Month February 2015

A Bus Ride and A Lullaby for a Little One

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3774 (800x600)

The Bus Is For Us!
Michael Rosen and Gillian Tyler
Walker Books
‘But best is the bus.The bus is for us.’ is the oft-repeated refrain linking the various possibilities entertained by the narrator of this book. A small boy enjoys riding his bike; others like journeys by car or train, horse riding, floating in a little boat or a trip in a big ship,

DSCN3775 (800x600)

would love to ride a fish, sit on a cloud or dangle from a kite, play in a sleigh, perhaps try even more daring modes of transport

DSCN3776 (800x600)

but no matter what, the bus is best and by the end, readers are in no doubt about why.
The combination of Rosen’s shortish, playful rhyming text and Gillian Tyler’s delightful portrayal of the cast of a dozen young characters- not to mention the shaggy dog – who, as the story concludes at the end of the day,

DSCN3777 (800x600)

have all boarded the bus, is great fun.

DSCN3795 (800x600)

A Lullaby for Little One
Dawn Casey and Charles Fuge
Nosy Crow pbk
As the sun goes down the Little One of the title is in the woods with Big Daddy Rabbit but, he tells his offspring, there is still time for some fun and games before bedtime. So together the two of them race and chase and shout, “Woo-hoo!”, then other animals enthusiastically join them in a game of hide-and-seek, some splashing and sploshing

DSCN3796 (800x600)

and as the sun begins to set, they all dance and sing, whirl, twirl, and shout together before ending up in a great big heap. Whereupon a thoroughly exhausted Little One utters a “BOO-HOOOOOO!” and Big Rabbit knows just what to do next …

DSCN3798 (800x600)

And finally, father and baby rabbit snuggle together in the moonlight. Aaahh!
Dawn Casey’s rollicking rhyming text combined with Charles Fuge’s gorgeous georgic watercolour scenes make for a warm-hearted bedtime read for the very young.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Silly Things – Frog and Toad Together & My Mum’s Sayings

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3783 (800x600)

Frog and Toad Together
Arnold Lobel
Harper Collins Children’s Books pbk
Frog and Toad are two of my all time favourite characters; I’ve loved them for more years than I care to remember. In fact they featured in Learning to Read with Picture Books, a short book I wrote as a young teacher and what I said then still holds: Here it is – ‘This is a book no child learning to read should miss, and sets a standard by which we should judge all the books we offer to children at the crucial in-between stage (before completely assured, wide reading.) It contains five short stories about easy-going Frog, who is the ideal complement to the volatile Toad. The List (my favourite story) is a hilarious sequence in which Toad’s day is brought to a complete standstill when the wind whisks away his precious ‘list of things to do’. As always Frog is there to save the day.
The green and brown illustrations capture the humour of the text to perfection.
A book to read over and over again.’
In the other four short stories Toad discovers that growing seeds is much harder than he thought, the friends test their will power, discover they’re not as brave as they hoped and Toad has a scary dream. This new edition is picture book size in contrast to the original much smaller I Can Read format, which looked much more like a ‘grown up’ book. I hope this doesn’t mean it won’t reach its intended audience: it’s such a great book and so good to see it back in print.

 DSCN3784 (800x600)

My Mum Says the Silliest Things
Katrina Germein and Tom Jellett
Walker Books pbk
This is another title in the same vein as My Dad Thinks He’s Funny and My Dad Still Thinks He’s Funny. Here the elder of two brothers shares with readers some of the oft-uttered comments his mum addresses to him (and countless other adults make to children) –

DSCN3787 (800x600)

things said in all seriousness often, though the response is likely to be giggles, eye-rolling or shrugs from the recipient, all of which we get from the narrator. Every spread (except the finale) presents seemingly daft pronouncements and the title of the book either concludes or opens the scenarios, “When I’m noisy Mum says she can’t hear herself think. When I’m grumpy, Mum says you could land an aeroplane on my bottom lip” each of which is illustrated in quirky mixed media style.

 

DSCN3785 (800x600)

Jellett wittily encapsulates the textual wordplay and the idiosyncrasies of the English language.

DSCN3786 (800x600)

All in all, a fun tribute to mums – it would make an amusing offering for Mother’s Day or a birthday provided the mum in question has a good sense of humour. Smiles to the ready …

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Her Idea

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3789 (800x600)

Her Idea
Rilla Alexander
Flying Eye Books
Sozi is quite evidently a creative character; ideas simply burst forth from her head so that she feels overwhelmed much of the time. Time however is her problem – or rather procrastination, if we apply the Edward Young adage, ‘Procrastination is the thief of time.’ Consequently, not acted upon, Sozi’s ideas slip away one by one, leaving her an empty-headed, weeping heap. That is until a kindly passer by – fortuitously fleet of foot – chases an idea, eventually entrapping it securely.

DSCN3791 (800x600)

Spurred on by his example, Sozi joins the chase and the two not only discover and catch ideas everywhere but other useful stuff as well.
Then, with a clear mind and happy heart young Sozi sets off on a project, a book project no less. The beginning and middle are dealt with comparatively easily but what about that elusive ending? Well, that’s left to her ideas book friend.

