Author jillrbennett

The Tiger Who Came For Dinner / The Littlest Elephant

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The Tiger Who Came For Dinner
Steve Smallman and Joëlle Dreidemy
Little Tiger

In this fourth story to feature Wolf, Hotpot the lamb and their crocodile, Omelette, the friends are playing their favourite game of fetch when instead of a stick, Omelette brings back a tiny, soggy lost tiger. Hotpot is keen to keep the little thing but Wolf shakes his head “ … little tiger’s family must live further up the river. We have to take her home,” he says.
Next day off they go and on the way they encounter other animals, all of which think the little cub is a delight.

Omelette however, is not sure and becomes even less so as their journey continues; moreover he is able to recognise crocodile tears.

The following morning the group reaches a cottage – it’s the tiger cub’s home at last – and the little cub had a tricky plan tucked in his fur all the time. Can anybody save the day?

As with previous titles in the series, the importance of friendship is key. Steve and Joelle imbue the characters with warmth and oodles of personality and those already familiar with the other books will gobble up this one; however it matters little if you start here: this witty tale still works as a smashing read aloud.

The Littlest Elephant
Kate Read
Two Hoots

Having just learned to swim, such is Ellie the littlest elephant’s enthusiasm that in her haste to demonstrate her new skill, she charges off to the pool to be first in the water. On the way though, she dislodges chameleon, frightens the frogs, disturbs the monkeys’ mangoes scattering them far and wide, upsets the minibeasts and the birds,

stamps on the tiger’s tail and almost squishes a little mouse. Only then does she stop and pay heed to their warning cries to slow down and watch where she’s going. Time for some apologies realises Ellie, and with them duly accepted, all the animals head off to the swim together, with the littlest pachyderm being mindful of the wise words her new friends have spoken, until they eventually reach the pool.

Now to make the biggest splash EVER!

Kate Read captures Ellie elephant’s excitement beautifully in her bold, bright mixed media illustrations while at the same time portraying the feelings of creatures she encounters on her charge through the jungle equally well. Her story reminds youngsters – indeed all of us – of the the need to slow down sometimes, to be mindful of others , and to show empathy, consideration and kindness towards them; important lessons delivered unobtrusively in a fun picturebook.

Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup

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Yesterday Crumb and the Storm in a Teacup
Andy Sagar
Orion

Born with fox ears, and nothing of her own except The Pocket Book of Faeries bearing her name found by her side, Yesterday Crumb has spent the first part of her life trapped in a cage, a curiosity for visitors to the travelling circus.

Then one day, with the aid of a raven familiar she escapes, having first learned that she’s actually a witch herself, albeit now without her magic; but she meets the sinister Mr Weep, demon in charge of the world of the Dead and he puts a shard of ice into her heart. Happily though she is then taken in by Miss Dumpling, a tea witch who runs the magical tea shop with legs, Dwimmerly End, where the raven familiar and a boy with a wolf’s nose also dwell. However unless she can remove that shard of ice before the winter solstice just a month away, Yesterday’s blissful new existence with its sense of belonging as a trainee witch will be very short-lived.

Meanwhile that new nurturing learning environment with its fantastical customers, flying teapot turtle Pascal and magic in every teacup, along with supportive Miss Dumpling’s ‘where there’s a witch there’s a way” attitude, Yesterday begins to believe in the possibility of finding the all important spell ingredient needed to break that curse of the shard. Before that she has to face a visit from the College of Witches and the test on her magic skills; that and learn to deal with her anger.

Both wonderfully whimsical and sometimes, surprisingly spooky and sinister, this is a truly spellbinding adventure quest and there’s a twist in its tail. With a touch of genius Andy Sagar has created a wonderful world full of teapots, tea and brewing, not to mention scrumptious cakes and a little coffee, as well as a cast of amazing characters, (and the occasional rogue) to populate it. Prepare to be swept away; it’s absolutely superb and I can’t wait for the next brew.

Mindi and the Goose No One Else Could See

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Mindi and the Goose No One Else Could See
Sam McBratney and Linda Ólafsdóttir
Walker Books

Young Mindi has a night time problem; it appears in her bedroom, ‘quietly as a thought comes into your head,’ in the form of a large shadowy goose, staying as long as it wants. Neither of her parents can see it but do their best to dispel her fears.

“Well, you’ll just have to close your eyes and make it not real,” says her mother.

Concerned, her father goes off to consult a wise farmer, Austen, who lives up on the hill. He suggests that both Mindi and her dad come up to visit his farm, and when they do so, he introduces the girl to his animals, including two geese before taking her inside for a drink. Suddenly, into the kitchen strolls a young goat to which Mindi takes a great liking, naming her Black-and-Whitey. On the way home however, Mindi admits she likes the Shelling Hill geese but still insists that BIG goose isn’t nice.

About a week later, who should come to visit on a wet day but Austen, plus the goat Mindi liked.

Austen says he will give her the goat but must have something in exchange. Could that perhaps be Big Goose …
What a superbly understanding character is farmer Austen who shows such empathy towards Mindi, making her become part of the solution to dispelling her fears.

Sam McBratney’s story – a longer text than many of his other titles – is one that many young children will relate to and the ending is hugely satisfying. Linda Ólafsdóttir’s mixed media illustrations – both large and small are simply gorgeous. How well she captures the warmth of Mindi’s loving family and the rural setting of the book. Read aloud or read solo, this has much to offer young audiences.

Dearest One / The Smile

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Dearest One
Arielle Dance and Jenny Duke
Lantana Publishing

Warm, heartfelt affirmations of the kind your loving grandmother might share with you are presented in this book.

Look for rainbows and have fun puddle jumping on rainy days, sow seeds of kindness – their effects will last long after you’re gone, 

dance to the song of the wind – it’s music for your soul; be kind to your body and mindful of what you put in it; draw on your inner power to reach your true potential; develop resilience and understand that neither you nor others can always be winners. Then on those dark days use your inner light to find something to get that flame of yours burning 

and never forget that your ancestors’ magic lies within you always acting as a guide, so never forget the stories they’ve told and remember to pass them on to others too. And always keep an open heart: that way love can find you no matter where you are.

Arielle Dance’s lyrical text convey words of wisdom that are not only important in the here and now, but also thoughts to hold within and draw upon at any time, especially when you’re feeling unsure about the future. In combination with Jenny Duke’s uplifting illustrations into which they’re set, they offer a beautiful book to give a young child, that an adult will surely love reading too.

The Smile
Marie Voigt
Oxford Children’s Books

At the start of a picnic, a baby smiles at an older sibling and the joyful reaction of the recipient has such power it begins a chain response that travels all around the world, eventually coming full circle in this series of visual anecdotes.

The thing about smiles is that we have the power to give an infinite number: a single smile might turn someone’s sadness into happiness there and then; or alternatively a seemingly simple action such as sending a loving message to somebody far away can, after some time has passed, also bring a smile to the face of the receiver; perhaps even somebody unknown.

In the country village and its environs where I currently spend a lot of my time, almost every person one encounters while out walking smiles at you or smiles back at your smile, whereas in suburban London where I spend the rest of my time, it’s relatively rare for somebody to look you in the face, let alone smile. Perhaps if a copy of Marie’s beautifully illustrated book were given to all parents of young children, it might start a smile revolution.

Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms / Escape Room

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Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdoms
Jamar J. Perry
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Drawing on West African and Igbo culture and mythology the author has created a powerful, multi-layered fantasy quest.

Twelve year old Cameron is of Igbo descent and having lost his parents two years earlier, is living with his grandmother in Atlanta. From time to time he has strange experiences but puts them down to his prolific imagination. Cameron is forbidden to enter the attic wherein is kept The Book of Chidani, a family heirloom which he’s been told not to touch.

At the start of the summer holidays, he and his two best friends Aliyah and Zion are having a sleepover. Drawn by the book, Cameron’s last connection to his parents, they sneak into the attic to read it and in so doing, open the portal to the kingdom of Chidani.

There he learns that he’s now the Chidani people’s Descendant and is tasked with saving the country from a power grab by the Queen’s sister Amina. That means he, with the help of his friends has to retrieve three stolen magical artefacts while at the same time face monsters, gods, and their personal fears. They have just three moons in which to do it: will they find all three in that time?

A gripping adventure of loss and love, courage and perseverance.

Escape Room
Christopher Edge
Nosy Crow

Christopher Edge’s story sucks you in right away. Full of twists and turns, it’s a fast-paced adventure, a mystery and a game all in one and will have special appeal to fans of computer games.

The narrator is twelve year old Ami, who is given a ticket to an escape room as a birthday gift from her dad. On arrival she’s expecting to participate in a game but having checked in, met her fellow players – Adjoa, Ibrahim, Oscar and Min – Ami learns from the Host that they have been chosen to save the world and they must work together to find the Answer.

However, when he locks them inside the first room, they quickly realise this is no ordinary game. It’s essential that this disparate group learn to work together, drawing on individual’s strengths in order to solve all the problems they confront in the various chambers they enter. There’s a chess computer to beat, a vast dusty library, a Mayan tomb, a shopping mall that’s deserted save for extinct animals, as well as the commando module of a spaceship bound for Mars. Is there no end to the dangers?

Time is running out: Ami just needs to find the Answer …

There’s a brilliant final twist to this hugely thought-provoking, topical tale and it’s one that lingers long after you’ve put the book down. Just superb.

When Creature Met Creature

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When Creature Met Creature
John Agard and Satoshi Kitamura
Scallywag Press

As we discover in this superb collaboration between two multi-award winners, poet John Agard and illustrator Satoshi Kitamura, furry Creature-of-No-Words lives a happy, silent, ‘never in a hurry’ existence until one day, for no real reason he gets a feeling, ‘this feeling like the chill touch of ice’.
Nothing he tries, not self thumping nor groaning loudly or even cloud gazing, can shift his overwhelming feeling of sadness, even though sad isn’t a word he’s able to say.

Then along comes Creature-of-Words, another being, also happy with her furiness and ‘never in a hurry’, but altogether different with her vocal phrases that she loves to speak aloud. Empathetic soul that she is, she watches and senses her fellow creature’s utter despair.

What happens thereafter is enormously uplifting and powerfully portrayed in both words and wonderfully expressive, richly patterned vibrant scenes of the two characters’ interactions, be they silent and vocal.

Both humorous and poignant, this look at the importance and power of communication, is a thought-provoking, memorable ‘just-so’ kind of story. In addition to being a book that will resonate with listeners and readers, it’s a wonderful starting point for classroom explorations of ways of relating to, and expressing our feelings to our fellow creatures.

