Author jillrbennett

A Best Friend for Bear

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A Best Friend for Bear
Petr Horáček
Walker Books

As Black Bear wanders alone he decides a friend would cure his loneliness but finding one in a large forest is far from easy. Suddenly to his surprise he comes upon another creature: it’s Brown Bear and co-incidentally that bear too is searching for a friend. Brown Bear agrees to Black Bear’s suggestions that they look together and off they go, both commenting on the difficulty of their mission. The search is occasionally hazardous but exciting

and it’s good to have a fellow creature to help when needed.

After hunting unsuccessfully for a while, Brown Bear suggests they practise with each other by playing hide-and-seek. All goes well until Black Bear is unable to find Brown Bear until …

and then as they sit side by side, a realisation dawns …

Young listeners will delight in being in the know with the author about what’s coming in the two final spreads and equally will love the warmth and on-going humour of the story. Petr Horáček’s arresting, richly textured and coloured, scribbly visuals are truly gorgeous: I love too, the way the bears’ eyes say so much in their search for what’s right there in front of (or beside) them all along.

Bella Loves Bugs / Billy Loves Birds

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Bella Loves Bugs
Billy Loves Birds
Jess French and Duncan Beedie
Happy Yak

These two narrative non-fiction picture books are written by zoologist, naturalist and vet, Jess French whose passion for wildlife shines through in both Nature Heroes titles wherein she uses the titular children as narrators.

Bella is an aspiring entomologist who shares a day in her life with readers and it’s certainly a very exciting one with lots of discoveries. Her first task is to collect garlic mustard to feed her caterpillars and then with a few useful bug hunting items she sets out to look for minibeasts and to meet up with some of her fellow nature hero friends.
By following Bella’s interactions with her friends and the additional facts this becomes a learning journey for readers who encounter social insects – ants in particular – a honey bee collecting nectar and others around their hives,

several jumping bugs and then a “fluttery butterfly” (why a non-native monarch?). Their next stop is at a pond, absolutely alive with water creatures on and below the surface; time for some pond-dipping (with an adult close by).
As they go into the forest Bella makes several discoveries – woodlice, a wolf spider with her eggs, and inside her trap she finds a stag beetle and a stag beetle grub. Down comes the rain bringing out the slugs and snails, and then it’s time to head home where something else exciting happens inside her vivarium.
Look out for the spider that makes occasional comments along the way.

Bird loving Billy (in the company of a talking tit) spends a day at forest school, sharing his observations with readers and his friends about the wealth of birds they encounter. There’s a woodpecker, a dunnock nest with several eggs including one of a different colour and there’s great excitement when Billy spies a kingfisher and comes across a beautiful feather to add to his collection.

Eventually he reaches the tit nest box located high in a tree where there are little chicks just preparing to leave the nest.

Bursting with information engagingly presented in the words and in Duncan Beedie’s amusing illustrations, both books should encourage youngsters to go outdoors to investigate and one hopes, appreciate the wonders of nature that’s all around us.

The Royal Leap-Frog

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The Royal Leap-Frog
Peter Bently and Claire Powell
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Written in perfect rhyme is Peter Bently’s very funny version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Leaping Match fable. It tells, and shows through Claire Powell’s splendid, vibrantly coloured illustrations, what happens when a flea and a grasshopper (both convinced they’re the best) compete before the king whom they want to decide which one of them can jump the higher. Along with them to the palace goes a little green frog.
Utter chaos ensues as first flea

and then grasshopper leaps – captured with panache in Claire’s detailed scenes for which she uses a variety of layouts.

Both insects then depart the royal dining room leaving the king flat out on his sofa. However his respite is brief for up steps the frog claiming an ability to out-leap both previous contestants. What will be the outcome of his attempt?

A laugh-out-loud book that’s great to share in the classroom or at home with individuals, whether or not they’re familiar with the original fairy tale.

Human Town

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Human Town
Alan Durant and Anna Doherty
Tiny Owl

Holding a mirror up to us is this story wherein elephants Junior, Lulu and their parents visit Human Town. Whereas their parents suggest it’s likely to be a boring place, the offspring consider it cool.

On arrival they first peruse the list of rules and then start wandering around, Dad warning of the potential dangers and unpredictably of humans. They pause to watch people entering shops empty- handed and coming out with bags stuffed full of ‘things’. Things, says Dad, make humans happy. The young elephants are shocked to learn that some humans eat sheep, chickens and cows. “You can’t judge them like us, … they’re wild animals,” is Dad’s comment.

The football game is a disappointment; but even worse is the stream full of rubbish and the foul-smelling air, both the results of human carelessness and hence points out Mum, one of the reasons they are dying out;

so too is the “farting car” Junior spies. The church, cinema and school are completely empty: not a human in any of them; and those outside their homes are shown fighting one another

while inside others watch a boring thing called ‘Teevee”.

Then totally unimpressed, the elephants stop for a family picnic before returning home. First though Junior asks one final question about the likelihood of humans becoming extinct. Mum’s answer along with her young one’s response on the last page are thought-provokingly alarming.

Cleverly presenting consumerism, conflict, pollution and the vital importance of the environment and protecting animals, this book is an excellent starting point for discussions with children on those themes. Yes it’s wryly humorous, but the truths of what we see and read are evident the world over: we can no longer turn our backs on what is happening on this planet that we – humans and wildlife – share.

Woodland Magic: Fox Cub Rescue / The Smidgens Crash-Land

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Woodland Magic: Fox Cub Rescue
Julie Sykes, illustrated by Katy Riddell
Piccadilly Press

This is the first of a new series about a community of tiny sprite-like beings residing in the depths of Whispering Wood in Hidden Middle, out of sight of the Ruffins (humans) who live on the edge of the woods. Living off the land, seeking out and collecting their food and useful objects discarded by Ruffins, these tiny folk are called Keepers. Early every morning the Keepers head off into Ruffin territory to repair and protect the environment from the actions of the Ruffins.
The main protagonists of this story are Cora and Jax, would-be Keepers in training who are excited about their very first venture in the Big Outside where they’ve been asked to reseed land bulldozed by the Ruffins, and if possible to collect various natural items. They must complete this work by dawn or risk being sent back to school.
The two friends think they’ve plenty of time to do the bidding of Scarlet Busybee, but once in the Outside they’re soon distracted, first by a mother fox and her cubs and then a shiny metal slide and only just make it back in time. They’re given another chance and the following day set out, full of good intentions, with two specific jobs to do.
Again the two are distracted in part by something that’s happened as a consequence of their previous day’s actions. Seemingly it’s going to take more than a mere sprinkling of Cora’s woodland magic to put things right 

but perhaps some timely unexpected assistance by fellow Keepers could yet help save the situation.
Julie Sykes cleverly weaves the actions and consequences thread into her enchanting story while Katy Riddell’s sprinkling of black and white illustrations imbue the telling with a misty magical feel.
New solo readers, especially lovers of nature sprinkled with woodland magic, will delight in this book and eagerly anticipate the further titles in the series mentioned after the ‘create your own wildflower meadow’ instructions that follow the adventure.

There’s more magic with tiny beings in:

The Smidgens Crash-Land
David O’Connell, illustrated by Seb Burnett
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Since her previous adventure Gafferty Sprout has been very good but this hot-headed young Smidgen seems to have a nose for trouble. In this second adventure it isn’t long before trouble is what she finds as she and new best friend Will take to the air but only briefly; a mishap with their glider plunges them down right by Noah who is out shopping at the ‘Big Folk’ market with his mum.
Even bigger trouble soon turns up in the form of another Smidgen, one Crumpeck, who claims to have discovered the location of the third Smidgen clan’s home, a place called Burrow. ‘… even more Smidgens to get to know – and more friends’ thinks Gafferty. But is it really that straightforward, for Crumpeck steals Gafferty’s precious magical knife and starts heading for the Burrow. What else can she do but follow him, harmless Smidgenologist or not?
However when Gafferty eventually finds a way into the Burrow she discovers that these Smidgens are not the friendly folks she’d anticipated.

Meanwhile the evil Claudia Slymark is on the prowl, still searching for a piece of that magical mirror.
In the end (though happily not the end of the series), Gafferty must rely on Smidgen rule 4 to extricate herself from a very very tricky situation. Can she do it?
Superbly illustrated once more by Seb Burnett, this is another of David O’Connell’s wonderfully exuberant mixes of humour, adventure and magic. It’s sure to leave readers and listeners eagerly anticipating Gafferty’s next adventure: perhaps therein the three Smidgen clans will be reunited – you never know …

Antarctica

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Antarctica
Karen Romano Young, illustrated by Angela Hsieh
What on Earth Books

This book was written by polar explorer, author, artist and much more, Karen Romana Young.
Immediately engaging, her writing is a combination of personal narrative and facts about people, fauna and flora and of course, the land itself, as she takes readers on a trip across the melting continent. We meet her fellow scientists working at Palmer Station and the author’s responses to some of the questions they posed, form part of the narrative including, ‘As the ice retreats and Antarctica warms, what will happen to the seed clouds and the rest of the Antarctic food chain?’

It’s truly alarming to read of the 80% drop in Antarctic krill in the last half century, on account of both global warming and overfishing of the krill, a source of food for penguins.

There’s information on the continent’s geological history, how visitors can get to Antarctica, how researchers manage to stay alive despite the extreme cold and testing terrain,

what happens at a research station, and a look at some of the recent scientific discoveries.

Amazingly a lot of animals do live in this, the world’s coldest, windiest and driest continent, most in or near to the sea: readers are introduced to some of these including nematodes and microscopic tardigrades (nicknamed I discovered herein, ‘water bears’). However if your interest is in the larger creatures, then you’ll be fascinated to read of polar gigantism, a phenomenon still puzzling scientists and which has resulted in massive jellyfish and colossal squid; even the krill here, which form the foundation of the Antarctic food chain, are twice the size of those anywhere else on Earth.

Angela Hsieh (who has also visited Antarctica) provides the illustrations – a helpful complement to the text – and there’s a final, glossary, some source notes and an index.

An excellent resource for youngsters (and others) with an interest in the location, climate change and biology.

