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Sunny the Meerkat #1
Meerkat Mail
Sunny the meerkat lives with his enormous family in the Kalahari desert. They are all very close... so close, in fact, that one day Sunny decides he`s had enough and packs his bags. He`s off to visit his mongoose cousins. But from the watery world of the Marsh Mongoose to the nocturnal lifestyle of the Malagasy Mongoose, Sunny just doesn`t fit in. And who`s that shadowy figure who seems to be following him around? Another brilliant picture book from the creator of the incredible WOLVES, winner of the 2005 Kate Greenaway Medal.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Emily Gravett
56 books268 followersEmily Gravett is twice winner of the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal and the Nestlé Children's Book Prize Bronze Award for WOLVES and LITTLE MOUSE'S BIG BOOK OF FEARS. An author/illustrator of unique talent and tremendous skill, she has a host of critically acclaimed books to her name, including BLUE CHAMELEON, WOLF WON'T BITE! and AGAIN! Emily lives in Brighton with her partner and their daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 reviews
April 10, 2019
Read in a Doctor's waiting room, this is a very cute children's picture book about Sunny the Meerkat who gets tired of his extended over-exuberant close knit family in the desert and goes off to visit relatives all over the world looking for a better place to live. He sends back a postcard from each place he stays, inserted into the book as a flap for children to lift and read the message on the back. He discovers lots of places that are too dangerous, too dark, too cold, too itchy (anthill) or too lonely for him and of course in the end realises there is no place like home.
June 1, 2009
I love meerkats and I love getting mail, so perhaps my expectations were a tad too high for this book as I didn't quite love it as much as I wanted to. Even so, I did thoroughly enjoy it. Here is the story of Sunny the Meerkat who lives in a desert in Africa where his family always does everything together--and sometimes he finds it just a bit too hot and too crowded so one day he decides to go on a trip to visit all his mongoose relatives around the world. He sends postcards home to his family and at first they are full of enthusiasm, but as the trip goes on and he has to stay with family who stay up all night, to those that live in swamps, to those who eat eggs off farms, he decides that maybe his own family is just right for him! There are "real" postcards taped to every page (what fun!) complete with stamps and postmarks! :-) They also have a little blurb (in the space usually reserved for the description of the postcard artwork) about the particular mongoose species being portrayed on the postcard so it's informative, too.
June 24, 2009
I loved the idea of this book. It's a story about a meerkat who gets tired of where he lives and travels to all his relatives homes and sends back postcards.
There are lots of really good aspects to this book: the fun illustrations, the great "realistic" postcards, the information garnered from reading the descriptions from the postcards, the cute "postmarks" and the sweet ending.
But, there were a few bummers: the writing wasn't always incredible (though it was good), and what bothered me the most was how after a while the author quit naming the "relatives" that our meerkat would visit. So, while we started out learning "that is what a meerkat looks like, that is what a mongoose looks like, etc" by the end I was like, "What animal is that?"
But, overall a very fun and creative read, and there's lots to discover on each page!
There are lots of really good aspects to this book: the fun illustrations, the great "realistic" postcards, the information garnered from reading the descriptions from the postcards, the cute "postmarks" and the sweet ending.
But, there were a few bummers: the writing wasn't always incredible (though it was good), and what bothered me the most was how after a while the author quit naming the "relatives" that our meerkat would visit. So, while we started out learning "that is what a meerkat looks like, that is what a mongoose looks like, etc" by the end I was like, "What animal is that?"
But, overall a very fun and creative read, and there's lots to discover on each page!
March 23, 2018
Great book for kids, with lots of hidden writing to read.
September 12, 2019
Meerkat mobs tends to stick together - playing together, eating together, even sleeping together - and Sunny's family, living in the hot, dry Kalahari Desert, is no exception. Deciding one day that they are a little too close, and that he would like to live somewhere else, Sunny sets off to find the perfect place, assuring his family that he will stay with relatives along the way. And so begins a journey that will take him to a variety of homes - some too small, others too exposed - and a plethora of places - some too rainy, some too itchy (life in a termite hole can be a challenge!) - none of which are just right. Chronicling his travels through postcards home, Sunny wanders far and wide, becoming increasingly dissatisfied, until eventually he finds his way to a place where he truly belongs...
