Read with my 9yo.
A very engaging, relevant and funny book with excellent art.
The design works well for the story.
We look forward to the next chapters in this series.

Much as we know we shouldn’t, many of us take great delight in other people’s misfortunes. I’m not talking about the truly dreadful things that happen – they are no laughing matter – but those little things that are probably no more than an inconvenience and are quickly forgotten by those they affect but cause enormous hilarity to those in close proximity to the action, who think there but for the grace of God…,

In this, the first of a new series for younger readers, children will be able to revel in the hilarious series of unfortunate events that affects its protagonist Daffodil Patterson as she tries to undertake that most important of tasks – celebrating her birthday – only to suffer blow after blow that threaten to make it an unmitigated disaster. Wonderfully written and illustrated, this is a read that those in KS1 will adore as a read aloud and will also appeal hugely to those in KS2 who are growing in confidence tackling solo reads, or who just want a fun, short story.

At the age of almost eight, like her peers, Daffodil just wants to have fun but is confused that four days before her birthday, it has yet to be mentioned by her loved ones. Prompted by best friend Nirmal, Daffodil takes the bull by the horns and approaches the subject with her mother, only to discover that it has slipped everyone’s minds and nothing is planned. Coming up with a list of potential presents, Daffodil is disappointed that they don’t appear to be the sort of thing that she will be receiving but is heartened by her mum’s promise to think about potentially getting a pet.

As the big day approaches, Daffodil does her best to arrange a party for herself and obtain a suitable cake to share but she hasn’t reckoned on either the apathy of her family or the arrival of Colin the dog throwing multiple spanners in the works. Can she somehow get her family on board with her plans to make her celebration something to remember? And if she can’t, will it end up being memorable for all the wrong reasons?

Although I know the author’s name by reputation, this is the first of her stories that I’ve read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Daffodil is the sort of character that many children will recognise – she simply wants to have fun and doesn’t think it unreasonable that hitting the great age of eight is marked, if not in the most elaborate of ways then with a simple party and some sort of gift that is something that she will appreciate. With her older siblings and parents too wrapped up in their own lives to join in with not just the milestone itself but also the buildup that most children anticipate sharing with their family, everything else that comes along to torment her makes her week a miserable one.

Written as a diary, we can take our pleasure in watching everything that happens, knowing that in actual fact nothing is so dreadful that it cannot be overcome, and full of hope that all will be right in the end. This balance between readers laughing at Daffodil’s constant misfortune and wanting her, actually, to have the sort of birthday that they themselves would like is a difficult one to get right and here Joanna Nadin is spot on in her writing.

Accompanying her text are Rikin Parekh’s illustrations which echo the story perfectly and are very humorous in their own right, adding hugely to the pleasure gained from reading the story, which at 176 pages is perfect for those looking for short chapter books. With Book 2, The Worst Show Ever, to look forward to in July next year, I’m sure that this is a series that will prove to be very popular indeed.

My enormous thanks go to publisher Bloomsbury and to NetGalley for my virtual, advance read. Disaster Diaries: The Worst Birthday Ever publishes 16th January.