Olaf Hajek’s Fantastic Fruits

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Olaf Hajek’s Fantastic Fruits
Annette Roeder and Olaf Hajek
Prestel

A veritable array of scrumptious fruits – depending on your taste of course – are served up in this third collaboration between author Annette Roeder and illustrator Olaf Hajek.

As with Veggie Power and Flower Power, Hajek draws on a variety of cultural heritages and artistic traditions, as he playfully conjures up an entire, imagination-sparking story world brimming with details in every one of his seventeen luscious surreal paintings.

For instance the style of the richly hued mango scene transported me to India and Mughal art, but Hajek’s arrangement of images with the dominant parrot clutching in its claws a neatly cut slice of the juicy fruit raised the question, ‘Was it sliced by human hands and if so, whose?’

In contrast the gooseberry and currant composition, had for me, something of the Mexican, Frida Khalo about it.

As well as providing visual clues as to how each fruit is grown, in some paintings, the featured fruit or the skin thereof, is used as part and parcel of a character’s attire. That is so with the gooseberries while in the case of banana, there’s a woman’s dress and hat comprised mostly of that fruit.

No matter where you open the book, opposite the illustration is an engaging page of text by Annette Roeder. This provides straightforward factual information drawn from history as well as modern times; there’s often some folklore, or perhaps a truncated myth or traditional fairytale. The final spread entitled ‘A colourful fruit salad fairy tale’ has a story so the author says, whispered to her by a woman in a shop about a spoiled prince and pineapples that grow wings so he can consume them at their perfect stage of ripeness; and there’s information about choosing wisely when it comes to selecting what to include in your own fruit salad.

Assuredly this large format book is full of mouth-watering delights and occasional surprises too.

The Hotel For Bugs

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The Hotel For Bugs
Suzy Senior and Leire Martín
Little Tiger

The excitement is huge when the brand new, absolutely fabulous Hotel for Bugs opens its doors for business. In surge the masses of mini beasts eager to sample the tasty treats on offer at the buffet and the fancy facilities such as the spa and club. Perfect for a relaxing holiday.
Then, into the lobby slides a shiny, squishy and blobby slug, leaving a trail of glittering slime in its wake and asking to book a room. More than a tad alarmed, the manager tells the prospective client that the hotel is already full and that anyway, slugs are not welcome.

Nonplussed, out glides said slug leaving a relieved manager and a crowd of onlookers that have gathered to watch the proceedings.

However, it takes just one tiny little bug to speak out, demanding to know why the slug has been sent away. After all, starting with herself, every single one of their number could be thought of as ‘different’ in some way; and before long, the other bugs are contributing supportive comments, each pointing out (or otherwise making known) its own distinctive features.

Has the manager made an irreparable error in her treatment of the slug, or is there a way that the situation can be fixed for every single one of the creatures that entered the portals of the establishment that day?

Suzy Senior’s jaunty rhyming text together with Leire Martín’s brightly coloured creepy crawly characters portrayed with their idiosyncratic features, show the importance of inclusivity and that difference is something to embrace and celebrate rather than fear.

Marv and the Mega Robot / Marv and the Dino Attack

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Marv and the Mega Robot
Marv and the Dino Attack
Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles
Oxford Children’s Books

This is a new series of early chapter books that star a new superhero protagonist, Marv along with his excitable sidekick, robot Pixel. One of the author’s aims in writing the series was so that children would have black superheroes in their stories, something he didn’t find when he was growing up.

Essentially Marvin is a normal boy who likes to spend his time with his empathetic Grandpa, reading comics and doing science experiments with best friend, Joe. Life is fairly normal until one day, Grandpa sends Marvin up to the attic where, stowed away in a dusty old suitcase, he finds a superhero outfit, which when he tries it on, shrinks to fit him perfectly. He soon discovers that Grandpa too was a superhero and that the suit is powered by two things: kindness and imagination; now it’s up to Marvin to take on that mantle.

In the first story supervillain Mastermind, plus her evil giant robot appear at the school science fair, it’s up to Marvin to assume his Marv role and try to save the day.

Aided and abetted by Pixel, of course the time has come for Marvin to meet his destiny.

In the second book Marvin and his friends are super excited: their class is on a school trip to The Natural History Museum. Marvin and Joe are thrilled to get right up close to their favourite dinosaur skeletons when suddenly the ground begins to shake and skeletons start to move. It’s supervillain Rex intent on causing complete dino-chaos. Marv knows he must employ those newly found superhero skills to save his classmates (and everyone else) from violent velociraptors, trampling T-Rexs and the other rampaging dino-skeletons.
Will it be another case of ‘superhero mission accomplished’ for Marv – hopefully so long as he can assume that super-suit in time.

Fizzing with excitement, and with themes of kindness, friendship, creativity, courage and resilience these two snappily-written tales are a super-duper start to Alex Falase-Koya’s action-packed series. Paula Bowles’ two-colour illustrations are terrific fun and help ramp that action right up.

John Agard’s Windrush Child

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John Agard’s Windrush Child
John Agard and Sophie Bass
Walker Books

With a final embrace from his Gran, Windrush child waves farewell to his Caribbean home, and with his parents, boards a ship to sail across the ocean to Britain and a new life. As the blue waters roll past, the boy’s parents remember ‘story time yard and mango mornings’ as they anticipate fresh beginnings in the hope that everything will turn out all right. 

The child recalls his grandmother’s parting entreaty to remember to write as she bestows that last fond hug.

On dry land at last, as the family walk away from the ship, they feel unsure on their feet. Then once ensconced in a new home, Windrush child keeps his word, telling his grandmother in a letter about ‘stepping into history, bringing your Caribbean eye to another horizon’ her words but now winging their way back.

Meanwhile the new arrivals have much to learn about this place where so much is different and where so many challenges await. For as poet John Agard writes in his author’s note, those from the Empire Windrush and many other ships brought with them ‘Caribbean culture’ that ‘had such a powerful and positive impact on British culture’ making Britain a much better place because of them.

The author’s hugely moving, lyrical and haunting evocation of the journey families of the Windrush generation made is rendered all the more powerful by Sophie Bass’ vibrant illustrations – a vibrancy that truly reflects the richness of the contribution made by those who came.

An important book that needs to be shared as widely as possible in homes and primary schools.

The Magic of Seasons

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The Magic of Seasons
Vicky Woodgate
Dorling Kindersley

From this veritable cornucopia of a book about the changing seasons in our world, with Mimi the cat for company, readers can experience seasons- related science, history, geography, myths and legends.

First comes a scientific explanation about what exactly is meant by the seasons, after which is a quick generalised look at in turn, spring, summer, autumn and winter, as well as a spread explaining how for many places in the tropics, there are just the wet and the dry seasons, (these seem to be getting a bit blurred though for, according to my friends in Udaipur city in India, it’s rained every single month in the last year.)

My favourite part was the ‘Seasons in Nature’ section that gives more detailed information about the incredible changes and different delights that characterise each of the seasons – be they the four we have in temperate climes or the tropical two, rainy and dry.

This part also encompasses information relating to animal migrations by land, sea and air as well as seasonal effects on the world’s ocean life.

Throughout, Vicky Woodgate’s text uses language appropriate for most key stage two children, and visuals – illustrations, maps and charts that make every spread enticing, so that readers never feel overwhelmed. There are also occasional quizzes, tips and activities.

A book for classroom use as well as one parents and children can enjoy browsing together.

Return to Factopia!

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Return to Factopia!
Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith
Britannica Books

This second book in the series that invites readers to choose their own paths is every bit as much fun as the first. Again it’s bursting with informative tidbits (more than 400 facts in all) relating to such diverse topics as libraries, lions and loud things, bees to blood and bananas, and morning to musical instruments (of the unusual kind of course). Did you know that certain bumblebees bite plants’ leaves to speed up the flowering process? I certainly didn’t.

Astonishingly, bananas are naturally radioactive? (You’d need to consume at least a billion in a single meal to receive a lethal dose though.)

Equally weird is that a species of ancient whale had four legs and webbed feet, and that scientists are able to tell the age of a whale from its earwax. I’d love to know how that’s done. Those are just a couple of the weird and wonderful things you can discover about various kinds of whales herein.
Equally astonishing and astounding is that ants have been around since the time of dinosaurs; perhaps even more amazing is that certain fungi are able to control the minds of ants, turning them into zombified insects.

No matter whether you decide to follow a jumpy trail, or read straight through, one thing is certain, you’ll put the book down knowing a multitude of things you hadn’t even thought about before.
Easy to read and engagingly illustrated in a variety of styles by Andy Smith, this clever web of information will assuredly bind you in.

The Extraordinary World of Birds

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The Extraordinary World of Birds
David Lindo and Claire McElfatrick
Dorling Kindersley

Did you know that ‘birds are dinosaurs in the same way that humans are mammals’? So says David Lindo, aka the Urban Birder, at the start of this engaging look at birds from all over the globe.

The book is divided into five main parts: What is a bird?; Bird families; Bird behaviour; Bird habitats and finally, Birds and me. The author takes readers on a journey through the avian world providing information on fundamentals, through to the enormous variety of incredible adaptations of species in different locations.

The Bird families section presents different groups – the flightless kind, game birds, parrots – I was astonished to find there are as many as 350 species; the only ones I’m familiar with are those Ring-Necked Parakeet tree wreckers in Bushy Park. I was equally fascinated to learn in the behaviour section that songbirds are able to breathe through one lung at a time so they don’t need to pause for breath when singing.

The habitats we visit range from tropical forests that are rich in species, to deserts where, in the most extreme conditions, highly specialised birds such as the difficult to detect, Crowned sandgrouse live. Amazingly the males’ belly feathers have become adapted to soak up and hold water.

In the final part, we encounter some of the birds that are now at risk of extinction on account of human action and the author stresses the importance of nature reserves as well as describing ways in which all of us can help our neighbourhood birds.

By the time readers reach the ‘Birding’ spread, some will need little encouragement to become birders themselves and David gives some helpful tips about so doing.

No matter the section, Claire McElfatrick’s alluring, detailed, often dramatic illustrations, in combination with photographs, really bring each spread to life.
(Backmatter comprises a list of the national birds of over 100 countries, a glossary and index.)

Given the broad scope of its content, I see this as a book for school collections, either for dipping in and out of, or to use as a project resource, rather than for budding ornithologists who would require something with a more specific geographic focus.