Our Fort

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Our Fort
Marie Dorléans (translated by Alyson Waters)
New York Review Children’s Collection

Not so much a fort, rather a den, is how I’d describe the ultimate destination of the three children who celebrate the arrival of spring with a visit to their camp.

The story is really more about their journey than the construction they sally forth to find. Their walk takes them past sheep in a field and through billowing grass fields that almost engulf them. After a pause to share some cookies, the sky darkens and a wind storm blows up

and the three – full of ideas about potential adventures – have to fight their way forwards until the storm eventually blows itself out. With concerns about the fate of their fort after such a violent wind, on they go to their haven, which happily has withstood the onslaught and is ready and waiting for their arrival.

As we readers follow the children out through their front door, we too feel immersed in the countryside.

It’s as though we’re also making our way onwards and upwards in Marie Dorléans’ delicately worked, realistic rural scenes of her beautifully observed celebration of children’s ability to observe with all their senses and to find delight in the natural world around them, storms and all. Oh the joy of childhood’s freedom in a rural environment – a joy many adults rediscovered during the covid lockdowns of the past couple of years.

All Around Bustletown: Nighttime

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All Around Bustletown: Nighttime
Rotraut Susanne Berner
Prestel

The award-winning creator of the seasonal Bustletown series of large format picture books shows us the town’s nocturnal happenings across an hour in this latest offering.

Look very closely – that’s always what you need to do to get the most from each spread – and you’ll see on the opening pages that it’s ten o’clock on a kitchen clock in a multi-generational residence. There’s still a fair bit of activity in and around the building: a boy (Joshua) is spending the night under canvas and reading by torchlight while his father (presumably) points to his wristwatch.
A couple (Cara and John) are taking a stroll – we learn the names from the back cover – and a cyclist, Frank rides past, sans light.
If we follow these characters, stories unfold. As Frank passes a petrol station with a police car being filled at the pump, one of the officers notices the lack of lights on his bike

and Tony chases after and eventually apprehends him several minutes later. I love the sleepover on the same spread – how many of the literary pictures do you recognise exhibited in the cultural centre?

Turn over and Frank is now pushing his bike, the strollers sit on a bench watching as the police deal with an attempted break-in at the dentist’s above the bookshop and a dog takes Cara’s hat.
On the penultimate spread we see the police have now caught the burglar, and the dog (plus hat) are hotly pursued by a man. In the final scene said hat is once again spied by Cara; Frank chains up his cycle outside a food outlet in front of which the police car is passing.
If you turn back to the beginning, you might decide to follow the man in black seen sitting in the police car in the final scene. Indeed it’s possible to trace all the recurring characters and Berner poses several questions on the back cover that will likely send you back for another read.

With the same mixture of a look-and-find and chances to invent your own stories, there’s hours of fun to be found in this totally immersive, cleverly created book.

Make This Book Wild

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Make This Book Wild
Jo Schofield & Fiona Danks, illustrated by Anna Ivanir
Wide Eyed Editions

If you know a child who is fond of sketching, drawing – observational or otherwise, writing and who enjoys being in the great outdoors, then this is for them. With some sixty nature-themed activities it’s a great way to gently encourage children to observe the natural world, to have fun and be creative, the idea being to make the book look as wild as possible. That of course means that when they go out, the book needs to go too (along with some drawing materials and probably some of the other items listed on the ‘how to use this book’ page).

Before sallying forth however, the user must be made aware of the safety precautions in the front, as well as remembering the five points of the ‘protect nature’ code. Thereafter there’s freedom to make the book dirty, stick in items, draw or paint on the pages, possibly using natural tools like feathers or pine needles collected -and perhaps with some of the mud, the berry or leaf juice you’ve extracted. I like the idea of making ‘berry beasties’ by collecting a few ripe edible berries, placing them between the relevant pages, closing the book, jumping on it and following the rest of the instructions (I’d go for using separate paper and sticking in the results.)

If writing’s more your child’s thing then there are opportunities for list making (from observations), poem and story writing and more; you can even write about your ‘dragon hunt’. Science and imagination comes together in this fun-filled book and it’s all about encouraging youngsters to observe nature closely and enjoy so doing. I know a lot of children who would love to get their hands (and feet) on a copy of this.

An Artist’s Eyes

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An Artist’s Eyes
Frances Tosdevin and Clémence Monnet
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

As the story opens adult Mo and young Jo are out walking together. Readers are invited to notice their eyes – they have the same friendliness, shape and smallness but Mo’s eyes are different: she has artist’s eyes. As they walk through various different natural places Mo comments imaginatively on their surroundings: she sees the seascape as ‘a dazzling duck-egg blue, a swirl of peacocks and the inky, indigo of evening, whereas Jo says it’s “so blue!” As they continue Jo describes the forest literally as “green” whereas Mo sees “a shiny apple-green, the lime of gooseberries, and the spring zinginess of moss.”

The field of yellow flowers are “bright yellow” to Jo and Mo notices variations in shades. “Notice how light changes the colour. See the mellow yellow of melons and the pale pastel of primroses.” Jo’s response is despondent: he becomes angry and frustrated at not seeing like an artist.

Patiently, Mo encourages him to trust his own eyes and little by little Jo begins to see what they show him; and what they show him as he deploys his imaginative powers to the full are patterns, textures, shapes and more.

No, he doesn’t see as Mo sees but he does now see with artist’s eyes.

Assuredly, with Clémence Monnet’s gorgeous mixed media illustrations, and Frances Tosdevin’s empowering story, this is a book that, shared with the right adult, will encourage youngsters to accept, employ and make the most of the unique skills they have, as well as conveying the idea that everyone can see like an artist and describe imaginatively what they see.

Once Upon a Big Idea

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Once Upon a Big Idea
James Carter and Margaux Carpentier
Little Tiger

What a wealth of playful language poet James Carter uses in his story of inventions large and small., all the outcomes of bright ideas generated by human brains. he tells how for example the plentiful supply of rocks and stones beneath the ground have been used to create tools, bricks and walls with which the pyramids were built.
Animals too are a rich source of materials; they provide meat for some, wool to make into clothing and much more, and their bones were also used in the fashioning of more tools.
Homes, bridges and boats often have wood in their construction but what invention has had the biggest impact on lives ever? James suggests it’s the wheel and I’d probably go along with that. I wonder how many things you can think of that include wheels in their design: if you’re a primary teacher you might try asking your class that question when you share the book.
What a wealth of creativity came as a result of sand, clay and fire … 

‘Fire we learnt, was elemental – / heating working, smelting metal.’ we read; while modern materials – rubber, concrete, nylon and plastic have changed our lives, not always for the better. 

Finally, readers are reminded of the importance of recycling and reusing in James’ text as well as through Margaux Carpentier’s arresting visuals. Don’t forget to read the concluding four-letter acrostic.
Rich in STEAM classroom potential, this is a picture book to inspire young inventors of the future.

Phyllis & Grace

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Phyllis & Grace
Nigel Gray and Bethan Welby
Scallywag Press

In this moving story, a little girl Grace pays regular visits to her next door neighbour, an elderly woman who lives by herself. Whenever she visits, Grace takes Phyllis something: a slice of cake, a bowl of stew, biscuits she’s baked herself,

jelly and a drawing she’s done at school.

It’s obvious that Phyllis enjoys Grace’s visits but as she shares with her, stories about her life, it’s evident that her memory is fading – names are forgotten, things misplaced, and events confused. Nonetheless despite the huge difference in age and Phyllis’s increasing disorientation, Grace forms a strong bond with her neighbour and eventually goes regularly to visit her in an old people’s home and even meets her son who takes Grace somewhere very special.

Basing the story on the experience of his own granddaughter and her neighbour, author Nigel Gray’s story is told with great sensitivity and equally sensitively illustrated in Bethan Welby’s gentle watercolour scenes. Together words and pictures beautifully document the progression of dementia and how it might appear, from a young child’s viewpoint. A book for adults and children to share and discuss as gently as it’s presented by its creators.

One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth

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One World: 24 Hours on Planet Earth
Nicola Davies, illustrated by Jenni Desmond
Walker Books

With the clock striking midnight, a little girl and her even littler sister leave their bedroom and take a round the world trip visiting animals large and small. 

They see elephants and lions in Zambia, baby turtles on Gahirmatha Beach in Odisha, India, 

gibbons in a Chinese nature reserve, sharks in the warm waters around the Philippines, kangaroos in one of Australia’s national parks, emperor penguins on Antarctica’s Ross Island and encounter a humpback whale near a Hawaiian island. At the same time California’s Pinnacles National Park is a-buzz with bees and hummingbirds, 

owl monkeys wake up in a forest of Ecuador’s Yasuni National Park, jaguars hunt their prey in Pantanal Brazil where it’s 8pm and finally, in Southern Georgia an albatross sits huddled on her nest. 

The last stroke of midnight is the signal for the sisters to traverse land and sea while beneath them are numerous warning signs of global warming. As the first hour of Earth Day, 22nd April begins in London it’s time to reflect upon the amazing wonders the girls have seen and contemplate the multitudes of others they haven’t, in preparation to issue a rallying cry to the world; it’s time to make a difference before it’s too late. We can all help to halt climate change but the clock is ticking …

As well as celebrating our awesome planet, author Nicola and artist Jenni show the way actions of we humans are adversely affecting different ecosystems worldwide. 

Powerful words and stunning illustrations make this a must have book for families and primary school classrooms: Celebrate Earth Day 2022 by sharing it.

I’m Not Upside Down, I’m Downside Up / All About Dyspraxia

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Here are two recent neurodiversity titles from Jessica Kingsley Publishers – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review.

I’m Not Upside Down, I’m Downside Up
Harry Thompson and Danielle Jata-Hall, illustrated by Mollie Sherwin

In this slim but hugely informative book we meet Ariana; PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance) is what I am she says. This is a form of autism and the girl narrator gives readers an insight into her mind explaining why the feeling she has that she must be in control all the time can look as though she’s just badly behaved. 

