Author jillrbennett

Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories / A Rabbit Called Clover / The Railway Kitten

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Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories
Jarvis
Walker Books

Bear and Bird are best friends and like most close pals they have their ups and downs:there are jealousies, misunderstandings and some tetchy words but fundamentally each of them wants to make the other happy. Consequently their friendship is strong enough to withstand the downs and focus on enjoying each other’s company. 

In four short stories with Jarvis’ super-cute digital illustrations, readers learn of a rather unfortunate misunderstanding with a talking flower that results from a toppling Bird; a picnic, the preparations for which Bear isn’t completely honest about, the result being the outing doesn’t quite go as intended; an afternoon of painting when Bird feels his talent isn’t quite up to the standard of Bear when it comes to representing a tree,

and finally, a warm, snuggly, fluffy blanket that is very hard to stir from under.
A lovely book for bedtime (especially curled up under a cosy blanket), for foundation stage classroom sharing and discussion; and it’s ideal for those just starting to gain confidence as independent readers.

With a rather more challenging text::

A Rabbit Called Clover
Helen Peters, illustrated by Ellie Snowdon
Nosy Crow

It’s the start of the Easter holidays and Jasmine, daughter of a vet mother and farmer father is anticipating spending lots of time looking after animals, especially keeping things trouble free. But early one evening Jasmine spies two pet rabbits and so begins ‘operation rabbit, the aim being to catch and return the two creatures, which she and her little brother name Clover and Dandelion, safely back to their owner. Not such an easy task as Jasmine first thought but with a bit of help from her best friend, Tom, it might just be possible at least to get them safely into a cage and home to Oak Tree Farm.

It becomes evident that Clover is ace at escaping and they only manage to catch Dandelion, so the hunt is on for the elusive Clover. Moreover, finding the person who is responsible for looking after the pair is only part of the battle.

Delightful, gentle storytelling once again by Helen Peters whose writing is supported by Ellie Snowdon’s plentiful black and white illustrations.

The Railway Kitten
Holly Webb, illustrated by Sophy Williams
Little Tiger

Cat lovers especially will enjoy this heartfelt tale of Scarlett and her friends. On the way to school they notice a kitten at the railway station and are so enchanted by Whiskers as they name her, that when she gets run over, they decide to do everything in their power to save her. 

They take her to the vets and are told that an expensive operation is needed to mend Whiskers’ shattered leg. Her owners can’t possibly afford the vets’ bill but Scarlett and her friends are not going to give up easily. Is there a chance they can raise the money needed to prevent Whiskers from being put down? If so what will happen to her afterwards.

Determination and friendship are key in this gentle story of a Tortoiseshell kitten for younger primary readers. Occasional black and white illustrations by Sophy Williams show just how those involved with Whiskers are feeling.

Frog’s Bog / Hugg ’n’ Bugg: The Comb

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These are two recent picture books kindly sent for review by the publishers, Graffeg 

Frog’s Bog
Marielle Bayliss and Mariela Malova

It’s a fine sunny morning and all Frog feels like doing is relaxing on a log in the boggy pond. It’s not to be though, for first of all Fox gives him a soaking – albeit unintentionally. Then as he sits waiting for a bug to consume, along comes Dragonfly diving right at him – goodbye tasty treat.

Next Frog tries a boat in a moat, surely nothing can disturb him there. Err, he hadn’t factored in a visit from Kingfisher. Next thing he knows, Frog’s boat is upturned and as for peace and quiet, the day is fast disappearing and poor Frog still hasn’t found any of that.

Come sunset, Frog is in a brook and is ready to join the blackbirds in their evening rendition, never mind all he can manage is a raspy croaking croon. Suddenly this is brought to a conclusion thanks to a woodpecker sending down a shower of wood chippings making Frog depart hastily to the stream to contemplate his disaster of a day. As he speaks aloud of his discontent, he’s heard by the bees. They buzz off to have a few words on Froggy’s behalf with the animals that live nearby.

Can teamwork provide a means of making Frog’s Bog the very best place to be?

Mariela Malova’s scenes of Frog’s frightful day as he tries to find a peaceful piece of water are hilarious 

and make Marielle Bayliss’s rhyming account of his day even more deliciously droll and dramatic.

Hugg ’n’ Bugg: The Comb
Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke

The unlikely duo messy yeti Hugg, and Bugg, a flea that doesn’t like the cold, return in a new tale set as before in the Himalayas. While out wandering lower down the mountain they discover something small and pink on the snowy ground and suddenly encounter a frightened man who on seeing them, dashes away in fright leaving behind the comb.

Hugg picks up the pink object and tests it in a lock of his hair, moving on to his thicker fur. He likes the feeling and is soon bragging about his new handsome appearance, dubbing himself ‘the most stylish Mummy Nubble Snowman’. Bugg meanwhile is not enjoying the combing and a squabble ensues with Hugg going so far as suggesting the two part company.

Bugg is horrified that a new comb could result in him having to find a new home and proceeds to remind Hugg of what he will miss should they go their separate ways. But then a run-in with some very rude leopards, 

followed by an alarming threat to their home, help Hugg ‘n Bugg see sense, value their togetherness; and as for the comb, it’s still safe among Hugg’s treasures.

Whimsical and whacky illustrations by Eoin Clarke combined with Ian Brown’s fun rhyming text will entertain young listeners at home or in the classroom, and adult readers aloud will enjoy giving a hair-raising performance of the drama.Categories: Picture Books Tags: Eoin Clarke, Frog’s Bog, Graffeg, HuggnBugg: The Comb, Ian Brown, Mariela Malova, Marielle Bayliss

Grizzly Ben

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A big thank you to Little Door Books for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for this book.

Grizzly Ben
Alan Dapré and Alex Ayliffe
Little Door Books

Ben is grizzly bear mad, so much so that he asks for one for his birthday. That of course is not what he finds in the large parcel that awaits in his bedroom.

Less than impressed with his ursine gift, Ben sets about training Cuddly to be a Grizzly Bear. Things however don’t quite go as intended. The honey-eating lesson,

fishing demonstration and tree climbing certainly produce transformations, just not to Cuddly. He’s left stuck up a tree while, finding it all too much to bear, Grizzly Ben stomps angrily around in the garden till he falls fast asleep from exhaustion.

When he wakes, Grizzly Ben spies something very alarming.

What he needs at that moment is a warm. cosy BIG HUG from a certain cuddly toy. Could such a hug perhaps work another transformation?

The cleverly constructed tale, full of humour and a fair amount of havoc, is complemented by Alex Ayliffe’s wonderfully expressive scenes; she clearly had great fun creating them and I love the vibrancy of her colour palette and her inclusion of the additional characters who silently involve themselves in the action throughout the story. It’s one that offers lots of opportunities for audience participation of the roaring, stomping kind, so prepare yourself for a lively session when you share this with young children.

Don’t forget to check out the posts of the other blog tour participants.

Dad, Don’t Miss It! / City Under the City

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Here are two recent additions to Astra Young Readers list – thanks to GMC Distribution for sending them for review.

Dad, Don’t Miss It!
Qiaoqiao Li

In her debut picture book Qiaoqiao Li starts with a situation that will be familiar to many young children: a parent – father in this instance – immersed in a computer screen. This he does even when he and his son are supposed to be sharing some quality time going on an adventure. They take a bus to their forest destination but both en route and when they arrive, Dad has his computer screen on. So distracted is he that he fails to see the red fairy and its friends, a white deer and a stone elf, the tree monsters and flower troll, all of which play with his child. Eager to introduce them to his dad the boy waits patiently in the first instance but gradually becomes more frustrated and eventually loses patience, yelling ‘Dad!’

Not only has Dad been missing the possibilities of play, he’s completely unaware of the transformation he’s been undergoing all the while until a response finally comes.This sends everyone other than Dad rolling down the hill and right into the lake.

Can this parent now forget his computer and save the day?

With otherworldly digital illustrations, this magical tale serves as a timely reminder that we should all turn off our screens, leave the virtual world behind for a while and enjoy some real life adventures.

City Under The City
Dan Yaccarino

Residing in a dystopian city under constant surveillance from the Eyes are Bix and her family. Said Eyes have absolute control over the daily lives of everyone.

Wanting autonomy, young Bix is not understood by her family, plays with nobody and frequently feels completely alone, She and her schoolmates only read on handheld screens and under the constant supervision of the Eyes, never choose their reading matter. However ‘The Eyes don’t just help. They also watch.’ But why and what, Bix wants to know. All this we learn from Dan Yaccarino’s comic panels and brief accompanying text.

One day Bix hears something new – a squeaking sound and liking what she sees, follows the little creature, a friendly rat deep down underground to the ruins of a city that at first sight seems similar to, but is in fact altogether different, from that in which she lives. For there in this place she is led to its abandoned library full of books, 

a museum, a restaurant and a music hall—what’s left of life before the Eyes took over. Here Bix and her new friend can be truly self-directing but what has happened to all the people?

Having spent many days down below and becoming aware of the possibilities of a different way of life, Bix feels the call of home and family. Back she goes up and up but although her family are overjoyed to see her; not so the Eyes, one of which snatches her sister. Little by little, Bix reveals what she’s discovered to her fellow citizens and eventually, bringing them all together, she leads an uprising, rescues Taff and reunites her entire family who are ‘really together for the first time.’

A scary look at a possible world ruled by AI and a surveillance culture for screen obsessed youngsters.

Mum, Me and the Mulberry Tree

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Mum, Me and the Mulberry Tree
Tanya Rosie and Chuck Groenink
Walker Books

Rituals are important and this lovely gentle book evokes the joys of simple childhood rituals as shared between a mother and child one day; rituals that will become cherished memories as well as giving pleasure in the here and now.

We follow the two from sunrise to sunset as they relish a day trip to the countryside, a special journey that takes them by bus to visit a large mulberry tree that stands on a hill in a field – ‘our tree’. Once there, the mother lifts her child high into the canopy of the tree and together they gather its abundant mulberries, eating some and getting juice all over themselves.

When they stop for a picnic lunch, down comes the rain so the two hurry back to sit sheltered beneath their tree. After lunch Mum cannot resist climbing the tree to search for more berries till as the sun sets, the two, tired but very happy, travel home together.

Back indoors Mum assisted by her daughter, gets to work preparing and baking a pie

which they sample together before the sleepy, pie-filled child is taken to bed ready to dream of her happy mulberry day.

Tanya Rosie’s lyrical text is a delight to read aloud and the calming nature of her writing makes the book an ideal bedtime share. Equally though, this would be a lovely story to share with a class of young children. Warmth radiates from Chuck Groenink’s illustrations, be they double spreads, single images or smaller framed scenes, they show so well the close relationship of mother and child and are the ideal complement for the words.

