But instead of keeping him safe, the cotton wool attracts the attention of all the fierce, scary critters out there! There stands Colin, happy as you please, and there's his mother, staring at an acorn as if it was the sword of Damocles incarnate. This entry was posted in Picture Book Love and tagged favourite illustrators, fiction, Jeanne Willis, making connections, picture books, Tony Ross by carriegelson.

Author Jeanne Willis has written over 80 children's books from picture books and stories for younger readers to teen novels. She had her first picture book published by Andersen at the age of 21, and has won the Silver Medal Smarties Prize ( Tadpole's Promise), the Nasen Special Needs Award ( Susan Laughs), the Sheffield Children's Book Award ( Who’s in The Loo) and the Red House Children's Book Award ( Bottoms Up). Overprotect your offspring and watch them succumb to the evils of the world MUCH FASTER than if you'd merely let them take their lumps along the way. He is perhaps best known for his much-loved Little Princess series, which has been adapted for TV and is currently showing on Channel 5s Milkshake, and for his collaboration on David Walliams’ best-selling children’s books.

But soon enough he realizes that the cotton is a bit more of a hindrance than anyone could have imagined. As for the writing itself, Willis has a sweet straightforward style that keeps this book from sounding like anything more than a really cool story. Jeanne has also worked on scripts for TV, including POLLY POCKET and THE SLOW NORRIS, and a pilot TV series for DR XARGLE. Afraid that her smallest child, Colin, will be hurt if he goes outside or plays, a mother mouse insists that he sit quietly indoors until his grandmother suggests wrapping him in cotton wool, which proves to be effective, but in a most unexpected way. But with packaging this nice, and writing this good, Cottonball Colin is the exception that proves the rule.

As Colin has adventures throughout the day he loses bits of his cotton here and there but he survives! She has won several awards, including the Children's Book Award, the Silver Smarties Prize and has also been shortlisted for the Whitbread Award. Tony’s books have been shortlisted for the The Laugh Out Loud Book Awards ( Slug Needs a Hug) and the Kate Greenaway ( Dr Xargle's Book of Earth Tiggers), and Tadpole’s Promise won the Silver Medal Smarties Prize.

This is a story about a kid who ends the book by walking off into the sunset to find his own way, dangers all around. I did love this book as it has an excellent theme of the fact that just because you are small and insignificant in the eyes of some, doesn't mean you are if you believe in yourself and try new things.

It is about the smallest mouse that is wrapped up in cottonwool by his mum so that nothing happens to him, yet he goes on to have an adventure. A little message, not too subtly brought home, but it's in the nature of a fable so it doesn't bother us, and the ending is very empowering to the child reader. His mother refuses to let him play outside with his brothers and sisters unless he is wrapped in a big fluffy ball of cotton wool. He has been named as the best-selling illustrator in the UK for three years in a row, and he is the UK’s libraries' most-borrowed illustrator. A sweet story that helps children see why parents can be so protective, and that we may need to prove to our parents over time that we can be independent.This book is perfect for a graduate and/or the protective parent such as myself, and was thinking to myself while reading that I could soooo relate to what was written about the mama mouse. What I love about this book is that it sets up a pretty clear message without pandering to its audience. I am a teacher but I am also a Mom and I have to admit that, like Colin, my students are probably smarter than me on this one! I do not find that it is something that a child could really get into, but I would still recommend to give as a gift to those who are getting ready to explore and/or for those who may fear the exploration that their child is preparing to endure. Due to his size his mother did not like him adventuring out in case he got hurt, until they came up with a plan and wrapped him all up with cotton wool, so not to get hurt.