Author jillrbennett

Perla The Mighty Dog

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Perla The Mighty Dog
Isabel Allende and Sandy Rodríguez
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Isabel Allende’s debut picture book is narrated by Perla, a pooch with self-attributed superpowers. The first is, ‘I can make anybody love me.’ The second is ‘I can ROAR like a lion.’ The latter is pretty astounding given Perla’s diminutive size.

When the Rico family arrives at the animal shelter looking for a guard dog, Perla employs superpower number 1, which makes young Nico Rico fall for the pooch. For him no other will do but to convince the other Ricos, Perla uses the lion-like roar and that seals the deal. Once in the Rico’s residence – a big old house that once ‘belonged to a wizard’ who still apparently visits leaving sprinklings of magic dust behind – Perla gets to know the family members better. That includes forming a pact with Lucy, the somewhat lazy moggie.

What would satisfy Perla the most though is to be able to help Nico, who unbeknown to the humans in the family, is being bullied at school.

Then one Saturday when playing ball with Nico, an incident with a squirrel results in Perla facing up to a very large, fearsome dog by roaring and charging, the result being celebrity status for Perla.

This prompts Nico to ask magnificent Perla to teach him superpower number 2, aka the mighty roar; this the obliging pooch promptly does with some slightly alarming but ultimately satisfying results for both Nico and Perla.

It’s the latter’s winsome narrative, with its vital message about finding the courage to stand up to bullies, which makes this book such an enjoyable read aloud. That and Sandy Rodríguez’s spirited, splendidly expressive ink and watercolour scenes.

Around the World with Friends

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Around the World with Friends
Philip Waechter
Gecko Press

When Racoon decides he’s ready for adventure he anticipates his round the world trip will be a solo one. However, having visited Badger to borrow his boat and paddle, he’s persuaded that his friend should accompany him. Before long Racoon has also collected Fox with a supply of eggs, Bear to keep jellyfish and marine monsters at bay and Crow to act as lookout. Off go the friends in upbeat mood down the river. It’s not long before they encounter what Fox decides is a poisonous water snake but is quickly put right by Racoon’s reassurance that it’s a grass snake. On they go,

only to be caught in rapids which fortunately don’t capsize the boat, eventually reaching a sandy bank where they decide to make a camp and eat. Wasps make a nuisance of themselves but Bear gets rid of them while Fox cooks a delicious meal. After this they play football and take a cooling swim.

Then down comes the rain and with night descending they realise that it’s time to head home.

Agreeing that it’s been ‘a proper adventure’ they gather up everything and agree to have another expedition in a few days time.

A perfect day, thinks Raccoon as he lies abed reading the same book that prompted him to undertake the trip in the first place.

Waechter’s illustrations created mainly with pen and crayon, be they of the animals’ homes, the locality or the areas the friends pass through on their adventure, are full of details that will cause readers to pause and spend time looking closely at each one. With its gentle humour, this is just the story to share with children on a warm, lazy summer’s day.

Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck / Missing At Sea

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Pirate Academy: New Kid On Deck
Justin Somper, illustrated by Teo Skaffa
uclan publishing

ARRR! me ’earties! It’s time to fast forward to the year 2507 and step aboard for a cracking pirate adventure.

Classmates Jasmine and Jacoby are privileged to be studying at the Pirate Academy under the tutelage of legendary pirates. Like their fellow students – fifteen are chosen each year – Jasmine and Jacoby are from famous pirate families and are in Barracuda class. All is not well though: unexpectedly Jacoby receives an unfavourable assessment; this the lad graciously accepts promising to do better in future. Then Jasmine is summoned to Captain Salt’s office where she’s hoping to hear about what has caused the non-return of her parents and their ship. Tensions rise even further when Captain Raven Moon dramatically removes her son, Wing, from the Academy, ominously telling Jacoby, “These are dangerous times to be a pirate … be careful my precious boy.”.

Shortly after, another boy, Neo Splice, mysteriously arrives at the school. He tends to keep himself to himself, which arouses the suspicions of others and Jasmine has a feeling she’s seen the lad before somewhere. Is he trustworthy or an enemy? There are certainly enemies at work outside the Academy but could there be a traitor within threatening their safe world too? There’s definitely a surprise in store for Jacoby. It’s crucial that Jasmine and Jacoby set aside any differences and work together using all the skills they’ve learned.
This action-filled page-turner ends on a cliffhanger leaving readers eager for the second adventure;

Missing At Sea

Book 2 starts four weeks later with Barracuda class about to face the first challenging test of their abilities, the Oceans Bound.weekend. The pirate apprentices are divided into five teams, each with a leader, one of whom Jacoby hopes will be himself and when this isn’t so he’s devastated. Jasmine though is selected and this makes their relationship somewhat tricky but eventually she, Neo and Jacoby form a team.

A much greater difficulty emerges when she learns that her Uncle Noah – a ringleader of the League of True Pirates – has somehow managed to escape from Pirate Federation’s maximum security prison. Nonetheless she refuses to let this put her off participating in the event and her crew sets sail along with the other four. Before so doing each leader is given a coloured glass bottle continuing a note on which is written the first of a series of tasks.

Soon members of one team (you can probably work out which) find themselves facing unexpected dangers in the form of highly venomous vipers and spiders with a poisonous bite,

as well as a skull. Eventually another crew’s members become concerned that a rescue might be required; they just need to persuade the remaining Barracudas to join them in operation rescue mission.
Even so, it will take all they’ve got for the tenacious young pirates to complete the course and triumph against their heinous enemy.

With some shocking plot twists, the story like the first one, ends on a cliff hanger that will ensure readers are left thirsting for book three.

Torla & Smorla and the Lower Than Average Cloud

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Torla & Smorla and the Lower Than Average Cloud
Kes Grey and Chris Jevons
Happy Yak

Meet giraffe friends, Torla and Smorla with their star patterned coats. One day the two are out on a ‘longer-than-average walk’ when Smorla comments on the beautiful day. However with Torla’s head engulfed by a fluffy white ‘lower-than-average cloud’, as her friend tells her, nothing is visible but white. Her concerns about seeing where she’s going are quickly allayed when Smorla offers to take the lead, saying that sooner or later the cloud will disappear.

Now trust is crucial in such situations and Torla totally trusts her pal, following her instructions carefully. In this way (but now seeing grey) she avoids bumping into a tree (taller than average), tripping over ‘lazier-than-average lions’;

she navigates a path without getting scratched by the ‘pricklier-than-average bushes’. By now the cloud has become an even greyer grey.

They stop just before a chasm in their path where Smorla tells her friend to bend her knees and do her biggest forward jump ever. Safely across, they walk round crocodiles practising yoga and bingo-playing hippos, over an elephant enjoying the sun, across a tightrope traversing a ravine,

past dancing flamingos until finally they stop. Down comes heavy rain from the now black cloud above Torla’s head. Now can you believe it but Smorla just happens to have a pocket within which she has something else that’s bigger-than-average. Can you guess what?

Children will love the animal antics of the bit part players almost as much as the dialogue between the giraffe characters, which as one would expect of Ken Grey, is wonderfully droll.

Brainy About Bears

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Brainy About Bears
Owen Davey
Flying Eye Books

This is the ninth in Owen Davey’s deservedly popular non-fiction animal series. At the start is an overview that mentions there are eight distinct bear species and possibly around fifty subspecies from various parts of the world from Arctic regions and tundra to tropical jungles.

Featured in By Design, the spectacled bear, native of South America, is so-named for its facial markings, has an immensely powerful bite, sharp, fang-like canine teeth, good eyesight and sense of hearing but mostly explore the world through their excellent sense of smell, which so we read, is over 2,000 times better than a human’s. Did you know that bears are able to smell a bar of chocolate stashed away in a locked car? Hopefully they can’t use their long claws to pick car locks but stick to using them for purposes such as digging, climbing, fighting and catching prey.

Amazingly, the earliest modern bears -the dawn bears – lived about 23 to 5.3 million years ago whereas modern day humans have been around less that 1,000,000 years.

With regard to movement, bears normally walk on all four legs, all have the capacity to outrun Olympic sprinters, use their claws to climb trees for such purposes as finding food, escaping enemies or perhaps hibernating. They are also able to swim and like being in water, polar bears being the best swimmers; this last fact you will discover on the And the Award Goes To spread.

When it comes to nutrition, almost all bears tend to eat anything depending on what is available, not so giant pandas, which stick almost exclusively to bamboo, the result being they are now classed as a vulnerable species as few areas have sufficient bamboo to satisfy their needs.
Bears feature in the mythology of many cultures around the world and have been thought of as such diverse things as healers, spirits, religious symbols and guides.

The final spread mentions giant pandas and polar bears as reminders to readers. of the damage we humans do to the planet and the hope of giving greater priority to the protection of bears and their habitats in the future.

Characteristic of this series is the vast amount of facts presented in a well organised, lively and entertaining manner. The information level is spot on for primary school readers and the illustrations are as always, superb.

The Boy Who Painted the World

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The Boy Who Painted the World
Tom McLaughlin
Oxford Children’s Books

When a boy steps into a book he’s under the impression it’s empty but he’s wrong. So intent is he at looking around that he upends three cans of paint sending their contents everywhere. When he apologises for the mess he’s made, he’s told by a brush that the spilt paint is not mess, rather it’s an opportunity and soon the green splurge is transformed into a ‘messy-a-saurus’. The brush then suggests the boy should try painting, something the boy says he cannot do. Nevertheless he dips the brush into the pot of blue paint and nervously makes a square shape, albeit a wobbly one.. With further encouragement from the brush he proceeds to produce all manner of things with wobbly shapes.

This so excites the brush that he tells the user that he’s made art. Further playfulness with the brush and paint in various hues results in such things as a pink lemonade ocean, llamas sporting pyjamas and a brown bear until finally they’ve got all the colours of the rainbow. After a bit of rainbow sliding, paint splashes and splurges are everywhere. As you will by now probably expect, these are rapidly transformed, becoming creatures, friendly and not so friendly, and a way more enormous mess.

By this time, the boy needs no encouragement: a realisation dawns and whoppee! There’s no stopping our young paint brush wielder.

What a wonderfully joyful, effervescent celebration of creativity unleashed and an important demonstration that if you accept your mistakes with a positive attitude you can turn them into imaginative opportunities. Young children aren’t inhibited by not being able to draw/paint, rather they just enjoy being creative. However all too soon those negative, “I can’t paint” notions take over and their confidence in themselves as artists wanes. Share this story; it could, one hopes, help keep that creative spark from being extinguished as they get older.

Godfrey is a Frog

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Godfrey is a Frog
Alex Latimer
Oxford Children’s Books

After undergoing the usual changes from tiny egg floating in a pond, Godfrey has become a frog. He sits atop a lily pad eagerly anticipating the next change but weeks pass, then months and he’s still the same two armed, two legged, long, sticky tongued frog.