Not That Pet!

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Not That Pet!
Smriti Halls and Rosalind Beardshaw
Walker Books

Mabel is super excited: her family is getting a pet and she’s allowed to choose it from the pet shop she visits along with her mum and little brother. Her choice is – wait for it – an elephant! He’s a splendid hugger, gives terrific rides, makes a super slide and is really useful when it comes to watering the plants and pulling up weeds. However, he also tramples on all the family’s fruit and worst of all, sits on Mabel’s mum. “Not that pet!” comes the cry, “Choose something smaller!” And Mabel obligingly does so.

The elephant is replaced by ants, lots of them and they march through the house eventually finding their way into Dad’s underpants – yikes! You can guess what his instant reaction is, followed by instructions to choose something they can all see.

And so it continues with a skunk, a snake, a spider,

worms and several others. Poor pet shop Pete: will he ever deliver something that satisfies everyone. Eventually, close to giving up Mabel has a good think and what she thinks is ‘I just need to pick something furry and sweet … something friendly that everyone likes.’ Now what could that possibly be? It’s definitely not what you’d expect.

The final reveal will surely come as a surprise to readers and listeners. I love a fun final twist and this book certainly has that and much more. Smriti’s rhyming narrative reads aloud well and is huge fun and Rosalind Beardshaw’s illustrations are full of details to explore and giggle over, not least the bathroom scene and that of the visitors to Dad’s underpants, Make sure you watch the antics of Mabel’s little brother too: he’s a real cutie. Altogether a smashing storytime winner methinks, and one sure to get children talking.

Women Who Led The Way

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Women Who Led The Way
Mick Manning and Brita Granström
Otter-Barry Books

Herein, team Mike and Brita celebrate 21 inspiring women adventurers and explorers from all over the world, going back as far as the 9th century. Speaking for themselves, these women are exemplars of the huge amount of courage, determination and sheer power their achievements demonstrate against the odds: boundary breakers all for sure.

A new name to me, the first to tell her story is Aud (the deep-minded), daughter of a Viking ruler of the Hebrides, who, after her warrior son was killed in battle, secretly had a ship built and then together with a loyal crew of twenty warriors, captained a voyage of escape and discovery, eventually starting a Christian settlement on an Icelandic hillside.

French woman Jeanne Baret, disguised herself as her beloved husband’s manservant in order to accompany him on a voyage that eventually took them around the world, exploring and collecting specimens of plants, shells and stones for study, retiring to her native France ten years later, after the death of her husband.

Not all the women travelled so far from home though: In the 18th-19th century Caroline Herschel whose vision was damaged by childhood Typhus, became an astronomer who not only discovered eight comets, but was awarded a gold medal by the Royal Astronomical Society, even being elected an Honorary Member.

Some of the others featured will likely be familiar names to readers – adult ones at least. There’s Mary Anning, Harriet Tubman who escaped slavery to become an army scout and political freedom activist, undercover journalist Nellie Bly, Bessie Coleman the first African-American and Native American female to hold a pilot’s licence, Amelia Earhart (first woman pilot to fly the Atlantic), archaeologist Mary Leakey and nature conservationist Jane Goodall.

It’s impossible in a short review to name all those included herein but we meet Barbara Hillary polar explorer;

the first woman to climb to the top of Everest, and the first female amputee to climb both Everest and Mt. Vinson. Wow! “Set your goals high in life and don’t stop until you reach there.” are words spoken by this inspirational mountaineer on the final spread.

Set into many of Brita’s arresting scenes along with the main narrative, are small illustrated fact boxes, some giving dramatic moments in the life of the featured woman, others providing brief details of another one or two who followed in her footsteps.

One can’t help but feel awed by the achievements of every single one of those exceptional women. Adults who want to inspire children, either in school or at home, to reach high and never stop believing in themselves, should make sure they read this book.

Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub

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Fred and the Fantastic Tub-Tub
Zeb Soanes, illustrated by Anja Uhren
Graffeg

Fred is staying with her grandfather in the countryside for the summer holidays. Grandpa is a botanist who lives in a messy farmhouse around which are dilapidated greenhouses housing all manner of plants from all over the world. Imagine her surprise when one night she hears a banging sound outside and when she investigates, discovers her Grandpa attached to a sausage-shaped balloon.

Even more surprising is his announcement that this contraption is to take them to Papa Nupi a distant island whereon it’s said the rare Tub-Tub plant grows. This plant blooms just once every two hundred years when it is reputed to produce the most amazing music.The last time it bloomed was two hundred years ago the following week so time is of the essence and as Grandpa says, “There’s no time like the present.”

So begins a magical adventure that embraces the threat plastic pollution poses to wildlife as well as showing the transformative possibilities of music and the difference one small hand held device can make.

Which all goes to show that Grandpa was absolutely right when he said at the start of this unusual story, “Music is a language everyone can understand.”

The engaging tale had its origins in a project between the author Zeb Soanes and composer James Marangone. The latter wanted to create an inclusive narrated adventure that inspired children to explore sound no matter their musical ability. To go alongside the music, Zeb included in his story ‘audio clues’ that children can listen for in the text.

With the addition of Anja Uhren’s fantastic quirky illustrations, this became a tale told through illustration, music and writing. The orchestral performance, which includes narration of the story by Zeb alongside James Marangone’s music, will be premiered by Orchestra Sinfonia later this year.

(Related facts and some suggestions for reusing plastic are given at the back of the book.)

Me, in the Middle

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Me, in the Middle
Annette Demetriou and Angela Mayers
Owlet Press

Annette Demetriou’s story has its origins in a childhood experience of her own that caused her to feel she didn’t visually fit into a category.

The little girl, protagonist Georgie belongs to a mixed heritage family: her father’s family are from Uganda and have brown skin; her mother’s family presumably from England, have light skin. When Georgie’s class are having an outdoor lesson on the topic of families one day and their teacher asks them all to go and stand within the chalk outline of the country their parents come from, she has a dilemma and it’s one that leaves her feeling upset as the lesson concludes. ‘Maybe I didn’t belong … anywhere?’ she thinks to herself.
Back at home she’s reluctant to begin working on the family tree Miss Clark has set as homework but her parents soon come to her assistance suggesting the use of photographs and the end product is beautiful – ‘full of colour and so wide, it stretched all the way across the Atlantic Ocean, from England … to East Africa … with me in the middle,’ she says excitedly.

Next day at school, Georgie is proud to show and explain her family tree to the class.

Her teacher’s response is hugely positive and wise as she tells the children that they should never judge a person by external characteristics. ‘We are SO MUCH MORE than what can be seen at first glance,’ she says.

The following day Miss Clark takes the children to the park where, after a ‘family dishes’ picnic, they look at the various trees and compare them to their own family trees ( I love that idea)

and Georgie comes to the realisation that while difference can be special and exciting, people have many things in common too and that’s just fine.

The pride in her roots felt by the protagonist is something everyone should be able to feel and this story, with its wealth of diverse characters as portrayed by Angela Mayers, will help children understand that there are a multitude of ways to make a family unit and that each one is special. Angela’s depictions of Georgie’s changing feelings are beautifully captured throughout.

Definitely a book to add to family bookshelves and primary class collections. In the latter it would make an excellent resource for a topic on families.

Victoria Stitch Free and Famous

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Victoria Stitch Free and Famous
Harriet Muncaster
Oxford Children’s Books

Breaking Wiskling law, Victoria Stitch has escaped from Wiskling Wood and entered the world of humans. Once there she talks to and soon becomes best friends with a young human named Naomi, something that is to have repercussions not only for her but for her twin sister Celestine who is now the wisklings’ queen, as well as for the safety of the entire kingdom.

It’s not long before their friendship has led to fame and indeed adoration for Victoria Stitch, who humans believe to be a fairy.

Meanwhile back in Wiskling Wood, Celestine has learned of her twin’s activities, and greatly alarmed at the possible consequences of her sister’s acclaim in the human’s world, determines to go out in secret, find Victoria Stitch and warn her before it’s too late.

With the help of her loyal friend, Tiska, off she goes, putting herself in great danger; but even if she’s successful in finding her twin, will Victoria Stitch even take notice of what she has to say?

It’s definitely a case of freedom comes at a price: but at the end of the day, is it one Victoria Stitch is prepared to pay? Has the bond between the siblings reached breaking point or is it just too strong, especially when there’s the possibility of a new role for both sisters on the horizon in Wiskling Wood?

With themes of fame and friendship, love and loyalty, this magical tale sometimes frizzles with frights as well as sparkling with the intensity of the enchanting world Harriet has created in this wonderful series.

Emmanuelle (9) shown above couldn’t wait to start reading this new book commenting “The first Victoria Stitch is one of my very favourite books ever.”

My Must-Have Mum

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My Must-Have Mum
Maudie Smith and Jen Khatun
Lantana Publishing

This smashing story is told from the perspective of Jake and shows the special close relationship he has with his much-loved mother.

Jake’s mum is an inveterate skip scavenger seeing an opportunity for upcycling almost anything and everything, hence he calls her his ‘must-have mum.’ How the two of them manage to get some of her acquisitions up to their fourteenth floor urban flat, look like pretty difficult tasks, but Jake is hugely supportive of his mum’s unusual collecting habit.
Once home, she straightway starts working, transforming other people’s throw-aways into exciting new things, even working outdoors if necessary.

There’s one person who is anything but enthusiastic about Jake’s mum’s activities and that’s Mr Price. Indeed when he sees her latest effort his comment, “There she goes again. Your mum won’t be satisfied until she’s changed every last thing in the world!” sets alarm bells ringing as Jake lies in bed that night. Suppose she decided to change him too. Best to leave before she has the opportunity to do so, so off Jake goes outside into the cold. And there he remains until morning when he wakes to find …

What his must-have mum says to her ‘one and only must-have son’ is both hugely reassuring and uplifting.

In tandem with Maudie Smith’s words, Jen Khatun’s upbeat illustrations are bursting with energy and full of vibrant detail. This is a book I’d definitely recommend adding to family and primary school classroom collections.

Penelope Snoop Ace Detective

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Penelope Snoop Ace Detective
Pamela Butchart and Christine Roussey
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

With several solved cases already under her belt, young Penelope Snoop, so we read, is the best ‘Finder-Outer-in-the-Whole-Wide-World’. Now with the disappearance of her favourite toy, Sidney the Smelly Sock Snake, she’s faced with her most important case so far.
Such is her determination to crack what she decides is a case of theft, that she, together with her canine sidekick, Carlos, are prepared to search high and low for clues, even travelling to the moon and back in a super space blaster.

