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and then she will be better geared towards giving her children her best when they need it.

The illustrations accompanying the story are delightful, including those of the family parading one behind the other for the frontispiece and again after the story finishes. We can appreciate Mum's feelings when we see the mayhem at (and under) the breakfast table, and identify with her when we see her briefly relaxing in the bath, reading her paper and enjoying a cuppa.

Although first written more than twenty years ago, 'Five Minutes' Peace' is still tremendously popular today. It is one of those stories that can appeal to adults just as much as to children, and as such makes itself a perfect book for reading aloud. Dad does not appear in the story; he may of course be at work, but it may be that this is a single mum struggling to cope with the demands on her time. I would suggest that it is suitable for children aged between three- and six-years-old. It might also be suitable for confident young readers to have a bash at themselves. It's definitely the perfect book for demonstrating that Mums give their children their all, but there comes a time when they need to pamper themselves just a little.

Five Minutes' Peace
by Jill Murphy
Walker Books Ltd, 2006
Paperback, 32 pages
ISBN 1844285391

Learn more about this author, Liz Allen.
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