School is challenging as she feels it takes away her freedom to be her true self. Assuredly Ariana’s behaviour is often unpredictable but she’s also creative, witty and clever: ‘I want to tackle the big questions of life …what happened before the big bang’ is indicative of her preference for big talk as opposed to small talk – the everyday natter other people often use.
I wish I’d been able to read this when several years ago I had a little boy in my nursery class. who had a PDA diagnosis and like Ariana, his behaviour was unpredictable. I’ll never forget one story time he took himself off into the cloakroom and there he remained singing Rod Stewart songs until it was time to go home.

All About Dyspraxia
Kathy Hoopmann


As with her All Cats Are on the Autism Spectrum, Kathy Hoopmann uses superb colour photos
of animals paired with a direct text (plus occasional thinks and speech bubbles) to show children how dyspraxia isn’t all about being clumsy. Along with other neurodiverse people, those with dyspraxia have brains that are wired differently from others.
This means we learn, that a child with dyspraxia might become adept at avoiding activities if they fear they might fall but with encouragement and time, with the activity or instructions broken down and lots of practice, they often manage a lot better. It’s good to allow plenty of time to learn a task or grasp new ideas,

and to celebrate achievements: reading for example is tiring and the text may well become blurred.
Did you know that movement often facilitates listening for a dyspraxia learner and for those who find writing especially challenging, a keyboard can make life much easier.
Rather than making a child with dyspraxia anxious by saying that they are lazy, not trying hard, not listening or whatever, it’s important for adults – parents, teachers or other educators – to appreciate how hard they work, how clever they really are, to celebrate their creativity, their unusual ways of solving problems, their determination and successes.
A book to have in school collections, both to show educators and classmates ways to be understanding and supportive, and to lend to parents with a child recently diagnosed with dyspraxia.

A Dress With Pockets

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A Dress With Pockets
Lily Murray and Jenny Lovlie
Macmillan Children’s Books

Oh wow! Jenny Lovlie’s illustrations for this story are simply out of this world – every one of them is brimming with exquisite detail. Attention to detail is evident too in Lily Murray’s rhyming narrative; with its playful language it’s a brilliant read aloud.

Now without further ado let’s head over to the Fabulous Fashion Store where, on young Lucy’s birthday, she’s taken by her Aunt Augusta to choose a new dress. The shopkeeper brings out all manner of dresses: fancy ones, frilly ones, stripy ones, silly ones, sun dresses, fun dresses, blue dresses, green dresses and a host of others.
However, be they witchy, swirly-twirly-whirly, wispy-gauzy-floaty, or even twinkly, they don’t impress Lucy.

What she has in mind is something much more practical; something with places to accommodate the creepy crawlies, ‘fossils and flints and butterscotch mints,’ … with room ‘for skimming stones and mysterious bones’ and any other curious things that might take the fancy of this inquisitive child.

Can the shopkeeper come up with the dress of her dreams? He certainly has all the sales patter. Let’s just say that Aunt Agatha does make a purchase as we discover in the final reveal.

Gently whimsical and humorous, and underscored with a subtle feminist message, this is a joyous ‘read it again’ book and one that if shared with more than one child at a time, must be taken sufficiently slowly to allow for enjoying the wealth of detail and ongoing canine capers shown in every scene.

The Fairy Garden

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The Fairy Garden
Georgia Buckthorn and Isabella Mazzanti
Ivy Kids

Mimi loves her garden. Every morning she tends it with great care, removing all the weeds and spraying the plants to keep bugs away, making it as near perfect as possible in the hope that a fairy will pay a visit.
Despite all her efforts, there is no sign of any fairies, so around her perfect garden she places little fairy houses: perhaps these homes might attract the visitors she so longs for. However, again Mimi is disappointed, even when she adds a welcome sign.

Is she doing something wrong?

Astute listeners to this cautionary tale will likely, by now have realised that she is. For that night as a tearful Mimi looks out at her garden she sees that she has visitors. Some fairies have finally come, but what they have to tell her surprises the little girl.

Her well intentioned perfection has led to the destruction not only of the garden’s wildlife, but the kind of environment that fairies would inhabit: a fairy-friendly garden is wild.

This environmental fable is gorgeously illustrated by Isabella Mazzanti whose fairytale landscapes and the richly detailed, verdant flora and latterly the insect life, are a delight.

Look closely too at the expressions on the faces of the three fairies as they gently chastise Mimi. How well the artist captures the ethereal nature of those visitors and the total absorption of the little girl at work in her garden. (The final two spreads detail how to grow a fairy-friendly garden and how to make a fairy house.)

An engaging way of alerting youngsters to the importance of rewilding, done with a gentle touch by author Georgia Buckthorn and artist Isabella Mazzanti, and it’s printed on 100%recycled paper.

Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog Take an Evening Stroll

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Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog Take an Evening Stroll
Britta Teckentrup
Prestel

Big Hedgehog and Little Hedgehog are out for an evening stroll and as the sun sinks on their return journey, Little Hedgehog asks that they can pause and wait for the sun to set, which they do. Once it’s completely disappeared on they go, but after moving a little way further Little Hedgehog again wants to stop, this time for the moon to rise. Big Hedgehog agrees, they pause

and then with Big Hedgehog insisting it’s now late, they continue homewards.

Before long, Little Hedgehog wants to make another stop – to inhale the scent coming from the wildflowers and they stand, so doing for a long time. These stops continue, next to visit an owl family, then to look for the moon as it emerges from behind some clouds, followed by a pond pause to bid goodnight to the frogs and fish. By this time it’s decidedly chilly but that doesn’t stop Little Hedgehog from following a tiny firefly

until it reaches a host of others that together perform a beautiful dance. Surely after such a long stop, Little Hedgehog must be completely ready for some sleep: almost but first there’s one more request …

This is such a gorgeous story about the joys of slowing down to appreciate, and be awed by, the natural world with all its wonders from the immense to the minute. Brita Teckentrup has a wonderful way of capturing the natural world in her richly hued and textured collage scenes that are certain to make big humans sharing this book with little humans, also slow right down to imbibe the beauty of each one of them.

This Girl Can Do Anything / Sometimes: A Book of Feelings

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This Girl Can Do Anything
Stephanie Stansbie and Hazel Quintanilla
Little Tiger

Meet young Ruby, strong-willed, knowing exactly what she wants and determined to do things her way.: in short, she’s unstoppable. Yet despite her toughness and inner-strength, there are times when she allows just a little bit of softness to seep through.

Of course not everything goes right straightaway, but with encouragement from her mum, Ruby is always prepared to have another go.

Her energy is boundless yet come the end of the day, despite what our protagonist says about not feeling tired, at bedtime, Ruby is ready for something special from her mum and dad.
For sure Ruby is a force to be reckoned with, unafraid to speak out about what she wants to do; however she does have a soft-centre that occasionally, she lets us enjoy a taste of too.
I love the way, illustrator Hazel Quintanilla uses a different colour background for each spread.
From the same author is:

Sometimes: A Book of Feelings
Stephanie Stansbie and Elisa Paganelli
Little Tiger

Stephanie Stansbie adopts a rhyming narrative to explore emotions, as we follow a sister and brother through a single day beside the seaside. It’s a day full of ups and downs: occasionally the dominant feeling is one of darkness and fear, but that can be dispelled by a brave leap; likewise disappointment and boredom can be overcome, perhaps by doing something active – dancing.

After presenting other feelings of the less desirable kind – anger, sadness 

and loneliness too, the mood turns much more upbeat as we see the boy and girl exhibiting kindness and forgiveness which dispel those bad feelings, allowing them to be replaced by a sense of peace, contentment and calm. With equanimity prevailing, brother and sister are ready to return to the family home, safe in the knowledge that once there, somebody will be waiting to show them the most important feeling of all: love.

With Elisa Paganelli’s expressive scenes of the children’s highs and lows to complement Stephanie’s words, this book offers a helpful starting point for exploring emotions with young children either at home or in a foundation stage/KS1 classroom.

Through the Forest

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Through the Forest
Yijing Li
Lantana Publishing

‘I was lost in a deep, dark forest. I couldn’t find my way back so I keep on walking.
I was searching for something but did not know what.’; so begins this first person narrative by a small boy. He meets a ghostly giant figure who introduces itself as Emptiness and the boy suggests they might continue their search together, a suggestion to which the empathetic being responds positively.

Continuing on side by side they come across objects in the snow the first being a pinwheel. It puzzles Emptiness but sparks memories for the boy who recounts them to his companion. Then because he’s unable to fit it into his pocket, Emptiness takes the pinwheel for safekeeping.

The next object is a kite and again it triggers memories in the boy and his companion takes it to carry.
The vase they find calls forth sadness in the child, “This is a piece of Dad’s special vase. It was smashed the morning Mama left.” But in a clearing their discoveries – a book, a harmonica, a first drawing and a tie all evoke happy times.

Eventually the two arrive at a wildflower meadow littered with memories

but now Emptiness stops walking. Full of the memories they’ve found together, he explains that now they’re out of the forest, he’s remaining behind for the memories will always be available to guide the child as he ventures forth, should he need them. The boy looks around him and is finally able to see a path both behind and in front of him. Thus, we realise that forest has served as a metaphor for the child’s state of mind, which thanks to Emptiness, has now cleared.

Yijing Li’s digitally worked watercolour and ink scenes of the journey are contemplative and reassuring, and there’s a misty, occasionally brooding, dream-like quality to the entire book. .

One Boy’s Choice

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One Boy’s Choice
Sueli Menezes (translated by Kathryn Bishop) and Annika Siems
minedition

Set in the Amazon jungle, this is a story about a boy who goes out in a canoe to spend a day fishing with his grandad. The boy is eager to catch a really big fish to take home and show his friends. Grandad navigates the boat around the huge water-lilies while the boy peers into the water, watching and waiting for that fish. They wait and wait and wait, then move on and cast the net instead of a line. Still nothing, and while they wait Grandad tells stories about the various fish that live beneath the water-lilies.

