Month April 2015

Visit the Bhil Carnival

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Visit the Bhil Carnival
Subhash Amaliyar and Gita Wolf
Tara Books
Is it a book, a poster or a map? All three really, and certainly what is contained within the covers is fascinating and well worth a visit or rather, multiple visits. Herein we follow that ‘COME IN’ balloon and accompany Neela and younger sister, Peela on a visit to the mela – the first on their own. To visit an Indian mela or fair is assuredly an assault on the senses – sights, sounds and smells almost overwhelm. (I’ve visited many including a Bhil Gavari in Rajasthan.) Something of this feeling is engendered here in this rendition of a colourful Bhil carnival, held annually in Madhya Pradesh and called Bhagoria, but it certainly is not overwhelming; rather it’s inviting and fascinating.

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A ride on the dizzying ferris wheel – scarily pushed by big men, is a must. There are shops and stalls – some selling delicious food – “COCONUT BURFI! TOFFEE! LADDOO!” is the cry (joy to Neela’s ears) and those scrumptious cooling ices from the ice-cream wallah – “CHOC-O-BAR! CONE ICE-CREAM! … PINEAPPLE! PISTA! ICE-CREAM!”, tempting toys (Peela’s favourite place), bouncing balloons – Peela cannot resist a pink one; and then there’s a stop at the photo booth for a souvenir snap before the brother and sister must wend their way home.
An accessible narrative by Gita Wolf in the small book discreetly placed in a corner and also illustrated by the Bhil artist, Subhash Amaliyar, whose images painted in vibrant traditional style form the main fold-out spread, really bring the whole thing alive.
There is also a final paragraph or two about the artist, his background and that of Bhagoria inside the back cover.
All in all, a dazzling experience and one to be revisited on many occasions, rather than – like the festival – just once a year.
Those of us who work in education will likely find this a boon for exploring art forms and techniques with young (or not so young) children. For further information and ideas you can pay a visit to the Tara website: http://www.tarabooks.com

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Look, Talk, Do …

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One Thousand Things
Anna Kövecses
Wide Eyed Editions
There is a synergy of contemporary and retro feel about this vocabulary-developing book. Little Mouse has helpfully divided it into seven sections and invites participant toddlers to spot her in every scene of the thematic organization that begins with First Things to Learn. This includes spreads of shapes, colours, numerals and counters to 10, some opposites and times of the day. In Things in nature there’s a spread of tasty-looking fruit,

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another of equally mouth-watering vegetables, three of animals in different habitats and one of extinct creatures. Things you can do includes both outdoor and indoor activities and some to aspire to, desirable everyday ones

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and the two final sections look at objects inside your house – everyday things in different rooms and lastly, Things outside your house such as vehicles, buildings and natural features.
The final spread asks us to imagine, and shows pictorially, 1,000.
Absorbing and fun for the very young to share with an adult or older child: I like everything about this one including its smell and feel.

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Stephen Biesty’s To the Rescue
Rod Green and Stephen Biesty
Templar Publishing
Biesty has selected eight vehicles from different parts of the world that carry out rescue operations by land, sea and air to be the subjects of his latest info-graphic picture book. Given the close-up treatment herein are a Hi-Tech Police Car, a Fire Truck,

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a Flying Firefighter, a Submarine Rescue vehicle (part of a NATO Submarine Rescue System), a Giant Fireboat, the Agusta Westland AW139 Air Ambulance, a 27 Tamar lifeboat and an ambulance.
As with the earlier, Giant Vehicles, a plethora of facts written by Rod Green surround each of Biesty’s amazingly detailed pen/ink and watercolour washed illustrations, and there are numerous flaps (engineered by Andy Mansfield) under which more information is to be found.
It’s a good job that this book is sturdily built: I envisage it being read to destruction having provided countless hours of fascination to child (and perhaps adult) readers. Assuredly, a great way to interest young readers in applied science/ technology: My only quibble is an almost total absence of female personel; I know many girls who aspire to such roles as piloting a plane or driving a fire truck.

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The Odd One Out
Britta Teckentrup
Big Picture Press
This is actually a cardboard wallet containing fifteen gorgeous animal postcards of artwork that featured in the book of the same name by one of my favourite contemporary-style artists. Spot the surprise on every page – some are easier to find than others – have fun.
I would find it almost impossible to part with any of the postcards, which presumably are intended for sending.

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Zip It
Patricia Hegarty and Fhiona Galloway
Little Tiger Kids
Subtitled ‘A fancy book of fastenings’ this largish board book is indeed that. Herein we have a frog with a zip mouth to open and shut, a pig with a button nose, a duck with a Velcro fastened down wing that lifts to reveal a small duckling hidden beneath, Kitty with a popper collar to ‘Pop’ and ‘snap’ and finally two squeaking mice whose tails are tied in a bow. In addition to developing their fine motor skills small children can enjoy listening to the simple rhyming text with its carefully chosen words including animal sounds and action words.

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Pets Lost, Pets Found

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My Pet Book
Bob Staake
Andersen Press pbk
Imagine having a book as a pet – not possible? Well then you need to get hold of
Staake’s wonderfully crazy tribute to books and young bibliophiles.
The young boy protagonist in this story wants a pet, but not one like a dog or cat; he doesn’t care for the former, the latter make him sneezy (me too).
“A book would make the perfect pet!” his mother advises so off he goes to the Smartytown local bookshop where he discovers just the thing: a small ‘frisky red hardcover!’

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Oh joy! It never makes any demands on our hero – no eating, drinking, pooping (naturally) no fleas, no bathing, easy to take walking,

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doesn’t make a sound and best of all it’s full of wonderful tales to inhabit. The two are practically inseparable.
But then oh woe! The boy comes back from school one day to discover the book has gone – given to a charity shop by the well-meaning maid. Off dash maid and boy hoping to retrieve the book but, where is it? Certainly not where it should have been – on the bookshelves, or even with the coats, lamps or bears. Tears ensue but then the maid has a brainwave: the hiding place is discovered,

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the book retrieved (none the worse for its experience) and, boy and book reunited, back home they all go.
Bonkers? Yes assuredly, but Staake so cleverly demonstrates in his crazy rhyming caper with those mega-bright, digitally manipulated illustrations packed with daft details and ebullient extras, what Clyde Watson’s poem ‘A book is a place’ says ‘Just open a book and step in.’ With this one, you’ll be glad you did.

