Author jillrbennett

Where The Dragon Waits

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Where The Dragon Waits
Tom Moorhouse
David Fickling Books

When out sailing, twelve year old Ed and his dad are involved in a crash. When the boy comes round, he’s on an almost deserted beach but his dad is nowhere to be seen. The only person anywhere around is a rather bossy girl named Steff. There’s also a white butterfly that perches on his thumb. “There’s weirdness afoot,” Steff tells Ed as they sit together under a strangely white sky.

It’s not long before the two of them are are fleeing from a swarm of butterflies. They find themselves in the Realm on a curious quest in search of a dragon that rules this magical land and lives at the top of a rocky spire. Protecting the Realm is grumpy, armoured pangolin named, Astolpho.  The creature informs the children that in order to return home, they must obtain the tears of the dragon. Further danger in their quest comes in the form of bloodthirsty wolves. These wolves are on the hunt for Ed and Steff as their presence in the Realm draws butterflies that the wolves are deathly afraid of, so Astolpho tells the children.

Meanwhile we readers realise that Ed’s parents are waiting anxiously by his hospital bed as he lies in a critical condition. With further perilous situations to contend with, will he ever return to them. And Steff: what is her fate to be?

Utterly engrossing, this twisting, turning amalgam of fantasy and reality is hugely thought-provoking, exploring as it does the importance of courage, loyalty, ingenuity and family There’s humour too and plenty of excitement and intrigue. Who could ask for more?

The Night I Borrowed Time

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The Night I Borrowed Time
Iqbal Hussain
Puffin Press

Eleven year old Zubair is a seventh son, his sextuplet elder brothers are often a pain but he loves them all the same. His parents’ marriage is falling apart so when his Gran from Pakistan arrives to stay and gives him a strange black velvet pendant that allows him as the seventh son of the family, to travel back in time, he decides to use it to try and change things in his parents’ pasts that will mean that they’re happy in the present. Once Gran is settled in she begins regaling the family with amazing stories every night. After one tale something weird happens to him; this he tells his best friend, Fozia, and in so doing comes to think about how best he can use his new, powerful gift.

Convinced that the failed relationship between his parents has been caused by his father’s accident while driving a cab and if that hadn’t happened all would be well between them, he fails to stop and consider whether his perception of how things are is based on what he wants to be the truth or the evidence that is right before his eyes. So when his attempts to change things fail to have the desired effect, he tries something different. However, each trip back in time affects something else and Zubair’s ever more desperate actions threaten to eradicate the life he knows. Is it possible to put things right, or has he not only destroyed the present for himself and his family, but their futures too.

This amazing and gripping tale of family and friendship is hugely thought-provoking, seamlessly weaving in as it does information about Partition and arranged marriages in Pakistani culture. (Further information about these comes after the story).

Iqbal Hussain is a very exciting new voice in children’s books this book being the first title published under Puffin’s new list, Puffin Press and I look forward to his next novel.

The Good Deed Dogs

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The Good Deed Dogs
Emma Chichester Clark
Walker Books

Bodger, Billy and Betty are very good dogs, always eager to do good deeds: they’re constantly looking out for those who might be in need of help.

First they decide to help an old lady carry her shopping. However they end up scattering the contents of her bags all over the place because she keeps a firm hold of the bag handles. Fortunately she takes it in good heart and requests that they clear up the chaos they’ve created. Later the same day their efforts to assist a man on a ladder watering hanging baskets also has calamitous results and same is true of their attempts to help a girl hanging out washing. Both the man and the girl merely ask the pooches to clear up after themselves.

At the end of the day as a thoroughly despondent Bodger, Billy and Betty make their way home there comes a loud scream for help coming from the direction of the river. On the bank stands a little girl pointing to where a kitten in a saucepan is bobbing up and down in the water. Without a moment’s hesitation in dive the dogs with an almighty SPLASH! What will be the outcome of their efforts now?

The repetition element works really well and young listeners will love joining in with “We’re here to help!” and “Leave it to us! and shouting CALAMITY at each disaster but it’s Emma’s dramatic, detailed illustrations that really steal the show. A real winner this.

Star. Moon, Zoom

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Star. Moon, Zoom
Moira Butterfield and Ro Ledesma
Happy Yak

Moira Butterfield is adept at presenting complex subjects in such a way that they appeal to relatively young readers. She certainly does so with this space science book. Herein she uses a lively group of children and their brainy dog, Charlie (a space expert) to introduce readers to big scientific questions, making the content approachable and thought-provoking. ‘Is space smelly? Is it noisy?’ she asks to introduce an early spread; that’s sure to grab children’s attention from the outset. This reviewer was amused to read that ‘NASA has a team of top smellers to test everything they put in a new spaceship. Anything that’s too pongy gets taken out.’

Have you ever wondered what trash astronauts have left behind on the moon? Apparently there are a dozen pairs of boots, a falcon bird feather, two golf balls, three space buggies and about ninety six bags of sick, wee and poo – delightful. Let’s hope all this was left in the moon’s dark patches.

Do you know what a comet tail is made from? Or rather a comet’s tails – it has two, one a gas tail, the other a dust tail and some comet tails can stretch up to a million kilometres.

The final question: is there any life in other parts of space? is one that has yet to be answered. Questions like these are sure to encourage discussion, critical thinking and prediction all of which are vital skills that children need to develop.

With its lucid explanations, a playful tone and gently humorous illustrations by Ro Ledesma, this is likely to encourage many youngsters to become space experts. A valuable addition to a KS1 class collection or home bookshelves.

Sportopedia

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Sportopedia
Adam Skinner, illustrated by Mark Long
Wide Eyed Editions

If you want to find out about the enormous variety of sports people participate in, then look no further than Sportopedia, a compendium wherein there must surely be something for everybody. In all some sixty different sports are included some familiar such as football (the world’s most popular sport), cricket, tennis, sprinting and swimming, to those less well known such as kabbadi, a team combat sport that requires no special equipment. It originated in India where I’ve seen it played and is now popular throughout South Asia.

The book is divided into nine sections- ball sports, racket sports, athletics, gymnastics, water sports, motor sports, target sports, combat sports, and finally sporting events (the Olympics Games, the Paralympic games and the Winter Olympics. Each sport is engagingly outlined with such things as kit, rules, pitch diagrams and interesting facts about the game/sport in a ‘facts of the matter’ box in the top corner of each right-hand page. The spreads are brightly coloured and visually engaging with plenty of labelled diagrams, sometimes one of the pitch/field or court. Also included are some historical facts – did you know the first Olympic Games took place she 3000 years ago in Greece?

A great book to have in a primary classroom as well as a home collection.

The Man Who Wore All His Clothes

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The Man Who Wore All His Clothes
Allan Ahlberg, illustrated by Katharine McEwen
Walker Books

The Gaskitts are a pretty normal family. Mr Gaskitt gets up in the morning, dons three pairs of socks, three vests, three pairs of pants, three shirts and two pairs of trousers and four jumpers plus a tie. After breakfast he adds four coats, After that, this very bulky person heads outside, squeezes into his car and as the snow starts falling, off he goes.

At school Gus and Gloria’s usual teacher has had a fall and is replaced by a rather out of practice curmudgeonly supply teacher who has it in for the siblings.

By this time, Mrs Gaskitt, who drives a taxi, has picked up a suspicious-looking character who left the bank in a hurry carrying a large bag. And so it goes on with all manner of craziness until eventually the robber is apprehended, in no small way thanks to Mr G. who eventually drives off to be Santa in a department store. Oh and I forgot to mention Horace, the Gaskitt’s cat who’s fond of comfy chairs from where to watch movies and cat food ads.

All this unfolds in eleven short chapters after which there are a further three action-packed stories about the family to laugh over: The Woman Who Won Things, The Cat Who Got Carried Away and The Children Who Smelled A Rat.

Perfect for new solo readers and equally great for reading aloud but adult readers aloud, make sure you let listeners see Katharine McEwen’s liberal scattering of black and white illustrations that add even more humour.

Seven Babies

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Seven Babies Forest Xiao Walker Books

One Thursday morning there’s a ring at the bell of number 14 and a box of seven babies appears – self-delivered one supposes.

A man and woman open the door looking somewhat bemused and invite the infants in. The babies quickly make themselves at home and for the reminder of the day, enjoy themselves. They play in the park, take a bath together and do some quiet investigating.

They help with hanging out the clothes on the washing line and come the end of the day, they snuggle up with their hosts to share the storybook they’d brought with them.

The exhausted couple then fall fast asleep and the exuberant babies depart with their box plus a few items they’ve appropriated – a sock, the woman’s sleeping mask, and the man’s spectacles. With them too are the ladybird (this can be spotted on every spread) and the seven little peas in a pod book that that came with them. The story concludes with a question for readers/listeners, ‘What will they do next?’ – A great opportunity for children to do their own creative storying about the adorable babes.

With a minimal text and scenes that are bursting with gentle humour, this light-hearted, playful tale is irresistible and certain to be requested over and over by little humans slightly older than those endearing visiting babies.

The Secrets of Wild Hill: Lottie’s Dream

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The Secrets of Wild Hill: Lottie’s Dream
Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow

I first came across Olivia Tuffin’s horse stories when I was sent a copy of The Horse Who Danced and absolutely loved it, so I expected a lot from this one. The author has a great deal of knowledge about horses and eventing and she carefully knits together factual information and fiction, the result being another terrific book – one that I couldn’t put down.

