Author jillrbennett

How Are You Feeling Now? / How Are You Feeling Today? / The Same But Different / Will You Be My Friend?

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How Are You Feeling Now?
How Are You Feeling Today?
What’s Worrying You?
The Same But Different
Will You Be My Friend?
Molly Potter and Sarah Jennings
Bloomsbury Education

How Are You Feeling Now? is a hardback addition to the interactive Let’s Talk series; the other titles are, in the publisher’s words ‘refreshed paperback editions’ of existing titles.

Developing emotional intelligence is a key part of children’s education in the early years and in her newest title Molly Potter adds another twelve ways of feeling to happy, angry, bored, worried, sad, excited, grumpy, scared, quiet, jealous, embarrassed and shy, which were discussed in How Are You Feeling Today? again devoting a double spread to each one. The new ones are giggly, anxious, confused, disappointed, proud, brave, frustrated, guilty, lonely, grateful, surprised and playful. For each, she explains what the feeling means and offers several suggestions – some sensible, others slightly offbeat, to help manage it. ‘Tell an adult that you need clarification because you are confused. It’s fun to use fancy words!’ or ‘ ‘Say I am SO confused. See how long you can say “so” for!’

Those of us who work or live with young children know they experience a whole range of emotions every day. A lot of them do not know how to deal effectively with these emotions. Since the start of the COVID pandemic many more youngsters began finding it difficult to cope with the gamut of feelings that beset them and this is still true now. So, books like this new one, written in straightforward, child friendly language giving fun, imaginative, positive ways to deal with these feelings, illustrated with Sarah Jennings’ appropriately expressive vignettes is a welcome resource for both parents and those in education. Also included is a guide for parents with information about emotional intelligence and advice about how we as adults can be important role models.

Worrying is normal, adults worry and so increasingly do children, often due to the pressures of the education system. In What’s Worrying You? Molly identifies other possible reasons why a child might feel worried: falling out with a friend, being picked on, arguing parents, fears and phobias, jealousy, being ignored, not having friends to play with and being ill. The verso acknowledges the child’s feelings and provides several words for their feelings: a great way to open a conversation and to help the child concerned verbalise how they feel. The recto comprises ‘things to remember’ in the form of gentle guidance and suggestions to improve the particular situation. As always the tone is spot on for young children. Back matter offers a Feelings glossary and guidance for adults about helping a child to talk about their worries.

Both The Same But Different and Will You Be My Friend? have been reviewed previously on this blog. All the titles deserve a place in Foundation Stage settings and families with young children.

Batpig: Go Pig or Go Home

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Batpig: Go Pig or Go Home
Rob Harrell
Walker Books

Porcine superhero, Gary, is back with two more stories of skylarking presented in graphic novel format.
The first, Careful What You Wish For, sees Gary getting his snout in a twist at the prospect of the history and biology tests the following day. Nevertheless, rather than staying at home and studying that night, he assumes his Batpig alter ego and heads out into the city to fight crime.

As a reward for preventing a robbery at the Weird Old Magic Shop, the owner gives Batpig a pouch containing a magical learning potion. Back at home Gary decides how to word his spell command and then goes off to sleep.

It will come as no surprise when I say that the spell does not go to plan. The following morning he wakes to find Sharkraham, come to assist with the tests, which it does. Whether or not this is cheating is a debatable question. Twenty four hours later Gary has something far, far worse than a couple of tests to worry about;

something in the form of a destructive squown or evil squid clown. It would appear from the beastie that our porcine pal has a vital lesson to learn. Will Gary ever work out what that is and if so, will he finally hold his trotter up and admit that doing well in tests by devious means is wrong?

In the second episode, Camp Danger, Gary (sans his suit), along with buddies Brook and Carl, is off to sleep-away Camp Moldy Snout.

Before long Carl has made some new friends, then too does Brook; this makes Gary feel rather excluded. But then after some alarming incidents in and around the lake including the emergence of a very frightening monster, Gary decides he must step in. even if it results in him revealing his secret identity to the other campers.

This is bad enough but it leads to his arch enemy and self-dubbed greatest ever supervillain, The Butcher, appearing on the scene and she means big trouble.

High energy humour at the heart of which is friendship. Fans of Gary et al will devour this eagerly.

Lilly & Myles: The Torch

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Lilly & Myles: The Torch
Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding
Graffeg

Set during the summer holidays, this story features Lilly and Myles, her assistance dog. The two are staying with Lilly’s Grandma who lives at the seaside. Lilly has autism and experiences the world differently; she often finds it hard to communicate too.

One night she finds a torch and while enjoying exploring the clicking sounds it can make, discovers her Grandma standing there. Together the two of them embark on an adventure that takes her to the seashore. Lilly’s acute sense of hearing makes the sounds of frogs in the pond especially exciting; she also enjoys the feel of the long grass as she runs seaward, and counting the spots on the ladybird.

In her excitement, when Lilly reaches the mouth of a cave Grandma had mentioned in stories, she decides to explore, failing to notice some other children petting Myles. Venturing further inside the cave, she accidentally drops her torch and is beset by fear. The sound of dripping water is just too much and having regained her braver feeling, and retrieved the torch, Lilly moves on, all the while imagining monsters lurking and waiting to catch her.

Happily the only thing waiting for Lilly is Myles, ready to calm her and guide her back to her gran’s house.

Throughout this heartwarming story, both Jon Roberts the author who has a child with autism, and Hannah Rounding, whose mixed media art is rich in detail, gently and beautifully convey the emotions children with sensory challenges might face, while highlighting the importance of friendship and showing the vital role played by assistance dogs in giving support and comfort. (Their role with those with autism is new to me.)
Both the book’s creators show how vital it is that in our wonderfully diverse world, we all, adults and children, accept and understand that every neurodivergent person is different, and celebrate that neurodiversity. A copy of this insightful book should be in every primary classroom.

(10% of royalties go to Dogs for Good and 10% to Dogs for Autism).

Marv and the Killer Plants / Mirabelle Wants to Win

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These are new titles in series popular with new solo readers: thanks to Oxford Children’s Books for sending them for review

Marv and the Killer Plants
Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles

When Marvin and his classmates take part in a competition to design a new garden for the school grounds, he’s eager to win, and to give him some ideas his Grandad takes him to the botanical gardens. There he sees some Venus flytraps in the hothouse and makes a drawing of one. Later on he encounters one of his class friends, Eva. She has come to get some ideas for her design too. But when the competition winner is announced and it’s Eva, he wonders if she has copied his design and he later accuses her of so doing.

It’s not long before that is the least of Marv’s worries: the partly completed school garden has become a jungle thick with creeping vines and it appears that the school too, not to mention the whole town, could be overrun with writhing tendrils.

Time for Marv to don that superhero suit

Suddenly atop a thick vine, Marv spies a figure calling herself Violet Vine, a supervillain, so Marv’s side-kick robot Pixel, tells him. Moreover when a gigantic Venus flytrap shoots up out of the ground right before his eyes there’s a strong likelihood that for Marv, it’s a case of be careful what you wish for.
His first task though, is to rescue his friend, Joe, who is entangled upside down in a thick vine. With this done, he has a second rescue to attempt – this time from the mouth of the gigantic Venus flytrap. Having succeeded in task two, Marv’s work is far from finished. Assisted by his super-suit accoutrements, can he finally outsmart the wicked Violet Vine and rid the school of her killer plants?

Fast paced, fun and with a lesson about jealousy, this fifth of Marv’s challenging adventures shows him at his invincible marvellous best (almost all of the time). Paula Bowles has done a fantastic job with her dramatic illustrations.

Another favourite series continues with drama of a different kind in

Mirabelle Wants to Win
Harriet Muncaster

Mirabelle is excited to hear one morning that famous footballer, Chrissy Gold, an ex pupil of her school, is coming to watch the students play football. First though, Mirabelle et al have to learn how to play human football, which means strictly no magic. Mirabelle is extra happy when she learns that Chrissy is only half witch, just like she is.

PE teacher Miss Toadflax assembles all the pupils on the field and explains the rules and basics of the game. Then the practice session gets under way and Mirabelle quickly discovers that human football is more difficult than witchball. Could a teeny tiny touch of magic help her play well and thus impress Chrissy Gold; maybe her side could even win the all important game.

Needless to say, where Mirabelle and magic are concerned, things don’t go smoothly.

Mirabelle ends the session soaking wet but still wanting to win that glittering trophy that’s been promised. She’s even more eager, having met Chrissy, so much so that she forgets to check her kit before going onto the field for the crucial match.

By the end of what proves to be a highly eventful game, refreshments and some very sound advice, from Chrissy, our little half witch, half fairy has learned a very important lesson.

With sprinklings of mischief and a large dollop of mayhem, this latest instalment starring Isadora Moon’s cousin is as sparkling as ever and will have Mirabelle’s fans cheering from the touch sidelines.

When Dinosaurs Walked The Earth

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When Dinosaurs Walked The Earth
Sean Taylor and Zehra Hicks
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

It seems young children can’t have too many dinosaur stories; this is a splendidly silly one about three dinosaurs. There’s Smallosaurus, she’s a herbivore; there’s great big Badasaurus who enjoys consuming small dinosaurs that eat a plant-based diet and finally there’s the monstrous meat-eating Worseasaurus.

The action begins with Smallosaurus wandering along with a smile on her face on account of the juicy ferns that she’s spied ahead – just the thing for a delicious breakfast. Hold it there! This is exactly what Smallosaurus does on realising that rather than the peaceful rock she first thought, she’s actually confronting great big Badasaurus whose idea of a good breakfast – ‘a small dinosaur, with a plant-based diet’ – is standing in front of him. Time to activate those little grey cells Smallosaurus; however only possessing a walnut-sized brain, she dashes away – in the wrong direction …

However, it transpires that Badasaurus has a brain even smaller than Smallosaurus and so he too makes an error …

Back to Smallosaurus who now strolls along again, this time between peaceful rocks and large trees, her mind once more of those juicy ferns. Little does she realise that Badasaurus is back, albeit looking slightly frazzled but still eager to sate his appetite with one small dinosaur, with a plant-based diet.

Oh my goodness, this situation requires another round of thinking by Smallasaurus. She decides to take cover behind a large tree but it turns out she’s over-estimated its size. Uh oh! Here comes her’ sad and terrible ending’. Or is it another error – a chomping one – by Badasaurus?

Step forward Worseasaurus, you now have a choice between two meaty dinosaurs for your breakfast. I wonder what SHE goes for …

With a cleverly constructed narrative containing surprises aplenty, Sean Taylor’s prehistoric romp will delight young audiences, as will Zehra Hicks’ bright splodgy scenes of those days When Dinosaurs Walked the Earth.