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Farewell Floppy
Benjamin Chaud
Chronicle Books
This story concerns abandonment or rather, a boy’s attempts at same.
The young boy narrator introduces his pet rabbit, Floppy and then proceeds to explain why he can no longer keep him as a best friend “I’m not a baby.” he tells us. “So I had to let him go.” Has he been reading Hansel and Gretel one wonders as we hear of his intentions “to take him far enough into the woods that he couldn’t find his way back all alone.”
Floppy however, is his usual procrastinatory self and progress is very slow. Eventually, deep in the forest, the boy finds a tree in a clearing and it’s there that a now somewhat reluctant parting takes place; but that’s only after some determined action on the boy’s part:

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He ties his rabbit to a tree with a length of unravelled sweater wool

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and beats a hasty retreat.
Before long though, struck by anxiety and remorse, back goes the narrator only to discover nothing but a length of wool tied around the tree. Tension mounts as he dashes through the forest sending crows flying as he follows a trail that leads him …

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… eventually to a small cabin.
Therein – joy of joys – he discovers his beloved pet ably cared for by a little girl. (The same girl he’d spied earlier during his losing Floppy attempts.)

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Reunited, somewhat shamed, and with some new knowledge, boy and bunny take the route back home – together.
Poignant and perverse, thought provoking and infused with a playful humour, this longish narrative might alarm some pet lovers but only if they misunderstand the tale as a whole.

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(The five to sevens I’ve shared it with certainly have enthused about it.) Chaud’s warmth and mischievousness permeate his gorgeous illustrations, perfectly illuminating the boy’s changing feelings; Floppy though appears totally unmoved by the entire adventure.

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Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt

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Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal
Chronicle Books
A little girl narrator shares with readers a season in the garden. Beginning in the springtime and with her hands clutching seeds, the girl is eager to start planting. Her Nana however cautions her to wait for the ground to warm and dry out.

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Meanwhile there’s much to learn about happenings under the ground. “Down in the dirt is a whole busy world of earthworms and insects, digging and building and stirring up soil.” she is told and more. Above ground too there is work to be done – human work, weeding and composting until it’s time to plant.
As spring turns to summer, tiny shoots appear and pea blossoms bloom – a boon for honeybees and wasps, while down below there’s more activity, plant and animal.

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Gardening can be hot work so it’s a good job Nana has a sense of humour and the hose …

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Through the summer there is food in abundance for both humans and small animals and soon it’s time to harvest the squash and cucumbers. Come September the sunflowers are in their full daytime glory

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and at night the orb web spider is busy spinning to catch her night-time prey.
With that autumn chill in the air, the two need to finish collecting the harvest overground while the ants are busy beneath them storing food against the winter cold. Before long the garden has its first frost and down in the dirt beetles burrow, ants scurry and earthworms curl themselves up to sleep.

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In wonderfully poetic words, Messner proceeds to remind us that, even though ‘the wind smells like winter … the ripe days of summer still rest in the garden beds’ and the insects ‘dream of sunshine and blossoms and sprouts.’ : a new garden awaits the spring under the bare trees and down in the dirt.
There is just so much to celebrate about this beautiful book: the manner in which the two artists – one verbal, the other visual have worked in harmony with one another and nature to create this garden in a book: a garden that one wants to share, to visit and to reproduce. It’s a celebration too of the relationship between old and young, the peace to be found in a garden through the changing seasons and much more.
Both author and artist show such amazing attention to detail: the whole thing is just a joy to have and to share. The colours of the mixed media illustrations are gorgeous, the language lyrical, the production and design excellent and there is also an author’s note about the communal nature of any garden, suggestions for further reading and the final pages are devoted to short paragraphs giving details about the garden animals – residents and visitors.
Celebrate words, celebrate pictures; celebrate nature, celebrate life – that’s what this book so subtly teaches us. As Robert Frost says, ‘I shan’t be gone long. – You come too’.

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Hooray! It’s a New Royal Baby!

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Hooray! It’s a New Royal Baby!
Martha Mumford and Ada Grey
Bloomsbury Children’s Books pbk
There’ll be giggles aplenty over this latest addition to the ‘Royal Baby’ series.
Baby George is apprehensive at the thought of a newcomer to the family. Suppose the New Royal Baby has designs on his jammy sandwiches, wants to play with his toys and worst of all, dribbles on his favourite dinosaur toy? Will the anticipation be worse than reality; or is it possible that the new wrinkly, crying bundle might prove to be someone to celebrate after all? Could it possibly be more exciting than that new pet goldfish delivered as a special thank you gift for being a big brother?

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Martha Mumford’s telling beautifully captures the fears of any older sibling – royal or otherwise – about the arrival of a new baby; and the growing love of course.

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Once again, Ada Grey has packed a multitude of amusing details into her portrayal of the Royals and their activities: George is a real little character and as ever, those corgis manage to get themselves into many a scene.

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Underwear and Upper Wear

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Polar Bear’s Underwear
tupera tupera
Chronicle Books
I was reluctant to divest Polar Bear of those red underpants he sports on the cover of this corker of a book but without so doing, it was impossible to join in the ‘chuddies’ hunt and anyway, their glowing colour is part of the beguilement.
PB has a real problem for, not only is a vital item of his clothing missing, but he cannot remember the colour of the particular underwear he was supposedly wearing that day. Hmm – tricky one: it’s as well his trusty Mouse friend is on hand (or rather head)

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to help with the search.
Off they go together perusing all manner of pairs – striped ones – no they’re Zebra’s, foodie ones – oops no! Pig has those on; and it definitely can’t be those teeny tiny floral ones – of course not, they fit only Butterfly.

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Perhaps it’s those fetching pink ones – uh-oh! On second thoughts …

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But it cannot possibly be the spotty, ruffled ones, nor the topsy-turvy pair so PB, what about these …

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Foolish creature – how could you forget?  It’s a good job there’s a song to finish the sorry saga.
Clever die cuts strategically placed, wonderfully imagined animals and undies, and great design, are the essence of this one. Get yours today at the lingerie department of your nearest bookseller.