As he looks around at the other creatures he decides they’re all way more exciting than he is. Then having made a final inspection in the hope he might have missed a new development. Godfrey plunges into the pond, right to the bottom, where he immerses himself in the mud. Up swims minnow, Brinley. “I wish I had legs like yours so I could hop about!” says the fish. Other pond creatures also express a wish to possess features like Godfrey’s.

The frog ponders upon their words for a while. Maybe now something else is changing – something within. Is Godfrey finally ready to accept and appreciate himself and his fabulous frogginess.

Alex Latimer’s fabulously funky portrayal of Godfrey will ensure he endears himself to young audiences who will love being in the know about a frog’s life cycle. (Just in case any have yet to learn this, there’s a pictorial spread showing how it happens after the story).

Listeners will love the alliterative phrases in the text and Alex’s playful scenes, especially those showing Godfrey’s protruding tongue and imaginings about possible changes.

Bea’s Bad Day

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Bea’s Bad Day
Tom Percival
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

This is the latest in Tom’s Big Bright Feelings series.
Bea has been counting down the days to her birthday and now with just two left to go, she’s very excited. A party is to be held and all her family members have been invited including her Grandma, Bampi and cousins.

The following day though it starts to snow and it keeps on and on until everything is white and it’s obvious the postman won’t be able to deliver any cards or presents; moreover her dad can’t go and get any party food. At least some relations are coming tomorrow, thinks Bea.

Next day Bea wakes early but after three hours nobody has come: her Mum says it’s because all the roads are blocked. Having tried hard the previous day not to show her disappointment, Bea cannot control her emotions any longer.

She’s too upset to open the present Mum gives her, and Bampi’s phone call does nothing to lift her mood. To a tearful little girl, it feels like everything is broken.

Then her elder brother, Archie suggests the two of them go out sledging. To Bea’s surprise, as the two WHOOSH down the hill in the falling snow, Bea decides that although different, this birthday is after all, great fun. Gradually those cracks disappear and by the time they return into the warm, every single crack has vanished. In comes Dad carrying a splendiferous cake but he fails to notice there’s something in his path.

Is it possible that Bea’s special day can still end with laughs? Maybe, with the help of some spoons and that yummy cake …

Another cracking – pun deliberate – story to share with children around Bea’s age. This one sensitively portraying the emotions around disappointment, helps ensure that little ones are better equipped to cope, should they find themselves in a similar situation to Bea.
Add to family bookshelves and foundation stage collections.

Bear’s Wash Day / Hide and Seek with the Baby Animals

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These board books are Little Tiger Books – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

Bear’s Wash Day
Nicola Kent

As a result of Bear and Croc’s smoothie making, Bear’s clothes are covered in spatters of juice so the two decide to do some washing. They collect all the dirty clothes, load up the washing machine, add the washing liquid and press the on button. Round and round go the clothes and once the machine has done its cycle, it’s tine to go out into the garden and hang everything on the line to dry in the sun. As soon as Bear’s dungarees are ready to wear once more, he puts them back on and the friends finally drink their smoothies.
With a spinner and flaps to help develop their fine motor skills, little ones can enjoy this simple domestic episode and have fun making the various sounds that accompany the action.

Hide and Seek with the Baby Animals
Molly Littleboy and Gareth Lucas

A game of hide and seek offers an opportunity to meet the baby animals that are playing the game on the five spreads herein. Each one has a different shaped felt flap behind which lurks a noisy little creature. Toddlers can join in the play and try to guess the baby animal that went WOOF!, the chirping bird in the birdcage, the squeaker behind the heap of hay,

and meet the bubble blower that’s giving his location away before finally meeting the winner of the game.
Touchy feely fun with dayglo bright scenes by Gareth Lucas in which various minibeasts appear on every spread, adding to the playful experience.

Cake for Everyone

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Cake for Everyone
Thé Tjong-Khing
Gecko Press

This wordless story really begins on the title page where we see a group of fourteen animal friends gathered for a picnic. Down swoops an eagle and snatches up the outspread blanket on which are the animals’ belongings – a hat, a football, a toy sword, a small soft toy, a parasol and various other bits and pieces, plus a cake. The animals give chase and suddenly a heron goes for the thief causing it to release the blanket with the result that its contents are scattered far and wide landing in various places on the cliff, in the water and up a mountain.

The ensuing rescue operation is a wonderful example of visual storytelling. I would advise concentrating on one item to follow at a time, then going back and following another as the whole picture is too huge to take in every detail at once: I started with the floppy hat and immediately noticed the gorilla sitting in a bush perhaps eager to get its paws on the thing.

On the other hand there are some helpful animals that appear on the scene and observant readers will delight in contemplating all the outcomes

as the romp of a tale twists and turns its way to a thoroughly satisfying finale. Time for a slice of cake methinks.

Dirty Bertie: Pets and Pests / The Determined Kitten

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Dirty Bertie: Pets and Pests
Alan MacDonald and David Roberts
Little Tiger

This is a bind up of three previously published Dirty Bertie books: Fleas!, Rats! and Bees! each of which contains three episodes in the life of the lad with a magnetic attraction to mischief-making possibilities. He’s involved in such escapades as flea catching (thanks to Whiffer, the house is infested with the things); Bertie and Gran take the pooch to the vets where as you’d expect, chaos soon ensues. In another episode, having locked the supply teacher in a cupboard, Bertie learns what it’s like to be a teacher, under the watchful eye of a slightly bemused school inspector.

He also participates in a cross country run with his classmates that results in a too close for comfort encounter with cows, sets a mouse loose in the classroom (accidentally of course) and decides to try his hand at being a bee-keeper courtesy of Mr Monk’s bees. All this and more besides.

Adult readers aloud, youngsters just starting to fly solo, and listeners at home or in the classroom will find it impossible not to come under the Bertie charm especially with the wealth of comical black and white illustrations.

The Determined Kitten
Holly Webb
Little Tiger

While out walking the dog in the park with her Dad, Rosie comes upon a box containing five ginger kittens, evidently they’ve been abandoned by someone. There appears to be something wrong with one of the kittens but nevertheless Rosie manages to persuade her Dad to take them home. Once Mum sees them, she insists they must be taken to the local animal shelter. To Rosie’s surprise, Sam the cat fosterer lives in an ordinary house and is willing to take them on and help them find new homes. She tells Rosie that she’s welcome to come and visit the kittens at the weekend but also mentions the possibility that little Bill has something called cerebellar hypoplasia, also called wobbly cat syndrome. Rosie continues visiting and helping Sam but it’s not long before all the kittens except Bill have gone to new homes.
Rosie is determined to persuade her parents to let her adopt Bill but Mum is quick to remind her of what her teacher has said about her struggling to concentrate in lessons. The reason for this however, is because she’s being bullied but Rosie doesn’t say so at that point.
How will the bullying problem be resolved and where will kitten Bill eventually find a home?

Just right for animal loving readers around Rosie’s age, especially those who have a penchant for cats.

Who Ate Steve?

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Who Ate Steve?
Susannah Lloyd and Kate Hindley
Nosy Crow

Here’s a deliciously tongue-in-cheek tale wherein, in best teacherly voice, the narrator embarks on a lesson about size and to that end has enlisted the services of Marcel, a corvid of some sort, as an exemplar of big and earthworm Steve, to represent small, and like Marcel, sports a hat.
However Marcel’s undesirable behaviour soon annoys the teacher/narrator. The teacher part of myself was greatly amused by the words and different type used to show this: ‘I’m waiting, Marcel. We are ALL waiting. … Thank you. AND his HAT, if you please … That wasn’t so hard, was it?’

As you would expect Marcel’s natural instinct is to consume his fellow helper and his continuing efforts so to do – each of which is thwarted – increase the narrator’s frustration at being unable to deliver the lesson in its entirety as the end of the book draws nigh.

You are probably wondering if we do learn about size before the final page; the answer is in the affirmative and there’s a superbly satisfying twist on the last spread.

With the combination of that memorable voice created by Susannah Lloyd and Kate Hindley’s brilliant comical illustrations, in particular those showing Marcel’s facial expressions, this has to be the funniest picture book I’ve read for many months. Share it wherever and whenever you can.

Lola and Larch Save the Sunshine Spell / Mirabelle and the Picnic Pranks

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Lola and Larch Save the Sunshine Spell
Sinéad O’Hart
Nosy Crow

Despite her grandma’s excitement about the size her marrows have grown to overnight, Lola suspects something isn’t right and then Larch is sure she’s seen a plant from the wheelbarrow waving at her. Lola’s convinced something weird is afoot, especially when Grandma’s polytunnel smells decidedly odd, tomatoes grow so much they explode and the veggies start leaping about.

Lola and Larch decide to make a foray into the forest to investigate. Shock horror: the fairy kingdom is almost completely overgrown; Their encounter with King Ash (the fairy king) leads to a suggestion that the dastardly Euphorbia Spurge is behind what’s happened; furthermore he insists that Larch remains rather than return to the human world with Lola.
It’s a tearful Lola who sets off back to her Grandma’s but on the way a tiny fairy, Con, gives her a special leaf that will enable her to talk to Larch without being able to see her so long as Larch too is holding a similar leaf.

That night Lola is awoken by Larch’s voice coming from the special linden leaf and before you can say ‘Sunshine Spell’ she’s up and out to a forest rendezvous with Larch.

Then with Euphorbia’s purple magic swirling around them, the two friends head for her house. A difficult journey for Lola, but they must get there and retrieve the distilled sunlight that’s a vital ingredient for the all important Sunshine Spell that will break Euphorbia’s magic. Can they save the day once more?

Another mix of enchantment and friendship that will delight fans of the first story in the series, again with Rachel Seago’s black and white illustrations that bring out the humour throughout this second adventure.

Mirabelle and the Picnic Pranks
Harriet Muncaster
Oxford Children’s Books

Mirabelle has promised her Mum that she’ll be on her best behaviour when their new neighbours, Fredrick, Felice and their son Oswald come for a barbecue. So how come her brother Wilbur discovers frogspawn in his drink when they all sit down for the feast? Not only that but the kitchen floor is awash after Mirabelle’s mopping.

When Mum comes in with a pile of dirty crockery she goes flying, dropping what she’s carrying and smashing it to smithereens. The result is that Mirabelle is sent up to her bedroom. From there she watches as her brother and Oswald head for the sprinkler. Longing to join them but realising she’d be spotted, Mirabelle finds a sneaky plan has come into her mind; one she just can’t ignore. Out comes her potion bottle necklace, her swimming costume and her special fairy wings, off comes the lid of her shrinking potion bottle and …

Having eventually succeeded in descending to the garden, Mirabelle starts to wish she’d stayed in her bedroom. Indeed before long she realises that the whole escapade is a big mistake. Then she hears her distressed-sounding mum shouting that her daughter isn’t in her bedroom. Can Mirabelle restore herself to her normal size and if so, what will her parents and the visitors have to say? Let’s just say that one of the latter surprises everyone at her reaction.