Although the moon proved to be absolutely empty, her space flight allows her to view planet Earth from above by means of her hugely powerful telescope. And that’s how she realises that her suspect, the mud monster, has been much closer to home all the time.

Back on familiar territory once more, she and Carlos follow a trail that might just lead to the unmasking of Sidney’s stealer …

In Penelope Snoop, Pamela Butchart has created a brilliant character and one who, thanks in no small part to Christine Roussey’s illustrations, you’ll find totally irresistible. If this hilarious story is anything to go by, young audiences, along with his adult reviewer, will be crying out to see her return to work on more mysteries.

Let’s Tell a Story!: Pirate Adventure / Jungle Adventure and I’m the Bus Driver / I’m the Tractor Driver

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Let’s Tell a Story!: Pirate Adventure
Lily Murray illustrated by Stef Murphy
Let’s Tell a Story!: Jungle Adventure
Lily Murray illustrated by Essi Kimpimaki
Wide Eyed Editions

These books offer a way into those choose-your-own-adventure fiction series for solo readers as well as story making. They would have been especially useful during the periods of lockdown and school closures in the past couple of years when youngsters were stuck indoors much of the time and adults often struggled with home schooling. However they can act as fun prompts for story telling or writing at any time.
Each has an introductory spread telling how the book works and then follow fourteen pictorial spreads each one offering lots of options such as: Which hero will you be?; Which clothes will you dress in? What will be your destination? Why are you going? Who will accompany you? How will you get there? What will you take? There are potential disasters in the form of enemies who appear with ‘dastardly’ plans,

and finally, ways to end your chosen story. And, there’s a penguin that keeps appearing in both books adding a search and find element.
It’s possible to have fun creating hundreds of different stories though I suspect in the pirate adventure, some children (as well as this adult reviewer) would find the female characters somewhat stereotypical. On the other hand a hijabi doctor is a welcome possibility: indeed the crew members choice spread is definitely inclusive.

There’s a wealth of learning potential in these imagination sparkers be that at home or in the classroom.

I’m The Bus Driver
I’m The Tractor Driver
David Semple and Kate Woolley
Oxford Children’s Books

If you watch youngsters playing you might well catch sight of a child pretending to be a bus driver among them. Now with the first of these books they’ve got the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of bus number 4 on its 8am morning journey that takes among others children going to school and other passengers off to work or the shops.

In the second title, little ones can try their hand at driving a tractor down on the farm. It’s definitely an eventful day in the driver’s cab with Scally the sheepdog for company: the cows need their breakfast, there are empty barrels to collect from the barn, as well as a hay baler that has got stuck in the mud and needs assistance.
The bright stylised illustrations provide opportunities for colour and shape recognition, and simple counting in these interactive books for the very young.

Supertato The Great Eggscape! / Rita Wants a Fairy Godmother

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These two picture books are additions to popular series:thanks to their publishers for sending them for review

Supertato The Great Eggscape!
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

With chocolate and subterfuge at its heart is the latest Supertato episode. Easter is approaching as the story begins. The customers and staff have long since gone from the supermarket when the veggies discover that all the Easter eggs have vanished from the seasonal aisle. Immediately Supertato names his number one suspect: of course this is the work of Evil Pea.
Now, the dastardly character has barricaded himself inside his Easter egg castle.

Pretty quickly Supertato comes up with a plan to break in and liberate the chocolate from the fortress but will his disguise fool pea? Unfortunately not; Pea soon has Supertato held captive, which leaves the veggies to come up with their own rescue plan. What are the chances this one will work or will it be a case of foiled again?

Rita Wants a Fairy Godmother
Máire Zepf and Mr Ando
Graffeg

Getting dressed independently is one of those tasks that young children tend to struggle with and so it is with the endlessly imaginative Rita. In this the fourth book, the little girl entertains the possibilities that having her very own fairy godmother to act as personal dresser might mean. No more of those annoying ‘hurry up’ cries from her mum, no more struggles with sleeves or tussles with trousers. Instead, at the mere twirl of a wand she could wear the world’s most beautiful clothes no matter the occasion.
On the other hand, supposing said fairy godmother gave her inappropriate footwear 

or clothing and even worse, insisted on prettiness at the expense of fun …
Hmm! maybe that wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Like their previous books in the series Máire Zepf and Mr Ando’s godmother episode will be enjoyed by preschool children and I suspect adult sharers will have a good giggle over the two final spreads of Rita in action.

Flyntlock Bones: The Ghost of Scarletbeard / Leo’s Map of Monsters: The Shrieking Serpent

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Flyntlock Bones: The Ghost of Scarletbeard
Derek Keilty, illustrated by Mark Elvins
Scallywag Press

With the distinct lack of parrot messengers to the Black Hound, crew members Amy and Flint are despairing about where their next meal is coming from, when a mysterious visitor appears asking to buy the ship from Captain Watkins. Fortunately the bemused Captain turns the supposed merchant sailor down; but with little else to do, the two young friends sneak off the ship for a spot of exercise. Suddenly they spy a newspaper stand with the headlines of the Bohemia Times which reads “Countess of Bohemia jewels stolen.”

Back they go to their ship and so begins another case for the pirate investigators.

Having obtained a copy of the newspaper, the Captain together with Flint and Amy head off to visit the Countess, who the youngsters learn, gave the Cap’n his first case as a pirate investigator. The Countess says that she knows who the thief was, once again none other than Scarletbeard, scariest pirate that ever sailed the seas and the original stealer of her jewels, who Cap’n Watkins knows full well is dead beneath the waves. A ghost then? …

The only place to look for those is Davy Jones’s Locker, so now the crew must descend to the murky depths of the Mystic Sea to search for the dastardly being. But he isn’t there so where can he be? Ghost-napped perhaps?

The grisly plot twists and turns but all ends happily for the crew of the Black Hound in this, the third of a terrific trilogy that is full of humour, action and piratical lingo. With plenty of super black and white illustrations by Mark Evans adding to the fun, this piratical tale will appeal to both girls and boys.

Leo’s Map of Monsters: The Shrieking Serpent
Kris Humphrey, illustrated by Pete Williamson
Oxford Children’s Books

As Apprentice Guardian, it’s Leo Wilder’s role to ensure that the monsters inhabiting the forest never roam too near to the village; moreover, nobody must know about them apart from the Guardian Henrik and Village Chief, Gilda.

Now after a period of monster inactivity, Leo learns from Henrik that the supply of precious stones with which the lad keeps himself safe, has run out. Consequently, he must go and search for more in the Endless Mines, a labyrinth of tunnels beneath Mammoth Peak. If this doesn’t sound scary enough, Henrik then mentions the Shrieking Serpent, a creature with hearing and sight so sensitive it’s impossible for a living being to pass undetected. All Henrik can offer for protection is a small bottle of powder that when ignited can temporarily blind the Serpent, that and the help of Leo’s Leatherwing friend, Scarla, plus a couple of maps.

With a swamp containing Goretusks to negotiate, forest people lurking (mostly unfriendly ones) and, when he finally reaches his destination, the question of getting the stones from beneath the waterfall and swimming up with them, there’s an enormous challenge ahead. Does Leo possess the special kind of bravery required to do all of that? Perhaps, with Scarla’s assistance and that of an unexpected source.

Again Kris Humphrey delivers a cracking tale with just enough frights to keep readers gripped without causing nightmares, and with Pete Williamson’s splendidly expressive illustrations to make the story even more accessible and exciting, this will be devoured by fans. Those new to the series might want to start at the first bookThe Armoured Goretusk however.

Daddy’s Rainbow

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Daddy’s Rainbow
Lucy Rowland and Becky Cameron
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Grief and loss are incredibly difficult topics to handle with children of any age and it’s both rare and wonderful to see a picture book that approaches the death of a parent with such sensitivity and delicacy.

Erin’s daddy sees colour in everything. No matter the weather, even on the rainiest of days, the two of them would don wellies and waterproof clothes and out they’d go splashing in puddles and having a wonderful time together. “We can’t see rainbows without the rain,” Daddy would say. Whatever the situation, day or even night, he always found something colourful to enjoy with the rest of the family.

Then Erin realises things are changing: her Daddy becomes increasingly poorly and the world becomes greyer until one day … Quiet. Here Becky’s illustrations are suffused with emotion and overwhelmingly, with love.

In the following days and weeks the other family members miss Daddy enormously but they join together in sharing memories of the colour and joy he brought to all their lives. Erin remembers the scrapbook and little by little they manage to smile again.

Then one rainy day, Mummy, Erin and her small sibling venture out

and on the way home when the rain has almost stopped, they see in the sky, something wonderful and we share an incredibly poignant moment …

Both words and pictures are pitch perfect and work in perfect harmony throughout. This is a book that offers families an ideal starting point for talking about the death of a loved one and equally important, about the person who has died. All primary schools should add a copy to their collections.

Thank You for the Little Things

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Thank You for the Little Things
Caryl Hart and Emily Hamilton
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

‘Whenever I am feeling sad / or life feels hard or wrong or bad, / I focus for a little while … // on little things / that make me smile.’ So says the small girl narrator as she runs through the park at the start of this book.
She goes on to thank some small things she encounters on that particular day. There’s a ladybird, daisies – ‘each flower like a TINY sun / with petal rays around each one’; the playful dog that accompanies her.

Stopping for a while in the playground, she thanks the swings for the feelings they engender; the mud with its wonderful squishy squelching feel, and a strong stick. Then back home she makes pictures of some of the things she’s enjoyed, reminding herself to look forward to further possibilities of the little things.

Homely things – spicy noodles, dribble ice-cream, bath time bubbles and more are mentioned, and it’s great to see she appreciates the book she shares with her parent. Come bedtime, it’s time to thank the stars and last of all, her snuggly teddybear.

Caryl’s gentle rhyming text, together with Emily Hamilton’s gorgeous illustrations of the small girl and the things she says thank you to, offer a way into mindfulness with little ones as well as showing the importance of looking out for things to appreciate even when days might feel a bit grey and dismal .
As we emerge from Covid gloom it’s particularly important not to forget these ‘Little Things’.

Eyes that Speak to the Stars

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Eyes that Speak to the Stars
Joanna Ho and Dung Ho
Harper360

With similar themes to Eyes that Kiss in the Corners is this sequel with a boy narrator and a focus on the male members of his family.