Hours later lo and behold to the boy’s delight, there’s a water-lily fish – an Arowana – in the net. However, his delight quickly disappears when Grandad says they must release the fish – and then he shows the lad this male Arowana, has a mouth full of tiny fish and explains that for a month that’s where the little fish live safely, as well as telling him of the Arowana’s importance in eating mosquitos that can make humans ill. Grandad puts the choice in his grandson’s hands: keep the huge fish and impress his friends or let it go free so male and children can continue living safely in the river. The decision the boy makes pleases his Grandad who remarks, “I am very proud of you. Today you have become a really grown-up boy.”

Showing how our actions affect wildlife, Sueli Menezes’ thought-provoking story becomes even more so in tandem with Annika Siems’ richly hued portrayals of the beautiful Amazon forest in which it’s set.

All About Cats / Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes

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All About Cats
Frantz Wittkamp (trans. David Henry Wilson), illustrated by Axel Scheffler
Macmillan Children’s Books

As an ailurophobe I wasn’t predisposed to like this book, but on the other hand I’m a poetry lover and Axel Scheffler’s illustrations are terrific fun so the positives have it. And David Henry Wilson’s translations from the original German work well too and rhyme well. Do I detect a touch of the Eleanor Farjeons in Cats are … Sleepy?

From the fourteen four-line poems herein we discover a fair bit about cats, their habits and their predilections. They enjoy reading, arithmetic – yes really, painting, making mischief, playing toss with a ball or perhaps a small rodent if they can get their paws on one; and when it comes to food, each one has a favourite – it’s not always fish.
Parent cats show love towards their offspring, working together to keep things sweet between mums and dads. However I definitely disapprove of certain tomcats – those that net butterflies and keep them as pets, whereas the bath routine at the end of the day gets an endorsement from this reviewer, and how wonderfully economical with water they are in Axel’s illustration at least (3 in a tub together.)
But no matter if said moggies are making music or celebrating a birthday with rhubarb juice and fishcakes, or even feeling a tad grumpy if caught in a rain shower, they make the best of the situation, as is evident in Axel’s splendidly droll scenes and tiny vignettes.

To foster a love of language in young children, cat lovers or not, share the rhymes and playful pictures with them: perhaps some of them can come up with own cat capers too.

Mother Goose’s Nursery Rhymes
Axel Scheffler
Macmillan Children’s Books

This treasury of almost sixty nursery rhymes is linked by eighteen short stories written by Alison Green, the first of which sets the scene by introducing Mother Goose herself. She lays three eggs and it’s to her goslings the rhymes were told and then eventually written down by a wise old heron. (I love that.) It’s also her’s and her goslings’ activities that are related in the stories.

You’ll find lots of your favourites here: I Had a Little Nut Tree,

Miss Muffet, Jack and Jill, The Grand Old Duke of York, Polly (who puts the kettle on), Old King Cole, Humpty Dumpty, Sing a Song of Sixpence, Hey Diddle Diddle

and lastly some bedtime ones including Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Wee Willie Winkie, still dashing round town in that nightgown.

Every rhyme and story is humorously illustrated in such a way by Axel Scheffler that the wit behind the words is evident. A super present to give a new baby and a book to acquaint preschool children with the richness of nursery rhyme language that sadly, many of them are unfamiliar with.

Thanks to Macmillan Children’s Books for sending both titles for review.

The Young Designers

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The Young Designers
Paul Smith and Sam Usher
Pavilion Children’s Books

Fashion designer Paul Smith and Sam Usher present a second story about Mr Brown (famous fashion designer) and his assistant, Moose.

Could the two be taking on a big challenge when Rainbow Class come to visit his studio for their school trip. Mr Brown’s confident assertion, “I’m sure they’ll be no trouble at all,” might prove erroneous when the lively crowd pours in, especially as almost immediately his phone rings and he disappears leaving Moose in charge.

It’s not long before things start going wrong and Moose decides the best thing to do is to take the visitors out on an observational walk to give them some inspiration for the T-shirt designs they are to do – once they’ve sorted out their correct sizes. A quick foray into the art gallery proves anything but a good idea, so maybe the park could furnish some ideas of a nature-related kind.

The mention of biscuits and drinks for sensible behaviour seem to do the trick and after an eventful park visit

Rainbow Class actually settle down to their designs. Moose takes advantage of this period of calm to investigate what’s happened to the article of clothing that had been given a wash after an earlier elephant accident. To his horror it’s undergone some modifications: what on earth will Mr Brown say on his return?

Full of fun and an abundance of exuberant young animals brilliantly portrayed in Sam Usher’s watercolour scenes, this hilarious story celebrates creativity and demonstrates how it’s possible to transform mistakes into exciting works of art.

The Boy with Flowers in his Hair

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The Boy with Flowers in his Hair
Jarvis
Walker Books

Whimsical, wonderful and full of heart is this latest offering from Jarvis. The narrator is a little boy who is best friends with David the boy with flowers adorning his hair. Both boys are members of a happy class with a caring teacher, Mrs Jones, and nobody show the least concern about David’s unusual hairdo, not even Mrs Jones who gets hay fever; and not even when it attracts bees or a family of birds settles there for a while. 

‘But one day something happened.’ We know not what except that a petal comes off into his friend’s hand as he waters David’s hair. David becomes quiet and uninterested in playing.

The following morning David comes to school wearing for the first time ever, a hat and he’s uncharacteristically quiet. Having removed outdoor garments as Mrs Jones’ instructs, David reveals a ‘twiggy, spiky and brittle’ head sans the remaining petals that fall once his hat is taken off.

Initially David’s classmates are somewhat unnerved and steer clear of the boy, not so his best pal however who remains close not concerned by occasional scratches. He has an idea – a very creative one

– and before long everyone else in the class is involved in project restore David’s colour.

Little by little David regains his joie de vivre and eventually his original flowers too, although his best friend keeps his box of bits and pieces just in case they’re needed ‘Because he’s my best friend, and I am his.’

In Jarvis’s painterly illustrations he shows so beautifully the changing emotions of David and his best friend as well as other members of the class. With themes of acceptance and the power of friendship, his story is a touching demonstration of kindness and supportiveness just when it’s needed. Full of messages adults will want to pass on to youngsters, this book is perfect for sharing and discussing with foundation stage classes, and with young children at home too.

The Ogress and the Orphans

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The Ogress and the Orphans
Kelly Barnhill
Piccadilly Press

Hugely moving and sublimely written with carefully considered pacing, this is a book for everyone at all times, but especially these troubled times through which we’re living.

It’s set in Stone-in-the-Glen, a once idyllic town that after a fire destroyed its library, has undergone many changes for the worse: the school also burned down, other fires led to the loss of the town’s trees. Rather than the close community it was, rumours spread easily as people are now focussed on their own problems, suspicious of one another and reluctant to do anything for the benefit of neighbours. There’s a flashy self-serving mayor who manipulates any attempts at discussion leaving those of his constituents who go to him for help unable to recall what their problems are.

In the town too is the Orphan House: home to a group of fifteen children cared for by a loving elderly Matron and her husband Myron. Now no longer supported by the townsfolk, they do their best to stretch their meagre resources. In the orphanage though is a wonderful resource of a different kind: a fantastic reading room.

Living on the town’s edge is an Ogress. She’s a gentle loving soul who delights in leaving vegetables and wonderful goodies made from the produce grown in her garden for the residents as they sleep. However being different, she’s become the townsfolk’s scapegoat, so when one of the orphans, Cass, decides to run away, the Ogress is held responsible for the girl’s disappearance. In fact it’s she who rescues Cass tending her and bringing her safely back to the orphanage, but her return is seen and misinterpreted by a man as confirmation of the wickedness of the Ogress.

When the grownups won’t listen to Cass and the other children, they must find another way to help their generous neighbour and repair their broken community. This means getting the townsfolk to ask key questions such as ‘What and who is my neighbour? Is that possible? Perhaps yes, with the help of some crows, the ogress, one or two empathetic townsfolk and a stone. Happily, in the end, it’s knowledge, story and books, community, kindness and sharing that wins out. So it is in Stone-in-the-Glen and so we hope, can it be again in our own fractured world.

It’s impossible in a short review to do full justice to this powerful story: the author leaves space for readers to form their own opinions on some of the book’s philosophical questions and I suspect we’ll all bring different things to this allegorical tale.

Piano Fingers

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Piano Fingers
Caroline Magerl
Walker Books

Adorably quirky and absolutely magical is this latest Caroline Magerl picture book.

Little Bea comes from a musical family. Her self-confident and a trifle bossy big sister, Isla, creates beautiful music on her violin (her honey fog machine) while Bea, dissatisfied with the bink, bink, bink sound she makes with her triangle, casts it aside and goes to search for something with more potential on which to express her latent talent.

What she discovers is a piano, but despite being ‘a baby mountain’ it doesn’t play the sweet music that Bea yearns for. “The world is not ready for my genius” she declares. However, up steps the encouraging Maestro Gus with his, “There are whole symphonies up those sleeves. All you have to do is …pick a key. And with a plink there comes ‘the sound of an icy tear falling from a star.”

The music swirls forth as ‘A song of winter trees spinning barley sugar clouds for springtime.’ – what a wonderfully sparkling debut. But while Maestro Gus may have helped Bea discover her talent, she subsequently sends him packing outside into the rain in the ‘moth foggy dark’.

Eventually, back indoors, the three music makers, Isla, Bea and Maestro Gus come together before the Maestro retires for the night.

Their music making will assuredly enchant young listeners to this lyrical story from a hugely talented picture book creator, whose words embody musicality and when read aloud, are as mellifluous as the sounds one imagines emanating from the sisters’ instruments.

A subtle exploration of finding one’s own talent that should act as an encouragement to children to persevere, work hard and follow their passions.

Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny / Sweet Dreams, Bruno

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Every Bunny is a Yoga Bunny
Emily Ann Davison and Deborah Allwright
Nosy Crow

Little bunny Yo-Yo finds it impossible to keep still and going to bed at night, she just can’t sleep. One day Grandpa has a bright idea: he’s going to teach them some yoga he tells the little ones. Roxy and Flo soon manage the bridge and mountain poses; not so Yo-Yo who waggles, wiggles and jiggles. And when it comes to trying tree, two little bunnies can do the breathing and the balancing whereas their sibling is distracted by a passing butterfly which she just has to follow.