Courage Out Loud

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Courage Out Loud
Joseph Coelho, illustrated by Daniel Gray-Barnett
Wide Eyed Editions

Following on from Poems Aloud and Smile Out Loud is this cracking new collaboration between children’s laureate Joseph Coelho and illustrator Daniel Gray-Barnett – 25 poems of power.

Joseph uses a variety of poetic forms and structures including sestinas, rondels, pantoums and limericks, to explore being brave and facing one’s fears whatever they are. Addressing the reader directly he introduces each poem with a few lines about the kind of poem it is and how it relates to an idea, emotion or feeling.

Some of them relate to Joseph’s own experiences. The opener, Diving is one such, telling how the poet felt when jumping from a high diving board for the very first time: inner courage was certainly needed then. I love the fairytale references he uses ‘The diving board is up there , / a beanstalk above me, / a Rapunzel tower height, / a giant’s hairline high.’ and the poem goes on to mention ‘witches in my fingers’, ‘the crunch of poisoned apples’ and ends thus: ‘we’ve got the magic beans, / we’ve stolen the golden egg, / we’ve just arrived at Grandma’s house.’

Have a Little Cry is an important reminder to readers how even a little cry can make us feel better for as the introduction and final line say, ‘there is courage in every tear’.

Courage is required too when speaking out in front of an audience, in this instance, it’s being asked to read your story to the entire class ‘The classroom is a swamp / mud oozing around my legs. / The only way is forward.’ Does that sound like something you’ve experienced? Will You Read? certainly resonates with me.

So does Rollercoasters wherein young Mabel is a very reluctant rider on the rollercoaster; unlike her though I’ve never managed to overcome my fear of pretty much any fairground ride. In such instances I always used my right and my power of Saying No, responding ‘ “no” I don’t feel like doing that thing / and that’s the end of that.’

As well as reading the poems, with a reminder of poetry’s power to communicate their feelings, Joseph encourages children to create some of their own using similar structures or styles, and then to perform them aloud. (tips are given for this.)
Assuredly youngsters will find lots to connect with in these poems, the mood of each being perfectly captured in Daniel Gray-Barnett’s accompanying inclusive illustrations. Our current children’s laureate has a mission to help children enjoy poetry and use it as a tool for their own creativity: Courage Out Loud will assuredly encourage that whether shared in the classroom or read at home.

Dick the Delightful Duck

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Dick the Delightful Duck
Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle
Alison Green Books

Dick the Duck has been dubbed a delight by all who know him. Polite, considerate and thoughtful, a wonderful listener, cheerer-upper and fantastic friend. Then one day, he isn’t. When he rises one morning he feels at odds with himself – cranky, grouchy and ready to snap at anyone that dares to cross his path including his unsuspecting cat companion.
Stamping and stomping, off he goes down the street, ignoring friends, jumping the bus queue and then occupying a seat he wasn’t entitled to before storming off at his destination and striding past everybody.

His pals are puzzled but rather than being equally unpleasant in return, they realise that everybody has an occasional bad day and decide, “We’ll do for Dick Duck what Dick Duck does for us.” And so they do. Duck is treated to kindnesses galore until little by little his frown becomes a smile and he’s back to his usual self and ready to apologise.

He even invites his pals over for a meal that evening (after he’s said sorry to his moggy and done a bit of furniture moving in his bedroom, that is).

Kaye Umansky’s rhyming text bounces – or should that be – waddles – merrily along and reads aloud well so long as you can get your tongue round those Duck Dick and Dick Ducks. Ben Mantle’s splendid illustrations of Dick Duck et al are an absolute delight – funny and bound to make you quackle. You’ll need to grab a copy of the book to discover what a quackle is, but it’s well worth so doing as it offers plenty for young listeners to enjoy.

The Nowhere Thief

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The Nowhere Thief
Alice M. Ross
Nosy Crow

This story is a multiverse adventure starring Elsbeth and Idris. Elspeth lives with her mother in an alternate UK, capital city Lunden. She helps her mother in their shop that sells antiques in the seaside town of Lewesby, sometimes using her rare power to visit other spheres in the multiverse and acquiring items to sell in their failing business. This she does through an unworldly portal using a kaleidoscope of colours. Now to make financial matters worse, the rent is due and there’s insufficient money to pay the unpleasant landlord, Mr Lennox.

With eviction imminent Elspeth needs to generate custom and when it comes in the form of the strange Mr Persimmon, she is unsure whether to trust him. Does he know how she obtained the items he has purchased?

What about the boy Idris who keeps appearing wherever she goes? Is he following her and if so why?

Crime, as we know, has consequences and Elspeth’s actions soon catch up with her. Forced to flee from the draconian law enforcement services of the universe next door, Elspeth’s actions soon catch up with her. Idris; who, it turns out, has very similar talents, comes to her rescue and a friendship between the two begins to develop.

When she discovers her mother is missing, Elspeth is faced with a difficult choice: flee with a boy she’s only recently met or trust Mr Persimmon. She opts for the former and the bond between them becomes stronger as they travel together to Nowhere and different Somewheres with all sorts of people eager to find Elspeth on account of her gift. However, by using her powers Elspeth seems to have disturbing meteorological side-effects. Indeed everything she knows about her powers and her family are called into question in her rescue mission.

Providing plenty of food for thought is the relationship between Idris and his grandmother and later, his mother too.

Set against a backdrop of different worlds, there is so much to be learned herein but to give too much away will spoil the story, so let me just say, the author keeps readers gripped and open to new developments as the plot turns hither and thither towards its satisfying conclusion.

The Toy Bus

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The Toy Bus
Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
Walker Entertainment

It’s always wonderful to visit the Repair Shop whether via the tv programme or through one of Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey’s splendid picture books of which this is the second in the series. It begins with young Toby and his Granny Elsie paying a visit to the barn that is home to the Repair Shop. Jay Blades greets them warmly and at his behest, Granny explains the purpose of their visit by telling the back story of the bus she hopes his team can work their wonders on.

As children Elise and her little brother loved going to the park and watching the large red bus drive by. It became something of a game with Elsie dashing along by the park fence waving, something her little brother couldn’t do as he’d been born with cerebral palsy and could barely manage to stand up.

One day returning from the park, David spots something in a toy shop window: a red bus. Elsie feels sure it would help her brother but Mum says they don’t have the money. Not prepared to let matters rest, Elsie empties out her piggy bank; then she and Dad return to the shop and buy the bus. Back home David is thrilled and plays with the new bus all the time. Little by little he learns to pull himself up and using the bus for support, begins to walk, gradually becoming more assured, until one day it’s his turn to play race the bus at the park.

Now Granny Elsie hopes that the Repair Shop experts can fix the bus so that her own grandchildren can play with it. Step up Dom and Lucia who begin work straight away. Back at their home we see on the final spread a grown-up David using a zimmer frame looking on joyfully as the youngsters play with the restored bus; an important example of showing not telling.

An uplifting story and one in which those familiar with the tv series will recognise Jay and members of the team. Nonetheless both children and adults can enjoy this moving tale and spend time exploring Katie Hickey’s heart-warming scenes, including the detailed endpapers, together. The final spread recounts the true story of the toy bus and gives brief details about Jay and his team. More please!

Yesterday Crumb and the Teapot of Chaos

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Yesterday Crumb and the Teapot of Chaos
Andy Sagar
Orion

Apprentice tea witch, Yesterday Crumb, she who adds the double portion of T to attitude, returns.

At the start of this sequel Yesterday, who is trying to find her mother, is London bound. Despite warnings that it’s dangerous, she is eagerly anticipating seeing the Wild Feast cooking competition, but that isn’t quite what happens.
There’s an unexpected turn when suddenly her beloved Dwimmerley End is stolen with Miss Dumpling inside and in order to regain it Yesterday must enter and win the competition.

On top of that the Faerie Queen accuses Yesterday of being responsible for the disappearances of some of the Faerie Court, so at the order of the Queen, she has her innocence to prove too. Can things get any worse?As Yesterday and her loyal friends start to investigate, she realises the entire magical world is at risk.

We meet lots of new characters including villains aplenty, but always lurking near the surface is Mr Weep (who happens to be Lord of the Underworld and Yesterday’s father). What can our junior tea witch do in the face of so much adversity?

As good battles against evil, the story bubbles over with tension, wild magic and dramatic, sometimes perilous, twists and turns, all wonderfully brought to life by Andy Sagar through his excellent world building and elegant use of language. Underlying the whole tale are themes of identity, prejudice and acceptance, all of which Yesterday struggles with as a ‘neither-nor’ endeavouring to carve out her own identity; fortunately though she has the support of good friends.

There are issues in Yesterday’s world that readers in our world will recognise and relate to – the effects of water pollution on mermaids, tree dryads having to contend with a lack of green spaces, for example.

Utterly thrilling, this soul-stirring page turner leaves us on a cliff-hanger, a-boil with eager anticipation for the third story.

John’s Turn

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John’s Turn
Mac Barnett and Kate Berube
Walker Books

As the story opens we’re party to an event in the school canteen; here every Friday a school assembly takes place and one pupil presents something in what’s called the ‘Sharing Gifts’ performance. On this Friday it’s John’s turn and it’s pretty clear that he’s feeling nervous as he eats breakfast and dons his attire. Singing over, Mr Ross introduces John and out the boy steps as the curtain is pulled aside.

There’s some sniggering at the music that starts playing (‘strings, violins and things, and then maybe flutes’)

and the dance begins.

We’re treated to a sequence of double-page spreads – three wordless, two almost so – showcasing John’s moves: how stunning they are as we see his facial expressions and body language change as his fears dissipate and seemingly effortless, graceful capability takes over making him joyful.

Joyful too are the members of the audience as their doubts turn to real appreciation.

Kate Berube’s paint and ink illustrations communicate John’s feelings and showcase his accomplished athletic performance superbly, perfectly complementing Mac Barnett’s text, which takes the form of a simple pertinent narration that one assumes is by one of John’s fellow pupils.


Wonderfully empowering, this is a gorgeous book about finding the courage to be your true self that will speak to any child.

Lots of Dots

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Lots of Dots
Pippa Goodhart and Anna Doherty
Tiny Owl

Everyone wants to feel they belong but all too often there are challenges that get in the way. Will that be the case for the creatures in Pippa’s story, much of which is in the form of dialogue.

It begins with one Jaguar expressing aloud feelings of loneliness within the hearing of Ladybird and before long they and several other animals have formed “A Dotsy Club” with a secret password to be known only by club members. The arrival of Zebra causes the club members to rethink their membership criterion and it soon becomes the Patterns Club for which they set to work creating a flag.

