It’s exciting to be part of the blog tour for this uplifting book – thank you to the publishers for inviting me.
How To Catch a Rainbow Naomi Jones and Ana Gomez Oxford Children’s Books
Meet the adorable Freya, a rainbow lover: she delights in its bright colours and its curved shape. In fact her greatest wish is to have a rainbow of her very own..After searching everywhere she turns to science to make one herself; however she has no success. Refusing to give up on her dream, she comes up with another idea. Clad in her rainbow-hunting attire, clutching a net and with a rucksack of equipment off she goes to collect items of the constituent colours. This task is not without its challenges
but resilience is key and mindfulness helpful; eventually Freya has gathered something for each of the seven colours.
Inspecting her rainbow colours back at home, Freya is disappointed.
Will she ever get that longed-for rainbow? Can she find yet another way to obtain her heart’s desire? Perhaps, with the support of an understanding Dad.
Try your upmost to follow your dream but equally, be ready to adapt and widen your horizons are key messages in this enchanting story of an imaginative girl who will surely capture your heart as she uses her creativity and determination to fulfil her wish. Ana Gomez’s portrayal of the spirited Freya truly captures the ups and downs of her rainbow quest. Listeners will love her attire and relish the opportunity to go on a rainbow hunt through the book’s pages once they’ve heard the story.
Before sharing the book I asked for some suggestions for the colour I was representing and these are the responses: ‘A bunch of lavender from the fields of Provence.’ ‘Violets collected from a forest. I’d put the petals in an airtight container and they could last up to a month.’ ‘I would go out and find red berries and blueberries on the bushes, squeeze them together over something to catch the juice, then add water if the colour is too dark.’ ‘A scabious flower from the common.’ ‘A huge thistle flower.’
I Hate Borsch! Yevgenia Nayberg Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
The young narrator of this picture book loathes her family’s and fellow Ukranians’ favourite food, borsch; despite it being considered a national delicacy . In a cleverly bringing together of the ingredients
and the process of making this supposed culinary treat, the girl puts her case for being anti-borsch. The stuff even invades her imaginings giving her daydreams of being marooned on a deserted island of sour cream in a red sea of borsch whereon dill floats wherever she looks. Sunflowers too grow profusely in Ukraine, so why not instead have sunflower borsch she pleads, only to receive a resounding NO!
Every single grandma in Kiev, we read, has the one ‘true’ borsch recipe so inevitably when the girl narrator and her family move to America, you can imagine what she receives as a farewell present from each grandmother. Once in the new country however she finds this dreaded foodstuff has gone there before her – although both its name spelling and taste are different – further reasons to detest this red sludgy stuff. Or maybe not entirely.
For after a surfeit of American cuisine and the passing of time our narrator – having rediscovered the old family recipes – finds an old friend: borsch. Anybody fancy a bowl of the Ukrainian staple?
Yes this tale, based on the author’s own experiences might at first appear to be about hating a specific food as a child; however beneath the surface are themes of how food is embedded in cultural expression, holding on to one’s cultural identity as an immigrant, and better appreciating the past as you grow up. The bold, mixed media illustrations are both arresting and imbued with a sense of nostalgia and there’s even a borsch recipe at the end of the story.
With the on-going Russian invasion of Ukraine forcing so many Ukrainians from their homeland to safety in other countries including the UK, this book will be especially welcome in schools, both to celebrate the Ukranian culture and the enduring strength of Ukranian people.
Our Tower Joesph Coelho and Richard Johnson Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
This is Joseph Coelho’s first book as Children’s Laureate and what a truly magical one it is. Inspired by Joseph’s childhood growing up with his sister in a tower block on an estate in Roehampton, close to Richmond Park it is deeply personal and exquisitely told. The story – a modern fable – follows three children who live in a high-rise block, ‘Boring, hard and grey.’ but with a view to greenness beyond the drab grey, as they venture away from the suburban streets in search of a special tree with big leafy brows.
Having found what they were seeking,
the children tumble through a gap in its trunk into a magical world deep down where all kinds of creatures lurk.
There too on a throne sits an old tree-grown green man with bushy brows and he holds out something to the three. It’s a circular stone with a hole in the middle; this he gives the children and it’s as though he’s given them a new lens through which to view the world. For when they peer through the hole ‘the world goes upside-a-diddle’ and they suddenly see their own tower in a completely new light. It’s full of the love and laughter that they’d really been seeking all along: a place where everyday magic can happen once you know how to look.
Looking is assuredly what the artist Richard Johnson has done for his powerfully atmospheric, evocative illustrations. It’s so brilliant how his colour palette changes as the children move between their mundane urban home environment, the fantasy world and the natural one; this adds to the feeling of poetry in motion in Jospeh’s lyrical words. Richard includes details of architecture and sculpture (a version of Lynn Chadwick’s The Watchers) that make several links for this reviewer as well as the author.
Full of hope and enchantment, this timely story is a glorious fusion of words and pictures that blends the mundane and the dark with the magical and the triumphant, the urban and the countryside: nature and magic are everywhere if you know how to look. Unmissable this.
The Story Shop Anchors Away! Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tony Neal Little Tiger
I loved the idea of The Story Shop, the place selling real adventures that its customers can actually be in, when it blasted off during the spring this year. So it’s a delight to be back in the company of shopkeeper Wilbur and Fred Ferret his assistant, with their plethora of props and plot possibilities for three more episodes.
The first begins when explorer Pearl practically tumbles in just when Wilbur and Fred are about to shut for the day demanding they find her an adventure she’s not experienced before. Thus this fearless woman becomes Captain Pearl and after a bit of persuasion, she agrees to take Fred aboard her ship as her pirate assistant, along with pirate, Edie. But what are scarf knitting pirates and other crafters doing already below deck when she wants a PROPER piratical adventure? Yo Ho Ho! Let operation retrieve their priceless black pearl commence.
Having bobbed about in barrels for ages after their successful mission, Pearl and Fred wash up on shore only to be confronted by a bunch of scary-looking pirates led by Long Jane Silver who is convinced the two are spies sent by Blunderbuss Bob, her rival in the up-coming annual raft race. Stinky Socks!
Can the two come up with a placatory plan to help their captor win the entire event?
The third episode finds Pearl and Fred sans ship, knocking on the door of a guesthouse belonging to Meg O’Cuttlefish. Once within, they accept an attic room and soon find themselves swapping pirating stories with Meg before bedtime. However something decidedly ghostly disturbs their slumbers; what could be the cause of that mysterious wailing sound?
Full of swashbuckling fun, a scattering of puns and Tony Neal’s comical illustrations, this is a treat for story lovers of the land-lubbing kind taking their early voyages as independent readers.
There’s a Dog in my Brain: Dog Show Disaster Caroline Green, illustrated by Rikin Parekh Walker Books
Here’s a crazy chaotic canine caper if ever there was one: actually it’s the second canine body switch episode. It all begins when Dudley the dog consumes almost every single one of the cakes Danny’s dad has so lovingly baked and Mum decides there’s no other choice but to send the pooch to Doggy Boot Camp. Needless to say ten-year old Danny is horrified but shortly after he realises that he’s swapped bodies with Dudley, something his parents fail to notice even though the ill-fated creature is absolutely useless at being a human.
However after the incident at the fancy farm shop that ends up costing in excess of four hundred pounds, the hose escapade
and Danny’s feats at canine classes, there’s no option but to reveal to the parents that a body swap has taken place again. But that means Danny as his alter-ego Dudley has to perform at the dog show and take on dog trainer Rex Power’s perfect pooch, Princess Fenella. nothing can possibly go wrong, surely.
Those with a penchant for pooches, slapstick and perhaps cake will relish Caroline Green’s romp, that’s if it doesn’t render them barking mad. Rikin Parekh’s black and white illustrations add to the hilarity
Paper Boat, Paper Bird David Almond, illustrated by Kirsti Beautyman Hodder Children’s Books
Mina – a character from Skellig and its prequel My Name is Mina is now visiting Japan with her mother, experiencing the culture and learning a great deal. While travelling on a bus in Kyoto she watches a woman folding a piece of paper that becomes an origami boat; this she gives to Mina and soon after, a paper bird and when she leaves the bus, some origami paper. Watching the woman fashion these almost magical things from squares of paper captures Mina’s imagination.
As she travels to the temple at Kinkaku-ji, she holds onto her delight in the origami
and in the garden surrounding the temple Mina creates a boat and bird herself. She places the bird in the boat and gently puts it into one of the streams. Later it’s discovered by Mikaya who is with his dad; the boy notices the name on each one and when they stop, he writes his name on the bird and launches it into the air: communication and kindness are passed through origami,
and eventually Mina and Mikaya meet one another.
Powerfully beautiful – the power being in the simplicity of the telling and also in Kirsti Beautyman’s illustrations that have an airy, almost ethereal quality to them. David’s story is based on a real life happening when he was in Tokyo with his young daughter. He uses his awesome art of creating a story out of brief experiences and as always with his stories, this one with its quiet, contemplative gentleness resonates long after you’ve put the book down.
Pick A Story Sarah Coyle and Adam Walker-Parker Farshore
Involving younger readers in the decision making in stories is a great way to get them interested in reading and to keep that interest, but whereas there are plenty of interactive choose your own adventure stories for the over eights, there are relatively few pick a path picture books. The creators of this Pirate + Alien + Jungle adventure put the reader firmly in the navigator’s seat in their picture book starring Vincent and his dog, appropriately named Trouble.
It all begins in the park where the two are enjoying a stroll when all of a sudden Trouble disappears; where has she gone? Now Vincent needs the help of the reader to help him find his pooch: there are three possibilities in the first instance. The first will lead Tom to a stinky pirate galleon; the second will send him to the depths of the jungle and if he chooses the third option, he’ll find himself on board an alien spaceship. The problem is none of these actually help in the search for the missing Trouble. With judging a talent show,
exploding asteroids, sea monsters and whirlpools to contend with, not to mention a dozen pirates brandishing swords and the possibility of a pursuing zombie,
Vincent has a tough time of it, but will he find the trophy and more importantly will he and the elusive Trouble ever be reunited?
Sarah Coyle plunges her protagonist and the reader headlong into an adventure with an abundance of possibilities shown in Adam Walker-Parker’s energetic, comic illustrations with their plethora of funny characters and decisions to be made on every spread.
The Book that Kibo Wrote Mariana Ruiz Johnson Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
This book contains the story of a story that begins one evening under the setting sun of a warm savannah with Kibo a rhino who wants to capture the beauty of his surroundings. Before he knows it, Rhino has written a whole book under the watchful eye of Naki the crane who has read every word. She uses her beak to sew the written pages between two strong covers making a sturdy book.
Next morning, bidding farewell to Kibo, off she flies over land and sea, eventually dropping the book in a city.
There it’s discovered by Camilo the lion and reading the book gives him a strong nostalgic longing for his savannah birthplace. Camilo passes the yellow book on to a friend and it passes from friend to friend until Kibo’s story of the African savanna has travelled all the way to the Arctic and into the paws of a resident polar bear.
As night descends on the North Pole, polar bear Nanuk feels warmed by the savannah heat as he completes his reading of the book from a distant land.
The open-ended nature of the narrative encourages readers to become participants in the story and I love the use of patterning in the vivid illustrations, which creates a folklorish feeling about the tale. (translated by Lawrence Schimel).
The Magic of Magnolia Moon Edwina Wyatt, illustrated by Katherine Quinn Walker Books
If you take time you will find magic in the everyday things of life – that’s how it is for ten year old Magnolia Moon who returns in this her second book. Her kind of magic is found in many different places – in puddles and boots, in umbrellas and hats, bubbles and fairytale books, even in a tree. It’s that rare, quiet sort that’s easily missed if you don’t know how to look and more important, where. I’ve not read the previous one The Secrets of Magnolia Moon but it made no difference to my enjoyment of this story. Magnolia faces many challenges in this year of being ten: she has a new teacher – could she be a witch, Miss Mackerel has a broom and a black cat? She has to come to terms with the fact that her best friend Imogen May, who has now moved, will form new friendships as will Magnolia herself, but how many best friends can you have? However there’s still plenty of magic for Magnolia – she’s creative, independent and imaginative, she’s quirky, kind and lots of fun; a very special girl, the person you’d love as your best friend.
