Friends, Shapes and Scares Board Book Style

June 25, 2023June 25, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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!

June 24, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 23, 2023jillrbennett 2 Comments

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!

June 22, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 22, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 21, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 20, 2023jillrbennett 1 Comment

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

June 20, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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!

June 19, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 19, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 18, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 17, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 16, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 15, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 15, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 14, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 14, 2023jillrbennett 1 Comment

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

June 13, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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?

June 13, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 12, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 12, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 11, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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

June 10, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

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.

Wigglesbottom Primary: The Sports Day Chicken / The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink

June 9, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Wigglesbottom Primary: The Sports Day Chicken
Becka Moor and Pamela Butchart
Nosy Crow

Herein are three more splendidly daft episodes in the life of a certain class at Wigglesbottom Primary whose mildly anarchic behaviour fueled by their wild imaginations, frequently has repercussions far outside the classroom as well as inside.

In the first story, the school chicken is absolutely determined to be a participant in the school sports events, first inside its pen and then, after the egg and spoon race – but don’t ask how – in the BIG RUNNING RACE actually on the grass. I wonder who wins the trophy in that one.

The second episode, The Ant Queen begins when the headteacher gives the class an ‘Educational Surprise’ in the form of an ant farm.

What rapidly ensues is an escape, a frantic search for the escapees and a case of misidentification of the ant queen.

Finally we have another puzzler, The Green Slime Mystery, which begins in the school canteen, quickly becomes a toxic shock inducer for Joel Jack, and results in one or two rather green faces, not all on the pupils.

Giggles galore assured thanks to Pamela’s hilarious storytelling and Becka’s equally hilarious illustrating, this time using liberal amounts of day-glo green.

The Princess in Black and the Prince in Pink
Shannon & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Walker Books

In this tenth book in the popular series, Princess Magnolia (aka the Princess in Black) and her royal friends are celebrating the annual Flower Festival, the season’s biggest event. Princess Snapdragon has asked Princess Magnolia to take charge of the Festival Ball to be held in the evening and it’s a pretty big responsibility. As she starts unpacking the decorations there comes a scream and an angry emu stomps through the festival wrecking everything in sight,

including Princess Magnolia’s boxes of decorations most notably the one containing her special secret surprise.

Along comes a knight in shining armour and sees off the bird. Now Princess Magnolia, is not used to being rescued and the knight, Prince Valerian, is not keen to stay around and leaves. However he returns later eager to try out his special skills and for this he becomes the Prince in Pink. Then together he and Princess Magnolia create something beautiful from the shattered special secret decoration.

Meanwhile Emu, who loves to dance as much as to kick out, recruits her feathered friends, the Ostrich Twins and the Flightless Bird herd sally forth to crash the ball, arriving with the dancing in full swing. Is there any way that everyone can be accommodated happily without wrecking the dancing? One thing is certain, this will definitely be a party to remember.

Full of action, gentle humour, kindness and teamwork and with a new multi-talented superhero who sometimes likes to wear pink, as ever the Hale’s latest story gently subverts gender norms and with LeUyen Pham’s energetic and expressive illustrations, will please established fans of the series and surely win plenty more followers among new solo readers too.

Into The Wild

June 9, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Into The Wild
Thomas Docherty
Oxford Children’s Books

As night falls a small boy gives full rein to his imagination.

Joe lives in a city flat where, so he thinks, there isn’t any wild. However as he looks out from his bedroom window, he quickly realises that there is a whole lot more than he first thought. Then some of the outside starts coming into his very own room and this leads him to venture out into the wild city. By careful, close looking he discovers wildlife up in the branches of the trees, between the cracks in the pavement and hiding away beneath the bushes. Moreover, the more Joe looks, the more the wild proliferates

and eventually it’s everywhere, stunning in its beauty and full of surprises but most importantly, it is home to everything and every one, very precious and needs to be treated as such.

The wild has assuredly invaded Joe’s mind and his dreams, but not only that, it’s in his heart too.

Richly imagined too are Thomas Docherty’s illustrations for this magical story. Young children (and adults) will love poring over the multitude of gently humorous details in every scene.

The final page invites readers to go outside and search for the wild things in their own city or town; let’s hope they take up the challenge.

Isadora Moon Under the Sea / The Feeling Good Club: Say How You Feel, Archie!

June 8, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Isadora Moon Under the Sea
Harriet Muncaster
Oxford Children’s Books

The endearing little half-vampire, half-fairy, Isadora Moon ’s latest adventure begins when she receives an invitation to a sleepover with her mermaid friends. The prospect of spending the night away from her parents that takes her beneath the sea makes her a bit anxious but having been reassured by her parents, she accepts Marina’s invitation and as the time draws nearer she gets really excited. This excitement continues once she gets to Marina’s home and she finds herself becoming friends with another of the guests, Marina’s step sister Emerald who is rather standoffish and Isadora thinks it could be because she’s unhappy.

Later on, lying in the adjacent clamshell bed, Isadora hears what sounds like Emerald crying and knows she must go and see what’s troubling her.

What she learns results in a late night swim to the home of Emerald’s Dad. (Her parents are separated) and eventually everything is put right.

Beautifully heartwarming, this adventure touches on the subject of living in more than one home and the problems this might lead to for a child; but it’s lightly done and the most important themes are listening to one another, friendship and acceptance.
With its mix of the alluringly different and comfortingly familiar, this magical story is perfect for its intended audience of new solo readers and includes the usual offering of activities at the back of the book.

There are further Isadora things to do in Isadora Moon: Summer Fun Activity Book. Therein are lots of activities based on the world of Isadora and of course, Pink Rabbit.

The Feeling Good Club: Say How You Feel, Archie!
Kelly McCain, illustrated by Jenny Latham
Little Tiger

In this the second in the Feeling Good Club series, it’s Archie’s turn to share his journal with readers. Archie’s family consists of his mum, a marine biologist and so often away for extended periods, his dad who seems to have little or no time for his oldest child what with his work and looking after the six year old twin brothers who are a bit of a handful.