Before long she’s lost in a shadowy forest and starts to panic. But then having flopped to the floor she begins to recall some of the things her Grandpa has taught her. First comes the slow breathing and as she calms down she recalls the yoga shapes she’s been shown

and with her thoughts no longer whizzing, she’s able to imagine the route that will take her all the way home. Once there she finds the others still doing yoga. Can she join them and this time, stay calm and still?

Following debut author Emily Ann Davison’s sweet story, are instructions and demonstrations by Yo-Yo of six yoga poses, to help young children breathe, stretch and feel calm. Deborah Allwright’s amusing illustrations made the yoga teacher part of me giggle as I recalled some of the Yo-Yos I’ve encountered in classes over the years.

Published in collaboration with the National Trust, there’s a QR code inside the front cover of the book which if scanned with a mobile provides a free reading of the book.

Sweet Dreams, Bruno
Knister and Eve Tharlet
minedition

Despite it being that time of year, young marmot, Bruno is reluctant to settle down for a long winter sleep. Various other of the animals offer alternatives: goat suggests spending winter climbing on
the slippery rocks; jackdaw says he can share her nest high up in a tree; he could brave the moggies in the farmhouse and move in with mouse, join hare and romp in the snow or even accompany the swallows and winter in Africa. However none of these are feasible for the little creature and with a yawn and a sigh, Bruno decides, “I guess everyone spends winter in their own way. For a marmot hibernation’s the best.” Bidding a temporary farewell to his friends, he settles down in his cosy den and falls fast asleep.

His dreams provide Bruno with the action and exciting adventures he eschewed in real life as he leaps from mountain top to mountain top – ‘Hooray!’, floats up to join jackdaw in her nest – ‘Amazing!’ and even accompanies mouse on a cat hunt – ‘Woo-hoo!’

There’s further fun too, lasting until voices break into his dreamworld as his friends call him to action for a long summer of togetherness.

Eve Tharlet’s seasonal scenes are at once naturalistic and whimsical adding gentle humour to Knister’s straightforward telling. A story for bedtime sharing or KS1 story sessions.

What Makes a Lemur Listen?

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What Makes a Lemur Listen?
Samuel Langley-Swain and Helen Panayi
Owlet Press

This story of Maki, a little ring-tailed lemur living in the Madagascan rainforest, was inspired by the author’s experience of being the parent of a neurodiverse child who, like the protagonist in the book, struggles to listen, especially to instructions.

Fed up with his Mama’s seemingly endless instructions,

Maki ,who always thinks he knows better, decides to go it alone on a ‘big adventure’. No more rules and no having to listen to anyone are his expectations as he moves joyfully across the forest floor. His joy doesn’t last for come nightfall a realisation dawns: Maki is far from home and completely lost. Now, having refused to eat his breakfast, his tummy is rumbly and as the chilly wind blows through the branches, he misses his siblings’ snuggly warmth.

After a night spent alone and scared he wakes and hears a voice responding to his comment. A voice Maki puts down to his imagination; but then he hears further remarks as he looks for food and continues on his way.

Come nightfall once more, Maki stops again and curls up (on a branch so he thinks) but the voice continues and mentions something very long and scaly.

Just in the nick of time, Maki responds to the “Run!’ command he hears from a small rainbow coloured creature. Then from a safe hiding place he realises that the voice he’s been hearing all the while has been that of a savvy chameleon – Sofina – as she introduces herself. Surprised that she knows all about keeping safe and finding food in the forest, Maki is even more surprised at his new friend’s next remark, “I listen to my Mama!” Perhaps now, the little lemur is ready to do likewise.

Young listeners will enjoy finding out how Maki eventually learns to listen, while parents and educators could well learn alternative non-demanding ways to communicate with children be they or be they not, neurodiverse. Debut illustrator, Helen Panayi’s scenes of the lemur family and other creatures Maki encounter are great fun. She captures the young lemur’s changing feelings really well and adds gentle humour to the story: I love the meditating lemurs on the first page.

Every Cloud / You’re Not the Boss of Me

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Every Cloud
Ros Roberts
Little Tiger

Moving from primary to secondary school is a big change for everyone, but nothing is going right for eleven year old Amy. She’s already had to move house and that means she’s no longer in the catchment area of the secondary school her best friends will be going to. Moreover with Amy’s supposed best friend Cassie being unaccountably mean and Pop’s dementia getting worse, so much so that she and her Mum are to spend the holidays on the other side of town with Pops and Gran. Things can’t really get any worse.

However, to Amy’s surprise, living across the road from her grandparents is Jay a quiet, kind boy from her primary school who is going to her designated secondary school. Pops confuses him with his erstwhile best friend Spinney whom he hasn’t seen for many years and the two of them start playing shove ha’penny together.

As a friendship develops between Jay and Amy, she discovers that friendship can mean much more than she originally realised: having somebody you’re comfortable talking to, someone who listens attentively, is just as vital, maybe more so, than any other quality.

During her stay with Gran and Pops, a lot of surprising things happen and towards the end of the holiday Amy has an important decision to make: one that will affect the next stage of her life. How will she respond?

Exploring the importance of family, friendship and growing up, this empathetic story will appeal particularly to those readers around the same age as Amy.

You’re Not the Boss of Me
Catherine Wilkins
Nosy Crow

Loud and proud, positive but far from perfect, Amy Miller truly is a force to be reckoned with.
When the lower school comedy show is announced, she signs up immediately; she can’t wait to start writing some sketches; but then their drama teacher puts Harry in charge. Initially Amy doesn’t understand why he blocks her writing submissions and is extremely unpleasant towards her. She thinks that he just doesn’t like her but then she sees other girls also being sidelined and realises it’s more than that. Harry is being sexist, her elder sister, Caz informs Amy. Moreover, Mrs Hague who appointed Harry her shadow director, won’t listen to anything Amy says about her treatment. Fortunately Caz provides Amy with the information she needs to show how unfair the planning and organising of the revue really is, preparing her to do battle to fight for her rights.

Meanwhile at home Amy’s determined efforts to make life for her entire family better, have the completely opposite effect; the same is true, when she does likewise for school friends.
On a more positive note, Amy begins to forge a new friendship with Lexi who becomes her musical collaborator for the show. Anil too (her erstwhile best friend) also steps up to the mark, but then declines to own his part in Amy’s plan.

By the end of this laugh out loud story, Amy has learned a fair bit about herself, not least concerning her misguided helpfulness both at home and with best pals Mai and Sadie; she also finds out more about Anil and gains an insight into Harry’s behaviour.

Showing that everyone has the right to demonstrate their passions in a way that feels right for them, Catherine Wilkins’ brilliantly observed tale of determination and drama in the face of sexism and misogyny, is a great one for older readers.

Zoopertown: X-Ray Rabbit

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Zoopertown: X-Ray Rabbit
Jem Packer and Emily Fox
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

This is the first of a new series featuring a group of animals, the Zooperheroes residents of Zoopertown. We meet the five Zoopers as they sit at the table about to consume a delicious breakfast when suddenly toast, cornflakes, waffles and pancakes all disappear simultaneously. But that merely heralds a much bigger catastrophe for as the residents of the town gather in the park for the mayor’s birthday picnic it’s discovered that all the goodies have gone, even Go-Go Gorilla’s scrumptious banana birthday cake.

To assist with his crisis Go-Go doesn’t call out Zoom-Zoom Zebra, Zip-Zap Giraffe, Snap-Crack Croc, Crash-Bang Koala; he knows that the only Zooperhero for this task is X-Ray Rabbit with her X-Ray power. Off she zooms towards the park on her vehicle – a Zooper Scooter – of course, but en route she notices, thanks to her sharp-sightedness, a trail of banana skins that lead her right out of town, through the forest to … the Atrocious Tower of Terror.

Therein resides the dastardly food-snatching baboon: he’s about to consume a birthday cake and it certainly isn’t his. Furious, not only about not being invited to the party, but by the intrusion of X-Ray Rabbit, he zaps her, trapping her in his stinky lair. Is she doomed or can she escape the clutches of Kaboom Baboon and even save the celebrations?

Perhaps, with some timely assistance from her fellow Zooperheroes.

I suspect little human would-be superheroes will relish this action-packed tale, welcome the arrival of its super-cast each with a special personal super-power and be eager for further adventures. Jem Packer’s use of wordplay throughout the narrative adds to the fun and Emily Fox’s dramatic scenes
especially those of the endearing quintet engaging in the high-octane operation are full of comic-style panache.

Elephant Island

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Elephant Island
Leo Timmers
Gecko Press

As the result of a boisterous wave, seafarer Arnold elephant’s boat is destroyed. Hours later he reaches a tiny island upon which he lands and calls for help. There’s no response although his captain’s hat does float by, and with it back on his head, Arnold is able to spy a small ship in the distance. Said ship belongs to a mouse. Rescued at last – hurrah! But then …

Fortunately Arnold is familiar with a fair few knots, some of which he uses to effect, only to sabotage things when he steps aboard the next craft of a would-be rescuer. Once again it’s operation salvage as the pachyderm fashions an ever more unlikely intricate structure from the fragments, sufficiently large to accommodate everyone whose boat he’s inadvertently incapacitated.

It’s not long before Elephant Island (complete with waffle maker) becomes a ‘go to’ destination and thanks to Arnold’s welcoming attitude an ever expanding one.

Where will all this end?

Then another storm blows up; should everyone now go home, or not …

With a deliciously un-self aware, but hugely adept constructor as its main character and a splendidly silly story to star in, Leo Timmers’ illustrations steal the show. Every one is a testament to creative play and collaborative construction, increasingly full of wacky detail to pore over and giggle at. I can see Arnold’s tale becoming a storytime favourite.