Cleverly structured – each chapter presents its own scenario that seques neatly into the next and into the whole narrative, with Magnolia always keeping her eyes and ears open to magical possibilities be they mind magic, green magic or perhaps most important of all, the magic that could help her friend Reuben smile again after his parents’ divorce. True magic is found in kindness, bravery, second chances and real love. Creativity, imagination, and magic of course, have power, and this book is a wonderful celebration of all these. I love too the talking grandfather clock – or is it? The author leaves it to the reader to decide about that, and whether Magnolia’s magic is real or imagined – another wonderful feature of the book.
Add to all this the scattering of Katherine Quinn’s gorgeous black and white illustrations and you have an enchanting, immersive story that invites readers to look at the world around them in a different way and to be open to possibilities at any time.
Aziza’s Secret Fairy Door and the Mermaid’s Treasure Lola Morayo, illustrated by Cory Reid Macmillan Children’s Books
This is the fourth in the magical series of adventures inspired by world mythology and it begins as Aziza and her family are preparing for a camping holiday but the weather conditions are let’s say disappointing. As Aziza half-heartedly finishes her packing she notices tiny seashells guiding her towards something: her fairy door is shining again – it’s time to return to Shimmerton.
Almost the next moment Aziza finds herself on the crowded sandy beach where amidst the masses she sees first the Gigglers creating a drama as always, then at the edge of the shore Peri and Tiko and sitting close by on the rocks, a mermaid. The mermaid introduces herself as Sirena and Aziza is hugely impressed when she hears of some of Sirena’s adventures. Suddenly as they chat the ground begins to shake; Aziza fears it’s an earthquake but her new friend assures her it’s a shell-walker sneezing in its sleep deep underground. But when ice-creams and picnic baskets start flying around, the possibility is that the creature is not asleep but about to emerge, grow huge and endanger the whole of Shimmerton. Fortunately Sirena knows of a magic conch shell that plays a song which could just be the answer to their problem. With no time to lose and with Sirena’s help, the friends embark on an underwater adventure.
It’s one filled with challenges for Aziza but with her reassuring, empowering friends, can she and they avert disaster?
There are new mythological creatures (details of their origins in folklore are given after the adventure) in this exciting, inclusive, summery seaside story that is perfect for young fantasy lovers just taking off as independent readers.
A Perfect Wonderful Day with Friends Philip Waechter Gecko Press
Alone in his house, Racoon decides that baking an apple cake will alleviate his boredom, but then he discovers he has no eggs. Oh bother! Maybe his chicken-owning friend Fox can help out, so off he pops to see her, only to find her precariously balanced and attempting unsucessfully to mend a leaky roof as the hole’s out of reach. The two set out to Badger’s in the hope he might have a ladder. Badger too needs help with a crossword and Fox suggests asking Bear to solve the clue. On route to Bear’s home the friends pause for a blackberry picnic but on arrival they discover Bear is not at home. Happily Crow can assist and leads them down to the river bank where eventually they find Bear fishing. Unfortunately though the fish aren’t biting… not even a nibble.
Not wanting to waste a moment the five pals decide to dive into the river and have fun together. It feels great to cool off on such a hot day and equally pleasurable to dry off in the warm sun. They also solve the crossword clues, then as evening approaches they head off home
pausing whenever appropriate to complete each of the other tasks in turn, finally reaching Racoon’s residence. Once indoors, Raccoon bakes not one but TWO CAKES: one to be shared by Fox, Badger, Crow. and himself. Fortunate Bear however has a cake all for himself. I wonder why that could be …
Willingness to embrace new and unexpected situations, and whole-hearted participation therein, is key to a happy life, as are friends and teamwork. Philip Waechter’s intricately detailed illustrations of bucolic contentment brought about by these elements work harmoniously with his heartwarming story; it’s one children will definitely warm to as they share in the day’s events of the five friends.
Wooolf! Stephanie Blake Gecko Press
Stephanie Blake’s little rabbit, Simon, certainly gets his come uppance in this fun take on the cry wolf classic as he plays the wolf card at home and school in order to get his own way. Eventually though he tries it one time too many, the occasion being the use – or not – of his potty.
Has he learned his lesson once and for all though? What do you think? … With its funny final twist and illustrations that leap off the page little rabbit style, this will certainly amuse little humans and might just deter them from emulating a certain little leporine creature.
Thanks to Gecko Press for sending copies of these books for review.
A new baby brother Daichan who looks like a potato, who cries the whole time and who demands a mother’s undivided attention does not impress our narrator sister. Far from it. She decides to run away and find a new home and a family who love and appreciate her and only her.
Coming upon a cardboard box gives her an idea: she writes Free Kid on the side, climbs in and waits for those perfect parents, contemplating her wonderful new life as people come and go. Her effort to attract attention don’t provide what she seeks so she continues her wait.
Soon along comes a dog; it joins her in the box as in turn does a cat,; both for reasons of their own are seeking new homes.
Shifting their pitch to the outside of the railway station they each put on their best face and wait. Up comes a turtle and that too joins the waiting home-seekers. One by one the animals are taken until only the little girl remains.
After what feels like a very long time along come two people searching for a ‘perfect sister for – guess who …
An absolute delight: the deadpan humour works really well and I suspect many older siblings will relate to the narrator’s situation. The author’s slightly quirky line drawings with pops of red complement the telling well: the facial expressions of the characters – human and animal – are splendid and those of the narrator really convey her mounting frustration as she waits.
This is a great read aloud story but equally, it’s ideal for new solo readers.
I Want The Moon Frann Preston-Gannon Templar Books
As a child, the protagonist in Frann Preston-Gannon’s new book is so over-indulged by his parents that he’s unable to make even a single friend. Instead the result of them trying to engineer a friendship between their son and the boy next door results in the two becoming enemies.
Suddenly one night after a particularly ferocious fury his parents offer to buy him anything he wants. But money can’t buy the moon.
As a grown man, the same character is rich, important and lives the life of royalty, but that childhood longing for the moon remains. He summons all his team members and together they draw up plans for a ‘Get Moon’ machine. Hard toil on behalf of his workers results in the mindless destruction of vital elements of the local community
and the construction of a towering machine that just keeps on growing up and up. Rampant capitalism is at large here.
Then one night the moon is almost within his grasp: he stretches out his hands and …
An inevitable tug of war ensues and I expect you can guess the outcome of that.
Can the townsfolk’s children perhaps do anything to fix this disastrous situation?
This clever parable that is highly relevant today, shows the foolishness of greed and the importance of understanding where true happiness can be found: it certainly isn’t where this moon-grabber was looking. Do your child listeners think he finally learned the error of his ways, I wonder?
With her characteristic large variety of textures and wealth of small details, Frann’s boldly coloured illustrations will definitely hold the interest of young readers and encourage them to revisit the story over and over. If you share the book with a group or class, make sure you build in time to allow your audience to explore every spread.
The Secret Unicorn Club Emma Roberts, illustrated by Rae Ritchie & Tomislav Tomic Magic Cat
Do you believe in unicorns? Whether or not you do, there are countless children who are obsessed with these mythical creatures. I’m sure many of them would be interested in becoming members of the Secret Unicorn Club whose role it is to search for and look after unicorns in the wild; and this is where Emma Roberts’ book comes in. It will help readers to become experts and thus eligible for club membership; and during their learning journey they will collect ten badges.
Having followed the instruction on the very first page and thus earned the first ‘Friend’ badge, readers are introduced to a mother and baby unicorn. These two stand ready to impart some information about themselves and fellow unicorns including how their poop aroma is affected by the weather conditions at the time it’s deposited; what their tears do and why they are precious; there is also a paragraph about unicorn horns and another about tails and manes. Absorbing all that earns the reader a unicorn knowledge badge.
Subsequent double spreads are devoted to the care of unicorns – interestingly they have a penchant for the Easter Bunny’s prize carrots (cooked three ways);
and next, unicorns in the wild – the wilder the better if you want to find one. We then meet a special team with natural magic that help make the various kinds of weather, for instance a burp from one of these unicorns results in lightning.
Talking of magic, that’s the topic for the next spread; with my messy partner I could certainly do with brewing up some of the tidying up spell. Most magical of all though, is the special nature event, the ‘aurora’.
It’s great to see the next spread devoted to nature conservation for there are, we read, relatives of the unicorn that need protection today – the narwhal, and the rhinoceros.
Now here is something truly astonishing: the Montgolfier brothers had a secret passenger aboard when they took their first ever flight: apparently stowed away in the balloon’s basket was a unicorn that assisted the brothers by controlling the wind with its magical breath. Really? That’s part of the final historical spread whereon readers earn a history badge and thereby become eligible for that membership and the unlocking of a surprise hidden handbook inside the back cover, wherein there’s further precious knowledge that will appeal especially to horse lovers.
With its intricately detailed, whimsical illustrations and beautiful borders,.youngsters with a fondness for mythic fantasy will lap this up
I am Cat! Peter Bently and Chris Chatterton Macmillan Children’s Books
It’s pretty clear who rules the roost in this story: it’s the moggy narrator and very cleverly, said creature is able to talk in rhyme as it presents a day in the life of itself.
Whether it’s causing damage to the furniture, demanding to be fed, alarming intruders – really?
or any other of its vital cat pursuits, our narrator does it with gusto and indeed panache – well maybe not when it comes to encountering the large hound next door.
Imaginative play is our cat’s forte as it takes on the personas of in turn Tiger, Leopard – “ I am Cat. Bird I see. / Leopard, leopard up the tree. / Bird up. Cat up./ Bird Up. Cat. // Bird. Cat. Now I’ll catch you! Drat.” and Lion before running out of steam and seeking a temporary respite before the next mealtime.
Team Bently and Chatterton have created another highly amusing read aloud tale with lots of fun action that young children will love to follow in Chris’s hilarious scenes and Peter’s catchy, highly join-in-able, rhythmic text. Even this cat fur allergic reviewer was captivated by their feline protagonist.
Who’s Tickling Tilly? Rob Jones Pavilion Children’s Books
Following on from a search for Brian’s Bottom, Rob Jones’ second concertina fold-out book features some prehistoric creatures, one very lengthy one in particular.
In the forest Tilly dinosaur is being tickled, but who is the tickler and where can they be? It’s certainly making her laugh but her enormously long body makes discovering the perpetrator of those fidgetty-inducing feelings very tricky. It’s not Valerie – she’s busy with her cup of tea; Terry is otherwise engaged enjoying his book beside the volcano;
Al (in the swamp) has already had his fill; Steve, hidden in the long grass can’t help; but is there anything in the cave that could be the culprit? A-ha! Lo and behold something has emerged there and is eager to say hello to very long Tilly.
Like many stories, there are two sides to this one: the first has the questions and answers text concerning the hunt for the tickler; opening it the opposite way reveals the nocturnal happenings:
Tilly busy with her new arrivals while her prehistoric pals enjoy either some play or slumber blissfully under the stars.
Unfolding to a whole two metres of double-sided fun, the combination of playful visual storytelling and clever design add up to a hugely enjoyable experience for the very young and those who share it with them.
Animal Families: River Jane Ormes Nosy Crow
Young children are introduced to four animal families whose habitat is the river and its environs in this beautifully illustrated board book. There’s a drake, a hen and their ducklings, the father otter – a boar, a mummy – a sow and their offspring – pups. My favourites, the king and queen dragonfly and their nymphs come next
and finally the father swan, called a cob, the mother, a pen and their four cygnets. The final double fold-out reveals all four families – a paddling of ducks, a flight of dragonflies, a raft of otters and a bevy of swans.