As the journal opens, it’s a Tuesday. Archie is preparing his exhibit for the school Science Fair; it’s on his favourite topic, space, about which he is passionate and he’s really looking forward to Dad hearing his talk about it at the event the following day. But when he fails to turn up Archie is understandably pretty upset; how could he have forgotten? However Archie tries pretending it’s okay, but of course it isn’t and his real feelings come out in a torrent of fury at the next Feeling Good Club meeting as the friends are working on creating a clubhouse. Archie is hugely embarrassed and storms off in a huff.

Clearly this is a time when club members need to help Archie find a way to spend sufficient time with his Dad to talk about the way he is feeling. So begins operation Surprise Camping Trip. There are many ons and offs and it seems the expedition just isn’t going to happen

but eventually Shaman and Bella come up with a plan that turns things upside down and the trip is on again. The three friends practise some of their mindfulness techniques and on Saturday it’s a camping they will go …

To discover more about that camping trip and to learn about the mindfulness activities the clubbers use, you will have to read more of Archie’s journal in a copy of the book. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable exploration of feelings, facing your worries and the importance of sharing how you feel with trusted friends, with smashing illustrations by Jenny Latham.

Thunderboots

June 8, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Thunderboots
Naomi Jones and Rebecca Ashdown
Oxford Children’s Books

What she lacks in stature, young Trixie makes up for in sheer joie de vivre. She dashes up the stairs in her home, cartwheels along corridors and generally makes her presence felt to the other residents of her apartment block who call her Thunderboots.

When it’s time for her to start school, Trixie is excited and she loves school, her teacher, the new friends she makes and playing on the outdoor equipment. Moreover she really enjoys learning, especially listening to stories but her favourite of all lessons is PE.
One thing she finds really challenging though is learning letters and writing. School isn’t such fun any more ; everything feels hard, so she tells her empathetic Dad.

Dad says that everyone learns differently and that is perfectly fine; he sees things and thus learns differently from others: he calls this a ‘superpower’.

Next day at school Dad and Trixie’s teacher chat and make a learning plan to help his little girl, who has dyslexia, with the things she finds tricky.

This includes a class circle time where everyone highlights something their neighbour is especially good at. Now at last Trixie decides that having a superpower and learning differently is just a part of who she is.

Drawing on her own experiences of growing up, the author has created an empowering story of a neurodivergent child, who happily, had the understanding and support she needed. In this celebration of everybody’s unique abilities, Rebecca Ashdown portrays Trixie as a thoroughly endearing character, bursting with energy and enthusiasm for life and I’m sure young children will love exploring the fun details in every one of her scenes be they at home or in school.

My Small World: Dinosaurs

June 7, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

My Small World: Dinosaurs
Caryl Hart and Harry Woodgate
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Two small children take readers on an adventure to their imaginary prehistoric world, the land of the dinosaurs.

Therein among erupting volcanoes, they will watch dinosaur cousins – baby pterosaurs learning to fly,

encounter the herbivorous Europasaurs, dive down deep in the ocean and meet an Ichthyosaur, not strictly a dinosaur but a dolphin-like, fish-eating lizard,

take a ride upon the back of an enormous Brachiosaurus while tempting it with something delicious. Suddenly though there comes a fear-inducing ROAR made by a ravenous T.Rex, time to take cover or else perhaps become its next meal. Off go the little humans, following the tracks left in the swamp by a family of Stegosaurs having some fun, then watched by smiling Triceratops they climb up the volcano side and look down upon other dinosaurs hunting or swimming until sunset.

Time to bid farewell to those dino-friends and return to reality. Little humans (with a bit of adult help) can then start assembling some materials to create their very own Dinosaur Land. Instructions are offered at the end of the adventure and the book ends with a ‘my small world’ map.

Author Caryl Hart and illustrator Harry Woodgate have chosen a topic that’s sure to appeal to small children in this, the first of a new series where imagination is key and there’s playfulness aplenty. The rhyming story reads aloud well and the illustrations are infused with gentle humour and alive with vibrant colours.

Matilda Meets the Universe

June 7, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Matilda Meets the Universe
Dom Conlon, illustrated by Heidi Cannon
uclan publishing

The ambitious Matilda returns, as effervescent as ever, and again she will impress readers with her intelligence, confidence and skill at providing in-depth expositions of scientific subjects.

Penned in the form of an interior monologue notebook, Matilda sets out to discover whether life exists on other planets. ‘… finding alien life is going to be difficult. Finding out HOW difficult is what I’m ALL about though so BRING.IT.ON.’ she writes, going on to tell us that one reason for keeping her journal is that it helps her get things straight in her head. So true.

She writes about topics such as the Big Bang, the electromagnetic spectrum and ways of communication, mentioning ground breaking work of such scientists as Georges Lemaître, James Clerk Maxwell, Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Sir William Herschel, Frank Drake and his equation (new to me) and Albert Einstein. I love the way she talks about the Goldilocks Zone.

Helping Matilda in her research are members of her family – her dad, mum,

younger brother and her friend Kareem, not to mention a lot of snacks of various kinds. However possibly THE most important thing she learns is much closer to home, something about herself and the way she has been treating her little brother: ‘I need to stop calling him my little brother or HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED. He is called Harry and I realise that when he’s hanging around, he’s only trying to learn how to communicate with me. … I need to learn how to listen. Then moving out from that ‘I’m looking around this little planet of ours and wondering if we couldn’t all benefit from learning to talk to one another in a better way.’ Wise words indeed. As is her decision to make the most of all the experiences earth has to offer.

It’s amazing how much information is packed into the pages of this book but Matilda has an infectious enthusiasm for her explorations and humour permeates her writing, helping to make it more accessible. So too do Heidi Cannon’s illustrations and diagrams, which appear at every turn of the page. There’s also a glossary at the end.

Highly recommended for curious children whether or not they have a special interest in STEM subjects.