This sixth story starring the mischievous Mirabelle will delight her countless young fans who will be rooting for her throughout. Anyone for trifle?

Billie’s Buzz

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Billie’s Buzz
Alison Brown
Farshore

If it didn’t sound so ridiculous to call a bee adorable I would do so with regard to Billie. When she drops into a little boy’s life she’s searching for a someone who wants a pet: Billie has decided to enter the pet show in the town’s Festival of Talents. As luck would have it, the boy has been looking for a pet though he warns the bee that to enter will mean hard work. Nonetheless the two start getting ready for the events. .

When the big day arrives the boy warns Billie to keep her wings tucked in and make sure she doesn’t buzz. What incredible entries there are for some of the events but then comes the much anticipated pet show. Billie is entered as a ‘miniature, long-eared, yellow-striped fluff-bean.’

With two rounds under her fluff Billie faces the agility round. Her boy issues a reminder to Billie before she sets off and things are going well until the final obstacle – a high wall. After one failure Billie prepares for her second chance and uh-oh! You can guess what she does; and what happens next.

Up steps Billie’s boy; he speaks out for his ‘pet’ and decides to leave. As you might expect, Billie is disqualified but that’s not quite the end of the story.

Following Billie’s adventure is a factual page giving some of the reasons why bees are such an important part of the natural world.

A fun book a-buzz with an abundance of humorous detail on every spread and vital messages about being true to yourself and the importance of friendship.

Where the Water Takes Us

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Where the Water Takes Us
Alan Barillaro, illustrated by the author
Walker Books

When eleven year old Ava learns she’s to spend the summer at her grandparents’ remote island cabin with her Nonno and Nonna, because her mother’s twin pregnancy has become complicated, she can’t let go of the fact that she’s been labelled a ‘burden’. In addition she feels terrified that something awful could happen to her mother.

Soon after her arrival when out paddling the canoe, Ava notices a boy standing with a fishing rod on the dock. He endeavours to make conversation but she turns down his offer of showing her pike and continues paddling before ending up in the water. Ava is so tired that once she’s pulled herself out she falls asleep. She’s awoken by a powerful storm and a woodpecker falling at her feet, which she is unable to revive. This leads to second encounter with the boy, Cody MacDonald, who is with his father and he insists on seeing that she gets safely back to her grandparents’ island.

That evening when Ava and Nonna are talking about birds, Nonna says that a dead bird falling at your feet or on your doorstep can be a sign that a death will come to the family. Ava then hears her mother is back in hospital and decides that nothing else matters except that her mother must be saved. She returns to Deer Island to make a deal with the dead woodpecker. Back at the cabin, Ava is told that rather than trying to call her Mum she should write her a letter and as a further distraction, she should walk to the spring with Nonno to collect some jugs of water.

At the spring there’s another chance meeting with Cody and despite Ava denying she’s friends with him Nonno leaves her with the boy to fill their jugs. While there Ava discovers two eggs – robin’s eggs so Cody says. During the ensuing conversation despite herself, Ava finds she’s getting closer to the boy, and she then takes the two eggs back to her grandparents home for protection. Caring for two baby robins with her Nonna’s help might just be what she needs.

Then a situation unfolds which puts Cody’s life in danger and Ava must summon both her swimming skills and courage to save the day.

With themes of protection, friendship and identity, this is a truly compelling, sensitively written story full of lyrical descriptions about the natural world. The author’s occasional delicate watercolour illustrations have a quiet power of their own: be sure to follow the development of the two eggs along the bottom and up the edge of the recto pages.

Kodi & the Mystery of Komodo Island

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Kodi & the Mystery of Komodo Island
Paul Deslandes and Rose Gerrard
New Frontier Publishing

Young Kodi is a Komodo dragon living on the island of Komodo, a place with an ancient mystery about a gigantic lizard-eating beast. Kodo has many skills: he can crack codes like no other but what he wants to do most is to discover the truth about the legendary beast without becoming its latest feast. Determined to prove his mother wrong when she insists the creature is mere myth, he decides to call the deadly dragon with a song , “Oh, Dragon, Oh Dragon, wherever you may be. I’m juicy and delicious so come and munch on me!” No sooner are the words out of his mouth than Kodi hears an enormous swoosh above his head and feels the shaking of the ground beneath his feet.

Safely back home he reports to his Mum but she still insists he’s making up stories. However the following night Kodi sallies forth again. He immerses himself in the waters around the island and sings his song for a second time.

Back home safely his Mum dismisses what her son says about his encounter, but this serves to fuel Kodi’s determination to meet the dragon face to face. And so he does. Now though, there is nowhere for Kodi to hide.

There he stands: will he be Dragon’s next treat or will the resourceful detective Kodi live to see another day? …

A funny read aloud told in rhyme, with suitably dramatic scenes of the cast of characters, especially the young protagonist whose expressions and body language are really well done.

Unicornia: Learning to Fly

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Unicornia: Learning to Fly
Ana Punset, illustrated by Diana Vicedo
Walker Books

Young Claudia, the narrator of this story, has recently moved to the city of Unicornia. Her first day at the Unicornia Academy of Magic proves much more challenging than she’d anticipated: her potion mixing goes wrong to the amusement of her classmates and then she’s too upset to participate in the Unicorn Flying class which displeases teacher, Mr Trot, especially with an assessment imminent.

Meanwhile, her parents have opened a shop selling magical food and it’s here that she encounters two familiar-looking girls who introduce themselves as her classmates, Pippa and Sara, Before long the three girls are laughing together and Claudia has two new friends. The next day’s spell mixing lesson goes much better thanks to Pippa and Sara and in Magical History Claudia makes another friend, a crow named Nibbles. However the Unicorn Flying class does not go well.

Pippa and Sara take Claudia around the city to get to know it better and one place they visit is a shelter for unicorns, another is the school stables after the staff have left, their intention being for Claudia and Chai (the unicorn Mr Trot had introduced to her) to get to know one another better. Can Pippa and Sara help Claudia form a bond with the unicorn and make sufficient progress to succeed in tomorrow’s flying exam?

Bursting with excitement, and with whimsical illustrations by Diana Vicedo at every turn of the page, this enchanting chapter book is perfect for new solo readers especially lovers of fantasy and magic stories.

Dive, Dive into the Night Sea

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Dive, Dive into the Night Sea
Thea Lu
Walker Studio

This book has such an alluring cover illustration that you immediately feel you want to join the diver/narrator and plunge into the depths of the night sea. If you choose to do so, you will be rewarded by a fascinating and awe-inspiring undersea journey. Each spread (they open horizontally) reveals something different: the first being the coral reef where small fish including triggerfish and batfish are able to find safety in its cracks and crevices. The narrator likens the reef to an underwater hotel where such fish can hide from potential nocturnal predators.

The beam of the narrator’s torch attracts a wealth of creatures from plankton, the tiniest organisms in the sea, to some gigantic ones such as the scary-looking but harmless Manta rays. However, turning off the torch enables the diver and readers to see the bioluminescent plankton, described as ‘a constellation of stars’.


A return to the reef brings another surprise in the form of fluorescent corals; these are revealed only when the diver’s special blue/ultraviolet torch light is shone on the reef after dark.

Clever use of scale allows us to appreciate the size of the creatures in relation to the diver and the use of flaps allows for two levels of text: a larger font offers a text that will is essentially an interesting story to share with young children, whilst hidden beneath the flaps presented in a smaller font is more detailed information about the fascinating night sea. Did you know that sperm whales usually keep half of their brain awake when they sleep; this is termed unihemispheric sleep? This helps them to control their breathing,

Inspiring awe and wonder aplenty, this is a smashing, cleverly designed book to have in a Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1 classroom.

This Is Happy!

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This Is Happy!
Anna Ross and Debi Gliori
Otter-Barry Books

Happiness can be found in the very smallest of things, but we need to slow right down and look carefully. Only then will we truly appreciate what a wonderful world surrounds us. The adult carers in this book are aware of this and do all they can to ensure that the children have as many opportunities as possible tto discover it too. The children experiment with paints, plant seeds and watch them grow,

get right up close to damp earth after a rain shower They frolic on the seashore, lie flat in the grass on their tummies and investigate using all their senses. There are birthdays to celebrate with energetic dancing and delicious food, muddy streams to splash in, opportunities to let their imaginations take flight in a variety of ways – inventing new stories ,

entering those in books and perhaps even visiting distant galaxies as they stand beneath a starry sky.
Maybe the very best of all though is to be found when snuggled up with family members …

Lyrically and engagingly written by Anna Ross with Debi Gliori capturing the rapturous moments the diverse cast of five families enjoy.

Slow down and share this delightful book with the little ones in your life; it’s never too soon to introduce young children to mindfulness.

Monsters At School

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Monsters At School
Laura Baker and Nina Dzyvulska
Happy Yak

My goodness! How glad am I that I’ve never had to teach a class anything like the one in this third book featuring the monsters created by Laura Baker and Nina Dzyvulska.

Now the monsters are having their first day at school and as it begins we see them setting off and approaching the entrance. Once inside they start getting up to all kinds of ridiculousness but that’s in-keeping with the “Yes, it’s free-play time!’ line in the rhyming text.

Lunch time, as you might expect, is a very messy affair, after which, out go the monsters to expend some of their energy in the yard, swinging, sliding, skipping and more. Back indoors an art session gets under way with the Dog Monster noisily making its presence felt as it sets all the other monsters off on a chase. Near chaos ensues but eventually everyone settles down again until it’s time to go home. PHEW!

The vibrant, action-packed illustrations are hilarious especially those of monster mayhem, which at one point author Laura Bakesr describes as ‘Catching, snatching, steering, clearing! Climbing up the walls.’
Young children will delight in this madcap romp and have great fun looking for Monster Dog hiding (often in plain sight) on every spread.

Bartie Bristle and other stories

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Bartie Bristle and other stories
Julie Tatchell & Amanda Middleditch, illustrated by Elke Boschinger
Walker Books

The six charming read aloud tales in this collection are an exciting venture for Julie and Amanda aka the Teddybear Ladies.

In common with the other bears, Bartie Bristle – we learn how he got this name in the first story – has a special magical thread of kindness stitched into him by Mrs T and Rose.
The second story features a lost bear who remains in the shop window and is fed sticky treats until she’s claimed by her owner

The biggest bear in the shop is Sanderson; he’s gentle, wise and extremely helpful. He becomes the school’s ‘Reading Bear’ a role he loves on account of all the books in the school library.

Sanderson plays a vital part in the fourth story too: he explains the importance of bees to the other bears after one buzzes into the shop on a very hot day.

Story five sees Bartie accompanied by Tom Boot (so called as he was fashioned out of a child’s boot) setting out on an adventure wherein they meet the womins. These creatures send the adventurers flying onto the floor – it’s a good thing bears never hold grudges. A very sticky adventure it turns out to be, especially for the womin called Sparkle; he gets stuck in some honey that had leaked from Bartie’s bag. All ends well however, with a friendship being formed between the womins and the bears.