Evie and Rhino

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Evie and Rhino
Nerida McMullen, illustrated by Astred Hicks
Walker Books


This tale is based upon a true story of a shipwreck in 1891 off the south-west coast of Victoria in a coastal region well known for shipwrecks. One such was SS Bancora, which was travelling from Calcutta with a cargo of animals bound for Royal Melbourne Zoo. Among the animals was Rhino: the creature manages to make it to the shore, along with possibly some monkeys, parrots and cranes.


Enter Evie, a ten year old girl who lives with her once famous ornithologist grandfather, in an erstwhile grand mansion, Lunar House, having lost both her parents in a shipwreck two years back and since when she hasn’t spoken a word. She doesn’t any longer go to school and thus it is that the day after the Bancora shipwreck, she is wandering along the dunes to the beach and makes a discovery that will transform her life, and that of Rhino, for ever.


Told from alternating viewpoints, Evie’s and Rhino’s, we see the two forming an unlikely bond, a very deep one that provides a balm for the girl’s grieving spirit. All too soon though, the zoo sends a representative to recover the amazing animal. However Evie isn’t prepared to let Rhino go without doing her utmost to keep her beloved animal.


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In Evie and Rhino, Nerida McMullen has created two hugely endearing characters, and we meet a number of other interesting characters too. The storytelling is superb – you’ll find yourself laughing at Rhino’s antics, and tearful on occasion, at the challenges both Evie and Rhino face; it’s a truly memorable tale of rediscovering your inner strength and your voice, and the healing power of friendship.

Scattered throughout the book are Astred Hicks’ deftly drawn illustrations along with occasional telegrams and cook’s apple pie recipe – apple pie having played a significant part in the story.

The Thing at 52

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The Thing at 52
Ross Montgomery and Richard Johnson
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

This tale is narrated by a little girl who makes friends with the large fluffy Thing that lives close to her home.

Deciding to take him a flower, she and her mother call on the creature and are invited in to what the girl thinks is a strange house with just a single chair, newspaper rugs and a fridge containing only jars of mustard – fifty of them. His response to her question about feeling lonely is answered thus, “All things are lonely sometimes.”

As their friendship blossoms, the two spend more and more time together, sometimes going on adventures,

and the child learns that there are hundreds more Things just like her friend.

The narrator organises a wonderful party for all the Things, but then suddenly the special Thing looks very old

and the worst happens: with a hug as they watch the sunrise, the Thing disappears. All that remains are his old photos and memories of the wonderful times the two had spent together.

This tale of friendship and loss is all the more powerful on account of its gentleness. Death is never mentioned though it can be inferred from the somewhat dreamlike story. Dreamlike too are Richard Johnson’s soft-focus illustrations that have a potency of their own and are a superb complement to Ross’s words.

Finn’s Little Fibs

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Finn’s Little Fibs
Tom Percival
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Finn is super-excited; he and his little sister, Simone, are spending a few days staying at Grandma’s house: It’s a place full of beautiful but fragile things but his over excitement while playing with his ball indoors results in the accidental breakage of her clock. His efforts at mending it don’t work so, a worried Finn tells a lie, blaming the breakage on his sister.

No sooner is the lie out of his mouth than POP! a little blob appears, noticed only by Finn, although Grandma clearly has doubts about the plausibility of what he’s said.

This makes the boy panic: out comes another lie, followed immediately by another blob. The lying escalates and by the end of the weekend Finn is besieged by blobs and he’s feeling so upset with what he’s done that he can’t enjoy himself. It’s time for big brother to admit the truth but has he got the courage?

Happily yes, the blobs disappear and his understanding Grandma accepts his apology.
With everything back as it should be, the rest of the holiday is great and Finn resolves to always try and tell the truth.

As always, in his latest story in the Big Bright Feelings series, Tom describes the physical sensations and feelings that beset the guilty Finn in a way young children can relate to, and his illustrations with the waxing and waning of the blobs do a wonderful job in showing his changing emotions. A great starting point for discussions on the importance of being honest, taking responsibility for your wrong doing and forgiveness.
A must to add to foundation stage class collections and family bookshelves if you have a young child.

The Lovely Dark

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The Lovely Dark
Matthew Fox
Hodder Children’s Books

As the story opens Ellie is coping with the loss of her grandmother three years back, early on in the pandemic and being unable to say goodbye. During the pandemic too, a boy named Justin and his family moved into an empty house on Ellie’s street and the two become good friends. I love Ellie’s comments relating to forming of their friendship: “ … Books are the key. … When you meet someone new and they’ve read the same books as you … and they feel the same way as you do about them, it means they’re all right in your book. … You have a kind of shared language.”

Ellie and Justin visit an uncovered Roman mosaic where they are involved in a devastating accident. Both children find themselves in the Underworld but on two completely different journeys.
Ellie’s path leads her to a place called Eventide House, a school ‘of sorts’ so Mrs Cauke, the ‘headmistress’ tells her. Despite the days there being pleasant and almost without restrictions, Ellie soon senses something isn’t right about the place. However she discovers a girl, Ash, in the library and the two make a pact.

By this time though Ellie is more determined than ever to return to the world of the living especially so she can see her new baby brother. But will she manage to do so?

I found myself needing to put this amazing, very special book aside several times as I read, such were the sad feelings it engendered. It’s written with great sensitivity, and tenderness, cleverly mixing the 21st century world devastated by the pandemic with Ancient Greek mythology as the author explores loss and grief through a protagonist who never loses hope. Add to that the tribute Ross makes to the power of books and stories:: there’s nothing more this reviewer could ask.

I’m now going to seek out Matthew’s first book, The Sky Over Rebecca.

The Thunk

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The Thunk
Michelle Robinson and Deborah Allwright
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Unlike everyone else, Hector Voltaire is convinced that one day he will find the legendary, supposedly extinct, Thunk. Such is his enthusiasm that his schoolmates tease him for believing in the wondrous being, but does this deter Hector? Certainly not, he’s all the more determined, though he knows his mission will require skill, patience and a fair bit of equipment; the last he crams into his backpack.

Off he goes and whereas his map reading skills let him down, his powers of observation definitely don’t. Eventually his reward comes in the form of the somewhat malodorous creature he seeks, out for an afternoon stroll.

Pretty soon though, it becomes evident that Hector is going to have to make use of his counting skills, for he’s in for a very large surprise. Hurrah! Now everybody must surely believe the lad about the creature’s existence; but will he go back and divulge what he now knows, or draw up another plan?

What a great read aloud. Young listeners, be they at home or in the classroom, will take great delight in accompanying Hector on his expedition of discovery presented through Michelle’s rhyming narrative and Deborah’s dramatic scenes of the Thunk hunt.

Johnny Ball Professional Football Genius / Rudy and the Skate Stars

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Johnny Ball Professional Football Genius
Matt Oldfield, illustrated by Tim Wesson
Walker Books


In his role as manager, nine year old Johnny Ball has recently led the Tissbury Tigers to glory at the world’s top youth tournament. He’s basking in the glory when he is approached by soccer agent, Darren Dealz telling him that the Tissbury Thundercats want an assistant manager for their Under-12s academy team and that somebody should be our young narrator.


Johnny lands the job with the proviso that he remembers that manager, Jaz ,is the one in charge – the decision maker – and he mustn’t overstep the mark. A challenge if ever there was one, particularly as his best friend Tabia is joining the squad.


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It’s a steep learning curve for Johnny, who as ever, is bursting with ideas; there’s a serious falling out with his bestie and unwelcome interference from Darren Deals but the assistant manager never loses sight of his main goal – that Tissbury Thundercats team take the Prime League title.


Champions or not? Johnny Ball fans will relish this amusing story with its liberal sprinkling of suitably dramatic drawings by Tim Wesson. Assuredly it’s a winner in this reviewer’s book.

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Rudy and the Skate Stars
Paul Westmoreland, illustrated by George Ermos
Oxford Children’s Books


Excitement is high when werewolf Rudy and his friends, Femi (a mummy) and Edie (a ghost) discover that the Skate Stars competition is coming to their hometown, Cobble Cross and the legendary Jessie Howler is to be the judge. With the event just a week away the three pals know they must practise hard to stand any chance of a medal and Rudy is up super early next morning to start working on his moves. He’s only just got started when a group of wolf boys turn up looking smart and performing impressively. One of their number, Wolfgang. introduces the crew as the Night Owls and starts chatting to Rudi. He also asks Rudy to show some of his moves.


The following day Wolfgang suggests that Rudy enters the competition with them instead of Femi and Edie, saying that he’s much more likely to win if he does. The little werewolf can hardly believe his luck: it’s always been his dream to stand on top of the podium with a gold medal around his neck but switching teams means that he must agree to follow Wolfgang’s lead. However he decides to join the Night Owls team; but on the day of the competition, having had a chat with Jessie Fowler, Rudy feels conflicted: should he go for winning and risk losing his friends?

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He tells Wolfgang he’s changed his mind and prefers to skate with The Power Pack.
What happens thereafter shows Rudy that winning the gold medal isn’t what really matters most.


This fourth story of Rudy and his pals is certain to please his followers among those just flying solo as readers and they’ll likely find additional fans among young skateboarders new to the series. As always George Ermos’s super-cool illustrations help break up the text and ramp up the action.










Lenny Has Lunch

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Lenny Has Lunch
Ken Wilson-Max
Alanna Max

The strong bond between a father and his infant son, Lenny, is beautifully captured in this simple story that unfolds in the family kitchen. We watch as Daddy prepares a healthy lunch for his little one – chopping the various veggies, putting them and the pasta in pots to cook on the hob – and enjoying a sing-song until the meal is ready to eat. We then see Lenny relishing his lunch, he’s at the messy eating stage and his dad remans close at hand, as does the family dog, Wilbur,

until Lenny has finished eating and then it’s face wash time, after which Lenny and Wilbur play together.

Throughout the entire sequence, a sense of calm prevails and Ken Wilson-Max portrays this to perfection in his bold, bright scenes that complement the telling; a telling that has lots of fun onomatopoeia – ‘Splash! Slurrp! Slurrp! Splash!’ and ‘Suck, suck. Plop!’ – for small children, who like Lenny are at that imitative stage, to copy. Young children will also enjoy joining in with Daddy, and Lenny as they sit together singing and acting “Row, row, row your boat / gently down the stream. … “

Altogether a lovely presentation of family life, this is ideal for families with a toddler.

Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion

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Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion
Dave Eggers and Júlia Sardà
Walker Books

This non-fiction story begins back in the 1870s when a dog belonging to a prospector was digging in the ground and found not the gopher it had been chasing, but silver. This discovery very soon became Minnie Moore Mine. Several years later the mine was sold to an Englishman, Henry Miller, making it Miller’s Minnie Moore Mine. It made him extremely rich. He found a wife, packed her off to Europe for a while, giving him time to build a riverside house they would share on her return – Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion. There a son was born to the couple.