The boy comes out of school upset and shows his father a picture drawn by one of his classmates entitled ‘My Friends’. Seemingly no offence was intended but Kurt’s portrayal of the boy with slits for eyes has hurt his feelings, especially as the others in the picture all have wide open eyes.

Back at home, father and son stand in front of a mirror and the boy is comforted by these positive words, “Your eyes rise to the skies and spread to the stars. The comets and constellations show you their secrets, and your eyes can foresee the future. Just like mine.” The two head for the garden, father carrying his son on his shoulders shouts, “We’re ready for takeoff” and the boy comments ‘his eyes shine like runway lights.’ Meeting grandfather, the boy notices that he too has similar eyes though his look at the world ‘through the lenses of time’ and he ‘holds the wisdom of generations’. Those eyes are visionary, just like those of Di-Di, the boy’s younger sibling too. 

Thus little by little, the narrator, discovers the powers of his eyes, – eyes that ‘shine like sunlit rays that break through dark and doubt. … My eyes gaze into space and glimpse trails of light inviting me into impossibilities. I am the emperor of my own destiny.’ 

That’s inner strength for you.

What power there is in Joanna Ho’s poetic words too, with their emphasis on looking up. This is reflected in Dung Ho’s digital illustrations that not only portray the strength of the family bond but also elements of Chinese mythology.

A splendid celebration of family and of diversity.

Memorable Characters Return – Pizazz vs the Demons / Magnificent Mabel and the Very Bad Birthday Party

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Pizazz vs the Demons
Sophy Henn
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Super-talented Sophy Henn’s fourth book starring the irrepressible, eye-rolling, weirdly super-powered 9½ year old superhero, Pizazz sees her having to face not one but five Demon Pizazzes on account of that super bad Copycat with her Super Power Duplicator.
But how does this dastardly device actually work? That is what Pizazz must find out; but the really big issue is that she must defeat those deadly demons or maybe they’re only ‘five awesome but slightly bad’ alter egos, all on her own.

One thing is certain however and that’s the urgent need for an unlimited source of snacks to help things along.
Next day when it seems the situation can’t really get any worse, Mrs Harris picks our narrator(s) to read in the following week’s special happiness assembly.
Can Pizazz possibly get the better of so many demonic selves in this, her trickiest ever undertaking?

Fans of these part graphic novel style stories will devour this in a single sitting and it’s likely Pizazz will also win some new followers too.

Magnificent Mabel and the Very Bad Birthday Party
Ruth Quayle and Julia Christians
Nosy Crow

Young Mabel unleashes her magnificence for three further episodes in this, her sixth book.
In the first, it hardly seems fair that on 25th August, her birthday, despite all her best plans Mabel ends up writing and sending out party invitations to every one of her classmates. It’s either that or face a distinct shortage of presents on the big day.
Then comes the question of those packed lunches her parents send her to school with. Cheese sandwiches, yogurt and a measly apple every day is pretty terrible, especially when one of her classmates, Elsa Kavinsky is allowed to consume such alluring items as Star Bars: it’s enough to leave her weak with hunger. Time to procure one of the tasty treats for herself – uh-oh! But whose lunches contain those most important muscle-building vitamins?
It’s holiday time in story three but rather than being the restful time Mabel so hoped for, her family members are always doing something or other and like them, she doesn’t get a minute to relax. Can Mabel discover the delights of being busy too or is she doomed to have a horrible time away?
At the end of the day, no matter what happens, wherever she goes, whatever she does, this young narrator always emerges as magnificent.

Ruth Quayle’s amusing writing again presents ideas that young children relate to and together with Julia Christians’ equally amusing illustrations aplenty, this is spot on for young readers just starting to fly solo. It would also make a fun read aloud for reception classes.

Snowy White

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Snowy White
Gareth P. Jones and Loretta Schauer
Farshore

This third twist on a classic fairy tale from the partnership of Gareth P. Jones and Loretta Schauer is set in Purry Tale Lane where, up on a roof top, is a cat kingdom ruled over by ginger tom, Kingsley.
He is the proud owner of a crystal ball, so the object says. It also responds to Kingsley’s nightly, “who’s the finest cat of all?” with an assurance, “Kingsley is the best of all, / as sure as I am a crystal ball … / And honestly, I am / a crystal ball.”

One night however, a newcomer, one Snowy White by name, zooms into town and Kingsley is horrified when he hears the Crystal Ball giving a different reply to his usual question. Needless to say he resolves to get rid of his rival, resorting to graffiti and bombardment to let her know she’s unwelcome.

As she flees, Snowy runs headlong into a litter-collecting mouse sending her rubbish bag flying. The mouse, surprised by Snowy’s offer to help pick up the contents of the sack, introduces herself as leader of the Mouse Cleaning Service. While Snowy spends the night with Penny and her crew collecting and sorting the rubbish, the cats continue with their mindless mess making.

At the end of the night, Kingsley is shocked to hear the Crystal Ball declaring Snowy White the finest once again and is more determined than ever to get rid of her. However he accidentally knocks the Crystal Ball off the wall and it splashes into a pond below.

This results in a face to face meeting of the rival cats, after which, something said by the Crystal Ball causes a big change, first in Kingsey and then in his cat pals. Said spherical object also makes a surprise revelation.

There’s a vital message, or several, in Gareth’s tale that, with its occasional breaks into rhyme, is a super read aloud. Equally super are Loretta’s dramatic, detailed illustrations that exude humour and energy at every turn of the page.

News Hounds: The Dinosaur Discovery / The Princess in Black and the Giant Problem

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News Hounds: The Dinosaur Discovery
Laura James, illustrated by Charlie Alder
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

From the author of the fabulous Pug and Fabio series comes new star, Bob. Bob belongs to Colin, the stationmaster at Puddle Station, and in addition to ensuring the trains run to time, he acts as a reporter for the Daily Bark, the town’s one and only newspaper for dogs. Now there’s a new dog in town; her name is Diamond and Bob thinks he’d like to become her friend, so one morning he heads off to the park where he’s been told she’s taken for a daily walk by her owner Mr Marcus who runs the Curiosity Shop. In order to open the friendship he decides to give her a present and having come upon a pile of bones – the biggest he’s ever seen – under the bandstand floor, thinks a large bone the ideal gift. However it takes so long to dig it out, that he misses his chance.

Temporarily diverted from his Diamond friendship forging, Bob dashes back to the newspaper office to report ‘the most amazing story Puddle has ever known.’ It could just be the scoop of the century. However, it’s not only News Hounds who are interested in the bone.
Diamond – yes she does eventually get her present – is amazed at its size and thanks to a book in her owner’s establishment is able to tell Bob when he finally meets her, what she’s discovered therein.
The trouble is Mr Marcus is more than a tad interested in the skeleton find too. The race is on … It’s definitely time to enlist the help of the entire canine population of Puddle.

Another highly engaging story from Laura and with Charlie Alder’s frequent coloured illustrations that help ramp up the drama, this book will appeal to new solo readers and work as a read aloud.

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

Readers will really need to have read some of the previous titles in the series (this is the eighth) to fully appreciate this one. It’s set on a chilly winter’s day and sees the Princess in Black, the Goat Avenger and the Princess in Blankets with a giant problem – literally. While they’re engaged in building snow monsters, with a shout of “Squashy!” a massive foot flattens their latest creation. Said foot belongs to a giant and it continues to shout and flatten everything in its path. The race is on to prevent the total destruction of the village. It’s a task beyond just three but with the help of some superhero friends, it might just be possible.

There’s a lovely twist to this story, wherein teamwork is important but to reveal what would spoil things so I’ll leave you to guess what it might be. Sure to be a hit with established fans of the princess with an alter ego. With a bright illustration by LeUyen Pham at every page turn, it’s ideal for newly independent readers.

The More Monster

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The More Monster
Hayley Wells
Pavilion Books

This allegorical tale about greed and over consumption will likely ring alarm bells with many readers.
It’s set on a small island ruled by an enormous monster who has an insatiable appetite for more of everything. To that end he has hundreds of islanders toiling at machines night and day endeavouring to keep pace with his never-ending demands for the new, improved, the latest, most fashionable, must-have things, all of which he gobbles voraciously as soon as his workers have produced them. There’s no end to their labours – or is there?

There comes a day when, seemingly unfazed by those threatened ‘consequences’ for non-fulfilment of the daily quota, one small islander begins to question things. Hurrah! Somebody that thinks for herself and not satisfied with the answers her workmates proffer, is prepared to look for answers to her ‘what if … ?’ question.
Her search takes her to a very scary place – the monster’s innards and therein she discovers something amazing: unbeknown to anyone the greedy monster is a machine.
The answer seeker is overwhelmed by the task of setting things right from within,

the result being a rampaging monster that gobbles all the workers. Is this the end for the islanders?

Happily not, for they possess a wealth of practical knowledge when it comes to machines and from within they successfully pull off a collaborative reprogramming operation.

Thereafter, it’s time for operation repair, a fair redistribution of the monster’s hoard and the creation of a new world order that works for everyone. Total revolution? Hmmm! make sure to look carefully at the final scene.

Hayley Wells’ words and playful visuals work wonderfully well together, the result being a truly thought-provoking book that has much to say to people of all ages.

Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life / Dinosaurs Rock!

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Kaleidoscope of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life
Greer Stothers
Wide Eyed Editions

If you thought that dinosaurs were just brown and green, then this book will make you think again.
By means of fossil evidence and modern scientific information that uses examples of living species, author/illustrator Greer Stothers, presents a fascinating, vibrant array of prehistoric creatures like we’ve never seen before’ showing them as they might have been with colours and patterns.
Some of the ideas are speculative and based on what is already known about modern equivalents:

the author visits different locations – polar regions, the sea, forests, deserts – for instance, as well as using art from such places as the Ice Age Americas, ancient Africa, the cave paintings in France from which to hypothesise. We’re also given a look at primeval plants some of which died out alongside non-avian dinosaurs while others survive today.

The ‘Mighty Melanin’ spread is especially rich in detail explaining how this pigment is contained within tiny melanosomes that can be preserved in fossil feathers, scales and skin, thus offering information on the original colours. However every single spread offers plenty of food for thought: What would mutant dinosaurs have looked like? Would a dinosaur living in a snowy region have been super-white?

What role did camouflage play in the time of dinosaurs?