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I Had a Favourite Hat
Boni Ashburn and Robyn Ng
Abrams Books
The girl narrator of this upbeat story is very fond of her flippy floppy summer hat and so is not willing to pay heed to her mother’s “ … so clearly a beach hat!” comment. She knows it can be much more and so it can. Indeed there seems to be no end to the possibilities. With a bit of imagination and a ‘little of this … and a little of that…’ said hat becomes fit for Hallowe’en, a winter concert, a birthday hat,

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a dressing up hat,

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a Valentine’s hat, an Easter bonnet and finally even, a scarecrow’s titfa.

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Until that is the wind whisks it up and away and our young narrator must begin all over again and use her creative skills on the new summer style – a peaked visor, courtesy of her friend, Maggie Jean.
Funky, joyful, mixed media illustrations and an exuberant manner of telling put across that vital message about the importance of creativity and the imagination and how they enable us to transcend limitations others may try to impose.

If you have a particular penchant for pants then you’ll be pleased to hear that Monsters Love Underpants by Claire Freedman and Ben Cort (previously reviewed), is now out from Simon & Schuster in paperback with a free audio reading by Bake Off’s Mel Giedroye via a scannable code inside the front cover.

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Up the Beanstalk

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The Princess and the Giant
Caryl Hart and Sarah Warburton
Nosy Crow pbk
I love pretty much everything about this book but then I’m a real sucker for fairy tale spin offs or anything that promotes books and the enjoyment of reading. This one offers both. And, I’ve so much enjoyed every occasion when I’ve shared it with children; it’s a real treat to read aloud both for audience and adult reader – this one certainly.
The tale centres around Princess Sophie whose dwelling is a tiny house, her companions a tabby cat servant and a mouse butler, in addition to her parents that is:
‘Her father made the porridge
And her mother chopped the wood,’ (love that)

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Life should have been pretty peachy for our heroine who is free to ride her bike at will but every night the pesky giant who lives atop the magic beanstalk in the yard kept her whole family awake with his stamping and stomping.
So after a series of intolerably sleepless nights Princess Sophie stows various items in her backpack, scales the beanstalk’s dizzying heights and visits the giant. However, her sleep-inducing supper fails to produce the desired result and so she makes a second attempt –
also story inspired –

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but the noise only gets worse. Undaunted, Sophie keeps on visiting and trying until she hits upon a solution and guess what? It’s a bedtime story and the giant isn’t the only one she manages to send off to sleep with her once upon a time …

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A celebration is announced, though that’s not quite the end of this delicious tale. However I don’t want to spoil that, so let’s just say that Sophie has some nifty teaching, not to mention line walking still to do before she and her large new friend can live ‘Happily Ever After.’
Gorgeous illustrations absolutely packed with delicious details , and superb storytelling – what more can one want?

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Jack and the Beanstalk
Kathleen Lines and Harold Jones
Oxford University Press pbk
This is a classy classic collection of some of the best loved traditional tales retold by a great storyteller in a direct manner as befits the oral tradition, and illustrated by Harold Jones whose distinctive, wonderfully composed watercolour paintings are now so gloriously old-fashioned.

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In addition to the title story are nine other nursery favourites including The Story of the Three Bears, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and The Story of the Three Little Pigs.
It’s hard to believe this book was first published about fifty-five years ago. It was considered a treasure then and should be a treasure now.

In contrast, a thoroughly modern take on the traditional story is now out in paperback; it’s one I reviewed last year when it came out in hardback:

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Jack and the Jelly Bean Stalk
Liz Pichon
Hodder Children’s Books pbk.

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Migloo’s Day

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Migloo’s Day
William Bee
Walker Books
Food, – lots of it, friends – lots of those too, and fun – certainly plenty of that, feature in William Bee’s latest story which visually documents (along with a verbal narrative and all manner of signs and labels) a day in the life of a dog. Migloo is the star of the show but there’s a whole host of other characters, both human and animal, who play greater or lesser parts herein. Oh! and all manner of vehicles play a fairly significant part too.
The whole thing starts when Farmer Tom offers a hungry Migloo a ride to market on board his tractor. There is a dizzying array of market stalls some of which do indeed sell food but Migloo’s nose is quickly alerted to his very favourite smell, Suki’s Super! Sizzling! Sausages! so he follows his nose towards her stall in the Town Square.

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Sausages safely secured, Migloo wants something sweet so it’s a Knickerbocker Glory for afters. That’s breakfast dealt with. This is followed by a ride to the factory in Sydney’s side car – arriving just in time for lunch. Daisy’s sandwiches are just the thing and then, sporting a hard hat Migloo jumps on the back of Francois’ motorbike and they head to the fire station where jammy doughnuts are the order of the day.
A police jeep ride, a school visit (via Mrs Luigi’s café for pizza) to assist with bike week, and an excursion with the pupils, follow. Then disaster strikes: the school bus breaks down.

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Now it’s Migloo’s turn to give something back; but for that he needs the help of all his friends and their destination is the park – just in time for the children’s concert and perhaps a helping of chips for one canine hero. PHEW!

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This reviewer is exhausted just thinking about all this activity; but of course, things are not quite done at such a breath-taking speed. William Bee has crammed every single double spread full of details making it a visual feast so that readers want to pause and spend ages seeking out the items referred to in the “Question Time’ posters, identifying the various characters – around seventy in all, reading the signs, notices and generally talking excitedly about the plethora of fascinating details. And just in case that’s not enough there’s a final William Bee’s Busy Page with things to do and find – so it’s back to the previous pages then…
I had to prise my copy out of the hands of the group of 4 to 9 year olds I introduced this engrossing book too. But I’m pretty sure Bee would have kept them busy for many more hours had we had the time. That fold-out spread in itself is good for at least an hour.