When Henry died his widow, Annie was tricked by a crooked banker to invest her money in his bank; it failed and she lost almost all of it. With the little left she bought some pigs intending to become a breeder. However the Bellevue townsfolk would have none of it 

so our enterprising Annie devised a plan – a pretty elaborate one – to move the house out of town. And so she did. Aided and abetted by her son and some hired workers, Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion was shifted just four miles down the road, 

where without pig restrictions, Annie, Douglas and the porcine team thrived for many years. 

Crazy but true, though if you want to know how they managed to move, you’ll need to get your trotters on a copy of Dave Eggers and Julia Sardà’s book. The former’s chatty, humorous writing style and droll, often dramatic art rendered in earthy tones by the latter show how human perseverance and resourcefulness win through on several occasions.

Slightly bizarre, this would make an entertaining read aloud.

Fly, Butterfly, Fly!

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Fly, Butterfly, Fly!
Dom Conlon and Anastasia Izlesou
Graffeg

The butterfly addressed in the title is a Cabbage White. As she flits about with the other butterflies in the meadow, she considers herself too plain in comparison with the surrounding flora and her more colourful butterfly companions, the likes of Small Tortoiseshells and Chalk Hill Blues. Consequently it’s a case of ‘Fly, Butterfly, Fly, as she embarks on a journey to butterfly habitats across the world.

First stop is the Amazon rainforest burgeoning with richly hued fauna and flora. However, Butterfly is aware that attractiveness can cause danger due to those on the lookout for something tasty to eat,

so she takes flight again, next stop Mexico. There, along with the humans, the Monarch butterflies are celebrating the Mexican Day of the Dead. There are less of this species now though, as their vital food plants are being killed.

Off goes our Butterfly once more – to the tropical forests of India. There she’s in for a colourful surprise, for out of what appears to be the leaf covering on the ground, rises a host of Dead Leaf butterflies.

Over then to Papua New Guinea’s Mount Lamington volcano, home of the world’s largest butterfly, the Queen Alexander where the hues of the caterpillars make Butterfly think of her home, far away.

Off she goes heading homewards but her journey isn’t yet done; she stops over in the USA, where as in many other parts of the world, butterfly numbers are on the wane. Our common or garden Cabbage White has vital pollination work to do before she finally reaches the place from whence she started; the place where in fact, her colour is exactly right and where, satisfied among her own, she must now lay her eggs in readiness to say, “crawl, Caterpillar, crawl.’

Through Butterfly’s travelog, comprising Dom Conlon’s poetic narrative together with Anastasia Izlesou’s show-stopping illustrations, readers are made aware of the desperate plight of all too many of the world’s precious butterfly species.
An important addition to the Wild Wanderers series and let’s hope, a wake-up call to us all to do whatever we can to stop further decline in butterfly numbers wherever we are.

The Horse who Came Home / The Lost Bear Cub

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The Horse who Came Home
Olivia Tuffin
Nosy Crow

Hannah and her elder sister, Millie live at Heartwood, a pony farm and stables. Their dad, an ex-showjumping champion, trains and sells on only the most exclusive ponies; though in reality this means he leaves much of the day to day business to a young man, Ashley, who Hannah increasingly distrusts, despite him being the son of the highly trustworthy old Johno.

Already we see that this is no run-of-the mill pony book merely about winning rosettes and cups at gymkhanas and championships – although that is part and parcel of the story. So too is the fact that film makers, Horsetalk, want to make a six-part documentary about Heartwood.

Then Hannah rescues a dirty, thin pony, Bella, which seems to recognise their stableyard and she suspects her father recognises the pony although he denies it. However nobody appears to want to help care for the pony so Hannah decides to do so herself. She’s supported in her endeavour by her pal, ace photographer, Freddie and riding friend, Gaby.

Unlike pony books back in the day when the young me loved reading them, the internet, mobiles and social media play an important part in this one. There’s a fair bit of wheeling and dealing as Hannah discovers the further she digs into Bella’s history and she realises that Heartwood stables is not the perfect place she had always believed it to be. Can she unscramble what is going on and if so, where will her loyalties lie – with her family or with the horses she loves?

A gripping read, that includes a rescue, some heart-breaking revelations for Hannah and Millie, and an optimistic ending for the sisters.

The Lost Bear Cub
Holly Webb, illustrated by David Dean
Little Tiger

Lucy is thrilled to be spending her summer holiday in Canada, staying with cousins and her Uncle Pete and Auntie Cass. She’s fearful though, at the possibility of encountering bears, cougars, coyotes and eagles on their first hike and even more so when she goes camping with her relations, but without her parents.

Wandering along the waterside alone at the campsite looking for pebbles, Lucy suddenly has the feeling that she’s being watched. There just a few metres away, she sees a small black bear and thinks it’s most likely a cub that’s got separated from its mother.

That same evening after a pretty wet end to their camping expedition, Lucy looks through an upstairs window of her cousin’s house and there she spies a bear trying to drink from the water feature in the grounds – a small bear that looks familiar. Now it’s definitely the bear she feels frightened for, not herself. The trouble is, nobody else believes her.

The following day, after an exchange of feelings between Lucy and her cousin Kitty, the girls have a narrow escape from a cougar after which the girls see a very angry adult black bear that starts taking swipes at the big cat. Some very scary moments follow but there’s not just one, but two happy reunions, one human and one ursine.

With several nail-biting episodes, some of which are shown in David Dean’s black and white illustrations, Holly Webb’s latest story offers something rather different from her cat and dog books. Confident new solo readers will enjoy Lucy’s adventures on the wild side..

The Planet in a Pickle Jar

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The Planet in a Pickle Jar
Martin Stanev
Flying Eye Books

The brother and sister in this story aren’t keen on visiting their Grandma’s house. They consider it boring and would much prefer to spend all their time using their screens. Immediately we see some of what they are missing by so doing. They don’t enjoy her meals, or listen to the stories she tells: but a boring Grandma she is most assuredly not. Just take a look at her shopping, knitting and pickle making.

Then one evening she starts telling them something she considers important and on this occasion the children do listen and even spend time that night thinking about what has been said. As they do so a star falls from the sky and vanishes; so too has Grandma when they go to tell her about it. 

Their search yields only a wild cat that gives chase, and the children flee to the basement via a door they’d not noticed before. There they discover shelf upon shelf of pickle jars in which are preserved everything Grandma considers precious – ‘history, languages, nature, memories, smells, feelings’ and more. In addition, she has created an amazing underground sanctuary for endangered wildlife.

When eventually the children find Grandma, she explains that in order to prevent the complete destruction of the natural world, she now needs help to continue her life’s work. And so it is that , along with Grandma, the two children become custodians of the planet. 

Let’s hope that other children too are inspired by the story. It’s magnificently illustrated by the author and tells much of the tale without the need for lots of words; indeed what is shown is often at odds with what is said.

A book to share and discuss at home and in the classroom, and most importantly, for children and adults to act upon.

Never Ever Ever Ask a Pirate To A Party

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Never Ever Ever Ask a Pirate To A Party
Clare Helen Welsh and Anne-Kathrin Behl
Nosy Crow

When is a party not a party? Find out in this zany book.

The child narrator of the story is planning the perfect party and as readers are being told what they need to know about how so to do, there’s a knock at the door. In bursts a sword wielding pirate accompanied by Polly parrot, ace stealer of presents. 

Said pirate is closely followed by a huge scary dragon, a unicorn with a hatred of ‘mess’ and a resulting need for the perfect bath, 

and a spaceship full of little aliens. Our narrator says the only option is to send the whole lot packing; but is a quiet party with not a single guest to share in the delights of cake, or to give a present, what a party giver really wants?

Perhaps there’s a much more enjoyable alternative where all those aforementioned party-wrecking guests are on their very best behaviour.

Ah-ha! It seems as though the aim – a perfect party – is getting under way at last. 

Or possibly not …

Anne Kathrin-Behl’s lively illustrations of the ensuing chaos caused by the unruly behaviour of the various guests, combined with Clare Helen Welsh’s text with its ‘never, ever, ever ask’ refrain, lots of knock knocks to join in with and a surprise ending, make a lively read aloud that makes clear the pleasures of sharing fun times with your friends.

How To Spacewalk / Wind: Discovering Air In Motion

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How To Spacewalk
Kathryn D. Sullivan and Michael J. Rosen
Walker Books (in collaboration with MIT Kids Press)

In 1984, Kathryn Sullivan became the first woman to walk in space: in this book, illustrated with photographs and Rosen’s ink and pastel images, she shares her story.
As a child in the 1950s, Kathryn developed an interest in science early on but like other girls, she wasn’t encouraged to follow her interest. However, with determination and perseverance she studied geology and became an oceanographer, eventually applying to join NASA’s astronaut programme for which she was accepted, as well as receiving an offer to explore the ocean depths in a submarine. She chose the first option.

From then on the author addresses readers as though they are participants in her training as an astronaut. What is it like to do a spacewalk? How do you use cutting-edge equipment? What does it feel like to wear and carry out experiments in a hugely heavy space suit? – space armour as it’s called here.

What about experiencing weightlessness?. Will I suddenly feel scared?

A large amount of fascinating factual information is presented, but alongside this we share an empowering account of a woman fulfilling her dreams; it’s one that will surely encourage child readers to live the ‘life you invent’ – to reach for the stars, whatever that means for them.

Wind: Discovering Air In Motion
Olga Fadeeva
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Translated from the original Russian by Lena Traer, this book poses and explores eighteen wind- related questions, devoting a double page spread to each question, with illustrations by the author.
The responses to the first – Where does wind come from? are somewhat playful; for instance ‘Maybe there are giants… / who blow air with all their might?’ and ‘Or maybe the wind comes from the wings of a large bird?’.

However from there on the tone changes and What is wind? is answered with a scientific explanation ‘Wind is the horizontal movement of air over the surface of the Earth’ … The author then interweaves information on meteorology, biology, ecology, history, even venturing into outer space, so there’s plenty to keep readers interested.

Each double spread is distinctively designed and the richly textured illustrations are strikingly executed using acrylics, collage and digital media.

Included in several scenes are a little girl, sometimes accompanied by her grandfather and one assumes the questions are coming from the child.

Created with the help of a meteorologist, this exploration of my least favourite element is engaging and absorbing: I would recommend adding the book to primary school collections.

Bear Is Never Alone

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Bear Is Never Alone
Marc Veerkamp and Jeska Verstegen
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

An ursine piano player entrances the forest community with his beautiful music making, but non-stop playing is very tiring and the other animals demand more than the exhausted creature can give, so he stops for a break. However, the listeners just won’t hear of it and yell, “More, more, more!’ repeatedly

until pushed to his limits, Piano Bear gives forth an almighty ROOOOAAAAR’ that scares even himself.

