Lovely kids book!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

This is such a brilliant story for encouraging children to be brave and have courage to do things that they might find tricky. Mavis shows us all that there’s a spark of bravery inside us all that we just need to find to ignite! Great fun to read aloud - the rhyme romps along and the illustrations really capture Mavis and the other hens personalities. Highly recommended!

Mavis is a hen, confined to her barn by her fear of venturing out into the unknown. Despite the best efforts of her friends, she won’t leave the safety of her perch and her knitting. However, one day, when danger threatens and no-one else is there to fight for justice, she leaps into action, saves the day…..and discovers that the great outside holds less to fear than she thought. With vibrant illustrations and laugh-out-loud moments, this book is a fun way of introducing the topic of fear and how it can hold us back to under fives. Even the most timid of us can find courage when it counts…..Lots of fun!

Lu Fraser has fast become one of our favourite rhyming picture book authors. From The Littlest Yak to One Camel Called Doug (her previous collaboration with Sarah Warburton), her texts are always upbeat, fun and full of brilliantly memorable characters.

Mavis the Bravest is scared of everything. But when Sandra the sheep is stolen from the farm, can Mavis find the bravery she needs to save her friend..?

Feeling scared is such a relatable concept to young readers and with a clever play on the meaning of 'being chicken', Lu Fraser has created Mavis - an actual chicken who is feeling frightened of the big wide world outside her barn. With echoes of What The Ladybird Heard, there's some great action and adventure across the spreads with an empowering message at the end. We particularly loved the link between Sandra the sheep and Mavis' love of knitting and the illustrations by Sarah Warburton bring the whole story to life.

Absolutely adorable farm-set tale about finding your courage.

Fans of Chicken Run, Sean the Sheep and all animal stories really will LOVE this.

Mavis the hen is scared of everything. She hides away knitting (see the wonderful blankets the cows snooze under and the jumpers the hens all wear!), unable to face all her fears.

Until the night her friend (and wool provider) Sandra the sheep is stolen!!!!! Can Mavis find a touch of courage and rescue her?!

It's a totally wonderful mini-adventure, with perfect rhymes that naturally trip off the tongue and lots of visual humour in Warburton's fantastic illustrations.

The lesson is clear and perfect for bedtimes - there's bravery in us all.

As an adult I thoroughly enjoyed reading this aloud, and seeing small touches in the pictures (photos of a sheep in Mavis's nest). And who can't like a chicken called Mavis?!

For ages 3-7.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

This is a lovely story about a very nervous and timid chicken called Mavis, who is scared of everything, and prefers to stay at home click-clacking her knitting, instead of going out to experience the wide world. But, when a thief breaks into the farm and abducts Sandra the sheep – who is not only Mavis’s friend, but also the source of wool for her knitting – Mavis manages to find some bravery inside, and pushes herself into action. She uses her knitting to catch the thief and rescue Sandra, showing that she is in fact a brave chicken when she has to be:
“And there, in the star-dusted field, Mavis knew That wherever you go and whatever you do, When you need it the most, when you’re scared or faint-hearted, You CAN find the switch that gets bravery started . . . For, no matter how fearful, or feathery, or small, There’s a bright spark of braveness . . . … n s i d e us ALL!”
The story is in rhyming couplets, is beautifully illustrated, and is inspirational. The whole book gives me a ‘Chicken Run’ vibe, with the chicken knitting, and driving the tractor,, and Sandra looking like a relation to Shaun the Sheep. Indeed, I would love to see Aardman make a short film of ‘Mavis the Bravest’.
On the negative side, the words are not always clear: some sentences in light blue which could make the difficult to read for a new reader; a number of different fonts used (some maybe too small); too many apostrophes (to aid the rhyming, but confusing word identification); some words are not completed; and sentence formatting is all over the place. I read this book as a Kindle ARC on my computer. It is possible that some of these problems will be dealt with in the published hard copies. If the book is to be read to the child by an adult or other confident reader, then these problems might not be
I did really like the book, and, despite my misgivings outlined above, I will buy a paperback copy for my great-niece when it is published.

Another fabulous book from two of my favourites. I love this writer-illustrator duo! And this book is simply beautiful - a funny, uplifting, and comforting read that will reassure little readers who struggle to find that spark of courage inside and need to know that it absolutely IS there!

This is a delightful children's story for younger kids. Mavis and Marge are both chickens, friends who live together contentedly on a farm. But that's where the similarity between them ends.

Marge is brave and bold, and encourages Mavis to be the same. Unfortunately, Mavis is afraid of EVERYTHING. And she has no desire to leave her cosy barn and face the outside world, no matter how much Marge tries to get her to come out and experience life and join her in some adventure!

Happier to stay indoors and do her knitting, Mavis agonises over her shortcomings but seems unable to change. But she suddenly finds herself in a dilemma, when a thief comes to the farm and makes off with Mavis and Marge's friend, Sally the sheep.

Now it's all up to Mavis. Will she - *can* she - take action to try and save the sheep? Or will she take the coward's way out and sit tight in her comfortable corner of the barn?

Written in attractive rhyming sentences, this story will undoubtedly capture the attention of most young readers and listeners. One of the most appealing things about the book was the high standard of the illustrations. The artwork is beautifully done, with the expressions of the animals particularly well-conveyed. I loved the book and recommend it highly for the target age group.

This is a gorgeous book with a lovely story and some amazing illustrations. Very easy to read and a great bedtime story!

Another gorgeous book from Lu Fraser. This is one that both adults and children will enjoy - one of those rare gems that you will be happy to read at bedtime again and again.

Mavis the Bravest is a lovely book which both myself and my 6 year old son loved. The story is extremely enjoyable and we loved the characters. It is also beautifully illustrated.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children's for my ARC.

Mavis is a chicken who likes to contentedly and quietly sit and knit in her barn - away from the challenges of the world outside. Her friend Marge encourages her to be brave but she just can’t do it.But things change one night when Mavis is the call of Sandra the Sheep being stolen …now is the time for Mavis to find her inner strength… can she do it ?
Lu Fraser has followed up previous gems with another winner and with the wonderful illustrations of Sarah Warburton, this is a total delight from start to finish . Beautiful rhyming sentences and filled with humour, warmth and understanding make this a wonderful book for under 7s. The illustrations of Mavis happily knitting are adorable and the expressions on her face as she rescues Sandra are brilliant. a wonderful book for exploring emotions and those times when we have to confront our fears .
This is a book I’ll be recommending to family and friends and using with ks1 colleagues in school