Baby Bunny’s Easter Surprise / Ready! Said Rabbit

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Baby Bunny’s Easter Surprise
Helen Baugh and Nick East
Harper Collins Children’s Books

With an appropriately bouncy rhyming narrative and equally spirited illustrations, team Baugh and East entertain young humans (and adult sharers) with what happens when one adorable-looking baby bunny Letty, trails her Easter Bunny mummy one Easter morning on her delivery of yummy chocolate eggs intended for the woodland dwelling creatures.
The problem is though that every egg that is so carefully placed, be it high up in a tree, low down beside the pond or a-top toadstools is so simply irresistible that little Letty, with all her senses alert, just cannot stop herself (even though she knows it’s not the right thing to do) from taking just one ‘teeny-weeny, titchy taste’ – and she’s overcome by such a superchoccylicious sensation that … I’m sure you can guess where this is going.
No matter, thinks the baby bunny, nobody else can possibly know what she’s been up to.

However, despite Letty’s repeated assertion that her misdeeds are undetectable, there’s absolutely no fooling her Mummy. Time to make amends; but that leaves mother and baby with an empty basket and Little Bunny eggless.

Or …

Much better and definitely longer lasting than chocolate eggs, get this for your little ones as an Easter treat.

Ready! said Rabbit
Marjoke Henrichs
Scallywag Press

As this second episode in the life of Dad rabbit and his little one begins, the clock on the wall says 9 o’clock. Dad announces that it’s a good day for a visit to the park and immediately the youngster starts enthusing about possibilities such as picnicking as well as mentioning all kinds of things to take along while Dad urges “Time to get ready!”. 

However it takes several changes of clothes before Dad is satisfied with the suitability of Rabbit’s attire. Then there’s the business of assembling snacks and with that completed, Rabbit finds more opportunities for getting distracted from the task in hand. 

With the clock at 11.20 Rabbit finally announces, “READY!”

Now it’s Dad’s turn to delay their departure: first there’s a phone call; then some important items are missing (hidden in plain sight) which they can’t leave without 

and it’s not until one o’clock that both parties agree that they’re ready to sally forth – hurrah!

Adult sharers of this story will appreciate the gentle irony of the situation perhaps more than young children. The latter will especially enjoy Dad’s drollery and the numerous opportunities to join in with the oft repeated “READY!” as well as the delightful details on every spread.

Some of those slightly older than Rabbit might try reading the book themselves once an adult has read it aloud: the large clear print, close match of text and illustrations, and the natural repetition all make it ideal as they encourage anticipation and prediction, both of which are vital elements of early literacy development.

A Quartet of Board Books

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Bumblebee Grumblebee
David Elliot
Gecko Press

Brilliantly playful is David Elliot’s sequence of rhyming scenarios. We see, among others, an elephant donning dance gear, hence elephant balletphant; there’s a rhinoceros dropping a yummy ice cream cone and becoming crynocerus; pelican rushing to put its botty on a potty – pelican smellican; and when the bumblebee breaks its pull-along toy it becomes grumblebee. Last of all comes turtle – now what could the grinning creature be about to do …
This is just the kind of book to encourage very young children to delight in hearing and creating language and adult sharers will have fun as they read it aloud be that at home or in an early years setting.

How To Say Hello
Sophie Beer
Little Tiger

At the start of the pandemic people had to look for alternative ways to greet one another rather than with a hug or a kiss. Those are two of the ways illustrated in this board book; however some of the others – elbow bumping, smiling, fist bumping, waving would have been acceptable even before restrictions were lifted. How lovely it is to be able once again to give somebody a high five, a cuddle, to greet somebody with the offer of a snack, all of which Sophie Beer portrays in her latest inclusive book for adults to share with toddlers: there’s plenty of fun detail to enjoy in each inviting spread, while so doing.

Sing A Song Of Kindness
Becky Davies and Ciara Ni Dhuinn
Little Tiger

‘Sing a song of kindness, / a pocket full of joy. / Share a slice of friendship /with every girl and boy.’ That’s the first verse of the title song in this board book for which Becky Davies has adapted the words of ten favourite nursery rhymes and songs so that each one offers ideas of friendship, kindness, consideration or compassion.
Each one is illustrated by Ciara Ni Dhuinn who uses images of plants and animals to create gorgeous scenes that offer adult sharers and their little ones plenty to pause and talk about as they sing their way through this book, which is best kept until children are familiar with the originals.

Thank You, Little Rabbit
illustrated by Michelle Carlslund
Happy Yak

It looks as though Little Rabbit is going to have a busy day. As she wanders in the woods she notices her friend Little Squirrel is distressed. He’s hungry and unable to find food but Little Rabbit directs him to search in just the right place (little ones can assist by pulling the ribbon tab) to find a rich source of nuts. She also comes to the aid of Mama Goose and her little ones; they’re lost on their way to warmer climes for the winter. Little Frog has become separated from his friends and Little Rabbit offers a comforting hug and points them out. The result of all that helping is a lot of happy friends and a Little Rabbit who receives a big hug from a parent rabbit.

Little humans should certainly feel part of the action as they manipulate the tabs to reveal the outcomes of Little Rabbit’s helpfulness depicted in Michelle Carlslund’s empathetic illustrations as the story is read aloud.

Little Chick Grows Up / Little Rabbit Has Friends

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Little Chick Grows Up
Yu Hongcheng
minedition

Presented from the viewpoint of Little Chick we follow him from the time he emerges from his shell in spring and takes those first cheeps through the months until autumn when he’s a full-sized rooster.
Soon after hatching he, along with lots of siblings is ready – under his mother hen’s watchful eye and guidance – to start finding food and standing up for himself, always alert for ‘bad’ animals around the farmyard.
Eventually Mum decides it’s time to leave the chicks to look after themselves; are the youngsters ready? Will they find somewhere safe to sleep? And what about finding the right things to eat without her guidance?

Will they be able to stand up to bullies and stay alert for danger. What happens when Boss Rooster shows up to challenge them?

From endpaper to endpaper, Yu Hongcheng’s superb illustrations, which accompany her first person narrative are a wonder to behold in this book that will be enjoyed by children and adults.

Little Rabbit Has Friends
Marcus Herrenberger (translated by Kathryn Bishop)
minedition

It’s not always peace and harmony in the forest for it’s a place where predators live; predators such as the fox. The very fox that, a raven informs Wren, is planning on eating his friend, Little Rabbit that day.
Wren immediately hurries off to tell Mouse and then the two proceed to tell a hedgehog, a nuthatch, a squirrel, and a mother pig. All the while their worries about Little Rabbit are mixed with concerns about their own safety but nonetheless they feel they must do something to help.

However when wild pig refuses to help, the five friends go to visit Little Rabbit to say farewell.

The terrified creatures know he’s about to become the fox’s next meal, but that’s not quite what happens after all …

Striking watercolour illustrations of the forest inhabitants show how when the less strong work together, their combined power can work wonders. Somehow at the same time both realistic and full of feeling, they make readers and listeners feel part of the unfolding drama.

The King’s Ship / If You Want to Knit Some Mittens

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The King’s Ship
Valerio Vidali
Farshore

This story has its origins in the true history of a 17th century Swedish warship named the Vasa, built as a symbol of the Swedish king’s greatness when the country was at war with Poland.

Long, long ago a rich and powerful king had everything he wanted, other than one thing – a ship. All the carpenters in the kingdom are summoned and ordered to build a great ship for the king. They set to work felling trees 

and constructing but when the king sees what they’ve made he declares it too small. The carpenters are ordered to build a bigger one and do so. This time the completed ship meets the size requirements but something is lacking. First it’s cannons to make the ship terrifying but even when those are loaded the king isn’t satisfied. He wants things of beauty aboard and so on go his highness’s marble statues. 

No doubt readers will see where this is going but not the king. He is very happy with his big, terrifying, beautiful ship. Now comes an order for everyone to come and admire the thing …

Vidali’s cautionary tale is imbued with a sense of tongue-in-cheek playfulness and mischief, both verbal and visual; his straightforward, spare telling with that final twist in combination with his droll illustrations of the construction process work harmoniously towards the final revelation.

If You Want to Knit Some Mittens
Laura Purdie Salas and Angela Matteson
Boyds Mills Press

If as the title says, you want to knit some mittens, the first thing you should do is get a sheep. Of course you do! Especially if you happen to be at the apple stall with dad and spot it in a field just behind. Then having taken it back home in Dad’s truck, she needs keeping warm all through the cold winter. This mitten making is no quick job as by now is clear and in the meantime the sheep can grow a thick coat, which come spring will need attention.

And of course, the fleece that’s been sheared will have to be washed, dried and untangled (carding this is called). Next comes spinning and by the way, a spinning wheel has a soporific effect on your sheep.

Now comes the consideration of what colour should the mittens be. Happily despite your chosen colour not being that the sheep has naturally, you’ve a place to grow marigolds. Some waiting follows and more waiting. Eventually the marigolds can be picked and sun dried – well away from lively activity needless to say. 

Dyeing the yarn comes once the marigolds have throughly dried, so soak them and place the yarn in that natural dye, hang the coloured yarn to dry and finally get out those knitting needles and click, click, click.

More waiting – who wants to wear mittens in the summer – and when winter arrives again, celebrate your ‘golden sun’ hands and off you go outside to play with your friend Sheep. Hurrah! Was it all worth it – you bet!

Wonderfully whimsical – there are some delightfully humorous tips included along with the eighteen steps – and there’s even a disclaimer on the copyright page concerning the suggestions made in the story about possible injuries should readers try to be crafty and emulate the small girl protagonist. Angela Matteson’s illustrations supply plenty more amusing details as they follow girl and sheep through the year, documenting their activities together along with occasional playful incursions by various other farm animals.

Investigators: Off the Hook / Investigators: Ants in Our P.A.N.T.S

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Investigators: Off the Hook
Investigators: Ants in Our P.A.N.T.S
John Patrick Green
Macmillan Children’s Books

More crime busting, pun filled sprees for Investigators Mango and Brash. As Off the Hook opens Mango and Brash are debating the tricky question:should you or should you not let your partner die for the cause of the greater good, or save your partner first and foremost. Little do they know however that Mango is going to have to face what he calls that ‘no-win scenario’ for real in their next mission – a mission in which they are to test the latest camouflage V.E.S.T technology. while tracking down and seizing Crackerdile et al. Crackerdile has enlisted into his evil T.A.I.L.Blazers the combined Hookline and Slinker – now a snake-armed man.