Then comes a tirade from the other animals, which Bear ignores completely. When the last of their voices has disappeared Bear looks up: “I’m alone,” he sighs. However, this isn’t so, for there in front of him stands a zebra.

A thoughtful zebra that offers to read Bear a story in return for all his beautiful music making. Initially Bear refuses but straightaway changes his mind and calls her back with “Zebra, wait! I have an idea! Let’s be alone together.” After all, having a story read to you by a friend is a fun experience he doesn’t want to miss.

Yes, the ending feels a trifle abrupt but the author’s message about Bear’s need for some solitude after giving of himself for so long, definitely comes through in Laura Watkinson’s translation of Dutch author Marc Veerkamp’s telling. Stars of the show, along with Bear, are Jeska Verstegen’s mixed media black and white illustrations with occasion splashes of red for this story that provides just sufficient space for readers and listeners to form an understanding of how we should treat one another. I love the way she builds that dramatic crescendo of the listening animals’ demands across several double spreads culminating in Bear’s almighty roar.

Genie and Teeny Wish Upon a Star

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Genie and Teeny Wish Upon a Star
Steven Lenton
Harper Collins Children’s Books

This is adventure number four in the cracking Genie and Teeny series for newly independent readers.
After another case of incompetence Grant is back in Genie World but hiding at home in the tea-lamp with his family, having been banished from Wishaluzia by Queen Mizelda because he accidentally turned her into a snake. With her royal guards always on the lookout for the little genie, others in his family have just disguised him as a guard when trouble appears in the form of a huge fire-breathing cat monster. Before you can say ‘chaos’ , which is what immediately ensues in Wishazulia, Grant is swept away with some of the royal guards and finds himself face to face with the Queen and promising to protect her from the monster.

He quickly learns that his ‘Alaka-blam-a-bumwhistle’ incantation is not going to get rid of the beast

and that another plan is required. A plan that involves his family (including some of Dad’s ‘Jim-a-jam-a-jumplebumps!’ chanting and a helping paw, or four, from his best friend in the entire universe, Teeny the Earth dog.

As with previous titles, this thoroughly engaging story has a plethora of puns, some burps and farts, those splendid chants and Steven’s wonderful drawings at almost every turn of the page. Those new to the series can start here as the events of previous books are outlined in an introduction before the story begins, and I imagine having read this, newcomers will want to seek out the first three and giggle their way through those too. They also work well as read alouds to those not quite ready for their first chapter books. Steven concludes this one with a lesson on how to draw Queen Mizelda.

We Are Expecting You! / Dear Star Baby

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We Are Expecting You!
Barney Salzburg
Scholastic

Little elephant excitedly anticipates the arrival of a new sibling but it’s hard having to wait so long. However the little purple pachyderm goes through all the things the two siblings will do together- play peekaboo, tell jokes for instance. “I will read to you. I can sing to you. …

We can dance together. …”

Reminding this reviewer somewhat of Mo Willems’ artwork, Saltburg’s simple, stylised illustrations show the little elephant always close to its expectant mother directly addressing her bump until the wait almost gets too much and its “I can’t wait for you to be here” changes into a very loud assertion of readiness. All the time the focus of the brief text is on what the siblings will share, making this a warm and captivating way to introduce the notion of a growing family to a very young child.

Sadly not all pregnancies end in a joyful outcome as we see in

Dear Star Baby
Malcolm Newsome and Kamala Nair
Beaming Books

This is a heartfelt story written as a letter from a small boy to his baby sibling that didn’t come home. He starts by saying how happy he felt as he helped his Daddy prepare the room, accompanied his Mama to buy some gifts and Dad shared stories about being a helpful big brother. But then Mama goes to hospital and his parents have to break some very difficult news: the baby won’t be coming home after all, and has gone to be with the stars.

He goes on to talk about the things he was looking forward to doing with his sibling and how the family members process their grief after this devastating loss.

Miscarriage is something many families experience and Malcom Newsome’s tender telling written out of his own personal experience, and Kamala Nair’s equally tender illustrations expressing love, loss and remembrance, offer a safe space for those who lose a baby through miscarriage, as they share the book.

Me and the Robbersons : Bandit Karaoke

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Me and the Robbersons : Bandit Karaoke
Siri Kolu
Little Tiger

Wonderfully anarchic, this is a story translated from the original Finnish by Ruth Urbom.

Maisie has been sent to music camp for the summer but determined not to stay there, she sends an SOS to friends she made the previous summer, a bandit family, the Robbersons.

Before you can say ‘sweets’, Maisie is whisked away and embarking on her second summer of heists and much more. “Now that Maisie’s back with us, the sky’s the limit!’ declares Wild Karl as the bandit van roars on its way, kidnap successfully carried out.

Maisie quickly becomes an integral part of the Robberson’s robbing, acting as a damsel in distress standing in the road having supposedly missed the bus home. However the family’s main focus and thus Maisie’s, is the Summer Shindig at the end of which a new Supreme Bandit is to be elected, the aim being that it’s Wild Karl who takes the crown. Let the tough training regime begin.

It appears that the Robbersons have already decided which event Maisie should enter – the Fib-Off, and she’ll face some extremely tough opponents. Yes, lying is part and parcel of this, but there’s a fair bit of dishonesty in other events, by various bandit clans.

So, who will end up with the highest total score and thus participate in the Bandit Karaoke? Who will become Supreme Bandit for the next decade and whose face will it be on that special Orkola liquorice coin – a last minute prize offered by the Farnaby family?

This second title featuring Maisie and the Robbersons is a twisting, turning action-packed romp with an exciting cast of characters that will make a splendid escapist read this summer.

Everybody’s Equal

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Everybody’s Equal
Patricia Hegarty and Greg Abbott
Little Tiger

This is a follow-up to Everybody’s Welcome by the same author and illustrator team.

Mouse is standing in the forest clearing near his home when he hears a lot of banging and crashing. It’s Stoat building a tall sturdy fence designed to keep Mouse out -“because you don’t belong” he tells the little creature.

Mouse doesn’t just accept this; he responds “Everybody’s equal, / I’m sure you will agree. / I’m as good as you / and you’re as good as me.” – a verse he repeats several times during the story.

He calls all his friends together to try and form a plan to make Stoat change his mind. This causes a squabble about electing a leader but Mouse knows just what to say to move things forward. Then suddenly as Stoat puts the finishing touches to his fence, he hears a cry for help. The house in which Mouse and his pals live, having built it together, has caught fire and the animals desperately need water.

However Stoat’s fence is blocking access to the river. Will he do the right thing so the other animals can get to the water that can put out the flames?

Happily yes; seemingly Stoat has seen the error of his ways and realised that as Mouse has been saying all along, everybody’s equal.

Patricia’s rhyming text reads aloud well and together with Greg Abbot’s woodland scenes in muted hues that use split pages to build up layers of the story, and that crucial die-cut , show that life is much more enjoyable when everybody is included in the fun.

Adult readers aloud will likely see some parallels with current events that are happening in the UK and other parts of the world. Young listeners will understand the importance of Mouse’s words about equality and inclusivity and one hopes apply them to their own lives.

Animal Explorers: Ivy the Bug Hunter

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Animal Explorers: Ivy the Bug Hunter
Sharon Rentta
Alison Green Books

Meet Ivy the elephant, a hater of bugs, or rather that is early in the day when she’s trying to enjoy her picnic. However, thanks to an encounter with Emperor Swallowtail caterpillar, by the evening she’s telling her mum that she loves bugs and wants to be a bug hunter. So Mum agrees to let Ivy accompany her new caterpillar pal on a bug safari.

Next morning Ivy is up early to assemble her equipment and a tasty picnic (for herself); the caterpillar sates his appetite by munching on leaves en route. They see various kinds of bug houses, up high and down low as well as a huge termite nest, then at Emperor’s next snack stop beside a pond, they watch all sorts of aquatic bugs.

As the safari stops continue, Ivy learns about camouflage, drawing in her notebook, some examples of bugs that disguise themselves ,and also comments that her companion has shed his skin four times. At nightfall as the fireflies glow in the sky, Emperor Swallowtail is exceedingly sleepy and informing Ivy how proud he is of her, says that she must continue without him hereafter, then promptly falls asleep.

The following morning Ivy can’t see a sign of the Emperor but there is a ‘funny brown thing stuck to a branch’. Savvy children will likely know what that is but not Ivy. However, remembering Emperor’s last words, she continues her bug hunt, has the occasional set-back but makes lots of exciting discoveries,

though still she wonders if she’ll ever see her friend again. Then one afternoon, to her delight something makes her sneeze: I wonder what that could be.

Sharon Rentta’s vibrant, gently humorous scenes of the safari are a delight to pore over and she has included brief biographies of famous real life bug hunters at the end, as well as a page showing the life cycle of the Emperor Swallowtail.

This is science writing for the young in a highly accessible, absorbing and fun form.

What’s That, Jack? / Doe’s Dandelions

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What’s That, Jack?
Cédric Ramadier and Vincent Borgeau
Gecko Press

Jack, a short black dog is with George, his tall blue pooch pal. Suddenly they see a large dark blue sphere falling through the sky. It ‘bomphs’ down right close to them as Jack dozes. Waking up his pal, George asks, ‘Hey! What’s that, Jack?’ But Jack knows not. 

They start to investigate by poking, prodding and pushing the thing, which starts to roll. With it go the two dogs and when it reaches a cliff edge, over they go. The same “What is it, Jack’ prompts the response ’It might be a parachute!’ as the thing flattens out and they each grab hold of the side, floating down into a river. Therein the thing morphs into a raft and once on land again, further possibilities emerge.

But then after a night’s sleep, the two watch as the object disappears once more, just as mysteriously as it came leaving the friends none the wiser as to its identity. One thing they do agree on though is that ’it was wonderful.’

Written by Cédric Ramadier in a simple manner with repeat phrases to join in with, and illustrated in a bold, naive style, by Vincent Borgeau, this adventure presents the idea of uncertainty in a playful manner that young children can relate to. It works either as a read aloud for a group or class, or with its patterned text, as a solo read for those starting to read for themselves.

Doe’s Dandelions
Laura Renauld and Jennie Poh
Beaming Books

Almost everywhere I walk or drive at the moment I see fields, banks and verges covered with dandelions – weeds to many humans but a gorgeous splash of colour for others. This book, which features Doe and her animal friends has a similar theme.

As the story starts Doe is eagerly anticipating showing her daffodils in the Spring Petal Parade. However as she looks around her garden she notices something else has crept into her daffodil bed – dandelions and they’re popping up everywhere. Off she goes to warn her friends about the dastardly dandelion invasion.

However she soon learns that not everyone views dandelions as a nuisance. Porcupine enjoys eating the leaves; 

Squirrel calls them ‘tiny suns’ and considers they mix well with her snowdrops and Bear has a yard full of them and uses them as a feature in his wishing garden.