Dear Old Albert is the title of the sixth story. Albert being the name of a bear that arrives in the post in a very sorry state. He requires a lot of work and so stays a long time at the shop. During that time he regales the others with stories about his long life, they become very fond of him and tell Mrs T they’d like him to stay forever. What will her decision be?

With its gorgeous mixed media illustrations by Elke Boschinger this would make a wonderful gift for teddy bear lovers especially.

The Memory Key

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The Memory Key
Nigel Baines
Hodder Children’s Books

Lily Slade lives with her mum, Mum’s boyfriend Matt, his son Alex and her Grandad George. Train-loving Grandad has always been her hero but recently he’s been forgetful and confused: he has Alzheimer’s. Mum has started saying that with his deteriorating condition, Grandad will soon need specialist help in a residential home.
When it’s her turn to present her family origin story to her class at school, Lily tells how Grandad originally lived in Hungary and moved to the UK as a child when the political situation in Hungary became repressive. This prompts questions from her classmates but the most important question for Lily remains that concerning the fate of her Grandad.

Mum insists they all go and visit a care home but Lily remains determined to help Grandad get better, especially when his train and railway memories start coming to life magically.

However things start to spiral out of control especially when Lily loses the key to go back home. Will there always, as Grandad says from time to time, be light at the end of the tunnel? And will Lily be able to find it even when it seems impossible?

Enormously powerful and written with such sensitivity, readers cannot fail to be swept along to the end like one of Grandad’s trains. The straightforward explanations about Alzheimer’s are spot on for the target audience who will be hugely moved by the abundance of love between Lily and Grandad. They will also likely discover something about a part of recent European history that is new to them.

Ettie and the Midnight Pool

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Ettie and the Midnight Pool
Julia Green, illustrated by Pam Smy
David Fickling Books

Eleven year old Ettie is living a peaceful life with only her grandma for company. They grow their own food, sell anything they don’t need and the girl spends much of her time listening to stories, reading, sketching, and roaming the beautiful countryside surrounding High Fell House, their home. Ettie’s mother, a doctor, left to go travelling but war, sickness and grounded planes have prevented her from returning or even sending letters. This leaves a deep sadness residing within the girl.

One afternoon while exploring the woods, Ettie spies a girl who seems to be walking with a fox. Enter the mysterious Cora: Ettie finds herself drawn to the stranger and follows her. Grandma is horrified when that evening, Ettie tells her she’s come across the disused quarry, a place that lingers in her mind long into the night, leaving her determined to return the following morning.

When she does so, Ettie discovers Cora is lying hurt in one of the old slate mine tunnels. She just has to help her but without letting Grandma know. A friendship begins to develop: Cora teaches Ettie how to dive into freezing water. Another late return upsets her grandma but Ettie is resolved to keep her adventuring a secret. Grandma however is becoming more and more worried about her grandaughter’s protracted absences and her change of attitude towards their restrained life together, asking lots of questions and even giving her an old watch. Ettie in turn is convinced something secret is being kept from her too.

While Ettie is strongly attracted to Cora’s wild existence, readers have a mounting sense of unease. Maybe Cora can lead Ettie to discover the truth about the secret; on the other hand she could be leading her towards tragedy. Tension mounts to a dramatic climax – a life or death situation – after which Ettie has to face a difficult decision: who is she and what does she want? Cora’s identity remains a mystery though the author’s interweaving of myths provides clues and Grandma eventually shares her tragic tale about the pool and goes on to agree that Ettie should live her own best life, darkness and all.

Enhanced by Pam Smy’s powerfully evocative illustrations, Julia Green’s wonderful descriptions of the countryside, in combination with intrigue and nail-biting moments, make this a mesmerising story that lingers in your mind long after you’ve set the book aside.

Here’s what Emmanuelle (11) an avid reader, had to say about the book:
Julia Green’s new book is thrilling and full of secrecy. Ettie lives in the countryside with her grandma. One day, whilst out in the forest, she sees another girl and follows her to a hidden quarry pool. She soon makes friends with the girl, whose name is Cora. But Ettie notices that she never gives answers to any of her questions about where she came from. Ettie is in awe of the stunning pool but soon discovers that it holds deep and dangerous secrets; so too does Cora.
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy adventure, family stories and mystery. It has you hooked right from the beginning and keeps you turning the pages right through to the end. The story builds to the biggest scenes where Ettie finally swims in the quarry pool and learns a massive secret. This reader was left wanting to know more.


Whisper to the Rescue

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Whisper to the Rescue
Rose Robbins
Scallywag Press

Meet Whisper; he’s the smallest, quietest dragon on the mountainside. He’s also the most observant, and extremely considerate; but his family members appear not to notice him. What they do spend much of their time doing is building huge bonfires and to that end, they damage the environment by tearing down trees and burning their branches. Now as you would expect Whisper has noticed the effects, not only on the trees, but on the birds and other creatures.

How though can he make the other dragons pay attention to the consequences of what they’re doing, especially when they pay no heed to his efforts?

Fortunately Whisper has two good friends, Bear and Owl. So he pays them a visit. Owl in her wisdom explains that there are times when showing, not telling is what is needed and together the friends devise a plan. Then, thanks to some help from one bird in particular, using perfectly timed creativity

Whisper finally succeeds in getting his vital message across to the rest of his family. Their reaction and future actions demonstrate their contrition and the mountain home of the animals becomes a safe place at last.

Rose Robbins portrays Whisper and his pals as such appealing campaigning characters, so one hopes they will succeed in galvanising young children into using their own voices – vocally and visually – to stand up for environmental and other important issues they believe in.

The Wild Beastie

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The Wild Beastie
Helen Kellock
Walker Books

On the secret Isle of Begg live Bumple and her Mama. Now Mama is aware of its shores alive with wild and wonderful creatures, but Bumple isn’t at all interested; indeed she is scared of what she calls the “wild beasties”.

One morning she heads off to her favourite safe place beside the stream, a place where no beastie could find her – ever. How wrong could she be for suddenly, splash! Right in the water where Bumple is sailing her boat lands a little creature. Taken aback, Bumple asks who the creature is and what he wants. “I’m Little Mop” comes the reply “… I want to play!” Somewhat reluctantly Bumple agrees and the two start sailing her toy Peedie in a tiny boat but Little Mop gives the boat an over-enthusiastic push and the two playmates have to chase it a long way downstream

till they’re far, far from Bumple’s safe place, at the sea. There, as you might expect, Little Mop is eager to play but Bumple is equally eager to return home so off they set, with the former in the lead. Before long Bumple realises Little Mop is still messing about and the two fall out. Only briefly however and fuelled by Little Mop’s secret stashes, the friends make their way towards Bumple’s cottage until they’re almost there. But first they need to cross a gorge.

Can Bumple take a brave leap she’d never even have contemplated at the start of the day?

A lovely, magical tale showing how stepping out of your comfort zone and discovering that letting yourself go and trying a bit of wildness can be a whole lot of fun. From endpaper to endpaper, the watercolour illustrations are a marvellous mix of playfulness and beauty. Share this with young children: I’m sure they’ll love visiting the wondrous Isle of Begg.

Moon Bear

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Moon Bear
Clare Helen Welsh and Carolina T. Godina
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Ettie is afraid of the dark, even keeping a torch under the bedclothes at bedtime. One night though, there’s no need for her torch; instead a surprise cascade of shimmering light enters her room through the gap between the curtains.

Rising from her bed, Ettie starts to interact with the lights, using them to paint patterns on the walls and dancing with them. She does so until the bedroom is a wondrous sight to behold. She then draws the curtains right back, smiles at the moon and begins to connect up the dots made by the glowing stars until she has created a bear. A bear that comes into her room in a burst of brightness. Together the pair spend the night playing

and having a wonderful time. Come the morning the bear has disappeared and so too have Ettie’s fears about the dark. Throughout the day the girl eagerly anticipates the return of her ursine friend and can hardly wait for her bedtime routine to be over . Will she have another visit?

Told almost without words, the delightful fantasy unfolds in different sized panels containing gouache and coloured pencil scenes, comic book style. Sparkling with gentle magic, this tale of a girl who doesn’t like the dark and a bear that doesn’t like bright light, leaves young children free to let their imaginations take flight in similar manner to the girl protagonist.

Destiny Ink: Sleepover Surprise

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Destiny Ink: Sleepover Surprise
Adeola Sokunbi
Nosy Crow

Destiny is one of life’s enthusiasts who finds every day an adventure. As the book opens she is excited to be going to the park to meet her best friend, Olivia. On the swings Olivia reminds her of tomorrow night’s sleepover when the two will be spending the night in a tent under the stars in Olivia’s back garden. Destiny’s tummy starts to feel a bit funny though she assures readers that it’s not because of the sleepover or the possibility of scary monsters. Her mum’s reassuring words “It’s going to be INKTASTIC” followed soon after by “It’s OK if you feel a bit nervous,” don’t completely allay her fears.

Back at home Destiny creates her own tent in her bedroom for a practice sleepover to prepare both herself and Fuzzy, her hamster. She plays in the tent but come bedtime, despite Dad’s brainwave of lending her his torch, she’s still wide awake at 01:28. Suddenly she becomes aware of something strange and the torch reveals an actual monster. A monster – Trog by name – that is clearly scared too and is accompanied by a pet named Furbs. Trog, she learns, is scared of being away from home so Destiny sets about showing her new friend that there’s nothing to be frightened of.

Come the morning with her own fears dissipated, she feels somewhat different. Is she now ready to enjoy her own sleepover at Olivia’s?

It’s great to see how Destiny uses her creativity in overcoming her apprehension and fearfulness.
Adele Sokunbi’s description of how, helped at one point by her Dad, Destiny uses a silk scarf to protect her hair in bed is a detail that will be new to many young readers/listeners, but equally important for those familiar with the practice to see themselves reflected in the story.

Look out for Talent Show Magic, the next sensitively written episode in the life of the delightful Destiny Ink coming this autumn.

Mabel and the Big Wide World

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Mabel and the Big Wide World
Paul Stewart and Jane Porter
Otter-Barry Books

Mabel mouse lives happily in a barn with her five siblings, Martin, Marjorie, Marcel, Max and Millicent and is perfectly content in this enclosed world. She has no intention of venturing into the big wide world when her brothers and sisters invite her to accompany them. She does though on occasion watch them frolicking with one another outside but despite it appearing fun, she stays put. The seasons come and go; the other mice tell her she’s missing so much but she’s put off by the possibilities of great big hairy things and teeny-weeny scary things.

One day however the sky is full of colour: a beautiful rainbow has appeared and having seen it,

Mabel slowly, slowly creeps outside to get a better view. WOW! An arc of colours stretches right across from hilltop to sea as the rain continues falling gently. This is a day Mabel doesn’t want to end as she frolics in the wet with her siblings enjoying every moment.

Then back in the barn, which now feels very small, Mabel creates an inside rainbow to remind her of the wonders beyond its confines. Seasons come and go but now Mabel makes the most of the great outdoors, taking in her stride whatever happens.