Then comes the question of what to play: it needs to be something inclusive but soon along comes the very plain Monkey. Does Monkey feel lonely?: definitely not. Monkey is a member of an all inclusive club and it has a badge that everybody already possesses.

Can you guess what this badge is called? Moreover, do they actually still need a club at all?

What these creatures demonstrate is something that sadly all too many humans lack: wisdom and an understanding that it’s both similarities and differences that make life interesting. Anna Doherty’s animals – patterned or otherwise – are an engaging cast of characters. Keep an eye out for the tiny, unnamed ones too: they might not be saying anything but it’s fun to follow their activities throughout the book.

Share and discuss wherever possible.

Hilda: The Night of the Trolls

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Hilda: The Night of the Trolls
Luke Pearson
Flying Eye Books

This large format book contains Hilda and the Stone Forest and Hilda and the Mountain King, the fifth and sixth of the amazing graphic novel series.

In case you’ve not met Hilda before, she’s a blue-haired girl who lives with her mum and Twig, her fox-with-antlers pet, in a remote mountain cottage and then, later, in the city of Trolberg. Hilda finds adventure irresistible and in Hilda and the Stone Forest we first find her involved in the usual Hilda style adventure as she and Twig are chasing a small patch of ground that has weirdly grown legs and run off carrying atop itself a very small house full of very small people whom Hilda is desperately trying to rescue. Suddenly however, she realises that she’s late for Sunday dinner with her Mum and home she dashes taking the tiny house with her. During dinner, she succeeds in keeping what she’s been doing from Mum and meanwhile the residents of the tiny house sample the fare.

Dinner over, the girl tells her mum she’s going out again and off she goes, supposedly to the park; but this is Hilda and that isn’t exactly what happens. Eventually, after insisting the two of them go out together, which proves pretty eventful, Hilda’s mum grounds her. The girl then employs teleportation skills to escape the confines of her room but Mum grabs hold of her, things go haywire and mother and daughter end up lost in a stone forest wherein live the trolls.

Happily the two of them manage to survive what proves to be a weird and sometimes perilous adventure, one that isn’t over, but is continued in Hilda and the Mountain King.

Hilda, still in the Stone Forest has now morphed into a troll child whereas her Mum is back home caring for a troll baby. While in the wilds with the trolls, it becomes evident to Hilda that increasing numbers of trolls are being called to Trolberg’s outskirts and that could well mean trouble is on its way.

The troll mother that is looking after Hilda offers to re-humanise her but Hilda must find and bring in return, ‘something very special from the horde of the Mountain King’.

Can Hilda pull this off?

Without spoiling the ending, I’ll just say, the finale is a terrific culmination and revelation that ties everything together; but it’s a real shame that this is the end of Luke Pearson’s wonderful and wondrous graphic novel series. Long live Hilda and her indomitable spirit of adventure.

Let’s Go Home, Baby Tiger / Eggs! / Pip and Posy: Favourite Things

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Three new board books all published by Nosy Crow: thanks to the publishers for sending them for review

Let’s Go Home, Baby Tiger
Carolina Búzio

By means of the sliding discs on each recto, little humans can help the baby animals featured in this chunky book to find their way home. First comes baby tiger, followed in turn by baby parrot, baby elephant and finally, baby crocodile, each of which responds to the respective adult animal’s ‘Let’s go home baby …’

The moving discs and tracks will help to develop hand-eye coordination as young children endeavour to keep the baby animals upright and not make them dizzy by revolving the discs. There are several items to look for on each journey and the verso pages show what they are.

Lots of of fun learning here.

Eggs!
Katie Dale and Jenny Lovlie

A counting book with an egg theme that invites young children to guess what’s inside the eggs shown on each spread. What could be in the one egg about to crack open in the desert?
The nest beside the river contains two eggs: what is soon to crawl out of each? The jungle nest holds three eggs, each with a baby animal waiting to emerge, but what? Four eggs are ready to crack in the nest beneath the ocean: the babies within have lots of legs. I wonder what they could be … The farmyard nest holds five white eggs, just starting to crack and five fluffy birds are ready to hop right out.
A ‘guess what’ game and counting practice presented through Katie Dale’s rhyming text and Jennie Lovlie’s detailed scenes of the nesting locations of the five featured creatures. With a new life theme it’s just right for Easter and beyond.

Pip and Posy: Favourite Things

Inspired by illustrator Axel Scheffler’s original series and based on the TV show for preschool children, this tabbed board book introduces the best pals Pip (a rabbit) and Posy (a mouse) and their other friends, showing how they love playing together dressing up and having adventures. The friends in turn introduce their favourite toys: Froggy is Posy’s favourite and Piggy is Pip’s.
We also meet Jamila the squirrel, Zac the terrier pup who loves to zoom around on his bike, and level-headed Frankie the cat. All very different but with one thing in common: they love playing together.

I suspect adults and toddlers will enjoy reading this together.

You Are Loved

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You Are Loved
Margaret O’Hair, Sofia Sanchez and Sofia Cardoso
Scholastic

There are many ways to be a family; none is absolutely perfect but love is the vital element in every family. That message comes through loud and clear in this book, which was inspired by Sofia Sanchez whose parents, a father from Mexico and a mother from California, adopted her as a baby from an orphanage in Ukraine.

Really families are more than just those you see every day, or those related to you, perhaps you consider close friends, teachers and neighbours as part of your family too; they are certainly important.

Whether you are born into a family, chosen by your family or your family is chosen by you, its members will be special to you. They will make you feel special too and ‘strong’; they’ll tell you ‘You are enough’ and most crucially, ‘You are loved.’

Each family is different and that message is extended in Sofia Cardoso’s illustrations of diverse families, some of which are interracial..

Look closely at her scenes and you may notice some characters in more than one of them.
The book closes with a note from the mother of Sofia Sanchez.

An excellent choice for inclusion in a KS1 classroom collection.

Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere

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Tourmaline and the Island of Elsewhere
Ruth Lauren
Little Tiger

Twelve year old Tourmaline lives with her archaeologist mother at the Pellavere University and as the story opens she overhears a conversation and discovers that her mother, Persephone, has gone missing on an expedition. Quickly realising that despite reassurances, not one of the university staff is interested in finding her, Tourmaline decides to take matters into her own hands and launch her own rescue mission. For support she has her best friend, George (son of the Dean), and a new friend of his, Mai who she is yet to trust, but whose mother has recently joined the faculty.

With clues left in her mother’s lab and hastily written warning notes, the three set off on what turns out to be an absolutely incredible adventure to find the Island of Elsewhere, the place Tourmaline thinks her mother is trapped. It involves ‘borrowing’ a motorbike; they encounter fierce female pirates – Captain Violet and her crew, a floating island that disappears, with a maze of mirrors, talking trees and enormous spiders; add to that magical artefacts, trickery and memories that start to diminish.

There are certainly challenges aplenty for the three youngsters each of whom brings their own strengths – Mai’s limitless determination, George’s reliability and loyalty as a friend and Tourmaline’s boldness, bravery and single-minded focus – to a quest that tests their friendship to its utmost. But somehow their belief in each other and in themselves is a key part of this exhilarating story. I love too, Ruth Lauren’s crafting of the relationship between Tourmaline and Persephone – Tourmaline’s hunt for her mother is as much about finding her again in her heart as it is about seeing her again in the flesh. That, and the children’s discovery that yes, there is real magic in the world, though not everyone wants to use it responsibly.

The cliffhanger ending ties up the vital threads of the story but offers further Tourmaline excitement to come. Fresh, funny and gripping this will wrap you in its enchantment sweep you away, unable to stop until you reach the final page, but then, having savoured every word, you really don’t want to it end.

Food Fight

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Food Fight
Alex Latimer
Oxford Children’s Books

Brimming over with wit and humour is this story of young friends Grape and Mushroom. These two have a problem though. Since way, way back in time and for reasons completely forgotten the Vegetables and the Fruits have been bitterly at odds, hurling insults at each other and attempting to put paid to the friendship between Grape and Mushroom. 

Now things have escalated so much that the two young ones hide themselves away during the fighting to discuss what, if anything can be done about this constant warfare.

They decide to ask the advice of the Wise Old Cheese – if such a being even exists – said to live, if the legend is correct, on the Top Shelf of the fridge. This entails scaling the heights on a perilous journey through blizzards and quicksands, each encouraging the other through the worst parts. (Beware of the puns). Finally, utterly exhausted Grape and Mushroom reach the object of their search. 

Wise Old Cheese, exceedingly old, stinky and a tad mouldy, is fast asleep on that Top Shelf. Having explained their plight, the wedge promises through its moustache to think about the problem, but then promptly falls fast asleep once more.
Very disappointed, the friends return, find the Fruits and Vegetables still battling and are about to part company when they become aware of a ‘mysterious milky light’ accompanied by ‘a familiar pungent pong’. 

All squabbling ceases as there before them is the wise Old Cheese. The mouldy wedge announces the purpose of his visit and draws their attention to Mushroom and Grape, wonderful examples of cooperation united in a single purpose.

And so it is that the two factions, impressed at what they’ve heard, decide they have rather a lot in common and resolve to try peaceable living.

With a plenitude of wordplay, speech bubbles, splendidly expressive garden produce and instantly recognisable kitchen equipment, this is a delicious story demonstrating the all-conquering power of friendship and the importance of focussing on similarities not differences.

Rudy and the Secret Sleepskater / Isadora Moon and the New Girl

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These are additions to popular Oxford Children’s series : thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

Rudy and the Secret Sleepskater
Paul Westmoreland, illustrated by George Ermos

Rudy is a wolf boy; his good friends are ghost girl Edie and Femi the mummy and they love to skateboard together. In this story, Rudy and Edie are invited to Femi’s home for a sleepover, something Rudy is eagerly anticipating until he’s told he must leave his beloved pet wolf cub Wolfie behind.

When he gets there, Rudy finds the food, let’s say, somewhat unusual and certainly not to his taste; but then one of Femi’s older sisters divulges something even more unusual about their young brother: he’s a secret sleepwalker. 

At bedtime, unable to sleep on account of Femi’s grandmother’s snoring, he climbs out through the skylight and howls to his Wolfie; he then embarks on a game of hide-and-seek with Edie. However Rudy has failed to close the window and not long after, the two of them notice Femi sleepwalking on the roof. 

Not only does he sleep-walk though: a fall lands the young mummy on his skateboard and off he goes at considerable speed. Can Rudy and Edie steer Femi back safely from a nightmarish situation? Perhaps, with a bit of assistance from a certain wolf cub. Moreover can the friendship between the three transcend the differences that make themselves apparent during the sleepover?

