THE UGLY FIVE

By JULIA DONALDSON Alison Green Books Meet Wildebeest and Warthog, Spotted Hyena, Lappet-Faced Vulture and Marabou Stork. People call them “the Ugly Five”, but instead of being offended by the title the motley crew team up and show that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.

“The thing about The Ugly Five is that they aren’t ashamed of being ugly. They’re actually quite proud of it. So perhaps it’s reclaiming the word ‘ugly’,” Julia says.

Yes, there’s a message – that it’s what’s inside that really counts – but Julia has great fun getting it across with clever rhymes and cheeky jokes. Kids in the four-to-seven age group will hang on every word. The book is due out at the end of September.