The protagonist, Lottie has deliberately failed the entrance exam to an elite school in order to spend more time at Wild Hill, the livery yard belonging to her grandparents; it’s there that her beloved pony, Patch, lives. However, her father, still set on his daughter going to Telsteads instead of the local comprehensive where’s she happy, has appealed for her to be allowed to retake the entrance exam. He also hopes that with support from Lottie’s mother, he can persuade her aging parents to sell Wild Hill, something else that deeply troubles Lottie.

On a visit to her Granny, Lottie takes Patch out and she has an encounter with another rider , slightly older that herself who introduces himself as Felix McCavendish and they have a short talk. Felix is the grandson of Ralph McCavendish, her family’s enemy, owner of the adjoining yard. A tentative friendship forms between the two – something that horrifies her gran – and Felix encourages Lottie to join the local pony club, her main aim being to compete at Badminton Grassroots. Then comes news that her grandad has been involved in a serious accident and is in hospital. Lottie’s parents call her older brother Harry to return from Florida where he’s pursuing his own riding career and instead help at Wild Hill. Unfortunately for Lottie, Harry agrees with their parents that it’s a liability and they should put it on a firm footing and then sell it.

Lottie makes it onto the Pony Club team, participates in a riding competition and Patch amazes everyone when he sails over the advanced jumps. In the meantime her brother has come under they influence of Ralph McCavendish who has promised that he can ride one of his horses, something that greatly troubles Lottie. She’s determined to work out what exactly is going on before it’s too late; but can she? And can she completely trust Felix? What happened long ago between her family and the McCavendish family that is threatening her future? So many questions …

An absolute cracker of a story and the final page sets the stage nicely for the story to continue in a sequel. I hope we don’t have too long to wait to see Lottie continuing to follow her dreams. There’s no need to be a horse fanatic to enjoy this, it will appeal to those who enjoy a good mystery story.

Zamzam for Everyone

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Zamzam for Everyone
Razeena Omar Gutta and Bassent Dawoud
Barefoot Books

Mariam, the narrator and her parents are among the throng on their Hajj, a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Makkah. “Mariam, Hajj is a time to do good, share and be thankful. …” Mama tells her daughter. After filling her bottle with Zamzam water, Mariam ponders upon what her good deed could be. Eventually she decides that sharing the Zamzam with others is the best idea and she proceeds to do so cup by cup. Each sharing is a learning experience for Mariam: having helped an old lady find a seat and given her some Zamzam, the lady responds by saying “Shukriya”, giving her some dates and telling her that she’s from Pakistan. Next Mariam asks two sisters if they too would like Zamzam: “Terima kasha,” comes the reply. The sisters are from Indonesia and they share some sweet pandan cookies.

Besides them, an Uyghur family say, “Rahmat”, when they receive Zamzam from Mariam and share with her some crunchy fried dough, sangza.

Throughout Mariam’s umrah, she learns ways to express thanks in different languages and samples tasty foods like syrupy koeksisters from South Africa in return, as the pilgrims she meets from many different lands each respond in their own language and share some traditional food, mostly sweet.

Eventually it’s time for the journey to begin and off they set. Mariam is concerned whether or not she’ll have sufficient Zamzam for everybody. What about their bus driver?

Kindness, generosity to others and thankfulness are key in this heartwarming story, which together with Bassent Dawoud’s digital, collage images show the rich cultural diversity and comradeship of those undertaking Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam.

One to add to primary school book collections.

Grandad’s World

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Grandad’s World
Michael Foreman
Scholastic

It’s the beginning of the summer holidays and city dweller, Jack is off to stay with his Grandad in the countryside. Jack’s favourite thing is to walk in the woods with Grandad who points out all kinds of interesting wild life. Grandad’s favourite place is the stream running through the woods to a pond on the village green and he reminisces about taking a similar walk when he was a boy.

Having watched the otters building a den, Jack is eager to build one too and so they do, staying inside it watching the animals until darkness creeps upon them. The following day is stormy so Grandad and Jack spend their time in the shed where there are lots of exciting model boats about which Grandad tells stories and they construct a nesting box for blue tits. Once the storm has passed the two venture out to the stream, which looks very peaceful.

However that night the screech of tyres and shouting wake Jake and through the window he sees Grandad chasing a van that’s driving from the stream. He’s horrified to discover a large pile of rubbish heading down towards Grandad’s special pond. Immediately the two fetch a wheelbarrow, buckets and a torch and return to start clearing the rubbish the fly-tippers have dumped

and come morning lots of other villagers join them in their task. Can they clear it all before it’s too late?
A lovely portrait of the special intergenerational bond between Jack and Grandad with a powerful message about caring for the environment.

Goldilocs

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Goldilocs
Ella McCleod and Rochelle Falconer
Scholastic

Readers of this blog will know that I’m a fractured fairytales enthusiast and this one certainly fits the bill. It’s Goldilocs narrating her own story and as you’ll notice from the cover, her hair is black. Her name comes from other golden attributes – her style, her beads and her smile. She’s a resident of fairyland and being a girl, she has only three options: she can be a wicked witch, an evil power mad queen or a royal princess. The last Goldilocs considers the worst as a prince’s kiss is needed to break an evil curse. What to do?

First she concocts a spell to make her hair grow, with disastrous results. So Goldilocs resorts to cooking her Grandad’s cornmeal porridge. As she stirs the pot there comes a growly sound – time to hide from the three ursine characters that have appeared. However, no need to panic: they consume the porridge with relish.
Next Goldilocs tries being an evil queen and using all manner of bits and pieces she creates three thrones for royal sitters.

It’ s not royal sitters that try them but the three bears and they deem them just right.

Finally Goldilocs switches to princess mode but soon falls asleep. Back come the bears and terrified of being their next meal Goldilocs declares herself a total failure and tries to run away. To her surprise Baby Bear’s carefully considered words of encouragement make her feel empowered. Her decision? “ … the only rule is that I just be ME. As long as I’m kind and try my best, I don’t need to worry about the rest.” The most important thing to remember is that despite being an imperfect person, she has made three new and very supportive friends.

Told in rhyme with just the occasional glitch in the rhythm, this feminist version of the classic story with Rochelle Falconer’s vibrant, expressive illustrations makes for a tasty story time treat.

It’s Not My Cookie

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It’s (Not) My Cookie
Kael Tudor and Ben Sanders
Scholastic

Imagine strolling along and suddenly finding a cookie: what would you do? That is exactly what happens to Bear, the story’s narrator. and he’s now in a quandary. Who does it belong to? It must be lonely sitting there surely and it certainly does look yummy. Bear persuades himself it’s not right to pick it up if it belongs to someone but then changes his mind: a quick feel won’t hurt surely. With the cookie in his paw, Bear delights in its crumbly texture and delectable chocolate chips.
Along come some other creatures and they too like the look of the cookie. A tortoise lumbers up with an apple and what it says might prick the cookie claimer’s conscience, or will it?

Then there arrives a distressed-looking animal looking for a cookie: what happens then? Well that would make me a story spoiler so I’ll leave it to author Kael and illustrator Ben to finish the tasty tale.

I love the dry humour of both words and pictures that capture so well Bear’s temptation. I’m pretty sure both young listeners and readers aloud will be salivating before the story is finished and the former will request second helpings.

The Terrible Trio: The Day the Mac ’n’ Cheese Ran Out

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The Terrible Trio: The Day the Mac ’n’ Cheese Ran Out
Swapna Haddow, illustrated by Minky Stapleton
Scholastic

When Zeb the zebra, Barry the lemur and Margarine the penguin first discovered they had the worst superpowers in the world, Zeb was sure they would never ever have another day as terrible. Now though, disaster has struck the Terrible Trio, one of them in particular. On arriving for his shift at the Superhero Cafe, Zeb finds that it’s closed. Nothing is wrong with the cafe but Margarine has lost her power of making mac’n’cheese. Surely that isn’t so terrible? It may not have been, had Zeb not upset a lion and rashly promised that if he came to the cafe bringing his pride of sixteen plus twenty eight cubs along too, they could all have mac’n’cheese. The Trio realise they must do everything they can to fix Margarine’s problem before the Lion and his family arrive for one of the cub’s cheesy birthday party, if not they may be barbecued instead …
A deliciously silly and madly melodramatic combination of words and pictures presented graphic novel style that younger readers will likely gobble up.
For slightly older readers

The Donut Squad: Make a Mess
Neill Cameron
David Fickling Books

Cameron’s confections return for another round of crazy shenanigans. Now, the Donuts are off on a camping expedition, hiding from bears no less. However those bagels are lurking with a dastardly plan – to kick the Donut Squad right out of their own book. Will they succeed? That would be telling and I’m sure you’re eager to know, so head off to a bookshop and treat yourself to a copy. Mine’s already been appropriated by a young fan of the series.

Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged

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Clem Fatale Has Been Upstaged
Eve Wersocki-Morris, illustrated by Honie Beam
Little Tiger

This story is set in London in the summer of 1951. Twelve year old Clem Fatale, the city’s youngest crook, and her best friend, Gilbert, eleven, now at an upmarket boarding school, are excited as they’re going to see their favourite singers Betty and Judy Wade in their first UK performance at the London Palladium. But then suddenly the two friends are ‘picked up’ and told that Betty, one of the sisters has gone missing. Clem and Gilbert are hired to find Betty.