Astonished at the different perspectives, she now has a much wider view of something she once thought was a problem. Will she include them in her exhibit for the Petal Parade? What do you think? And what about her friends; will it be a case of – daffo-do or daffo-don’t?


A joyful celebration of friendship and nature, beautifully illustrated by Jennie Po whose textured, patterned art is a delight. Look at each scene closely or you may well miss some of the details such as minibeasts. (The final spread gives a step-by-step guide to holding your own petal parade.)

Afterward, Everything Was Different

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Afterward, Everything Was Different
Rafael Yockteng and Jairo Buitrago (translated by Elisa Amado)
Greystone Kids

Wordless until the very last double spread, this story starts with six spreads of a bison hunt and only then do we have the title page. By that time readers will have already been sucked in by Rafael Yockteng’s powerfully atmospheric black-and-white illustrations, even though the hunt goes badly for the hominid hunters of the Pleistocene era.

The men then rejoin the others in their tribe and we follow the travels of one particular family as they journey,

clad in animal furs, apart from the young children, who are naked, even in the heavy snow, always on the lookout for signs of predators be they from footprints or other signs. As they search for a cave in which to make a home, the intrepid travellers come upon many wild creatures, one of which becomes a rug in their cave.

One girl is left alone in the cave and having paid close attention to everything thus far, she creates with a charred stick, beautiful cave drawings on the walls depicting the details of their journey.

This hugely thought-provoking book is a wonderful testament to survival, to art and to stories and how they make us human. Share and ponder upon it at home or in the classroom. Afterward, Everything Was Different is bound to spark conversations on human history and awe at the power of Yockteng’s art drawn in graphite and white ink.
(Backmatter provides further information on the Pleistocene era.)

What Will I Discover? / The Stars

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These are both Greystone Kids titles – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

What Will I Discover?
Tanya Lloyd Kyi and Rachel Qiuqi

‘Sometimes I think scientists know everything about the world’ muses the girl narrator of this book. She goes on to mention several examples of some of what they have discovered: that otters tie themselves to kelp to prevent them floating off during sleep, that the feet of sea stars are tubular; that macaws have bony tongues to help crack hard shells and glass frogs have see through skin to help them hide. She also talks of fossil evidence, looks afar out into space and within the human brain where nerve cells communicate with one another. But even so, our narrator has some yet unanswered questions: why does every humpback whale sing a different song? How many bits of rock bounce and collide in a sandstorm? How do trees learn to communicate through their roots; what tiny creatures hide in the ice of Antarctica and how do they manage to survive?

Then closer to home, ‘How do ideas pop into my head?’ and finally her biggest question of all – that of the title, which is one only she can answer.

The last page asks readers to search back through the book’s pages for 10 tiny images and, enthusiastically underwrites ‘investigating, inventing, or creating’ as necessary qualities for scientists, concluding that despite extensive research in all STEAM areas, we humans still have so much to learn.
Tanya Lloyd Kyi offers an open invitation for young readers be they at home or in the classroom: always be curious and look for answers. This is underscored through Rachel Qiuqi’s alluring scenes including those of seascapes, the jungle, the desert, flora and fauna, dinosaurs, outer space and neurons within the brain.
Narrative non-fiction recommended for KS1 learners.

Also likely to appeal to readers with inquiring minds is

The Stars
Jacques Goldstyn (translated by Helen Mister)

Set in Montreal, this story introduces Yakov who acts as the book’s narrator. he’s the older brother of three sisters who he has to take to the park every day when he’d much prefer to be reading about space. Into space is somewhere he aspires to go one day in the future; meanwhile he constructs rocket ships from empty packaging, His father is against his aspirations but his mother is more encouraging. 

One day at the park Yakov meets a girl, Aisha, reading about space while supposedly minding her siblings. It turns out that she and her family have just moved close to where Yakov’s family live. With a shared interest the two become great friends and spend time star gazing together. Both fathers are far from happy and even erect a wall between their two homes to prevent Yakov and Aisha from meeting.

Years pass and Yakov becomes a scientist working at NASA. One day he attends a big international astronomy conference and guess who is also attending. Since then they’ve not been apart.

Author/illustrator Jacques Goldstyn presents a fair amount of information in telling this story of two young people who, against the odds, pursue their passionate interest in the stars and the universe.

Friends, Shapes and Scares Board Book Style

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

Let’s Make Friends
Leah Osakwe and Becky Paige

This is a simple exploration and celebration of friends and friendship for the very young. The author uses similes to liken friends to a wide variety of things – a yummy breakfast to give you a good start to the day; a bouncy trampoline that’s ‘there for you through all your ups and downs’, a soft snuggly blanket that wraps you in warmth and love, a guide on an adventure helping you follow your dreams. On gloomy days, just like the calming glow of lamplight, they bring brightness and cheer; they’ll always make space for you. Friends help you blossom into whoever you are meant to be, just like a garden where flowers bloom and so much more. I love the concluding spread that likens friends to sets of unmatched socks.
This is one to share and talk about with nursery friends.

Nibbles Shapes
Emma Yarlett

Nibbles the book-eating monster is so ravenous he’s started sinking his teeth into shapes. He gobbles circles, chomps at squares, takes small bites from a star then moves on to attacking triangles, diamonds, rectangles, even arrows. He’s saved his favourite till last; it’s a large pink heart ‘for me and you’ so it’s said, but before we can catch him to say thank you he’s made a hasty exit right through the back cover of this, now very holey, little book. Small humans will enjoy following the shape devourer through the pages.

What’s Scarier than a Shark?
Amelia Best

Not for the faint hearted is this sequence of mock scary marine creature confrontations. First to go on the attack is crab but not for long for a biting beastie more often found in fresh waters is on the look out for something to gobble.. Next is a killer whale but according to our shrimp narrator, that too has made, not a catch but a mistake. What about the swordfish – predatory it might be, but has it met its match with that enormous octopus? Angler fish look terrifying but what is lurking nearby? Something with a tail that is more than a tad terrifying though the angler doesn’t yet know that. Finally along comes a shark intent on devouring our narrator but there’s a surprise in store and it’s lurking behind a double flap.
Peek-a-boo with a difference assuredly; little ones will enjoy the fun of discovering what is revealed when they lift the flap on each of Amelia Best’s brightly coloured spreads..

Elephants Cannot Dance! / Pigs Make Me Sneeze!

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Elephants Cannot Dance!
Pigs Make Me Sneeze!
Mo Willems
Walker Books

Time after time, Mo Willems does it with these hugely funny episodes in the lives of best friends Gerald and Piggie, delivered entirely in hilarious dialogue and through the priceless drawings.

In Elephants Cannot Dance! Piggie announces that she’s teaching all her friends to dance and that includes Gerald. However despite, so he says, that he’d love to learn to dance, Gerald knows that it’s impossible; moreover he has proof. It says so in ‘What Elephants Can Do’ – on page eleven to be precise, which just happens to be the same page number as that particular bit of dialogue. Piggie isn’t having any of that, responding by telling Piggie that the book does NOT say he cannot try so to do. And try is what Gerald does, but his timing and coordination leave a lot to be desired 

as he appears to be doing the opposite of what Piggie instructs. 

Eventually a frustrated Gerald decides he’s had enough; point proved ‘elephants just cannot dance’. Maybe they can teach though …

Good on Piggie who never gives up trying to teach Gerald to dance.

What they both do effortlessly is put across the crucial ‘reading is fun’ message to children learning to read.

Pigs Make Me Sneeze! thinks pachyderm Gerald who just cannot stop sneezing and does so all over Piggie. That is a nuisance just when the two were about to play together, but much worse is the possibility that, so Gerald thinks, he is allergic to pigs and we all know what that means: he can’t go near his bestie.

Off goes Gerald to consult Dr Cat. However during the examination it becomes evident that the pachyderm isn’t suffering from an allergy. His diagnosis is one that demonstrates how best friends share everything and it makes Gerald feel a whole lot better; let’s hope Piggie soon feels better too. 

The expressions on the faces of Gerald and Piggie in this are just wonderful. With its subtle message about not jumping to hasty conclusions, this will delight learner readers and those who listen to the stories.

A Zoo In My Shoe

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A Zoo In My Shoe
Jason Korsner and Max Low
Graffeg

As you’ll see on the front cover of this book, Jason Korsner has selected seven different wild animals to place in his trainer – sorry, shoe, or it’ll be a no brainer because the first set of rhymes won’t work.

The structure is similar to that used in I Like to Put Food in My Welly and it’s equally, hilariously silly.

Zoo is the first word and everything starts sensibly with ‘Lots of wild animals live in the zoo. / Before a long trip you should sit on the loo. / My feet are so long, they poke out of my shoe.’ for which Max Low offers three cartoony illustrations – one per sentence.
Turn the page and the daftness takes over and we have, ‘ Lots of wild animals live in the loo. / Before a long trip you should sit on my shoe. / My feet are so long, they poke out of the zoo.’ Opposite this is an equally zany three line rhyme with more of Max Low’s illustrations, which are becoming increasingly surreal.

The other animals featured on the verso pages are in turn, Tiger, Giraffe, Penguins, Sea Lion, Lemur, 

Leopard and Elephant, each of which has a double spread of playful permutations of the original sensible (ish) three rhyming lines.

A splendidly funny read aloud that will quickly have young children in fits of laughter at the assemblage of wordplay and likely wanting to try and invent some of their own; there are plenty more zoo animals to play the language game with.

Cake!

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Cake!
Ellie Patterson and Gabriela Gil
Little Tiger

This tasty offering will surely set the taste buds of young humans tingling as they follow the events of this birthday cake whodunnit. Bunny and seven brothers are all missing their birthday cakes but who has eaten them? Was it Tiger? Not according to the large striped cat who tells the bunnies it was Rhino and indicates the cliff edge across which is a tightrope. Over teeter the bunnies plus Tiger and despite the rope snapping, they find themselves right beside Rhino who certainly looks somewhat sticky.

She though shifts the blame to Flamingo and the animals all head to the lake where they spy another pretty obvious cake gobbler among the flamingo flamboyance.

Suddenly the bunnies realise they’re the only ones in the lake so they decide to wend their way home sans cakes.

However, there’s a surprise waiting for them: the culprits have made amends and tasty treats await the home comers. But there’s one final surprise in the form of a large chunk that’s missing from one bunny’s cake. Who is the culprit this time?

With an important message about owning up to your wrong-doings, and showing you are sorry, this engaging story, deliciously illustrated by debut illustrator Gabriela Gil will delight young listeners either at home or in a pre-school setting.