Cleo the Completely Fine Camel

June 6, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Cleo the Completely Fine Camel
Wendy Meddour and Carmen Saldaña
Oxford Children’s Books

Nothing can stop Cleo the camel feeling on top of the world and absolutely fine or can it? She’s such a ‘glass half full’ kind of creature that even when the sand under her feet is burning hot, the sweat is pouring off her face and she’s so thirsty that she licks the surface of a rock, she insists to fellow desert dwellers Lizard, Jerboa, and the circling vultures, that she feels happy.

Suddenly a fearsome sandstorm blows up, almost completely burying Cleo. Her friends dig her out and still she maintains that she is fine, despite her hump having shrunk significantly. Along comes Ostrich who has just emerged from the sand. “I’m fed up. Fed up of sandstorms, Fed up of the heat. And fed up of getting sand in my eyes.” Cleo still tries the ‘we’re desert animals’ line but Ostrich continues with “Yes, I feel rubbish. Totally awful. Absolute pants. How about you?” Will Cleo finally take that leap of confidence and admit how she really feels?

Thankfully for all, yes she can and having faced up to reality, she follows Ostrich’s lead in search of an oasis where welcome refreshment awaits.

Wendy Meddour’s story gently and humorously imparts an important life lesson to young children: it’s all very well putting on a brave face but not to the detriment of your own well-being. Carmen Saldaña makes the searing desert heat radiate from the pages in her illustrations, which show the impact on the animals – humped or not – as they struggle to cope with the harsh reality of desert life.

Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong

June 6, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Everything You Know About Sharks Is Wrong
Dr Nick Crumpton, illustrated by Gavin Scott
Nosy Crow

Having set the record straight about dinosaurs and minibeasts, Dr Nick Crumpton has (along with illustrator Gavin Scott) turned his attention to the oceans and in particular, sharks. Writing in an entertaining style he discredits many of the shark-related myths that have grown up over time and it’s likely they have the worst reputation of all living creatures. Remember those dogfish you studied in zoology at school back in the day? They are related to sharks, both being elasmobranchs.(cartilaginous fish).

Assuredly sharks are predatory creatures but do they kill lots of people? Worldwide sharks killed 11 people in 2021 but cows killed 22 people and that was just in the USA and snakes were responsible for the deaths of 50,000 people worldwide: the numbers speak for themselves. On the other hand, we read, humans kill 100 million sharks and rays each year and sharks are unable to replace those lost quickly enough, so actually a number of species are at risk.

What about those fearsome-looking sharp pointy teeth all sharks have. No they don’t, at least not all of them: different sharks have different sorts of teeth, which help them eat a wide range of food by piercing, slicing or crushing their prey. Did you know that all sharks’ skin is made from millions of tiny teeth and whale sharks even have teeth on their eyes. Moreover, these ‘dermal denticles’ each have elements – dentine, a pulp cavity containing blood and nerves and an enamel covering – similar to our own teeth. Knowledge about how these v-shaped denticles work has led scientists and technologists to develop swimsuits that enable swimmers who wear them to move faster through the water.

Amazingly the prey of Cookie Cutter Sharks are much larger than their predators; these sharks don’t hunt, rather they lure their fleshy prey to them. There’s a whole spread on how various sharks hunt: filter feeding whale sharks don’t bite, instead they open their mouths and swim straight into clouds of microscopic planktonic organisms. On the other hand, some of the smaller sharks might end up as food for other, much larger sharks, and recently there have been reports of orca whales eating sharks.

An absolute wealth of fascinating information is packed into the pages of this book and Gavin Scott has done a terrific job with the illustrations. The mystery, power and beauty of these amazing creatures and the underwater world they inhabit are spectacularly portrayed in his scientifically accurate paintings.

Primary readers (and beyond) with an interest in biology will find this absorbing.

Cinder & Ella / The Selfish Giant

June 5, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Cinder & Ella
Barbara Slade and Lucia Soto
Owlet Press

Kind, clever and beautiful, Cinder lives a life of drudgery with her mean stepmother and idle stepbrothers. Nothing she does seems to please them, but what pleases Cinder herself is dreaming, not of a handsome prince, but a gorgeous, long-haired girl with blue eyes, who happens to be a princess.

Princess Ella too has dreams but as yet she can’t quite imagine what they might lead to. What she does know though, is the reason why her royal parents are hosting a ball to honour her eighteenth birthday. It’s a celebration to which everyone in the land is invited and one that thrills Cinder’s stepmother, who imagines either of her son’s as the perfect partner for the princess. In their separate abodes both Cinder and Ella are distraught.

Come the night of the ball. Cinder is left with countless chores to do while her stepmother and stepbrothers go off in their carriage. As she sits thinking of all those desirous of winning the heart of Ella, she hears a deep whisper, “Make a wish,” coming from Midnight, her horse. Surprised, she does so and magic happens. Her old ragged clothes become a fine outfit and a pumpkin becomes a gold carriage, pulled of course, by Midnight. On arrival he gives the twelve o’clock warning about the magic expiring and off goes Cinder into the palace ballroom.

So enraptured with one another, are they that Princess Ella and Cinder dance the night away

until that fateful midnight chiming begins and off dashes Cinder. Can the two overcome the odds and get their happy ever after? Let’s say that in this instance, thanks to hope, a special horse

and determination, love’s power prevails.

Just right for celebrating Pride Month, this is an enchanting reworking of a favourite fairy tale.

The Selfish Giant
Oscar Wilde, illustrated by Rita Voutila
Allen And Unwin

Richly coloured, finely detailed oil paintings grace every spread of this classic Oscar Wilde story of the self centred giant who returns from a seven year absence spent staying with his Cornish ogre friend to discover children playing in his garden. Children he immediately bans by erecting a high wall and putting up a ‘trespassers will be prosecuted’ sign. The only visitors that enjoy the garden for a whole year are the winter elements, Snow, Frost, the North Wind and Hail;

the children are forced to play outside in the road.

