006 and a Half: A Daisy Book - Hardcover

Kes Gray was called one of the top ten children’s authors in the U.K. by The Independent. His book Eat Your Peas, the first of several titles in the acclaimed Daisy series, won the coveted overall prize at the 2001 Children’s Book Awards. Kes also works as an advertising copywriter. He lives in Essex, England, with his wife and children.

Nick Sharratt has written and illustrated many books for children and won numerous awards for his picture books, including the 2001 Children’s Book Award for Eat Your Peas. He has also enjoyed great success illustrating Jacqueline Wilson’s award-winning books. Nick lives in Brighton, England.

In this new book about young Daisy, she is disguised with sunglasses and marker mustache, prepared with her "secret baddie zapper" (Mom's hairdryer), and ready to play spy--but the newly self-named 006 and a Half is soon frustrated when neither neighbor nor friend understands her secret spy language. Surely any spy knows "the ostriches will be swimming in tomato sauce this evening" means she wants ketchup-covered chicken nuggets for dinner. Returning home discouraged, Daisy encounters a mysterious, purple-mustached-and-bearded spy 0035 and a Half. It's Mom, who can share both coded language and cozy times. The droll, descriptive narrative conveys Daisy's playtime challenges, joys, and an affectionate mother-daughter relationship; colorful, cartoonish, simply rendered art is expressive, humorously contrasting what Daisy says and means in her secret language with the literal meanings others hear and visualize. Readers, kids and adults, will appreciate how Gray shows that family support and shared activities are rewarding on many levels. Shelle Rosenfeld
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