Lots of new vocabulary learning potential, counting opportunities and lift-the-flap fun in this chunky book to share at home or in a nursery setting. Adults especially will appreciate all the lovely textures and patterns in Jane Ormes’ illustrations.
Rosa Explores Life Cycles Jessica Spanyol Child’s Play
Using the dialogue between Rosa and her friends, this book, which is part of a new STEM series for the very young, is both fun and educative. The four children, Rosa, Jiyoon, Noah and Joshua are excited to discover frogspawn in their pond. They go on to learn about metamorphosis by careful observations of the growth and changes the frogspawn undergoes until they have some baby frogs. So excited are they that Joshua’s suggestions that they create another pond in the hope that other frogs will lay their eggs therein is enthusiastically received and the friends set to work right away. The four have clearly already absorbed a fair amount of basic information and are able to explain what they know and to make connections.
Jessica Spanyol’s signature style art – bold, bright colours, exciting images and diverse characters – work well to illustrate the concepts.
Almost all nurseries and foundation stage educators include change and life-cycles as part of the curriculum and this little book is definitely one to add to any collection for young children.
Ocean Sarah Dellow Child’s Play
Little ones will enjoy exploring the wealth of patterns Sarah Dellow has created with spots, stripes, hexagons, ovals and more as they discover the seven named ocean creatures in this board book with its peep-through die cut pages and exciting images. This little book offers lots of potential for language development and playful experimenting with creative materials.
What Can You See? In Space Maria Perera and Kate Ware Little Tiger
Making use of cut out pages with different shaped holes cleverly positioned, illustrator Maria Perera gradually reveals various basic space facts starting when a rocket blasts off skywards, launched by people in Mission Control Centre. Young children are introduced to the astronauts and discover what it’s like to be inside a spacecraft; learn a little about the moon and what can be seen on and from its surface. There’s a look at the solar system, a spread about the sun and nebulas, and the final one shows the Milky Way and mentions other galaxies too. With the factual text supplied by Kate Ware, this sturdily built space themed board book is a good starting point for the very youngest.
This Book Will Save the Planet Dany Sigwalt, illustrated by Aurélia Durand Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
As I sit reading my copy of this book, (it’s part of the Empower the Future series), much of the UK swelters in temperatures of 40 degrees C, wild fires are raging in various parts of the world and people are dying as a result of the heat: it’s clear our planet is in crisis. So Dany Sigwalt’s thought-provoking look at climate change couldn’t be more timely.
Herein she shows how it’s the marginalised communities across the world over that are most affected, stating that it’s those of us among the more privileged who need to use whatever privileges we have to help less fortunate and hence, less powerful people.
All is not quite lost. There is still just enough time for every single one of us to make a difference; by pulling together – mutual support and aid is paramount – and by using Dany’s framework we can all further the cause of climate justice. In order for this to succeed, people must come before profit. Our precious planet will be protected if all its inhabitants are protected; the people will be protected if the planet is protected.
The vibrant illustrations by Aurélia Durand add to the impact of this hugely pertinent, powerfully presented book. Read it, make sure you do the activities at the end of each chapter and act – NOW! Make that crucial difference.
Achoo! Simon Philip and Nathan Reed Bloomsbury Children’s Books
As a hay fever sufferer I frequently find myself reaching for a tissue or if absolutely necessary, using my hand to catch my sneezes. However, Sid, the protagonist in this hilarious book does neither. This hitherto ordinary boy’s first sneeze causes an elephant to fly from his nose and even more crazy, the huge creature’s in a canoe. Yes really. Moreover said canoe can also accommodate Sid so on he hops, grabs the spare paddle and away they go.
The trouble is that almost immediately he lets forth another ACHOO! thus precipitating the canoe over a waterfall towards a ravine. From there things just keep getting weirder and weirder as Sid comes upon a pirate ship.
He assists the pirates in their treasure hunt and while so doing, with yet another sneeze he ejects a circus performer, followed shortly after as he participates in the performance, by a panda and her cubs. This story can’t possibly get any sillier you might be thinking but you’re wrong.
And dare I say it, sneezes can be very catching …
With its brilliant finale, this is a super read aloud of the totally daft kind. maybe not totally daft actually, for the message about remembering to cover your nose when you feel a sneeze coming on is an important one, especially in these covid times. Listeners will love Simon’s rollicking rhyming narrative and relish Nathan’s increasingly high octane scenes, every one of which exudes (A)tissues full of humour. A rip-roaring read indeed.
This tale of acceptance and bravery, and a multitude of mysteries, offers an entirely new take on mermaids, and with folklore seamlessly woven into the plot, it’s utterly compelling. The voice is that of Vivien; she lives with her grandmother Mimi, who runs a tourist shop, Enchanted Tails, that pays homage to the legend of the Mermaid of the Lake. Other places also rely on the legend of Lake Splendour: Vivien’s friend Eleni’s family owns the chip shop and another friend, Erik’s Dad works in the tourist office, both of which count on tourists for extra trade. Then there’s the traditional Mermaid Crown competition and costume parade soon to be held unless MPs get their way.
Vivien hopes her mum will arrive in time to see her race in the lake; she’s not been home for three years but she’s in for a disappointment when her mother cancels unaccountably, making her daughter’s level of self confidence plummet. Add to that her best friend’s developing friendship with member of the cool crowd, Hero, and the fact that Vivien now feels she falls well short of her glamorous mum’s idea of beauty, she couldn’t feel much lower. It’s only in the water she feels mermaid-like.
So when Vivien meets Alice de Lacey from the big house it feels as though she’s been thrown a life-line, especially as she starts falling out with her old friends Eleni and Erik. But Alice draws Vivien into a very risky adventure and they discover way more than they ever imagined.
At the heart of this wonderful, thought-provoking story is the importance of being true to oneself, standing up for what you believe in, what real friendship means and being kind not only to those around you, but essentially, to yourself –something that’s vital for good mental health. Dive deep the author urges us, don’t rely on shallow superficiality be it related to gender, history or your essential self.
Another unmissable, unputdownable winner from Alex Cotter.
With its first rate service, Valentine’s guest house is a popular place to stay. When the owner’s daughter opens a storeroom and discovers a large tiger with a big smile inside asking for accommodation she is astonished. However despite her mum Valentine saying they don’t have a spare room, Elsie is determined to help. She offers to share her room with Emmet and she and her mum rearrange things in preparation for the new guest.
Sadly however, the other guests are far less accommodating and leave as fast as they can.
As his hosts put up a ‘Vacancies’ sign, a grateful Emmet gets busy messaging all his friends and acquaintances about Valentine’s
and after a long wait, the guest house is once again thriving, albeit with a different clientele. Then follow some imaginative modifications to the building: a lift is installed, the door is enlarged when a huge guest arrives, a rooftop hole provides a room with a wonderful view, there’s a cool spot for a pair that like to chill and underground spaces are created for those accustomed to a subterranean lifestyle.
Harmonious living is the way to go as is shown in Sam Sharland’s gently humorous scenes of the guests’ comings and goings and further comings; but there’s one guest who isn’t going anywhere: you can guess which one that is.
A delightful picture book debut with vital messages about acceptance, inclusivity and empowerment.
We Are the Shapes Kevin Jenner Happy Yak
There are the squares – honest, supportive even, and reliable, dislikers of difference; there are also the triangles – creative, edgy, odd and happy to be different. Triangles consider squares boring. These two groups do not get on at all, in fact they have diametrically opposing views on everything and are positively hostile towards one another.
Then there are circles: they know the issues existing between squares and triangles but believe that if they were prepared to ‘roll with their differences’, the two parties could get along.
Can they rectify things between these opposing factions? It’s worth a try: consider this equation – triangles + squares = rocket to the moon. So maybe … but then just when things seemed to be going well, a row breaks out.
Is circle able to turn this situation around? Perhaps with a bit of creative thinking and a new and tasty notion.
How much better it is to accept and celebrate difference. Learning to get along with those who seem – superficially at least – to be different from ourselves is an important life lesson all young children need to learn, (though perhaps it’s their parents for whom difference is an issue not the youngsters themselves). So it’s appropriate to share this easy to relate to book with its satisfying solution at home as well as in the classroom. With its easy-to-read text, it’s also a book that KS1 readers might well be able to enjoy reading for themselves.
Britannica’s Word of the Day Patrick & Renee Kelly, Sue Macy, illustrated by Josy Bloggs, Emily Cox, James Gibbs, Liz Kay Britannica Books
If you want to become a word pundit or turn your child into a logophile, then this book should definitely be on your shelves, or better still, near at hand every day. It features a veritable menagerie of animals large and small, each amusingly portrayed and ready and waiting to introduce the word of the day, over 366 days. So in a single year it’s possible to boost your vocabulary by a sufficient amount to impress your family and friends and have fun so doing. Each word has been carefully chosen by the Britannica team and every one is certainly worth having in your vocabulary.
Along with the word of the day is a pronunciation guide, a definition, what part of speech it is, a sentence incorporating the selected word, and some trivia about its usage or etymology.
Each month concludes with a delightfully daft ‘story of the month’ that includes all the new vocabulary learned.
Be prepared to be surprised and delighted: what a great way to learn and to acquire some trivial information too. Did you know for instance that Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards ‘defenestrated a TV during a stay in Hollywood in 1972; or that ‘chartreuse’ is named after a green drink created by a 16th century alchemist who claimed those who drank it would have long and healthy lives. And I’m pretty sure I have ‘pareidolia’ – the tendency to see a meaningful image in a random visual pattern –
though I wasn’t familiar with the word until I came upon it in this book.
Lands of Belonging Donna & Vikesh Amey Bhatt and Salini Perera Nosy Crow
This splendid book written by Donna and Vikesh Amey Bhatt, with input from Dr Rajbir Hazelwood, historian of South Asia and Modern Britain, is published for the 75th anniversary in August 2022 of the Partition of India. Its reference frame is that there are many ways to tell a story, depending on your viewpoint and experiences. I visit India at least once a year, once spent six months teaching and doing social work in Rajasthan, have made many close friends there and in other parts of the country, – people who have taken me into their homes and their hearts – and was born in Pakistan to British parents, so it is of particular interest to me. Indeed author Vikesh in posing the questions, What Makes You, You? and Where Are You Really From? at the start of the book really made me stop and think and essentially I go along with ‘you are the experiences you’ve had throughout your life’ as what’s made me what I am.
The book’s subtitle is ‘A History of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain, and this itself indicates that this is a complicated subject. It takes readers on a journey – cultural and historical – through India of the past (that includes today’s Pakistan and Bangladesh) showing how this ancient land was one of big thinkers, inventors and skilled craftspeople and traders, many religions, many kings, rulers and empires.
Next comes a topic that makes me feel uncomfortable – that of India under the English East India Company and the way in which the British gradually took over the entire land and how the British Raj treated those who called it their home. Then come Independence and Partition that resulted without due consideration of the long term effects, in the dividing of a nation and its people that still has repercussions today.
There’s also a look at the global impact of India/Pakistan/Bangladesh both on recent times and today, and at the contributions of some South Asians of today and yesteryear.
One of the things that strikes me anew every time I visit India is its cultural richness, its multitude of cuisines, traditions, (I learned to do and to teach yoga there), its languages, festivals, dance styles, music,
sports and the friendliness of its people. These topics too are covered, and all are vibrantly illustrated by Salini Perera whose art makes me want to jump on a plane, Mumbai- bound tomorrow.
An absolute must have book that makes a complex topic fascinating and approachable: it deserves a place in every school library in the UK.
The Can Caravan Richard O’Neill and Cindy Kang Child’s Play
What a wonderfully uplifting and affirming contemporary story is the latest one by Romani storyteller Richard O’Neill. Janie, an imaginative child, lives on a travellers’ site with her mother and her grandfather. Also living among them is her grandfather’s friend Mrs Tolen, whose caravan has seen better days.
At school one day Janie’s teacher announces that the class are to visit a can recycling plant and Janie is able to respond to his question about the history of recycling by relating it to what members of the travelling community have done for centuries. Back on the site, she’s eager to tell Mrs Tolen about the visit only to discover that she’s had a fall and is in hospital with a broken hip.
