Hop To It Book Tour
Cover Blurb
Hop To It is a perfect book to share with your young child. Woodstock and Churchill, two loveable dogs, rescue an injured baby rabbit called Alfie. Then Mrs Rabbit invites them to a magical woodland tea party, where they make lots of new animal friends.
Other Titles By the Author
Author Bio
Michael McCarthy was born 1976 in Liverpool, is registered blind, hemiplegic and has learning difficulties. Aged 8 he had a near fatal accident which left him physically and mentally challenged. After spending many months in a coma/semi-coma state, he endured hours of painful physiotherapy which eventually led to him being able to walk again. Michael is a very purposeful character and has overcome great adversity.
His sheer determination has led him to achieve completing the London Marathon, climbing mountains, competing in a London to Paris bike ride challenge, a swimming gold medal in the Special Olympics, Great North Run twice, visiting Kenya to help the Street Kids plus raising funds for charity. Michael asked, "How can I become famous like Roald Dahl?" "You need to write a book first," was the reply. The ambition has now been realised, with great success, in this series of books describing the adventures of two mischievous dogs. Woodstock and Churchill's personalities are based on two real dogs which have been in his life. Michael tells his stories to a friend Catherine Brown who transcribes for him. The team is complete with Rob Bennett creating magical and colourful illustrations that make the stories jump off the page.
The Book Tour
Day 1 - Favourite Quotes
Day 2 - Character Summaries
Woodstock and Churchill - It’s cute that the dogs’ sleepy natures don’t mean that they don’t care for the other animals. They work quite hard to help them when necessary. I also like the joyful expressions in their illustrations. My daughter LOVES the design of all of the dogs, rabbits, and fox especially. Their happy faces combined with sweet characterisation makes it appealing for her to revisit. (Angel Wiebenga)
Churchill - He shows the gentler side to an animal who instinctively acts. I love dogs anyway so I warmed to the ones in this story immediately. Both Churchill and Woodstock are hard working ,occasionally sleepy dogs which I found very endearing. They are the type of dogs that make you want to put your arms around them. (Eileen Tilley)
Alfie - My kids’ favourite character was the bunny Alfie, who was saved by Woodstock and Churchill. They like how cute he is and his big family of brothers and sisters. I personally connected more to the dogs Woodstock and Churchill, who helped Alfie and showed him kindness. They were then rewarded by getting invited to tea and given the opportunity to meet many more new friends. I think that it’s important to teach kindness to others regardless of what may come of it, and the dogs did a wonderful job of this. (Sarah Richardson)
The Badgers - The badgers were my favourite of the characters that we met in this children’s picture book. They really know how to party! (Tim Marshall)
Alfie - The little rabbit Alfie is certainly the furry character that appealed to me in this picture book; if I saw two great big farm dogs bounding towards me, I think I’d leg it too! Described as a baby, readers will be uttering an ‘awww’ when our heroes find him hurt and frightened. You can’t help but feel sorry for him and his poorly paw, and I’m sure his tale will inspire children to keep an eye out for fallen logs while out in nature. After all, they could trap another poor little bunny! Over the course of the story, our timid friend is won over by the kindness of the hounds and gives them his own special message of thanks teaching children the valuable lesson of not judging someone by their first appearance. (Josephine Park)
Charlie the Farmer - He shows great responsibility looking after his animals and seems tolerant of the fact he has two sleepy dogs on his hands! (Michelle Marshall)
Woodstock and Churchill - I love these two dogs for their compassion and gentle behaviour when they take care of Alfie, their vibrant spirit as they party with the other woodland creatures, and that they both like to have a good snooze and clearly enjoy their nap times! (Kirsty McKay)
Day 3 - Favourite Excerpts
Out pops Mrs Rabbit, his brothers and sisters too, “Oh welcome home dear Alfie, we’ve all been looking for you!” (As a parent I could really relate to the relief Mrs Rabbit would feel at having her child home safe.) (Sarah Richardson)
This is Charlie the farmer, He looks after all his sheep, Woodstock and Churchill help him, But they sometimes go to sleep! (Josephine Park)
At last the party is over and Alfie snuggles up to the dogs. "Thank you so much for saving me, I must be more careful of logs!" (Michelle Marshall)
Eating goes on with acorn jam, dripping off hot buttered crumpets. Soon the singing and dancing begins, to music by badgers on trumpets! (Kirsty McKay)
Day 4 - Video Interview
Day 5 - Reviews
Overall rating: 5 stars. A sweetly fanciful short read perfect for early readers and animal lovers. The illustrations are simply beautiful and very identifiable. The prose has a pleasant rhyming scheme and the story is very heart-warming. (Angel Wiebenga)
Overall rating: 5 stars. This children’s book was a joy to read. I loved the tale of interaction between the animals and the illustrations were so lovely. The rhyming really helped the story to flow. (Eileen Tilley)
Overall rating: 5 stars. All three of my kids (ages 2, 6 and 7) enjoyed the story. My 2 year old was particularly mesmerised. The only complaint from the older children was that it felt too short. My own objection was that some of the rhymes did not flow properly with my North American accent (for instance, “paw” and “sore”); but I did not let that detract from the overall story. Our favourite part was the tea party, with the delicious food, singing, and dancing. Altogether it was a very fun, enjoyable story. (Sarah Richardson)
Overall rating: 5 stars. Hop To It is a well-crafted book, with a lovely board book design and cute illustrations by Rob Bennett. The storyline is sweet, and I think it’s got a wonderful and vibrant art style perfect for sharing with toddlers. It’s a celebration of kindness and care for others. My only real caveat with recommending it is the fact that it bears reading in an English accent to really suit the rhyming scheme, which may be a bit unnatural for international readers! (Tim Marshall)
Overall rating: 5 stars. British countryside and woodland creatures mixed with a rescue mission and fantastic party: what more could a child want in a picture book? Our two unlikely heroes, Churchill and Woodstock the farm dogs, are thrown a party of thanks after they rescue poor baby Alfie the rabbit. Most readers will have the preconceived stereotypical narrative that farm dogs are there to work and protect, but Michael McCarthy really paints them in a different light as slightly lazy yet kindhearted mutts. This curveball helps deliver the important themes of the book, those of kindness and not judging a book by its cover. What’s more, the dialogue reflects the nature of the characters and I’m quite sure that most young children will be howling along to, ‘Thaaank youuuuu!’ Told entirely through rhyme, the book mostly delivers on rhythm with just the odd line here or there deviating from the set beat. The rhyming verse is uplifting and pacy and will certainly appeal to younger readers, as will the wonderful illustrations that accompany it. Bold outlines and countryside colours adorn the pages that are filled with images bringing the story to life. Perfect for young readers, this book is adept in teaching the value of kindness and gratitude. I’m sure children will delight in the subtle humour as well as feel a sense of satisfaction regarding the outcomes of the tale. (Josephine Park)
Overall rating: 5 stars. This book is a real gem. I'm well outside the target age range and don't have children myself, but I still found reading this delightful story a treat. The characters are charming, the message is sweet and positive and the illustrations are a feast for the eyes. I'd recommend this book to preschoolers or anyone who is still young at heart! (Michelle Marshall)
Overall rating: 5 stars. A sweet and enchanting, beautifully illustrated, rhyming, children's book for little readers, with adorable characters, and a positive message about kindness, compassion for others, and having fun together. My grandchildren will simply adore this heartwarming tale. (Kirsty McKay)
Book Tour Reviewers
