know.

I have taught my son the phonics sounds using Jolly & did not know what to do next. This book has given me the confidence to go ahead and teach him how to sound out words & eventually read.

It shows you how to use its reading scheme where it has letters & words at the beginning of each book for your child to practise before they read the book.

The perfect partner for helping your children with their homework , 30 Nov 2007
Having met my daughter's maths teacher who showed me this book to be the foundation of her teachings to all the children in Year 3 (7/8 year olds) I knew that this, together with Books 2 to 6, would be the ideal support for homework assistance. Until I bought this from Amazon, I had no guidelines at all and didn't know if the arithmetic I was 'teaching' at home was too hard, too easy or just plain useless. Now with this book I have the perfect assistant, because I know that the specific topics covered and the level of difficulty is exactly matched to what my daughter is studying at school, so it's an excellent revisionary tool, and it's even enjoyable too! Strongly recommended, I have no doubt that with regular use of this book at home my daughter, and her younger sister when her time comes, will have a much better chance of making the necessary grade in Year 6 and go on to our local grammar school. Sounds a bit over-the-top, but in its way, this little book can actually change the course of your children's lives - because the difference between our local grammar school and the comprehensive school is obvious for all to see. Getting a good grade at Arithmetic at age 11 is a fundamental requirement to being selected for a school offering better standards of education and in turn better opportunities in the future. I bought Books 1 through to 6 and I'm pleased I did.

A lovely book for kids to read, 16 Sep 2008
This is a lovely book with illustrations on each page and gutsy stories in each chapter. It is very nicely presented with a ribbon to use as a bookmark. My son is very fond of this book and regularly returns to it.

Not just for English teachers., 03 Apr 2007
This is great for any time of the year but more so when you need a quick start to a lesson or a change during a lesson. I use it sometimes as a pre-starter for the times when pupils aren't arriving all at the same time (after break or lunch). I also use it when I announce to the class "let's have a change as you are working extremely hard" little do they know I planned this and have already identified the activity!

I have taught English in a 'good' school, a school where some pupils are very weak and more recently in a special school for EBD. It gets used in all of them!

A fab resource not just for English teachers.

First wek survival, 30 Aug 2002
A super book for the first week of term! Helps you to analyse children literacy ability as well as having fun with them. Also a good source of INSET introductory games.

A very useful tool book, 30 Oct 2001
This book is a huge resource of ideas for class activities, for one student or a full class. These are all easily adaptable to suit individual requirements and level of competence. As a relatively new tutor of English to ESOL students, I am finding this a real treasure. All of the activities have examples and hints to extend the scope of the ideas. For the experienced teacher or for the newcomer, this is the sort of book one would refer to over and over again. I especially like the fact that I can adapt the ideas to suit my own style and the requirements of my widely disparate students.

this is a brilliant book, 08 Dec 2000
all kinds of activities involved in this book:pictures, games, roleplay etc....but your students need to have at least an intermediate level or certain activities will be very boring for the teacher if your pupils don't have enough vocabulary

The most useful resource book for language teachers around., 03 Apr 1999
Everybody wants to borrow this book from me and not return it! It is the most useful collection of short activities for language teachers available...you can practically open it anywhere, walk into the class and do it...and be sure of success!

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Fun KS1 Maths exercises for younger pupils, 03 Jan 2008
My son was seven in November and is in class two. I have started using these exercises in addition to his homework as he doesn't get a lot of maths work brought home. I am not a pushy mother but actually enjoy working through this book with my son, they are fun exercises and I only do 1 a night. I have been surprised how much I have learnt too, it's amazing how much you forget, ie. hundreds, tens and unit. I would suggest that you get the revision guide book with it as it helps to explain to the kids and yourself how to understand the phrasing they use. The answers are in the middle of the book, so if in doubt you could always get the answer first and work back from that with them!!! I photocopied the pages for them to work from so that the book doesn't get ruined and can be used again for my youngest!

INFORMATIVE AND ALSO QUICK TO READ, 26 May 2008
I read this book in under an hour. It is very easy to follow and tells you expactly what you need to know so that you can teach your child to read. It is straight to the point and just tells you what you need to know.

I have taught my son the phonics sounds using Jolly & did not know what to do next. This book has given me the confidence to go ahead and teach him how to sound out words & eventually read.

It shows you how to use its reading scheme where it has letters & words at the beginning of each book for your child to practise before they read the book.

