Stitch

by Padraig Kenny

★★★-

Review

Stitch is a fun, cheery and unique story about friendship and the importance of embracing who you are. Padraig Kenny has done an excellent job at bringing these sweet "monsters" to life and communicating the importance of celebrating difference and being true to yourself.

Although this book is on the shorter side, the pace is fast and there is plenty for the reader to enjoy. My favourite thing about this book is, of course, Stitch. An experimental "monster" created from pieces of others, Stitch reminds me of Frankenstein - although a lot more cute and friendly! He is beautifully honest and naive and is determined to be the optimist when the world around him is growing dark.

This is a great Halloween story (but not too spooky!) and could be enjoyed by both growing and confident readers. The only thing to note is that Stitch and his friend Henry often create their own bizarre words that are quick tricky to pronounce. This would be a great opportunity to model how to "sound out" unfamiliar words to developing readers, or show them that stories are only limited by the author's imagination. 

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Key information 

Author: Padraig Kenny 

Release Date: 4th January 2024

Book type: Chapter, 208 pages, paperback

Reader level: Confident (content 8+)

Overview

Stitch is not a monster – he’s a creation.

He and his friend Henry Oaf were brought to life by the genius Professor Hardacre, and have spent all their days in a castle deep in the woods, far from humankind. But when the Professor dies and his pompous nephew comes to take over the laboratory, they soon find out that his sights are set not on scientific discovery, but personal glory. And Henry is his next experiment.

Can Stitch and Henry escape his clutches and make their way in a world they were never built for – and may never be ready for them?

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