How the Sea Came to Be

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How the Sea Came to Be
Jennifer Berne and Amanda Hall
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers

Jennifer Berne divides her rich poetic account into three parts: The Birth of the Sea, The Birth of Life and All That the Sea Came To Be, covering geology, oceanography, biology and evolution over 4.5 billion years – an enthralling journey indeed, especially when set alongside Amanda Hall’s show-stopping mixed media illustrations. The layout of every spread is a joy to explore.

The verbal imagery grips from the outset: ‘Volcanoes exploded from inside the Earth. / They blazed and they blasted and boomed. / And comets and asteroids crashed out of the sky, icy and rocky they zoomed.’

Having presented nature’s violence in storms and volcanic eruptions, the author and artist present the emergence of microscopic life forms – ‘smaller than small, and adrift in the seas,’ that gradually combined and changed into new 

and larger forms: ‘frilled creatures that wiggled and crawled’ as well as drifting, squishing jellyfish with their thread-like tentacles and then came the worm – a creature that ‘points as it squirms’.

Eventually we reach the multi-layered aquatic zones of the present time 

and then slowly return to the surface encountering a wealth of amazing marine flora and fauna to land at last on the shores of now, where people are exploring the rock pools.

Scientifically accurate throughout and written in almost faultless rhyme, there are no labels but it’s not difficult to locate the creatures named if you look carefully. Moreover, those who want to dive deeper can use the additional resources at the end of the book.

Totally immersive and with a wide appeal, this is a book for any collection.

The Mermaid Moon

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The Mermaid Moon
Briony May Smith
Walker Books

Mermaid Merrin and human girl, Molly are best friends. Molly’s home is in a cottage near the harbour side at Merporth a fishing village from where she can watch the sea from her bedroom. Merrin lives with her mum, Nerissa in a cave carved in the wall of the harbour. The girls played together every day after school, Molly above water, Merrin below.

One might each year Merporth celebrated the Mermaid Moon festival. On that night Perrin’s mum allows her daughter to go and join the celebrations with a Cinderella-like warning to “make sure to be home before the moon’s reflection disappears from the sea… ’. Using a special Mermaid Moon magic

Merrin is able to ascend, fly through the air and visit the streets full of stalls and celebrating villagers.

When the market closes Molly takes Merrin to see her bedroom

but all too soon, through the window Merrin notices the moon glinting and knows she should start for her own home. She does so but gets distracted on the way. Will she be able to make it home in time? Perhaps, but only with some extra special help from Molly and a very large sea creature.

Briony’s modern fairytale wherein friendship is key, will appeal specially to thoughtful readers and listeners who enjoy a touch of magic, which is something that her illustrations in particular are imbued with.

Special Delivery / Good Night Little Bookshop

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Special Delivery
Polly Faber and Klas Fahlen
Nosy Crow

Children who love reading and books will be fascinated by the story of a book – a book just like this one – that goes on a journey.

It starts with Jay counting down the sleeps to his birthday and on the opposite page we see people on their way into a factory in a distant land, the factory being where copies of the book are being printed, cut, pressed and packed

ready to go in a container lorry to the docks and onto a massive freight ship to continue its journey.
Having sailed across the sea, the book travels by train to a warehouse before being loaded into a delivery van and taken to a book shop., Pip’s Bookshop.

Along cycles Jay’s Gran who goes in, buys a copy of Special Delivery and goes to the post office. Then follows further travelling for the book – to the sorting office where it’s placed in a sack, collected by a postie named Molly (many of the workers involved in this whole journey are named) and finally delivered to Jay.

He loves his present. Being a thoughtful boy, he makes a thank you card for his Gran – his ‘special delivery’ is by hand.

As well as a subtle look at international trade and those who make it happen, this book with illustrations of all kinds of machines and workers involved in the processes, will be a good introduction to interconnectedness of both objects and people. For those who want to know more, there are three pages of ‘Special Delivery Numbers’.

Polly Faber provides just sufficient information in her text and Klas Fahlen’s bright digital illustrations provide further details in visual form. An interesting, thought-provoking book that can be shared in KS1/ lower KS2 classrooms that covers several areas of the curriculum.

Good Night Little Bookshop
Amy Cherrix and E.B. Goodale
Walker Books

The special author event is over and it’s almost time for Little Bookshop on Little Street to close for the evening. First though there’s a goodnight ritual to perform. We see a little girl reaching for a picture book from those displayed on the shelves; a woman leaves to the accompaniment of of the door bell’s ‘Ding, ding, ding’, followed by a goodnight to the till with its ‘Ring, ring, ka-ching!’ And so it continues with goodnights to friends who’ve come from afar,

to familiar pooches and their owners, to forgotten glasses and hat, to the bookshop cat and the boxes of new books waiting to be shelved for the following day. Each of these and more are bid goodnight as well as discovering something of the work of bookshop owners and booksellers.

We see it all in E.B. Gooddale’s detailed illustrations that accompany Amy Cherrix’s gentle poetic words, which, in addition to being an ode to this particular independent bookshop, mentions little bookshops everywhere and concludes with a wish to “dream  big, dear readers, wherever you are.”

A lovely bedtime rhyme with a difference that had a special appeal for this adult reviewer who is a fan of indie bookshops and has worked in a couple too.

A Hero Like Me

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A Hero Like Me
Angela Joy, Jen Reid and Leire Salaberria
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

‘They call him ‘HERO’, but he’s no HERO – not to me.’
So it says on the first spread of this picture book – a fictional account – inspired by the events of 7 June 2020, when, during an anti-racism protest, prompted by the killing of George Floyd by police in the USA, a statue of seventeenth-century slave trader Edward Colston was pulled down and thrown into Bristol Harbour.

Co-author Jen Reid was among the protesters that day, and despite being afraid of heights, she felt compelled to climb onto the empty plinth and raise her fist above her head in a black power salute  – a moment that was captured on camera and shared all round the world.

Written together with Angela Joy, this wonderfully inspiring story relating the events of that memorable day are retold through the eyes of a girl who every day on her way to school sees the huge statue of the so-called hero, in reality a man who sold freedom for cotton and tea. She knows this man is not a hero.
However, it’s not easy to find real heroes: people who stand up for Justice, Peace and Kindness so our young narrator takes things into her own hands. She, her family and friends create placards and march, shouting out for what they believe in.

They march towards that bronze statue of Colston and eventually that towering statue becomes a toppling one that is dragged by many pairs of hands to the harbour’s edge and thrown into the water. Then in it’s place stands a real hero, a young woman with fist held up for Black Peace and Black Power

A few weeks later, (15th July) on her walk to school, the narrator sees a statue of Jen Reid by artist Marc Quinn had been added to the empty plinth. Called A Surge of Power, it was only in place for 24 hours.

Adding even more impact to Angela Joy and Jen Reid’s empowering words are Leire Salaberria’s distinctive, bold, stylish illustrations. Together they have created an important book for young readers; one that shows them a hero can be just like themselves, as well as offering them hope in humanity, in particular in those who stand up for what is right: activism can lead to change. It’s a must for primary classrooms and family bookshelves.

Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse!

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Need a House? Call Ms. Mouse!
George Mendoza and Doris Susan Smith
The New York Review Children’s Book Collection

Ms Henrietta Mouse is no ordinary rodent as her company sign board on the title page shows. Her team comprises builders, decorators and designers. We then see Henrietta’s Portfolio, which is pretty sizeable and includes Squirrel’s Treehouse, Trout’s Paradise, Mole’s Manor, Caterpillar’s Cocoon and Lizard’s Cliff House.She would be the first to admit that despite her creativity and imagination, without the help of her loyal, skilled team of mice, she wouldn’t manage.

First of all Henrietta listens to what her clients have in mind: Squirrel, for instance, wanted to feel as though he lives in a spaceship.

Farmer Rabbit needs lots of storage space for his summer crops, so Ms Mouse designs a home with a root cellar and Spider, a music lover, is the proud owner of a recording studio attached to his web.

Be they grand or simple, Henrietta knows what to do to create the house that reflects their lifestyle – the home of their dreams. Her own preference is for the simple life

In his captivating story, author George Mendoza offers readers some information about design and the building process and every one of Ms. Mouse’s creations is a visual feast, thanks to Doris Susan Smith’s intricate pen and ink and watercolour illustrations. These provide a cutaway view for each of the houses, so readers can really appreciate the complexity of their design.

Who wouldn’t want to live in a diverse community such as that of this group of animals.

First published in 1981, it’s good to see this book being made available to a new audience of youngsters.

Rosie Raja Mission To Cairo

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Rosie Raja Mission To Cairo
Sufiya Ahmed
Bloomsbury Education

Rosie Raja returns in a new action-packed adventure, again set in World War 2. It’s autumn 1941 and this time she and her father are in Egypt. The purpose is to root out a traitor hiding in the company of the British agents who are working there – a challenging task, given the diversity of the people and personalities that inhabit Cairo. Rosie’s father’s cover story is that he is an Egyptologist who has come to work in the Museum of Antiquities and Rosie finds herself spending the mornings at the museum with her Papa. There she quickly becomes fascinated with the ancient hieroglyphics system of words and pictures.

However she meets with considerable hostility from Fatima, the daughter of Asim, one of their local allies. She wants to become an Egyptologist herself and is angry about the rumours that Rosie’s father is there to take the remains of Tutankhamun back to England. She also seems obsessed with ancient spells and curses. However as time passes the two girls become friends although Rosie finds it very difficult not to let anything slip about her Indian connections especially, that might reveal who she really is.

Just how good a friend Fatima proves to be is eventually revealed but as for others, it’s almost impossible to decide who is really who they say and can be trusted. Things become increasingly dangerous but eventually Rosie shows that she really deserves the recognition she already has and finally back in Downing Street to meet Churchill again she receives further praise when he remarks, “Carry on like this and you will end up being my favourite spy.”

I know a fair number of readers who’ve been eagerly awaiting this book; they won’t be disappointed.

Bees & Beetles / Not Just Another Book about Farm Animals / Not Just Another Book about Things That Mooove

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Bees & Beetles
Nia Gould and Molly Littleboy
Little Tiger

A surprising amount of information about bugs, in easily digestible portions, is found on the pages of this sturdy, split page ‘flip-flap’ book, the second in a series for the very young.

Children will enjoy being able to change the scenes by flipping the cut portions of the alternate pages to create a different but related scene for first ants, the second showing the inside of a nest; 

then spiders – the start and finish of a web. Following this, youngsters will encounter several different creepy crawlies – dragonflies, grasshoppers, beetles, fireflies and ladybirds on and among flowers in a meadow; transforming the habitat they’ll discover snails and slugs, earwigs, centipedes and below ground level, wriggling earthworms. Bees come next and finally various caterpillars and butterflies.

A useful book to support a minibeasts theme; one that is frequently explored by foundation stage learners.