With the countless young dinosaur enthusiasts out there, always hungry for more, the approach taken by Greer Stothers (who studied evolutionary biology at university) offers something stimulating and exciting.

Dinosaurs Rock!
Dougie Poynter
Macmillan Children’s Books

Dino fanatic (eco-warrior and bassist from McFly) Dougie Poynter turns his attention back to dinosaurs, but in a non-fiction book for older primary readers this time. He adopts a light-hearted style but this doesn’t mean that the writing is light on information, far from it. Dougie introduces readers to a wealth of dino-related topics. Before that though, we’re taken right back to the dawn of life on earth for a brief history of how these creatures evolved.

We get up close to a variety of dinosaurs with several profiles including the author’s favourites and then meet five experts on the topic some of whom work in the field of palaeontology. There’s a section on fossil evidence and we read something about Mary Anning and her discoveries in the field, as well as two Americans who started out as friends but then become arch rivals both making lots of mistakes in their efforts to become top palaeontologist.

Also included are a scattering of dino jokes, some historical errors, a sprinkling of true or false statements including this one – Dinosaurs were cold-blooded – that scientists still have different opinions on, with the majority currently thinking that most were warm-blooded.

Lots of the content is presented infographics style, which makes it more easily digested.

Hat Cat

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Hat Cat
Troy Wilson and Eve Coy
Walker Books

The old man in this story has a daily ritual: he puts peanuts in the crease on the top of his hat, goes outside, and sits, ‘as still and welcoming as a grand old tree.’ Then he waits for the squirrels to come. One day he’s delighted to find a cat emerges as he lifts up his hat and unsurprisingly he names him Hat.

Taking the creature inside, he allows Hat to do whatever he wants other than going out. “If I let you outside, you might leave me. Or you might chase the squirrels … or worse.” So whenever he goes for his daily outdoor sit, the old man closes the back door behind him leaving a mewing cat inside watching from within.

Then one day the old man isn’t there:Hat is alone for days until other people come and feed, rub and talk to him.

Times passes and one day Hat notices that the door has been left open. Seizing the opportunity, out he goes straight onto the decking. Now what will he do?

Nothing is said about why the old man is absent and we surmise that he’s been ill. Happily though there is a happy ending for Hat and for the old man and the other humans who have stepped in.

Troy Wilson’s words and Eve Coy’s soft, warm watercolour pictures work beautifully together showing the deep affection between Hat and his old man in this warm-hearted tale wherein
companionship, trust and love are key.

World of Food

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World of Food
Sandra Lawrence and Violeta Noy
Templar Publishing

Ask a child, ‘where does food come from?’ and the most likely reply would be the supermarket or the name of the one their family shops in. Turn to page twelve of this fascinating book however and you will learn that many of the items found thereon had their origins in distant lands all over the globe.
Before that, the first thing Sandra Lawrence explores is the role food (including vitamins) plays in providing energy, in nutrition, and in the functioning of the immune system. We’re then taken back to look at how the earliest humans – hunter-gatherers – sourced and cooked what they ate; as well as finding out something of the feasts rich ancient Romans indulged in.

Next explored are various kinds of vegetables – tubers, then the edible parts that grow above the ground, followed by fruits and nuts, fungi and finally in that section, some dishes from around the world – sweet, savoury and spicy – are presented.

Grains and cereals make up section three

and then for this vegan reviewer, things get somewhat less tasty for several spreads are devoted to eggs and dairy produce, followed by meat and seafoods.

No matter what you eat, the addition of seasonings is likely to enhance your enjoyment and it’s these that are presented in the sixth section.

The next part comprises the sweet stuff. I have a weakness for dark chocolate, the fruit of the cacao tree being the topic for one spread here. Now I call myself a vegan but I have to hold my hand up to adding honey to my daily porridge every breakfast time.

There’s a short focus on festive foods using the tables of in turn, Christmas, Diwali, Passover, Eid-al-Fitr, Thanksgiving and Chinese New Year. Finally comes a brief look at some of the thorny environmental, social and economic problems food production causes; and the final spread explores food in the future.

Food is a popular theme in primary classrooms and this book, enticingly illustrated by Violeta Noy, is one certainly I’d recommend adding to school topic boxes.

The Little Spacecraft That Could

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The Little Spacecraft That Could
Joyce Lapin and Simona Ceccarelli
Sterling

From the title of this book you might expect a story somewhat similar to the Watty Piper classic The Little Engine that Could. Not so. This book is essentially a non-fiction story that, beginning in January 2006, chronicles the journey of NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft travelling towards Pluto, a destination that will take a decade to reach, by which time astronomers have down-graded Pluto from planet to dwarf planet. (This is covered in the text)

The author tells how having burst forth from Earth, the first engine is allowed to fall away leaving, encased in gold foil, the spacecraft ‘no bigger than a small piano’ whizzing through space at over 10 miles per second. (Illustrator Simona Ceccarelli bestows a big grin on the face of New Horizons as this happens and thereafter she becomes a quirky character with personality.)

Now tasked with many questions to answer: what is Pluto made of? What colour is its sky? Are there creepy-crawlies? being just three, New Horizons will fly 3 billion miles to collect close-up photographic evidence and other kinds of data and transmit it all back to scientists on Earth.

On route the spacecraft receives a massive gravity speed boost from ‘ginormous’ Jupiter, after which follows a very long period of hibernation during which time a weekly signal is sent back to Earth. Eventually on 6th December 2014, the probe reawakens and soon begins transmitting photos of Pluto,

photos that hugely enlarged scientists’ understanding of the dwarf planet and its moons. 

A few years later, on New Year’s Day 2019, New Horizons reaches another object called Arrokoth that had been discovered since her launch.  Photos of this far distant world helped scientists understand more about the solar system’s early years.  New Horizons continues to travel further out in space and the hope is there’ll be a visit to the Kuiper Belt sometime during this decade.

Altogether an absorbing book that, in addition to conveying a huge amount of information about space exploration and the solar system, makes scientific discovery highly engaging and accessible for readers who might not otherwise be inclined to explore this topic. It also includes a timeline, glossary, and resources for further investigation. 

Octopants: The Missing Pirate Pants / Rita Wants a Ninja / Little Scoot

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Octopants: The Missing Pirate Pants
Suzy Senior and Claire Powell
Little Tiger

There’s definitely a plethora of pants in this new story about Octopants (narrator) and his ocean pals Turtle and Pufferfish. It’s the latter who has lost his favourite pirate pants and to make him feel less glum Octopants organises an undersea search. Having drawn a blank in the usual places in town, the friends brave the wreck and there they come upon a pirate crew with a pirate party in full swing with pants simply everywhere.

But then who should show up unexpectedly out of the blue sporting a funky hat and asking to join the pirate crew …
This is a jaunty rhyming text that flows well, and vibrant illustrations with plenty of humorous details to make little humans laugh, but Suzy Senior’s tale contains a serious message too: appearances can be deceptive so don’t be too hasty to make a judgement. With young children, you really can’t go wrong with a story about underpants.

Rita Wants a Ninja
Máire Zeph and Mr Ando (Andrew Whitson)
Graffeg

Is there no end to Rita’s demands? Seemingly not for now a game of hide-and-seek with her smaller sibling fuels a desire for her very own martial arts expert in the form of a ninja. How wonderful to have someone to instruct her in the art of stealth and invisibility. She’d learn how to control both mind and body as well as those shouts used when on the attack. However invincibility ninja style seemingly comes at a price –

a very big price and one she definitely isn’t prepared to pay after all. So it’s a resounding NO! for a ninja master …
Andrew Whitson’s expansive, action-packed scenes of Rita’s imaginings take readers along with the two children, into verdant Japanese bamboo forests and snowy landscapes wherein lurk fighting ninja clans.

Little Scoot
Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Edson Ikê
Boyds Mills Press

Perseverance no matter how difficult the situation, is key in this vibrantly illustrated American import.
I was itching to tweak the beginning part of the rhyming text but like its little tugboat protagonist, I kept going, and happily it improved. Keeping going and not giving up is the essence of the tale of Little Scoot. Suddenly she receives an alarm call: a large barge is aground on a sandbank and in need of her help. With a gathering storm the tiny tugboat has to force herself forward, pushing through her fears and the splashing, sploshing waves, as she tries her level best to be brave. Eventually, there before her is the stranded Big Barge.
Will the tiny craft succeed in her rescue mission? Even in the most difficult situations, she certainly isn’t a quitter …

Not Your Average Maths Book

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Not Your Average Maths Book
Anna Weltman and Paul Boston
Wide Eyed Editions

Wherever we go, wherever we live, maths is a part of our lives: just look around, we’re surrounded by it. It’s in our homes and gardens.

Yet at school it tends to be a love it or hate it subject and I have to admit that although I didn’t actually hate it, maths was one of my least favourite subjects. Now perhaps had I owned this book back then I might have felt rather differently.

Have you ever wondered why bubbles are always round – or rather spherical; why planets are never cube-shaped, , if and how animals use maths, or thought about where the plus, minus and equals signs came from. You’ll find the answers herein, along with a wealth of other fascinating mathematical facts and insights into numbers and their origins, shapes, patterns and much more. There’s a spread on mathematicians who made important breakthroughs in their fields, with thirteen men and women making up the Mathematician Hall of Fame.

We’re shown some of the many, many ways in which maths is useful in everyday life – in sports,

in the computer algorithms used to calculate plane ticket prices, the algorithms used by meteorologists in predicting the weather, the wealth of mathematical measurements needed in the erection of a building. There’s a brief history of maths going way, way back to the very first written numbers 43,000 years ago in Africa and taking us all the way to today’s unsolved problems still waiting for somebody to find solutions.

You might find you start looking at the world through different lenses if you read Anna’s book, it’s illustrated by Paul Boston whose visuals make the subject all the more inviting and accessible.

Apple and Magnolia

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Apple and Magnolia
Laura Gehl and Patricia Metola
Walker Books

Britta insists that her two favourite trees Apple and Magnolia are best friends; this she knows deep down inside herself and there’s no swaying her. She visits the trees every day and watches how they communicate with one another. Some members of her family tell her that trees cannot have friendships – her father speaking kindly, her elder sister Bronwyn forcibly; her Nan in contrast says, ‘unusual friendships can be the most powerful of all’.

One night Britta notices that Magnolia’s branches have started drooping. While her father and sister tell her the tree won’t survive the winter, Nana asks about a plan. This galvanises her into action. 