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On the Way to School & Follow that Car

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A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to School
Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud
Chronicle Books
If the boy in this hilarious story came into my class with such outlandish excuses for his lateness, and in such profusion, I’d want to celebrate his imagination and award him first prize for creativity. His whole sorry saga is pretty much out of this world, as we are presented with such scenarios as the first “some giant ants stole my breakfast ” through increasingly hilariously, surreal situations such as …

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via a whole gamut of fairy tale meanderings,

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mad cap misadventures and flights of fancy, before our young hero arrives at the school gate, But even then he is forced to travel (ably or not so ably assisted by his uncle’s time machine) back home to pick up his forgotten packpack, only to be confronted when he does make it to his classroom, by his disbelieving teacher who seemingly, is having none of it.

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As the illustrator’s name might imply, this book is hot stuff – sorry about the pun. Those scenes of his are real rib-ticklers and Davide Cali’s droll delivery of the boy’s journey equally so.
A small book indeed; but one that packs a powerful punch.

Slightly less crazy but also involving a journey and food (oh! maybe forget that last bit) is:

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Follow That Car
Lucy Feather and Stephan Lomp
Nosy Crow
Hey, you … yes you!
Mouse needs your help and he needs it now!
He needs to catch Gorilla and he needs to be super-quick!
Are you ready? Then let’s go!
   FOLLOW THAT CAR!
An immediate engagement tactic that and one I doubt many young children would be able to resist.
Off speeds chunky Gorilla in his small car with Mouse on his mo-bike in hot pursuit. But what is the purpose of the chase? Has Gorilla stolen something? is the first thought, but we don’t find out (unless like this reviewer you cheat and read the ending before engaging in the chase. Not something I allowed my group of mixed infants to do, however – not knowing is really part and parcel of the fun.)
So off we go along with Mouse as he manoueveres around that sheet of glass and through the busy streets… past the building site where Gorilla completes a dare-devil stunt… down the car park ramp… over the fly-over towards the railway station. Oh no! Gorilla’s got through but Mouse is stuck at the crossing gate.

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Good job we saw that tunnel, so it’s on towards the farm taking care to avoid any tractors and oh my goodness! now comes a busy market and Gorilla’s drawing further away… and surely those cannot be mountains up ahead? But yes, and a ski resort;

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the end must be nigh…not quite yet though. First there’s a lakeside traffic jam to negotiate. Thank goodness then that Gorilla has to stop to refuel and that’s where we (and Mouse) catch up with him and …

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Off speeds Mouse but – hang on a minute: now why is Gorilla chasing after him?
Well, why should I spoil it for you– you’ll have to get hold of a copy of this fun-filled, action-packed book and find out for yourself.

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You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus

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You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus
Patricia Cleveland Peck and David Tazzyman
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
In this fun-filled extravaganza, Patricia Cleveland Peck (now that’s a voice from the past) and David Tazzyman entertain the possible consequences of allowing all manner of unlikely passengers on, or into, a variety of vehicles. The pachyderm of the title would squash the seats quite flat on account of its fat, heavy posterior, a mischievous monkey would ‘snatch your shopping and chuck it about’

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were it to be allowed to sit in a shopping trolley and a camel in a sailing boat …

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– a disaster waiting to happen for sure. The same is true of a whale riding a bike or the favourites of my 5/6year old audiences – ‘a pig on a skateboard

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“’Cos he’s so big and fat and looks so funny in his pads and goggles.” ‘
and ‘… never let a bear near an ice-cream van…’ – ’He’s really funny breaking that van door and making all those splats of ice-cream everywhere.”

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Tazzyman’s slighltly scribbly scenes really tickled the fancy of those children.
Re-readings immediately were demanded by another group, some of whom were inspired by the author’s mad musings to create their own scenarios:

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And if by chance you need to find a book to introduce a science topic on pushes and pulls, then this one’s an absolute boon; but that’s just a minor reason to get hold of this madcap musing, the most important being its effect on the imaginations of children.

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Fabulous Pie & The Monkey and the Bee

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Fabulous Pie
Gareth Edwards and Guy Parker-Rees
Alison Green Books, Scholastic pbk
When a very bad bear bakes a very large pie-crust – ‘f’laky, warm and wide,’ he plans a wicked plan to get it filled: but what is to go in this fabulous pie? Bear certainly has ideas but his cry of “Fabulous pie! Fabulous pie! Who will help to make the filling for my fabulous pie?” is more than a little ambiguous to the other forest animals and immediately Mouse agrees to help. He collects plump juicy blackberries but bear isn’t satisfied and asks again: squirrel supplies hazelnuts and in they go but that mixture is still not satisfactory. Out goes that cry again… and again … as badger, then mother and daughter otters,

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provide tasty offerings until the animals get cross at bear’s dissatisfaction with berries, honey, nuts and salmon. Things then turn decidedly unpleasant for those willing helpers when …

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Seems it’s time to make a move guys and gals. I wonder who has the last laugh – or should that be bite? …

 

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Simply scrummy is this offering from Edwards and Parker-Rees. Their recipe for a tasty tale is: wickedly funny illustrations liberally sprinkled with assorted animals, – drolly drawn; mixed with rip-roaringly funny, tension building textual teasing. – audiences know what the animals do not: that bear is definitely no vegetarian. Assuredly, one to put on any early years menu.

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The Monkey and the Bee
C.P. Bloom and Peter Raymundo
Abrams Books
Slapstick abounds in this minimally worded, powerfully visual, fast-moving drama, the essential elements of which are, in addition to those mentioned in the title, The Banana and The Lion; oh and a large palm frond essential for waving, wafting and whacking. The question is, will the Monkey and the Bee work in tandem – once they’ve got over their differences concerning that banana –

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and get the better of a very angry-looking lion that definitely did not appreciate that head-bashing he received courtesy of – you’ve guessed it – the Monkey?

 

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Or does said Monkey value a whole banana more than his life? He most certainly has to run for it once the King of the jungle is on the rampage.

