Dot.
Randi Zuckerberg and Joe Berger
Doubleday
Young Dot is a true technophile. She can tap, touch, tweet and tag, surf, swipe,

share and search. And, she just loves to talk… and talk… and talk … until she’s completely talked out. ‘Time to reboot,” says her mum pushing her out of the house. There, with the help of her friends, Dot rediscovers her ability to tap, touch, tweet and tap, to surf, swipe, search and share as she plays for real in the great outdoors.

This vital lesson is one all our children need to learn. Would that there were more parents like Dot’s mum who would give them that push to set aside all their technological devices and embrace the great outdoors. Joe Berger’s slightly retro illustrations convey much of the sense of the straightforward story and remind us that the good, some might think, old-fashioned, picture book still has a vital place in every child’s experience. Equally important they convey that exuberance and joie de vie which can take over when children play outdoors.
Great book, great message. Moreover, with its natural repetition it’s a lovely one to offer children just embarking on their reading journeys.
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Star Girl
Karin Littlewood
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Every night Gracie looks through her bedroom window at her special star shining brightly but she misses it during the daytime. So, one night she creeps out into the forest, climbs the tallest tree and catches hold of the beautiful star.
Having got it back into her bedroom though, the star seems to have lost its sparkle. Gracie tries her best to bring it back. She dances for it in her sparkly clothes, takes it to the top of a hill, to the place where fireflies and glowworms shine and to the rock pools where the starfish live, she even takes it out onto the moonlit sea. But nothing brings back that sparkle. Finally Gracie realises she must send the star back to its rightful place in the sky so, kissing her stellar friend goodbye, she sadly releases it once more into the night sky. When she gets back home and looks through her bedroom window, there it is shining more brightly than ever, just for her.

This Gracie was thrilled to find ‘herself’ in the book.

There is gentleness about this whole book. Gracie is a thoughtful little girl and is beautifully portrayed in Karin Littlewood’s gorgeous watercolour illustrations; every turn of the page is a delight.
With its underlying ethical and possible environmental themes this is a lovely book to share and discuss with young children.
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