The perfect partner for helping your children with their homework , 30 Nov 2007
Having met my daughter's maths teacher who showed me this book to be the foundation of her teachings to all the children in Year 3 (7/8 year olds) I knew that this, together with Books 2 to 6, would be the ideal support for homework assistance. Until I bought this from Amazon, I had no guidelines at all and didn't know if the arithmetic I was 'teaching' at home was too hard, too easy or just plain useless. Now with this book I have the perfect assistant, because I know that the specific topics covered and the level of difficulty is exactly matched to what my daughter is studying at school, so it's an excellent revisionary tool, and it's even enjoyable too! Strongly recommended, I have no doubt that with regular use of this book at home my daughter, and her younger sister when her time comes, will have a much better chance of making the necessary grade in Year 6 and go on to our local grammar school. Sounds a bit over-the-top, but in its way, this little book can actually change the course of your children's lives - because the difference between our local grammar school and the comprehensive school is obvious for all to see. Getting a good grade at Arithmetic at age 11 is a fundamental requirement to being selected for a school offering better standards of education and in turn better opportunities in the future. I bought Books 1 through to 6 and I'm pleased I did.

A lovely book for kids to read, 16 Sep 2008
This is a lovely book with illustrations on each page and gutsy stories in each chapter. It is very nicely presented with a ribbon to use as a bookmark. My son is very fond of this book and regularly returns to it.

Not just for English teachers., 03 Apr 2007
This is great for any time of the year but more so when you need a quick start to a lesson or a change during a lesson. I use it sometimes as a pre-starter for the times when pupils aren't arriving all at the same time (after break or lunch). I also use it when I announce to the class "let's have a change as you are working extremely hard" little do they know I planned this and have already identified the activity!

I have taught English in a 'good' school, a school where some pupils are very weak and more recently in a special school for EBD. It gets used in all of them!

A fab resource not just for English teachers.

First wek survival, 30 Aug 2002
A super book for the first week of term! Helps you to analyse children literacy ability as well as having fun with them. Also a good source of INSET introductory games.

A very useful tool book, 30 Oct 2001
This book is a huge resource of ideas for class activities, for one student or a full class. These are all easily adaptable to suit individual requirements and level of competence. As a relatively new tutor of English to ESOL students, I am finding this a real treasure. All of the activities have examples and hints to extend the scope of the ideas. For the experienced teacher or for the newcomer, this is the sort of book one would refer to over and over again. I especially like the fact that I can adapt the ideas to suit my own style and the requirements of my widely disparate students.

this is a brilliant book, 08 Dec 2000
all kinds of activities involved in this book:pictures, games, roleplay etc....but your students need to have at least an intermediate level or certain activities will be very boring for the teacher if your pupils don't have enough vocabulary

The most useful resource book for language teachers around., 03 Apr 1999
Everybody wants to borrow this book from me and not return it! It is the most useful collection of short activities for language teachers available...you can practically open it anywhere, walk into the class and do it...and be sure of success!

Highly recommended, 06 Mar 2004
This thought-provoking book stimulated some great debates in my classroom. I also used it as the basis for a very successful class assembly for my Year 5/6 class.

Not that great!!, 06 Aug 2008
I was keen to buy a book that would help my three year to not only learn the letters of the alphabet but to also learn the sounds using phonics as well. I thought buying this book would help. Instead, I found the characters dry and the plot of each story tiresome.

Each sound has the letter written in black and white with arrows showing the way the word is to be written, which is helpful. Then in the margin, there are examples of words to match the letter sounds- but they are tiny. Hard to see let alone read. And I don't mean to be petty but the pictures look more freakish then cute.

It was really difficult trying to get my daughter to sit and read the book, because she simply was not interested in the stories or characters whatsoever!


Fantastic with the Phonics Handbook, 24 Jun 2008
I bought this along with the Phonics Handbook to help my daughter learn to read. We live in Brasil so she attends school in Portugese and at 6 was struggling with reading because she was confusing the English sounds with Portugese ones. This whole scheme is fantastic I cannot believe how quickly it has improved her reading and writing. This book is an excellent addition as it is divided into 6 seperate stories, each story introduces a different sound per page in the same order as the Phonics Handbook so you can read a page then do the photocopy sheet that matches the story exactly from the Handbook, my daughter really looks forward to seeing what will happen next in the story and what sound it will introduce. All the other things the earlier reviewers say are also 100% accurate, i.e. fantastic illustrations, sturdy quality etc, but buy it with the Handbook or if your child is doing Jolly Phonics at school and you will get so much more out of it.