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A completely crazy caper and one that will appeal most strongly to those readers who prefer their stories told mainly through visuals. I suspect it will be read over and over and …

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Flight of the Honey Bee

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Flight of the Honey Bee
Raymond Huber and Brian Lovelock
Walker Books pbk
Did you know that ‘Bees can smell in “stereo,” each antenna smelling in a different direction.’ I certainly didn’t. Nor (despite having a partner who is a natural history fanatic) did I know that their eyeballs are furry; but these are just two of the fascinating details I learned from this absorbing book. Essentially it documents the story of a honeybee, ‘Scout’ from the time she leaves the safety of the hive and, as autumn approaches, flies out into the world in search of pollen and a nectar source.
One almost feels like a participant in Scout’s journey, such is the quality of the detail in Lovelock’s watercolour, pencil and acrylic ink illustrations

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and the descriptions of Huber’s (himself a beekeeper) writing: ‘ Scout flies swift and straight as an arrow. The wind buffets her, ruffling her fine hairs on her face … Eyes as black as polished stones are searching – seeking a splash of colour below.’
Each stage of the search is vividly described using that present tense narrative voice: the narrow escape from a hungry blackbird, the nectar locating and sipping, pollen collecting in the ‘sea of flowers’. Then comes Scout’s battering by the hailstorm,

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the encounter with a wasp and her re-entry to the hive where she communicates with her sister bees describing in her dance language the route to the meadow.

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Next she passes her nectar to the house bees, transmits the pollen from her body to the ‘babysitter’ bees that mix it with honey to feed the babies, before settling down for a recuperative rest. A rest that will enable her to join her fellow bees for the autumn harvest in that ‘blue meadow’ she has located.
Sadly, here in the UK, honey bees are declining in numbers: the author ends by giving readers some brief tips on how they can play their part in helping these vitally important insects survive and thrive. An excellent, exciting and educative book.

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Pat-a-Cake Baby

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Pat-a-Cake Baby
Joyce Dunbar and Polly Dunbar
Walker Books
Clad in onesie and chef’s hat, our baby narrator introduces itself thus:
“ I’m a cookie baby
a pat-a-cake baby
I want to bake
a very special cake”
and that is exactly what happens during the course of the night. The chubby infant, ably assisted by three lively chums, gets busy with the shiny yellow butter, ditsy glitzy glossy sugar,

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yolky, jokey slithery, slidy eggs, sulky milk and snowy blowy flour and they proceed to whisk, shake, pour, sieve, sprinkle, and liberally toss the ingredients every which way. At the same time these adorable babes are scraping, flicking, licking,

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and generally cavorting all over the kitchen.
Then, when the cake’s finally baked, there comes the pitting and patting, piping the icing, (with a whole lot of giggling and wriggling for good measure), followed by a generous scittering, scattering, sprinkling and spronkling of decorative bits and pieces.

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The result is so magnificently mouth-watering that the man in the moon himself drops by for a generous serving. Mmmm!

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The mother/daughter recipe here is equally delectable – a large sprinkling of delicious assorted wordplay in a satisfyingly bouncy, rhythmically rhyming, read-aloud text, a delectable cast of tiny characters, generous spreads and spatters of pastel colouring, sprinkled with sparkling stars.
Bring it on and serve it up in platefuls, say I. And then ask me back for more … I know infant listeners will want another serving; it’s truly irresistible.
The whole concoction is just so-o good I’d like to show every single spread but you’ll just have to get hold of a copy for yourself.

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Hungry Roscoe

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DSCN4095 (800x600)Hungry Roscoe
David J. Plant
Flying Eye Books
Roscoe the raccoon has a very empty tum; he’s pretty desperate for something tasty to eat so, he does as his pal Benjy suggests and tries his luck at the zoo, where the animals, so he is told, get their daily share of fresh food. Hmm!
What’s that bucket brim full of bananas and other delectable fruits doing? If Roscoe had any doubts, then the zookeeper clears them up in double quick time …

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Clearly a disguise is needed if Roscoe is to look like a deserving zoo inmate so with the help of few props, he is transformed into …

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Blending in however, doesn’t go too well, so another disguise is donned and he tries his luck as …

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Those squawks are fooling nobody however: time to beat a hasty retreat thinks our hungry hero. Then his luck turns, a deal is struck with some wily monkeys and after some deft key snatching and unlocking

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of various doors, pandemonium strikes the zoo. And then, after a hard day’s labour rounding up all the escapees, it’s definitely NOT Roscoe in need of a feed.DSCN4100 (800x600)

This tale of mischief and mayhem elicited a cheer from those I shared it with, some of whom were eager to suggest other disguises for Roscoe so amused were they by David Plant’s droll visual humour – “sort-of slapstick”, one boy commented.

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Seeds of Friendship, Flowers of Love

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The Seeds of Friendship
Michael Foreman
Walker Books
Adam, new to high-rise city life, certainly does sow the seeds of friendship in more ways than one in this uplifting modern fable. Adam however, has come from a distant part of the world and his parents helped him keep his memories alive by sharing stories that he responded to by making pictures of the fauna and flora of his old home country.
Outside meanwhile, everything looks grey and cold and his shyness prevents him from leaving his tower block and making approaches to the children he sometimes sees below. But then one morning his view outside is completely blocked by frosty patterns on his window. He does what most children find irresistible– draws pictures on the windows, not only his own but every one available; pictures of animals that live in the frozen forest ‘canvas’ nature has already created for him.

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That night snow falls and next morning Adam ventures out into a wonderful world of white where other children are making a snowman. Brrr!

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But Adam builds something completely different and surprising to the others, who are soon drawn into a co-creative enterprise on a very large scale.

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A few days later when Adam starts his new school, he discovers some of his new-found friends and he finds something else equally important and exciting – a garden. Not a large one, but one from which his teacher gives Adam some seeds to take home: seeds that grow and multiply so that after a few months, Adam is able to invite his friends home where they all help him create a glorious roof garden. And we all know what seeds have a tendency to do – SPREAD – which is just what happens here. Thanks to teamwork, Adam and his friends transform the whole locality into a gloriously glowing city of gardens

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whose colours will be different every season –that and those seeds of hope and friendship which can go on for ever …
Just perfect – what more needs to be said.

For a younger audience is:

 

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Lulu Loves Flowers
Anna McQuinn and Rosalind Beardshaw
Alanna Books
The adorable Lulu is back with a book-inspired activity: this time she wants to be like Mary Mary in her favourite poem from the garden poems anthology.