This proves to be much more problematic than Clem first thought. It’s almost impossible to know who can be trusted as their investigation sees them encountering the dark side of the theatre scene, crossing paths with some very dodgy actors, visiting all manner of establishments from The Ritz with its ‘cream of London society’ clientele to the decrepit abandoned warehouse building bearing the sign Rumple’s Red Tomato Sauce. Add to that a motorbike chase courtesy of Konrad who is like an older brother to Clem and drives them there.

I don’t know about Clem and Gilbert but my head was spinning by the time I got to that point; however with less than twenty four hours to go before the curtain goes up on the sisters’ show, the two friends are absolutely determined to get to the bottom of what is going on. Can they do so and perform an astonishing rescue before a terrible accident takes place?

With humour aplenty, and a fair sprinkling of dramatic black and white illustrations by Honie Beam, this is a cracking, fast paced tale crammed with action and heart, wherein the bond of friendship between Clem and Gilbert grows even stronger. I can’t wait to see what they get involved in next.

Jake in the Middle / My Happy Life

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Jake in the Middle
Michael Catchpool, illustrated by Shanarama
Otter-Barry Books

This is the first of the new Maple Street series and what a delight it is.

Meet Jake, who is the central character of four short stories. His family comprises his mum and dad, older sister, Ellie, younger brother, Sam and Grandpa who has his own flat downstairs. The stories are interlinked and are in order Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!, Catch of the Day, The Class Museum and All Fall Down!

In the first story Jake is excited about his new trainers, but Sam also loves them and this causes upsets on both sides. When Grandpa discovers there’s a shoe issue, he comes up with a plan. Will it work?
Catch of the Day takes place on a Saturday: Jake, Grandpa and Sam visit the city farm and Sam’s soft toy, Coco ends up in the wrong place a couple of times.
In the third story, Jake’s teacher asks class members to bring items for a class museum – something old and special to them. Jake borrows something without asking and then it disappears …
In the final story, the discovery of Grandpa’s old cricket bat in his shed leads to some family fun.

There’s an illustration by Shanarama on every spread; her depiction of the characters enhances the author’s sensitive portrayal of the relationships between the characters.
Ideal for new solo readers.

My Happy Life
Rose Lagercantz, illustrated by Eva Ericsson
Gecko Press

This reissue of a story was first published over fifteen years ago and is translated from its original Swedish by Julia Marshall. Herein we meet young Dani and read of some of the ups and downs of her life, a vital one being when she starts school, something she has been eagerly anticipating. On the way with her Dad, she suddenly becomes scared: What if she doesn’t make any friends? Happily though, on the second day Dani meets Ella who quickly becomes her best friend.

However at the start of her second term Dani’s happiness turns to unhappiness when she learns that Ella is moving away. Things will never be the same again despite her father’s best efforts, his daughter still feels sad and shows it by becoming angry at school. Fortunately though things improve and one day Dani receives a letter. She responds and soon after happiness returns and a new chapter is about to begin in Dani’s happy life.

A gentle tale full of emotion that is brought out even more through Eva Eriksson’s black and white illustrations. There’s a lot to discuss after sharing, this with an individual or class and it’s also ideal for new solo readers. I loved the idea of children counting their happy times but was less happy to read that one parent bribed her child with money to get him to school on the first day.

The Big Green

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The Big Green
Ken Wilson-Max
Otter-Barry Books

It’s another hot day in Mali and there’s excitement in the air in the village where Maryam and Issa live. As their Mum and Dad are busy poking and shovelling the parched earth, Uncle Cedric pulls up with a truck full of plants. “What are those plants?” Issa wants to know. “Your future,” replies his Uncle, smiling, a response that puzzles the siblings. Creating this future is actually a community task. Neighbours balance buckets of water on their heads, the children help carry unplanted seedlings into the shade, the grown-ups dig holes and put in the seedlings and everybody waters them, over and over and over again. 

Everyone knew that ‘they were making a difference to their world.’ Then comes the waiting.
The final spread shows the siblings, somewhat bigger, enjoying walking through green grass under spreading trees, appreciating the flowers and butterflies, while knowing that they now have both a place in which to play and a place to look after.

This story is an example of the enormous work that is being done in the Great Green Wall, a project that involves eleven countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Ken Wilson-Max provides further information about this on the book’s penultimate page, which is followed by a ‘Plant Your Own Tree’ activity to inspire youngsters to make a difference in their own part of the world.

Young listeners will love joining in with the various sounds – Clap Clap’s, CHAs, DUMs, and Ulululu… included in the narrative as they listen to the upbeat story with its vibrant illustrations.

The Spectacular Space Loop

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The Spectacular Space Loop
Javi de Castro
Flying Eye Books

‘It’s the best day of my life!’ announces young Cosmo as he’s about to test a jet pack prototype. However, immediately it’s activated things start going wrong and he finds himself spinning into space. Fortunately though, he’s discovered by a creature that resembles an inverted light bulb, a creature that turns out to be kind and offers Cosmo nachos and a rest in his spaceship’s cabin. However, annoyed by the bright light therein, Cosmo, pushes a button assuming he can turn it off but sends himself hurtling into a jungle.

Therein he discovers a blobby creature resembling a fried egg; it introduces itself as an Esparabian. The creature is searching for its family and has found a spaceship. The two then set off, the ship’s engine is fired up and they land in a city, meet a guide – Pili – and plunge into a sewer. Therein they come face to face with a large green sewer mutant but evade the beast and meet Rhino, a pink magician who offers to send them home to their families, for a fee. However, his spell just flips them topsy-turvy and so does the story.

Readers must then flip the book upside down and read it from back to front. This offers a new way of looking at things, some positive others definitely not, but all turns out well eventually.

A very clever concept presented in graphic novel style by debuting Javi De Castro; the result being a fun adventure with a weird and wacky cast of characters.

The Last Egg

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The Last Egg
Sofie Laguna and Jess Racklyeft
Allen & Unwin

One day as a Mother Bird sits on the nest, she tells Father Bird that the eggs within are soon to hatch. That night she’s woken by a screeching sound and the following morning there’s a fourth egg in the nest. Despite Father Bird’s doubts, Mother Bird insists that they must now take care of that one too, so they do. After some days the eggs start to hatch – one, two three. The parent birds teach the chicks how to feed themselves, how to sing and how to fly; but the fourth egg remains an egg as the days become colder and the time to fly to somewhere warmer approaches. “All eggs hatch,” Mother Bird assures Father Bird. When the three fledglings are able to care for themselves, Mother and Father Bird know they must remain until that final egg hatches and they start to struggle as the days shorten, becoming ever colder.

Then the day comes when Father Bird is too weak to fly and the two, their wings covered in ice, sit silent over the egg. That same night the egg finally hatches and Mother Bird comes face to face with the newborn creature. That is when something unexpected and amazing happens …

A truly heartwarming story of love, commitment and revelation with a fantastical ending, beautifully illustrated in watercolour and collage by Jess Racklyeft.

Live Like a Victorian

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Live Like a Victorian
Claire Saunders, illustrated by Wesley Robins
Button Books

The Victorian age was a time when, as a result of the Industrial Revolution, inventions, new technology and ideas, great changes took place that transformed people’s lives and work. A timeline early in the book shows some of the main events and changes: try imagining life without bikes, electric street lights, cars, railways, movies and aeroplanes – all of which were invented during Victorian times.

We meet two Victorian children, eleven year old Will from a poor family, and nine year old Dora from a much wealthier family. These two help show how very unequal society and hence life was for those with money and those without. Readers get an insight into the difference between the rights and opportunities men and women had, the contrasting grand homes of the rich and those of the poor, life in the workhouse, the work poor children had to do, education,

fashion, food, entertainment, law and order and more.

The book also has some hands-on activities – recipes and crafts – particularly useful if a class is studying this period of history and there’s a detailed map showing the British Empire and trade routes. It’s a shocking thought nowadays to see how in 1910 a quarter of the world’s population lived under British rule.

Claire Saunders’ engaging text and Wesley Robins’ fascinating illustrations combine to bring the Victorian era to life. The book ends by asking children, ‘Could you live like a Victorian?’and there’s a final glossary. One to add to KS2 class collections.

The Tiny Baker / I Took the Moon for a Walk

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These are two books from Barefoot Books – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

The Tiny Baker
Hayley Barrett and Alison Jay

A wonderfully whimsical, tasty picture book told in rhyming couplets by Hayley Barrett and illustrated in oils by Alison Jay.

As the story begins the titular tiny baker is listing on a chalkboard the sweet treat she has on sale that day. Outside her establishment is a long line of ant customers elegantly dressed waiting to try her ‘lemon tarts, / Her sugar-sprinkled cookie hearts, / To sample her pecan pralines / And nibble lacy florentines.’ Meanwhile inside, the baker ensures all is ready and with her team of ladybirds busy whisking and mixing the clock approaches opening time.

At three on the dot, the door opens and in come the ants to be ushered to the table ready to enjoy a treat or two.