Jolly Stories, 24 Feb 2008
This is a lovely book, sturdy pages, colourful and several activities on each page as well as the story relating to the letter sounds. This includes a raised letter for the child to 'trace' over with their finger. We have a Jolly phonics video and the letters in the book follow the same pattern. My 3 1/2 year old loves this book! Would recommend as an introduction to phonics

Absolutely Gorgeous Book From Jolly Phonics, 24 Nov 2007
This book is a pleasure to use and read. It is packed with so much in fabulous full colour pictures. The pages are sturdy, so young ones learning those early sounds can be left alone with it too. There are things to find in the pictures and other activities on each page. There is an excellent 'how to use this book' page in the front too. It's a treasure. Love it.

Only for the pirate obsessed, 08 Mar 2008
The "1001 things to spot" series by Usborne has been a huge hit in our family with both our boys. Each book in the series has a number of pages with things to look for in the pictures. They keep kids entertained for hours and are also great for teaching counting and for building vocabulary. The variation in the pictures sparks lots of discussion about what country this town may be in, or which era this "long ago" image may be from.

Having said that, "1001 Pirate Things" was a disappointment to me. Unlike many of the other books in the series, each page features a very similar illustration (invariably a marginally different pirate ship) and it feels very repetitive. Both my sons got bored with this book and so did I. I know that there are boys out there who totally obsess on pirates and it would be wonderful for them. But unless your child fits that description, I would try one of the other books in the series instead.

Brilliant!, 08 Nov 2007
Like the "1001 bugs to spot" from this series I think this book is superb. It is not a storybook so don't buy it if you're looking for salty sea-dog pirate stories.

Each page has an incredibly detailed picture of some aspect of pirate life that little boys may imagine to be true. It's all highly jolly, friendly and sanitised which seems to be the way pirates are presented these days. For example, there's the pirates having a party on their ship, pirate school, pirate races etc. Around the edge of the picture certain items from the main picture are illustrated with a number next to them indicating how many you are to hunt for within the picture.

These books are a real hit with my little boy. They help no end with practising simple counting (up to 10) but also with the ability to resume counting after you've been distracted by something interesting elsewhere in the picture. My little boy is developing quite successful visual scanning strategies through using these stories too.

He loves them, they're educational. Perfect.

Fantastic, 30 Oct 2007
I am a BEd student on TP and have used this book so many times, the stories are so interesting and my pirate mad class of 7 and 8 year olds love them! The beautiful illustrations and a fantastic audio CD add to the magic of this wonderful addition to or library.

My son is mad about Pirates and he loves this book., 15 Mar 2001
My son is mad about pirates and he loves this book. He and his sister always want stories read from it. The book has a wide variety of stories about pirates and the illustrations are just right for children. They often look at the book.

Fun KS1 Maths exercises for younger pupils, 03 Jan 2008
My son was seven in November and is in class two. I have started using these exercises in addition to his homework as he doesn't get a lot of maths work brought home. I am not a pushy mother but actually enjoy working through this book with my son, they are fun exercises and I only do 1 a night. I have been surprised how much I have learnt too, it's amazing how much you forget, ie. hundreds, tens and unit. I would suggest that you get the revision guide book with it as it helps to explain to the kids and yourself how to understand the phrasing they use. The answers are in the middle of the book, so if in doubt you could always get the answer first and work back from that with them!!! I photocopied the pages for them to work from so that the book doesn't get ruined and can be used again for my youngest!

INFORMATIVE AND ALSO QUICK TO READ, 26 May 2008
I read this book in under an hour. It is very easy to follow and tells you expactly what you need to know so that you can teach your child to read. It is straight to the point and just tells you what you need to know.

I have taught my son the phonics sounds using Jolly & did not know what to do next. This book has given me the confidence to go ahead and teach him how to sound out words & eventually read.

It shows you how to use its reading scheme where it has letters & words at the beginning of each book for your child to practise before they read the book.

The perfect partner for helping your children with their homework , 30 Nov 2007
Having met my daughter's maths teacher who showed me this book to be the foundation of her teachings to all the children in Year 3 (7/8 year olds) I knew that this, together with Books 2 to 6, would be the ideal support for homework assistance. Until I bought this from Amazon, I had no guidelines at all and didn't know if the arithmetic I was 'teaching' at home was too hard, too easy or just plain useless. Now with this book I have the perfect assistant, because I know that the specific topics covered and the level of difficulty is exactly matched to what my daughter is studying at school, so it's an excellent revisionary tool, and it's even enjoyable too! Strongly recommended, I have no doubt that with regular use of this book at home my daughter, and her younger sister when her time comes, will have a much better chance of making the necessary grade in Year 6 and go on to our local grammar school. Sounds a bit over-the-top, but in its way, this little bo