One night there’s a thunderstorm. It frightens all the other mice but not so Mabel: “It’s just the weather showing off,” she reassures them. Autumn brings fallen leaves to romp in and winter ’s snowfall provides plenty of snow from which to make a snowmouse.


Meanwhile in the barn exciting things have happened too: Mabel is no longer the smallest mouse: she has lots of new brothers and sisters including Marco. He might just need a bit of encouragement to go outside like his big sister did.

Young humans will immediately recognise those feelings of uncertainty and fear that Mabel experiences, feelings that little by little change into a self-confidence, which enables them to take delight in the freedom and opportunities the outdoors brings. Jane Porter’s distinctive richly coloured, collage style illustrations together with Paul Stewart’s storytelling written from Mabel’s viewpoint make for a reassuring book to share with young children at home and in an educational setting.

Toby and the Pixies: Worst King Ever!

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Toby and the Pixies: Worst King Ever!
James Turner and Andreas Schuster
David Fickling Books

Twelve year old Toby Cauldwell is desperately trying to fit in at Suburbiton High School, not very successfully though. Then there’s Mo who is in a similar situation and despite their differences the two become buddies.

Meanwhile deep in the undergrowth of Toby’s garden is a hidden kingdom of pixies ruled over by the evil King Thornprickle. Not for much longer however for having bid farewell to Mo, Toby kicks at a plaster gnome in his garden and the next thing he knows is that he’s being hailed as the new king of the pixies. Pixie law states that the ruler can do anything they want – not a prospect Toby relishes AT ALL. But perhaps the whole pixie thing is a dream; that’s what he tells his Dad who is completely obsessed with making the perfect piece of toast.

How wrong can the lad be though for the pixies just won’t leave him be. They come into his house, pop up in school and turn his life into a nightmare. Then Toby makes the biggest mistake thus far: he grants the pesky things freedom to become autonomous. Pretty soon the classrooms are awash with green sludge and mushrooms are springing up everywhere: it’s chaos. Time for a rethink decides Toby, but again it’s a case of the best laid plans. So the boy heads home with Mo to play Camel Calamity, a video game, but there’s no stopping those pixies. More crises occur with badgers in a bathtub and Mo morphing into a bird so Toby decides to take Mo into his confidence re the pixies.

Then, shock horror: state duty calls and his majesty is told he’s the groom at a royal wedding

and marrying Princess Persephone. How will he extricate himself from this one?
Maybe there will come a time when Toby decides that perhaps being the King of the Pixies isn’t really so bad after all – stranger things have happened.

All of this certainly goes to show that life is above all a journey of possibilities and to read of Toby et al is a deliciously fun way of demonstrating this.

Bird Boy

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Bird Boy
Catherine Bruton
Nosy Crow

Following the death of his mother, Will is sent to live with his Uncle Ian in a wild part of the Lake District. Will blames himself for the tragic accident that resulted in his mother’s death, but staying with her estranged brother is his only option while he waits for documents to be processed, after which he will move to Australia and live with his paternal grandparents. This new life couldn’t be more different from his enclosed, homeschooled life in a city tower-block where his mother had kept him cut off to ‘keep him safe’ so she said. Together they would spend time watching the birds and his mother had passed on her love of birds to her son, frequently telling him, “We will all come back as birds “.

Will feels overwhelmed as he battles with his grief and then two things happen: he meets Omar at a nature camp he attends during the day when his uncle is at work; and the boys discover an osprey nest with two tiny chicks in the mountains. It’s an amazing find as ospreys are one of the most endangered species in the country and haven’t been seen in this area.

The boys form a strong bond; Omar (a refugee from Afghanistan) shares Will’s passion for birds, while battling his own issues. Then Will rescues the chick that’s injured, unknowingly breaking the law and the friends devote themselves to caring for the little bird they name Whitecap, ‘the little one with the snow-tipped wings and forget-me-not blue eyes’, that reminds Will of his mum. However before long the boys realise that they have embarked upon way more than they can cope with; but dare they risk seeking help from someone else?

Little by little as the bird heals, so too does Will. Gradually he finds solace and even joy in his new life and his love for his well-meaning uncle grows. It’s hugely moving to see Will now able to support Omar in his grief, as Omar supported him, and with the help of the community both boys gradually face up to their loss.

This magnificent, profoundly moving story explores big themes including death, mental health, grief, depression and the lives of asylum seekers with huge sensitivity and optimism. showing how nature’s healing power, friendship, a sense of belonging and finding a family can provide the strength to rise above tragedy. Have a box of tissues to hand as you read.

Little Lion Girl

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Little Lion Girl
Olivia Hope and Fiona Woodcock
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Leonie and her mother are city bound when they board the train for a day’s adventure. As Leonie looks around her everyone she sees is somewhat extraordinary. This prompts her to become a brave little lion girl and swinging her tail, she roars, determined to make the most of all the sights and sounds the city has to offer.

“I’m a lion girl and I’m totally amazing!” she says as she views the exhibits in the museum gallery.

What wonders she sees all around and after some refreshments in a cafe, off dashes Leonie across the square and climbs right up to the very top of a fountain where she proclaims herself king of the city.
But when she sees a butterfly while her mum is chatting to a friend, Leonie forgets mum’s warning to take care and dashes off in pursuit.

Suddenly her surroundings seem to engulf her and that little lion girl discovers her roar has disappeared along with her pride. Huddling in the shadows she hears a very loud “Leonie!” Her fears begin to dissipate and as her mother embraces Leonie her roar starts to grow within once more. “I’m lion girl and I love you” she says giving her mum a tight hug.

This is such a lovely story of the power of the imagination and coming to understand the vital importance of having a loving someone to look out for us and help us become whatever we want. Told through Olivia Hope’s lyrical text and Fiona Woodcock’s vibrant, wonderfully expressive illustrations working in perfect harmony creating a roarsome story to share and discuss with young children at home or in an educational setting.

The Secret Hen House Theatre

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The Secret Hen House Theatre
Helen Peters
Nosy Crow

The author has drawn on her own childhood memories of life on a farm to create this exciting family story.

Since her mum died some ten years ago, eleven year old Hannah’s life has been pretty chaotic. Her dad is working as hard as he can to keep the family farm going but things get worse day by day and she and her siblings are called upon to do all they can to help. Hannah isn’t worried about having to search jumble sales for clothing or cook the family meals, finding refuge in her love of theatre and passion for acting although she has little time for so doing, especially as her Dad thinks it’s a waste of time. But then the landlord doubles the rent charged for the farm putting it in jeopardy and Dad’s money raising plans (he’s only a tenant farmer) are never going to raise enough, even those that work.

So, Hannah decides to enter a play competition with a first prize of £500 which she will give to her dad, should her play win. Her best friend Lottie and other family members (unbeknown to Dad) all help and together they set about turning an old disused hen house into a theatre and Hannah gets to work writing the play. Thus the secret theatre begins to flourish but things don’t go quite to plan. Friendships are tested to their limits; Hannah however is a determined character and she’s not prepared to give up without a fight. Raise money she must; but what will Dad say when he finds out what has been going on?

With a powerful plot, a splendid cast of characters and a setting that feels timeless, this story (first published over a decade ago) is totally absorbing and you won’t want to put it down till you reach the final page.

The same farm is under threat again in The Great Farm Rescue, to be published in August.

The Night Whale

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The Night Whale
Bryner Mackenzie and Gillian Eilidh O’Mara
Walker Books

A grandmother and granddaughter sit beneath the stars looking skywards at the patterns and hoping to see the Night Whale, a truly magical creature of the night that Nana hasn’t seen since she was a child.
Then lo and behold, swimming majestically amongst the stars she comes, greeting Nana like a long lost friend. Woman on the cliff and majestic whale in the sky dance, connected, despite it being winter, by a warming breeze.

With the Night Whale’s consent, the two mount on her back and with a whistle, whoosh! They ascend, travelling over seas and forest trees, towns and cities all a-twinkle, as far as the Northern Lights

keeping one another company all the while, until Nana whispers that it’s time to go home. Knowing that their stargazing and night sky painting adventure together is coming to an end, Nana and the child embrace as they look towards the beautiful hues above.

With Nana and the Night Whale’s reassurance that “Anything is possible” this tender, lyrically told tale with Gillian Elide O’Mara’s awesome illustrations offers readers much to ponder upon concerning the enormity of the universe, intergenerational relationships and farewells.

Freya’s Gold

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Freya’s Gold
Fiona Longmuir
Nosy Crow

This cracking adventure is set in Edge, the same sleepy seaside town as the author’s debut novel Looking for Emily.

Twelve year old Freya lives with her Granny Kate and together they run the popular B&B on the old boardwalk. This B&B is also their home and during the summer when the town is alive with activity, their home is full of happy holidaymakers. Now though it’s February and things feel totally different with sleety rain and sea mist replacing the crowds of people and Freya has much more time to spend with her best friend, Lin. The B&B is empty until a strange woman with a false smile and heavy suitcase arrives at reception and asks for a room. Something about her makes Freya feel ill at ease although her gran is only too happy to have Ms Oleander as a guest in the off-season.

One morning Freya and Lin are on the otherwise deserted beach using their jointly owned metal detector and hoping to find some treasure to help Granny Kate and they come upon a gold coin. Later that day Freya sees Ms Oleander talking to the mayor outside the town hall and almost immediately Freya senses someone else close at hand: it’s a boy but he disappears in a flash. It transpires that on account of Ms Oleander, the town is under serious threat; but why is the boy seemingly following this woman?

A few days later, determined not to let this unpleasant woman ruin their town, Freya and Lin head for the beach again with the metal detector and make for the caves, Freya’s courage rapidly evaporating as they enter the dark However, things don’t go to plan; the two girls have a row and part company. Meanwhile the clock is ticking. It’s time for Freya to face her fears, summon her inner strength and search the tunnels properly for the legendary pirates’ treasure. Can she do it? Perhaps, with the assistance of her bestie and Teddy, the boy she has now befriended, since that first fleeting sighting.

With its twisting, turning plot this fast-paced tale is full of suspense and mystery and will engulf readers like the sticky salt off the sea that coats the town in winter.

Luigi the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten

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Luigi the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten
Michelle Knudsen and Kevin Hawkes
Walker Books

If you think spiders can’t be cute you might find yourself changing your mind having read this story.
A big hairy spider on the lookout for a new home comes upon an old house that he’s sure will provide plenty of dark nooks and crannies. He weaves himself a splendid web in the dark space beneath an old sofa and falls fast asleep. The following morning Betty, the owner of the house discovers the arachnid, calls him a very unusual-looking kitten and names him Luigi.

Now this spider is sure he’s not called Luigi and even more sure he’s not a kitten. Nevertheless he accepts the woman’s offer of breakfast and finds the contents of the bowl placed before him perfectly acceptable. So too is the game they play together with a toy bug on a string for the remainder of the morning. Then replete with excitement Luigi retreats to his dark spot and goes to sleep.