As many adult readers will already be aware though, those children eventually creep back in, the giant sees the error of his ways and even helps a small boy trying to climb a tree. The remainder of the tale, which takes place over years, is told in the text of the book.

With lots of Christian symbolism for those who want to look for it, the story is a powerful lesson in selfishness and its consequences; Rita Voutila’s Northern Renaissance style art has a power of its own.

The Last Mapmaker

June 5, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Last Mapmaker
Christina Soontornvat
Walker Books

Twelve year old Sai, daughter of a con man and the narrator of this fantasy, comes from a marshy Fenland area where its inhabitants are looked down on. Nonetheless, thanks to her quick thinking she has become assistant to Paiyoon, the Mangkon Royal Navy’s Master Mapmaker, until her 13th birthday, at which point, when she does not receive a lineal, (a golden bracelet with links representing the recipient’s noble ancestors), her lowly status will become evident to everyone, Paiyoon included. She loves her job but secretly wants to save sufficient money to escape her home kingdom before that fateful date.

As her birthday draws near, the Queen issues a new directive. Now the kingdom has achieved peace for the first time in twenty years, it’s time to rededicate itself to exploration. This presents a wonderful opportunity for Sai when Paiyoon, invites the girl to assist him on an expedition aboard the ship Prosperity to chart and discover the Sunderlands for the Queen. Due to advanced age, his handwriting has become shaky and Sai can copy his writing without anyone knowing their secret. An enormous money prize awaits any crew who can locate the Sunderlands where, legend has it, Mangkon’s long-departed dragons now dwell.

Once aboard ship, Sai quickly discovers that many others have secrets of their own, including Miss Rian and her friend, the war hero Captain Sangra, even Paiyoon. She’s also worried that there’s a boy aboard who might know her identity. In fact it’s difficult to know who she can really trust.

Utterly compelling adventuring on the high seas: full of surprise twists and a fair few betrayals, with a diverse cast of complex characters, Soontornvat has constructed a tight plot full of wonderful descriptions – you can almost smell the brine – with undertones of colonialism and environmental issues,

Strongly recommended for older readers especially those who love unusual fantasies and a protagonist determined to chart her own course through life.

This Girl Can Be A Bit Shy / I Just Ate My Friend

June 4, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

This Girl Can Be A Bit Shy
Stephanie Stansbie and Hazel Quintanilla
Little Tiger

Narrated by little Ruby, ‘I am brilliant. I’m also a little bit shy.’ we learn of her different days: some when she feels brave, bouncy and full of chat, and others when she wants to go it alone, not playing with anybody, not talking to others just hiding herself away in one of her favourite hiding places where no-one can look at her and she doesn’t have to join in with things her friends are doing.

Her Dad understands exactly and wisely suggests, “Tell people kindly if you’re feeling shy.’

No matter what though, there is one thing Ruby is never too shy to say: can you guess what that is?

This is the second book wherein we meet the delightful Ruby as main protagonist and it’s a pleasure to be back in her company, empowering others with her thoughts, energy and actions now that she’s turning six, as we see in some of Hazel Quintanilla’s enchanting illustrations.

I Just Ate My Friend
Heidi McKinnon
Allen & Unwin

Darkly humorous is this tale of a monster that eats its friend and spends almost the rest of the book searching for a new one – to no avail. Those asked, ‘Hello! Would you be my friend?’ find the impulsive protagonist in turn, too big, too small, too scary, too slow

and then there’s just a flat refusal sans reason. Just when it seems he’ll remain lonely evermore, what should come along but another potential candidate for friendship with alluring eyes and a beguiling smile …

This simple story with its patterned text is perfect for those in the early stages of learning to read and they will likely delight in the unexpected twist with which the story ends.

My Brother George

June 3, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

My Brother George
Kelly & Zoe Allen and Tara O’Brien
uclan publishing

The creators of My Momma Zo, LGBTQ+ parents Kelly and Zoey Allen and illustrator Tara O’Brien, have collaborated on a new picture book about having the courage to be different.

Molly acts as the narrator and tells how her slightly older brother, whom she dearly loves, has long hair that confuses some people; they think he’s a girl and thus her sister.

Molly now feels sufficiently confident to stick up for George, pointing out that he’s her brother. This receives mixed results and one woman’s comment about him being ‘too pretty to be a boy’ angers Molly, who for once is unable to find the right words to respond.

Hurrah for George though: he replies thus, “I think you should get to know someone before finding out their gender.” and ever since her brother has gained more confidence. He plays with dolls, borrows his sister’s clothes, enjoys baking and is a fan of zombies; he also is an expert at nail adornment.

Despite still getting called a girl and being the source of amusement at times, he knows everything he does is just part of being true to himself and so he endeavours to help others understand, often under the watchful eye of Molly who is always there for him should she be needed.

Stylishly illustrated in bright colours by Tara O’Brien and frankly told in a heartfelt manner by Kelly and Zoe Allen, this is another empowering story that encourages everyone to be who they truly are, and to feel confident and comfortable in themselves. With too many adults quick to be judgemental about those they perceive to be different, we need this book and more similar ones in primary classrooms, libraries and homes.

Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc

June 2, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc
Joe Todd-Stanton
Flying Eye Books

At the start of this, the fifth of the Brownstone Mythical Collection series, Professor Brownstone introduces readers to Luna Brownstone, the most cunning of all the Brownstones. Daughter of renowned and respected adventurers known for their selfless acts, Luna decides after her parents were robbed and left abandoned while on a mission, that she would look after nobody but herself. This is just what she did: running away from home as soon as she was old enough, Luna began stealing priceless treasures from all over the world.

On the hunt for her next treasure, she goes to Aztec America and there learns of a young girl, Atzi, who has volunteered to undertake a journey, taking an offering, to the Aztec rain god Tlaloc and imploring him to save her village from drought. Luna decides on a cunning plan: she’ll befriend the girl, take her map and find the rain god on her own.

