May 2009

The Australian Women's Weekly. KIDS' Perfect Party Book.
Australia: ACP Books, 2007.

My personal feeling about parties is that the pictures of the event should be great and so serve as excellent memories of a fantastic day. The Australian Women's Weekly KIDS' Perfect Party Book aims to help parents organise a picture-perfect party and still be able to enjoy the day as much as the little people. By following the subtle hints and tips suggested throughout the book, your party photos are sure to be remarkable!

Within the pages of the KIDS' Perfect Party Book, you will find thorough instructions for 10 different themed parties for boys and girls from 2 to 10 years of age.

The themes covered are:

* sugar & spice
* young chef
* ghosts and spooks
* glitz and glamour
* fairies
* wizards & witches
* jungle beat
* celebrity party
* by the sea
* disco


Unlike some party books that originate overseas, KIDS' Perfect Party Book has sensible recommendations as to where to look for the paraphenalia suggested for each party, so you won't be left pulling your hair out wondering where you will find the South African equivalent to whatever has been advised.


All recipes quote metric measurements and are very comprehensive. However, if you prefer imperial measurements, a conversion chart is supplied. What is especially handy, for the parent who wants to get as much done before hand as possible, storage times are given alongside each recipe, so you know how long before the big event you can bake your goodies without them going off.


Apart from the theme-specific party foods attached to each party description KIDS' Perfect Party Book has an added extra: a collection of well-loved, tried and tested, child-approved party treats with easy to follow recipes. From sausage rolls to candied popcorn, your little party guests will have very happy tummies if you offer them any of the delightful treats listed. As for birthday cake tips, the KIDS' Perfect Party Book goes so far as to explain the best ways to get the best results when baking your own cakes. From pan preparation to baking more than one cake at a time, you can't go wrong with the KIDS' Perfect Party Book as your trusty guide.


And just when you're convinced that this really is the perfect party book, it gets better. Tucked away in the back cover is a pattern sheet with traceable patterns for cakes, decorations, and invitations that have been beautifully photographed and displayed between the covers of this highly recommended party planning book. Truly, all the schlep of planning the perfect party for your little one has been swept away with this super celebration manual. You can't go wrong having the KIDS' Perfect Party Book in your party planning library.

Happy Parties!
*SHELLY SHINDIG*
Resident Bookworm

Click here to add The Australian Women's Weekly KIDS' Perfect Party Book to your party book library now!

April 2009

Cicely Mary Barker.

How to Host a Flower Fairy Tea Party.

United States of America: Frederick Warne and Company, 2005.

I really love How to Host a Flower Fairy Tea Party! Not only is it a visually enchanting book, but it also makes for a super pre-party present for the birthday girl to be.

This whimsical party guide is almost written as a letter to the birthday girl herself, instructing her on how to throw the best flower fairy party ever.

Each page of this thorough party guide is full of delightful Cicely Mary Barker illustrations to captivate the imaginations of both the party planner and her mother.

From the butterfly invitations, to the very simple recipes for a magical Flower Fairy Feast, from venue decoration tips to crafty party activities, How to Host a Flower Fairy Tea Party covers all the essential aspects of planning a perfect fairy party. After a collection of delightful party game suggestions, the guide even includes some essential party planning checklists and time management tools. The activities and suggestions in this guide are more than ample to entertain a small to medium sized group of young sprites.

But, what I really loved most about How to Host a Flower Fairy Party, was not the Flower Fairy's Guide to Good Manners, or the instructions for a special Fairy Keepsake Party Reminder, it wasn't even the little "hand written" reminders from the Flower Fairies to the party planner; what I really loved was the bonus paper-doll-style pop-outs found in the center of the book. This value-added extra provides the party planner with sufficient invitations, name places and fairy table decor for a party of four celebrating sprites, including a stand-alone Flower Fairy Feast menu. (For parties of more than four fairies, these pop-outs should be colour copied and duplicated to supply an adequate number of invites and place names.)

All in all, How to Host A Flower Fairy Tea Party is an absolutely stunning party planning book. I'd suggest that any little fairy princess from the age of five and up will get the most value out of this book. But, that said, any smaller fairy's mum will get loads of fairy inspiration from the pages of this book.

Happy Parties!
*SHELLY SHINDIG*
Resident Bookworm

Click here to add Cicely Mary Barker's How to Host a Flower Fairy Tea Party to your party book library now!