A couple of days later, Janie goes to see Mrs Tolen in the hospital and hears that environmental health inspectors have deemed her caravan unfit for living in. She is determined that rather than the old lady having to move out, she, her friends and other members of her community will restore her old caravan. The visit to the can recycling plant further motivates and inspires Janie
and back home she can hardly contain herself with excitement as she tells her Mum and grandfather about her plans. The same thing happens at school next day where she receives many offers of help from her classmates on behalf of family members. The recycling plant agrees to donate recycled metal sheets and the community collect cans to raise the rest of the money needed. Then under Janie’s leadership everybody sets to work rebuilding the caravan.
Eventually Mrs Tolen has a wonderful surprise when she is able to move into her recycled trailer – her “Can Caravan” as she names it joyfully.
What this community achieves is an inspiration to us all: the loyalty, determination, resilience and ability to adapt inherent in the Traveller peoples should make those of us who are all too ready to rush out and buy new things, ashamed of such consumerist attitudes. Cindy Kang’s bright, realistic illustrations underline the community spirit and there’s a final aluminium recycling flow chart that also includes some interesting facts about this metal.
Sand Between My Toes Caroline Cross and Jenny Duke Child’s Play
The opening spread of this lovely book shows a little girl walking slightly behind the rest of her family as they arrive on the cliff above the beach. Immediately many adult readers will be transported back to their own childhood memories of such occasions when family seaside holidays and days beside the sea were the norm. What unfolds thereafter is the family enjoying a wealth of experiences: barefoot toe wriggling on the sandy shore, playing ball and splashing in the waves,
discovering what’s in a rockpool, relishing a fast melting, dripping ice-cream (dog hot on the trail); there’s sandcastle constructing
and some inevitable upsets too, as well as a sudden downpour. All ends happily with the entire family sitting together consuming chips beneath a shelter and then once the rain has stopped, wending their way back towards home beneath a gorgeously hued sky. Caroline Cross’s spare poetic rhyming text allows plenty of space for Jenny Duke’s beautiful, almost dreamy scenes, as well as child audiences to fill in the gaps.
Covered in Adventures Gillian Hibbs Child’s Play
There are certain articles of clothing that we hang on to for years, unable to part with them for the memories they hold. One such is the old sweater belonging to young Sasha. Dad Greg’s comment in response to Dad Toby’s suggestion that she gets rid of said sweater is “ … at least let us wash it. Look how dirty it is!” Sasha disagrees: “It’s covered in adventures!” she asserts and together they begin to reminisce about some of what has happened to contribute to the garment’s appearance of having seen better days.
Yes, the sweater shows wear and mess from her imaginative journey on the high seas, from science experiments,
cooking, camping, nature explorations, a game of soccer, some DIY to her go-kart and more, but all this is evidence of her many and varied adventures.
It was even nibbled by a goat during a farm visit. However, rather than despairing about her mucky sweater, Sasha’s supportive dads surprise her and at the same time she realises that actually it was herself rather than the sweater that made all those wonderful adventures happen. Moreover, she is now ready for some exciting new ones.
Gently humorous and uplifting, with Gillian Hibbs’ captivating illustrations this is a picture book for sharing at home or in the classroom.
Powered by Plants Clive Gifford and Gosia Herba Wide Eyed Editions
How many people I wonder are aware of the wealth of cutting edge science and technology of yesterday, today and the future, that involves members of the diverse plant world found in the many ecosystems on our planet? Some of this rich diversity is being increasingly studied and copied, inspiring innovations in design, science, engineering and technology. This third book about biomimicry introduces some awesome plant inventors. Prepare to be awed for as Tumbleweed says in the book’s introduction, plants are the experts and you’ll likely never look at flowers, trees or seaweed in the same way again.
There are six main sections: Structures, Robotics, Energy, Health, Sustainability and Materials and a final look to the future. Each plant is allowed to speak for itself and informs readers about such things as how it grows and why its particular structure is or was, so useful to humans. All this fascinating information is broken up into bite-sized chunks placed in fact boxes and embedded in a funky, colourful illustration by Gosia Herba.
If you’ve ever wondered what the fastest growing plant on the planet is, no it isn’t dandelions or that pesky Himalayan balsam that seems to be choking up so many of the UK’s waterways, it’s actually bamboo and there are more than 1,000 different bamboo species. With its high tensile strength bamboo has been used to build houses in Asia and is still used to make scaffolding. Perhaps more exciting though is that some scientists in China now know how to process the hollow fibres from its stems to make a soft, breathable, very fast drying fabric that is much more environmentally friendly than acrylic, polyester and even cotton.
Five other plants present their super powers in the Structures section including the ‘earthquake proof’ coconut palm, the fruit of which has a multitude of uses including in the production coir, a mosquito repellent, coconut milk and of course, coconut water.
No matter which section you choose to dip into you’re sure to be excited: from the fast-growing cottonwood trees with wind power potential, to the slick, slippery carnivores like the pitcher plant and the super-thirsty willow tree, the bark of which has healing properties thanks to salicin – a powerful pain-relieving substance, it will be a case of WOW! that is truly amazing.
An absolute treasure of a book for both home and school use.
Using the backdrop of a lido on a summer’s day, this debut picture book explores some of the many decisions children will be faced with in their lives. Relatively few words and engaging playful scenes of a wonderfully diverse cast of characters and one little girl in particular, invite youngsters to consider the possible choices they might make and the consequences thereof.
Some are simple: what kind of ice-cream to buy, should I be kind and share my lunch with somebody else; or much harder – shall I take a dive from the high diving board?
But what I really like about the entire book is that the text never actually says what is happening on the page, allowing the reader/ listener to explore each illustration, discuss what the little girl is doing, how she could be feeling, and perhaps what the consequences of her choices might be.
Teaching children about choices and consequences, and causes and effects is part and parcel of the foundation stage curriculum and beyond as well as something parents are involved in – it’s a part of growing up but sometimes living with the outcomes of those choices is more difficult. This book offers a really good starting point for conversations with a very young child or class of little ones but equally could be used again later on for reflection and further discussion
The book ends with a reminder of everyone’s uniqueness not spoken this time, but hinted at in the final scene wherein the smiling little girl takes centre stage (almost!) beneath which are the words ‘and with every choice you grow!’ It’s definitely one to add to class, school, and home collections.
There are important choices too in:
Bye, Car Naomi Danis and Daniel Rieley Child’s Play
Whether or not they understand the green message of this book, youngsters will enjoy seeing the wide variety of cars and perhaps trying to identify some of them, as two young children bid farewell to those passing by. They start by watching from a window the ones travelling along the busy road and then accompanied by an adult, they venture out into the hustling bustling urban streets for further vehicle spotting. Naomi Danis’ rhyming narrative includes basic opposites such as near/far, and becomes increasingly descriptive – ‘car in a hurry/ car in a flurry’, ‘howling car, growling car’
and is nicely balanced by Daniel Rieley’s alluring, unfussy illustrations that starkly remind us of the way our streets are vehicle dominated. Happily however, come the new day, the walk shows greener alternatives to the pollution-spewing cars as we see an electric bus, cyclists and other eco-friendly modes of transport.
A Beginner’s Guide to Ruling the Galaxy David Solomons Nosy Crow
Gavin, a pupil at Middling High School prefers to keep himself to himself so he’s far from pleased when a new and exceedingly annoying girl starts following him around. This girl is Niki, who announces she’s a galactic princess and says such weird things as “ I claim this adequately rated secondary school in the name of the Galactic League.” and almost immediately starts tucking into his packed lunch. A boy also joined the school at the same time as Niki and is supposed to be her brother Bart, but we have our doubts from the outset. Surprisingly to Gavin, other members of the school community are ‘spellbound’ by this extraterrestrial female. But what is her secret?
After some time Gavin sees her following what seems to be a talking cat; and then Niki turns round and calls him intrusive. What on earth is going on? Suddenly Gavin finds himself entangled in a situation where the whole of humankind could be doomed unless he can fix the spaceship so Niki can escape from Earth.
Full of twists and turns, this pacy story has lots of humour – some relating to how things work on planet Earth and some I suspect adult readers like myself will appreciate more than the target audience; indeed there’s never a dull moment throughout. There are some great characters and there’s also a lot of heart when it comes to friendship, kinship and family. Gavin is a foster child and desperate to belong; you’ll likely find yourself rooting for Niki too as the tale develops.
All in all, a clever sci-fi comedy for older KS2 readers and beyond.
Dragon Storm: Mira and Flameteller Alastair Chisholm Nosy Crow
In this fourth book in the magical Dragon Storm series for younger Alastair Chisholm fans, Mira’s dragon Flameteller is still working out what his special power is. However they both enjoy discovering how things work so when a visit to an ancient waterwheel, The Rivven Wheel, is announced, they are excited and Mira eagerly tries to find out everything about it.
However, on their return to the city Mira hears a worrying announcement: on account of the loss of an ancient magical object – a tool of dragon magic – that was under royal protection, the King of Draconis plans to root out and destroy all dragons and those who work with them.
Then she is given an opportunity to visit a part of the caves that she’s never been to before and see how the Dragonseer Guild is powered. She even has the chance to work with Grimbal who keeps everything going there, although he is not at all enthusiastic about having two assistants. When an issue arises with the magic powering the Guild, Grimbal assures the two that he has it in hand, but they both feel something is wrong.
Can Myra and Flameteller find a way to fix things and so prevent King Godfic’s soldiers finding the Guild and the dragons? They’re certainly going to need help from her fellow dragon seers and their dragons
and they’ll need the materials to do the work required on the machinery; and maybe Flameteller’s special power can come into play too.
With plenty of excitement and superb illustrations by Eric Deschamps, this is another fire-cracking, compelling adventure that will thrill new solo readers.
These are new additions to Bloomsbury Young Readers: thanks to Bloomsbury Education for sending them for review
The Pancake Champ Joanna Nadin, illustrated by Ana Gómez
A new boy at school, Manjit has yet to make any special friends but then he works with Leon and they quickly become good friends. Then comes an invitation to tea from Leon’s dad and the panic begins. He frets about various possibilities, the worst being what he’ll be offered to eat. Nonetheless he agrees to go but then Leon’s dad says it’s pancakes for tea – it couldn’t be a worse prospect. But suppose you have the opportunity to join in the making and even choose the flavour, that might just make all the difference …
An amusing tale of friendship and facing your fears by author Joanna and illustrator Ana that will go down well with learner readers at home or in school.
The Monster Who was Scared of Soap Amy Sparkes, illustrated by Jack Viant
A very funny tale of Gerald a little monster that hates the idea of a bath and whose mother goes to special lengths to get her little one to comply with her bath time regime. Gerald in response does his level best to get out of the annual watery, soapy situation, dashing out of the house to hide. Will the promise of a special secret surprise lure him to the bathroom and if so what will be the outcome? In Ana Gómez’s bright jolly illustrations Gerald’s mum bears remarkable resemblance to something your granny might have created as a bathroom accessory back in the day. With its surprise finale Amy Sparkes’ addition to Bloomsbury Young Readers series should definitely go down well with learner readers.
Both books have the usual tips for grown-ups and fun-time activities inside the front and back covers respectively.
These are two thought-provoking picture books from minedition – thanks to GMC Distribution for sending them for review
The Path Bob Staake minedition
As we follow a small character walking along on a winding path, we soon realise that this path is a metaphor for life’s journey and its challenges. ‘You will walk along a well-worn path that many others have taken before you.” we read at the outset. To start with the walk is easy; but inevitably there will be bumps and obstacles along the way, perhaps a dark forest will replace those valleys of wildflowers bathed in sunlight. You may even get lost, face terrifying dangers or encounter what seems to be a dead end. Prepare to be surprised.