This sweet tale of discovery, of journeying to find something, and then returning home to it at last, was one of the August selections, over in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "traveling." As with the other Emily Gravett books I have read, I found the artwork here charming - her meerkats are adorable, and her lurking jackal suitably sinister - and I also appreciated the innovative design, in which Sunny's postcards are attached to the page, making a "lift-the-flap" experience for readers. I liked the way in which Sunny's evolving feelings about home, and about where he is when writing each postcard, is reflected in the address he uses to mail them. All in all, an engaging little tale, one ideally suited for young children who dream of exploring the wide world, but still need the reassurance that home will always be there.
This sweet tale of discovery, of journeying to find something, and then returning home to it at last, was one of the August selections, over in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "traveling." As with the other Emily Gravett books I have read, I found the artwork here charming - her meerkats are adorable, and her lurking jackal suitably sinister - and I also appreciated the innovative design, in which Sunny's postcards are attached to the page, making a "lift-the-flap" experience for readers. I liked the way in which Sunny's evolving feelings about home, and about where he is when writing each postcard, is reflected in the address he uses to mail them. All in all, an engaging little tale, one ideally suited for young children who dream of exploring the wide world, but still need the reassurance that home will always be there.
August 22, 2012
This is an entertaining and humourous account of Sunny the Meerkat's journey to visit his relatives. Similar in content (if not in style) to the story Marsupial Sue Book and CD, the story explores the differences between the related animals. We liked learning about the various animals and their habitats and we loved reading the postcards. Overall, we really enjoyed reading this book together.
This story was selected as one of the books for the August 2012 - Traveling reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
This story was selected as one of the books for the August 2012 - Traveling reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
November 8, 2017
I really enjoyed the illustrations, pop outs and moral of this book. Sunny's comically naïve journey to find the perfect place starts and ends at home. This would be a lovely story to use while studying habitats and for pupils to write their own postcards. However, it is equally as brilliant to read for readings sake.
March 19, 2021
এমিলি গ্র্যাভেট তাঁর আঁকা বইগুলোর পাতায় পাতায় একাধারে-মিষ্টি-আর-বুদ্ধিদীপ্ত ছোট ছোট গল্পকণা এমনভাবে ছড়িয়ে দেন যে প্রতিটি বর্গইঞ্চি তন্নতন্ন করে পড়তে/দেখতে হয়। ফলে ছোট্ট একটা বই-ই হয়ে ওঠে বিরাট বিচরণভূমি। রবিবুড়োর 'তালগাছ' কবিতার গল্পটা যেন নতুন আলোয় পড়লাম মেরক্যাট মেইলে। গ্র্যাভেটের কাজ দেখে আবারও মুগ্ধ হলাম।
August 7, 2019
Probably my favourite children's book! I've encountered its use in Year 1 across multiple schools, but I think it'd work for any KS1 or KS2 class. Sunny is a meerkat, and he wants to get out of the Kalahari Desert and go on an adventure - ideally to somewhere colder. He goes on trips to various places, visiting different family members, and each time he writes a postcard to send to his family back home. Ultimately - spoiler alert - he decides that his home at the Kalahari Desert, where his family is, is the perfect choice. Meanwhile, and it's subtle, a Jackal stalks Sunny, *almost* catching him - it's most definitely the sub-plot, but it'll be interesting to see if the children notice it!
The most significant activity that this book inspires is English - writing postcards. In Year 1 classes, I've seen children write postcards *in the style of* Sunny, or writing *as if they were* Sunny, going on new adventures. One teacher took a toy Meerkat to her local park and took pictures of him doing various activities (e.g. climbing the monkey bars), then the children selected one or two of the pictures and wrote a postcard based on that. The older children could write more sophisticated postcards, while younger children could focus on following a pre-set template.