Next day he’s up before the woman and so begins web spinning, all the while wondering where she is till he decides to take a walk and finds her in the kitchen offering to play again.

Not only does Luigi fancy playing, but he also wants some more of the same breakfast as the previous day. Why not go along with the kitten pretence, he decides and so he does. The woman even goes so far as to provide a cosy bed for him: who knew that kittens led ‘such magical lives’? Certainly not Luigi.

Come Friday, the woman announces that her friends will be coming later on for a games night. Suppose one of the friends reveals his true identity: time to disappear under the sofa, thinks Luigi but the inevitable happens. Out comes the woman’s hand, out comes Luigi and introduction is made

Eventually the pretence is over: he couldn’t fool those visitors but what about Betty?
Luigi beats a hasty retreat but next morning he receives a surprise declaration from her and an invitation that lifts his spirits.

Kevin Hawkes’ acrylic and pencil illustrations, be they large or small, portray Luigi’s kitten-ness with panache making him a delightful and endearing character and Michelle Knudsen’s longish text offers a sympathetic story of being yourself, trying out a new persona and companionship that works well as a read aloud or for confident solo readers to enjoy for themselves.

Pavlo Gets the Grumps / Two Birthdays

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Pavlo Gets the Grumps
Natalia Shaloshvili
Walker Books

There are days when we wake up and everything seems out of kilter: Pavlo is having one of those. Nothing his Mama suggests be it a visit to the park, a swim or a cinema outing, appeals to Pavlo. Why is that?

Mama suggests it’s an attack of the grumps and that he best treatment is to go out anyway, so they do, Pavlo somewhat reluctantly. However before long there’s a shout of ‘Pavlo! … Are you OK?” It’s his best friend, Mila who understands just how to respond to his “I’ve got the grumps”. Happily she also knows how to get get rid of grumps and off they all go for a good mood restoring whizzy slide followed by a tasty treat. I wonder what they’ll do next?

A comforting hug of a picture book that shows little ones (and reminds bigger ones) that sad feelings don’t last forever and friends are often the best remedy.
Both sad and funny at once, Natalia Shaloshvili’s soft focus smudgy illustrations are a wonderful reassurance that no matter what kind of day we’re having, even a grumpy one, there are family and friends who love and nurture us, and happier times are coming.

Two Birthdays
Tim Hopgood
Walker Books

Cedric the crocodile and Boo the elephant are the very best of friends. When Boo’s birthday comes, so do lots of cards, a very special extra long scarf specially knitted by Cedric and the two celebrate with enormous ice creams for tea. Boo declares it’s his best ever birthday.

Cedric’s birthday is a few weeks later; he too receives lots of cards and presents. However there’s nothing from Boo. He waits and waits and eventually calls his best pal but it’s clear to him that Boo has completely forgotten his birthday.

The following day the two meet in the park, Cedric riding his new birthday scooter.

Boo notices and asks about it and quickly realises he’s missed Cedric’s birthday. Is it too late or can he put things right and make his best pal feel happy again.

A simple story showing that true friendships can transcend accidental errors. As always Tim Hopgood’s bright, collage style illustrations are a visual delight, even the sad ones.
Share with preschoolers and I suspect they will have lots to say about this.

Alice Éclair Spy Extraordinaire: A Dash of Daring / The Summer Dolphin

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Alice Éclair Spy Extraordinaire: A Dash of Daring
Sarah Todd Taylor
Nosy Crow

This is the fourth and sadly, final story in the delicious series starring creative, kind, resourceful Alice Eclair.
Alice and her mum are anticipating a relaxing week in the mountains when they arrive at Hotel Anise. It’s not long though before Alice starts feeling disappointed: the atmosphere is far from exciting and she isn’t getting the opportunity to enjoy the hotel’s facilities. However Claude’s appearance on the scene, talking of a complex, ingenious cipher machine that can convert messages into unreadable code in seconds soon dispels her frustration. The problem is the machine has gone missing, along with its maker, Claude’s inventor friend, Jan.

Before long Alice is drawn into a mystery. Then her dastardly Uncle Robert appears on the scene: what is he doing in the hotel? Meanwhile, iJan’s daughter who is staying at the Olympic training camp on the outskirts of the city with her brother, has been receiving unpleasant messages as she prepares to compete in the cycling events to be held in Berlin.

Having persuaded her mother to let her go to the training camp, Alice begins working undercover while at the same time tackling the tricky issue of creating healthy but tasty desserts in the Olympic kitchens. Then to her surprise and delight, her friend Sophie, France’s most talented engineer appears and she offers to introduce Alice to the cyclist Adele and her brother, Hugo. Hugo in turn introduces her to his carrier pigeon. Determined to solve this case, Alice faces many challenges as she follows the numerous clues, some of which as you might expect, are red herrings, sets about working out who she can trust and cracking lots of codes along the way.

A tasty conclusion to the tale and the series: Alice emerges with some new friends including Hugo who happens to use a wheelchair. The author took advice from a fellow author and friend in her sensitive portrayal of this character.

The Summer Dolphin
Holly Webb, illustrated by David Dean
Little Tiger

Lillie and her family are having a fortnight’s holiday in the Gower, Wales, staying in Gran and Grandpa’s new home. Things get off to a disappointing start for Lillie who discovers that she’ll have to sleep on the attic floor between the beds of her older sister, Frankie and their cousin Lara.
Almost immediately the older girls gang up and Lillie is made to feel a baby, excluded from their activities but no one else appears to notice she’s lonely and upset.

Then during a boat trip around the harbour, the crew mate Alice, mentions a tidal island that’s a wild bird reserve during the summer months where they might see dolphins as well as seals and birds. Suddenly there in the water they spy a flicking tail, then more; it’s dolphins swimming alongside the boat. One of them in particular, it seems to Lillie, is happy and this makes her feel happy too. Surely that dolphin smiled at me, she thinks to herself.

Later, Frankie and Lara flatly refuse to let Lillie accompany them on a rock-pooling expedition. Instead she decides to go off by herself in the hopes of seeing the dolphins, especially the calf, again, something that when her parents discover where she is, troubles them considerably. However it doesn’t stop Lillie going off exploring alone again after Lara is particularly horrible to her. There’s a problem though, for Lillie doesn’t understand the tide at all and she’s lost track of time. Worse, is that with water up to her chest, she can’t remember any of the special ways to keep safe she’d been told of in school. Then she catches sight of a dolphin; could it be trying to help her?

Whether read by newly confident solo readers or aloud to a class, this mix of sister dynamics and adventure is a story that will be enjoyed by animal lovers especially. David Dean’s black and white illustrations underscore the characters’ feelings throughout the book.

Little People, Big Dreams: Rafa Nadal / Little People, Big Dreams: Usain Bolt

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Little People, Big Dreams: Rafa Nadal
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Ro Ledesma
Little People, Big Dreams: Usain Bolt
illustrated by Karen Crosbie
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

These sporting heroes are great additions to the series of mini biographies. Both are legends who have gone beyond their sporting successes and helped other people,.providing great role models for younger readers.

Rafa Nadal was born into a sporting family: one of his uncles passed on to the boy his love of football; another uncle gave him his first tennis lesson when the lad was just four years old. When he started winning tennis tournaments it wan’t only his innate ability but also his humility and determination to do well that made him such an outstanding player. How many others I wonder would turn up early to train and stay after everyone else to sweep the court and collect all the tennis balls. And how many others could continue playing with a very painful broken finger and win a tournament? That was just one of the many injuries Rafa sustained during his career and he never let them hold him back,

rather he increased his efforts determinedly wherever, whenever he played. His resolve also came to the fore again when Mallorca, his home, suffered devastating floods; Rafa was among the first people to help with the clean-up. Moreover through his charitable work he used sport and education to help future generations.
The book’s final timeline focuses on key highlights of his life and has further details of his story.

Usain Bolt’s first sporting interest was cricket; indeed it was his cricket coach who convinced the boy to join the track team and before long, having won a silver medal was offered the opportunity to move to Kingston and practice alongside other promising young athletes. At only fifteen, despite suffering pre-race nerves, he become the youngest ever World Junior champion. He learned an important lesson about dedication and discipline a few years later though: preferring to hang out with his friends rather than focus on running technique, he suffered an injury during the Athens Olympics and was eliminated. However a new coach made all the difference to what happened thereafter. Despite his scoliosis, his height and determination, Usain won two gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (one with a shoelace undone)

and earned the name ‘Lightning Bolt’. He went on to be the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012, and 2016). In so doing he found himself a place in the heart of every Jamaican. Even more so by starting a foundation to help other children follow their dreams.
Both books deserve a place in primary school collections.

Smelly Peggy

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Smelly Peggy
Helen Stephens
Walker Books

Young Pie has a rescue dog, Peggy, and she’s full of mischief, getting up to such naughtiness as disturbing the tranquility of Pie’s parents every morning. As they lie abed the pooch even makes off with Mum’s knickers. Then on walks, having got used to sticks, she thinks nothing of sending the entire family head over heels in the sand as she cavorts around with huge lumps of wood.

Super-smelly things are one of Peggy’s predilections, the worst of all being poop.

She’s not fussy what kind; so long as it pongs she’ll roll over and over in it. PHOAH! Imagine the mess and the stench when they get back home and she has another roll about; this time on the rug and Pie’s pjs.

As you might expect, Peggy detests having to have a shower and gets her own back by giving herself a very vigorous shake to get rid of the water once her paws are back on the floor.

Despite all her flaws and mischief, Pie and her parents cannot help but love their pet but there are times when the powerfully malodorous emanations from her rear end are well nigh unbearable.

Now I’m no pooch lover, in fact I’m a cynophobe but I can quite see how beguiling Pie’s Peggy is. Helen Stephens’ portrayal of this family pet is at once funny and tender and her tale is one that will endear Peggy to readers, rescue dog owners especially.

Natterjack Toad Can’t Believe It!

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Natterjack Toad Can’t Believe It!
Sean Taylor and Kathryn Durst
Walker Books

Most of us have a favourite snack and so it is with Natterjack Toad. As the story opens he’s languishing among the reeds in his hammock anticipating tucking into his packet of Chocolate Chunk Crunchy-Munch cookies. Mmm! they do sound delicious.

They’re mine! thinks Natterjack Toad, ‘And this hidey-hole is just the place for munching one up.’ Out comes a cookie, out comes NT’s tongue in preparation for a yummy taste but along comes a huge heron, beak at the ready. Now our Natterjack friend has no intention of becoming the heron’s next snack so back goes the cookie and off he goes at top speed.

His next stop is the meadow with its long grass and summery flowers: the perfect spot for a nibble. Out comes a cookie, open-mouthed, NT anticipates that choccy flavour but once again Natterjack Toad ‘CAN’T BELIEVE IT’. Right beside him is a whiskery weasel with mouth wide open.. Uh-oh! Back in the basket goes the cookie and away ‘quickety-whip’ goes Natterjack Toad destination the forest. Surely here in a cool hidey-hole he’ll be undisturbed. Or maybe not.