DSCN3793 (800x600)

And a pretty satisfying one it is too.

DSCN3794 (800x600)

As someone who is always going on about giving children opportunities to unleash their creativity, this really made me smile. And as one who has also tried to write stories, it rings uncomfortably true. It’s such a clever idea and so forcefully conveyed through Rilla’s rhythmic narrative and striking illustrations. Her use of a limited colour palette heightens the drama

DSCN3790 (800x600)

and helps make the book more memorable. I like the die-cut covers too. All in all, this allegorical tale within a tale is another demonstration of the fact that when you have a Flying Eye book in your clutches, you know you’re handling quality. I’d suggest over 6s at least for this one.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

A Spot of Bother

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3768 (800x600)

A Spot of Bother
Jonathan Emmett and Vanessa Cabban
Walker Books
The spot referred to in the title of this deliciously funny story is – at least in the first instance – a fairly small red one caused by a cherry squashed beneath the rear end of Pig (of normally pristine appearance) as he feasted on the juicy drupes one breakfast time.

DSCN3769 (800x600)

More than a little alarmed at the state of his rump after his meal, Pig attempts unsuccessfully to clean off the spot . Along comes Goat chewing what looks like a beetroot; his efforts to clean off the ‘MONSTROUS MISFORTUNE’ result in an all-over, rosy hued bum for Pig.
Cow is the next to happen along: she proceeds to rub at Pig’s ‘TERRIBLE TRAGEDY’ with a mucky-looking mop.

DSCN3770 (800x600)

Now there’s tractor oil spread on top of the beetroot juice but no matter, here’s Sheep to avert the ‘DREADFUL DISASTER’ with a spot of shampoo … Oops! That wasn’t shampoo, Sheep, but sheep dye.

DSCN3771 (800x600)

Our porcine pal is now a glorious shade of indigo all over; but, unlike his pals, Pig is not impressed at his new look. Off he goes to hide away only to emerge at nightfall; but that is not the end of Pig’s troubles. A muddy heap is what his friends come upon the following morning as they approach Pig’s shelter. But if you’ve ever tried a facial mud-pack, you’ll know of its cleansing powers.

DSCN3772 (800x600)

The effects of the hot sun on pig’s mud-covered body works wonders and what emerges from the mucky mess is, in our protagonist’s own words, a “PERFECTLY PRISTINE PIG!”.

DSCN3773 (800x600)

The action is beautifully portrayed in Vanessa Cabban’s wonderful watercolour illustrations. The expressions on the faces of the animals as they both contribute to and observe Pig’s plight, so perfectly capture their changing feelings, and Pig himself is priceless.
The tone of the telling is spot on too: a fantastic author/artist collaboration. (I was saddened to read of Vanessa’s tragic death in an accident at the end of last year so these pictures have a special poignancy for me).

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

The Clockwork Dragon

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3741 (800x600)

The Clockwork Dragon
Jonathan Emmett and Elys Dolan
Oxford University Press pbk
When Max is sacked from the toymaker’s workshop he is forced to try his hand at the only job he sees advertised in the town.

DSCN3745 (800x600)

Knowing that knights need armour, Max goes to the armourer’s workshop where he meets Lizzie, who although amused by Max’s intentions, gives him an idea. DSCN3744 (800x600)

Equally important, she agrees to assist him in a spot of metalwork and together they toil for a week, heating, hammering, painting, patching and piecing together all the metal they can lay hands on. The result is a huge clockwork dragon.

DSCN3743 (800x600)

Next morning, Flamethrottle, for that is the name of the human devourer, decides that only a plump princess or two will satisfy his hunger. Imagine his shock then, when on leaving his cave he is confronted by an even larger, fiercer looking dragon. No longer feeling quite so brave, Flamethrottle beats a path across the countryside towards the next kingdom, hotly pursued by Max and Lizzie in their wind-up contraption. And therein lies the rub: the clockwork motor runs down at the crucial moment leaving Max and Lizzie desperate to turn that vital key and get the creature moving again. Flamethrottle meanwhile realizes his pursuer has stopped. So can its creators manage to trick him into giving the key the vital turns it needs to set the thing in motion once more?

DSCN3742 (800x600)

It’s either that or be baked alive …
The cocktail of dastardly dragons, mechanical and otherwise, wily and determined child characters and a rip roaring adventure combined with exciting illustrations packed with humorous details and mechanical ones, make this a sure fire winner for the young (and not so young). Certainly my child audiences demanded an immediate re-reading, pored over the inside covers as well as the action-packed colour spreads and were eager to know if the ‘A Max and Lizzie Adventure sign on the back cover heralds further adventures.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Princess Daisy and the Nincompoop Knights

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3740 (800x600)

Princess Daisy and the Nincompoop Knights
Steve Lenton
Nosy Crow pbk
Troublesome dragons, knights desirous of wives and princesses in towers abound in fairy tales but sometimes we hear of one claiming to be different; such a one is this, pink cover notwithstanding. Herein the townsfolk, awoken by terrible roaring sounds, dash off to call on the King’s assistance. The King in turn calls for a brave knight to fight the beast, but Daisy his daughter, closeted in her tower, is less sure this dragon requires such drastic treatment; rather she calls for a more thoughtful approach.
Three knights come forward meanwhile, all proving to be useless in the face of adversity.