The other key link is to Geography - learning about the Kalahari Desert, and, in one class, they used that as a starting-off point to compare their local area to different countries which I think was a National Curriculum objective. Older children could perhaps select another animal from another location in the world, research that animal and location on Chromebooks/iPads, and write a series of postcards from that animal's perspective as it discovers unfamiliar environments. Or, perhaps as a September transition activity, children could use the postcard theme to write about their summer holidays.
Overall, it's an entertaining book, with pop-out postcards and a wonderful art style. Combined with a toy Meerkat, the possibilities for English, Geography and possibly even PSHE (families/growing independent) and Art are practically endless. There's some potential for EYFS engagement, too - perhaps a 'Post Office' continuous provision area could be set up, and a small postcard template printed off to write some sentences and then 'post' to the Kalahari Desert.
The most significant activity that this book inspires is English - writing postcards. In Year 1 classes, I've seen children write postcards *in the style of* Sunny, or writing *as if they were* Sunny, going on new adventures. One teacher took a toy Meerkat to her local park and took pictures of him doing various activities (e.g. climbing the monkey bars), then the children selected one or two of the pictures and wrote a postcard based on that. The older children could write more sophisticated postcards, while younger children could focus on following a pre-set template.
The other key link is to Geography - learning about the Kalahari Desert, and, in one class, they used that as a starting-off point to compare their local area to different countries which I think was a National Curriculum objective. Older children could perhaps select another animal from another location in the world, research that animal and location on Chromebooks/iPads, and write a series of postcards from that animal's perspective as it discovers unfamiliar environments. Or, perhaps as a September transition activity, children could use the postcard theme to write about their summer holidays.
Overall, it's an entertaining book, with pop-out postcards and a wonderful art style. Combined with a toy Meerkat, the possibilities for English, Geography and possibly even PSHE (families/growing independent) and Art are practically endless. There's some potential for EYFS engagement, too - perhaps a 'Post Office' continuous provision area could be set up, and a small postcard template printed off to write some sentences and then 'post' to the Kalahari Desert.
March 14, 2019
Extended reading diary focusing on learning opportunities: year 1 class
This is a sorry about a meerkat who gets fed up with the hot weather and crowded environment with all the other meerkats so decided to travel around Africa to find somewhere better to live.
This story was read to the class as an introduction to a week where the English lessons were focused on postcards. This links well as the meerkat sends a range of postcards back to his family throughout the story, modelling to the children the layout of a postcard and what kind of information they may include.
As the teacher read the book to the children she asked them questions such as ‘what do you think will happen next?’ and ‘how do you think he is feeling here?’. This encourages the children to think more deeply and engage with the story which should help them when they come to do the following tasks.
The teacher then when on to give each child a page with a range of different scenes throughout the book on and allowed the children to select their favourite scene. The children then wrote their own stories about what happened at this point in the book and how the characters would have felt. This made the children think more deeply about the story and gave them an opportunity to use their imagination to elaborate on what happened. Children who finished quicker chose a second scene to write about.
This could be expanded further by the children being put into groups based on which scene they selected and creating a drama piece based on the story. This could involve the use of both narrators and acting and could be recorded for the class to watch back in the order of the book.
Another follow up activity could involve the children writing their own postcards about what they would tell their loved ones if they were in one of the places from the book. This encourages the children to engage more deeply with the characters.
This is a sorry about a meerkat who gets fed up with the hot weather and crowded environment with all the other meerkats so decided to travel around Africa to find somewhere better to live.
This story was read to the class as an introduction to a week where the English lessons were focused on postcards. This links well as the meerkat sends a range of postcards back to his family throughout the story, modelling to the children the layout of a postcard and what kind of information they may include.
As the teacher read the book to the children she asked them questions such as ‘what do you think will happen next?’ and ‘how do you think he is feeling here?’. This encourages the children to think more deeply and engage with the story which should help them when they come to do the following tasks.
The teacher then when on to give each child a page with a range of different scenes throughout the book on and allowed the children to select their favourite scene. The children then wrote their own stories about what happened at this point in the book and how the characters would have felt. This made the children think more deeply about the story and gave them an opportunity to use their imagination to elaborate on what happened. Children who finished quicker chose a second scene to write about.