Like the character, you will emerge elated and ready to forge a path of your own making head held high. Poetic and to the point, the thoughtful narrative has a gentle lyricism but for me the real show stealers are Staake’s digitally created illustrations of the ever changing landscape through which the character journeys.
A wonderful conversation starter that could be used at various stages in a child or young person’s life from moving to KS2 in a primary school right up to a new graduate. Essentially this is a book of possibilities, perspective and an individual’s outlook on life: the message is that it’s the journey not the destination that matters.
Why? Nikolai Popov minedition
As this wordless story begins a frog sits peaceably atop a rock holding a flower, a serene expression on his face. Suddenly, from a hole very close up pops a mouse clutching an umbrella. They look expectantly at one another. Could Frog be anticipating making a new friend of mouse. It certainly doesn’t happen: the mouse has designs on the frog’s flower, leaps at the creature and steals it. Up come two well built frogs and see the mouse off. Very soon more frogs and mice enter the battle, the tools of which become increasingly powerful
and eventually the conflict escalates into a full-scale war; the result being the entire terrain lies wasted,: there are no winners in this war, just total devastation all round.
All this we see in the the artist’s delicate watercolour scenes with their droll animal characters against the backdrop of blasting guns and explosions that make the reality of the situation even harsher. Then there’s that final spread.
Why? Oh why? we ask ourselves. Why indeed.
With what is happening with the increasingly ugly war in Ukraine, this question and indeed Popov’s powerful condemnation of war in this allegory is particularly pertinent. Why, oh why can’t a certain despot see the utter futility of war?
Nicola Skinner’s latest book is quite simply gargantuan. Actually though, nothing is simple about this utterly brilliant story.
Eleven year old Minnie Wadlow lives on an island in Quake Quarter, the gated walled city to be more precise: there’s not much wrong with said island if you can ignore the earthquakes that regularly strike, causing buildings to crumble and schools and houses to collapse. Fortunately the island’s inhabitants have come up with the perfect way to fix their crumbling walls: they use giants (one of the two kinds living in the island). These servant giants act as minders for the human children including Minnie: her giant is Speck; but when the girl turns twelve years old, she’ll have to kiss Speck goodbye thus turning her to stone forever. The stone is then used for repairs: all perfectly normal and fair – so Minnie and the other human children have been led to believe; it stands to reason they must never, ever develop any warm feelings towards their giant; nor must there be any secrets between child and giant.
Minnie and her family live in Quake Avenue, at number twelve, the least up market of all the twelve mansions, each of which belongs to an employee of the Giant Management Company and Mr Wadlow is endeavouring (unsuccessfully), to invent something that can stop the earthquakes for good. Minnie is forced by one Mr Straw, to take twice daily doses of medication – painkillers and muscle strengthener so she believes.
Not long after the Goodbye ceremony of Florin and his giant a violent earthquake strikes the island. Minnie quickly realises that despite what she’s been told, she isn’t ready to bid farewell to her giant forever. So, she runs away, thus betraying not only her parents but everyone she knows. She doesn’t remain entirely alone for she encounters first a jackal and then Robin Scragg whom she’d met at Florin’s ceremony..
Her journey becomes a race against time during which she has to face the truth about her island, Speck the giant and crucially, herself and who she really is.
With Flavia Sorrentino’s fantastic illustrations, this is a spectacular tale of letting go of all you thought right and genuine in order to remain true to yourself and your loved ones.
Cats in Chaos Peter Bently and John Bond Harper Collins Children’s Books
Moggy mayhem it most certainly is in this superb presentation from team Bently and Bond, their laugh-out-loud follow up to Dogs in Disguise.
Peter has taken the predilections of cats and woven them into an action-packed show-stopping treat with all the most entertaining circus acts you could imagine, and many you can’t until you see them in John Bond’s sensational scenes that overflow with warmth and wittiness. There are conjurors, a dog tamer, a cannonball cat, a juggling clown, trapeze artists and an amazing balancing act – look out for a friendly favourite from children’s TV among the throng;
but these are just some of the awesome artists that the mischievous mouse distracts at each and every opportunity.
Peter’s naming of the entertainers is splendidly silly and sometimes alliterative; children will adore even EVEL KATNEVEL ;
his wordplay is wonderful too; then there’s fun onomatopoeia – all this in a cleverly structured rhyming text that trips off the tongue and comes full circle to cats snoozing and snuggling – mostly anyhow.
Share this with a class or group and I guarantee there will be instant cries for an encore and pleas for further repeat performances. Give it to a single child or a few together and they will spend ages pouring over (maybe pawing over) the delicious details of disarray on every spread.
The Extraordinary Voyage of Katy Willacott Sharon Gosling Little Tiger
This novel with a feminist theme is set in Victorian times; its main character is Katy Willacott, daughter of a botanical taxonomist in the Herbarium at Kew Gardens. Having spent a gap year working in the Herbarium at Kew I suspect I was predisposed to like this book and wow! I absolutely loved it.
Already Katy knows that much as she admires what her mother does and enjoys assisting her, she wants much more out of life than working with dried specimens: her dreams are of going on great expeditions, finding new wonders and making a name for herself. However she faces a huge obstacle: girls aren’t allowed to do that sort of thing. Then a journalist, the embodiment of the spirit of adventure, Fran Brocklehurst, who is researching an article about women in the sciences tells her of extraordinary women in the world doing extraordinary things, and this acts as a catalyst for Katy.
Almost at the same time though, she learns that her brother is about to depart for Hastings accompanying their father who is leading an expedition there. The day they leave, her grandfather shows Katy a newspaper article about an expedition to Brazil to collect meteorite specimens and she makes up her mind to disguise herself as a boy, head for Southampton and join the crew of the ship Alerte, destination Brazil.
Within a few days, Katy, calling herself William Chandler, has landed herself a job as cabin boy aboard said ship and boy does she have a lot to learn: not least, what is the true mission of the expedition led by Sir Thomas Derby?
After a highly eventful voyage the ship finally reaches its destination and Katy goes her own way. She adds more wonderful friends to those she made at sea and makes some alarming discoveries, as well as having an unexpected meeting as the plot twists and turns.
Katy is a determined, strong, caring and capable character; her journey is one of personal growth too: she learns more about the impact early scientists and collectors are having on the world and she’s faced with some challenging decisions. Many controversial issues are covered that are still relevant today: colonialism, deforestation, the destruction of ecosystems and the impact on the indigenous people; there’s racism and misogyny especially related to STEAM issues.
Katy however is not the only tremendous character: this superb book has several including Fran Brocklehurst, but to meet them all I urge you to get a copy yourself; it’s absolutely full of adventure, excitement, brave people young and not so young, and some truly nasty villains too.
The Great Hamster Getaway Lou Carter and Magda Brol Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Bored by his life confined in a cage all the time seeing nobody and going nowhere, hamster Raffleton Grey decides to break free. He dreams of life in the great outdoors, splashing in the sea and feasting on people’s leftovers. “Tomorrow’s the day” he tells himself as he stargazes one night, a plan forming in his mind.
Next day having free fallen a fair way he lands beside a fellow hamster, all be it a rather scruffy specimen.
But freedom is much better shared with a like-minded friend so Raffleton and Puckerford spend time together running, splashing, snoozing beside the harbour, gobbling goodies and generally having a fantastic fun time. However as night falls things look rather different; pairs of eyes belonging to cats, foxes, gulls and worst of all, rats, follow their every movement however fast they try to run.
Come morning the two friends are exhausted and ponder upon their future; then Raffleton speaks up and another plan is conceived and carried out. After all, a comfy cage with company seems like the ideal solution and so it proves to be, at least when we leave the two.
Lou’s rhyming narrative bounces along beautifully when read aloud and is complemented by Magda Brol’s imaginative illustrations of Raffleton’s daring escape plan and what follows when he meets Puckerford. Her lively scenes really do capture the delights of being beside the seaside. Hamster holiday or human one, this tale is a perfect start to the summer break.
Amazing Animal Tales: Little Tiger Anne Rooney and Carolina Rabei Amazing Animal Tales: Baby Koala Anne Rooney and Qu Lan Oxford Children’s Books
These, first of a new series, follow the survival stories of baby animals. You can use them either as narrative stories of each animal baby or, if you open the flaps (four per book) as a combination of story and information. Each has the additional interactive feature of a creature to look for on every spread and sometimes, a question which needs some investigation by the child to answer. Little Tiger lives in the Asian tropical rainforest and when we first meet him, is snuggled up with his mother and fellow cubs in a safe warm den. We then see the cub being suckled before venturing outside into the sunlight of the noisy habitat where there’s time for some playful fighting with the other cubs. There’s a near encounter with a noisy elephant after which Mama carries her tired cub back to the den. However this protectiveness can’t continue and Mamma Tiger must teach her cubs to hunt if they are to thrive.
That still leaves time for some playfulness and a quick dip before sleep time.
The Australian Bush is the setting for Baby Koala. This little joey, like other koalas, spends all its time in the eucalyptus trees sleeping and feeding, either suckled by its mother, or about nine months later, eating eucalyptus leaves. Dangers come in the form of hungry owls and forest fires caused by the intense heat but Mum koala still keeps a protective watch on her Baby Koala, even after it’s outgrown her pouch and instead is carried on her back.
The texts are engaging and will hold a young child’s interest and the illustrations from, in Little Tiger, Carolina Rabei and in Baby Koala, Qu Lan include lots of detail of the flora and fauna of the animals’ respective habitats to explore and talk about. Both titles would be good additions to foundation stage collections and home bookshelves.
Written in a totally different style and for an older audience:
Bugs Space Noodle Fuel and Rich Watson Little Tiger
These two titles in a new Brain Bursts series are characterised by comical illustrations, simple, with quirky edge diagrams, and contained within fact boxes, a wealth of information is presented in a light-hearted style, complete with speech bubbles from the bugs themselves.
It’s incredible to read on the opening page of Bugs that insects make up almost three quarters of all animal species on Earth. Then after an introductory spread readers meet among others, bees, ladybirds, grasshoppers and crickets, damselflies and dragonflies, moths and ants. Can you believe that there are estimated to be ten quadrillion ants on our planet – 10,000,000,000,000,000 – that is indeed a ‘very big number’. I was amazed to discover that there are more than 10,000 different ant species.
Among the most bizarre facts though is one found on the ‘Top Ten Weird Bugs’ spread: did you know that honeybees have hairy eyeballs? There’s also a fun activities page, instructions on how to play Beetle – a game I’ve not played since I was a child – and a final glossary.
Space is similar in tone and covers such topics as stars and star maps, satellites, space travel, space junk (apparently there are such unlikely things as a pair of pliers and a spatula floating around somewhere in space), black holes and red dwarfs. Several space scientists and cosmonauts make an appearance and the book ends with some activities and a glossary.
‘Boredom-free guaranteed!’ is claimed on the cover: I can’t imagine any child being bored by either of these books.
Milo’s Monster Tom Percival Bloomsbury Children’s Books
In the sixth of Tom’s wonderful Big Bright Feelings series the green-eyed jealousy monster appears. Milo loves to spend time with his best friend and neighbour, Jay. But then a new family moves into a house opposite the boys and Milo watches a girl dashing about in her garden. That same afternoon when Milo calls for Jay he learns that he is across the road with Suzi.
Inevitably Milo feels left out and that manifests as a funny squirmy feeling in his tummy. The same thing happens the following day: suppose Jay doesn’t want to be his best friend any longer. That awful feeling gets stronger and stronger until right before Milo’s eyes is A GREEN-EYED MONSTER.
Thereafter said monster invades all Milo’s thoughts; the thing just won’t leave him be and Milo decides he will ignore Jay and Suzi. Instead he sulks and skulks away from everyone except the monster
until one day Suzi stops him. From what she says, Milo knows that it’s time to get rid of that horrible lying monster once and for all. A battle of wills between attacker and attacked ensues and at last, realising the truth, Milo apologies and is free to have fun, not just with one friend but two.
This compelling story offers a great way to show young children that jealousy can make you feel really miserable. It’s a wonderful book to start a circle-time discussion and perhaps look at ways to help deal with feelings of jealousy that everyone has from time to time.