DSCN3739 (800x600)

But then who could this possibly be, heading into the cave astride not a mighty steed but a cow? And, what is the cow carrying in that basket? It looks very like a book and a baby’s bottle.

DSCN3737 (800x600)

Silence ensures and then after ages a sound issues forth from the cave – not a roar however but a snore. Then out comes the knight carrying a small slumbering creature … and all is finally revealed.

DSCN3738 (800x600)

Told in jaunty rhyme, this neo fairy tale was enthusiastically received by my audience of fives to sevens, one of whom, delighted by the “clever princess” as she called the heroine, then eagerly seized the book and began reading it herself.
The portrayal of the cast of characters – human and animal – is a real hoot. Every turn of the page will result in smiles or giggles from child listeners and adult readers alike. Great title too.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Seasonal Scenes

jillrbennett Leave a comment

qwerty 19

One Year with Kipper
Mick Inkpen
Hodder Children’s Books pbk
It’s January. Kipper has a new camera and he uses it to document a whole year, month by month. January is time for a New Year’s resolution (no throwing snowballs at best pal, Tiger). That lasts till February when the snow falls and an 87 centimetre icicle grows on Tiger’s house.

qwerty 18

March brings strong winds, April sees the pair catching tadpoles and so on with a double spread and a new photo for each month.
Seasonal changes are noted: In June Kipper notices an abundance of ‘little things with legs and wings’; whereas ‘October is an orangey brown sort of month,’ Tiger declares.

qwerty 16

When dark, cold December comes Kipper busies himself making decorations and taking the final photograph for Tiger’s present – a photographic memoir of the past twelve months.
A sweet, gently educational story of friendship, fun and frolics from a well-loved pair who take it in turns to have the upper hand …

qwerty 15

Great for individual sharing or early years classes to enjoy together.

qwerty 1

Littleland All Year Round
Marion Billet
Nosy Crow
Those who prefer to play I-spy rather than listening to a story have plenty to search for in Littleland. Starting with a chilly wintry morning, the animal inhabitants set out for nursery where they find many activities to enjoy and readers are invited to find various items in the busy scene. We then follow ‘the little ones’ through the seasons as they visit the countryside in spring …

qwerty 2
Come autumn, it’s time to visit the park,

qwerty 3

and dress up for Hallowe’en.
Wintry activities include ice-skating, tobogganing and building a snowman, and at the end of the year as Christmas draws near, there are decorations to make and hang, cards to make and presents to wrap just in time for a trip to town to see the Christmas tree in all its splendour.
Bright, jolly scenes, with objects to find in every spread.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Oliver and Isabel: New Homes, New Friends

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3696 (800x600)

Oliver & Patch
Claire Freedman and Kate Hindley
Simon & Schuster pbk
I’m no dog lover, but nevertheless quickly found myself falling for Patch – he’s a total charmer. So too is young Oliver – new to city life and feeling out of sorts – who comes across the soggy animal while out exploring his new surroundings in the rain. Oliver (who misses his country pals) and Patch are soon firm friends.

DSCN3699 (800x600)

Despite Oliver’s best efforts, for he picks up on Patch’s wistfulness, nobody comes forward as the owner of the small white dog described in his FOUND posters.

DSCN3698 (800x600)

Then one drizzly morning, Oliver and Patch’s explorations take them into what for the boy at least, is unknown territory. Hot on the heels of Patch who has suddenly broken free of his lead, Oliver finds himself in a tiny park confronting a girl all clad in red and he knows at once …

DSCN3700 (800x600)

All is not lost however, for although Ruby is indeed Patch’s owner, she is more than happy to embark on a new friendship.

DSCN3701 (800x600)

Each and every turn of the page elicited “aaahs” and not only from my audience (the butcher’s shop scene didn’t do it for my vegetarian self though); Kate Hindley’s illustrations exude playfulness and convey so beautifully, the characters’ feelings as well as extending what we hear in Claire Freedman’s well-crafted, touching text.

 

DSCN3711 (800x600)

The Girl with the Parrot on her Head
Daisy Hirst
Walker Books
Young Isabel, the girl with a parrot on her head seems perfectly happy spending her time with friend Simon;

DSCN3712 (800x600)

but then Simon moves away leaving poor Isobel with hate in her heart. Even the parrot moves off to perch elsewhere, until that is Isabel ‘felt quiet inside, and decided to like being on her own.’ Back comes the parrot and Isabel’s need for friends is replaced by a system. In no time at all she has (with a little help from her feathered companion) sorted all her belongings into boxes. The parrot however has nocturnal worries about those boxes, in particular the wolves’ one. Isabel too, despite her bravado, has concerns about the relative size of one of the wolves and the system.
Imagine her sense of satisfaction then when she comes across the perfect wolf box while out on her scooter. There’s a snag though: the box is already occupied.