I’ve not met these characters in their previous adventures but certainly found this one, with its important messages and splendid illustrations by George Ermos, a fun, snappy read.. The series is ideal for bridging the gap between picture books and solo reading of longer chapter books and I have no doubt Rudy et al will find a place in the hearts of younger newly independent readers. The power of Rudy’s pack clearly extends well beyond his family.

Isadora Moon and the New Girl
Harriet Muncaster

Isadora doesn’t take to Ava, the new girl who joins her class wearing snazzy, sparkling boots, thinking her standoffish and mean. Nevertheless, at the insistence of her Mum and Dad Isadora agrees to make an invitation for Ava along with all her friends for the party she’s going to host for her beloved Pink Rabbit.

The following day she hands out almost all the invites but somehow can’t find the right time to give Ava hers and in fact Ava’s behaviour seems even meaner so she keeps her invitation in her bag.

Back at home she eventually confesses to her Dad saying she feels really mean about the way she’s acted. He suggests two things: first that Isadora gives Ava the invitation the next morning and second that they take a pre evening breakfast fly to help his daughter clear her head. As they swoop over the park, Isadora spots some ducklings; so have other people – Ava and her parents are watching them too. 

Suddenly Isadora spots something else, something small that Ava has just taken from her pocket. From that moment the little vampire fairy starts to change the way she treats the new girl.

Don’t make judgements about people too quickly; get to know them first is the message that emerges from the latest Isadora Moon story. As always, it’s an Isa-delight to be in the company of the Moon family, but young solo readers new to the series might want to start with the first book, Isadora Moon Goes to School.

Pick a Perfect Egg

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Pick a Perfect Egg
Patricia Toht and Jarvis
Walker Books

A little girl and her mother pay a visit to Patty’s Farm and there they pick their own eggs including a perfect white one. Returning home the two of them set about making coloured eggs for Easter: they boil the eggs and then as they cool, prepare the dyes using a mix of natural plant colours and bought ones.

The child suggests using a white crayon to create designs on eggs before dyeing them. Job done, the girl goes to bed thinking of what will happen in the morning.

The following day, she’s up as the sun rises, and donning her bunny suit and lining a basket, off she goes hand in hand with Mum, to join her friends for the Easter Egg hunt.

There’s plenty of excitement as the children discover all manner of eggs – chocolate ones, plastic ones with treats inside, and then there are the dyed eggs: what a very special one the little girl has crafted for this springtime celebration.

Finally it’s time to enjoy some of the chocolate variety as you wish everyone a very Happy Easter.

Patricia’s rhyming narrative and Jarvis’s brightly coloured illustrations capture so well that mounting excitement and the fun of those Easter rituals that most children love so much. With a gorgeous cover, this is a really fun book to share in the run up to Easter but make sure you read it in time for children to try some of the egg decorating ideas presented.

The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice

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The Wishkeeper’s Apprentice
Rachel Chivers Khoo, illustrated by Rachel Sanson
Walker Books

This debut novel is a tale of belonging, wishes, family and self-belief. set in a magical world of wishkeeping.

One day when his sister hasn’t turned up to collect him, feeling lonelier than ever, ten year old Felix Jones tosses a penny into Whittelstone’s wish fountain and makes a wish. To his surprise almost immediately he notices a very unusual man fishing for his coin in the fountain. It turns out that this is none other than the town’s wishkeeper, Rupus Beewinkle, who shows surprise that Felix can see him and then invites the boy to partake of some hot chocolate with him. It’s then that the elderly man reveals his identity and announces that Felix is to become his apprentice saying, “The future of Whittlestone depends on you helping me. And I do believe fate has brought us together.”

Thus begins a new education for Felix who takes home the book Rupus gives him entitled A Complete Guide to Wishkeeping and that evening begins reading it.

Well, Felix had been wishing that things were different and now perhaps he’s got his wish. There are new things to learn about such as wish grades from one (‘highly suitable’) to four (‘ungrantable’); but he also learns of the malevolent presence of the Wishsnatcher. This menacing being is intent on reversing existing wishes and preventing any future ones being made.

A wishless world is a very bleak place with inconceivable threats to Rupus, Felix and indeed Whittlestone town. Felix has a quest: to fight for good: what a roller-coaster of a ride he’s embarked on.

The imagery in the story is superb: Rupus’s home, Snugwarm, is chaotic but has lots of unlikely magical objects including a wishofax machine, the vanquisher (fire extinguisher to defeat the villain), and the messaging wishfulness gauge.

Emerging above all from the book are the comments Rupus makes to Felix, “I remembered there is more to life than darkness and despair’ and “A creature capable of great wonders could turn into the greatest monster of all when deprived of hope.” Pertinent in our world assuredly and vital for today’s young readers.

Add to Rachel Chivers Khoo’s superb storytelling, Rachel Sanson’s black and white visuals, which add even more sparkle to this book: it’s a cracker either shared with a class or as a solo read.

The Hare-Shaped Hole

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The Hare-Shaped Hole
John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Despite their differences Bertle (a turtle) and Hertle (a hare) are almost inseparable. Hertle, the speedy one felt ill at ease in the water but with Bertle’s advice and patient support she was never left behind even though she never learned to swim. “We’re friends to the end!” they would both say but then suddenly and without warning, ‘the end came.’ Hertle was there no more; poor Bertle, all he can see is a hare-shaped hole in the air, nothing more of her at all.

Bertle finds it hard to believe so he sets out in search of his friend; he looks high, low and everywhere in between but all that remains is that empty Hertle-shaped hole. Bertle’s disbelief turns to anger and he gives vent to his feelings by shouting out until his throat hurts. No matter what Bertle tries to do, nothing brings back his friend, though the hole still accompanies him everywhere.

In utter despair Bertle sits and sobs at the side of the river, feeling himself surrounded by his sorrow.
As he sits immobilised by sorrow, a kind bear, Gerda comes along. She waits a while and then gives Bertle a bear-cuddle, allowing him to feel as deeply as he needed. 

After a while Gerda speaks some very wise words to the young turtle, telling him that the only thing to do is to fill that hare-shaped hollow with happy memories of the time the two friends spent together.

So begins the healing process for Bertle; certainly his emptiness won’t go away quickly but, now he has a new friend, the very wise Gerda to offer her helping paws.

The rawness readers will feel on first reading or hearing this heartfelt rhyming story of Bertle’s loss, grief and gradual embracing of life without Hertle, soon gives way to one of tenderness and appreciation of both the way John Dougherty’s tale is written and the manner in which Thomas Docherty captures the emotions in every one of his lovingly created illustrations. You might want a packet of tissues handy when you read this.

Ultimately uplifting, this poignant book is one to add to all primary school collections.

The Book of Legends

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The Book of Legends
Lenny Henry, illustrated by Kenos Ferrell
Macmillan Children’s Books

Fran and Bran are twelve year old twins who live with their mother in a small town in the Midlands; she is the storyteller at the Once Upon a Wow bookshop and loves to tell them stories, some of which are woven into the narrative of this book. During a camping trip four years previously, their Dad disappeared suddenly in a lightning bolt and since then Mum’s stories – the Tales of Koto Utama and the Nine Dominions, have become even more important.

Then history repeats itself, for on another camping trip Mum too vanishes, seemingly snatched up in a bolt of lightning. This leaves Fran and Bran in the care of Auntie Madge from the bookshop. Bran is deaf and both children go to a British Sign Language school where Bran is often in trouble because of the way he responds to being teased. The one thing that helped calm him down was to hear one of Mum’s stories; but when Madge is called into school to hear that Bran is threatened with expulsion she decides it’s time they went away to a boarding school.

However, that doesn’t happen thanks to Mum’s book of stories which provides a portal through which they are transported on a quest to solve the mystery of their parents’ disappearance. What an amazing adventure it proves to be. Along the way they face evil princes, murder fairies, mud monsters and even Vikings. Fortunately, though they receive help from Wilma, the Wizard’s Wife, and Zachary, the wisecracking Zebracorn.

There is SO much to love about this book: the interweaving of stories within the overall narrative, the strength and determination of the twins and their use of groan-worthy jokes, the diverse representation and inclusive nature of the characters, the author’s wit and humour, a satisfying finale and Keenon Ferrell’s black and white illustrations. Also included is a BSL alphabet chart so readers can learn to sign their own names.

A cracking tale to share with a KS2 class and for individual readers.

When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left

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When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left
Marc Colagiovanni and Peter H. Reynolds
Scholastic

The boy protagonist in this book discovers a simple procedure for lightening the heavy weight of worries, frustrations, doubts and fears he carries around with him.

It begins thus: ‘One day, for no particular reason, nothing was going right. Absolutely, positivelyNOTHING was going right. So I decided to go left.’ We see him putting down one of the heavy pieces of luggage – his large box – and walking on without it. He continues in similar vein, leaving behind a huge sack: thus he has dropped his weighty worries (little red monsters) and doubts (hairy green beasties).

On reaching the bottom of the high diving board, the boy deposits his suitcase of orange creatures, and attempts the dive but it’s not a great success. However the lad decides to leave his backpack of frustrations on the ground, its creatures yelling, “You can’t do it!’ and has another go at the dive.

Hurrah! A perfect entry this time. Suddenly a realisation dawns: the more left he goes, the more right he feels; in fact he continues going left and pretty soon, everything is going right. Now what remains as he has a quick look at the ground, are much, much smaller nasties, shrunken so it’s easy for him to pick them up again and continue, safe in the knowledge that they just need him to keep an eye on them.

An uplifting very positive message, imparted in a somewhat light-hearted manner through lawyer/author Marc Colagiovanni’s words and Peter H. Reynolds instantly recognisable illustrations, that encourages readers/listeners to drop the baggage when things are going badly in life.

Mr Leopard’s Bookshop / All the Wonderful Ways to Read

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Mr Leopard’s Bookshop
Alexa Brown and Julia Christians
Scholastic

Sophie needs to buy a present for her very best pal, her pug puppy Boss but it’s rather late in the day so the shops are shutting. However there’s one that looks as though customers would still be welcome so she tries the door. Wow! She can hardly believe her eyes at the sight of shelves and stacks of books everywhere she looks. Then suddenly the shop’s manager emerges; it’s the great Mr Leopard. The surprise causes Sophie’s mum to fall flat, but Mr Leopard is a kindly soul and offers to help the girl immediately.

He starts piling up books and bringing them for Sophie to peruse but she’s disappointed: nothing has that special sparkle she wants for a present for Boss.

Undaunted, Mr Leopard draws back a curtain to reveal something very unexpected

When Sophie has got over her initial shock sufficiently to listen to the characters that address her, she spies a rug on which is a dog holding a pen: surely it can’t be, but yes …

It can only be in a magical place such as Mr Leopard’s Bookshop where such amazing things can happen; but that isn’t the end of the amazing events, for the very next day Sophie throws a birthday party for Boss but she finds herself playing host to rather more guests than she’d anticipated.