Aided and abetted by her pets she makes a telephone using cups connected by string for the trees to use, knits an enormous scarf and wraps it around them so they can share one another’s warmth during the chilly winter months and hangs a string of lights between Apple and Magnolia so they can always see each other.

Time passes and one morning Britta thinks that the trees have become closer together. She measures the distance between them and continues to do so every morning, getting the usual responses from family members. The arrival of spring sees pink blossom on Apple’s branches whereas Magnolia doesn’t flower, although Britta’s measurements decrease and you can’t argue with scientific data. 

Eventually the first blossom appears on Magnolia sending Britta’s hopes soaring. Soon it’s time for a celebration.

The repetition of the comments, be they negative or positive heightens, the impact of the telling of this delightfully fanciful story. Not entirely fanciful however; author Laura Gehl includes this in an introductory note, ‘Scientists are just at the beginning of understanding how trees are able to communicate with and support other trees.’ Equally delightful are Patricia Metola’s whimsical illustrations of the characters, both human and arboreal.

Saving the Butterfly

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Saving the Butterfly
Helen Cooper and Gill Smith
Walker Books

This is a timely and very moving story about trauma, the way different people respond to it, empathy and the possibility of recovery.

Two children, a big sister and her small brother are rescued from a boat adrift on the dark sea; they’ve lost everything. The younger one remembers little of his ordeal whereas his sister appears more resourceful, talking to rescuers and being instrumental in finding them shelter in a broken house.

However, while she remains inside dwelling on what’s gone before, her little brother ventures outdoors and begins to make friends.

Feeling greatly concerned about what to do to help shift that ‘dark in her mind’ the boy, keen to coax his sister outside, catches a beautiful butterfly and brings in back to their refuge.

The girl upsets him by telling him to release the tiny thing that begins hitting its wings against the walls. It needs space and it needs time, she tells the boy. The boy goes out again; his sister counts the colours of the butterfly’s wings to calm her breathing. Eventually the girl opens the door; the butterfly settles on her hand. She steps out and blows the tiny thing. Can she now find the courage to follow the butterfly as it takes flight towards the sun where it belongs?

Helen Cooper’s heartfelt telling shows how, in their own ways, the siblings help one another to begin to move forward after such a life-changing ordeal. To me the blackness of the sea at the start represents their loss and the butterfly symbolises transcendence of that dark fearful state. Equally poignant, Gill Smith’s stunningly beautiful illustrations perfectly capture the feelings of the siblings in those early stages of rebuilding their lives.

Every primary school classroom needs a copy of this one.

Epic Adventures

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Epic Adventures
Sam Sedgman, illustrated by Sam Brewster
Macmillan Children’s Books

Tickets ready! Sam Sedgman, co-writer of the Adventures on Trains fiction stories, turns his attention to capturing that same sense of excitement as he invites readers aboard twelve iconic trains to undertake railway journeys through some thirty four different countries and six continents.

For each journey, he and illustrator Sam Brewster, conjure up for the reader some of the history, culture and wildlife of the countries visited or passed through. Such is his enthusiasm for the subject that I will now seriously consider, when I plan my next trip to Amsterdam (one of my very favourite cities in the world) the possibility of travelling the 355 km. not by plane but through the Channel tunnel on the Eurostar.

While going from Kolkata to Darjeeling, if you change at New Jalpaiguri Junction, you can take a trip on the ‘toy train’ that uses the narrow gauge mountain railway. Or maybe you’d rather have An African Adventure, savouring the sights from Dar Es Salaam to Cape Town and imagine being on safari in Botswana en route.

By contrast you’ll definitely need to wear your thermals if you take the sleeper train from Stockholm on a journey to the remote Norwegian town of Narvik, that will take 19 hours and make eighteen stops.You might even think about sampling some warm reindeer stew as the train nears the Arctic Circle –

think I’d stick to anticipating the appearance of the Northern Lights and pass on that stew.

Informative and filled with that special sense of wonder, the illuminative narrative – verbal and visual really makes you want to try some of those journeys for real.

One Camel Called Doug

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One Camel Called Doug
Lu Fraser and Sarah Warburton
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Star story spinner Lu Fraser has created another winning picture book in a new partnership with illustrator Sarah Warburton.

When it comes to flying solo Doug is an expert; everything he knows about comes in the singular – at least as this rhyming story starts that is the case. But Doug thinks he might be better off with a playmate. Almost as soon as he thought that however, what should come along but another camel, Brian by name. Two proves a whole lot more fun than one but hot on his heels or rather hooves, come Claire, 

Bruce and Rita. A veritable footie team no less. And so it goes on until there’s an entire train of the humped creatures – just the thing for a party.

However, all that romping and stomping can prove a tad overwhelming if it goes on and on and on … What then for our adorable dromedary?

Lu’s faultless rhyming narrative has a fun counting element but there’s so much more to enjoy: not least the way she uses a repeat refrain, “What’s that, cried … “is it a …? to set the scene for the next arrival, the name of which is part of an on-going guessing game.

Sarah Warburton manages to bestow a real personality on each camel that comes along – no mean feat – and the scene with the ‘fancy dress camels’ is definitely one to pore over. In fact it’s the way that words and pictures work together that makes this such a super book and one that youngsters will want to hear read aloud over and over.

Mayor Bunny’s Chocolate Town

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Mayor Bunny’s Chocolate Town
Elys Dolan
Oxford Children’s Books

Mr Bunny is back and he’s feeling a tad bored with his current role in the chocolate factory so he decides to run for mayor of Coop Town which is in desperate need to some repair work. Seeing the mayoral office as an ideal way of increasing his influence he zealously starts his campaign, promising to make the town great again. Does that remind you of anything I wonder?

Initially the town’s residents are delighted by what Mr Bunny promises – new amenities and houses – chocolate naturally, which, so Mr B. says is a fox repellent.

Of course, by now alarm bells should be ringing as readers realise that this particular candidate is merely seeking power, making pledges he has no intention of fulfilling and doing his utmost to discredit his sensible, honest rival, chicken Debbie. His campaign is waged with dirty tricks, a plethora of lies and come election day bribes.

However this is a tale of be careful what you wish for, at least it’s so for Mr Bunny: having been elected, he finds he has some very important lessons to learn in his new role.

As one has come to expect, Elys Dolan’s illustrations are brimming over with deliciously droll details and her wonderful narrative has a wealth of speech bubbles that are just brilliant.

Having read my copy, eagerly seized after her younger brother put it down, my nine-year old relation remarked, “I think this is going to be Dad’s new favourite picture book.” I suspect she’s right for he, along with this reviewer (apart from being chocolate addicts) will draw parallels between the antics of Coop Town’s Mr Bunny and a certain ex mayor of London.

My Mum is a Lioness

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My Mum Is A Lioness
Swapna Haddow and Dapo Adeola
Macmillan Children’s Books

From the same team that gave us My Dad is a Grizzly Bear comes this hilarious follow-up starring a mum with a very big personality and a huge amount of love – love she clearly both gives and receives.

The little human narrator introduces readers to this larger than life parent serving her up by means of suitably leonine language that Dapo Adeola dramatically portrays in his action-packed scenes of family life. This powerhouse of a personality, is constantly busy. She appears to have boundless energy as she goes about her role as mum,

partner, friend, sporting hero and teacher. Most important she always manages to be there at the ready to bestow those wonderfully warm ‘lioness hugs’ just when they are most needed.

An absolute corker of a book for mums and little ones to share at home and for educators to do likewise at school or nursery. This rip-roaring tribute to the power of mums everywhere would make a smashing present for mothers of young children on Mother’s Day.

Love is … / Sometimes I feel …

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Love is …
Sarah Maycock and Lily Murray
Sometimes I feel …
Sarah Maycock
Big Picture Press

In the first book, using a variety of creatures great and small, furred, 

feathered or smooth and leathery, author Lily Murray and illustrator Sarah Maycock explore some of the myriad ways that we can experience love, both feeling it and giving it.

In each example, figurative language ‘Love is / BEAUTIFUL / like the sanctuary / a bowerbird builds for its mate -/ adorned with treasures.’ … – ‘love’s beauty comes / in many forms … / … a simple song, / a colourful dance, / a loving face’, and gorgeous painterly images extend across two double spreads whereon the artist makes use of vibrant hues and monochrome colour to great effect.

Having met a host of members of the animal kingdom the final spreads make the assertion ‘Love is a POWERFUL THING, / For with love … / We can do / ANYTHING.’

What better words to give a loved one: this large format book would send a powerful message to its recipient.

Presented in a small format, again using animal similes is Sometimes I feel … which looks at emotions. 

At the end of the book, in a note the artist explains that this had its origins as a project in her final year at university. She wanted to explore the ‘universal nature of animals and how we can relate them to our own (human) experiences and characteristics. She spent a considerable time studying animals both in zoos and in natural history documentaries on TV and as she painted it seemed that like us, wild animals display a gamut of complex emotional responses. Some of these she captures in this superbly executed series of watercolour and ink paintings.

A little book that offers children an unusual starting point for exploring their own feelings and emotions and those of others.

Diversity Matters: We Are Family / Bindu’s Bindis

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We Are Family
Lucy Reynolds and Jenna Herman
Doodles & Scribbles

‘Your family may be big / or small, / tiny or … / terrifically tall. / Perhaps you’re / raised by one dad / or mum. / Or do others / help and . ../ join the fun?…’
So begins the simple rhyming narrative in this non-fiction picture book wherein Lucy Reynolds explores the concept of family.
Fact boxes provide additional information about the exemplars she uses from the animal kingdom 

to show the many varieties there are, while at the same time, the rhyme speaks directly to readers about the possible kind of family theirs might be. The result is a positive, inclusive message coupled with information on the specific creatures chosen, which are illustrated in Jenna Herman’s mixed media, patterned illustrations.
A safe way to explore the diversity of human families, especially in a foundation stage or KS1 classroom. In the latter children can better appreciate the wealth of information about the animals featured.

Bindu’s Bindis
Supriya Kelkar and Parvati Pillai
Sterling

Bindu absolutely loves the bindis her Nani sends her from India each month with their different shapes, sizes and colours; and even more she loves the connection she feels when she wears them.Then one day, joy of joys, Nani comes to visit and the family go to the airport to meet her. However this joy is curtailed as they are soon forced to confront the xenophobic people standing outside with their racist placards. 

At first Bindu wants to rip off her bindi but manages to overcome her feelings of despondency. Back at home child and Nani are soon enjoying one another’s company especially when Bindu returns from school and picks a bindi to match her grandparent’s mood.