DSCN3714 (800x600)

It’s occupant, Chester, is more than willing to discuss other possibilities than the use he’d had in mind but quickly rules it out as a wolf-container. Instead, the two tell the large lupine about the ideal place for him, whereupon he’s off right away leaving Isabel and her new friend to their own creative devices. Oh! And the parrot becomes an honorary astronaut too.

DSCN3715 (800x600)

Daisy Hirst presents a child’s loneliness as a consequence of her friend moving away in a straightforward text and allows her illustrations to do much of the talking and to reveal much of the emotional content in a gently humorous manner while still leaving gaps for readers themselves to fill. Her seemingly simple child-like images of the young characters at play rendered in bold blocks of paint, alongside outlined, uncoloured images that stand out starkly from the white page and occasional pages where somewhat muted shades of blue predominates,

DSCN3713 (800x600)

make for visual interest at every turn of the page.
Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

 

 

Who’s Hiding? & Remarkable Animals

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3754 (600x800)

Who’s Hiding?
Agnese Baruzzi and Jenny Broom
Templar Publishing
Things are not exactly as they seem at first glance in this superbly designed animal book. On each left hand side of the spread is a playful, descriptive verse with an invitation to guess which cleverly concealed animal is lurking beneath the concertina fold of the opposite page. Thus, a seemingly ordinary lily pond

DSCN3755 (800x600)

opens to confront readers with a large spotty frog sitting yoga style upon a lily pad;

DSCN3756 (800x600)

this having been introduced by Jenny Broom’s interrogative rhyme,
 In the pond, one creature swims,
Stretching out its long green limbs.
Who croaks and leaps and hops like mad
       And perches on a lily pad?
Most young listeners/readers will be able to guess each hidden animal in turn, others will enjoy surmising, before all is revealed in Agnese Baruzzi’s brightly coloured scene once the page is extended. “We could say it’s ‘hide-and-speak’ as well as ‘hide-and seek’ “ commented one of the five year olds I shared this book with.
Each scene comprises a whole host of gorgeously coloured images of the flora and fauna of the particular habitat shown and the final unfolded spread shows a broader view with all six of the animals to spot.

DSCN3760 (800x600)

I’d say this is one to inspire young children to be curious not just indoors while reading, but outdoors too. Try showing it to slightly older children from say 6 or 7 too; they may well be inspired to have a go at making their own fold out spreads, and perhaps testing them out with younger children.

DSCN3718 (800x600)

Remarkable Animals
Tony Meesuwissen
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Ten creatures can morph into (so we are told) one thousand in this fascinating and clever book. Each page is divided into three equal sections; these can be independently flipped so that from a single real animal it’s possible to create all manner of weird and wonderful ones. Thus an alligator

DSCN3720 (800x600)

might be transformed into say an ‘Allerpit’

DSCN3723 (800x600)

– Powerful enough to drag a man into the water, these primitive beasts/have an undesirable habit of crawling into beehives to feed on honey. They can be/ kept in a humid aquarium with wood bark to hide in. Pretty ridiculous but such witticisms are delivered in a deadpan style adding to the enjoyment of the whole. Moreover in addition to the ‘To the reader’ notes at the back of the book, there is also some zoological information for each creature if the pages are correctly aligned.
Tony Meeuwissen’s choice of colour palette is arresting

DSCN3722 (800x600)

and the detail in his paintings means that the eye is bound to linger long to take in each and every portion of the animals and the possibilities all the different combinations present.
Sturdily bound, this versatile volume should stand up to the countless readings it will surely receive and I suspect, not just by children.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Books to Play With

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3724 (800x600)

Bizzy Bear Dinosaur Safari
Benji Davies
Nosy Crow
Toddlers will enjoy accompanying Bizzy Bear on safari. Having parked his jeep, he’s ready for his dino day. Off he goes with friend rabbit to spot all manner of dinosaurs along the trail, some large, others hungry and one baby just hatching out. Then it’s time to head to the diner for a spot of refreshment: watch out though BB – what’s that with big sharp teeth behind the diner, ready to pop out? A sturdy board book with a brief rhyming text and sliders to pull, push or turn to reveal those prehistoric creatures in their brightly coloured jungly landscape.

DSCN3726 (800x600)

There’s an abundance of flora and fauna for young eyes to find in addition to the dinosaurs; and what can have made those enormous footprints?

DSCN3727 (800x600)

Snip-Snap
illustrated by Kasia Nowowiejska
Caterpillar Books
Five small animals in turn invite toddlers to guess the identity of five larger ones lurking in various places in the African landscape. The latter are revealed by lifting the flaps, thus allowing the animals to pop out from their respective hiding places.
Young listeners can absorb the simple concepts (‘high amongst the leaves’ or ‘beside the jungle path’ for instance)

DSCN3728 (800x600)

as they discover in turn, the roaring lion, chittering-chattering monkey, the elephant splashing,

DSCN3729 (800x600)

the giraffe stretching her neck and the snippy-snappy crocodile lurking in the swamp as they listen to the accompanying playful rhyming text.