Imagine Eating Lemons Jason Rhodes and Richard Dearing Graffeg
In recent years there has been increased concern about the mental well-being of youngsters and what can be done to help reduce their anxieties. As a yoga teacher I know well how mindfulness techniques can have a positive effect on both mental and physical health, so with this in mind it’s time to introduce Chester Chestnut.
In his decidedly mucky dungarees, cheerful little chap Chester Chestnut stands at the ready to guide young children through an introduction to mindfulness. He’s a character they’ll find easy to relate to and now he’s starting school – the only one doing so – he’s feeling anxious. Supposing he’s too shy to play and so won’t make any friends? Following a tumble, Chester picks himself up sits down and begins to breathe slowly and deeply, focussing on the various feelings as he scans his body, and paying attention to the sounds he can hear.
‘Imagine eating lemons and your mouth will think it’s real.” Now he feels much calmer, he can think about lots of positive and playful ideas.
The weeks pass; a new worry arises as he plays with his friends. Suppose when he’s participating in that talent show something goes wrong? Time to remember those calming techniques Chester. In his rhythmic, rhyming text, Jason Rhodes now describes the sounds of the trees, the bees and the birdsong and gives a reminder about those lemons,
so that in addition to Chester, readers/listeners will know what to do to conquer those fears, and why to do it, then and throughout the rest of the story. Richard Dearing’s illustrations give the story a slightly whimsical feel almost as though it’s set in a world of faerie.
The final page gives half a dozen things to remember about feelings and the practice of mindfulness. You try imagining eating a lemon and see what happens.
A book that is well worth having for home and school use.
Sometimes I’m a Baby Bear, Sometimes I’m a Snail Moira Butterfield and Gwen Millward Welbeck Editions
Embracing an entire gamut of childhood emotions, author Moira Butterfield uses different animals to explore and help little ones understand their feelings.
Whether it’s a bouncy puppy full of fun and wanting to play with others; a snail inside its shell ‘I’d rather be quiet and on my own. / I’m fine playing games alone.’ (I love that);
or perhaps a hug-loving baby bear, or no-hug bird, a blowfish blowing kisses instead of giving hugs; even a fearless lion expressing itself through a roar, it’s absolutely fine,
as are those scared, tiny mouse feelings about trying something tricky.
We all experience different emotions at times and it’s perfectly OK to feel that way: you can turn down a hug till another day, or feel happy in some solo play, as might some of your friends or siblings, so assures Moira in her appealing rhyming narrative. All these feelings are illustrated in Gwen Millward’s brightly coloured, equally appealing art showing the humans and animals with similar expressions and body language.
There’s a final spread giving advice to adults suggesting ways to use the book and providing helpful information about teaching children to identify, name and understand their feelings. This book developed with the support of a child psychologist is one to use in the foundation stage and with little ones at home.
Dinos Don’t Give Up! Smriti Halls and Richard Merritt Little Tiger
The little dino in this rhyming tale is a darling diplodocus named Dinah. Famed throughout dino-world for her seemingly endless abilities, young Dinah is a veritable superstar.
She’s also .kind, considerate, supportive and always willing to help others.
One day into Dino Town comes some exciting news: a surfing contest is to be held; every single little dinosaur is eager to try its luck at staying dry and thus winning the surfing crown. Now surfing is something Dinah hasn’t done before; nonetheless she’s confident as ever when she takes her place at the starting line, even anticipating treating her pals in a celebratory party after receiving the prize.
However, this is one activity at which Dinah is not destined to become top-dino; indeed no matter how hard she tries she just can’t stay atop her surfboard.
Disaster strikes as she finds herself almost completely submerged in the sea: a veritable dino flop.
Happily though her friends are at the ready to give a tearful Dinah what she most needs when a dino-catastrophe strikes and she in return is ready to follow that ‘if at first you don’t succeed’ adage and try, try again. Vitally, in so doing, little Dinah discovers that having fun isn’t contingent on winning. An important lesson for Dinah but equally, an important one for young humans
Smriti’s narrative bounces along beautifully, tripping easily off the tongue when read aloud and Richard Merritt’s vibrant illustrations, be they small, or occupying an entire double-spread are detailed dino-delights. This is a book that’s likely to make a big splash with little dinosaur lovers.
The Elephant Detectives Ged Adamson Nosy Crow
This funny story of, among other things, wanting to find a friend, begins happily with Alan and his elephant anticipating having fun with the balloon they’ve just bought from the seller in the park. It’s not to be however for a sudden gust of wind whips it away to the top of the Very Tall Tree: Alan announces that he’s an ace tree climber but fails to rescue the balloon. With his mind on alternative ways of enjoying themselves, Alan reaches the ground only to find – or rather not find his elephant.
Along comes Edie who declares herself an Elephant Detective and tells Alan to follow her. Together they set off on an elephant search, first stop the library. There, they borrow a book containing elephant facts, which Edie uses to provide clues to the elephant’s whereabouts. Next stop is one of the places that’s a possibility thanks to the facts in said book.
The hilarious element of this story is that all the time Alan’s elephant is following the two searchers, doing pretty much what they do but from a slight distance. Youngsters will love this.
Ged’s tongue in cheek story is made all the more amusing by his illustrations that are full of fun and diverting happenings and from his portrayal of the elephant it’s easy to see why Alan is so fond of his hāthī, pal. On the serious side though, is Edie’s admission to Alan that she only pretended to be an elephant detective in order to become his friend, a confession he willingly accepts.
Curse of the Chosen Volume 1 Curse of the Chosen Volume 11 Alexis Deacon Flying Eye Books
These are two bumper volumes, the first comprising (Geis) A Matter of Life and Death and A Game Without Rules, the second being the eagerly awaited The Will that Shapes the World, which concludes the trilogy.
Alexis Deacon’s first two graphic novels have held readers in their thrall since their publication. The first begins in fairly traditional fairytale style becoming progressively darker: a young woman, Io, finds herself in a room with 50 nobles; all are waiting for the death of the matriarch and thence the declaration of a new chief. They discover that the former matriarch has died but her body has been possessed by a sorceress who sends them from the Castle telling them to be back before dawn. “One alone I will spare,” she tells them. From this point on the reader watches the ordeals of some of these nobles as they try desperately to fight the “death magic” that has brought them thither.
Equally enthralling and even darker than the first book, A Game Without Rules begins by saying that the first test is now completed and only Io and a young man, Nemas know the truth of the sorceress’s plan. What follows is essentially a game of manipulations and wit within the city walls and the castle itself. Readers learn more about these characters who during the race for the crown, that at times becomes a race in a matter of life and death, we see the contestants change and develop. With the stakes raised the tension grows and it’s impossible to predict what will happen and who will succeed in the second test.
Powerful storytelling and awesomely detailed artwork once again sweep the reader away in the series finale The Will that Shapes the World. “The sorceress plans to kill us all! She has already murdered and enslaved the others!” comes a girl’s voice from behind bars, one of those remaining who are now scattered throughout the castle.
Shortly after comes an announcement from the sorceress, “Only one of you will survive … kill the others and one of you will live. I promise you that.” Nightmarish scenes follow and awful realisations too as we head towards an unanticipated, impactful and clever conclusion.
I was astonished to realise that the creator is the same Alexis Deacon whose picture books are some of my most frequent classroom shares. What his awesome graphic novels do, among other things, is expose a different audience of older readers to challenging vocabulary, presenting it in a visually supportive context.
Peggy the Always Sorry Pigeon Wendy Meddour and Carmen Saldaña Oxford Children’s Books
Try as she might Peggy Pigeon manages to please nobody; all she succeeds in doing is getting in the way and apologising for so doing. The scruffy pigeons, the road sweeper, and a yappy dog all shoo her out of their way, watched unbeknown to Peggy, by a seagull that introduces herself as Joan.
Joan too receives an immediate apology from Peggy but she in response tells the pigeon to stop saying sorry when she’s done nothing to apologise for. She also calls Peggy’s explanations ‘Nonsense’ and goes on to explain why. She insists Peggy must stand up for herself and goes on to support the pigeon in her efforts so to do. Little by little Peggy’s confidence grows as she gives as good as she gets to the very same characters that treated her unkindly.
I love her ‘SOGGY HAT SANDWICH’ and other retorts that definitely give her bossy persecutors a big surprise.
By the end of the day when Peggy and Joan relax together on the water as the sun sets, Peggy thanks her new friend and also gives her supportive seagull pal something of a surprise; seemingly Joan has done her job even better than she thought.
With its lovely, somewhat unexpected finale, Wendy Meddour’s tale of learning to stand up for yourself, supportiveness and friendship is an empowering story to share with young listeners who will love the opportunity to emulate Peggy’s retorts as she stands up for herself and enjoy Carmen Saldaña’s splendidly expressive illustrations of the action: the looks on the faces of the various characters – avian and otherwise – are wonderful.
Turtle Bay Saviour Pirotta and Nilesh Mistry Otter-Barry Books
The conservation message in this story is even more pertinent now than when the book was first published about 25 years back.
Essentially it’s a look at the breeding process of Japanese loggerhead turtles, but it’s much more too. Taro is firm friends with Jiro-San whom in response to his sister calling the man weird, the boy says is “old and wise and full of wonderful secrets.” The two spend a lot of time on the beach where Tiro has already learned both how to care for some of the sea creatures and how to be mindful and watch what’s happening in the rockpools. Now Jiro-San is often to be seen sweeping the rubbish and broken glass from the beach or sitting on a rock watching and listening and one day that is how Taro finds him. He’s preparing for the return of his “old friends”, Jiro-San explains to the boy. Having spent the following day together sweeping the beach and placing the rubbish in Jiro-San’s cart, he invites Taro to meet him that evening by the big rock. He does, but that’s not when they see the particular friends the old man has been talking about.
That happens a few days later, when accompanied by his somewhat reluctant sister, Taro heads off to the usual meeting spot. Suddenly something emerges from the water: it’s a mother turtle, come to lay her eggs on the beach, which she does before heading back to the sea to let the other turtles know the beach is safe. The following evening a band of female turtles arrive and lay their eggs in holes on the sandy shore.
Some weeks later Jiro-San and the two children observe the nocturnal emergence of hundreds of baby sea turtles and see them scuttling down to the sea.
Nilesh Mistry’s gorgeous blue, yellow and lavender-hued scenes show these events and create a sense of calm and of wonder that will be shared by children who read or listen to Saviour Pirotta’s perfectly paced tale with its important messages about caring for the environment, mindfulness, patience and being open-minded about people.
(There’s additional information about saving sea turtles at the end of the book.)
The Panda on PDA Gloria Dura-Vilà , illustrated by Rebecca Tatternorth Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Explaining autism and especially PDA through the lens of ursine characters is an ingenious, highly accessible, child-friendly way of doing so. Both the strengths and the challenges of PDA are explained by the Panda narrator and co-author of the book, a positive, charming and honest character. who also offers some things that might be helpful to turn a potentially bad day into a good one, (Keeping calm is key to remaining in control, we learn.) Underscoring the idea that each Panda and thus child, is unique, are opportunities to personalise the narrative helping to make this such an affirmative book.
With her wealth of experience, Gloria Dura-Vilà is a passionate advocate for neurodiversity and her enthusiasm is apparent on every page of this book; and Rebecca Tatternorth’s illustrations are a delight as they bring her main character to life.
Maybe though, the real show-stealers are the Pandas depicted on both front and back endpapers; these were drawn by children with Pathological Demand Avoidance, their siblings and friends.
Altogether a super resource: I strongly recommend it to any parent with a PDA child, other family members, all teachers and professionals who support such children, and indeed anybody who seeks to understand PDA. Read the book and join the Panda tribe (or see things from a Panda’s perspective) is the message.