Providing surprise after surprise, Alexa Brown’s jolly rhyming text bounces along merrily making the book an enjoyable read aloud and Julia Christians’s wonderful scenes of Mr Leopard’s establishment are a bibliophiles delight – once they’ve got over seeing the kind of characters it attracts.

All the Wonderful Ways to Read
Laura Baker and Sandra de la Prada
Little Tiger

‘Each reader is different – each one unique!’ So says author Laura Baker early on in this rhyming exploration of reading styles and celebration of the power of books. A power that takes readers on journeys to places far and near and perhaps to fantastic new worlds. It’s possible to go anywhere at all so long as you have the right book to read. Books can empower the reader, help them solve a problem, help them find meaning in their own experiences or those of others: reading can completely transform a person’s life, Reading develops the imagination and connects us; and I suspect anyone reading this picture book would find examples of ways of connecting.

Some may even become authors and/or illustrators, like those we meet in Sandra de la Prada’s scene of a group of people creating pictures and that showing a queue of eager readers waiting for an author to sign copies of her book.

The crucial thing that emerges from Laura’s text is that what’s important isn’t so much what you read, where or how you read, or how fast or slowly you read, but that you DO read. There are books out there waiting for everyone to discover and love: this fun one included.

Counting in Green / Bee Activity Book

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Counting in Green
Hollis Kurman and Barroux
Otter-Barry Books

So much more than a mere counting book: this collaboration between Hollis Kurman, a climate activist and Barroux, an award winning illustrator presents as the subtitle says, ’10 little ways to help our big planet’. Little ways they may be; but if everyone followed all ten or even most of them, what a BIG difference that would make to our precious Mother Earth.

The actions include planting a new tree, eating meat free meals, recycling and reusing, 

taking our own bags when we go shopping so as to avoid plastic, getting involved in a beach clean-up, 

cultivating a garden that encourages bees and butterflies.

Barroux’s gently humorous illustrations are inclusive and work well with the straightforward text; and the final spread concludes with this challenge to young readers: How many ways can you think of to go green? That would make an excellent starting point to get a class of primary children thinking about this vital topic.

The final endpapers offer some relevant websites as well as a paragraph about the interconnectedness of everything on earth, which’s why getting involved is so vital.

Bee Activity Book
Patricia Hegarty and Britta Teckentrup
Little Tiger

This activity book is based on Patricia Hegarty’s text and Britta Teckentrup’s illustrations for the buzz-ingly bee-utiful original picture book Bee:Nature’s tiny miracle published a few years back.

Herein several settings are used – a meadow full of wild flowers, a pond, a riverside, a woodland clearing – as backdrops for the wealth of bee-related activities. You will find word searches, bee parts to label, mazes, spot the difference, things to count, scenes to colour, and others to complete using the stickers at the back of the book, as well as mosaics that also require colouring and the placing of stickers.

There’s a wealth of fun learning between this book’s covers – an ideal way for youngsters to enjoy some nature-related, screen-free time.

Wake Up, Trucks!

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Wake Up, Trucks!
Jodie Parachini and Teresa Bellón
Little Tiger

A jaunty rhyming narrative and super bright scenes of a day in the life of a group of trucks and other construction vehicles: I can see this will be a hit with many small children.

We begin as, having feasted on a breakfast of fuel, the trucks trundle into life and honking as they go, make their way to the building site. There, the foreman awaits and the tugging and towing work gets going.

Each truck has a special role: there’s Dump Truck, carrier of heavy loads, Roller to smooth out the roads, the foundations pit is dug by Excavator and then little by little, Mixer does the filling. Next Loader carries wood for floors and some doors; humans fit the windows and to complete the building of one house, along comes Crane to top off the job with a roof.

Back in their yard at the end of the day, all the trucks are cleaned thoroughly and their engines allowed to cool right down. Definitely worth pointing out to all the truck enthusiastic young humans is that one of their number – a cement mixer – is plugged into an electrical charger.

Using a wealth of geometric shapes in her digital illustrations, Teresa Bellón’s vibrant scenes of those anthropomorphised vehicles provide plenty to explore and discuss.

Action-packed this surely is.

Baby Owl

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Baby Owl
Anne Rooney and Qu Lan
Oxford Children’s Books

The adorable-looking white fluffy owlet that emerges from an egg, the Baby Owl featured in this book doesn’t stay like that for long. With Daddy owl’s hunting and feeding regime, the owlets soon outgrow the nest, venturing out onto the tree branches. Baby Owl however, isn’t quite ready to catch his own insects. He ends up on the forest floor in a heap and has to climb all the way back to the nest by means of his sharp beak and claws.

Soon though, the owl parents leave their little ones to hunt for their own dinner and off goes Baby Owl in search of food.

Flying is fun, he decides and eventually with mouse in beak, back he goes to show his parents his prey. After consuming same, he settles down and falls asleep warmed by the rising sun..

As with previous titles in the series, young children will absorb quite a bit of information from the well-written narrative but characteristic of the Amazing Animal Tales are the flaps beneath which additional facts are presented as well as occasional questions, which add to the book’s interactive nature. In this one, youngsters will learn that an owl can turn its head nearly all the way round and can see all of its own back. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is certainly one to add to early years collections.

Super Poopers

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Super Poopers
Alex Woolf and Isobel Lundie
Little Tiger

The topic of poo almost invariably raises interest in young readers and this book will surely do so with its humorous approach to those often whiffy bodily emanations. Before you turn your nose up though, consider this statement that concludes the author’s introduction: ‘In short, there seems to be no end to human and animal ingenuity when it comes to finding uses for poo’.
A fair bit of ingenuity is also presented between the covers of this collaboration between author Alex Woolf and illustrator Isobel Lundie.

They start by presenting a handful or two of the weirdest facts about creatures and their poop. Did you know for instance that a hippopotamus whirls its tail while pooing. The result being flying faeces (sometimes reaching as high as 10 metres) that can be used to mark their territory and to show off to the opposite sex. 

Imagine being a pitcher plant in the vicinity of a mountain tree shrew; said animals use pitcher plants as toilets, which is of mutual benefit: the plant receives nutrients in the poo and the shrew licks the plant’s nectar.

Child readers may well be aware that poo makes a fantastic fertiliser – there’s a spread on that topic herein – but how many are aware of some of the things it can be used to make. For instance there’s a company in Thailand aptly named Poo Poo Paper that uses elephant poo to make paper. Of course, the pong is removed during a process of boiling that also disinfects the pulp before it’s mixed with plant fibres, spread on mesh trays and left to bake in the sun. The result is paper. Apparently one elephant’s daily dung dump is sufficient for over 100 sheets of paper. 

There’s also a luxury coffee that uses beans collected from the poo of Asian palm civets and it’s said to cost way, way more than your usual cup of coffee. I don’t think I’ll be trying that though.

Covering twelve topics in all, Alex Woolf’s playful, punning text is both fascinating – yes really – and full of amazing information and includes such topics as diverse as ancient fossilised faeces and what it can teach us, and ways poo can or might be utilised to produce power for heating, lighting and even vehicle fuel. In keeping with the tone of the verbal content, Isobel Lundie’s bright, detailed visuals are appropriately amusing and the resulting combination is sure to produce giggles aplenty in readers.

Manny’s Mood Clouds

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Manny’s Mood Clouds
Lourdes Ubidia
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

We learn about Manny’s moods through the eyes of his younger brother Elijah. He tells how his brother’s emotions are very quick to change and with it the way in which he acts; they’re so big they seem like coloured clouds that hover above his head. When he’s angry the cloud is red (that’s when Manny feels most frustrated); a blue cloud signifies sadness – then Manny wants to be left alone. A purple one comes when he experiences panic and is scared of everything; yellow represents happiness – Manny is ‘so happy he doesn’t know what to do with himself.’

Yes we all have little clouds, explains his brother but the difficulty for Elijah is the unpredictability of his brother’s mood changes. These aren’t like other people’s clouds, these are so big they’re overwhelming.

Their supportive parents decide eventually that Manny needs more help from someone with specialist knowledge so they take him to meet a therapist. She says that Manny has what is called a ‘mood disorder’ and gradually with her help, along with the support of his empathetic parents and sibling, he can be helped to work through his feelings. No, Manny’s clouds cannot be completely eradicated, but there are practical coping strategies that the brothers can do together. 

The examples given in the book are matched with the colours of Manny’s clouds which is especially helpful for families looking to support a child. It’s good to see that there’s a final spread showing a variety of other people who have mood clouds

The tone of the narration is a matter of fact one and the accompanying bright cartoon style illustrations keep the tenor of the book light and accessible for young children.

Backmatter written by clinical psychologist, Aimee Daramus offers some useful resources and tips for parents and carers of children with mood disorders.

 Lourdes Ubidia, Manny’s Mood Clouds, mood disorder

My Momma Zo

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My Momma Zo
Kelly & Zoey Allen, illustrated by Tara O’Brien
uclanpublishing

This bright picture book is about a family with two mums, one of whom is trans.

The narrator is young Molly who begins by showing readers a drawing of the family – herself, her brother George and their two mums. The four of them live in a small house in the city.

Molly goes on to talk of the likes and dislikes of each one: she for example likes pasta, puddle jumping and adventures with her dog; George dislikes vegetables, wearing a coat regardless of the weather and likes walking the dog, playing games and watermelon. He’s also very kind to his sister.

Among Mommy Kel’s likes are tea drinking and she shares Molly’s liking of pasta. Momma Zo likes long baths, singing and cuddles but does not like cauliflower or having to shave her face from time to time.

We’re then told something else about Momma Zo: “We used to call her Daddy. She was often sad and unhappy, but nobody knew why.’ Molly says.

Now though Momma Zo has become a trans woman; she’s so much happier and as George says, Momma Zo is still the same person inside and Ziggy the dog loves her no matter what; but then he’s just part of what is a loving and supportive family.

There are occasions however when they all go out, that somebody is unkind but since transitioning Momma Zo has become much stronger and on this matter too George has something to say ‘you should always get to know someone before finding out their gender.’ A wise boy is George.

Sensitively written, this empowering story is stylishly illustrated by Tara O’Brien and deserves a place in all primary school collections.

The Story Shop: Dino Danger! / Little Rabbit’s Big Surprise

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The Story Shop: Dino Danger!
Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tony Neal
Little Tiger

It’s always a treat to enter the Puddletown High Street establishment run by Wilbur and his ferret assistant, Fred. This unusual place sells stories but it’s not a bookshop, rather it sells stories you can actually be in. Dino Danger is the third in Tracey’s – if my experience is anything to go by – very popular series and offers three adventures, together with suitable costumes and characters, that are just waiting for a scaredy Bear to participate in.