A companion title with a farmyard setting is Cheep Cheep

DSCN3758 (800x600)

Doctor Molly’s Medicine Case
Miriam Moss and Deborah Allwright
Walker Books
Young Molly loves to dress up and has decided to be a doctor. She dons her doctor’s outfit (lifting the flap reveals the transformation) then finds her magical medicine case. Therein are all the things required to make her patients feel better. Molly is prepared

DSCN3759 (800x600)

and soon there’s a knock at her door. It’s Polar Bear with a bad case of the sneezles and shivers; seemingly he’s caught cold playing in the snow. A reassuring Dr Molly opens her case and takes out a thermometer and hot water bottle – just what’s needed to make Mr B. feel much better. (Children will love to open Molly’s bag, remove the items, tuck the hot water bottle into Polar Bear’s arms and take his temperature).
Dr Molly also successfully treats Crocodile (whose tail is injured as a result of a skateboarding accident) and Pelican (suffering from a sore throat caused by the consumption of too many bony fish)

DSCN3762 (800x600)

so why have all her patients returned? It’s a case of rumbly tums so it’s just as well that, in her magic case, Dr Molly has everything required for a cure. And a very tasty one it looks too.

DSCN3761 (800x600)

Picnic time everyone.
A fun, interactive treatment for the very young when they are suffering from a bout of ‘I- need-a-storyitis’.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

A Tickled Tiger, A Best Birthday Present, A Hide-and-Scare Bear

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3690 (800x600)

Never Tickle a Tiger
Pamela Butchart and Marc Boutavant
Bloomsbury Children’s Books pbk
Like lots of children, Izzy finds it extremely difficult to keep still; she just cannot help shuffling, jiggling, squirming, twitching, wriggling or fiddling. It matters not where she is – home or school, at parties even, Izzy is constantly a-fidget.
When her class goes to visit the zoo, Izzy gets the fidgets as soon as they’re through the gates. Before long she’s stroked the snakes, excited the elephants, bothered the bears and much more.

DSCN3691 (800x600)

“… never tickle a tiger!” warns Miss Pottterhurst. But after lunch, Izzy, feather in hand is immediately heading for the tiger enclosure. Confronted with a large striped tail, the opportunity is just impossible to resist. Out goes that feather and …

DSCN3692 (800x600)

“Raa-aa-ah! “ roars the tiger triggering a concatenation of action and reaction

DSCN3693 (800x600)

culminating in an enormous … SLPAAAASH! as hippo is cascaded into the penguins’ pool.

 

DSCN3694 (800x600)

Then it’s down to Izzy to quell the brouhaha she’s instigated. But has she been cured of her predilection for poking and prodding?
This fun-filled tale managed to keep even the Izzy’s among my audience riveted as they followed the action in Marc Boutavant’s exuberant, energetic, playful pictures, relishing each and every occurrence of ‘Izzy- itis’ as one among them commented. I suspect that hedgehog enjoyed the fun too.

DSCN3703 (800x600)

The Best Birthday Present Ever
Ben Mantle
Macmillan Children’s Books
Squirrel’s determination to give his best friend Bear, the very best birthday gift results in a great deal of thought on his part. That Squirrel is something of a creative thinker comes through loud and clear when we see what he finally decides upon. Satisfied with his choice of gift, Squirrel wraps it carefully disguising it well and soon it’s party day – Big Bear’s Birthday Bonanza no less.
When it comes to present-opening time –after the dancing, games and cake eating – it’s clear that Bear has some pretty impressive gifts

DSCN3706 (800x600)

and finally it comes to Squirrel’s offering. By this time, Squirrel is starting to feel just a little nervous and initially Bear himself appears nonplussed when he unwraps his package.

DSCN3707 (800x600)

It’s in response to the comments of some of the other animals however, that Bear then demonstrates that he, like his best friend, Squirrel, is indeed a creative thinker. And the following week, he goes on to demonstrate just how, until their very favourite stick game (poking things) results in –

DSCN3708 (800x600)

Squirrel rues the passing of said stick but Bear quickly realizes that two sticks can be better than one.

DSCN3709 (800x600)

“Can you read it again,” was the instant response after I shared this one with some 4s to 6s. What further accolade could an author want? Before doing so however, we spent a considerable time relishing the delicious details in Ben Mantle’s amusing illustrations.

DSCN3705 (800x600)

The party scene is a visual treat in more than one sense.

DSCN3733 (800x600)

The Hide-and-Scare Bear
Ivan Bates
Brubaker, Ford & Friends (Templar Publishing) pbk
The large ursine character in this rhyming story is badly behaved and rude: worst of all though is his frequent playing of his “Hide and Scare” game. This involves hiding behind a tree and then leaping out and roaring at unsuspecting passers by.