But in the kitchen the ladybirds have downed tools and are leaving the kitchen through an open window. Disaster! When the baker re-enters the kitchen she’s aghast at what she sees. Every single worker has flown away leaving chaos in their wake and a baker ‘slumped amidst the mess – / Bewildered, flummoxed, in distress’ …

Having heard the to do, cricket sounds a call to action and the ants respond by cleaning, moving, clearing and mending until very soon order and the tiny baker are restored. Overcome by the wonderful gesture of her customers, the baker is even more surprised to learn of the prime reason they make their daily visit to her establishment. As a way of showing her immense gratitude she offers them a tray of her goodies.

As endearing tale of kindness and community that will surely make readers’ mouths water at the yummy pastries and delight in the period flavour provided by Alison Jay’s portrayal of the customers in fashionable Victorian clothes in her detailed scenes created on a craquelure background.

I Took the Moon for a Walk
Carolyn Curtis and Alison Jay

Mysterious and enchanting is this story of a nocturnal walk taken by a boy narrator. With the moon following behind him like ‘a still summer kite’ he has a variety of small but significant adventures. For instance, unused to accompanying a boy on a walk, the moon very nearly gets hooked on a church spire. It’s also serenaded by a canine chorus and later on hand in hand, the two tiptoe through the grass ‘where the night crawlers creep / when he rust-bellied / robins have all / gone to sleep.’ They enjoy a swing flying up high and more before crossing the bridge and returning to the narrator’s home where the Moon shows its thanks by providing a ‘sweet sleepy light’.

Lyrical and rhythmic, Carolyn Curtis’s text reads aloud well and complemented by Alison Jay’s gorgeous scenes of a world bathed in moonlight, would make a comforting pre bedtime tale.
At the back of the book, the author includes information about ‘The Mysterious Moon,’ and ‘The World at Night’, which gives facts about some fauna and flora.

There is a QR code on the back cover of each book: scan them to bring the stories to life with narrations by Teresa Gallagher.

A Tree For Everyone

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A Tree For Everyone
Kathy Urban and Rosie Butcher
Little Steps Publishing

Jake, Aiden and Pip absolutely love the tree they have discovered. Indeed they’ve made it their own through their creative play. First it’s a castle, reaching high into the summer sky. Thereafter it becomes a pirate ship sailing the high seas searching for lost treasure and then a rocket bound for space. No matter what, it’s a place to laugh, share dreams and do all the things best friends do together.
However, one morning to their surprise, their place of play is no longer theirs alone: three other children are there. Seeing them as a threat to their private world, Jake et al tell the newcomers to go away. Despite knowing it’s not a kind way to behave, things escalate and the tree house is broken into pieces and silence prevails in their special place.

The children disperse and begin finding other things to do and other children to play with. No so Jake though; he stays near to home and can’t stop his mind wandering back to his special friends and the exciting things they’d done together. Eventually he returns to the tree but he’s not the only one who has done so. Lily too has drifted back and, after apologising to one another, little by little a fresh understanding and friendship develops.. Finally, joy of joys, there’s a new treehouse that, as the title says, is for everyone.

This heartwarming tale celebrates children’s creativity but even more important, being willing to offer apologies and accept second chances. Kindness, empathy and inclusivity are key when it comes to resolving differences. Rosie Butcher’s detailed illustrations show how the natural world and the oak tree in particular inspire the children’s imaginations: would that all youngsters had easy access to nature.

Stop! Gangster Koala! / Barking Bake Off!

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Stop! Gangster Koala!
Barking Bake Off!
Jenny Moore, illustrated by Berta Maluenda
New Frontier Publishing

In the first of Jenny Moore’s Pawprint Productions series for younger readers, cuddly koala actor Archie has landed the role of gangster Hoodlum PIE Claw in the popular drama series Squeaky Minders. His big concern is that he won’t be sufficiently scary to give a convincing performance as the town’s meanest menace. However during the filming of the opening scene, Archie trips and knocks himself out. Upon waking, he believes he’s a real gangster and he rampages through the studios hurling squidgy lemon meringue pies at anyone crossing his path. Having stolen all the fresh pies from another series and sending patients leaping from their beds in fear on Emergency Vets, Archie ends up storming into a live recording of Beastly Buzzers. Will he stop at nothing to procure all the prizes?

Who doesn’t enjoy a baking show so Barking Bake Off! is sure to be loved. The contestants facing one another are Poppy Seedcake and Corgi Joe. Whatever the secret ingredient in Corgi Joe’s barkwell tarts is, it’s not what the contestant intended. Indeed it’s an absolute calamity. The same is true in the second round. Seems Joe has lost his touch: maybe not as week three sees a vast improvement and a score of ten barks. But then disaster strikes in the form of the poisoning. Something decidedly unsavoury is surely going on behind the scenes of Pawprint Productions. It’s a bizarre mystery but can Meek and Squeak in police guise discover a culprit and save the whole series? Now that would be telling …

Berta Maluenda’s amusing black and white illustrations are a vital ingredient in the stories, making them even tastier.

Kids Can Cook Around the World

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Kids Can Cook Around the World
illustrated by Esther Coombs
Button Books

With its enticing cover, this sturdy hardback introduces children to dishes both sweet and savoury from around the world.
Before the recipes there’s a short ‘Before You Begin’ section that talks about safety, equipment and basic techniques. Thereafter come the recipes themselves, the world in this book being divided into five areas: North and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand, each of which has an introductory spread with interesting facts about the food. I was surprised to read that ‘Coca Cola was invented in North America, originally as a medicinal drink’, that there are over 350 different kinds of pasta and that there are more than 1,000 different types of cheese in France.

A fair few of the dishes will be familiar depending to some extent both on how open you are to trying cuisine from various parts of the globe and how well travelled you are. You will certainly find some mouth-watering selections including madeleines, a vegetable tagine

and I’m eager to try making koshari. All recipes have step-by-step instructions with visuals alongside each step and the number of servings each makes.

My only quibble about the book is that there aren’t many vegan recipes but that’s a personal thing and doesn’t stop me recommending it as a very useful one to help youngsters develop their cooking skills.

Hot Food: Nice!

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Hot Food: Nice!
Michael Rosen and Neal Layton
Walker Books

This is Michael Rosen’s hugely popular poem ‘Hot Food’ to which a prelude has been added wherein the narrator tells readers, “When I was a boy I thought my dad knew everything.’ However the day dawns when a discovery destroys that belief. This is what happens: It’s dinner time and the family – mum, dad, the narrator and his brother are sitting around the kitchen table, plates piled high with dinner. It’s evident to the narrator that the potato’s a tad on the hot side and so with just a small amount on his fork, he blows on it – whooph whooph – ‘until it’s cool, / just cool, / then into the mouth: nice!’ His brother and mum do a similar thing. Dad however acts, let’s say, rather rashly. Into his mouth goes a large amount of potato:

YIKES! You can almost feel the skin inside his mouth blistering in Neal Layton’s scene of Dad as he flaps his hands, blows and puffs and a whole lot more until he ejects the potato in small pieces back onto his plate. His family are obviously dumbfounded, perhaps even more so when he states, “Watch out everybody – the potato’s very hot.”

A paragraph from the publisher at the back of the book includes a couple of amusing facts concerning ‘nice’ the meme in both China and the USA.

Neal Layton’s illustrations capture the potato incident splendidly so it becomes a scrumptious slapstick visual story too, full of fantastic facial expressions. A unmissable read aloud for class and family sharing.

Snow

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Snow
Meera Trehan
Walker Books

This story is set in Mistmir, a kingdom which is empty save for the Princess Karina who spends all her time digging Snow. This snow is not the ordinary precipitation, rather it has been scientifically modified to be self-replenishing in response to her wish for ‘perfect’ snow on her thirteenth birthday. As a consequence the Princess has been continually labouring and now she and her father, the King, are the only ones who haven’t fled.

One day as she shovels, the Princess discovers her precious fluttery toy, made by the strangers who created the Snow. A sign of hope surely, but before she’s been able to show her father, she encounters a girl, Ela, who has accidentally entered Mistmir from our world. Ela can hardly believe that this is the Princess from the Snow Princess book that her mother used to read to her every night.

Princess Karina realises that the unexpected visitor is key to saving Mistmir and invites Ela to her castle. Ela travels with Karina, hoping that she will discover the truth that lies behind the Book and the strange mental memory-like images it conjured. As they travel on the look out for menacing hounds on the prowl, the girls form a bond of friendship and work together to find answers and save the snow-immersed kingdom.

Combining magic and science, Meera Trehan has crafted a story with themes of loneliness, belonging and forgiveness that is perfect for the chilly winter months. The world building is throughly convincing and the climax of the tale satisfying. Altogether a thoroughly enjoyable, haunting read.

Protecting the Planet: The Secret World of Seahorses

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Protecting the Planet: The Secret World of Seahorses
Nicola Davies and Lou Baker-Smith
Walker Books

This immersive addition to the Protecting the Planet series is written in an accessible narrative style by zoologist,, Nicola Davies with impressive mixed media illustrations by Lou Baker Smith.

I’m fortunate to have seen live seahorses off the coast of Kerala but I doubt many readers of this book will have been so lucky as to see these graceful, fascinating, almost magical creatures. This is due in part to the 70+ million that are caught annually by humans who then make them into pills and potions or items such as key-rings to sell them as trinkets. Others of them meanwhile become the victims of pollution and dragnets. It’s still not too late however, to save these wonderful animals from becoming extinct: readers will discover how seahorses have adapted to their environment through movement and by means of camouflage and diet changes.