Somewhat surprisingly, Fred and Wilbur suggest he dons a dinosaur outfit as does Fred who will accompany Bear. Our ursine character will definitely have to find a whole lot of courage if he’s to face a lot of prehistoric beasties, starting with a T.Rex and companions -Stegosaurus, Diplodocus and Apatosaurus. Can he avoid ending up as lunch for the terrible tyrannosaurus? Perhaps if he can outplay Big T. in a game of crazy golf …

In the second episode Bear turns baby sitter for three mischievous little Triceratopses that are leading their teacher, not to mention Bear and Fred, on a merry dance, after which the latter need to make a hasty exit.

Story three sees the adventurers on the trail of the real Veggie Nibbler(s) with just three days to catch them or they could well end up popping endless amounts of pea pods at the dinos’ Famous Allotment Club.

With plenty of amusing black and white illustrations by Tony Neal to break up the text, these stories will please followers of the series and likely win lots of new fans for The Story Shop.

Also for newly independent readers and just out in paperback is:

Little Rabbit’s Big Surprise
Swapna Haddow and Alison Friend
Little Tiger

One of the first in the publisher’s short fiction series with full colour illustrations, the original hardcover was reviewed four years back on this blog.

Carry Me!

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Carry Me!
Georgie Birkett
Walker Books

It’s a while since Wilbur was an easy to carry, snuggly baby; he’s now considerably bigger and stronger. Nonetheless he still tries insisting, “Carry Me!” He loves piggybacks, shoulder rides and being pushed in his buggy regardless of the weather.

Unsurprisingly, all this effort eventually takes its toll on Wilbur’s Mummy and even when she suggests he should try walking, Wilbur is ready with an excuse or two.

One day however, when out with his mum, Wilbur drops his toy, Rabbit. Out of the buggy he leaps and off he hops to retrieve Rabbit.

On his return, who should be sitting in the buggy but his Mummy. I wonder what the little lad did next …

Thereafter, Wilbur and his Mummy can be seen walking home side by side, chatting happily and Wilbur’s chief want is no longer Carry Me! He’s replaced it with another request.

A smashing story for busy, weary grown-ups to share with their little ones. It would make a warm hug of a book to give a mum on Mother’s Day but equally it’s a great one to read to a nursery group or a small child at any time. Make sure you start reading from the front endpapers where. Georgie Birkett portrays Wilbur’s mum carrying her unborn child. The illustrations throughout show so much more than the straightforward narrative; you will definitely want to linger over every spread enjoying the humorous details and watching the changing expressions and body language of the two main characters.

A Passing On Of Shells

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A Passing On Of Shells
Simon Lamb, illustrated by Chris Riddell
Scallywag Press

It’s always exciting to discover new poets and Simon Lamb is a new voice on the poetry scene. For each of the fifty poems included here, he’s used just fifty words and, speaking volumes, every one of them is accompanied by an awesome illustration by the inimitable Chris Riddell.

The subjects of this cracking collection are wide-ranging and include family members, hope, nature’s wonders, growing up and the writing process. Those of us who write in any shape or form will recognise Simon’s playful words on the elusive ‘great idea’ in Searching for Ideas: ‘I glimpsed a glimmer of a great idea / just out of my eye but somewhere near / so I crept over quiet and I didn’t dare speak / … then readied my pen but alas that was when / the monster took flight once again!

I’m pretty sure too that many adults will from time to time find themselves having to emulate Macaroni Man, a brilliant chef or is he? ‘I love his macaroni! / Here’s the secret of his grub: / he cuts some slits into the lid, then microwaves the tub!’ 

Whatever your mood you’ll find something to enjoy here. I love the contemplative Still Earth: ‘Earth holding breath. / The sky a brilliance of blue, / its blush like newly polished brass. … No wind today. / Just stillness. / Stillness. / Just air and light and calm and earth. And in the absence of the words: / birds.’ Beautiful! So too is Chris’s accompanying illustration.

And, who wouldn’t want to have themselves described thus in the opening lines of What I Know About You: ‘You are a dazzling human, unique: a soup of swirling starlight wrapped in skin.’

Small, sparkling gems perfectly formed, every one: what better way to launch Scallywag Press’s new poetry list than this?

Kind Crocodile / Who’s Hiding? On The Farm

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Kind Crocodile
Leo Timmers
Gecko Press

Little does Crocodile know when he decides to leave his watery abode and go for a stroll that he’ll end up as an animal rescue service. First comes a mouse fleeing from a scary snake, closely followed by a warthog hotly pursued by a hyena; next is an impala chased by a cheetah and then a rhinoceros with a lion in pursuit. Crocodile sees off the chasers with some strategic and menacing GRRRRs and offers a safe haven to what becomes, with the addition of the heaviest animal, a surprised heap comprising rhino, impala, warthog and mouse each precariously balanced in a tower upon the kind croc’s back. This makes him let’s say, somewhat flattened, physically at least, as well as voiceless.

How will they see off that hungry lion now?

Happily teamwork comes to their rescue; but the last word (make that almost the last) is definitely that of Crocodile, which creates a moment of suspense before his final utterance. Then off they all go, the animal tower somewhat differently arranged.

With Timmers’ humorously expressive mixed media illustrations, simple patterned text and that fun plot twist, this a funny large-format board book to share with little ones.

Who’s Hiding? On The Farm
Pintachan
Little Tiger

When a little chick loses his mummy, he asks Pig to help him find her but they can’t do so without little readers’ assistance. Following Pig’s instructions, they can explore what’s hidden behind the flap on each spread. They will also discover several other little chicks that have tucked themselves away cheeping, and once located those too can help in the search.

With bright jolly art by Pintachan and cutaway pages of farm scenes with minibeasts too, a simple text that includes animal speech bubbles to join in with and a happy ending, there’s plenty to entertain little humans in this fun board book.

Meet The Weather

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Meet the Weather
Caryl Hart and Bethan Woollvin
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Team Hart and Woollvin follow their introductions to the planets and the oceans with an opportunity for young children to go adventuring a third time and find out about different kinds of weather. Meet the Weather sees a little girl and her canine companion soaring through the sky in a magical hot air balloon. On their journey they’ll meet shape-shifting clouds, wild whooping whooshing winds, lightning along with booming thunder, a destructive tornado that twirls and whirls sending everything in its path skywards. 

Then there’s the cold murky fog with its damp greyness; 

the snow that can transform the land into a carpet of white, the radiant sunshine that makes the world joyful; the vital rain to refresh the natural world and help it grow, and finally perhaps most beautiful of all, a glorious rainbow where the sun meets the raindrops.

Young children will love copying the various onomatopoeic sounds Caryl includes in her rhyming text and enjoy exploring the land- and sky-scapes presented in Bethan’s dramatic, vividly coloured illustrations in this book which provides a subtle STEM lesson woven into a fun story.

The Big Bad Bug

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The Big Bad Bug
Kate Read
Two Hoots

The Big Bad Bug is a self important beetle and on the beautiful morning when this story unfolds, he’s in a big bad mood that upsets all the other minibeasts in the garden. They’re especially aggrieved when the Big Bad Bug claims ownership of the splendid bug house intended for them all.

But then they come upon a ginormous, absolutely deliciously juicy-looking berry big enough for everyone. You can guess who wants it all for himself.

Now the other minibeasts stand their ground, demanding they all have a share. A tussle ensues and the outcome is one stuck bug, seemingly with more than merely his pride hurt.

Just when it looks as though the BBB is about to meet his doom with a dark shadow looming above, the caterpillar has a change of heart, so to speak, and the Big Baddie has a narrow escape. Instead of being squished out of existence, he is seized by a delighted child who lavishes kindness and care upon him for the rest of the morning.

Come lunchtime though, she releases the “sweet little bug’’ to find his friends and off he goes grumbling to himself till he comes face to face with the other bugs. A new one among their number might just be the one to stand up to selfish, bullying Big Bad Bug.
Will he never learn to share though? What do you think?

Kate Read’s richly coloured, detailed illustrations of all manner of minibeasts in their natural environment are infused with humour. Her text includes lots of dialogue, which allows adult readers aloud to create plenty of drama as they share the book with young children.

My Mummies Built a Treehouse / Amazing Mum

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My Mummies Built a Treehouse
Gareth Peter and Izzy Evans
Lantana

In a rhyming narrative the boy protagonist asks his two mummies to build him a treehouse. Both agree and each has different ideas and skills to bring to the project, but first they’re all three involved in the choice of the right tree. That done, the creation process gets underway with the drawing of a plan and as Mummy insists ‘very strong foundations’. Mum (a doctor) points out that trees are living things and so in order to give their tree room to grow, they should build around it.

Then it’s off to buy the wood and other materials needed for the construction and back at home the three spend the rest of the day working together. There are occasional mishaps and some adverse weather, but eventually a few days later, the narrator has the key in his hand and up, up, up the ladder he climbs to be met at the top with an amazing view of the countryside. ‘The perfect palace in the clouds for all my friends and me.’ The fulfilment of a dream and a perfect day to share it, first with his many pals and then come the evening, beneath the stars with “Mummy, Mum and Me’.

An uplifting tale that reads aloud well combined with detailed illustrations of the loving family and their activities. You’ll want to spend time enjoying each scene: the family moggy gets up to lots of antics; there’s small mammal activity underground, a plethora of potted plants and a family of birds and much more, to feast your eyes on in Izzy Evans’ richly hued illustrations.

Amazing Mum
Alison Brown
Farshore

Love and humour abound in Alison Brown’s celebration of mums and it seems likely that young children will find a character very like their own mum or mother figure in this exuberant celebration of their diverse talents and idiosyncrasies. They will encounter mums juggly, snuggly, those super at finding missing things, mums with an eye for the main chance when it comes to cake, supportive mums, fussy mums, those good at mending things and many others;

they’ll even find ‘Double mums’. No matter what, mums never run out of love. Finally, there’s the absolute best BIG hug sharer and that is everyone’s very own mum.

Inclusive and a delight to share with the very young: little ones will enjoy Alison’s simple rhyming text and find plenty to giggle at in her mum portrayals. There’s lots to talk about and with just the right amount of quirky detail, each one is endearing rather than overly cute.

Mums of all kinds will be very happy to receive this as a Mother’s Day present.

My Mummy Marches

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My Mummy Marches
Samantha Hawkins and Cory Reid
Lantana

The little girl herein talks about her mum and the various causes she marches for including protecting the environment and social justice. Crucially though she marches to fix the world’s problems, to say things that need saying and to remind people how to love. She marches no matter the season or the weather; she marches with lots of other people all supporting the same cause, but sometimes she’ll even march alone.