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So, armed with library books on gardening, and help from her Mummy with the buying and planting of seeds, her garden is under way. Though of course those flowers won’t grow up overnight, so in the meantime Lulu decides to make her own flower book, string some shells and beads and make a little Mary Mary character of her own. Then one warm, sunny day, joy of joys, her flowers have opened to greet the sun.

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Time to hang up those shiny bells, Lulu, before your friends come round to see that special garden and to share some of the produce.
Absolutely charming – both words and pictures are full of warmth; and as always Lulu is such a good advocate for books and libraries. Would that every young child had parents like her ready to encourage and support all those activities that are so important for young children – reading, writing, growing things and developing their creativity.

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The First Slodge, Bully & Swimmy

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The First Slodge
Jeanne Willis and Jenni Desmond
Little Tiger Press
Learning to share is at the centre of this book that begins beautifully thus:
‘Once upon a slime, there was a Slodge.’ Now this Slodge is the first of her kind, the only one of her kind – so she thinks – and thus she’s entitled to claim ownership of everything she sees – the sunrise and sunset, day and night, the first star and the first moon, the first thunder and lightning, even the first flower and fruit.

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It is with this fruit that her problem begins for when she goes to take a second bite (having set it aside for the night after her first), she discovers that somebody, or something, has got there first. Shock horror.

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A fight ensues – the first – during which the fruit rolls away and down the hill into the sea, closely followed by the First Slodge who finds herself face to face with the First Snawk and this creature’s thoughts are on supper.
Slodge number two, meanwhile – he too has a problem with ownership – plunges into the ocean, rescues the First Slodge, and a beautiful friendship is forged. A friendship that proves prolific and fruitful …

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Almost a kind of creation story; it’s beautifully and simply expressed verbally and beautifully portrayed visually and, one to share as widely as possible.

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Bully
Laura Vaccaro Seeger
Andersen Press pbk
Meet Bully: doesn’t your heart immediately go out to him as he’s shunned by an angry-looking bigger bull (parent?) even before the title page? Down, but not out, off he goes, now knowing how to hurt others, on a bullying cycle that has thus begun. When asked by some farmyard animals if he’d like to play, the young bovine assumes the bully role. “No!” he retorts then proceeds to insult (merely by telling the truth) and see off, a rabbit, a chick, a turtle, a pig,

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a bee and a snunk. All the while, with each insult hurled, the little bull grows larger – puffed up by self-importance until a little goat stands up to him, speaking the truth in no uncertain terms. …

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“Bully?” repeats the bull and as the truth begins to dawn, the protagonist‘s gradual deflation causes him to whirligig around the farmyard as all that hot air slowly dissipates. Then, back to his normal size once again, a tearful little chap makes apologetic advances to his would-be friends and all is finally well.
Bold, stylised illustrations on a textured background (very effective for the farmyard setting) and minimal words make for a powerful message: peaceful actions are preferable; there is NO place for bullying.
Excellent stuff.

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Swimmy
Leo Leonni
Andersen Press pbk
Deep in the ocean lives a school of happy little fish – red fish, all except one that is: Swimmy is black and he’s the fastest swimmer among them. One day however, a huge, hungry tuna fish gobbles up all Swimmy’s friends leaving him scared, lonely and sad. Not for long though: Swimmy soon discovers many wonderful creatures living in the ocean world,

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including, joy of joys, a school of tiny fish just like those lost friends of his. But these fish are too scared to leave their shadowy hide-away on account of the huge hungry fish whose next meal they might become.
Swimmy muses on the problem and then comes up with a clever collaborative solution: “We are going to swim all together like the biggest fish in the sea! ” he tells them and proceeds to teach them to swim as one, before taking his own place as the eye.

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I still have a much loved and much read copy of this beautiful book from way back before I became a teacher.Those print-style illustrations of Leo Lionni – one of my all time favourite picture book creators – have inspired many a piece of art work from the countless children with whom I’ve shared this wonderful book over many years.

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I’m thrilled to see this back in print: a must buy for anyone who wants children to be lovers of books and art.

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Hippobottymus

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DSCN4189 (600x800)Hippobottymus
Steve Smallman and Ada Grey
Little Tiger Press pbk
There’s a pleasing circularity to this rhyming tale; and not just because of the bubbles – or maybe it is, on second thoughts. It all begins with a little mouse and a bubbling creek. Then, during the course of the performance – for that is essentially what the book is all about (though that too is arguable), add to the squeaks (mouse’s) and the bubbles (the creek’s), a tweet (a bird’s), Centipede’s beat ‘Tip-tap-a-tippy-tappy’,

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a ‘Woo-hoo! courtesy of Monkey, a big bass drum (Warthog’s bum) and the PLINK PLINK PLINK-A-PLONK! – of a bone along Crocodile’s teeth.

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The result? Music to dance the day away for sure; and with so many contributors to the band too. But there is another animal as yet to be announced as contributor to the cacophony. No, it’s not that small rodent basking there in reflected glory.

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Why is Hippo claiming credit? Let’s just say, his involuntary bubbling contribution to the whole caboodle came courtesy of his erstwhile bean feast: ‘ TRUMP-PARP-bubble-bubble! TRUMP-PARP-POP!’
What a hoot – or should that be, toot?!
This daring duet from Smallman and Grey is surely destined to become a firm favourite among early years audiences who will definitely demand repeat performances and may well want to orchestrate the whole thing themselves – BEWARE! You didn’t hear that from me …

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Frida and Bear

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Frida and Bear
Anthony Browne and Hanne Bartholin
Walker Books
Frida loves drawing as does her pal, Bear but one day Bear, stuck for an idea asks Frida for a suggestion. Frida draws and passes her paper to Bear inviting him to turn it into something: Bear does so and thus begins a game of I start/you finish between the friends.

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The clever thing is, each of them is exercising his/her imagination, and becoming co-creator, every time they play a new round of the game.

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The two participants in this story, engage in an exchange game not dissimilar to one I used to play with a nursery class I taught, only there I provided a basket of paper/card offcuts and other possibly interesting bits and pieces for the children to help themselves to and sometimes even turn into a character of some kind which often (with the help of a digital camera and a computer) became a character for their own picture story books. I guess Bear and Frida or Browne and Hanne could do something akin to this with all the characters on the final spread of this inventive book.