This could be expanded further by the children being put into groups based on which scene they selected and creating a drama piece based on the story. This could involve the use of both narrators and acting and could be recorded for the class to watch back in the order of the book.
Another follow up activity could involve the children writing their own postcards about what they would tell their loved ones if they were in one of the places from the book. This encourages the children to engage more deeply with the characters.
July 25, 2018
An exciting and interactive picture book that brings children on a journey alongside Sunny the Meerkat to find out where he belongs. Although, other picture books focus around telling stories like this with animals, the way that Gravett presents the narrative through postcards aids in making this story unique and exciting.
Although not all the characters in the novel are developed with the same level of personality as Sunny, children still feel engaged in the lives of them as they fulfil different roles within their habitat/ pack. Sunny presents a cheery personality that children can easily connect with, and the humour within his postcards carry a lighthearted feeling throughout the narrative. The postcards written within the book add an extra dimension to the text, as children can read these with an element of drama or use the knowledge from the postcard to explore the new setting that Sunny visited.
The main ideas in the book about family, aid in making the book relatable to children of this age. With children in the class, coming from different backgrounds and all having a different idea of what home is, this books allows for the discussion around this to open freely and would also allow for EAL pupils to be easily engaged in explaining how their home culture might be different, maybe allowing them to feel less isolated. Overall, I enjoyed this picture book and can see that it hold real potential to be used throughout KS1 in varying places in the curriculum.
THEMES: Home, Family, Journey, Animals, Discovery, Postcards/Letters.
Although not all the characters in the novel are developed with the same level of personality as Sunny, children still feel engaged in the lives of them as they fulfil different roles within their habitat/ pack. Sunny presents a cheery personality that children can easily connect with, and the humour within his postcards carry a lighthearted feeling throughout the narrative. The postcards written within the book add an extra dimension to the text, as children can read these with an element of drama or use the knowledge from the postcard to explore the new setting that Sunny visited.
The main ideas in the book about family, aid in making the book relatable to children of this age. With children in the class, coming from different backgrounds and all having a different idea of what home is, this books allows for the discussion around this to open freely and would also allow for EAL pupils to be easily engaged in explaining how their home culture might be different, maybe allowing them to feel less isolated. Overall, I enjoyed this picture book and can see that it hold real potential to be used throughout KS1 in varying places in the curriculum.
THEMES: Home, Family, Journey, Animals, Discovery, Postcards/Letters.
October 30, 2011
A charming new approach to early-years children’s literature.
I picked out this book because it is quite unorthodox because the majority of the story is told through a series of pop-up post-cards from the travelling meerkat, Sunny, to his family. Sunny thinks his home is too hot in the Calamari Desert and that his family are too close. He is bored by the day to day life of look-out duty and dreams of a different, ‘perfect’ life. So he packs his bags and leaves to visit his mongoose relatives all over Africa to see if he prefers their life-styles. We discover how different all of his relatives’ lives are through the pop-out postcards from each place he visits. We learn interesting facts about the different animals, such as that Hornbills warn mongooses of danger, so they don’t have guard-duty, like the meerkats. After all his travels Sunny arrives back home and decides his life was perfect as it was, and being near to his family is the best part of it.
The illustrations are beautiful and give real character to Sonny. I am sure children will love how the story is told through postcards, especially pop-out ones that they have to turn over to read. I would recommend this book for a reception aged child. Although there are some more complex newspaper articles in the front and back of the book that would almost definitely need to be read by a parent. Therefore this may be an excellent book that both parents and children can read together.
I picked out this book because it is quite unorthodox because the majority of the story is told through a series of pop-up post-cards from the travelling meerkat, Sunny, to his family. Sunny thinks his home is too hot in the Calamari Desert and that his family are too close. He is bored by the day to day life of look-out duty and dreams of a different, ‘perfect’ life. So he packs his bags and leaves to visit his mongoose relatives all over Africa to see if he prefers their life-styles. We discover how different all of his relatives’ lives are through the pop-out postcards from each place he visits. We learn interesting facts about the different animals, such as that Hornbills warn mongooses of danger, so they don’t have guard-duty, like the meerkats. After all his travels Sunny arrives back home and decides his life was perfect as it was, and being near to his family is the best part of it.