DSCN3734 (800x600)

Eventually the woodland animals decide something must be done and call for a brave volunteer to stand up to Bear. Rabbit steps forward offering to help, not with anger however, but with kindness.
So, as the next ‘ROAR!’ sends the other creatures scattering, Rabbit stands firm to face the bear and waits patiently for her opportunity to deliver her lesson in kindness. Then it’s Bear’s turn to provide some hugs and soon it’s not only Rabbit on the receiving end of those Big Bear squeezes.

DSCN3735 (800x600)

The text lollops along rhythmically making it a pleasure to read aloud and the woodland watercolour illustrations are delightfully expressive.
Here’s the response of one of my five year old listeners …

DSCN3736 (800x600)
Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Love Always Everywhere …

jillrbennett Leave a comment

15 14

Love Always Everywhere
Sarah Massini
Nosy Crow pbk
In a follow up to her gorgeous Books Always Everywhere, Sarah Massini brings us another visual treat, with an amorous theme this time. Small children engage in all manner of loving activities including hugging pets, sharing a book,

15 15

making music, dancing, playing together on the beach and in the park as they snuggle, dance, build sandcastles, eat ice-creams, bounce on space-hoppers and much more all to the accompaniment of a brief rhyming text.

15 16

Totally lovable – what more can one say?

DSCN3750 (800x600)

Frog in Love
Max Velthuijs
Andersen Press pbk
Hurray! Andersen Press has reissued the very first of Max Velthuijs’ brilliant Frog titles just in time for Valentine’s Day. Herein Frog learns from Hare (courtesy of his large book) that the reason for his feeling out of sorts is that he’s in love. He sets about painting a picture of his beloved Duck and goes off to deliver it anonymously. The next day he leaves flowers. Duck is puzzled about the identity of the sender who meanwhile is getting desperate and has resolved to win Duck’s love by performing a reckless attempt at the world high jump record. During this feat however, disaster strikes and Frog crash lands right at the feet of the very one he wants to impress.
All ends happily despite the disaster

DSCN3748 (800x600)

and since then, (that’s about twenty five years in book time) the green frog and the white duck have loved each other dearly for as the author rightly says, ‘Love knows no boundaries.’

DSCN3749 (800x600)

If you didn’t get hold of a copy the first time around do so now, it’s just great.

DSCN3747 (800x600)

Guess How Much I Love You
Anita Jeram
Walker Books
It’s over twenty years since the first edition of this neo-classic picture book. Now, in time for that special day, Walker Books offer a lovely mini fold-out edition in a slip case. Perfect as a special gift for a special person.

I don’t often feature teen fiction but I couldn’t resist this one:

DSCN3751 (800x600)

Love Hurts
Malorie Blackman
Corgi pbk
Within the covers is a splendid collection of over twenty short stories and extracts from young adult writers, compiled by the wonderful Malorie Blackman. Young love in its many forms is contained herein and all are favourites of the compiler who has herself also written a new story for the book. As one would expect from Malorie, there’s not a dud among them: and the judiciously selected extracts offer great starting points for readers to meet authors they may not yet have tried.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Louis Lemur, Laundry Lemur

jillrbennett Leave a comment

 

DSCN3763 (800x600)

Lemur Dreamer
Courtney Dicmas
Templar Publishing
Somnambulist Louis, resident of the top floor of 32 Pebbly Lane, worries the fellow residents of his apartment block with his nightly wanderings. But one night when Louis actually leaves the building

DSCN3764 (800x600)

and snuffles out into the lane, they feel compelled to trail him as his dream-filled wanderings take him to the very edge, whereupon his fearless followers execute a daring rescue.

DSCN3767 (800x600)

Once safely on terra firma, Louis recounts his dreams to his rescuers only to discover how he and they have passed the night. But Louis is one lucky lemur for not only do his friends forgive him immediately, but the following day present him with a wonderful cheer-up gift, guaranteed to keep their erstwhile wanderer securely grounded in his own home.
From the title page,

DSCN3788 (800x600)

we know we are in for a treat with this one. Dicmas’ choice of colour palette is just right for those whimsical, dreamy scenes

DSCN3766 (800x600)

every one of which is a joy to behold and the perfect counterpart to her dead pan telling.

Last year there was a plethora of possums: are lemurs to be the favourite animal inhabitants of picture books in 2015, I wonder. There’s another in

DSCN3731 (800x600)

There’s a lemur in my laundry!
Jo Lodge
Nosy Crow
A top quality small chunky board book in a new ‘Slide + seek’ series for adults to enjoy with the very youngest, where sliding the lower or upper part of the page reveals the particular animal that has taken up residence in an unlikely place in the narrator’s home. So, as well as the title creature we have a sink with a seal, a frog in the fruit bowl,

 

DSCN3732 (800x600)

a snake in the sock drawer, a lion in the lampshade and a bear in the bed. In addition to the delight of revealing the animals themselves in Jo Lodge’s rainbow coloured pictures, there are animal sounds and the repeat ‘I don’t believe it!’ to join in with, and lovely alliterative sentences to relish.
Great for beginner readers to share with toddler siblings too.
Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Don’t forget February 14th ibgdposterlarge