The Red Beast K.I. Al-Ghani, illustrated by Haitham Al-Ghani Jessica Kingsley Publishers
The main aim of this book – now in a new edition – is to help children who are neurodivergent to cope with and process their anger. It could however also work well with any child that has occasional outbursts of uncontrollable anger. But first they have to acknowledge this emotion, the ’red beast’ that lurks deep inside us all, dormant until something happens to awaken it. Said beast then starts to grow and grow and grow until it can’t be contained and out pour those hurtful words, “I hate you! I hate you!” accompanied by spiteful actions such as kicking, biting, swearing and spitting.
The story here is one of Danni and what happens when the Red Beast within him is accidentally woken up when a ball kicked by somebody in the playground hits him in the stomach. Despite Charlie’s apologies, the Red Beast rages alarmingly at him,
until a teacher arrives on the scene to remove Danni from the situation.
Once inside Danni is calmly given a stress ball to help diffuse his anger. Little by little with slow deep breathing and squeezes of the ball, Danni’s Red Beast grows smaller and sleepier until it’s fast asleep. Danni is then given cool water to drink, followed by some bubble wrap to pop and it’s not long before he’s ready to return to class where he apologises to an understanding, non-judgemental Charlie. Thereafter Danni knows what to do should that Red Beast reawaken.
Further helpful calming strategies are listed after the story. It’s good to see that the overarching idea in this accessible story is to deem the behaviour negative rather than the child. That is one all adults should remember to adopt when dealing with youngsters both at school and at home, so this is a helpful book for any primary school collection.
Nura and the Immortal Palace M.T.Khan Walker Books
Clever, ambitious Nura lives in the fictional Pakistan town of Meerabagh. Since her father died she has worked mining mica to help support her family – her mother, her three younger siblings and herself. In the mine too, toils her best friend Faisal, often teased for his stutter by other child workers. Nura’s mother dreams of sending her to school, but Nura is more interested in treating herself to gulab jamun from her wages and more important saving up to send her younger siblings to school so they can break free of the family’s cycle of poverty. She also wants to find the legendary Demon’s Tongue buried deep within the mines; so doing would certainly solve all the family’s money issues.
When a terrible accident happens burying among others Faisal, Nura goes to the rescue and in so doing she digs too deep causing the earth to collapse over her friend. Digging even deeper, even further to save him, lands Nula in the realm of the jinn, at the opulent Sijj Palace, a jinn hotel. There she finds Faisal, and the two face trickery from the evil jinn, who offer luxuries untold and attempt to manipulate human children into labouring for the hotel; indeed nothing is as it seems. Can Nura outsmart the jinn, thus saving herself and her friends?
Into her wonderful storyworld building, in addition to friendship and magic the author skilfully weaves observations on child labour and poverty, and systems that maintain inequality that are relevant today. The narrative is fast paced and full of action, and with a wealth of lyrical imagery, this superb fantasy shines like the mica glistening in the sunlight that Nura mentions as the story starts. The cover illustration by Hazem Asif is fabulous too. I can’t wait to see what this debut author writes next.
(In her note at the end of the thought-provoking book, she talks of both child poverty in today’s world and of the importance of education as a way of escape from poverty, discrimination and war.)
Supermouse and the Volcano of Doom M.N. Tahl and Mark Chambers Little Tiger
In case you didn’t make the acquaintance of Supermouse in his previous adventure, Peter Parmesan is no ordinary mouse. When disaster strikes, Peter morphs into Supermouse ready to save the day. Now along with the regular news of crooks creating chaos comes news of the imminent eruption of Mount Fondue, way too big a task for our hero to handle entirely alone. So, he decides to hold auditions for ‘The League of Remarkable Rodents’ but none of the many that show up for the audition are sufficiently remarkable. Supermouse must face the volcano of doom alone.
As he starts to investigate this hot, hot mountain, there’s a sudden SPLAT that sends our hero skywards. However, refusing to be overcome he fights with all his might to fend off the fiery onslaught until disaster strikes in the form of hot molten cheese.
Is there anyone that could help rescue Supermouse and in so doing save the city? You never know: assistance sometimes comes from an unlikely source.
With its plethora of flaps to explore, speech bubbles, peep-through pages aplenty, wealth of wordplay and rodents of several kinds, this madcap superhero romp will go down well with young would-be superhero humans. They’ll absolutely relish Mark Chambers’ zany action-packed illustrations, that’s for sure.
Ebb and Flo and the Baby Seal Jane Simmons Graffeg
As Ebb sits listening to the pitter patter of the rain she hears a ‘Wah! Wah!’ coming from the direction of the beach. Off she dashes and there she discovers a baby seal – a playmate at last.After a day romping on the beach and in the waves, a hungry Ebb decides to head home; the little seal tries to follow. Ebb realises that it needs help, seeks the assistance of Mum and Flo
and eventually together they find a way to reunite the baby with its mother.
Jane Simmons’ misty watercolour illustrations evoke the seaside setting beautifully in this third reissue in a wonderful series that, with themes of kindness and teamwork, is as relevant now as twenty years back when the book was originally published.
Popular characters return in two early chapter books for new solo readers: thanks to Walker Books for sending them for review.
Too Small Tola Gets Tough Atinuke, illustrated by Onyinye Iwu
These three stories of the wonderful Tola, who lives with her siblings and Grandmummy in a flat in Lagos, show her as more determined than ever.
In the first she makes an exciting mathematical discovery and this in turn leads her to a realisation about life itself. However her excitement about these is quickly overtaken by news of a virus and the word ‘lockdown’ is spoken in the family residence. But it’s only in places like London where that happens surely. However the following day comes an announcement: Lagos is in lockdown. Now important decisions have to be made: will Lola’s family stay together or will her studious sister Moji, and brother Dapo now employed mending cars, go their separate ways?
In the second episode the question of lack of money becomes a huge issue: food is scare and Tola and Grandmummy, like countless other folk, keep going on one meal a day. Even Tola’s Papa, earning money far away driving his taxi is unable to help as his business too is out of action. Then comes a chance for Lola to contribute some much needed cash; reluctantly she decides to take it
finding herself working for a super-rich family.
However she soon discovers that rich people too now have problems, especially when they’re being cheated. Hurrah for Tola’s mathematical skills, and of course her kindness, cleverness, resourcefulness and mighty determination.
If you’ve not met Lola before, this third book offers a wonderful chance to introduce her to new solo readers. Those already familiar with her will welcome this new book with its lively drawings by Onyinye Iwu.
The Princess in Black and the Mermaid Princess Shannon & Dean Hale, illustrated by LeUyen Pham
Now in her ninth adventure, the ever popular young Princess in Black is plunged into an underwater mission involving a mermaid princess (along with of course those elements her fans love: heroes in disguise, hungry monsters, imperiled goats, and ninja skills).
As the story begins the three heroes are sailing in Princess Sneezewort’s ship. The Princess in Blankets wants to battle sea monsters, whereas the Princess in Black hopes to see a mermaid. It’s the Princess in Black who gets her wish for they soon encounter the beautiful mermaid Princess Posy and the creatures of her realm.
The three offer to help her protect the capricorns from the hungry kraken. However they quickly realise that monster-fighting moves aren’t much use underwater.
The Princess in Black sends her new friend a message about assertiveness and helping others. Perhaps Princess Posy knows some new ninja moves that will help.
With appealing new characters, a totally different setting, teamwork, the wonders of the power of the imagination, links with previous episodes and a wealth of lively undersea filmic style scenes by LeUyen Pham, this is certain to be winner.
The Invention Julia Hubery and James Munro Graffeg
How do you get all the seemingly exceedingly busy people who live in the same block of flats as you do to take time to interact with one another? That’s what Fili, who lives in said flats with her caretaker Dad wonders as she watches their comings and goings with barely a ‘hello’ being spoken day in day out.
However young Fili isn’t one to feel sad and do nothing about the situation; instead she thinks further, talks with her Dad and then sets to work, making … an Invention, As yet she’s unable to explain how it works, nor what it does
but what is evident is that it keeps getting larger and larger and everybody is interested in Fili’s mysterious creation. Eventually someone asks, ‘ … how will you know when it’s finished?’ Fili responds that she’ll need everyone’s help with that.
One day she delivers invitations to all the residents of their block, thus arousing further curiosity on their part. Needless to say the Invention party is well attended although at first the attendees are somewhat nonplussed at the Invention’s lack of action.
Now Fili’s plan moves up a gear, “Will you help to start it?’ she asks. Immediately everybody begins twiddling and fiddling, and more importantly, giggling and chatting until finally … There we have it: one little girl, one idea, one supportive parent, a lot of determination to build, not just her invention but a collaborative community.
James Munro’s superbly quirky illustrations are perfect for Julia Hubery’s straightforward droll telling about a child with a good idea, ingenuity and lots of determination, and the bringing together of people to form a real community.
Grow, Tree, Grow! Dom Conlon and Anastasia Izlesou Graffeg
The fifth in the Wild Wanderers series is every bit as good as the previous titles; in fact as trees are my number one thing in nature, this, with an Oak tree as its main focus is my favourite so far.
In his wonderful lyrical text Dom describes how in the forest as winter departs, an oak sapling is slowly growing to become Tree. All around minibeasts, rabbits and larger creatures are hunting for food to survive.
Many years later we see Tree has become a safe haven – ‘a canopy-guarder / a sanctuary for all to share.’ All being squirrels, woodpeckers, birds, bats, spiders and badgers.
Growing in the forest too are other trees – chestnut, ash and beech, each helping to keep the atmosphere clean, … ‘and branch is to sky / as root is to earth so // grow, Tree, grow!’ urges the narrative.
Seasons come and go bringing changes in the form of acorns within each of which lies another potential oak, but squirrels have designs on these goodies so Tree must make more and yet more till they’re ready to fall. The ground though is shared with acorn-loving pigs but they are not the biggest danger: that is the people who chop down the precious trees to make room for towns full of houses, shops and traffic.
Is it possible that a thousand years have passed since Tree’s tiny sapling started to grow; it surely is, but nothing in nature lasts for ever. Even an oak as majestic, as awesome as Tree must eventually die and now its time has come so, ‘rest Tree, rest.’ while all around new life springs forth and the wondrous cycles of nature continue – each to each returns its need and life goes on.
The web of life that is harboured during the lifetime of an oak tree is brilliantly caught in Anastasia Izlesou’s intricate tracery of lines and shades of russets and greens. Simply gorgeous!
Princesses Break Free Timothy Knapman and Jenny Lovlie Walker Books
Timothy Knapman does a splendid job of stirring things up when it comes to princesses. Princess Tilly in this wonderful story – or rather the second part of same – not only challenges the stereotypical inactive damsel in distress ‘wait for a handsome prince to come and rescue me, then we’ll both live happily ever after’ princess image, but knocks it clean out of the court.
When this young princess is seized by a dragon she rescues herself by the creative use of some rather large knickers. But then she’s apprehended by her Fairy Godmother who admonishes Tilly and puts her in Princess Prison to learn proper princessy behaviour. That of course, Tilly is not prepared to tolerate and once again she rescues herself.
This mightily impresses another princess, one of the waiting to be rescued kind, or make that formerly of that kind. For, empowered by Tilly she makes a break for it and the two flap to freedom courtesy of two passing swans.
Before long new princess stories are spreading across the kingdom featuring mountain climbing princesses, jungle explorers and those who sailed the seven seas – the very things they’d always wanted to do. Left with nothing else to do all the dragons, witches and evil queens find alternative ways of occupying themselves and to their surprise have fun so doing, so much so that the now redundant princess-rescuing princes join them.
Indeed nothing is as before in this particular fairytale realm but taking one’s fate into one’s own hands doesn’t preclude the possibility of a ‘happily ever after’ ending, rather it does the complete opposite. Really truly it does.
With its deliciously divergent Princess Tilly showing the way, Timothy’s tale is a real winner in my book, Equally winning are Jenny Lovlie’s action-packed scenes of fairytale characters coming into their own as they decide to follow Tilly’s example and think outside their various boxes.