The illustrations are beautiful and give real character to Sonny. I am sure children will love how the story is told through postcards, especially pop-out ones that they have to turn over to read. I would recommend this book for a reception aged child. Although there are some more complex newspaper articles in the front and back of the book that would almost definitely need to be read by a parent. Therefore this may be an excellent book that both parents and children can read together.
August 8, 2012
Although Sunny loves his close-knit family of meerkats, sometimes it all just gets to be too much for him. There are too many relatives near by, and the desert is too hot. He decides to visit other relatives during the next week, and sends post cards telling how things are going. (The book contains actual postcards with messages written on them and facts about meerkats on the side.) As he endures too much rain, too much dark, and slimy food, he decides that there really is no place like home, and back he goes, grateful for all the annoyances (and comfort) his family provides. The endpapers even include family portraits of Sunny and his relatives just like you'd find in a photo album. Who says no one writes anymore?
September 12, 2012
I loved everything about this book. Gravett had a great concept and it was executed wonderfully. The postcards hold the interest of younger and older children/readers and the detailed illustrations are both accurate to the biome, intriguing, and add an element of humor to the story.
Sunny feels his home is too much of this and too much of that so he travels to different biomes with various family members looking for the perfect place to live. My favorite would have to be his stop with his cousins Scratch and Mitch...with them he encounters itchy termites and the illustration had my son and I literally laughing out loud. Of course, the ending is touching and many readers will be able to relate to Sunny.
Sunny feels his home is too much of this and too much of that so he travels to different biomes with various family members looking for the perfect place to live. My favorite would have to be his stop with his cousins Scratch and Mitch...with them he encounters itchy termites and the illustration had my son and I literally laughing out loud. Of course, the ending is touching and many readers will be able to relate to Sunny.
November 1, 2013
I loved this book it was entertaining, heart-warming and engaging. Sunny the meerkat is not happy in his meerkat home so goes to visit his cousins and uncles, who live in various places,in search of the perfect home. Sunny sends his family lots of postcards from all the different places he visits but none of them seem to suit him. Will Sunny ever find his perfect home?
This book has good links for Geography for looking at different habitats and could get children thinking about features of their own homes. It also has good links for thinking about travelling and journeys. The book could also be used as an introduction to letter and postcard writing and is very engaging and interactive with the flap open postcards which makes it a great treat for being read on the carpet.
This book has good links for Geography for looking at different habitats and could get children thinking about features of their own homes. It also has good links for thinking about travelling and journeys. The book could also be used as an introduction to letter and postcard writing and is very engaging and interactive with the flap open postcards which makes it a great treat for being read on the carpet.
July 28, 2018
I like how the book starts off with a character description/ timeline of how the main character develops. I think its great that this is then accompanied by illustrations to enable children to imagine different stages of the meerkat's life easier, such as building a sandcastle. I like how some words have a change of font size, I think this would be good for children when reading aloud so that they can work on their expression when reading aloud. I like how when the character Sunny goes and visits all his relatives in different places that each page contains a postcard. I enjoyed this happy ending book, therefore I would highly recommend this book to children.
December 20, 2018
This is a fantastic book! It’s about a Meerkat named Sunny who decides he isn’t happy at home and wants to travel to see where his other relatives live. He sends postcards every time he gets to a new place. What’s great about this book is that each postcard is taped into the book and handwritten by Sunny. It flips up to reveal a picture underneath of whatever place he’s visiting. Each postcard also has information about each type of meerkat, mongoose, weasel or whatever Sunny visits. It’s super fun to follow Sunny on his adventures. The illustrations are cute and show the emotions on Sunny’s face pretty clearly about what he thinks of them.
September 18, 2019
Emily Gravett (who I know from her great books Orange Pear Apple Bear, Wolves and Monkey and Me) has created another sweet, simple, moving, silly, fun book. A little Meerkat thinks he can find a more 'perfect' home than his current home, in the desert with his family. But after a few trips to stay with relatives, and a few great postcards included in the book as popups, he decides it really is perfect at home with his fam. Can't relate with that part, but the book is still very fun.