He and his new recruits – the only two of what he hopes will grow into a large criminal team – rob a bank and then head to a Chicken and Waffle restaurant so that he can be turned into a waffle – the largest size possible.

Can our agents possibly work out exactly what is going on, capture the arch villain and most important, both emerge intact from what seems to be their most difficult mission to date?

As always Green’s plot abounds with clever humour and madcappery, contains a layer of intertextuality for adult audiences and a motley cast of lesser characters; plus the book ends with a hook to lead you into the ‘Ants’ story. Don’t miss the detail in these illustrations -it’s terrific. (Colour added in Off the Hook by Aaron Polk.)

Taking up where the previous book left off, it’s been decided by HQ that rather than wait for crimes to occur, as soon as they ‘get wind of an evil-doer’s scheme an Anti-Crime-Unit will go undercover as fellow evil-doers and follow the straightforward P.A.N.T.S procedure. Easy-peasy – errr … Maybe not quite so with one of our star team temporarily out of action. Meanwhile those all-purpose V.E.S.T.s have been deemed not really ready for purpose and so it’s back to the assignment-specific kind for this mission.

We soon find Cilantro wrestling with herself: should she turn evil or not? But then she notices someone seemingly up to no good in the old opera house and realises it’s a heroine, not a villain she wants to be. Cilantro reports her findings to our Investigators and it’s a case of putting those new P.A.N.T.S. procedures into action forthwith.

With a decided lack of information regarding Crackerdile, and Brash’s mind to be sorted out, the do-gooding duo have an awful lot of work to do if they’re to prevent the city being taken over by giant ants. Then there’s the question of a certain agent facing up to his fears 

– a Miss Tick or maybe Mrs Tick, but certainly not a mystical thing.Time perhaps to allow Cilantro out in the field and for the Aunty Crime Unit to step forth and put their knitting skills and their ‘purls of wisdom’ to work.

With the usual super-abundance of groan-worthy puns and the reappearance of some characters from previous books, this is yet another high octane (and high-tech) drama, this time with added colour by Wes Dzioba. Established fans will gobble it up but if you’ve not read any of this series, you are missing out on a great deal of fun.

Too Big or Too Small? / Pompon

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Too Big or Too Small?
Catherine Leblanc and Eve Tharlet
minedition

Where his parents are concerned, little bear, Martin just can’t win with his actions. “Don’t be silly, Martin” says Mama when the cub sees his baby sister drinking from a bottle and asks for a bottle, too – “you’re far too big for a bottle!” (Is she aware of sibling jealousy one wonders.) Shortly after when the cub tries using a knife to cut his food, she insists on doing it for him. (Why not show him how to help himself?).

Then his father chastises him for dragging his favourite soft toy animal around all the time – apparently he’s too big to take him out; but then he won’t allow him to use his mobile “No Martin. you’re still too small … you might break it.”

Now Martin isn’t one to be completely dominated and tries to find some ways of his own to show his parents how he feels about what’s been happening.

He also makes the occasional comments about what his parents are attempting to do: “Mama, aren’t you too big to do that?” is his comment on seeing her taking a fingerful of chocolate frosting while baking. Eventually both Mama and Papa come to realise they need to give more importance to doing things they can all enjoy together as a family.

It’s great that Catherine Leblanc makes Martin himself instrumental in changing his mum and dad’s parenting in this fun demonstration of child activism. Throughout the story, Eve Tharlet’s droll scenes are sure to amuse adults as well as young listeners: her portrayal of the bears’ body language and facial expressions are superbly done, especially when the adults are at odds with Martin.

Pompon
Géraldine Elschner and Joanna Boillat
minedition

This story was inspired by a famous real statue almost seven feet long created by French sculptor François Pompon.
The titular Pompon is a large white bear statue in a museum, a statue that fascinates young Leo when he visits one day. Mesmerised Leo stands staring for ages, taking in its shape and enormity, its smooth texture and the curve of its ears. (This we see in Joanna Boillat’s close-ups that extend over half a dozen spreads.) Now Leo has a special magical look in his eyes and cannot resist reaching up and stroking Pompon’s cheek. The museum guard, initially angry,

then softens towards the boy, seemingly understanding how he felt but asking him to promise it was a one time only touch. A touch however that sets off a transformation in the ursine statue; wings appear on its back and Pompon is free and he takes flight, far, far away … Could it perhaps be that he becomes the constellation shown in the final illustration.

A magical tale engagingly and poetically told and even more magically illustrated, particularly on account of the artist’s clever use of the white space of the bear’s form; that, and the contrast with Leo and his red scarf. A book to encourage youngsters to imagine, to dream and to look long at art in all its forms.

Sabotage on the Solar Express

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Sabotage on the Solar Express
M.G. Leonard & Sam Sedgman, illustrated by Elisa Paganelli
Macmillan Children’s Books

In the fifth of the Adventures on Trains series, Hal and his Uncle Nat are on a three week trip to Australia. Billionaire train enthusiast, August Reza, has invited Hal and his uncle on the inaugural journey of the Solar Express – the winning design of his Reza’s Rocket competition. Also on the maiden voyage is Marianne, August’s daughter about whom Hal has rather mixed feelings though with her around he knows the journey won’t be boring. So too is the inventor of the hydrogen powered, Solar Express, a 14-year-old Aboriginal boy, Boaz who is enormously proud of his ‘no pollution, no waste’ engine as Hal discovers when he meets him on the day they arrive.

The following day comes the actual train journey, it’s to last around four and a half hours but as the locomotive departs, Hal is concerned that something isn’t right. His suspicions are confirmed when the journey gets underway for it’s not long before an alarming discovery is made: the Solar Express has been sabotaged. What’s more Hal and his team, notably Marianne and Boaz, only have a small window of time to find out exactly what the saboteur has planned.

Full of twists and turns, this truly nail-biting, unputdownable story unfolds at breakneck speed. With each new book authors M.G. Leonard, Sam Sedgman, and illustrator Elisa Paganelli add to the series, I think it’s the best so far, and then along comes another that’s even better.

Live Like a Hunter Gatherer

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Live Like a Hunter Gatherer
Naomi Walmsley, illustrated by Mia Underwood
Button Books

If you think that early humans were not very clever, or that they frequently said, ‘ugg’ and not much else, then this book will dispel those myths along with providing a considerable amount of fascinating information about how they lived, starting with a map of the Stone Age people’s movements and a timeline showing the three main periods of the Stone Age.

Readers are in the company of an eight-year old girl from a fictional tribe who at various times throughout the book, talks directly to us, sharing her feelings about such things as fishing trips and beginning to use her own bow and arrows. We also get a glimpse of how our stone age ‘friend’ might have passed her time during a typical day, sharing her feelings too,

and realise that the everyday needs of our Stone Age ancestors’ were quite similar to ours – how to keep warm, where to sleep safely and what to eat and drink.

There are spreads on how those basic needs were met, and we learn how they made use of everything from an animal hunted; such a creature provided food yes, but also the means of making weapons, tools, jewellery, clothes and more. Constant danger surrounded these ancestors of ours and without doctors or hospitals, they had only the knowledge of healers in their particular tribe and the medicines nature provided; it’s hardly surprising that the average life of a typical Stone Age person was just thirty five years.

It wasn’t however a life without any fun: early humans made music, engaged in occasional celebrations and made art in the form of small sculptures and paintings especially on cave walls.

Mia Underwood brings all these activities and more to life in her detailed illustrations large and small; while in addition to providing a wealth of factual information, author Naomi Walmsley (who is a forest school and bushcraft instructor), also gives step-by-step craft activities and recipes offering readers first-hand experience of some vital Stone Age skills including making a Mesolithic shelter, some fat lamps, a digging stick and creating cave art.

An intriguing, gently educative resource for home and primary school users.

The Girl Who Planted Trees

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The Girl Who Planted Trees
Caryl Hart and Anastasia Suvorova
Nosy Crow

On learning from her grandpa that the mountain at the foot of which their village home is situated was once covered in a green forest a little girl becomes distraught.

The following morning she sets out up the mountain and at the top begins to dig. Then she plants a single pip and returns home forgetting to water it. When she returns there’s no sign of a shoot and back home Grandpa explains that without water a seed will never grow. Later on she enlists the help of other villagers and after a week she’s ready to return up to the mountain top with a large number of seeds all shapes and sizes. She does this day after day always remembering to water the seeds and it’s not too long before seeds are sprouting up.

Eventually she’s able to show her grandpa the results of her endeavours – a patch of green atop the great grey mountain. But then a fierce storm destroys all the trees.

Refusing to give up, the girl suggests planting more seeds and keeping them close to their home until they’re strong. She and her grandpa do just that and over the weeks their yard becomes filled with pots of thriving seedlings. Then comes the time to transplant them, but the little girl is despondent as she sees that even after all their hard work, it will take ‘a thousand years to cover the whole mountain by ourselves.”

Happily they don’t have to for the little girl has inspired the entire village to help restore the forest to its former greenness – a place where future generations too will appreciate the beauty and richness of nature.

Caryl Hart’s powerful story with its ecological theme shows the importance of conserving our precious trees and is superbly complemented by Anastasia Suvorova’s illustrations showing the changes brought about over the months and years, and all thanks to the determination and resilience of one little girl and a whole lot of pips. A terrific book to share, and bursting with potential for KS1 teachers.

If the World were 100 Animals

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If the World were 100 Animals
Miranda Smith and Aaron Cushley
Red Shed

The total number of individual animals on Earth is around 20 billion billion. So says Miranda Smith, author of this book; but it’s exceedingly difficult to visualise such a number, so instead let’s use just one hundred: how does that look? Well, there are many ways of looking at that number; for instance how many are vertebrates and how many invertebrates; how do they differ?

What about mammals? It appears that of the 100, 94 are placental ( I was fascinated to learnt that baby dolphins are born with a moustache), 5 are marsupial and just one is a monotreme -an egg laying mammal) with all five species living in Australia and New Guinea. We’re also shown – by means of a pictorial map – the distribution of wild mammals across the continents.