As he’s about to consume his treat, right beside him appear a mole and a vole. Will Natterjack Toad heed their words of warning regarding a huge hungry marauding animal? There comes that open mouth, that ready tongue and a mighty CRUNCH! Yikes! There before the three stands …

How will this tale end? Tasty treats for the large beastie or …

Deliciously playful, this dramatic tale is an absolute treat to read aloud. I’m not sure who will find it more tasty, the adult sharer or the young listeners who will be on the edge of their seats, joining in at every opportunity as the story unfolds. Sean’s patterned text combined with Kathryn Durst’s hilarious scenes are a confection too good to miss.

Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial

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Dungeon Runners: Hero Trial
Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton
Nosy Crow

Set in the land of Zerb, as the story begins, Kit a gnorf – part gnome, part dwarf- is sitting in the local inn glued to a screen showing the finals of the Dungeon Runners, the favourites being Ultima Squad, winners for the four previous years. Commentator, Jenna the Giant, thinks it will be a close thing between them and the Night Beasts; all the latter need to do is defeat tonight’s monster or find the hidden treasure, either of which would mean extra points. Suddenly the other commentator, Dirk the Orc makes an unexpected announcement: one of the teams has had an accident with a frost dragon and that means there’s space for a brand-new Dungeon Runner team. The trials will be held in just two weeks.

Kit is excited but knows he stands little chance; but when Breg, the bullying troggle, kicks him out of the inn and then challenges him to enter the trials, he finds himself accepting. This he quickly regrets for he has no team, no skills and no weapon. Pretty much no chance at all of succeeding or worse still, getting through the trial alive. What does Grandfather Klot, an erstwhile Dungeon Rum champion, have to say other than he was much older than Kit when he won.

Feeling pretty down, Kit then meets another gnorf – Sandy Sanders – a mage in training.

Now with Kit as the ‘fighter’ and Sandy the ‘mage’, all that’s needed is a ‘healer’. Fortunately Sandy knows Thorn Darkblood, a vegan vampire, can you believe? These three form team Triple Trouble. By working together can they possibly overcome all the odds. Assuredly they face trials that test their problem-solving skills, resilience and nerves

but their positivity and teamwork might just be the key to success.

Team Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton have co-created an exciting fantasy that is just right for newly independent readers who will delight in the weird and wonderful characters, be rooting for the underdogs throughout their adventure and be thrilled to learn that this is the first of a new series.

A Fairy Called Fred

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A Fairy Called Fred
Robert Tregoning and Stef Murphy
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Fred is a fairy who works in the Department of Dresses in the Wish Granting Plant where the fairies respond to countless requests for ball gowns from princesses. He loves the job but he too has a wish – he longs to find a wish-mail in his tray. Joshua Reed is a little boy who longs to got to his friend Claire’s party but it has a princess theme and Joshua doesn’t have a dress. Off goes his letter to the Wish Granting Plant where top designer Bella hands Joshua’s request to Fred. Can Fred help? He’ll need to get busy right away, which of course he does.

Meanwhile Josh waits in hope and then to his joy there comes a knock on his window. The transformation begins and ‘fashionably late’ he arrives at Claire’s house. Wow! There stands a smiling boy in his awesome attire and shortly after there stands Claire with something for Josh.

For Fred though, it’s late; time for him to leave the party and return from whence he came. There waiting for him is a very special award for his very special design.

Celebrating diversity and being yourself, this magical reworking of Cinderella is a joy to read aloud and Josh in his dress with its sparkles and spangles is a joy to behold.

Gordon the Meanest Goose on Earth

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Gordon the Meanest Goose on Earth
Alex Latimer
Oxford Children’s Books

Gordon the goose is thoroughly mean, way more mean than any of the other geese on the entire planet biting and snapping, shouting and imposing impossible tasks on his fellow geese and any other creature unlucky enough to encounter him. He even goes so far as to make lists of mean things to do before setting out each day to make life miserable for anyone and everyone in the seaside town of Grover Gardens.

On this particular day he heads first to the zoo where, having donned a zoo-keeper’s hat and shirt, sets about his mean activities. These he continues throughout the day until having departed the zoo, he makes for the promenade, there to scare the wits out of a baby. As he rehearses his nasty words he finds his path blocked by Anthony the Piglet, the very same piglet that he’d directed towards an open tiger’s cage earlier. In his trotter Anthony holds a flower; this he hands to a surprised Gordon.

With his chance at shouting at the baby gone, Gordon heads for home and having placed the flower in water, lies awake all night pondering upon having been given a kind gift.

Next morning he sallies forth determined to forget the flower and resume his mean acts, in particular punching a shark in the belly from within. The result is utter failure: could Anthony and that flower be the cause? Maybe a consultation with fellow members of the Meanest Goose Society will help. A plan is made and Gordon confronts Anthony demanding to know why he gave him the flower. How the piglet responds causes Gordon to set out for the beach again the following day, where a startling understanding suddenly dawns as he chats with Anthony.

Another day goes by with the writing of an invitation, another meeting with Anthony and the utterance of some words that the goose finds very difficult to say. Could saying ‘I’m sorry’ be the bravest thing Gordon has ever done in his entire life.? And could it mean a very different way of being for a certain goose?

This is picture book creator Alex Latimer’s first foray into books for new solo readers and with its numerous laugh-out-loud moments and comical, cartoon-style illustrations made with a few deft strokes of his pen, he’s got a winner here.

Betsy Buglove and the Brave Butterfly / Watch Them Grow!

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Betsy Buglove and the Brave Butterfly
Catherine Jacob and Lucy Fleming
Scholastic

Nature lover Betsy Buglove, she who saved the bees, returns for a new adventure. It begins as she and her best friend Stan are in the garden and a bee buzzes along with an urgent message about a butterfly that needs their help. They follow the bee next door and there discover the juice cups they left on the grass earlier and inside one a butterfly is trapped in the sticky dregs.

Having successfully extricated the butterfly, its wings soon dry and off it flies.

Shortly after a cry comes from Betsy’s dad. The leaves of his vegetables and flowers have been badly nibbled. Off goes Dad to get his bug spray leaving Betsy examining a thistle plant in the grass. Thereon, with the aid of her magnifying glass, she sees lots of caterpillars munching away its leaves. Caterpillars she and Stan soon find out, belong to the butterfly they’d rescued earlier on.

Can they persuade Betsy’s dad to leave a patch of thistle and other weeds for the caterpillars? Fortunately they can; but what happens thereafter?

Will it be another case of mission accomplished for team Betsy and Stan?

With Catherine’s jaunty rhythmic text where the rhyme doesn’t falter and Lucy’s scenes containing an abundance of flora and minibeasts, this is a book that’s just right for sharing with young nature enthusiasts, as well as to encourage those less keen (happily I’ve only ever encountered a few,) to find out what they’re missing. Everyone can do their bit to help insects.
At both ends of the book are fact pages about butterflies.

Watch Them Grow!
James Carter and James Munro
Graffeg

Author James Carter and artist James Munro have joined forces to present the life cycles of nine different animals starting with the Emperor Dragonfly and concluding with a human. Before these is an introductory poem inviting readers to ‘Watch them grow!’. Following the featured animals are a spread about baby animals names – young children will be amused to learn that it’s not only cows whose babies are called calves: so too are those of six other animals. And, the term hatchling can be applied to baby crocodiles, turtles, tadpoles and newts in addition to baby birds.
Then comes some straightforward information about axolotls; (these, unlike other amphibians never become adult; instead they retain their gills and remain in the water); and a paragraph explaining that male seahorses give birth to babies (fries, hundreds of them)

as well as some facts about parenting in emperor penguins, Australian marsupials and others.
All this James Munro has captured in his playful illustrations, each of which is a combination of reality and fun.

The Pinchers and the Dog Chase

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The Pinchers and the Dog Chase
Anders Sparring and Per Gustavsson (translated from the original Swedish by Julia Marshall)
Gecko Press

This is the second adventure of the Pinchers, a family of thieves, all except for young Theo, the son of Rob and Nic Pincher and sister of Ellen. Theo is the honest one . the star of this book, who unbeknown to the others, aspires to become a police officer like neighbour Paul Eessman.
There’s a new guy on the block, a second police officer and an extremely dictatorial one at that. On his first encounter with Theo he calls the lad a thief and demands to see the receipt for the Pincher family’s dog, Sherlock. Unless Theo can produce said receipt it’s likely that Sherlock will join the other pooches that this newbie officer Clive has already impounded at the police station. The thing is Stola Pincher, retired robber, currently serving time in jail was the person who acquired Sherlock, so it’s unlikely she’ll have an ownership receipt.

Things get even worse when Clive takes Ellen and Theo to the police station accusing them of stealing from a candy store. Another receipt is demanded, which of course Ellen doesn’t have.

Pretty soon the siblings learn the impounded pooches are destined to be sent to the North Pole. Pretty quickly coffee cups start flying, splashing hot coffee in Clive’s face and the children make a dash for it.
A decision is made to hide Sherlock with Gran aka Stola Pincher at the jail, so being Saturday Nic and the children pay her a visit and almost unbelievably, Gran produces a valid receipt for Pincher from none other than Ollie Bowser, dog thief. But where is this fellow now? In a new job perhaps? Hmm. Could he now be wearing a uniform and demanding receipts? Can Theo pull off a rescue plan and save not only their own dog but others too?

With the occasional chapter narrated by Sherlock himself, this zany chapter book for new solo readers will leave them hoping for another madcap Pinchers’ instalment. Those who didn’t read the first book may well want to go back and do so now.

100 Forest School Activities / Bird, Bee & Bug Houses

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100 Forest School Activities
Naomi & Dan Walmsley
Button Books

Team Naomi and Dan, who run Outback2Basics, bring their ardour for the outdoors to the pages of another book.

Forest School should be part and parcel of the curriculum for every primary school child and the activities herein offer a wide range of ways to get youngsters connecting with the natural world.
It’s divided into five main sections, the first being Connecting With Nature. I particularly like something I’ve not tried before – making a camouflage cape. It will involve some cutting and sewing so make sure you check the ‘You Will Need’ list before setting out.
Chapter two Fire, Food and Shelter has more than ten food-related suggestions including making feta rolls, which sound tasty and something I plan to try.
Decorating leaves as per the instructions for one of the Nature Crafts is a creative idea that has lots of potential and once decorated said leaves can then be used to make for instance, greetings cards, a mobile or leafy butterflies. Another leafy possibility is to mould a leaf bowl using air dry clay and it can be done during any season of the year.
It’s great to see that most of the Games in the section of the same name are designed to get children working co-operatively and who wouldn’t want to try creating a ‘twiggy owl’.