Furthermore on the positive side, they’ll read of innovative conservation schemes in the UK,

and in Malaysia and Cambodia to protect seahorse habitats.

Did you know that seahorses perform a ritual dance? You can discover why from the book and what makes paternal seahorses unique in the animal kingdom.

Certainly worth adding to family bookshelves and KS2 class collections; make sure children’s attention is drawn to the final spread ‘Seahorses and Climate Change’.

Molly, Olive and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?

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Molly, Olive and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?
Catherine Rayner
Walker Books

Friends Molly the hare, Dexter the fox and Olive the owl return in a tale of nighttime nerves. It begins with the three enjoying watching the sun setting, but as darkness descends, Molly hears a rustling sound that troubles her. It’s only Dexter cleaning his whiskers. Next Dexter feels something brushing against him and before long, Olive too is spooked though it’s merely shadow shapes. (They are made by Molly’s long leporine ears.)

Then comes rain whooshing down accompanied by thunder – another alarming experience – but eventually the friends realise that their sensory experiences are created by harmless things. The story ends with the three woodland pals enjoying something together before resting beneath their massive oak tree at the forest edge.

Young children too have night-time fears and this fun picture book, with Catherine Rayner’s watercolour scenes where the friends’ expressions – Molly’s in particular – show superbly their growing panic as the tale progresses, is perfect for sharing as a pre bedtime tale.

Molly, Dexter and Olive are endearing characters and their evening episode is ultimately reassuring. Add this book to early years collections and family bookshelves where there are young children.

Flember: The Golden Heart

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Flember: The Golden Heart
Jamie Smart
David Fickling Books

Jamie Smart brings his superb Flember series to a close with a spell-binding adventure, full of inventiveness surprises at almost every turn of the page, as well as illustrations of characters and diagrams that add to the story.

On account of the heinous Iola Gray and her sinister plans, Flember Island is in grave danger. Can Dev P. Everdew and his lovable red giant robot bear, Boja possibly save the island and restore it to a place of peace and magic? Assuredly he will face numerous challenges, both physical and mental. Imagine having an angry wolf standing over you glaring with its red eyes, and baring its sharp black teeth with strings of spit glistening between them.

Yes there are scary moments aplenty but also lots of humour, not to mention a fair few farts courtesy of Boja. Add to all this, that the book is great for empathy building; and what Jamie Smart has done yet again is to create an unputdownable, thought-provoking book with a hugely satisfying conclusion that Flember fans will love.

Dev. his brother Santoro and Boja will be greatly missed but you can always go back and start reading the entire series over again.

Murder At Christmas

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Murder At Christmas
Fleur Hitchcock
Nosy Crow

Having been at boarding school in England while her mother (a diplomat), father and younger brother, Billy, have been living in Australia, Grace is excited to be spending Christmas in Bath, staying in her Aunt Mollie’s hotel with Mum and Billy. (Aunt Mollie is mum’s twin sister.)

Mum goes to visit their Gran who lives nearby in a residential care home but after several hours she hasn’t returned so Grace and Billy start worrying and their aunt isn’t around either so the siblings are left on their own. To add to their worries, a body is found on the hotel stairs: something is definitely wrong.
On the positive side, Grace and Billy make two new friends, Olive and Doug; but with each passing day, Grace suspects something terrible has happened to their mum, especially as Aunt Mollie is acting strangely.

Determined to find their mum as well as solving the murder before Christmas, the siblings, working with new friends,Doug and Olive, start searching for clues.

Eventually they discover where their mum is but getting her free safe and sound, plus finding out the truth behind her disappearance is a real challenge.

Superbly plotted with lots of twists and turns, several red herrings, suspense and two young protagonists who really prove themselves, this is a compelling seasonal adventure at the heart of which is family and its importance.

Snuggle up and read this as you drink a cup of hot chocolate in the run up to Christmas.


A Welly full of Christmas

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A Welly full of Christmas
Attie Lime, illustrated by Nadine Licence
Tiny Tree Books

I loved Attie’s Blue Jelly and Strawberries and so was eagerly anticipating her new seasonal offering, which is subtitled ‘Poems for Festive Fun’ and fun is what is contained herein.

There are forty poems, just over half of which actually contain the word Christmas; others focus on wintry weather, snow and there’s one, The Concert that took me way back to my very first reception class Christmas concert. This talks of a boy who wanted to ‘strum’, ‘hum’ and ‘drum pa-rum-pum-pum’ but was allocated a triangle to play. In my class two boys side by side were energetically playing maracas when one accidentally knocked the other’s instrument and the result is summed up in the delicious onomatopoeia of the final verse: ‘BASH CRASH THUMP and THWACK and SMASH … WALLOP, WHACK and CLASH … SMACK and BANG and THRASH’ that ensued as the boys started whacking one another with their maracas. Fortunately the audience thought it hilarious while I, thoroughly embarrassed, was endeavouring keep things going.

My two favourites don’t mention Christmas; both have a weather theme. There’s one describing a Sunday walk: I love the idea of sending ‘ pebbles skittering over ice clatter rattle, clatter rattle, clatter rattle’. I’ll try that at the next opportunity.

The other is Snowflakes, which describes these amazing forms as ‘sparkling icy glow-flakes / putting on a show-flakes’.

With a variety of poetic forms and moods, and an abundance of wit and warm-heartedness,.plus black and white illustrations by Nadine Licence, these offerings are a joy to read aloud to foundation stage/ KS1 children in the next few weeks.

Flipped!

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Flipped!
Philip Caveney
Fox and Ink Books

This story takes inspiration from both the COVID pandemic and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Set in 2020 during a COVID lockdown, its main protagonist is fifteen year old Flip. His mother is a nurse practitioner at the local hospital and after on-line lessons undertaken with no enthusiasm during the summer term on Flip’s part, the school holiday has begun. He can neither spend time with his friends, nor enjoy a week or two abroad with his mum. He’s not a keen reader and so with little else to occupy him, Flip has taken to walking out onto the nearby North Kent Marshes.

On one of those walks, he comes upon a derelict house and curious, he decides to investigate. He heads inside and to his surprise a strangely dressed girl, seemingly of a similar age to himself, speaks to him. She says this, “So here you are at last. It’s about time. I’ve been waiting for you for ages.” Flip learns that her name is Estella. Estella is bemused by the mask he has and Flip is concerned that she has no awareness of social distancing nor any of the other rules introduced to stop the spread of the pandemic, though she does mention that there’s no cholera where they are. Estella leads Flip to a room where he must work on listing and ordering a collection of books, a task set for him by a Miss H. However Flip causes some chaos, escapes and goes home. There he does an online search for the name Estella, a search that leads him to the book Great Expectations. Rejecting that the strange girl in the house is part of the story, Flip returns, only to discover that he too seems to be a character in the story.

Unintentionally, his actions start affecting Dickens’s narrative: Flip really needs to find a way to set things right and leave the book once and for all: either that or remain forever trapped within its pages.

In addition to coping with this problematic situation, Flip is at the same time coping with consequences of his parents’ break-up, so many readers will find plenty to relate to in his story. It matters not that most will be unfamiliar with Great Expectations as Philip Caveney’s explanations of the Dickens’ characters are so well done. So too is Flip’s character who is utterly believable and easy to empathise with. A mystery story, with witty touches; strongly recommended for upper KS2/KS3 readers

Dinosaur Dynasty

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Dinosaur Dynasty
Jack Tite
Big Picture Press

Countless children are dinosaur obsessed becoming so from an early age. Doubtless they will be thrilled to discover this amazing book from mega publishers Big Picture Press.

Author/illustrator Jack Tite’s Dinosaur Dynasty is quality non-fiction presented in a child-friendly, informative manner. He takes us back to the prehistoric world hundreds of millions of years ago to the Mesozoic Era when the planet was ruled by dinosaurs. This era comprising the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods lasted 186 million years with the world changing constantly., the Triassic period beginning with the extinction of some 90% of living things including the ancestors of dinosaurs termed archosaurs. However, it’s thought that the earliest dinosaurs arrived about 240 millions years ago in the Middle Triassic period and these co-existed with the archosaurs.

Jack introduces us to an amazing selection of creatures from the terrifying Tyrannosaurus to the tiny super fast predator Compsognathus that was about the size of a chicken and had very sharp teeth and claws.

Dinosaurs are not the author’s only focus; we meet creatures that lived in the oceans such as the Mosasaurs that ranged between one and seventeen metres in length and had snake-like bodies and paddle-like flippers: imagine meeting a large one face to face. What a magnificent menagerie and we’ve not yet arrived at the Cretaceous Period.

So fast forward and discover one of the largest dinosaurs with its incredible armour, Ankylosaurus.

I wouldn’t fancy being thwacked by that ‘wrecking ball’ of a tail. Surely every bit as fascinating as the creatures of mythology are these prehistoric beasties.

With some richly textured, big fold-out scenes to excite youngsters this is a thoroughly immersive, fascinating book featuring some awe-inspiring, hugely diverse creatures and their habitats.

The Clean-Up Monster / My Dinosaur Shoes

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The Clean-Up Monster
My Dinosaur Shoes
Eleni Tassopoulos Wehner and Danamarie Hosler
Barefoot Books

These two board books feature happenings in the daily lives of neurodivergent siblings Roscoe and his elder sister, Ivy.