April 22, 2011
Sunny the meerkat is dissatisfied with the hot, dry climate of the Kalahari desert where he lives, so he decides to visit his relatives to see if their habitats are any better. At every relative's abode, he sends a postcard home, which is cleverly attached to a page of each 2-page spread. What a clever way to teach about the different species of meerkats, which are related to the mongoose, a fact I didn't know until I read this book. Where does Sunny finally end up? Read and find out! Highly recommended!
November 4, 2011
Sunny the Meerkat lives in the Kalahari Desert with his family. It is very dry and very hot. Sometimes Sunny thinks it's too hot! Sunny's family does everything together. Sometimes Sunny thinks they're too close. Sunny needs a break. Off he goes to visit his mongoose relatives and find the perfect place to live. The remainder of the book is told mostly by the post cards that Sunny sends to his family. Children who like lift-the-flap books will love lifting the post cards to see what is written on the other side. A fun book about an endearing little animal.
March 18, 2016
Absolutely loved this book! Meerkat Mail is a wonderful picture book highlighting, for me, the importance of home and family and how nothing will ever come close no matter how hard you try (bless Sunny!) The thought put into this book is amazing and is definitely worth sharing with children.
After having a discussion about the book it was pointed out to me, that there are facts about the different animals Sunny goes to stay with on his journey. Also the subtle changes on the postcards, from the writing to the stamps. All worth exploring in detail through multiple readings.
After having a discussion about the book it was pointed out to me, that there are facts about the different animals Sunny goes to stay with on his journey. Also the subtle changes on the postcards, from the writing to the stamps. All worth exploring in detail through multiple readings.
October 24, 2017
What a beautifully illustrated tale of Sunny the Meerkat with wanderlust! We follow Sunny on his journey away from home and the animals and places he visits. On each page he writes a postcard describing where he is staying and what he is feeling and there are snippets of information about the animals he meets. The perfect story for dealing with homesickness and the moral is that there is no place like home. Gorgeous pictures - a feast on every page!
August 14, 2008
In Meerkat Mail our main character learns that there is no place like home. He decides to visit his mongoose relatives across the country and finds reasons to leave each place. In the end he ends up happily back home with his family. Great book for sense of family and belonging and also to teach writing skills.
April 24, 2009
It's OK - lots of info on different types of the meerkat family. But - the postcards don't stay taped in. I don't think it lends itself well to libraries or small children who will simply tear the postcards out of the book. If there was a pocket in the back of the book to collect the postcards... then the kids could match the postcard with the page and location.
April 17, 2017
This is an interesting book that is both funny and informative.
Meerkat is restless. His family doesn't travel far and he wants to see more and do different things. He sets off on a journey, sending funny postcards back to his family. In the end he realizes home and his family are the best.
The illustrations are fabulous.
Meerkat is restless. His family doesn't travel far and he wants to see more and do different things. He sets off on a journey, sending funny postcards back to his family. In the end he realizes home and his family are the best.
The illustrations are fabulous.
September 15, 2018
There is no twist ending and the theme of "there's no place like home" is pedestrian, but this book provides way more information about meerkats and their relatives in the mongoose family than I ever expected, and the information is presented in such a cute, clever, and engaging way. I loved it. Be sure to watch out for the jackal!
August 1, 2018
I thought, Sunny promised to write? All I saw were the pictures from the postcards the wander-itchy merkat sent back home. And yes, they cleverly contradict his impressions of all the places he visits. But they still made me think: "Duh."... or "So what?" or even "Meh".
May 2, 2009
Sunny the meerkat feels stifled in his home. He ventures out to see the world, sending postcards (which the reader may enjoy)along the way. Sunny finds out that home is the place for him.
April 13, 2012
Be sure to read the fine print on the postcards for more meerkat (and mongoose) facts.
Read
February 9, 2019Read this aloud to my year 2 group and they loved it. They have been doing letter writing in literacy and liked the postcards.
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