Pants Book Review: Giles Andreae and Nick Sharratt's Rhyming Favourite

Pants book review: what the story is about

Children meet a parade of colourful animals who all wear different kinds of pants.

Elephants wear big, baggy pants and ants wear tiny, tight ones. Through clothing, the book celebrates diversity and individuality.

With catchy rhymes and bright pictures, it encourages young readers to embrace what makes them unique and to enjoy the differences that make each of us special.

Why children and parents love Pants

Children and parents like its playful storytelling, lively pictures and positive message about self-expression.

The funny take on animal fashion appeals to a child's sense of humour and sparks conversations about clothes and being yourself.

The catchy rhymes and repeated text make it easy for children to join in.

The illustrations

Nick Sharratt's pictures are bold, bright and full of quirky details. His style is known for being playful and expressive, and Pants is no exception.

Every page shows animals in different pants, from polka-dot bloomers to striped trousers. The pictures also show off each animal's features, from the elephant's long trunk to the ant's tiny antennae, which adds to the humour.

What age is Pants for?

Pants is a picture book for young children. The sturdy pages and large format make it good for story time and independent reading.

The illustrations and rhythmic text suit preschoolers and early readers who are learning about clothes and individuality.

Pants book for kids: how it helps development

• Language and vocabulary: children learn names for clothes and describe different types of pants.
• Diversity and self-expression: the story shows that what makes each person, or each animal, different is what makes them special.
• Imagination: children picture themselves in all sorts of pants and enter the world of the story.

Read-aloud tip Pause before the last word of each rhyme and let your child shout it out. Rhyming books like this build early reading confidence without feeling like a lesson.

About the author and illustrator

Giles Andreae is a prolific children's author known for witty rhymes and playful storytelling. Nick Sharratt is an award-winning illustrator acclaimed for his colourful, energetic artwork.

Similar books in this category

• "Shoes" by Elizabeth Winthrop
• "The Jacket I Wear in the Snow" by Shirley Neitzel
• "Hats, Hats, Hats" by Ann Morris

Gift it right: Pants as a birthday gift

A funny rhyming book is one of the surest books as birthday gifts for kids at the preschool stage, because it gets read again and again. Add animal name labels inside the cover and a zoo name sticker on the wrapping.

See all personalised book labels, more children's books, or our gifts for kids.

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