One Year with Kipper

Kipper the Dog

by Mick Inkpen

Kipper has made a new year resolution not to throw snowballs at Tiger. He manages to keep to this for a whole month, but in February it snows! This wonderful picture book explores the fun that Kipper and Tiger have every month of the year, through the photos that Kipper takes. And at the end of the year, Kipper finds out that Tiger has a long memory and hasn't forgotten the snowball in February!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2006

About the author

Mick Inkpen is one of the most popular author/illustrators in the world. His books have sold over 4 million copies, and have been translated into over twenty different languages. His best-loved characters are probably Kipper and Wibbly Pig – who are both stars of their very own TV series!

He began his career as a graphic designer, and worked with another children’s author Nick Butterworth (of Percy the Park Keeper fame) on a cartoon strip for the Sunday Express. In 1989 The Blue Balloon was published to great acclaim, and established him as an important and original voice in children’s picture books. He and his wife, Debbie, also had children of their own by this point: “Without the experience of having children of my own I doubt that I would have been capable of writing effectively for children. And yet it’s true that good work really springs from trying to please yourself”

Mick lives in Essex with his wife and two children.

He began his career as a graphic designer, declining a place to study English at Cambridge University. During this period he worked with Nick Butterworth, a fellow children’s author, from whom he learned design and typography. Together they developed a cartoon strip for the Sunday Express magazine, later to become a first series of children’s picture books. They also worked in children’s television.

In 1989 The Blue Balloon established him as a truly original voice in children’s picture books, by which time Mick and his wife Debbie had two children of their own. “Without the experience of having children of my own I doubt that I would have been capable of writing effectively for children. And yet it’s true that good work really springs from trying to please yourself”

Reviews

[J.P. Ashman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did the job and satisfied the toddler. Quite enjoyed it myself! Lovely artwork and a funny ending. Spot on.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely children’s story enjoyed by grandad.

[Khansa Baig · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kipper has a new camera and starts the year as he means to go on, by taking photographs during each month so he doesn't forget what he and his best friend Tiger got up to.

Mick Inkpen's illustrations and text will be familiar to many readers as they learn about the cycle of the seasons and months and the traditions and characteristics that go with them.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kipper's just so adorable, and this is a sweet story. My kid loves Kipper so much. I do appreciate the large font in all the Kipper books - they'll be easy for him to read himself someday. We've read it SO MANY TIMES.

[Joanna McQueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought a bunch of Kipper books for my classroom library. Of course I had to read them before I took them to school. I just love a Kipper story. And the children do to.

I liked this one as it’s be a great book to help children Leanne/understand the months in a year.

[G Mokshith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read this book

[noora · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like November page the most because it’s my birthday

[Tapani Aulu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tessu ja Tiikeri ottavat yhden kuvan joka kuukausi ja lopussa niistä tehdään juliste. Kiva idea ja hyvä toteutuskin.

[Laura Marie Gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book with my Year 1 class when we were looking at the different seasons of the year. In this book, Kipper and his friend Tiger take one photograph each month of their favourite activity, and these are all displayed beautifully in a collage at the end of the book. The children loved looking at the pictures and we discussed what the weather was like in each photograph and compared weathers from different times of the year. The book mentions that there was a thunderstorm in July which the children were a bit puzzled by, so this of course led to even more discussion! I also loved the collage at the end of the book and would love to do something similar next year with my class.

[Library Quine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A useful book for storytimes as it covers New Year's resolutions, the seasons as well as friendship. Kipper, the adorable dog is joined by a fellow canine, Tiger. Mick Inkpen's drawings are clear and simple, but with lots of extra things to talk about. My only criticisms would be that the book was slightly long as a read around for 3s and 4s, and I did omit some of the text and the circular nature aspect of the story wasn't as obvious as it might have been.
Read to Nursery Classes RBG 13/Jan/12.

[Trish Butler · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the Kipper books (like the series) are excellently written. The images are simple for young eyes to capture the essential details and the text is a good size and simple to follow without being dumbed-down. Kipper stories are always fun, humorous, and they show Kipper to be a good friend who can laugh, but is not mean. I still love Kipper, even though my daughter has grown. He is curious and gentle. Thank you, Mick Inkpen!

[Rebecca Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a great book for KS1. As Kipper and Tiger take photographs of what they did throughout the whole year, this would generate lots of discussion with the children; they could relate to some of the activities that they did on a personal level.