Book Review: The Adventures of Jenny and Philip by Dawn-Maria France

A Girl and Her Cat​

By Gretchen Gales

Though many people seem to think the contrary, children's literature can be hard to write. After all, it is a lot harder than it looks to create a meaningful story to keep the attention of young minds. That's why The Adventures of Jenny and Philip: We All Need Friends is impressive for presenting a simple but unique narrative: that of a young girl who, with her wise cat, navigates the world around her and the impact of her choices. 

The book is written by a former Yorkshire youth worker who is now an award-winning journalist: broadcaster Dawn-Maria France. Jacqueline Tee illustrated the book. It is a sequel to The Adventures of Jenny and Philip: The Naughtiest Girl in the World, and though Jenny learned a valuable lesson in the first book, she still has much to learn in the latest installment. The books are written for children ages 4 to 7, but they have a message that everyone can embrace: Empathy can take you far in life.

Jenny is a girl who lives in Yorkshire with her uncle and aunt and has quite the temper. If she doesn't get her way, she throws a fit and has to sit on the "naughty step." As you can imagine, she's there pretty often. Her best friend and confidant Philip is a white Persian cat. In the book, Jenny meets a new friend who moves in the house next door, but is jealous of his cousin. What happens next causes Jenny to think long and hard about the consequences of only thinking for herself. Overall, The Adventures of Jenny and Philip are sweet, yet realistic reminders to be kind, always. 

You can purchase both of the books on Amazon here: 
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