On occasion she feels sad, tears well up and then she marches quietly. She never stops marching however, just like her own mummy and grandmother did when they marched for equal rights and a better way of life.

With such a powerful advocate for social justice,

what does the little girl herself think? She’s clearly proud of her mother, telling readers, ‘She marches like the beat of a terrific, giant drum. She marches ferocious and tall, like lightning burning across the open sky … She marches proud and passionate with her face lit up in the biggest smile.’ It’s evident that our young narrator intends to follow in her mother’s footsteps – she’s already learning to march, we’re told: “I will march for freedom, for kindness and for love.’

In her straightforward narrative, Samantha Hawkins makes effective use of simile and metaphor as she presents her empowering theme and it is made even more compelling by Cory Reid’s dramatic, inclusive illustrations. A book that one hopes will galvanise young readers and listeners to stand up and march to make the world a kinder place for everyone.

Art and Joy: Best Friends Forever

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Art and Joy: Best Friends Forever
Danielle Krysa
Prestel

Meet best friends, Art and Joy. These two love creating things together, all kinds of things and they do so with minimal resources. From paper, a few pink crayons and a roll of tape they made Gumballio, a brand new planet; boxes were fashioned into a funky parade and their homes for magical creatures were desired by all the town’s fairies, though some had particular colour requirements.

Everything is going swingingly until one day, the Art Bully criticises their latest endeavour. Art in particular is affected by the negativity: no matter what the friends work on, despite Joy’s delight in their creations, the insidious Art Bully continues to hover nearby ready to pour scorn upon their work.

Art is bemused that Joy appears to be untroubled by that bullying voice and with Art Bully’s words always there, becomes more and more miserable. Now Art refuses to make anything unless it’s ‘serious, normal, tidy, and right’.

Will Art ever be able to get the better of that self-critical voice and rediscover the delights of creative expression? Happily yes, thanks to some time spent in the great outdoors.

This book’s creator really understands that many children, especially as they get older, are beset by their own inner critic that finds fault with their artistic endeavours. Her playfully humorous collage illustrations, wise words, and clever use of typography will surely help youngsters to overcome their own Art Bullies and find joy in both the creative process and product.

Winnie-the-Pooh and Me

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Winnie-the-Pooh and Me
Jeanne Willis and Mark Burgess
Macmillan Children’s Books

Inspired by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard, author Jeanne Willis and artist Mark Burgess have created a new story featuring the favourite classic characters, the inspiration being Milne’s poem Us Two from Now We Are Six, which is printed before this book’s title page.

We join Pooh and Christopher Robin one fine day as they head off on a tricycle and endeavour to discover which of their friends – a ‘what’ or ‘who’ – is following them. It definitely isn’t Kanga and Roo; they are sailing a boat, bound for Timbuktu. Nor is it Rabbit – the maths doesn’t add up, so what about Owl? He’s certainly at home

and he does offer a couple of suggestions, one regarding possible followers and the other concerning Pooh’s favourite food.

Off they go again further into the Hundred Acre Wood, intent on getting rid of pursuers: but is that possible? Perhaps Eeyore has the answer …

Jean Willis’ rhyming narrative with repeat refrains, together with Mark Burgess’s delightful illustrations that include all of Winnie and Christopher’s friends in one way or another, make this sequel one that will captivate both adult readers aloud and young children to whom the characters may perhaps be new.

The Bear and the Wildcat

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The Bear and the Wildcat
Kazumi Yumoto and Komako Sakai
Gecko Press


‘One morning, Bear was crying. His best friend, a little bird, was dead.’ So begins this deeply moving, poignant story of friendship, loss, grief and finally, hope.

Bear fashions a small wooden box and gently places the bird inside. He carries the box everywhere showing it to other animals he meets. They admire its beauty but failing to understand why Bear takes the box around, tell him to forget his friend.

Bear returns home and shuts himself away for several days but one morning sunshine streaming through the window wakes him. This prompts him to venture outside and as he walks along the riverbank, he comes upon a wildcat dozing at the waterside; beside him are a battered rucksack and a strangely-shaped box.

The latter interests Bear who wants to know what’s inside. The wildcat agrees to show him on condition Bear opens his box too.
The wildcat listens as Bear tells his story, realising that he must miss the friend he’d loved deeply. It’s the first time anybody else has acknowledged this to Bear. In return wildcat opens his box, takes out his violin and offers to play a song for Bear’s friend. As he does so, Bear remembers some of the times he and Bird had spent happily together

and in so doing Bear’s sadness begins to lift and he starts to heal. He decides it’s time to bury his friend and with the wildcat’s help they create a final resting place for the little bird.

The wildcat invites Bear to accompany him on his travels, he gives him a well-used tambourine and together the two animals move on, travelling the world and making music.

Kazumi Yumoto’s text is lyrically and lovingly written; and is accompanied by Komako Sakai’s soft edged, smudgy black and white images, which become infused with touches of pink as Bear begins to recall the happy memories and accept his friend’s death.

A beautiful book to offer comfort to those experiencing loss, and an opportunity to talk about death and grief with younger children.

Cheeky Worries

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Cheeky Worries
Patrick Davey and Anna Smith, illustrated by Anne Wilson
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Finn is just like other boys, fun loving and adventurous; he has worries, just like other boys but he doesn’t know this as the story starts.

His worries come upon him one day as he sits on the top deck of a bus right at the front, pretending to be the driver:suddenly a frightening thought pops into his head: suppose Mummy gets off without me. His heart beats faster and he gets butterflies in his tummy. Holding onto his mummy’s hand helps him forget his scary thought and all is well.

That night another scary thought arrives in his mind. So scared does Finn feel about the possibility of a monster lurking beneath his bed that he doesn’t want to snuggle down inside.

The following day he gets a scary thought about falling from the slide and off he gets.

Sitting dejectedly alone on a bench, he hears a whooshing sound and right beside him is an owl. Now this owl knows lots about scary thoughts and their effects as she’s seen many other people who have been similarly troubled. She calls the thoughts ‘cheeky worries’ on account of the way they creep uninvited into a person’s mind and by distorting the truth, prevent them doing what they want. Moreover the owl has several strategies Finn can use to dispel his worries before they get the better of him.

Having shared her wisdom, the owl gives Finn one of her ‘magic’ feathers. Then in answer to the boy’s question regarding the number of feathers the owl has missing, she bids him farewell with a parting, ‘Because, Finn, my brave little friend, everybody – however big or small – has cheeky worries’. Finn then starts noticing other people with strategically placed feathers.

With Anne Wilson’s bright, empathetic illustrations, this engaging, hugely reassuring story for young children was written by an NHS psychiatrist (Patrick Davey) and a clinical psychologist working in the NHS (Anna Smith). The book discusses anxiety in a child-friendly manner, giving young children the tools needed to deal with their fears.

One to add to classroom resources and family bookshelves.

Mind and Me / Barney the Horse

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Mind and Me
Sunita Chawdhary
Knights Of

This funny story is about much more than just losing your pet rabbit, which is what Maya, the girl narrator of this book does. 

When she wakes one morning she discovers her beloved Pooey is missing from his house beside her bed. Mysteriously it appears that the rabbit must have opened the door herself.

It’s also about lies and their consequences; determination, lots of poos (rabbit ones for the most part), identical twin cousins – the daughters of Maya’s favourite aunt who has a ‘way of sprinkling happiness over everyone’ – a warm, loving family and Mind. Mind is Maya’s own mind that acts as a kind of prompt, voice in the head alter ego. Into all this, author Sunita Chawdhary weaves occasional snippets of information about Indian customs and life in India, (Maya’s mother is from India), a few pearls of yoga wisdom, lots of humorous black and white illustrations and more.

Most of the book relates what happens when Maya, aided (sort of) and abetted by cousins Tanya and Anya search for Pooey, though it’s only Maya who knows what they’re actually looking for.

There’s plenty to delight younger solo readers in this, Sunita’s debut chapter book; this adult reviewer loved it too.

Barney the Horse
Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees
Harper Collins Children’s Books

This book contains three short stories set in turn at Nethercott farm, Treginnis and Wick Court which constitute the Farms for City Children Organisation set up by the author and his wife to give city children, (who come to stay along with their teachers), experience of such things as feeding sheep, milking cows, looking after horses and generally interacting with other animals and the natural world.

The first, Missing! is a little boy’s account of what happened when he and his classmates went to feed the sheep and discovered that one of the lambs wasn’t there. The farmer declares that the one who finds the errant lamb will be awarded the ‘farmer of the day’ badge. This results in the narrator straying a bit too far, just like the object of his search, in what turns out to be a very dramatic rescue.

In Bird Boy, story two, Matt is staying away from home for the first time. Despite enjoying the stories by the fire in the evenings, the berry picking, eating the beans he’s helped to gather, and the interactions with the animals, the boy feels homesick. It’s the wealth of birdlife though, that makes all the difference for Matt. He especially likes to observe the swallows that have nested in one of the barns and are rearing their young. 

What he doesn’t anticipate is that he will play an important role in the early life of one of the little chicks.

The third story is a retrospective one told by an adult narrator and contains an empowering message.. Go For It was the motto of the narrator’s Grandma and it was this catchphrase and her gran’s birthday gift that were responsible for the story teller going to stay at Wick Court with her primary school friends. She tells how her interactions with the horses there, especially Barney, completely changed the course of her life.

For younger readers, these gentle tales, accompanied by Guy Parker-Rees’ plentiful, spirited black and white illustrations, convey the lasting effects a stay on a child-friendly farm can have.

Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech City

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Juniper Mae: Knight of Tykotech City
Sarah Soh
Flying Eye Books

Juniper Mae, a young inventor, lives in Tykotech City, a wonderful place on account of its residents having their energy sourced from within by The Core, so that they have no need to venture into the deep dangerous forest surrounding the city to obtain resources. Now though unexplained problems with The Core have started causing power cuts.

One night when out testing her latest invention, the Juni Jet, (a high velocity jetpack with miniaturised hyperdrive), The Core’s power cuts out causing Juniper to crash land in the forest. Hearing a sound, she fears it heralds the approach of one of the terrible beasts the city folk talk of, but instead what appears is a tiny creature – a tama-tama – that looks rather endearing.
The creature introduces himself as Albie, offers his help to guide her home and accompanies Juniper in the hope that she’ll show him the city.

First though, Albie shows her his own village where she notices some unusual plant lights she’s told are sourced from kabbage seeds, and then in his hut, the artefact he’d mentioned that could help her. He also tells Juniper that this object had once belonged to the Guardian Knights, the ancient protectors of both humans and tama-tamas, thus giving both groups a shared antiquity. Albie gives his new friend both the ancient sword and an ancient map and they both go back to Juniper’s home.