Hop on Top, Mouse! Too Heavy Elephant! Tony Neal Oxford Children’s Books
The ideal way for young children to develop mathematical concepts about weight, height etc is through practical experience. Fun books such as these two help the process too, especially when there’s a simple story with vital vocabulary, and funny pictures by Tony Neal to enjoy with a supportive adult.
Hop on Top, Mouse! starts with a cupcake atop a tall cupboard and a tiny mouse looking longingly up at the object of its desire. Too high! says the text. (presumably the mouse’s frustrated comment). he calls on Monkey for help but the cupboard is too slippery for Monkey to climb. They call Rabbit to assist; his hopping skills are pretty good but even so all three are just ‘too short’. So what about a bit of co-operation. First one on top of another, but the cake is still too far away.
Happily though several other creatures are ready and willing to assist in operation cupcake. What will be the outcome – disaster or satisfaction all round?
The episode is followed by some activities for children to try both at home and out walking, and some basic key vocabulary.
The same cast of characters participate in Too Heavy Elephant! along with the titular pachyderm. Mouse and Elephant are keen to play together on a seesaw but inevitably the latter is too heavy but Mouse isn’t giving up that easily; he’s finding another way to get onto the plank but even then he’s just too light and elephant too heavy to operate said seesaw. I wonder how many of Mouse’s animal friends it will take to find the balance …
Co-operation reigns … The friends haven’t reckoned on the appearance of Daddy Elephant however …
Again the funny story is followed by some ‘heavy and light’, and weight comparing activities, and some basic vocabulary.
A thoroughly enjoyable way to support mathematical learning at home or in an early years setting.
Phyll has recently moved from London to the coast with her mum, which Dad hopes, will help with Mum find her Happy again as our soon to be twelve year old narrator tells us. Mum is a writer and has been suffering from depression for a while and so is unable to provide the emotional support her daughter needs at this challenging time.
Now Phyll has just started attending summer camp near her new home and Camp Sunshine is providing yet another challenge in the form of Hilda and her two pals, who Phyll thinks of as Hilda and the Horribles. On the positive side though, at the camp too is a friendly boy, Clark, with a seashell bracelet and he says he is going to the same high school as Phyll come the autumn.
When rain curtails outside activities, the camp leader offers the opportunity to visit an old folks home, which both Phyll and Clark accept. There she meets the rather mysterious Mr Djinn who talks of pirates, loves to play cribbage, tells her that magic is real and that he’s a genie – an idea she decides to go along with. Phyll also sets up a free dog walking service, helps a woman with a lost dog, longs for a dog of her own and is instrumental in the arrest of a dog-napper.
A lot more happens too but I urge you to get your own copy to discover what. I have to admit to having tears in my eyes as I finished this wonderful story of friendship, self belief, wishes and the possibility of magic. The characterisation is superb: Mr Djinn especially has some powerful things to say, in relation for instance, to the slave trade – ‘the greed of men is a terrible evil.’
My wish having put the book aside is that Andy Jones writes another story as beautiful and moving as this, his first for children.
The Fog Catcher’s Daughter Marianne McShane and Alan Marks Walker Books
Somewhere on the Irish coast (three fields away from the sea to be precise) near the enchanted isle of Lisnashee where the Good People, or fairy folk, dwell, live young Eily and her fog catcher father. The villagers stay well away from the island, fearing the consequences, should they anger the sinister sprites known for spoiling livestock, wrecking ships, and stealing people away in the night. However members of Eily’s family have for generations, journeyed to the island once a year in their role as fog-catchers. Their task is to collect magical beads of mist that will help grow herbs Annie uses for protection charms, and to make potions, and healing ointments in her apothecary.
With the fairy wind on the rise, Eily knows that this year her father faces a treacherous crossing to Lisnashee. So she heads down to Annie’s apothecary to choose him a journey treasure and when she leaves Annie gives the child a blessing, “A smooth way before you, child.”
By the time she reaches the shore her Papa has already loaded his boat so she bids him a safe journey, gives him a farewell hug and puts the stone into his hand. Returning home she discovers that Papa’s charm has been snatched from his grasp by the fairy wind and fears for his safety. She does as she’s bid, leaves butter on the doorstep and curls up holding the charm.
However soon after, what she finds on the doorstep prompts her to undertake a perilous journey in Lapwing, rowing out on the storm tossed sea to rescue her beloved Papa.
Suffused with folklore of the Emerald Isle, Marianne McShane’s elegantly told, powerfully atmospheric story is both haunting and timeless, made all the more so by Alan Marks’ delicate, almost ethereal, watercolour scenes. How perfectly he captures the white-capped, rolling waves, the ghostly, menacing faeries, and the determination of Eily.
Child listeners and anybody with an interest in folklore will surely love this magical tale. In a final note, the author explains what inspired her to write it.
These are two adventure stories set in Scotland and both with an environmental theme:thanks to Owlet Press and Harper Collins Children’s Books for sending them for review.
The Whale Watchers Dougie Poynter, illustrated by Amber Huq Owlet Press
It’s the start of the school summer holidays and Finn is anything but pleased to be travelling by train to Scotland to study whales along with his marine biologist mum and younger brother Jesse who is really excited about the prospect of whale watching. Who wants to go to a cold, rainy place at the end of nowhere when you might go somewhere hot like Spain or France? But it’s part of his mum’s job to collect data on the various kinds of whales, minke whales in particular. Moreover, the thought of such creatures and ideas of plastic pollution in the oceans and endangered animals makes Finn’s stomach churn: contrary to what his mum believes Finn thinks the world is already doomed.
However when he arrives next morning things don’t seem quite so awful: the cottage where they’re to stay is right on the beach. Then while on the shore the boys meet Skye and Rain, her dog. Gradually as they spend time together sharing experiences and an adventure neither will forget,
their friendship grows strong and Finn is able to see things differently. After all his misgivings he has an unexpectedly incredible summer holiday and has a wonderful surprise even before his train home has reached its destination.
Dougie Poynter, himself an avid conservationist, cleverly weaves information about the marine life of the Moray Firth and the impact of pollution on its waters and the wider environment into his splendid story: everyone can make a difference and although it might seem small to the individual, the impact of each person together can be huge. I was horrified at the comment from a colleague of Finn’s mum, ‘just a single one-litre plastic bottle can break down into enough tiny pieces of plastic to put a piece on every single mile of beach on the planet.’ Amber Huq’s illustrations add to the dramatic impact of the tale.
There’s also an excellent final factual section reinforcing the novel’s message that includes lots of ways that everybody can help contribute to the cause of marine animals and the environment in general.
When Things Went Wild Tom Mitchell Harper Collins Children’s Books
From the quote from Tennyson’s The Eagle before the story begins I knew I was going to enjoyTom Mitchell’s latest book; it even exceeded my high expectations.
With his parents and irritating younger brother Jack, Kit has recently moved from Nottingham to an old house in Granton, in the highlands of Scotland, a place he describes as in the middle of nowhere. He has a lot to contend with: the wi-fi is rubbish, he’s starting at a new school and now his mum is wanting him to join them on a walk. It’s on said walk however that pesky Jack stumbles upon an unknown object and later on when PC Lennox comes knocking on their door, the boys learn that the object they found is a tracker that has been removed from the leg of a missing golden eagle named Adler.
Then a school project is announced and everyone in Kit’s class is expected to produce an idea to investigate. Is there perhaps a chance he could become ‘Kit Brautigan, bird detective’? Apparently the killing of these awesome birds is fairly common and when the brothers realise there is actually a pair of nesting eagles under threat, they feel they must do something. Before long the school’s most popular pupil, Tamora, becomes involved as does her younger sister, Bea.
But who wants to harm the eagles and why? The main suspects are a local farmer McNab, the sinister game keeper Mosby and landowner Lord Cavendish, (father of Tamora and Bea.) Can the city children catch the killer culprit?
With mishaps and mayhem aplenty, Tom’s gently humorous tale – a whodunnit but so much more – is a timely reminder that we all need to take responsibility for protecting our precious environment and its wildlife.
Our Story Starts in Africa Patrice Lawrence, illustrated by Jeanetta Gonzales Magic Cat
Paloma is visiting Trinidad, staying with Tante Janet and is eager to play with her cousins whom she’s not met before. They however don’t want to play with her; “How can you be family?” they say in response to her different way of speaking. Paloma’s sadness at her cousins’ comments is palpable in Jeanetta Gonzales richly hued illustrations, but Tante Janet is on hand to comfort her and tell her a secret.
Little by little she tells Paloma a story, one that starts in Africa. She explains how the comb the child holds is like combs found by scientists investigating the banks of the River Nile in northeastern Africa, used by people similar to the two of them, who lived thousands of years back, The conversation moves to warrior queens of yore, in particular one who fought the Romans two thousand years ago. I love how present and past come together by the visual juxtaposing of Paloma and her aunt, the comb and the historic ruler they are talking of.
This device continues to be used as their discussion turns to story telling and how African people preserved their stories on parchment, carved in stone, painted in caves and on jars, woven into kente cloth and through the beating of talking drums, not forgetting most importantly the passing on of stories orally from generation to generation. “Just like we’re doing now, Tante!” says Paloma.
Prompted by Paloma’s next question about writing books, the narrative turns to the role of libraries past and present, by which time the two decide to have a break for some refreshing ginger beer specially made by Tante Janet. This necessitates picking some limes from the yard, which is full of trees that Paloma hasn’t ever seen before. As the picking proceeds the two discuss some of Africa’s treasures; fruits, spices, precious wood and frankincense resin used in perfume making. Children will be horrified to read of jealous rulers from other lands, stealing diamonds, gold and most precious of all, African people.
Then with the limes collected, the subject of enslavement comes up :“That’s how we came to Trinidad,” Tante Janet says, leading on to colonisation,
and eventually through the wretched times of colonisation and enslavement, to the emergence of the fifty African countries comprising a thriving, present-day community of many places, faces and achievements.
That is where this superbly illustrated, engagingly and sensitively written book differs from many others about the African continent wherein the focus tends to be on (non contentious) topics like dance, music and traditional costume. How refreshing and exciting is Patrice’s approach for any adult who wants to present Black history to today’s youngsters, including this reviewer who feels increasingly ashamed of British policies and actions both past and present.
(In the final spread there’s more information about the topics discussed during the story.)
Loujain Dreams of Sunflowers Lina AlHathloul & Uma Mishra-Newbery, illustrated by Rebecca Green Minedition
This is the debut book for authors Uma Mishra-Newbery and Lina AlHathloul, both human rights activists; Lina being the sister of Loujain AlHathloul, the women’s rights activist formerly imprisoned by the Saudi government for advocating women’s right to drive.
Many readers, adults at least, will be familiar with Icarus and his flight but fewer I suspect, will know of LouJain AlHathloul, the inspiration for this story. The Loujain in this story is a young girl who longs to fly like her father who talks of what her baba describes as a ‘carpet of a million sunflowers’. It’s this that fills the girl’s dreams while in the daytime she dons her father’s wings and pretends she can soar high into the sky. The problem is a big one however: girls are not allowed to fly. Nevertheless despite the taunting from her peers, she holds fast to her dream and baba’s assertion, “the only way to see the sunflowers is to fly over to where they are.”
Eventually baba relents and in the garden as he has done with his boys, he teaches her to fly. Now the possibility of reaching those ever beckoning fields of sunflowers is more than just a dream and one day the two – baba and Loujain spread their wings and …
Her baba takes a photo of his daughter in flight and next morning on the way to school Lulu is in the news.
What a wonderfully empowering story for children; they need to know that it’s important to dream big, to believe in yourself and to reach for the stars; that way will they see life’s wonders as they fly for peace of mind, for freedom and for their rights. Rebecca Green’s illustrations, with their warm hues and powerful images are show-stopping – a perfect backdrop for the words. (Backmatter provides further information about Loujain AlHathloul and her work in the Saudi Women’s Rights movement and an inspiring letter from the authors.)
Red Reading Hub - Jillrbennett's Reviews of Children's Books 