There’s a template given at the back of the book but children might like to create a much larger owl so they could start by drawing their own template. Equally delightful is the leaf bat also made from sticks and leaves. All members of your forest school group could then leave one leaf bat dangling somewhere to create a collaborative display.
Before the five chapters are an introductory spread, followed by some general practical information including safety preparation, basic knots and vital pages about knives and fire.

Teachers and others working with children, this latest book by the Walmsleys is well worth adding to your resources.

Bird, Bee & Bug Houses
Susie Behar illustrated by Esther Coombs
Button Books

Our local community-built forest play area for young children contains two bug hotels. Little humans and their carers who may be inspired to open heir own establishments would do well to get hold of a copy of this enticingly illustrated book. Therein are practical, clear instructions on how to do so, as well as a dozen or so other projects to help and encourage wild-life from birds to beetles, bats to butterflies.
Some projects such as making a bird box or a bat house

will need considerable adult involvement but others, a bird bath, a butterfly puddle area or a mini meadow for instance, require minimal adult intervention. Alongside the projects there are spreads with useful factual information relating to terminology and about some of the creatures likely to be encountered including owls, bats and frogs.
Esther Coombs supplies clear visual support and relevant illustrations of the animals. Backmatter includes a glossary and lists some conservation websites.

One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List

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One Extra Sparkle: Ellie and the Marriage List
Tricia Seabolt, illustrated by Lucy Rogers
Lantana

Ten-year-old Ellie Anderson (who has Down’s syndrome) anticipates having the best summer ever. She loves hanging with her big brother, 15-year-old Ben though of late he’s been paying her less attention on account of soccer and his stock-taking job. Now he’s become even more preoccupied with new neighbour, Sara, even inviting her on outings Ellie thought were special for her brother and herself – their nature hike and the Ability Centre (AC) dance, for instance. She feels like she’s losing Ben.

Things get even worse when her best friend, Ling, claims that according to her list Ben and Sara are getting married, That means they will move away forever. Ling’s list has six steps including hand-holding and kissing; Ben and Sara are working their way through these steps and when they reached step three, it’s panic stations. The two friends start operation stop Sara and Ben’s wedding at all costs, either that or Ben could end up as a Hawaii husband. It’s impossible not to be amused at what Ellie and Ling get up to as, list in hand, they track him.

They begin training to enable them to use the treehouse in Ellie’s garden to scare Sara so much she never comes near again. However Ellie finds herself carrying out the plan by herself, things go wrong, people’s feelings are hurt and Ellie herself feels terrible. Moreover she doesn’t even get to help Ben when he DJs at her AC dance, though she does help her magician Dad at the event.

But nothing else seems to work out right and Ellie ends up endangering the weeping willow tree in her garden she loves so much. With so much at stake, can she possibly find a way to rekindle her brother’s affection toward her as well as save her favourite tree from being cut down?

There is so much to love about this book: Ellie is such an endearing character with her extra sparkle: she is artistic and full of life despite having to cope with speech difficulties and ‘wobbly spaghetti’ muscles. Her family members, particularly Ben, are very supportive and her friendship with Ling is really heartwarming. Indeed the whole story, with Lucy Rogers’ superbly expressive illustrations, is one that deserves to be read widely.
At the back of the book author Tricia Seabolt gives information about Down’s syndrome and various therapies that enable people who are neurodivergent to flourish.

Gloria Goes For Gold / Albert and the Flood

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Gloria Goes For Gold
Marina Firth and Annabel Tempest
Oxford Children’s Books

Of all the unlikely animals to be called graceful it’s Gloria the hippo and her family members, a champion- winning team of synchronised swimmers that always comes away with gold at the Artistic Swimming Championships. However Gloria is not as happy as the others about this: she longs for a prize she doesn’t have to share. Then comes a letter about the upcoming Savannah Games and Gloria decides to find a sport she can win solo. Off she goes leaving the other hippos to practise their routine and before long bumps right into sprinter Cheetah going so speedily she fails to see Gloria. The hippo decides she’d like to try sprinting and Cheetah offers to coach her. Pretty soon Gloria realises that this sport isn’t for her and as she sits beneath a tree contemplating what next, down swings Monkey. He makes gymnastics appear great fun but Gloria quickly discovers that she’s not cut out for being a gymnast.

Nor does she take to distance swimming. In fact she decides that after all, she’d rather be part of the family team; but feels too ashamed to ask.

The next day sees the start of the Savanna Games and Gloria tucks herself away among those watching the artistic swimming.

While so doing she overhears something her brother says to their cousin. Is there a situation that needs saving? If so, what should she do?

Priceless pictures by Annabel Tempest are for me the real winners in this book. No matters whether one aspires to be a solo winner or part of a winning team, it’s important for children to see that it’s participation and doing one’s best that really count the most and Marina Firth’s telling shows this in a fun, non-didactic way.

Albert and the Flood
Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke
Graffeg

It’s a truly eventful day for Albert and his friends despite the sporting event Games Day being rained off. Actually that’s an understatement for it’s a thunder storm that is responsible for rescheduling of the Games, despite what the ant commander says as the rain starts. However the steady rain rapidly turns to a torrential downpour that causes severe flooding of many of the creatures’ homes. Fortunately Albert quickly starts leading a rescue mission, aided and abetted by Frog, a group of ants and some spiders.
Before long, Albert’s shell was packed with minibeasts, while others of the rescued found safety elsewhere.

Then suddenly the rain eases off and the storm clouds pass to reveal a glorious sight in the sky.
The ant commander makes an announcement that pleases most of the creatures; and then Albert too makes an announcement. Can you guess what he said: it concerned something of vital importance.

This is Albert’s seventh adventure created by team Ian and Eoin and it’s one that contains an important life lesson for young children. Eoin’s illustrations are very amusing and both adult readers aloud and their audiences will laugh at many of the scenes.

The Super Sunny Murder Club

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The Super Sunny Murder Club
ed. Serena Patel & Robin Stevens, illustrated by Harry Woodgate
Farshore

This follow up to The Very Merry Murder Club has thirteen tales written by almost the same authors as the previous book: Abiola Bello, Maisie Chan, Benjamin Dean, Roopa Farooki, Sharna Jackson, Patrice Lawrence, Elle McNicoll, E.L. Norry, Serena Patel, Annabelle Sami, Dominique Valente and Nizrana Farook, with Robin Stevens contributing one of his own.

With suspense aplenty, not all the stories involve a murder but each tells of a mysterious, disturbing happening, the perpetrator of which, young investigators set out to discover.

Robin Stevens’ offering is a murder mystery that takes place in a second-hand book shop called Mystery and Mayhem that the mother of Gracie, the story’s narrator visits to do some research of her own. It’s there young Gracie meets the shop owner’s offspring, Why, and three days later the two of them have to turn detective, Why clad in a trench coat and sporting dark glasses. It’s crucial they discover the real murderer of customer Mr Rustin because Gracie’s mother has been arrested for the crime.

In Roopa Farooki’s A Midsummer Night’s Murder Mystery, an awful lot of yogurt is consumed in the run up to the school play but there’s something not right about Yoglicious: people start getting stomach problems after eating it. Teacher Mr Ofu is concerned there won’t be any children left to act as they’re all stuck in the loo. But who is responsible for the dodgy yogurt? Ali and Tulip’s Nan-Nan is on the case: can she get to the bottom of what Ali calls ‘a proper medical mystery. A poison plot and a bad guy in disguise!’ ?

There’s a story that stands out as being very different from the others: Mistlight takes the form of a diary written by Jormun Jaegerson who is to turn twelve in just two months time. On that fateful day, so his grandma, Ska, tells him, he must leave the island and make a new life, forgetting all about his previous one. Either that or be turned into a sea serpent on account of a curse-bargain struck between the world of monsters and that of humans. But then Jormun finds a scale has grown on the back of his neck and soon after his sister Elowen notices it too. She though suggests it might be a feather. Does that mean that perhaps her brother could be the one to break that curse and what then?

There’s no need to read the stories in order; readers can just dip in and out of the book and almost immediately their little grey cells will be working overtime along with the young detectives’ in the stories. And make sure to take time to appreciate Harry Woodgate’s black and white illustrations; there’s one for each mystery.

Terrible True Tales: Romans / Terrible True Tales: Egyptians

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Terrible True Tales: Romans
Terrible True Tales: Egyptians
Terry Deary, illustrated by Helen Flook
Bloomsbury Education

Having watched his parents slain by the Romans, the boy narrator of the first tale The Captive Celt, is taken from Britannia to Rome as a slave, not to a Roman but to Celtic hero Caratacus.

There he learns vital fighting skills and three years later, his master frees him to return to his homeland.
With maternal death, human sacrifice, brutal corporal punishment, genocide, and child slavery this is pretty terrifying stuff but Terry Deary’s dark, wicked sense of humour shines through it all and children love it.
They will also enjoy the three other stories – The Fatal Fire, The Grim Ghost and The Goose Guards. The Fatal Fire gives a short account of the burning of Rome and of the Emperor Nero.
The Grim Ghost refers to the subject of a tale told to a young boy, Pertinax as he keeps the great Pliny company in the garden. The Goose Guards tells of a boy priest who is determined to get his revenge on fellow pupil Flavia for making him look stupid during a lesson with the head priest.
Each story has an afterword giving a factual historical summary, as well as a ‘You Try’ activity or two.

Egyptians too has four stories loosely based on real events. The Gold in the Grave is told from the viewpoint of Paneb a tavern owner’s son, renowned for his thieving skills. In the robbery he’s aided and abetted by Dalifa,

Both are tasked with getting the treasure out of Tutankhamen’s tomb after the funeral ceremony. You could say of some concerned with this thievery, greed comes before a fall.
The Plot on the Pyramid centres on the pyramid builders, with farmers being required to work for the Pharaoh building a pyramid during Akhet, the time of year when the river rises, flooding the surrounding fields. We read of the trials and tribulations of one farmer, Yenini, member of a gang working under the direction of the bullying Ahmes. With lots of gory details, many young readers will relish this.
In The Magic and the Mummy a father tells his young daughter Neria she’s to assist him in the House of Death where mummies are made. To her surprise she is asked to mummify the pharaoh’s cat so it can accompany him to the Afterlife. There’s a big problem however: this cat looks very like her own cat, Katkins so there’s no way she wants to kill and gut the creature. Is there any way she can save the cat and not get caught and punished for so doing?
The Phantom of the Nile sees Menses, a bit of a chatterbox, training to be a scribe in the local temple. In order to earn extra money to buy his father a much-needed new boat for fishing, he takes on another job, to help Maiarch get rid of the phantom that haunts her new house. When Menses visits the woman a second time he is accompanied by his friend Ahmose who quickly surmises that it’s no ghostly being that is alarming Maiarch. So who is it and what is the intruder’s purpose? Can Menses come up with a plan to expose him and even earn the money his family so badly needs? Greed and doing the right thing are at the heart of this story.

Irreverent and huge fun – the fun being added to by Helen Flook’s illustrations. Put both books in a primary classroom and children will be clamouring to read them.