What Did Alex See? By Rute Nieto Ferreira and illustrated by Lucy Vigrass is a book that oozes talent.
The story was inspired by Columbia Road, East London. A street which is famous for its Sunday flower market. It is also where both the author and illustrator met and what a great team they make.
I adore the cheery front cover. The book title is rather clever and sounds almost like an invitation to a game, encouraging lots of interaction with each page. Little One (my 3 year old daughter) could not wait to find out all about Alex.
Alex with her school book bag in tow is excited for her new week. She’s a cute little dresser with a neat bob, rosy cheeks and adorable freckles. She invites us into her life and shows readers what she spots each day on her walk.
As Alex shares her observations, the day she sees them is mentioned and the word is always included within each double page.
This is such a fun learning aspect of the book. Something Little One is taking a lot from.
The language chosen is age appropriate for Little One and the things Alex spots incorporate colours, perfect for ickle readers. The book is visually a pleasure and with its use of rhyming make it a fun read to listen to also.
Each double page is an absolute joy and it feels like the book is layers and layers of gallery worthy illustrations. The use of vibrant colours and unique, quirky style of illustrating makes for an even more memorable read.
Rute Nieto Ferreira and Lucy Vigrass have created a happy and likeable character for young readers to accompany. Alex shows us brilliant finds on her daily walk and when Sunday comes the east London market is celebrated.
We love this book. It’s a simple story, completed brilliantly and will definitely make you smile. There is so much to enjoy and observe on each page. Little One and I look forward to seeing more work from Rute Nieto Ferreira and Lucy Vigrass.
Disclaimer: The publishers kindly sent me this book but words and opinions are entirely my own.
Thank you so much for your feedback! It means a lot to a small publishers to receive such high praise from readers. Thanks for promoting reading and beautiful, interesting picture books through your blog.
We’re a small press distribuiting our books directly to independent shops – it can be hard to get to all of them! If you’re interested in getting a copy but haven’t spotted ‘Alex’ anywhere, check out Amazon UK and our website towerblockbooks.com – we ship worldwide.
Thanks to Mamma Filz and her readers! Peace, love and picturebooks! xxx
Thank you so much! I am so excited to see what your publishing team produce next.