Juniper investigates how the kabbage seeds work but just as she’s done so the city is invaded by metal monsters. Are they responsible for the power losses? Juniper is a determined character and with Albie’s assistance, together with the artefact and the newly discovered power source, she sets about saving the city and the forest. Can the spirit of those Guardian Knights supercharge her confidence.

Sarah Soh’s graphic style presentation of Juniper’s world is immediately immersive with its wealth of glowing images and lots of mechanical detail; there’s a gripping fast-paced plot that includes lots of dialogue and leaves readers satisfied with the resolution of one mystery but eager to meet Juniper and Albie again in the two further tales. I love the mix of technology and nature and that the main protagonist is passionate about STEM subjects.

My Heart is a Poem

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My Heart is a Poem
various authors, various illustrators
Little Tiger

Feelings come and go; most of us experience a plethora of them each day, some briefly, others are with us for longer. This collection of poems from twenty poets is an exploration of these emotions and the effects they have on us. Among the voices are those of Joseph Coelho, James Carter, Kate Wakeling, John Agard, Valerie Bloom and Coral Rumble. Some of the poems included are new to me, one such is Debjani Chatterjee’s No More … about finding a way to deal with a bully. It begins like this: ‘I knew the icy grip of fear, / I knew my heart beat like a drum, I felt a pounding in my ear / And courage crumbling in my tum.’ I suspect most of us have felt similarly troubled by fear of someone. The illustrator for this poem, Nabila Adani is also new to me.

No matter how you are feeling, as Elaine Laron says in No One Else, people can certainly tell you how to do almost anything; however you and only you own your feelings: ‘But no one else, no, no one else / Can tell you how you feel.’ Annalise Barber illustrated this one 

The boy in Nikki Grimes’ Stomp describes how having been subjected to a barrage of horrible words all day at school, ‘I Come home / feet about to bleed / from angry stomping. / “Boy!” says Mom. / “Quit making all that racket.” / But what does she expect / when, day after day, / haters sling words at me / like jagged stones / designed to split my skin’. He retreats to his room and takes up his journal, ‘and unload my hurt, my rage / ’til I can breathe again. / Letter by letter, / I rediscover / my power to decide / which words matter, / which words don’t, / and whose. / Calm, now, I remember: / I get to choose.’ Powerful for the boy; powerful too for the reader.

It’s interesting to consider the situations that cause a particular feeling to manifest itself and there are a wide variety presented in these poems. Coral Rumble’s Ache is the result of disappointment at never being picked to participate in a playground game: ‘But deep inside the pit of me, I ache an ache no one can see.’ So says the child who is always left alone standing by the fence.

Wherever you open the book, you are likely to find a poem that resonates with you and it will be illustrated by one of four fantastic artists whose visual images will be powerfully evocative of the emotion the poet has written about.

Brief biographies and photos of the featured poets and illustrators are presented at the end of the book, enabling the reader to feel connected with the creators.

A great book for the classroom but equally one for individuals to curl up with and ponder.

The Swing

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The Swing
Britta Teckentrup
Prestel

This is an absolute jewel of a book: a poetic reflection on the passage of time, at the centre of which is a swing.

The swing stands on a hill overlooking the sea. Said swing had always been there, the narrator tells us ‘… it invited everyone to take a seat.’ It’s a place for meeting, for being alone, a place of joy and laughter; it’s also a place for big decisions and perhaps change – beginnings and endings: somewhere anything and everything is possible. There are pensive moments, playful moments and pour your heart out moments. It’s a place to contemplate and dream about the future.

Friends meet there and so do lovers. It might be a place from which to take flight …

Seasons come and seasons go, bringing with them changes – in the natural world and also in relationships.
Mia and her grandmother would stop and counting carefully, have twenty swings on their daily walk to school and even now as a grown up with a daughter of her own, Mia recalls that swinging and her beloved gran. Precious memories stay with us always.

Little by little the swing grows ever more creaky, battered by storms, until eventually nobody uses it and nobody fixes it. But then, years later, a young man and his son walked by. Another change – a vital one – takes place as the man and other people start a joint restoration …
Childhood, friendship, love and loss are portrayed in Britta’s meditative, exquisitely illustrated collage style scenes. It’s amazing how she communicates so much in what at first appear to be relatively simple, yet quietly powerful, pictures and narrative.

The Emerald Forest

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The Emerald Forest
Catherine Ward and Karin Littlewood
Otter-Barry Books

A mother orangutan lives with her children in a green Sumatran forest that is teeming with wildlife. She teaches her little ones the vital life skills they need to survive but one day she hears a loud CRASH! that sends birds every which way and then she sees smoke starting to permeate the canopy. Orangutan moves her family away from the noise and smoke and for a time things are apparently back to normal.

Then again comes that terrible sound, raging like an enormous beast, accompanied by clouds of dark, dense smoke. Suddenly Orangutan and her tree are crashing earthwards.

At first it seems there’s no escaping the fires all around, but as the smoke starts to clear a smiling face and an outstretched hand appear. Help has come in the form of a woman who leads the orangutan mother and her family to a place of safety; a green, tree-filled place where they can live alongside other creatures.

The island of Sumatra has lost nearly half of its rainforest in the last thirty or so years but this poignant picture book is one of hope: the place where the fictional orangutan family found safety is based on the Bukit Tigapulu National Park on the island of Sumatra. (Notes inside the back cover give details of the Emerald Forest setting of the story as well as facts about the critically endangered orangutans.)

Author Catherine Ward’s passion for wildlife conservation is apparent in her compelling prose and Karin Littlewood’s pictures have a power and poignancy of their own that makes the book even more impactful.

Are You A Monster?

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Are You A Monster?
Guilherme Karsten
Happy Yak

Essentially this is a fun interactive challenge wherein the ‘really bad’, bespectacled, reptilian monster protagonist speaks directly to readers informing us that this beastie wants a monster buddy to participate in doing scary things. Said monster however isn’t making things easy. It has a fair few characteristics on its necessities list for a companion and won’t tolerate anyone that doesn’t come up to the mark. End of story. What! Part way through the book? Or maybe beneath that rough skin, there lies a heart that might just be ready to change.

Little ones will love romping and stomping,

growling and galumphing to prove their worth in front of this demanding monster and they will certainly enjoy the final reveal too.

Guilherme Karsten’s illustrations are great fun as well. His monster practically leaps off the page at times and despite not trying to be, the monstrous character is highly endearing. Add to that the way the presentation of his monologue breaks into appropriately monstrous size print in places offering adult sharers a great opportunity to let rip along with their young audiences, you’re in for a lively story session when you read this one.

Outside / Mole’s Quiet Place

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Inside and outside both feature large in these two Little Tiger picture books: thanks to the publisher for sending them for review.

Outside
Bee Chuck

Essentially this is a retrospective look at that happened to everyday life during the lockdowns and how it has affected our appreciation of the great outdoors.

It starts before we were instructed to stay indoors, life was frantic and the two narrators of the book never had a minute to pause and take notice of the natural world especially.
Then, the first day of the enforced period at home turned out to be fun with hours and hours to bake cakes, chat on the phone and play on-screen games. Quickly the weather and nature were forgotten. Quickly too, those indoor pursuits got more and more boring.

However, the spin off was that without the continual rushing around, there was time to stop and really take notice of what was happening outside. Through the windows could be seen nature growing and thriving in the city: so why not try to create outside, inside – or almost inside. We see the two protagonists imagining and then creating window boxes, dangling bird feeders from tree branches and making pictures of visiting minibeasts; they even made a camp in the kitchen.

In due course, in stages the restrictions were lifted: simple outdoor activities like feeding the ducks became the highlight of the day. People rediscovered the joys of chatting face to face instead of on the phone, cycling was preferable to sitting in a car and physical activities outdoors were far more fun that on screen gaming.

When finally people could spend as much time outdoors as they wanted, our narrators (along with most of the population I suspect) have decided that their priorities have changed: outside fun in all weathers is way more pleasurable than staying in. Furthermore with wildlife now much more abundant in cities, has come the realisation that rather than overly tame nature, we can enjoy a slightly slower life, a vital part of which is cherishing the natural world.

Author/illustrator Bee Chuck’s love of nature shines through in the child-like illustrations throughout the book. Let’s hope Outside will instil that love in youngsters and the adults who share it with them, be that at home or in the classroom.

Mole’s Quiet Place
Jane Chapman

Mole loves his treehouse home that he shares with his friend Beaver; best of all he enjoys their evenings together, a time when they can remember their old friend, Bear. However with its welcoming lights and welcoming atmosphere the two frequently have their peaceful evenings interrupted by visitors eager to enjoy their hospitality.

One evening as Beaver enthuses about being able to accommodate so many in their large space, the less enthusiastic Mole has, despite the heavy rain, decided to go down to the lake for some peaceful time alone.

Before long an understanding Beaver discovers the whereabouts of his friend and the following day, all the treehouse pals get busy working on a new project, just for Mole. It’s something that enables her to enjoy tranquility in watery surroundings and perhaps remember Bear; and from there she realises just how alluring their treehouse home is to the other animals.

A gentle, yet powerful tale of finding somewhere to be yourself. With her instantly recognisable illustrations, Jane Chapman’s heartfelt story will resonate with both children and adult readers aloud.

Finding Floss

jillrbennett 1 Comment

Finding Floss
Cara Matheson and Mirna Imamović
Owlet Press

Floss the cockapoo is an amazing pet: she can change colour and this of course makes her very hard to find. Her colour changing capacity came upon her one day while the family were picnicking. Suddenly a rainbow appeared in the sky bathing her in its light and seemingly making her vanish; then in a flash Floss was brown no longer; instead she was rainbow coloured.
Then starts her continual chameleon-like colour changing that depends upon where she is. At first Floss thinks it’s a great game, but she soon starts using her ability to get up to all kinds of mischief that upsets her family.
When the funfair arrives, the girl narrator is thrilled, but then her Mum says that they shouldn’t bring Floss. Before they wander around the attractions, Mum gives her daughter a wristband with her phone number on it just in case they get separated and off goes the girl to enjoy herself.

While so doing she realises that her grown-ups are nowhere in sight.

Then to her surprise her scooter begins to move, seemingly on its own,

stopping only when it reaches the lost children stand. A quick phone call leads to a joyful reunion; but was it down to the magic of the scooter or something else?


Cara Matheson’s rhyming narrative and Mirna Imamović’s spirited illustrations of what gran calls their “blended family” coping with a lively pet include an important ‘stranger danger’ message. There’s lots to engage readers in every scene.

The final page provides important advice for children about what to do should they get lost when out.