Their journey to his home beneath a sacred mountain is full of hazards including strange creatures

and they have to solve a riddle to discover the entrance to the palace. Luna realises that she must work with Atzi to navigate powerful waterfalls and evade hungry creatures, avoid dangerous ice shards and much more. Suddenly as they near their destination, Atzi is in peril of her life. Luna finds herself unable to let her die, though she doesn’t abandon her plan to steal the gold offering.

But is there something else that matters more than treasure and self- interest: Luna is soon faced with a crucial decision: does she have within her the power to change?

Luna is a rather different protagonist from others in the picture book cum graphic novel series – an anti-hero – and as always, Joe Todd-Stanton’s richly coloured illustrations for this thought-provoking story are full of wonderful details to pore over.

The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat

June 2, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Goat and the Stoat and the Boat
Em Lynas and Matt Hunt
Nosy Crow

Sit back, sail along and enjoy the rhyming fun from the team who gave us The Cat and the Rat and the Hat; the text for this one is every bit as funny and lively and Matt Hunt’s highly energetic scenes of what turns out to be a fair bit of rocking and rolling, which inevitably leads to some pretty catastrophic consequences, are just superb.

It all begins with Stoat floating merrily along in his favourite boat when along comes Goat. Goat too wants to float in that same boat so on he leaps.

The problem is that although Stoat is well aware of the way to keep safe therein, Goat most certainly is not. All he wants is to have fun too. Pretty soon however, things start to turn nasty. Stoat seizes a pencil and lays claim to the boat, which develops into a pencil power dual.

That is when, in addition to the rocking and rolling, the boat starts wibbling and wobbling, tilting and tipping and it’s not long before there’s a big splash in the moat. You’ll quickly guess the cause of that. Now the thing is that Goat in that colourful coat is able to stay afloat; not so however, Stoat. Is it time for a truce?

Adult readers aloud will need to take care their tongues don’t get into a twist when they share this cleverly constructed tale. Young listeners will delight in the cumulative chaos that the animals cause; Matt Hunt’s expressive illustrations portray this with panache..

Ingenious Edie Master Inventor of Tiny Town

June 1, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Ingenious Edie Master Inventor of Tiny Town
Patrick Corrigan
Flying Eye Books

Meet young inventor Edie, one of the tiny inhabitants of Tiny Town. She loves nothing better than to create new contraptions and her aim is that each new one is even better than any of her previous inventions. She always keeps what she’s working on top secret – no help from anybody else, ever.

However that is until the arrival of Magpie; he with a particular penchant for all things shiny and a plethora of disguises. Edie decides this marauding meanie has to be stopped so she sets to work inventing clever Magpie traps but none is successful in doing the job.

The girl is distraught especially after needing to call for assistance from her friends to extricate herself from entanglement engineered by Magpie.

As she sits sobbing at her failures, first Ladybird and then others of her pals suggests that this is an occasion when they should all work together if they want to trap the thief.

The following day there appears on Tiny Town’s street something ‘new and mysterious’. Surely an irresistible attraction for any creature on the lookout for shiny objects. Could this be a case of community action winning the day?

That the power of the imagination and creativity play a vital role in scientific, technological and engineering discoveries and advances is demonstrated so well in Patrick Corrigan’s illustrations of Edie’s inventions. I love the miniature world created in this story, the demonstration of the importance of community action and wholeheartedly recommend sharing it with young children at home and in the classroom.

Welcome to Our Table

June 1, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Welcome to Our Table
Laura Mucha & Ed Smith, illustrated by Harriet Lynas
Nosy Crow

Poet, Laura Mucha and chef cum cookbook writer, Ed Smith, will make your taste buds tingle with their food related descriptions of dishes from all around the world. Inevitably there are some that didn’t make this vegan reviewer’s mouth water for, in addition to the fruits – several double spreads are devoted to these and tomatoes get an entire page – vegetables (green and otherwise), spices, herbs, nuts and sweets, there are eggs, fish (including the dangers caused by over-fishing) and meat of various kinds.

After a look at the various tools people in different parts of the world use to eat their food, followed by a consideration of taste, smell

and texture of foods, the authors focus our attention on staple savouries: ‘Remarkable rice’, ‘Amazing Maize’ ‘Brilliant Bread’, ‘Noodles, Noodles’, among which are not only spaghetti and vermicelli, but also Ukrainian lokshyna.

As well as entrees

and side courses in abundance, the authors look at milk including non dairy kinds, sweet pastries and puddings and ice creams. Foods of the future – those grown in laboratories are pondered upon, as is the possibility of more people turning to insects and seaweed for food.

On the final pages children wearing national costume demonstrate how to give appreciation for what you have eaten and how to say goodbye to those who have shared your food; there’s a world map surrounded by flags of some of the countries whose foods were mentioned; the countries and places featured are listed and then it’s ‘The end’ in 20 languages.

Harriet Lynas images are brightly coloured and every spread includes a child or children – a diverse lot – interacting in one way or another with the food presented thereon.

A lovely celebration of difference, showing how we are all linked by the fact that we eat and for the most part, enjoy so doing.

Did You Do This Poo?

May 31, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Did You Do This Poo?
Lucy Rowland and Gareth Conway
Scholastic

A little unicorn turns detective when walking in the forest one morning, on account of a strange aroma that on further investigation turns out to be a rather large, slimy poo. He asks readers to join him in a search for the poo perpetrator.

First to be questioned is Rabbit who happens to hop by, but responding to the interrogation thus, “My poos aren’t so slimy. They don’t have that smell. In fact, they’re so nice that I eat them as well!”, it’s obvious that Rabbit is innocent. So too is Wise Owl – a splat clears that creature. Then Badger appears and on being asked like the others, ‘did YOU do this poo?’ does turn a tad pink but is quick to point out that he uses a special latrine in which to drop his excretory matter. Bear, Bat and Deer’s poos don’t match the pongy turd either.

It appears that somebody is not being truthful, but who could it be?