In the first, when their mother tells the children that it’s time to tidy up the job seems an overwhelming muddle of dough and toys. If only the ‘clean-up monster’ would come to their aid. Roscoe begins in completely the wrong way, getting more out, so he moves on to the dough but Ivy doesn’t like his way of tidying with container lids not matching the dough colours. The containers for the various toys all have visual signs indicating what goes where thus easing the process and then Mama appears in playful mood with the vacuum cleaner aka the clean-up monster.

In My Dinosaur Shoes, Roscoe is out-growing his soft, comfortable puppy shoes, his sister certainly thinks so. However Roscoe maintains that they’re not much too small and he definitely doesn’t need new ones. Ivy shows him some dinosaur shoes in a larger size, as well as pictures of other possible options. Roscoe ponders on them all but decides that he wants none of them. Ivy places the dinosaur shoes where her brother can see them every day and become accustomed to so doing.

Then one day his puppy shoes no longer feel comfy and soft. It’s time to try the dinosaur ones and hurrah1 they are absolutely perfect. Of course, he’s become used to seeing them so they no longer seem new.

The author, who is neurodivergent, explains on the back covers of both books that she developed her own strategies to use with her young neurodivergent children when the usual ones failed to work for them. These are illustrated in the simple stories for which Danamarie Hosler (also neurodivergent) shows Eleni’s strategies in action. Any parent/caregiver could benefit from adding these ideas to those they use already and little children will enjoy the simple stories.

Baxter’s View

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Baxter’s View
Kerri Cunningham (Murphy’s Sketches)
Fox & Ink Books

Herein we meet siblings, Rory the elder and his younger brother, Baxter. They see the world differently: ‘Baxter likes to bounce, and hum, and flap. Sometimes it can take a while to get wherever they’re going. Sometimes this makes Rory cross.’

We join Baxter and Rory as they visit the park with their mum. On the way Baxter enjoys some puddle paddling, and Rory notices how the leaves dance beneath his brother’s wellies before joining him in some splashy fun.

At the park gate Baxter stops to feel the long grass tickling him, and having watched him, Rory runs his fingers through the blades, which made him feel calmer. By the pond Baxter emulates the ducks and his brother is amused at his actions. Very eager to reach the playground, Rory is getting grumpy but he does as Mum suggests and lies beneath the tree branches and watches creatures above in the flickering sunlight, appreciating its beauty from Baxter’s viewpoint.

Of course they do eventually get to the playground and the brothers enjoy themselves.

The following week when it’s park visiting time again, it’s evident that Rory has learned that by slowing down, you can see exciting and wonderful things.

As well as celebrating neurodiversity, this sweet, earnest story gently encourages everyone to slow down and take time to see the beauty of the natural world. A book to share and discuss in EYFS and KS1 classrooms as well as with family members.

Lionborn

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Lionborn
Sharique Zea

The story begins in London with two mysterious figures, Abigor and Baka standing over a sleeping infant attempting to extract its blood and becoming frustrated at being unable to do so because just prior to their arrival protective light entered his body. Their intended victim is Fionn Hurley and they have identified him as a Lionborn.

Fast forward to when Fionn is twelve. He has nightmares, vivid ones that seem ever more real when he wakes up with injuries that soon disappear. His parents don’t believe what he says about the dreams and his peers mock him, some calling him ‘monster boy’; however Fionn knows that these are more than mere nightmares.

When he talks to a classmate, Tiny, the boy is interested and suggests the two team up. His closest friend is Ella whose mother is missing, so the team becomes a threesome. Being with Ella and Tiny makes Fionn feel normal again, so he says. But far from normal is the appearance of a lion cub that nobody else can see. Strange things are also happening to Ella and it takes some persuasion but she reveals to Fionn that she’s been receiving riddles that she thinks are coming from her mother; but are they?

It’s not long before the three friends find themselves in the dangerous world of Arborea, not a dream but a world where monsters from Fionn’s dreams want his blood. With Tiny’s confidence, Ella’s determination and Fionn’s intelligence, the three must then work together to stay alive, a desperate task, but one during which they learn things about themselves and one another, things they never thought possible.

The author cleverly weaves together the human world and the fantasy world with its enchanted forests, labyrinths and menacing beasts immersing readers in an environment where boundaries are highly permeable. With Fionn emerging as a hero as the book ends, we’re left wondering what comes next.

Refuge: The Graphic Novel

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Refuge: The Graphic Novel
Alan Gratz and Sid Fini
Scholastic

This graphic novel version of the excellent Refuge book that was published in 2017 will bring the stories to a whole new audience particularly those who prefer to read predominantly visual tellings.

Set in 1938, 1994 and 2015 respectively, we follow three characters, Josef, a Jewish boy who is escaping Nazi Germany aboard a passenger ship full of German Jews in 1938-9, Isabel, a Cuban girl who in 1994 is fleeing from Havana together with a group of other Cubans on a leaky boat and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy escaping from Aleppo in 2015 hoping to reach the EU.

Although my reading preference is for textual stories, I can see how Syd Fini’s illustrations showing the expressions and body language of the characters really help bring the stories to life and the sounds such as the ‘SCREECH! RUSTLE RUSTLE of the forest trees and a boat signalling ‘BWEEP-BWEEP! add additional atmosphere to the settings of various parts of the stories.

The author cleverly weaves together the three story endings and then goes on to talk about and ponder upon their themes, inviting readers to do the same, for the themes are equally or even more pertinent today.

One Cherry, One Cheetah

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One Cherry, One Cheetah
Jackie Morris
Otter-Barry Books

Originally published as a smallish hardback, it’s great to see this available in board book format.

A dozen exquisite watercolour and gold leaf paintings, all except one of wild animals, are to be found in this super-stylish counting book. To start with there is just one cherry – it’s almost begging to be eaten immediately. Turn the page and there are two regal dogs face to face . and ‘two balls, one big, one small.’ Then follow three bears, three bowls, three silver spoons.’ The next spread gets one wondering: why ‘Four fine foxes, sharing strawberries’ but they have only three strawberries.

Next come five elephants, elegant for sure, walking nose to tail but one of the them is sans elegant Indian style regalia. why one wonders. The six cheetahs are clearly having fun playing pat-a-cake, each pair with tails entwined. The seven pandas – giant ones – have ‘pretty painted parasols,’ five of them: two are sharing and another has a fan. (Love the alliteration in that sentence.)

Eight clever otters, two sporting sunhats, juggle with small stones
The nine white mice, so we are told, are ‘happy as can be’ though I have to say that to me at least two look rather downcast as they partake of the tea served with a ladle from a large pot into tiny china teacups..
Then, we have the one cheetah again, only now it has ten cherries. What do you think it will do with those? The final spread reveals all, or rather, a cheetah, thoroughly sated, one imagines, beside a row of …

Make sure to peruse the endpapers, they too are lovely: the front depicts ornately decorated numerals plus the cheetah and a cherry; the final one is a chart of numbers 1 to 10 but there’s no cheetah in sight. Maybe it’s exhausted from orchestrating the numbers at the front.

Every illustration offers both a wealth of aesthetic possibilities and opportunities for speculative and extended talk with a young child.

The Cloud Kingdom

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The Cloud Kingdom
Máire Zepf, illustrated by Andrew Whitson
Little Island Books

Nancy is a bibliophile and spends almost all her time reading. Then one summer’s day so engrossed was she in her book that she failed to notice a fox enter the garden with a faery on its back. The faery takes a cake from the plate beside Nancy and rides away into the woods. The following day a similar thing happens, but on the third day it’s her beloved cat, Pangur that is seized. Determined to retrieve her pet, Nancy gives chase and eventually comes upon the Faery King. Her initial requests for the return of Pangur are turned down but eventually she strikes a bargain with him and becomes the human storyteller to the Faery Kingdom.

What follows are seven further interconnecting tales featuring such wonders as Beyvinn, a dream-weaving giantess, a hat shop with magical hats crafted by wizards, a ghost dragon

and a mechanical jellyfish.

A charming combination of words and pictures: Máire Zepf’s inventive short tales that are perfectly pitched for reading aloud and Andrew Whitson’s illustrations which have an ethereal, whimsical look, make this an ideal pre-bedtime book or to share with a KS1 class over a couple of days. Great for stimulating children’s own imaginations.

Small Wonder

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Small Wonder
Ross Montgomery
Walker Books

Tick, who is ten and his younger brother Leaf, (fivish) were cared for by their grandfather in a cottage on the farthest edge of the forest until he died. Thus far their life had been peaceful but then a fleet of black-sailed ships appeared on the horizon – the Drene warships – and what Tick calls a Hunter is on the prowl: it’s time to leave, destination the King’s Keep.Grandfather had warned that this day might come and now they have just six moons to reach the mighty fortress built by the previous ruler, Good King Avery, before the drawbridge is pulled up.

Readers follow the boys’ journey on their trusty steed, a dapple grey mare, Pebble, as they flee from all they’ve known. A terrifying and testing journey it truly is, full of adventure and with only a rough idea of how to reach King’s Keep, they travel through forest, grassland and around mountains. There’s snow to contend with, bandits, strangers who may not be what they seem, and more; but all the while Tick has in mind that he must honour his Grandfather’s last words,”If you have one chance, then you have to make it count.”

Can they both reach their destination in time or will the Hunter or the snow get them first? Assuredly it will take all Tick’s determination and courage, but eventually arrive, they do, in no small measure thanks to Pebble. By the time they get to the Keep, Tick has learned more than he ever imagined possible and is ready to face whatever comes next.