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But that’s a whole other story and maybe one young readers might like to try – after they’ve played the exchange game like Bear and Frida, that is.
Indeed, the butterfly Frida makes

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is very similar to one a four year old in my group created and therein lies the beauty of this. Drawing skill is immaterial; it’s creativity and seeing possibilities that’s the essence here.
Super-dooper book – brimming over with creative possibilities for all ages.

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Tell Me a Picture/Following My Paint Brush

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Tell Me a Picture
Quentin Blake
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Subtitled Adventures in looking at art, this excellent book introduces its readers to twenty six paintings that were Quentin Blake’s choice for an exhibition that was held at the National Gallery in 2001. Representing a wide range of artists, alphabetically arranged we start with

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Avercamp’s A Winter Scene with Skaters near a Castle and conclude with Austrian picture book illustrator, Lisbeth Zwerger’s scene from Dwarf Nose, one of her collaborations with Wilhelm Hauff.
The former is packed full with detail and narrative possibility. However there is no wordy preamble about the painting as such, merely the artist’s name on a display board sign held by one of Blake’s characteristically offbeat characters alongside whom are other Blake characters who are discussing the painting by way of a prelude. The latter might send readers off in all manner of directions depending on what they are bringing to the painting.

 

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Actually that is part of the appeal of the whole enterprise: every time one turns the page or opens the book afresh, there is the possibility of new stories emerging. It truly is about opening up: opening up to the countless possibilities offered by way of interpretation and inspiration and of course, creativity and the imagination. I’m not dismissing of course, the notion that the book could also act as a starting point for inquiry of a more academic nature but that I’d say comes later.
And, how wonderfully those half dozen or so picture book artists of today (and I’m including Gabrielle Vincent here) stand up against the painters from as far back as the fifteenth century.
How I wish I’d been able to visit the National Gallery exhibition but I must content myself with this wonderful volume and the opportunities it offers me to share its contents with, and I hope inspire, children of all ages although, hopefully not to try emulating the antics of those shown in the lead-in to Polish illustrator Józef Wilkon’s Bats in the Belfry

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which is not a book I’m familiar with although I love some of his other picture books.

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Following My Paintbrush
Duari Devi and Gita Wolf
Tara Books
This is an inspiring, first person narrative account of how one woman, a domestic worker, follows her dreams and learns to become a painter.
Dulari Devi, from a poor village family, was unable to go to school. Instead she had to work with her mother caring for her brothers and sisters, selling in the market fish her father had caught, and working in other people’s homes as a domestic; sometimes she wished for more.
One day she stops to watch a group of children by the village pond and in her own words, “As I stood and looked at the children playing, the scene turned into a picture in my mind. It came alive, bright and lively, telling stories … “

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Shortly after, she accompanies her mother to work at the home of an artist and is inspired by her paintings. Back home she begins creating her own things of beauty.

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Returning the next day, Dulari asks if she can join the painting class her employer is teaching and thus begins her journey of learning and discovery. Hard work, yes, but painting soon becomes part of her life and still is to this day. For now, as she says, “I am not just ‘a cleaner woman’, I am an artist.” And one who, having met a book publisher can finally say, “I have made a book.”- this one.
The distinctive artistic style Dulari uses is called Mithila and is a folk art characterised by bold images, richly patterned with lines, zigzags, circles and often, vividly coloured.
Here is one of the glorious paintings from the book…
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Truly an uplifting account of an individual discovering and developing her innate creativity, and a powerful, stunning creation to share with children everywhere whether you want to explore with them a distinctive artistic style from another culture, or inspire them to develop their creativity and follow their dreams. I’d suggest both.

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Crazy Captain Coconut

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Captain Coconut and the Case of the Missing Bananas
Anushka Ravishankar and Priya Sundram
Tara Books
This one’s a real laugh out loud pastiche – a kind of graphic novel – and features an Indian detective, who seems to be a kind of amalgam of the brainy Sherlock Holmes, Feluda and Inspector Ghote, and inept Inspector Clouseau type police detectives the world over. We find Captain Coconut faced with a baffling mystery concerning Mrs Y, her sister and her nephew, Gilli, and fourteen bananas, some of which have gone missing. Four can be accounted for – eaten by family members – but only six are left. Hmm – tricky: but our detective has a truly amazing logical and mathematical brain –

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albeit shaped somewhat like a coconut – and a trusty calculator that can be relied upon when computational problems crop up. DSCN4229 (800x600)
With his unflappable powers of deduction, not to mention the odd brainwave, and with the help of his trusty notebook,

 

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Captain Coconut slowly but surely, unravels the crime and unmasks the culprit. QED so to speak; thanks not entirely to his super brain, but also to a bad case of the trots: Somnambulist eat your heart out.
A spicy concoction of cheeky eccentricity, tricky clues and mind-numbing number posers from Anushka Ravishankar, quirkily clever, retro, collage-style illustrations courtesy of Priya Sundram, (that paisley patterned nose of the Captain’s is genius), Bollywood-style vocal interludes courtesy of our great singing detective, C.C.. In fact everything about Captain Coconut is divinely daft and entirely lovable. Add to the mix, great design (a Tara hallmark) and what you have is, in my book anyway, totally and brilliantly bonkers, and utterly hilarious.

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A Trio for Tots

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Gigantosaurus
Jonny Duddle
Templar Publishing
This is a board book edition of an already popular story and unlike many board books the text has not been cut down.
“His feet go STOMP!
His jaws go CRUNCH!
In the blink of an eye
You’d be his LUNCH!”
Shudder, shudder. The Gigantosaurus is about, warn the dinosaur mums as Bonehead, Tiny, Fin and Bill set off to play on the hill one day.
Bonehead posts himself to stand watch on the termite nest and before long he raises the “GIGANTOSAURUS! alarm …
THUD THUD THUD – a false alarm as it turns out. So too is the second cry and the third. Bonehead laughs at his pals, leaves them and goes off, supposedly to take a nap but “GIGANTOASARUS! Run as fast as you can!” he calls. Enough is enough the others decide and off to explore they go; but then …

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Duddle’s prehistoric take on The Boy Who Cried Wolf is enormous fun. The rhyming story rollicks along and with their filmic quality, the digitally created illustrations seem to leap off the page.
There’s also a fold out page and, to whet the appetites of knowledge seekers, there are snippets of information about the featured dinosaurs on the two final double spreads.
Dinosaur style, Duddle has definitely done himself proud.