Presenting information to young children in an entirely different, but equally effective way are

Not Just Another Book about Farm Animals
Not Just Another Book about Things That Mooove
Noodle Juice, illustrated by Jake McDonald
Noodle Juice

In the first the author offers facts in mouth- watering morsels about farms, and their livestock in a humorous style, with contributions from the animal residents along the way. There are spreads featuring hens, pigs, horses, sheep, cows, turkeys, ducks, geese, goats and even llamas. Did you know that you can tell whether a turkey is male or female by examining its poo?

Jokes abound – these are as likely to appeal to adults as the intended young audience and Jake McDonald’s illustrations are suitably comical.

The same is true in the second book that begins by giving a simple definition of transport and goes on to present spreads on myriad modes of moving from place to place. The information is presented by a cow narrator that seems to have a penchant for puns. Here’s an example. 

Readers will encounter feet (as in walking), boats, cycles, trains, cars, buses, trucks, planes, helicopters and rockets all of which have bovine drivers or pilots.

The busy final spread of both books asks ‘Can you find …’ In the farm book, readers have to try and spot the farmer; in the transport book there’s an elephant to locate.

Wacky fun for fact fanatics.

The Bear who had Nothing to Wear

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The Bear who had Nothing to Wear
Jeanne Willis and Brian Fitzgerald
Scallywag Press

Told in jaunty rhyme, this is a cautionary tale of sorts about Albie bear and his search for identity. Albie bursts onto the scene clad in nothing but fur but what kind of bear is this? Time to choose some clothing to suit his personality.

Having spent Monday dressed in bonnet, bootees and onesie, he tosses them aside crossly declaring, ‘That’s not who I am! Today I’m a prince so I need a gold crown.’ However, by the end of the next day, the princely outfit has been cast aside with a scream of disgust and out comes a wand, wings and a dress fit to go to a ball. The only thing is no invitation is forthcoming.

So it goes on throughout the entire week by which time Bear’s consumerism must have cost him a considerable amount – cowboy gear, piratical attire, country clothes – 

but has he found out anything about his true self? Happily so and in addition he makes sure that all his discarded items don’t go to waste.

Jeanne Willis’s text is huge fun to read aloud and Brian Fitzgerald’s entertaining scenes of Albie’s ever changing gear and his various fashion fiascos in his search for his true self are sure to appeal to young listeners. I suspect this will become a story time favourite.

Albert and the Pond / Supertato: Mean Green Time Machine

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These are new stories about favourite characters – thanks to Graffeg and Simon & Schuster for sending them for review.

Albert and the Pond
Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke
Graffeg

There’s a new pond in the garden where Albert tortoise lives, quite a deep one, so he knows not to venture in. Suddenly as he stares into the water, he notices a pair of eyes staring straight at him, but they blink and disappear. Albert tells all his friends, who take a look too, but the creature merely blinks and swims away.

No matter the weather, Albert visits the pond to check on his new pal every day but one day there’s no sign of the little creature and even though his garden friends try to cheer him up, Albert still misses his newest friend.
Autumn arrives and Albert makes a final visit to the pond before hibernating but of his friend there is no sign, not even a bubble.

The following spring you can guess where Albert heads when he emerges from his sleep and he gets the surprise of his life. Not one pair of eyes but many, many similar pairs are now staring straight up through the water at the tortoise.

Suddenly Albert hears a voice and is astonished to learn that he already knows its owner. How could that possibly be? Appearances can be deceptive …

Young children will love being in the know before Albert and be highly amused to see the efforts of the garden creatures as they attempt to play a game altogether with their amphibian friend.

With Eoin’s wonderful stand out, almost realistic illustrations, so brilliantly expressive and beautifully textured and Ian’s gently humorous and educative text, Albert’s numerous fans will delight in this latest tale. (Those new to this particular character can find out about the real Albert in the back matter after the story.

Supertato: Mean Green Time Machine
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnett
Simon & Schuster

One night in the supermarket Supertato and the veggies are holding in their giggles as they look at Supertato’s baby photos. Carrot’s comment that Supertato looks ‘super cute’ in one picture prompts the spud to say that he hasn’t always been super. Guess who is listening in: of course it’s Evil Pea, who wishes he’d eliminated Supertato before he’d acquired those super powers.

A pineapple’s remark about a Time Machine prompts Evil Pea to start building exactly that. Having collected all the ingredients from various shelves plus some snippings from Supertato’s slippers, he stirs the mixture and hey presto! Three time crystals: one for the backward journey, one to come back and a spare – just in case.

Then with the clock set, wheee!

Baby Carrot is somewhat confused when the pea demands to be taken to see Supertato but she does know a potato and before long right there in front of the pea are all the veggie babies eager to play his game. Having dealt, so he thinks, with all except Baby Potato, Evil Pea approaches him threateningly. The little spud retreats

and you’ll never believe what happened next, although it really, really did.

Super silly and super fun, but that’s what readers have come to expect when they’re in the company of Supertato et al. This one is super exciting too, especially when the revelation about Evil Pea is shared with all the veggies.

Greenwild The World Behind the Door

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Greenwild The World Behind the Door
Pari Thomson, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Macmillan Children’s Books

Having spent almost all her life so far travelling to various parts of the world with her fearless eco-political journalist mother, eleven year old Daisy Thistledown is devastated to be told that she can’t accompany her Ma on her next expedition, to the Peruvian rainforest, as it’s far too dangerous. Instead she must spend the last two weeks of term in a boarding school; but her mother promises she’ll be back to collect her in time for Christmas. Before she leaves, her Ma takes her to visit the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew; she also gives Daisy a glass paperweight that had once belonged to Daisy’s father. 

During her time at school Daisy is treated unkindly by both pupils and staff. When she fails to turn up to collect her from the station at the promised time, Daisy learns her mother and those she travelled with, have disappeared without trace. Daisy is taken back to the school but decides to escape, taking with her a little cat that has found its way into her bag. 

Pursued through the streets of London, she heads for Kew Gardens where she manages to hide until she discovers a hidden door that leads her to the enchanted world of Greenwild. There she finds magical flora and the green-magic using Botanists who preserve and study them, shelter from the hostile Greyside, as they call our non-magical world.

Daisy is made welcome by most of the Mallowmarsh community and soon finds herself making friends with a boy named Hal and a group calling themselves the Five O’Clock Club who introduce her to such amazing things as the milk-chocolate tree; they tell her too that they are investigating the disappearance of other Botanists. 

She also endeavours to learn green magic but finds herself struggling to do so. All this while trying to come to terms with the disappearance of her mother. However, Daisy has a dangerous mystery that needs to be solved and it becomes darker, the more involved she gets.

Debut author, Pari Thomson has created a truly gripping tale that entwines you in its tendrils from the outset and like some of the Greenwild plants, twists and turns every which way. Drawing on her love of and knowledge about all things botanical, her world-building is awesome, there are some truly memorable characters, and at the same time she weaves in deep, dark evil and the vital message about saving elements of the environment from total destruction. I was utterly enchanted by this story when I first read it in proof form, but now with Elisa Paganelli’s superb illustrations, it’s even more brilliant. With its cliff hanger of an ending, it’s going to be hard to wait for the next book of Daisy’s adventures.

My Tree

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My Tree
Amy Sparks and Fiona Lumbers
Scholastic

The small girl narrator of this story had a favourite place, her tree, which she loved dearly. It acted as a listener when she felt sad and a playmate when she needed an adventure. No matter what, the tree was always on her side; her family loved it too, no matter the weather. And what a wealth of nature relied on that tree: it provided food for squirrels, a nesting pace for birds, and of course it acted as the starting point for a multitude of exciting imaginary adventures.

One night however, everything changes; incessant rain and wind result in the tree’s destruction. No more adventures: the little girl is distraught.

But then she notices something wonderful. The wind has scattered the tree’s fruits all over the ground; she knows what to do next. Having planted an acorn, the girl tends to it, giving it water and telling it exciting stories.

Gradually both child and tree grow … and grow … and grow … Now the girl has a special new best friend; one that will stay with her for ever, so she hopes.

Just as the narrator found joy in nature, so too do many of us, children and adults. It’s always there offering hope of renewal and the possibility of new beginnings. ‘In my end is my beginning’ – so said TS Eliot at the conclusion of East Coker. And so it is for the tree in Amy Sparks’ warm, reassuring story with Fiona Lumbers inspiriting illustrations.

Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star

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Cosima Unfortunate Steals A Star
Laura Noakes, illustrated by Flavia Sorrentino
Harper Collins Children’s Books

You really must meet twelve year old Cosima, Cos to her friends and merely ‘number one’ to the thoroughly nasty, money-grabbing Stains, the sister and brother who run the Home for Unfortunate Girls; this is because she was the very first child they took in as an infant. The story is set in 1899 and by then Cos, has been joined by disabled children, considered unsuitable to be living elsewhere in respectable Victorian society, most notably Pearl, Mary and Diya each of whom has their own set of skills as well as differences.

The girls spend almost all their time unpicking old rope for the loathsome Stains and what little time is their own they devote to developing their skills and hobbies; for Cos this often means planning mini-heists for getting hold of cakes, with varying degrees of success.

When they learn of a stranger, Lord Francis Fitzroy, an explorer who wants to adopt all twenty girls for the ‘Empire Exhibition’ the girls suspect something sinister is afoot. So they formulate a plan; a much more ambitious heist than anything they have ever done before. Using all the creativity, skills and courage they have, Cos et al plan to steal the priceless Indian Star tiara from the villainous Fitzroy’s exhibition.

For Cos though, there’s something else at stake too: she really really wants to find out about the identity of her parents.

This is a crackingly good, thought-provoking story that presents historical themes, some of which are highly relevant to today’s British society: there’s the thorny issue of Empire, and the way history has treated differently abled children. On a positive note the author shows how such differently abled children can be highly successful. Like Cos, Laura Noakes has hypermobility spectrum disorder and it’s exciting to learn that she intends to turn this debut novel into a series: bring it on.

Readers around the age of Cos and her friends should read this.

The Chalk Garden

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The Chalk Garden
Sally Anne Garland
Sunbird Books

Having recently moved to a new home with a garden made almost entirely from concrete slabs, young Emma is excited to hear the sounds of birds in the next door garden but none ever comes to hers. So, she tries to create a colourful environment in her own backyard using her chalks but all that comes is rain washing off the drawings and leaving everything grey once more.

As she stands miserably thinking, that’s my chance of attracting birds gone, she notices something green poking up through a crack in the paving stones, one of which wobbles when she steps on it. She calls her Dad and points it out. Dad’s response is to move the slab. Emma is thrilled to see lots of minibeasts where the slab had been and so begins a process of rewilding an area of the garden.
Emma is an observant child; she notices when the soil needs to be watered

and little by little, green shoots start to push up, grown from the seeds blown in.