With the twist at the end, this is a truly brilliant adventure story, Ross’s best yet in my book. Thoroughly recommended for older readers and it would make a terrific read aloud to share with an upper KS2 class.

The Family Tree

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The Family Tree
Yasmine Anane and Mark Beech
Tiny Tree

What makes a family? That question is at the heart of this story.

As autumn turns to winter Mole realises that living alone, he’s beset by loneliness and embarks on a journey to search for his family tree. Before long, he spies an owl flying overhead and calls to him in the hope that he will assist in finding his family tree. Owl doesn’t know what is meant by this, but after Mole has explained, he realises that he too is lonely. Could he find his own family by accompanying Mole perhaps: at least it means he’s no longer alone.

The two continue together, chatting and telling stories as they walk, when suddenly they notice a squirrel watching them. She’s heard them mention ‘a family tree, where all looked the same, for the whole world to see. … and you build a home where you truly belong.’ Squirrel joins the other searchers and off they go together merrily. Their laughter is heard by a rabbit and so the three become four.

With winter now upon the enchanted wood, they reach the final tree. Sadly Mole declares that there isn’t a family tree, but Owl has a different understanding of what this means. “We’re not all the same – but that’s the best part, / it’s not what you look like, but what’s in your heart.” Already the four seekers have formed a loving bond

and Mole has to agree, so, no more searching, journey over, they build a home together.

Told in rhyme that reads aloud well, Yasmine Anane’s narrative, with its themes of acceptance, kindness and understanding in tandem with Mark Beech’s illustrations that bring the characters to life on the page, have created a thought-provoking fable to share and discuss with children at home or in a KS1 cl

The Day the Jungle-Net Broke

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The Day the Jungle-Net Broke
Marleen Lammers and Ian Smith
New Frontier Publishing

Having recently moved back to the London area I encounter many more adults out and about with small children, mostly in pushchairs. I’d say that over 80% are playing with screens. It’s a joy to see a few others engaging with a board book or picture book, but if only there were more so doing.

Marleen Lammers’ story has a jungle setting and its main character is Miles, a monkey. Miles relies on his screen for virtually everything. The early morning Beep! Beep! beeping of the alarm wakes him from his slumbers and informs him that it’s time to do his exercises. Having done these, the creature is hungry and so uses his Just Peel app to order some bananas before his daily ‘tree-time’ face-call with his cousin.

In the middle of their chat, Miles’s screen freezes and he tries everything to get it back working, but to no avail.The Jungle-Net is Broken: disastrous news.

In the middle of Miles expressing his worries about what he won’t be able to do sans screens, he hears a voice from the ground. It’s a tortoise that suggests he uses ‘snail mail’ to communicate with his cousin. With no other option, Miles writes a note to Manny and leaves his i-tree for the first time in ages and starts walking. Yes, it does take him considerable time but it also means he can engage with the rainforest differently. In so doing, his hunger is stated and he feels energised on reaching the post office..

His return journey is even more fruitful and Miles even makes some real friends,

friends that he discovers he loves to spend time with exploring the jungle and having adventures.

Helped by Ian Smith’s bright jungle illustrations that bring the wealth of jungle fauna to life, this is an amusing, playful story that doesn’t ban screens completely, rather it encourages children to set them aside fairly frequently and enjoy engaging with friends in person, as well one hopes, with the wealth of exciting books for young children with stories for their own sake: what they offer is a place from which to become aware, aware of new worlds and ideas that stimulate the imagination.

Scrap: Escape from Somewhere 513

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Scrap: Escape from Somewhere 513
Guy Bass, illustrated by Alessia Trunfio
Little Tiger

With old rivals and some new foes to deal with, Scrap, Paige and Gnat undertake a hazardous journey to the Ocean Jungles in search of the Wigeon, the last rocket ship on Somewhere 513. But they face a desperate struggle to extricate the ship from frogbears. While these beings dislike the taste of metallic Scrap, they’ll most likely have a taste for human flesh and bones.

Then Paige manages to get the ship airborne but Gnat is beguiled by a baby frogbear calling it cute; that is before it attacks. Eventually the ship crashes, happily with no fatalities, but the Wigeon is in a terrible state. However, over the space radio come voices supposedly broadcasting from Somewhere Five One Four saying they need help.

During all this a kind of alliance with Newman is formed but is he to be trusted?

With Scrap doing his utmost to repair the Wigeon and Harmony Highshine’s forces moving ever closer, it seems that if Paige is to keep her promise to her mum to keep Gnat safe, there’s no option but to remain with the Moochfolk, while Gnat and Scrap leave in the airship bound for Somewhere 514.

This is the final story in Guy Bass’s wonderful trilogy and its end chapter and epilogue brought tears to my eyes.
If you’ve not read the first two books, Scrap and Scrap: The Good, the Bad and the Rusty, start with those: they’re all gripping stories and Alessia Trunfio’s illustrations are a powerful addition to the narrative each.

Ice Dancer

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Ice Dancer
Alex Cotter
Nosy Crow

Dina and her younger brothers have bid a temporary farewell to the hills of Wales to stay with their Aunt JJ in Sheffield. However, they receive what Dina finds a very cool welcome by JJ who seems nothing like she’d remembered. Already struggling to cope with losing her older sister, Sasha, as well as her parents splitting up, Dina is feeling very edgy and isolated.

Soon after arriving at their aunt’s, Dina spies an old pair of ice skates that she recognises as belonging to her Great-Gran Kendra. After some harsh words between her and JJ, Dina feels the need to skate. She takes the skates and heads to the local rink. Skating gives her a sense of freedom and she feels passionate about it; however she has difficulty when it comes to mixing with other people, especially strangers, so Dina feels torn in this new situation but skate she must and soon her inside knots begin to loosen. She does though, pick up on the hostility among the other skaters but one girl, Rosie, a talented skater befriends her.

Rosie is not happy with the partner she has for the upcoming Winter Wonderland Showcase. Could Dina perhaps take his place? She’d dearly love to but that would mean staying with JJ another three weeks and attending a local school. Another skate with Rosie confirms that it would be worth it and despite coach Helena’s antagonism based on something from her mum’s past, Dina knows she must dig deep and find the courage to follow her dreams.

With things from her family’s past starting to emerge and true feelings not being discussed, family members must start to listen properly to one another; that will enable them to emerge stronger than before. Indeed family is central to the whole story, that and the power of friendship, not forgetting the satisfaction, Dina’s pursuit of skating brings.

The way the author captures Dina’s passion is superb, bringing out the joy of creativity and her willingness, (along with Rosie) to challenge skating’s long-held rules concerning appropriate roles for male and female skaters.

A terrific story for older readers – thought-provoking and full of adventure and mystery. You’ll find it had to put it down till you reach the final page.

Ming the Panda

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Ming the Panda
Jake Hope and Yu Rong
Otter-Barry Books

When a young child is unable to sleep, Mama tells a story about a very special panda who brought love and hope to millions of people. It’s the real-life story of Ming, the first baby Giant Panda to be brought to London Zoo in 1938, who became a wartime symbol of courage and hope. The little panda began its life in the mountains of China. As she grew in size, she also grew in bravery and one day she began a journey that took her all the way to London Zoo. There she was looked after by a kindly zookeeper – his very first panda – that he named Ming (a Chinese name that means Brightness).

People came from near and far to visit the panda and they even wrote her messages and sang to her. One very special visitor was a young princess, who later became Queen Elizabeth. Ming’s fame spread all around the world but then war broke out and bombs fell on London. Despite this, brave Ming helped those who visited her until one day, transported in her mind to the snowy Chinese mountains. she died. However, her memory continued to act as a shining light bringing hope to the people.

Ming’s inspiration also brought hope at worrying times to the little child hearing her story and it is to be hoped to other children who need help to be resilient whatever trouble they face.

Jake Hope’s sensitively told narrative – a story within a story – reads aloud well and together with Yu Rong’s beautiful illustrations, a combination of Chinese folk art paper-cutting and pencil drawing, make this a child-friendly way to start discussing issues such as war and animals being kept in captivity.

Croaky: Escape From Crow Castle / Adventuremice: Mousehole to the Centre of the Earth

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Croaky: Escape From Crow Castle
Matty Long
Oxford Children’s Books

Croaky Hopper is different from other frogs; he loves having wild adventures and when he isn’t actually having one, he dreams of so doing. Becoming a member of the Woggle Scouts has unexpectedly helped him find these adventures and as he’s wondering what’s next, Winston reveals that their next trip is to Crow Castle. This super-creepy former home of Count Von Crow, is a place where his ghost still wanders searching for people to scare.

As he, Sheena and Winston discuss this, who should appear but Morag, the Grand Woggler and she insists on joining them on the visit to the castle. Indeed Winston’s leadership of the patrol is at stake and Croaky can’t allow that to happen. The task they face won’t be easy as they must keep under wraps their wild adventuring and act like regular scouts.

Then Croaky presses a crow-shaped mark on the wall and suddenly finds he’s in a secret passage with Morag. The passage leads them to a room with its walls covered in pictures of crows and a message is written beneath one of them. With puzzles not Croaky’s strength, how can they find their way back their friends? And if they do, then what?