Suddenly Badger advances and explains that earlier that morning, he’d gone to his latrine, found it engaged and unable to hold on, did a dump elsewhere – the very one that they’ve spent so long trying to identify.

Now with the culprit having owned up, the animals – now poo experts – turn their attention to examining what was left in Badger’s pit. Will they solve that case? Have you?

Let’s just say this poo leaver has no option but to own it with pride.

With her combination of unicorn protagonist and poo, rhyming expert extraordinaire, Lucy Rowland, is surely on to a winner with young children, even more so with Gareth Conway’s hilarious scenes of the animals’ search for the pooing culprit. A smashing whodunit for story time sharing; you might want to have some air freshener at the ready.

Forest School Handbook

May 31, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Forest School Handbook
Naomi Walmsley and Dan Westall
GMC Publications

It’s great to see husband and wife team Naomi and Dan, who run Outback2Basics bringing their passion for the outdoors to the pages of another book.

As a teacher, I’ve long been a firm believer in the vital importance of outdoor education for children right from their early years and consequently many of the activities in this handbook are not new to me. Nonetheless, it’s always good to be reminded of things as well as to discover fresh ideas.

After an introduction, which talks about the purposes of forest school activities and the benefits from playing outside and interacting with the natural world, the book is divided into ten sections, each with an abundance of colour photographs, and the age appropriateness, time, materials and tools needed for every activity.

Controlled risk taking and developing social skills, both of which are fundamental to forest schooling are two of the most vital elements of education and the sessions this book offers are so much more worthwhile than being cooped up all day in a stuffy classroom. What would you rather your child(ren) did: make charcoal (and perhaps use it to draw with), build a shelter from the materials lying around in the environment or spending hours staring at a screen?

One activity that appealed to me especially from he ‘Things to do with conkers’ spread is creating conker animals, in particular a conker caterpillar.

Making soap from conkers also sounds interesting .

Altogether a smashing little book that deserves to be in every family and class collection.

Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day

May 30, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Rita & Ralph’s Rotten Day
Carmen Agra Deedy and Pete Oswald
Scholastic

Separated by several hills, best friends Rita and Ralph live quite some distance apart but they have established a daily routine, a ritual really. They both go ‘down the hill, and up the hill, and down the hill, and up the hill’ to meet under the apple tree between their houses. There they ‘high-five, pinkie-shake, do a cha-cha-cha, play zombie tag, and make daisy chains.’
One day though, they decide to play a new game, Sticks and Stones. Ralph accidentally knocks Rita who ends up with a very sore bump on her head and they both run off back home, Rita angry, Ralph sorry for hurting his best pal.

He wants to apologise so he makes the entire journey to Rita’s house. What a walk! ‘down the hill and up the hill … ‘He arrives feeling a tad grumpy and his apology doesn’t come across as very genuine so Rita’s door remains closed. Off storms Ralph back home leaving Rita feeling the need to say sorry. Off she runs – you know how it goes –

but her thoughts en route anger her and she also leaves without apologising. Now the two children are both mad and sad. What a rotten day and it’s followed by a sleepless night.
A new day begins and Rita and Ralph head out to their usual meeting place. Can peace resume? Of course it can for ‘best friends always find a way… ‘

Thoroughly engaging and what fun this will be in a story time session with all that upping and downing of hills, high fiving, pinkie shaking, cha-cha-cha’ing. The author provides a note showing how to play the ‘Mr Wiggle and Mr Waggle’ hand game after the story, a story which shows how anger can sometimes cause ridiculous behaviour and saying sorry to a treasured friend is a vital, often up and down, process. Pete Oswald’s digitally worked gouache illustrations skilfully uses the format, showing the hilly landscape, the contrasting homes of Rita and Ralph, not to mention occasional guest appearances of Ralph’s cat and Rita’s dog, and humorously depicting the feelings of both children in their constantly changing expressions and body language.

Rory’s Room of Rectangles

May 30, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Rory’s Room of Rectangles
Ian Eagleton and Jessica Knight
Owlet Press

With Father’s Day coming up Rory’s class are making cards but he is feeling conflicted. His Dad no longer lives with him and his Mum, who has a live in new boyfriend Tony. Rory sees his Dad at weekends; the rest of the time is spent at home with Mum and Tony, whom he likes a lot, but inevitably he misses Dad very much.

So who should he send his card to? Anger takes over and at home time the boy tears his card in two and puts it in his coat pocket.

On Father’s Day as he sits with his Mum and Tony, Rory remembers that card still stashed away in his coat. Is Dad feeling lonely, he wonders as the rain falls. Tony is a perceptive man; he notices Rory’s change of mood and suggests the two of them go outside together saying, “I’ve been saving up some money for a rainy day.”

Off the two of them go together, and make their way to an art gallery with wonderful paintings of all kinds. They stop and sit in a room full of rectangles of different colours where Rory feels as though his clashing feelings are being reflected back to him. As the colours wield their power, the boy finds his eyes filling with tears.

The empathetic Tony responds with these words, “ I guess life is like an art gallery … sometimes it’s full of happiness and joy, sometimes it’s scary, and sometimes it’s sad But that’s OK. Whatever you feel is OK.”

Outside once more, as the sun sets, Tony has one more surprise for Rory … As the day ends Rory realises, on their walk back beneath a beautiful sky, that there is no need for him to feel torn.

Inspired by author, Ian Eagleton’s own experiences of being a new adoptive father, this powerful heartfelt tale of a blended family is sensitively illustrated by debut book illustrator Jessica Knight, whose portrayal of Rory’s roller coaster of emotions and his supportive adults is in perfect harmony with the telling.

A Bed of Stars

May 29, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

A Bed of Stars
Jessica Love
Walker Books

This beautiful demonstration of how powerful knowledge can be, begins with the child narrator telling readers that the immensity of the whole universe makes him feel so small as to be insignificant. This thought would keep him awake at night, but then one morning over breakfast his father announces, “We’re going camping you and me.”