‘Little Pig, Little Pig …’

jillrbennett 1 Comment

DSCN3656 (800x600)

The Three Little Pigs
illustrated by Ed Bryan
Nosy Crow
Ed Bryan’s funky illustrations for this somewhat truncated version of the nursery favourite are full of humour. That the third little pig uses a kit to construct his brick house is a source of amusement to young audiences as are the three day-glow colour pots of paint

DSCN3659 (800x600)

he uses to adorn the exterior and it’s good to see evidence of his use of wind power. The Big Bad Wolf is rather a hoot too, sporting red plaid shorts and a baker’s hat. Even so he manages to scare the first and second little pigs as they cower inside the house of sticks before beating a hasty retreat to the safe haven of their brother’s brick house. Soon after, said wolf is huffing and puffing outside with his intention-revealing pie van parked close by;

DSCN3658 (800x600)

however as children relish, it’s not the porcine trio who receive a roasting but …

DSCN3657 (800x600)

One thing though – what is the role of the small rabbit who introduces himself on the title page and makes just one further silent appearance. I was hoping to see this bit-part developed during the course of the book.

There is a companion story, Cinderella,

DSCN3655 (800x600)

published at the same time by Nosy Crow and also illustrated by Ed Bryan.

DSCN3661 (800x600)

The Four Little Pigs
Kimara Nye and Marcin Bruchnalski
Maverick Arts Publishing
Tom’s Granny is a witch (she’s no threat to children I hasten to add) so it’s no surprise that her story sessions have an added touch of magic and when she starts reading him The Three Little Pigs at bedtime, she knows just how to respond to his “I know that story! … It’s boring.” comment.
In a flash Tom himself is cascaded into the tale,

DSCN3662 (800x600)

cast as a fourth pig and off he dashes to warn the three traditional protagonists of their impending doom. In fact he has all manner of tricky plans up his sleeve to outsmart the big bad wolf and protect the trio.
Even when the BBW does gain entry to the brick house, he finds himself face to face with a character who has the nerve to call him a bully. Far from happy at this home truth, he beats a hasty retreat and heads off to participate in an alternative tale leaving the three little pigs to – well we all know that part. And Tom? His choice for Granny Mag’s next bedtime story will definitely be Little Red Riding Hood.
This one went down very well with my audience of fours and fives who were all familiar with the tale’s progenitor and thoroughly enjoyed this twisted version, in particular the sight of the BBW whooshing across the soap-smeared floor.

DSCN3664 (800x600)

and the idea that Tom’s gran could change fairy tales at will – that’s something I suggested they might try for themselves.
Bruchnalski’s bold, bright, broad-brush watercolour illustrations add further new perspectives to the tale.

DSCN3663 (800x600)

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Don’t forget February 14th ibgdposterlarge

Testing Situations with Mouse, Penguin Blue and Rhinoceros

jillrbennett Leave a comment

DSCN3684 (800x600)

All Mine
Zehra Hicks
Macmillan Children’s Books
It’s lunch time: Mouse is just about to embark on his cheese sandwich when down swoops Seagull, pinches it,

DSCN3685 (800x600)

flies off and scoffs the lot. Mouse is far from pleased; he reprimands the thief for his bad manners and dashes off in search of something else to eat. Imagine how he feels when down swoops that greedy Seagull again and proceeds to polish off Mouse’s entire packet of crisps.

DSCN3686 (800x600)

The tiny rodent is anything but happy and both he and Seagull are still in need of sustenance. So will Seagull manage to gobble up the delicious looking confection that stops him dead in his tracks? It’s time for Mouse to draw on his resources if he’s to outwit that marauding bird and satisfy his hunger pangs, and that he does very cleverly.
That foxy-looking ‘puppet’ is just great and looks almost exactly the kind of thing young children make from scrap materials.

DSCN3688 (800x600)

That Zahra Hicks uses a stick for painting (combined with photography) to create her illustrations fascinated my audiences. I love her child-like simplicity and the way for instance, she has added the lower jaw to the fox.
A tasty book through and through. Who’s for cake?

DSCN3689 (800x600)

 

DSCN3679 (800x600)

Blown Away
Rob Biddulph
Harper Collins pbk
This seemingly simple, perfectly crafted tale is the thoroughly uplifting picture book debut from Art Director of the Observer Magazine, Rob Biddulph. By an interesting co-incidence, my copy arrived in the post on Sakrant, the day of India’s kite flying festival.
Far away in the Antarctic, Penguin Blue is test flying his brand new kite. The wind is particularly strong and before long our supposedly flightless friend finds himself airborne. Penguin pals Jeff and Flo, Wilbur (seal) pegging washing on his clothesline, and Clive, (polar bear) out fishing in his inflatable dinghy, attempt to help

DSCN3678 (800x600)

but they too are swept aloft and way across the ocean until they spy far below,
‘A tiny island, lush and green/(A colour that they’ve never seen). “The trees look soft, we’ll be all right./Hello jungle! Goodbye kite!” – the author’s rhyme is spot on as well as his design. Down they cascade into a jungly landscape full of friendly animals.