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I’m Shy
David A. Carter
Walker Books
This has the subtitle ‘A Bashful Little Pop-Up Book’ and it’s a delight, as is the eight-limbed creature that after a little coercion, bit-by-bit reveals itself in its full glory:

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before scuttling back into its hidey-hole again.
‘Again’ is the response I’ve had from every small child I have shared this little book with; although there have also been many demands to ‘do that bit again’ at the very first appearance of the eye

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when the front cover is opened fully.
Short and sweet it surely is: I envisage this one being read to destruction by enthusiastic little hands.

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Cheep, Cheep!
Sue Downing
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Cockerel crows a good morning on a bright new day and this sets off a chain of greetings. ‘With something new to share and say/little chick goes on his way.’ “Cheep cheep!” says Chick to little calf.

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Little calf in turn moos to little lamb who baas to little foal and thus the four baby animals are off out to play.
Simple, charmingly effective and very ‘join-in with-able’. And surprisingly with such chunky, easy to turn pages, it’s also very light to hold.

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It’s Mums that Make THE Difference

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The Great Cheese Robbery
Tim Warnes
Little Tiger Press
Most of us have something that sends shivers down the spine; I get alarmed when a big dog comes bounding in my direction. Large, strong Daddy Elephant is completely fearless, well not quite; actually he’s terrified of mice. Imagine his response then, when a small grey, furry rodent calling himself Cornelius J. Parker arrives at the door claiming to be a cheese inspector. Ignoring his cowering father, young Patrick helpfully shows CJP the family’s stash which is immediately pronounced “VERY DANGEROUS” and two more mice duly arrive to confiscate the whole lot, fridge and all as a health hazard. But that’s not the only thing Mascarphone and Manchego, for those are the names of Cornelius’ co-workers, proceed to remove right under the trunk of a cowering Daddy Elephant. Before long the whole house is overrun with mice while its contents is gradually disappearing out through the front door.

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In the nick of time however, back comes Mummy Elephant and she, most certainly, is not afraid of mice.

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This one’s been getting lots of laughs from my audiences of under sixes who are particularly taken with the idea of dangerous cheese and the sight of Daddy Elephant being lifted aloft by ‘the whole mouse gang,’ as one boy called all those fiendish, tiny grey creatures.

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Thank you, Jackson
Niki and Jude Daly
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
It takes a boy to show his farmer father the way to get things done in this story set in rural South Africa from the Daly husband/wife partnership.
One morning having toiled up the same hill for years, loaded down with produce for market, Jackson the donkey gets halfway up and digs his hooves in, coming to a complete full stop.
Despite the farmer’s pulling, pushing, and cursing, the donkey flatly refuses to budge. The furious farmer searches for a stick to beat the poor creature.

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Fortunately for him however, the farmer’s wife, who has been watching the action from down below, calls her son, Goodwill and sends him up the hill to assist his father. Goodwill arrives on the scene just in the nick of time and seeing his father about to hit the donkey, calls out and prevents the beating. He then approaches Jackson and whispers in the animal’s ear whereupon much to his father’s surprise, up gets the animal and the three of them proceed to market, sharing the load between them.

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What was it that Goodwill said to the donkey and indeed shamed his father, who realized he’d never used those words to his faithful beast of burden? Just ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ the little ones that his Mama was always telling him make all the difference.
One can almost feel the simmering heat coming from Jude Daly’s dusty rural scenes that accompany Niki Daly’s gently humourous story, a story with a message that we all need to remember no matter who or where we are.

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Solutions for Alan and Barnaby

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I Need a Wee!
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
Simon & Schuster pbk
Alan, the lovable blue bear depicted on the cover of this book is determined to have fun, no matter what. And the ‘what’ makes itself obvious almost from the start of the story: it’s the need for a wee. A need that grows more and more urgent as Alan insists on having another go on the helter-skelter, stopping to buy a balloon and partaking of Claude’s birthday cake. Finally Alan and friends reach the loos and guess what –there’s a long queue. Dolly offers the use of her toilet but it’s too “teeny tiny” so Alan looks elsewhere.

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but the Magic Rabbit is having none of it. Things are getting pretty desperate when Alan makes a dash up the steps and behind a curtain – so he thinks but then he discovers he’s actually on stage where his energetic efforts to control his bladder are rewarded with a large golden trophy

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and he knows just what to do with that; so why is he saying that he still needs a wee?
With its luminous cover, charming cast of characters colourfully illustrated and tension-building text, this one should certainly make under fives (and those who have dealings with them) laugh.

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A Monster’s Moved In!
Timothy Knapman and Loretta Schauer
Little Tiger Press
Monsters come in all shapes and sizes: the one that’s referred to in the title of this rainy day story is roughly child-sized and green. He arrives as a result of Barnaby’s den building activity and his somewhat foolish (in the light of what then happens) utterance, “Sometimes I wish a monster WOULD move in!” Before you can say, “I don’t believe it!” which is what young Barnaby does in fact say, there, clutching what looks like a packed lunch box, is Burple. Burple heads straight for Barnaby’s den and the boy, joins him. ‘BIG MISTAKE!’ In less time than you can say to yourself, “He seems harmless,” for that is just what our young protagonist does, Burple has started producing ear-splitting howls. Moreover, the contents of his lunch box has escaped and is hell bent on consuming Barnaby’s den.

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Ideas are needed and Barnaby suddenly has a good one. Some imaginative activities proceed, some rather too imaginative

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until at last the rain stops and boy and monster head to the park for some outdoor pursuits.

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At the end of the day, both declare it’s been their best ever day. And the following one – well, that would be telling.
Monsters, den building, imaginative play, tree climbing – just the kind of things young children love. Put them altogether in a slightly crazy, laugh-inducing story and illustrate it with verve and vigour, and just a touch of cuteness, and the result is a book with enormous appeal for those around the age of the chief protagonist, and I suspect, monsters.

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