Then comes the day for Bindu to wear a bindi to school for the very first time; she’s to perform an Indian dance in a talent show so Nani makes sure the two of them match. But when it comes to her turn Bindu’s worries about other people’s reactions cause the little girl to have an attack of stage fright. 

Can Nani help her granddaughter summon up some inner courage, rediscover her sparkle and thus save the day?
A picture book that demonstrates the strength of family bonds showing how they can transcend long distances. The richly coloured illustrations capture Bindu’s changing emotions throughout the story and the racism strand offers a starting point to open up discussion within a family or an educational setting.

How to be a Hero: A Gathering of Giants / Agent Zaiba Investigates: The Smuggler’s Secret / Solve Your Own Mystery: The Time Thief

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How to be a Hero: A Gathering of Giants
Cat Weldon, illustrated by Katie Kear
Macmillan Children’s Books

In the finale of Cat Weldon’s terrific trilogy, Whetstone and banished trainee Valkyrie Lotta are fugitives, now in hiding in Asgard. Whetstone is on a mission – to rescue his mum who, according to Thor, is being held, along with the second harp string, by the Frost Giants in Castle Utgard. It’s definitely time for him to work on becoming a proper hero, tough and fearless. Step forward Rhett the Bone-Breaker. But how many of Lotta’s plans is it going to take for them to succeed in outwitting Loki the trickster? They certainly won’t do it without encounters with treacherous trolls, indoctrinated Valkyries and an entire army of giants.

With Katie Kear’s illustrations helping to ramp up the drama, this fast-moving tale is full of thrills and a fair few spills too, plus a generous scattering of insults adding to the hilarity. This will keep readers on the edge of their seats right through to the cup’s final poetic offering. So gripped was I by the telling that after finishing the story late at night, I found myself back in the quest along with the heroic duo in my dream.

Readers who fancy sampling the sort of meal one of those giants might eat, should turn to the recipe adapted by Whetsone for spiced oat cakes. A tasty treat indeed.

Agent Zaiba Investigates: The Smuggler’s Secret
Annabelle Sami, illustrated by Daniela Sosa
Little Tiger

Zaiba and fellow members of the Snow Leopard Detective Agency have a new case to solve. There’s a school History Club trip to Chesil Bay involving an overnight stay. The children are told that divers have just discovered a priceless artefact from Assam among the wreckage of a ship and it’s currently in the safe-keeping of the local museum prior to being sent back to India. While there they’ll be able to witness the unveiling of the artefact and Ms Talbot challenges them to discover what it is before it’s revealed. Now that is just the kind of thing Zaiba, Poppy et al love.

No sooner are they on the train down to the coast than the intrigue starts: Zaiba notices a man replacing a magnifying glass in his briefcase and then she thinks she sees him on the boat trip out to the wreck and again leaving the theatre in the evening after the play they’re invited to watch. In fact he seems to pop up all over the place. What is he up to?

Next morning everyone is excited about the big reveal but then it’s discovered that the artefact has gone.Now Zaiba and co. really must ramp up the action. There are quite a few possible suspects and some leads to follow, but not much time to discover the culprit.

Embracing a controversial topic: the returning of precious artefacts to their countries of origin, once again Annabelle Sami keeps readers guessing right to the final pages of this story of teamwork and as with previous titles in the series, there are lively black and white illustrations by Daniela Sosa throughout.

Solve Your Own Mystery: The Time Thief
Gareth P. Jones, illustrated by Louise Forshaw
Little Tiger

Choose your own adventure books have long been popular but rather went out of fashion. Now with Gareth P. Jones’ new series of which this is the second, interactive tales are back for readers who may well be offspring of the original enthusiasts.

In this instance the scene is set in the opening pages: in the town of Haventry the Museum of Magical Objects and Precious Stones (MOPS for short) is putting on a time-travelling exhibition but its key feature, the Time Sponge, an object able to stop and start time for whoever squeezes it, has gone missing. Then in the role of main character, the reader must make the first decision: two choices are presented as to what to do next: interview suspect mermaids or go to the crime scene – in the company of Klaus Solstaag the yeti detective, of course.

With a fair number of potential suspects and a multitude of paths to choose from, none leading to a dead end, you will eventually reach one of three possible endings.

A fun and intriguing read for key stage two readers especially those who like to do a bit of detecting.

I am NOT an Octopus

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I Am Not an Octopus
Eoin McLaughlin and Marc Boutavant
Walker Books

As he pushes a shopping trolley loaded up with tins of tuna, eight-limbed Terry states firmly, ‘I am NOT an octopus.’ and continues to do so as he leaves the supermarket and walks to the park. Seeking to justify his pronouncement he continues that he’d be in the sea if that were the case, ‘Unless I were afraid of water (which I’m absolutely not).’

So why the panic when he finds himself showered by the sprinklers he passes?

Terry carries on talking about the potential difficulties fear of water would pose for an octopus: no meeting octopus friends and family, no outings to Super Octopus Fantasea Adventure World either. Perhaps Terry should try learning to swim: he asks readers for some advice were he to pay a visit to the swimming pool including to pee or not to pee, and he decides to take the plunge.

Then with a newly acquired skill under his trunks, there comes Terry’s big reveal. However what’s said will come as no surprise to readers.

Delectably daft, Eoin McLaughlin’s tale of facing and overcoming your fears, octopus style, is one that children will relate to while relishing its silliness: silliness made all the more engaging by Marc Boutavant’s zany scenes of the protagonist narrator and his antics.

Hope the Whale

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Hope the Whale
illustrated by Laura Chamberlain
Macmillan Children’s Books

This picture book was published in collaboration with the Natural History Museum and inspired by one of its most popular exhibits.

In spring a boy watches from the cliffs near his small town home as two blue whales – one large, one small – glide through the water as they begin their journey north. The boy calls the smaller whale Hope and throughout the summer months he imagines her swimming through the blue waters, passing polar bears and icebergs.

The arrival of autumn brings Hope once again, still keeping close to her mother as they head for the warmer southern waters.

A stormy winter follows and come the spring again, there is Hope. This migratory journey goes on through the seasons for some years

until eventually, not only is there no sign of the mother whale, but one spring Hope doesn’t come either.
Older now, with hope in his heart, the boy heads out in his boat to search for her. Will he ever see her again?

Happily yes, she’s grown considerably and she’s not alone.

A final superbly coloured, fold-out spread follows the story. When opened up it reveals information about the real blue whale that gave rise to this story, along with facts about the annual migratory journey such creatures make.

With its whale watcher acting as narrator and Laura Chamberlain’s arresting illustrations, this is a book to add to home collections and primary school bookshelves.

I Love You, Blue

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I Love You, Blue
Barroux
Otter-Barry Books

A small sailor (Jonas we learn later) in a small boat is sailing on the calm ocean when suddenly it becomes anything but. As the sea rages violently ‘neath a now black sky the cry goes out, ‘Help! help! Mayday! Mayday!

Happily to the rescue comes an enormous whale, Blue by name. Later from the safety of his lighthouse, the sailor bids goodnight to his Blue, telling the creature, ‘You are the prettiest of whales.’

The following morning it’s calm once more and the sailor searches for Blue, much concerned when the creature fails to appear. Blue is down deep and far from well. Venturing inside his mouth, Jonas is shocked to find that his belly is chock full of plastic bags. The little sailor collects up all the bags

and takes them away in his boat having told the whale to breakfast on jellyfish. Their meeting the next day sees a much livelier Blue, then an affectionate boy and Blue together and on the promontory wall beneath the lighthouse are written some crucial words.

A powerful environmental message indeed and one that young children will most certainly relate to.
Barroux’s soft-coloured illustrations with simple, thin black outlined images are highly effective conveyors of the tale alongside the child protagonist’s telling.

After the story the author leaves readers a heartfelt message explaining that Blue represents every one of the different whale species in our oceans, and giving information about things that can be done to support the causes of whales and ocean pollution.

The Fussy Flamingo

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The Fussy Flamingo
Jonnie Wild and Brita Granström
Otter-Barry Books

Fantastically funny is the latest in the Five Flamingos series from team Wild and Granström. It stars Baby and as the title says, this little bird is an exceedingly fussy creature. 

On the day we meet her she’s throwing a tantrum about all things flamingo and has decided to flounce off into the forest to find a family whose diet is more to her liking. Her first encounter is with the monkey family: they, so she’s told feast on “Big burpy bananas. ” Baby consumes two but is far from impressed with their taste or her change of hue so it’s suggested she heads off to see the fruit bats. However their berries – the ‘chewy-bluey’ variety are not to Baby’s taste either. Neither is the outcome of her consuming same.

Equally unhappy about her consultations with the giraffes 

and the anteater, Baby heads off to the river to try her luck there. Meanwhile the other flamingos are desperately seeking her whereabouts. 

When she reaches her destination, Baby meets a lip-licking crocodile to which she asks a rather dangerous question … 

Brita’s hilarious scenes heighten the drama of Jonnie’s text with its playful language and plethora of speech bubbles: together they’ve created a tasty tale of a fussy eater that youngsters will relish and if they’ve not previously met the Five Flamingos, they’ll likely want to sample others of their stories.

(The author’s royalties are to be donated to support wildlife habitat conservation in Africa.)

The Last Tiger

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The Last Tiger
Becky Davies and Jennie Poh
Little Tiger

Climate change and destructive human actions are at the heart of this tale of Asha the tiger.

As the story opens, she and her family are living happily in a lush forest along with boars and other creatures. but little by little their environment changes. Sunny days become hotter and hotter and rainy ones, much wetter, so wet that the land is flooded, forcing the boars to leave the forest in search of other places to live. Tigers too disappear, and without the boars, food for the remaining tigers becomes extremely scarce.

Eventually Asha finds herself completely alone, save for the scent of humans. Yes, humans had come into the forest, bringing with them huge destructive machines that cut down all the trees.

As Asha creeps through the devastation the humans have left in their wake, she sees a flash of bright orange. Another tiger perhaps? But no, it’s an orangutan, but company at least. Can the two of them possibly find a new home somewhere else …

Tragic and poignant, this timely story looks at the plight of just one of the animal species endangered, due for the most part to human actions such as the deforestation we saw in Asha’s natural habitat.
Saving tigers from extinction means saving forests and there’s relevant information in the final pages of this book including the alarming fact that there are now less than 4,000 tigers left in the wild.