DSCN3681 (800x600)

However, unused to the tropical heat the friends long for home so it’s fortunate that Blue is the creative type. They can make use of the resources to hand and the same element that brought them there: all that’s required is another large gust of wind

DSCN3675 (800x600)

and the travellers are on their way, albeit with a stowaway.
Safely home and a warm welcome, but their visitor finds the climate far from comfortable;

 

DSCN3673 (800x600)

it’s as well then that Blue just happens to have a spare kite …

 

DSCN3667 (800x600)

Preposterous Rhinoceros
Tracy Gunaratnam and Marta Costa
Maverick Arts Publising pbk
The jungle animals are far from happy; King Lion has lost his voice and that means no bedtime story unless they can find another story reader. Rhinoceros is eager to step in; the others doubt his ability but reluctantly agree to let him try. When confronted with a book however, Rhinoceros is stymied; seemingly he’s misunderstood how the reading process works – the words don’t just speak themselves from the page and his key doesn’t unlock that text either. And shaking the book is disastrous.
Off goes Rhino in search of some storytelling advice. Both Drama Llama and Techie Toucan offer useful suggestions “Just open it and dive straight in,” (Llama) and “Just open it and get stuck in,”

DSCN3670 (800x600)

from Techie.
But Rhinoceros takes both literally with disastrous, or rather as Sly Salamander tells him, “preposterous” consequences.

DSCN3669 (800x600)

Nor does her own explanation “… They just need to be READ!” prove any more fruitful. But finally with Salamander’s help,

DSCN3671 (800x600)

Rhinoceros cracks the code and is ready to deliver his first bedtime tale – even though by that time, King Lion’s voice is fully restored.
The interaction of the verbal and visual definitely works well with young audiences. This chain of misunderstandings herein had my listeners, who are themselves learning to read, in fits of giggles
Buy from Amazon
Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2
Don’t forget February 14th ibgdposterlarge

Family Matters

jillrbennett 1 Comment

15 1

15 Things NOT to do with a Baby
Margaret McAllister and Holly Sterling
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Sibling jealousy (mixed with anticipation, love, anxiety) is a familiar scenario when a new sister or brother arrives in the family, though the topic is anything but new when it comes to picture books. Three that immediately come to mind are The New Small Person by Lauren Child, There’s Going to be a Baby – a collaboration between Helen Oxenbury and John Burningham and the Anholt’s Sophie and the New Baby .
Margaret McAllister takes a humorous approach to what can often be a mixture of strong feelings, presenting – rule-book style – a selection of Don’ts – a delicious mix of flights of fancy

15 3

and some plausible situations.

15 5

These are followed by a series of ‘Do’s culminating in an adorable

15 2

all so beautifully depicted by new picture book illustrator, Holly Sterling whose work I first came across in Over the Hills and Far Away. Her illustrations herein exude both joie de vivre and a strong sense of love and affection. Who can resist smiling at such scenes as the baby planting, for instance?

15 4

This is one loving family realistically portrayed, at a time of big change and emotional upheaval, with an endearing naturalness and modernity.

There’s a broader look at families in:

15 6

Who’s In My Family?
Robie H. Harris and Nadine Bernard Westcott
Walker Books pbk
This is essentially an exploration of all manner of families through the speech bubble conversations of brother and sister Gus and Nellie, and a straightforward narrative information text. We join the siblings as they and their parents leave home and visit the zoo where they encounter and discuss a variety of familiies.

15 8

’Some have two mummies. Some have two daddies.’ … ‘Some children live with their mummy part of the time and with their daddy part of the time.’
The whole tone of the book is positive, “FAMILIES LOVE BEING TOGETHER” … ‘But sometimes families have angry times. And sometimes families have unhappy times.’
Illustrated in a suitably upbeat, digitally created style, this inclusive book is full of potential for discussion with under sevens,

15 9

ROBOPOP
Alice Hemming and James Lent
Maverick Arts Publishing pbk
Subtitled ‘A Dad in a Box’, this is an offbeat look at one particular dad, Dylan and Daisy’s who, so they tell him is “not like normal dads,”. Their dad is an inventor and knows nothing about football (my kind of person perhaps?).
“Dads don’t come in a box,” he tells them and goes on to prove his point in no uncertain terms by creating a robotic super dad complete with packaging.

15 11

This invention speaks in rhyme and is eager to demonstrate his soccer prowess in the big match

15 12

as well as cooking up a special dinner for football players.
By the end of a very unsatisfactory and exhausting day, Dylan and Daisy have come to an all-important realization about their own father and are more than happy when he makes a timely reappearance.

15 13

Quirky illustrations and opportunities for joining in with the ‘robot speak’ add to the fun.

Use your local bookshop localbookshops_NameImage-2

Don’t forget February 14th ibgdposterlarge