The two pack up what they need and set out for the desert in the old family truck. The smell changes from ‘rubber and french fries’ as they leave the city and head into the mountains where it smells sweet and smoky. Dad talks of the flowers they pass and when they reach their destination, he points out the tiny beetle footprints in the sand. The two then jump in the dunes,

lie back and observe and name the birds and set up camp together. They build a fire, sing songs and watch the sunset.

Come bedtime, as they lie gazing skywards, the boy reiterates his fear of going to sleep because of the vastness of the universe. ( I love how beautifully this is mirrored in the blanket.) Dad knows just what to say and explains in his calm, thoughtful manner that stars are made of energy, “Same as you. Same as the beetles and crows and coyotes. We’re all friends and family in this universe. Maybe if you learned their names, they wouldn’t feel so much like strangers.” Then snuggled up together, the two give distinctive names to every star they can see and with fear transformed, the child drops off to sleep.

The next day, after hot chocolate and a greeting to the desert flora, the two are ready to return, The child repeats en route, the names of “all the new friends I’ve met… beetles, cacti, coyotes, stars,” At home Mum shares a surprise of her own making. Now at last, the child feels ‘at home in the universe.’

This tender, reassuring story with its scattering of small word pictures, shows just how a parent’s empathy and undivided attention allows his child to gain a different perspective on the universe. Jessica Love’s delicate watercolour, gouache and ink illustrations convey both intimacy and vastness making this contemplative story perfect for bedtime sharing (or any time), especially for anyone experiencing a lack of confidence similar to that of the child narrator.

Playing and Learning with Board Books

May 28, 2023May 28, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Little Bear Where Are You?
Little Dog Where Are You?
Ekaterina Trukhan
Nosy Crow

It’s true to say that babies enjoy playing with mirrors and this new Where Are You? series has a mirror on every spread.
Taking inspiration from the hugely popular Family Finger rhyme, Little Bear introduces in turn little frog, little deer, little rabbit and little bear by means of a text with a repeat pattern: ‘Little —— , / Little —— , / where are you? // On the opposite page, comes the reply, ‘Here I am! Here I am! / Where are you?’ When the animal’s face is flipped down we see the words, “There you are!’, and a mirror is revealed for little humans to see their faces.
The final spread shows all four animals and beneath the fold, the titular character addresses the baby whose face is reflected in the mirror.
The large card flaps are easy to manipulate and sufficiently sturdy to stand up to the frequent use the books are likely to have.
Using the same structure, in Little Dog, illustrator Ekaterina Trukhan portrays first little hamster, followed by little bird, little cat and lastly, little dog (sporting a bobble hat).

Peekaboo Lion
Camilla Reid and Ingela P Arrhenius
Nosy Crow

This latest in the novelty series with sliders and a final mirror, features wild animals, although they look deceptively friendly in Ingela’s vibrant, patterned illustrations. The playful rhyming text comprises two words per page and introduces animals large and small; and there are opportunities to meet both adult animals and their young on some spreads.
A fun way to develop tinies’ language and manipulative skills together with a surprise finale.

Don’t Mix Up My Puppy
Rosamund Lloyd and Spencer Wilson
Little Tiger

Little humans will enjoy getting their paws on this mix-and-match doggie delight, with its five different puppies depicted, one per spread, in Spencer Wilson’s bold illustrations.

First we meet a Dalmatian with a spotty, dotty tail, then a velvety tailed dachshund, next comes a sly terrier whose tail is fancy and flowy; the white poodle’s tail matches his cute, curly self and finally there’s an Irish setter with a fluffy, furry tail.

Toddlers can have fun turning the wheel, finding each pup’s tail and feeling the respective tactile rear end appendages. Just right for developing hand-eye coordination too.

My Bollywood Dream

May 27, 2023jillrbennett 1 Comment

My Bollywood Dream
Avani Dwivedi
Walker Books

Friday nights are special for the little girl narrator and her family, who set off through the hectic city streets of Mumbai, destination the cinema. En route in their car, the girl uses her camera to capture the sights and sounds of the city and in so doing imagines a movie evolving all around her, with action,

dance sequences and songs. Seemingly she has aspirations of becoming a movie director.

Once at the cinema, she immediately feels the excitement building in the audience until a hush descends and the film begins. It’s a typical Bollywood love story with lots of Hindi songs and dancing but it’s not just the actors that dance. Caught up in the music, up leap members of the audience and start moving in time to the beat, united briefly, by the hypnotic rhythms.

Our narrator concludes in upbeat mood, saying, “Bollywood movies are filled with many dreams and adventures that I haven’t yet had. … but one day I know I can create my own.”

Author/illustrator Avani Dwivedi has based her debut picture book on her own experiences of growing up in Mumbai and she really captures the vibrancy of Mumbai streets although I found it rather more chaotic on my most recent visit than her portrayal here. She captures too the magic of those movies, as they were, as they are and probably always will be, hopefully though with more women directors

The Thief of Farrowfell

May 26, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Thief of Farrowfell
Ravena Guron, illustrated by Alessia Trunfio
Faber

Twelve year old Jude Ripon is part of a criminal family and so desperate is she to impress the other family members, in particular the patriarch Grandleader, that she steals some rare magic from the Westons, one of the most powerful families in all of Farrowfell. Surely that will make them take notice of her so they’ll allow her to do more than keep watch while they carry out daring heists.
However, she learns that the magic – which can seriously impair her family’s business – is protected by a curse that can only be lifted by returning it to the rightful owners. This though isn’t possible, as Mr and Mrs Weston have been missing for more than a year.

Reluctantly, Jude joins forces with the Weston children to find their parents and break the curse. While doing so, she begins to question her loyalty to her own family and consider whether she really wants to be a true Ripon at all.

The three children search for clues and piece together evidence, taking care to evade any Lilthrum, the blood-thirsty monsters formed from raw magic, whose deadly attacks on people have recently been increasing at a disturbing rate. The more time Jude spends with Eli and Fin, she cannot but appreciate and enjoy their kindness and friendship, things she’s never before experienced. This makes her feel even more at odds with her upbringing in a criminal household.