With a murder of meddling crows, it turns out that this is an unforgettable adventure in more ways than one. It will certainly entertain readers who will enjoy the ghostly goings on and the change of heart by one of the cast of characters, and of course Matty Long’s colour illustrations are terrific fun.

Adventuremice: Mousehole to the Centre of the Earth
Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
David Fickling Books

The seventh adventure of Pedro et al begins when their breakfast is disturbed by the arrival of Uncle Bernie (aka Professor Quatermouse) with his new invention, the Mechanical Mole, a machine that will enable the Adventuremice to go exploring underground. After a discussion as to whether or not they should try out the invention, they take the Mechanical Mole for a test drive and with Juniper in the pilot’s seat off they go down and down, rather fast, burrowing through the rock far beneath the Mouse Islands.

Eventually they arrive in a cave and begin to look around. Almost at once they discover some very large footprints. Could they belong to a supposedly extinct Hamstersaurus? Then they hear a loud RAWR! and there before them is a very live Hamstersausus rex. However it’s quickly distracted by a small mouse with a bow and arrow firing at it. This friendly mouse invites Pedro and friends to follow her and she takes them to the treehouse of the other cavemice that live in fear of the Hamstersaurus.

Can the Adventuremice step in and save the day? Perhaps with imagination, creativity and especially vital, teamwork they can make not only the cavemice happy, but also the creature they fear.

Interestingly Pedro and friends are able to consider both viewpoints, an ability that is important for young readers to develop too.

Team Philip and Sarah have created another smashing story with lots to offer both verbally and visually.

Beastopia

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Beastopia
Chrissie Sains, illustrated by Jenny Taylor
Walker Books

Digby Griffin is devoted to his pet mouse, Cheddar, and has been ever since he discovered her making a nest in his sock drawer. However as Digby’s tenth birthday is fast approaching he is troubled by the thought of The Curse of the Tenth Birthday -that’s the day on which Cheddar will be struck and disappear just like Digby’s elder brother’s budgie and his older sister Mog’s snake. Determined to keep Cheddar safe, Digby decides to stay up all night on his tenth birthday eve and also invites his best friend Tai for a ‘sleepover’ or rather a ‘watchover’.

Suddenly Grandad calls from downstairs asking for assistance. Digby is surprised to see him standing in a smoke filled kitchen clutching what appears to be a duck-billed platypus. This, Grandad thrusts into Digby’s hands as he attempts to deal with the cake mess in the oven. However the creature wriggles free and disappears into the basement. Aware it’s not the first animal to have done so, Digby is puzzled about what happens to them and decides to investigate sometime later.

That happens during the sleepover when a small present and a note are left in his bedroom. The present is a simple phone on which are two messages. As he reads them, Cheddar starts wriggling, then disappears downstairs and seemingly into the washing machine wherein Digby is sure he sees a tunnel – a portal, he suggests. Grandad appears on the scene and thus begins for Digby, Mog and Tai an entry test to become apprentice guardians of Beastopia. Beastopia, Grandad tells them is a sanctuary for magical creatures who can no longer hide in the human world, and he is the guardian.

After a strange journey, Grandad finds Mani, (a kind of walking book) that’s to watch over them, then leaves the recruits and heads off on a mission concerning the Loch Ness Monster.
The trio must then face three challenges as part of their assessment. the first being to collect dragon smoke. The second is to harness a basilisk, the third is to feed the fairies and keep them contained; but these fairies are of the troublesome kind and have an unusual diet …

Can Digby, Mog and Tai possibly succeed in all three challenges and thus become apprentices; several times the odds are stacked against them and nothing is as it seems … They’ll certainly learn more about themselves.

The book ends on a lead in to the next adventure for Digby et al, Beastopia The Ice Phoenix.
Exciting reading for young readers who love adventures involving animals and magic, with humorous illustrations by Jenny Taylor adding to the fun.

Tomorrow’s Ghost

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Tomorrow’s Ghost
Tanya Landman
Walker Books

It’s the summer of 1976 and twelve year old Anna who is living with her Aunt Maggie, is to go and stay with Auntie Em, recently retired and moved into an isolated cottage in the countryside. Aunt Em tripped and fell over her new dog while the two were out walking, has badly sprained her ankle, is hardly able to walk and needs help. As a consequence, Anna packs a bag and sets off to somewhere she’s never been to stay with someone she barely knows: not a happy prospect, spending the summer far from her friends. However Peartree Cottage is a welcoming place and Anna likes her room.

Soon she starts having vivid dreams about a girl from 1919. The girl, Etty, lives with her harsh, unloving grandfather in a mansion surrounded by statues. This house, steeped in sadness, seemed to be calling to Anna. After five dreams, each more vivid, she is determined to find out what happened to Etty, even if it means telling lies about where she’s been to Aunt Em. Later on Colin from the village shop offers to take Anna swimming and strangely she finds herself being irritated by this.

Then at the library she learns from the librarian, of a terrible fire that destroyed much of Featherstone Manor with almost everyone getting out safely. But what of Lady Henrietta, who was twelve at the time? The only way Anna has a chance of saving her from a terrible and untimely demise is to find a way to communicate with her. A mirror she’d seen in Etty’s bedroom, perhaps …

Gripping, haunting and powerfully atmospheric, this story will have readers on edge until the final chapter reveal. I read it in a day, so bound up in the fate of both Etty and Anna had I become.

Linnet and the Periwinkle Flyer

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Linnet and the Periwinkle Flyer
Lindsay Littleson
Tiny Tree Books

Linnet, in her early teens, has grown up in Mount St.Marys, a convent with a cruel regime in Yorkshire. She longs to escape, so she’s both happy and fearful when the announcement is made: she’s to leave the convent’s confines and take up a position with Mrs Periwinkle in Periwinkle’s Bazaar. Her first thought is that she’ll now be able to search for her lost friend, Dove.

Mrs Periwinkle seems a rather harsh person but she has another skill aside from her shop business: she is an inventor. One night awakened by hammering sounds, Linnet creeps into the yard and comes upon a large book wherein she sees what she assumes is her boss’s latest invention. Weeks later she revisits the yard and there finds Mrs periwinkle working on what the woman tells her is The Periwinkle Flyer, a machine she hopes to get patented and to Linnet’s surprise Mrs P. agrees to allow her to have a go on the invention.

That night, wondering what she’s let herself in for, Linnet has a dream in which she and the machine crash. Soon after, it’s time for what she’s certain is the machine’s test flight and sure enough, the flying machine and Linnet become airborne. Linnet finds the experience exciting and doesn’t want it to end but then she begins to lose control …

Is this the end of Linnet’s flying hopes? Happily not; instead it’s the beginning of an exciting new partnership. But then comes news of an outbreak of smallpox. That there is a link between Linnet’s role with Mrs Periwinkle and the terrible illness is revealed near the end of the adventure; an adventure that has strong, determined characters, inventiveness and nail-biting flying sequences, and at the heart of which is the importance of feeling part of a family.

Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Causing Chaos

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Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Causing Chaos
Louie Stowell
Walker Books

In Loki’s latest month of diary entries, each one begins with a Loki Virtue Score card (virtue points are awarded for good deeds and taken away when as Loki says, ‘I do anything fun’.) This month we find Loki behaving in a very strange way and unusually it’s not for the most part of his own volition.

When newly appointed guardian, Freya, turns up, she’s wearing a necklace, one with magical powers and pretty soon things start turning chaotic. Friends Valerie and Georgina suddenly become enemies, Heimdall intends declaring his love for one of the teachers, Mrs Wiliams, The Giants suddenly love Thor and vice-versa, and Loki’s sworn enemy, Vinir, follows him everywhere offering him gifts and an invitation. Then Loki wonders if perhaps he does now like his new admirer after all. All the while Loki is endeavouring to break whatever spell is causing the chaos.

My head was spinning by the time I got to the end of this only to find the words, ‘TO BE CONTINUED … ’
Hilarity rules in this fifth story and it’s made even funnier by the liberal sprinkling of Louie Stowell’s drawings. Older primary readers will, like this reviewer, giggle their way from Day One where we see a drippy nosed Loki saying, ‘I card breade!’

A Rainy Dragon Day

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A Rainy Dragon Day
Julie Völk
Gecko Press

The child narrator of this story starts by saying they love rainy days – just right for reading, playing, mucking around and daydreaming without being bothered by anyone. However, having just settled down for a bit of reading, ‘DrrrrrrrrrrrinG!’ the doorbell rings and standing at the entrance is a rather large dragon with a brolly.

In comes the dragon: it’s introduced as Fred, lover of sausages and coffee, lots of coffee, and starts making itself at home. The child then needs to use the loo and does so in full view of the dragon. Fred then asks if he can do so too.

However, the large creature won’t fit into the bathroom no matter how hard our host pushes and shoves. having drawn a large red loo outline on the wall to no avail, they head outside to search for the place ‘where dragons go’.

The next few spreads are particularly amusing as we watch the agitated, increasingly desperate dragon being led around the city – past a tree, a fountain, and other possible pee-ing places. Finally Fred flies the child to a watery dragon park full of elegant gazebos, some already occupied but Fred finds the perfect one, relieves himself with a golden jet stream

and then back they fly.

A hilarious story – droll bathroom humour with a difference – illustrated with beautifully drawn pencil images, painted in watercolour. What a different bedtime story this would make, but equally it would greatly amuse a class of under 7s at any time of the school day.