She loves the ants. spiders, ladybirds and other small creatures but one thing is still missing. Summer days are warm and the shoots explode into brightly coloured flowers that attract pollinating insects and Dad has to remove more slabs to accommodate the burgeoning wildlife. Still determined to attract feathered visitors, Emma makes a bird, bath, feeders and more.

Then finally she hears something she’s been waiting for and working for.

It’s lovely to see the changes taking place in the gorgeous illustrations of transformation and one hopes that children will be inspired by Emma’s efforts and, with parental consent, do some wild planting of their own so they too can become patient observers of the natural world.

A blooming gorgeous, gentle story that I’d strongly recommend for home and classroom sharing; and I think, Sally Anne Garland’s best so far.

The Moon is a Ball

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The Moon is a Ball
Ed Franck and Thé Tjong-Khing
Gecko Press

This book contains nine short interlinked episodes featuring best pals, Panda and Squirrel. The two have misunderstandings, there’s a bit of bickering, a fair bit of playing, some philosophising but there’s no doubt that their relationship means the world to each other.

In the first story, the two lie gazing at the moon. Panda surmises that the moon is a ball, since she often sees village children playing with something just like it. Squirrel offers to get the moon for Panda. Together they make a ladder, but inevitably they don’t succeed in reaching the moon. The chapter ends with a hug and the two start singing ‘A quiet song about the moon.’

In A Long Journey, the pair take a snail’s-paced approach to adventuring, and discover, thanks to Snail, that an inquisitive mind can transport you just as far as steps along a path.

Fight is just that with the two having a serious falling out over a game of acorns

and ends with them sitting silently side by side watching the sun setting.

Dollop sees the two friends rescuing a duckling, naming it Dollop, taking care of it for several weeks until it’s big enough to go back to the river and as they release it, naming their feelings.

Finally Panda decides to part company with her bestie, calling Squirrel ‘a chicken’ for not wanting accompany her on a trip to follow the sun and find out where it sleeps. Having walked for hours, Panda has a new feeling

which, thanks to Owl, she learns is homesickness so you can guess what happens next.

The straightforward, sometimes gently humorous narrative is captivating and a delight to read aloud. There’s plenty of amusing dialogue: “You’re too heavy, Panda! … You ate too much Bamboo. That’s what you get for being greedy!” “Careful!” Squirrel squeaks,. “You’re squashing me! I won’t be much of a friend if I’m squashed.” … “I’m never bored with you,” – Squirrel to Panda after a not very successful game of , err, nothing much at all.

Equally delightful and complementing the words perfectly is Thé Tjong-Khing’s delicate art executed in pen and ink and watercolour.

This new animal partnership is worthy to sit alongside Lobel’s Frog and Toad stories and Mo Willems’ Elephant and Piggie.

Snug As A Bug?

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Snug As A Bug?
Karl Newson and Alex Willmore
Happy Yak

‘I’m as snug as a bug in a rug, I am. / As snug as a bug could be. / There has never been a bug / in THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD / so happily snug as me!’ So says Ronald, the little bug, from the comfort of his conker shell bed but little does he know how short a time this will last, for no sooner are the words uttered than there comes a DING-DONG! at his door.

Suddenly our bug is dashing off on a very dangerous adventure, hotly pursued by a series of hungry creatures, all with the intention of making little Ronald their dinner. As he runs as fast as his tiny legs can carry him, through a dark cave,

woods and along a river bank, as he floats along just out of reach of pursuers,

even as he’s washed over a waterfall, he keeps insisting ‘I’m as snug as a bug in a rug, I am! … ‘

Can he possibly make it back to that cosy place from whence he started? Will he really ever be that snug bug again? Small he may be but our bug is mighty too, so you’ll never know – unless you get hold of this smashing book. Meanwhile keep your fingers crossed for Bug.

There’s a delicious deliberate dissonance between Alex Willmore’s highly dramatic scenes of the chase and chasers, and Karl’s narration. A story time treat for both young listeners and adult readers aloud.

Uncle Pete and the Polar Bear Rescue

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Uncle Pete and the Polar Bear Rescue
David C. Flanagan, illustrated by Will Hughes
Little Door Books

The third exciting adventure for Uncle Pete and his sidekick TM (Tiny Mouse) sees them preparing to undertake an expedition to the Arctic in the hope that they can reunite Berg, the little polar bear, with his family. Having gathered together all the crucial cold weather gear (and making the odd item such as miniature fleecy, bright red ‘jammies’ and a padded jacket for TM, not to mention a somewhat superfluous orange woollen scarf for Berg), Uncle Pete pours jars of stardust fuel into the plane and affixes a large pair of skis onto the wheels. They line the plane with hot water bottles, load the camping equipment and food and then they’re ready for take off.

When they arrive at the spot where Berg’s family were last ween, the snow and ice have melted and of polar bears, there is no sign. Uncle Pete explains to TM that the snow’s disappearance is because of the Earth’s temperature rising due to human action and they postpone further searching until the following morning. After supper the three travellers are thrilled to see the Northern Lights and they decide to sleep outside their tents to watch he dancing lights.

The following morning the friends have an encounter with a passing whale that seems to be trying to communicate something important to them.

Berg understands that it’s trying to say that his family have been taken by a ship.

Off they go to track it down and having located it, the three find themselves under fire from men with guns on board the sinister looking vessel. There follows a series of exciting and sometimes alarming incidents including the capture of TM by the ship’s evil captain, another encounter with the whale and, joy of joys, the emergence from the ocean of a wooden submarine crewed by their squirrel friends from the forest.

Then comes a temporary return to the forest , a journey through underground tunnels, the drawing up of a new rescue plan, a daring deliverance of the ship’s captives and a parting of the ways for Berg and his rescuers.

David Flanagan weaves the global warming issue through this latest compelling Uncle Pete fantasy which, with its themes of collaboration, kindness, determination and creative thinking, and Will Hughes splendidly quirky illustrations, makes a great read aloud as well as a solo read for those gaining confidence as independent readers.

Squishy McFluff’s Camping Adventure / Hello Summer

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Squishy McFluff’s Camping Adventure
Pip Jones and Ella Okstad
Faber

Ava and her Dad, plus of course Squishy McFluff, Ava’s invisible cat, are off on a weekend camping trip. They appear to have packed the car with everything but the kitchen sink, so how have they managed to leave the tent behind? Apparently Ava was aware of the omission but decided to keep quiet so they would end up having to build a den to sleep in.

This she starts to do as soon as they reach the campsite. While collecting leaves and branches, she encounters a boy who introduces himself as Idris; his dog is Farida and they so they say, are ace den builders. Ava challenges Idris to see who can build the best den and off they go, amassing the materials;

it looks as if it’s going to be a fierce competition, though Idris does his best to be friendly. Ava however has a trick up her sleeve.

What will the outcome be? Could the two rivals perhaps join forces and even become friends?

Author Pip Jones’ rhythmic, rhyming text is fun and reads aloud well and Ella Okstad’s scenes of the very visible action, and the mischief on Ava’s part, are the perfect accompaniment to the words.

Hello Summer
Jo Lindley
Farshore

This is the third in the Best Friends With Big Feelings series wherein the seasons of the year have taken on human form and are best friends. When the season changes, the crown is passed from one friend to another and the crown wearer leads their games.

All four Little Seasons are excited as they gather ‘neath the Tick Tock Tree for Spring to pass the weather crown to Summer. With the long days and bright sun, the friends decide to visit the beach so they load up their cart with summery supplies and head off. The journey proves to be rather eventful; the four try to look on the bright side when plans start going haywire, but eventually tempers fray.

Once at their destination, everybody’s mood is upbeat again and Winter suggests they build a sandcastle. What a splendid one they make but once again, disaster strikes and the result is a very angry Summer.

Time once again to use that calming technique, Spring has shown him.

Before long Summer is ready to apologise to his understanding friends and the day ends happily.
Demonstrating the importance of having empathetic, supportive, friends especially when angry feelings arise, this is a fun summery story to share and talk about with young children, either at home or in the classroom.

Pip and Posy In the Garden / Pip and Posy At the Seaside

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Pip and Posy In the Garden
Pip and Posy At the Seaside
Axel Scheffler
Nosy Crow

Best friends Pip (rabbit) and Posy (mouse) takes turns to play hide-and-seek. In the Garden has Pip doing the hiding and Posy searching in various places, first the shed, then up the tree, behind the space hopper and in the vegetable patch. None of these are her friend’s hiding place, although a variety of smaller creatures are revealed when he brightly coloured flaps are opened. But who does that pair of ears poking up above the top of the bush belong to?

On and around the beach provide possible places for Posy to hide herself At the Seaside. Maybe she went behind the lighthouse. No! Perhaps under the umbrella – err sorry, mind the pincers though Pip. Nor is Posy making a purchase at the ice-cream shop. Could that ice-cream Pip is enjoying help him discover her whereabouts and you never know she might have been joined by another of their pals.

The simple repeat pattern text, Axel Scheffler’s delightfully detailed pictures of the friends at play and the hidden surprise endings work perfectly with little humans who will enjoy participating in the fun of the two searches.

Live Like A Roman

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Live Like A Roman
Claire Saunders, illustrated by Ruth Hickson
Button Books

Do you know a primary child who is studying Ancient Rome or the Romans, has an interest in ancient history or just wants to find out more about life in Roman times, then this a book for them especially.

In addition to a wealth of information on a wide range of topics starting with Who were the Romans?, there are a number of practical activities for children to try. For instance alongside the facts about maths including Roman numerals, there are instructions for making an abacus. Having read the spread about childhood and family life, children can try making their own set of knucklebones and then play a game with them. Or what about making a wax tablet similar to those used by Roman children instead of the expensive papyrus paper. What really astonished me was to read that only about half of all Roman children made it to their tenth birthday.

We meet a fictional child named Tito, a slave, who appears at various places in the book; we join him at the chariot races,

when he accompanies his master to the bathhouse and at the banquet his master hosts especially for an important guest.

The Romans are famous for their public baths, some of which are still in use today, but I’m not sure I’d want to try the Roman means of cleaning my skin by making a tool – a strigil – similar to those they used. The author suggests using oil and a lollipop stick.

Three double spreads are given to in turn food and drink, banquets and roman recipes; the honey cake sounds pretty tasty especially as instead of sugar, the Romans used runny honey; indeed honey was used in lots of recipes.

The final spread before the glossary poses the question: Could You Have Lived Like A Roman? This reviewer would not have survived long in a school: there were no opportunities for creativity and rote learning was the norm. However, the author appreciates the importance of creativity for today’s young readers and asks them to invent three new Roman gods or goddesses for things that are important to them and to give them names.

Ruth Hickson brings all this and much more to life in her detailed illustrations, large and small, helping to make this an altogether fascinating book for individual or primary classroom use.