With edible magic (I’ve not met that before), a flawed hero and a twisting, turning plot with Alessia Trunfio’s interesting chapter heading illustrations, this is the first of what will become a series; it’s hugely exciting and full of dark humour. I envisage children around Jude’s age will be eagerly anticipating the next adventure; this reviewer certainly is.

Lola Saves the Show

May 26, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Lola Saves the Show
Katherine Halligan and Guilherme Karsten
Walker Books

Created in association with The National Theatre, this fun adventure set on opening night, has most of the action taking place behind the scenes.

With the play soon to begin, best friends Lola and Oliver wait backstage and with necessary business done, Lola is about to enter stage left. But disaster strikes when she notices that a vital prop is not among those assembled on the table.
The only way to save the show is for Lola to find the Very Important Handkerchief. Off she dashes with Big Ed (her minder) and Oliver in hot pursuit, stopping to create mild chaos in various departments.

Lola is unstoppable even scaling the heights of the theatre when suddenly she remembers something and knows she must retrace her steps at top speed.

Back where she began, Lola finally finds that which she seeks and with not a single moment to spare, she makes her entrance before the waiting crowd. What a shining star she proves to be, but after her performance, something is lacking which makes the show’s saviour very sad. Happily however, Oliver knows just what is needed and all ends happily.

Guilherme Karsten’s funny, vibrant artwork is suitably dramatic and the fact that Lola is not a human is shown, but never mentioned in Katherine Halligan’s text makes the book all the more amusing. I love the names of the places Lola visits in her search for that missing article. (Further information about theatrical terms is given after the story)

Mermaid Academy: Isla and Bubble / The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure

May 25, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

Mermaid Academy: Isla and Bubble
Julie Sykes and Linda Chapman, illustrated by Lucy Truman
Nosy Crow

Fans of the Unicorn Academy books will love this, the first of a magical new series set beneath the waves of Wild Sea. Just as the pupils of that establishment have captured the hearts of countless younger readers, I’m sure those of Mermaid Academy, led by headteacher, Dr Oceania, will do likewise, starting with Isla and the twins, Isobel and Cora who join the school on the same day.

Once the new pupils have been allocated their dorms, rather than lessons, they all participate in a treasure hunt intended to enable them to get to know one another, the dolphins and their new environment. Isla is a spirited character with a tendency to be headstrong, so when it comes to saving the woolly seahorses, even if that means breaking one of the Academy’s strict rules and venturing beyond its walls, she feels compelled to do so, however much danger that puts her team in.

Can she perhaps use her bubbliness to extricate them all from an emergency situation?

With adventure, friendship and discovering their magic and bonding with a special dolphin awaiting, (not to mention Lucy Truman’s black and white illustrations) who wouldn’t want to join Isla as she dives into this underwater world and helps protect its fauna and flora.

The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure
Jacqueline Wilson, illustrated by Mark Beech
Hodder Children’s Books

The Faraway Tree is a series of popular children’s books by British author Enid Blyton. Blyton’s classic The Magic Faraway Tree, first published in 1939, was Jacqueline Wilson’s own favourite book as a very young child. Now the accomplished, popular contemporary children’s author, Wilson, has woven a new story that revisits this much-loved magical world in A New Adventure, that is just right for the next generation of young readers.

Those familiar with the original classic will remember some of their favourite characters, Moonface, Silky the fairy and The Saucepanman who loves to make up songs (and is now selling his wares on-line); but it’s the turn of a new family to experience what the magical tree has to offer.The family – dad, mum and three children are to spend their six week holiday staying at Rose Cottage and almost immediately, Birdy the youngest of the children meets a fairy outside her window. She invites the little girl to the Faraway Tree and so begins their adventure.

The next day Milo (10, the oldest), Mia about a year younger and Birdy (fourish), led by a talking rabbit, venture into the Enchanted Wood where among the whispering leaves stands the Faraway Tree: the tree that offers those who climb to the top, the opportunity to discover extraordinary places. Newly created by Jacqueline Wilson, the places the children experience are the Land of Unicorns – Mia absolutely loves this one,

the Land of Bouncy Castles, the Land of Princes and Princesses and finally, the Land of Dragons where a dangerous encounter awaits one of their number. This fourth story ends somewhat suddenly, I suspect to leave the way open for another Wilson sortie into the Enchanted Wood.

While keeping a strong sense of the original place, Jacqueline Wilson has challenged the stereotypical Blyton attitudes and language, one example being the way Mia is quick to admonish Mr Moonface: “Why on earth should it be Silky’s job to clean up after you … It’s terribly old-fashioned to expect a woman o keep a house tidy, … My mum and dad share all the chores and we have to help too.”

Also helping to give the book a modern feel that is just right for 21st century readers are Mark Burgess’ lively, often gently humorous illustrations.

More Peas Please!

May 25, 2023jillrbennett Leave a comment

More Peas Please!
Tom McLaughlin
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

One supper time – on a Tuesday to be precise – Milo and Molly are sitting having their supper of lasagne and peas. Having wolfed down his lasagne Milo jumps up with a shout of “Finished!” His sister tells him otherwise and a conversation ensues, with Milo giving all manner of reasons why he can’t possibly eat the tiny roly objects, relating to their greenness, shininess and bounciness, as well as their sheer number.

Molly listens carefully and then gives her side, speaking of their strength-giving properties, as well as their ability to make Milo taller and super-smart.

She then seizes her brother’s plate but can she manage to persuade him to return to the table and polish off those peas? He certainly appears to be having a change of heart about them …

With Milo’s fanciful food notions about harmless little spherical seeds and a surprise twist, this amusing story, hilariously illustrated by the author, is one to share with young picky eaters especially, though it will more than likely please the palates of other young children too. I especially love the way Tom McLaughlin brings Milo’s imaginings to the page.

Broccoli anyone?

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