Cookie… and the Most Annoying Girl in the World

Written and illustrated by Konnie Huq
Published by Piccadilly Press
ISBN: 9781848128934
£10.99

People are hard to understand. They don’t say what they want and often they do say what they don’t want! Where do you start to learn this? At school, and this story is brilliant at showing you why people do these things and how best to deal with it. The perils and the emotional rollercoaster that is primary school life – Cookie shows children that they are not alone. The main character, Cookie, tells of her confused thoughts through words and pictures, as she continues to fall in and out with her friends at school. The main story revolves around Cookie trying to work out who she wants to be (friends with show-off Suzie, Aliana Tiny music fan or save the planet science nerd) and if she is confident enough to show that to the world.

Throughout the story, her best friend Keziah is a strong constant who helps her sort out her feelings, but what is up with her other best friend, Jake, he seems strange and less talkative? The first part of the story revolves around Cookie’s birthday and how she can make it different to Suzie’s. The second half of the story takes you to the mysterious F factor club that Cookie and friends join!

Having never read any Tom Gates style books before, I personally found the number of drawings annoying and distracting to the story; however, for a child who is just getting into reading or reading independently, I think this would help to make the book attractive and less intimidating. A great story for Lower Key Stage 2 (7-9 year olds) and with a previous story to enjoy in the series too, there is loads of sweet fun to have with Cookie.

There are already many brilliant activities at the back of the book for children to have a go at; however, for teachers out there, this story could be the easiest book to link to mathematics ever (typically a hard subject to teach in a cross curricular way) as there are lots of graphs to replicate or discuss; temperatures to interpret; budgeting to spend money your own party that you design yourself; the cost of presents; what is a million (8 million bits of plastic get into the sea everyday) and loads more!

As I said right at the beginning, the best thing about this book is its usefulness for teaching PSHE, as it’s all about understanding people’s feelings and reactions. Hot seating, conscience alley, role play would all real help children to understand the context of a particular part of the story from the different character’s point of views. I really want to know more about the famous singer: Aliana Tiny – what is the whole song like, what are those dance moves that Jake does, what are her concerts like? There could be a whole project here delving deeper into this unknown character – writing to her, creating her, finding out more about her life!

And best of all, while reading this story, you have the perfect excuse to eat cookies – you’re trying to get to know the main character better!

Thanks to the publishers, Piccadilly Press and the UKLA for sending me a hardback copy to review. A shorter review of this text will be found in the UKLA’s 4-11 magazine. And, congratulations to Konnie Huq.