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The Great Paper CaperOliver Jeffers
The Great Paper Caper
by Oliver Jeffers
Trees are disappearing from the forest overnight and every animal is a suspect, until the culprit's reason turns out to be a paper aeroplane contest.
A story about animals, funny and wry in tone. We would put it with children of 4–7, and at a reading age of about 6 for reading alone.
Nothing flagged
We have not flagged any content in this one that a parent would usually want warning about.
Our take on this book
Branches, and then whole trees, are vanishing from the forest overnight; the animals accuse one another and the mystery deepens, until the culprit is unmasked and his reason — a desperate, doomed campaign to win a paper-aeroplane contest — turns out to be oddly sympathetic. Oliver Jeffers gives this one a whodunit shape, complete with suspects and clues, and then swerves into something warmer: the villain is not wicked, just lonely and hopeless at making paper planes, and the ending has the whole forest pitch in to help. The humour is dry and the pictures are full of small jokes to find. There is nothing frightening in it; the crime is against trees, and it is put right. For a four- to seven-year-old it is a funny, gently mysterious read with a kind heart underneath, and a nice quiet nudge about waste and putting things right that never turns into a lecture.
If they like this, try these
Chosen by matching age, reading age, tone and subject — not by what is selling.
This Moose Belongs to MeOliver Jeffers
I Want My Hat BackJon Klassen
This Is Not My HatJon Klassen
Meerkat MailEmily Gravett
Mr Wolf's PancakesJan Fearnley
Or let them write their own.
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Find another book
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