I was astonished that when considering 100 marine animal species, a mere 9 are already known, the rest have yet to be discovered. I guess that’s not really surprising as we also read that 95% of our oceans haven’t been explored.

Flighted animals, mammals living in the wild,

pets, the animals most deadly to humans, extinct animals and those endangered are the remaining explorations based on that one hundred supposition, and this hugely thought-provoking exploration of biodiversity concludes with some key questions relating to human actions and how these endanger the world of animals, to consider, discuss and one hopes, act upon to ensure the survival of the creatures threatened.

With Aaron Cushley’s bright, eye-catching illustrations on each of the eleven double-page spreads, what is quite a difficult overall concept (that of percentage), with a fair number of biological terms used in Miranda Smith’s text, becomes much more approachable. However, parents of children under seven (the publishers state 5+ in their PR) who haven’t studied biology beyond the basics may well find it tricky to help youngsters grasp some of the content..

This is the Way in Dog Town / Cheesed Off! / Blue Badger

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This is the Way in Dog Town
Ya-Ling Huang
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Spend a day in Dog Town with little ones and you’ll soon be singing along to the tune of Here we go round the Mulberry Bush. Just like humans, the residents of this canines only town start by brushing their teeth, after which they get dressed (with a bit of adult assistance) as they ‘Pull, pull, pull!’ Then it’s off to school, hurrying of course as there’s so much there to enjoy be it drawing, playing outdoors and having lunch at midday. Duly sated, ‘Yum, yum, yum!’the afternoon is spent painting and swimming. Early in the evening, the young dogs, walk home and once indoors the way they eat their dinner is let’s say rather messy as they ‘Slurp, slurp, slurp! their way through plates full of spaghetti. So, it’s as well they have a jolly good scrub in the bath later in the evening before retiring to bed.

As they share this book with an adult, little humans will enjoy joining in with action words, as well as emulating the puppies’ actions and exploring the various busy scenes created by Ya-Ling Huang.

Cheesed Off!
Jake Hope and Genevieve Aspinall
uclan publishing

The humans are having a party and it’s time for the photos: on the count of three everyone say “Cheese!” but what about that warning sign at the start of this book – the one about a certain word bringing mice from their house. Too late! The partiers have uttered the word and it’s been heard behind the skirting board. Out come the mice but not a whiff of cheese can they detect. Not a single sighting of a sliver can they spy no matter how hard they try.
Then suddenly an announcement is made and something with candles atop is carried in. Now what might that be …

Huge fun for those in the early stages of becoming readers especially, is Jake Hope’s extended joke illustrated with lots of amusing details from the viewpoint of the mowses’ – oops, make that mice. Therein Genevieve Aspinall shows how humans don’t always realise what’s actually going on right under their noses – or, to be more accurate, beneath their feet.

Blue Badger
Huw Lewis Jones and Ben Sanders
Happy Yak

Badger is having an identity crisis: is he black or is he white – albeit with a blue bottom having sat down beneath a bush to eat berries. Off he goes to ask the opinion of other creatures. Bird is unsure, Dog doesn’t know either although he admires Badger’s blue rear and invites him to play. Both Cow and Skunk are dismissive whereas Zebra is equally nonplussed about his own colour markings and Panda merely takes the opportunity for some self-flattery.
Whale sends Badger off to meet Penguin whose considered response is both helpful and constructive, making Badger feel much more positive about himself as well as perhaps, a tad hungry … Happiness at last.

Author Huw Lewis Jones adopts an almost detached tone to his gently humorous text that includes a repeat refrain, while Ben Sanders places his black and white characters on stark, coloured backgrounds in this story with its ‘You can be whatever you want to be’ message.

The Looking Book

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The Looking Book
Lucia Vinti
Pavilion Children’s Books

Very young children are all artists, no one’s told them otherwise; but once they get to around seven, many become hypercritical of what they create saying such things as “I can’t draw”. Or to use the words of Pablo Picasso, “ Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”
Now here is a book that will help them get over that can’t do notion.

It’s full of creative ideas that show youngsters how to view the world as an artist might and then go on to create art of their own. By looking at things as if through the lenses of eleven artists including Clementine Hunter, David Hockney, husband and wife photographers Hilla and Bernd Becher,

Kehinde Wiley and Henry Moore children can try their hand at producing folk art paintings, a ‘joiner’ sequence, a photo grid of different versions of one item (a bench perhaps), a portrait in the style of Kehinde Wiley

and draw a collection of some interesting natural objects, maybe textured sticks and leaves to use in a design for a sculpture, as did Henry Moore.

These are just a few examples of the exciting challenges of the seventy suggested by illustrator Lucia Vinti. She encourages looking closer, looking up, down and all around, taking time to appreciate the surroundings, not taking anything you see for granted wherever you are and wherever you go (ideally with a copy of this book at the ready along with items from the toolkit shown on the opening spread).

Esme and the Sabre-Toothed Cub / Rita Wants a Dragon

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Esme and the Sabre-Toothed Cub
Simon Philip and Magda Brol
Oxford Children’s Books

Could it be that Esme’s best friend Morris the mammoth has his tusks put slightly out of joint when a little sabre-toothed tiger cub appears in the village and charms all the cave kids by its actions. Despite the adults having shooed it away on several consecutive days, Esme asks the visitor she’s named Seb, “Would you like to be my pet?” However, Seb is far from impressed at receiving one order after another from the little stone age girl who eventually gets the message that the creature has no intention of becoming anyone’s pet.

Morris however, decides that perhaps friendship could be the way to go and of course, Esme is eager to join in their fun and games, albeit from some way off. Then trouble rears its ferocious head.

Can Esme save the day and learn a thing or two as well?

With certain similarities to our 21st century world, Simon Philip’s second story of bossy young Esme and her fellow troglodytes is another humorous read aloud, made even more so by Magda Brol’s highly exuberant scenes of this endearing prehistoric community.

Rita Wants a Dragon
Máire Zepf and Mr Ando
Graffeg

In the fifth of this series starring the small girl with a huge imagination, young Rita is having a bad day. Everything is going wrong and she imagines a large fiery dragon to represent her angry feelings. However, even dragons can’t remain in an angry state all the time – it’s hugely exhausting to roar

and rant, stomp and stamp and breathe fiery flames so it’s as well that they can take flight and find somewhere alone to do some slow breathing to help that rage dissipate and to talk calmly about what has gone wrong. Then anger diffused, it’s time for a snuggly cuddle with a loving grown-up, a mum for example.

With powerful images created by Mr Ando on every spread, Máire Zeph’s tale of Rita’s challenging behaviour offers parents and educators in early years settings an enjoyable starting point for discussions about feelings of anger and how to cope with them.

Mole’s Spectacles / My Garden / Feeling Hungry

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Mole’s Spectacles
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Macmillan Children’s Books

We’re back in Acorn Wood and Mole’s spectacles have gone missing. Wherever can they be? He hunts high and low in his house but they’re not in the cupboard, nor in his writing desk. 

They’re definitely not under the floor though there are some visitors down there. Off he goes to check the garden but they aren’t in the pond; nor did he leave them in Weasel’s sweet shop. After a day spent searching Mole’s in need of a comforting hot cuppa. I wonder what he’ll discover in his teapot …

Axel Scheffler adds lots of fun details to Julia Donaldson’s simple rhyming text in their latest lift-the-flap story. Little ones will enjoy helping Mole in his search and talking with an adult about the various parts of his underground home and what they can see in each.

My Garden
illustrated by Marijke Buurlage
Happy Yak

This addition to the My World in 100 words series presents small children and adults exploring the garden through the seasons. In spring lots of things are bursting into flower, it’s a good time for some planting; there’s plenty of things to discover beside the pond too and lots of tools will be needed for doing the gardening. Come summer, the sunflowers have grown tall and it’s so warm that it’s good to cool down under the hose or with a long drink. Up high, everything is in bloom and the bees and butterflies are busy as well as the humans who are planting. Which of the minibeasts will the latter come upon as they work and play? It’s decidedly chillier in the autumn and the wind brings the leaves tumbling down. Time for reaping the bounty of all that planting – there’s a wealth of veggies waiting to be picked or pulled. Winter has just one spread – a snowy one – so everybody is wrapped up warmly.

In addition to the items named in each scene, some of the spreads also have ‘an action word’ and a ‘feeling word’, for instance in autumn a child is ‘kicking’ leaves and an adult and dog are wrapped up because they feel ‘chilly’. 

There’s certainly plenty to explore and talk about with toddlers in Marijke Buurlage’s bright seasonal scenes.

Feeling Hungry
Andrea Pinnington and Caz Buckingham
Fine Feather Press

With a rhyming text and appealing photographic images of a series of animals in natural surroundings, this board book explores choices of food, getting ready for a meal – washing hands, helping lay the table, good table manners, being prepared to try new foods and enjoying a family meal, each presented alluringly for little humans.

The narrative reads aloud well and has a gentle humour: ‘try not to guzzle / or eat with a slurp, / or finish your meals / with a really big burp!’ is one bit of advice.

Adding to the fun for young children is the touch-and-feel element on each spread. Adults whose small child finds mealtimes challenging might well find this a helpful book to share; however there’s plenty of language development potential even if this isn’t the case.

Favourite Characters Return: Isadora Moon Gets the Magic Pox / Kitty and the Woodland Wildcat

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Isadora Moon Gets the Magic Pox
Harriet Muncaster

When Isadora Moon receives the news that after the weekend, her class will be tested on their times tables, she decides to contact her cousin Mirabelle just on the off chance she might be able to offer a maths test avoidance spell. The answer is yes – hence the title of this latest book in the series – and then, armed with a list of the ingredients she’ll need to collect, Isadora sets out to search for them.
Having collected the required items, that night she mixes the potion, rubs some on her face, hides the rest outside and goes off to sleep. However, what happens the next morning isn’t exactly what Isadora had been hoping for. Yes it does result in her missing school, but the side-effects are shall we say a fluffy, magic-induced chaos that’s impossible to keep from her Mum …
Is there any chance Isadora can make everything better again?
Isadora is an irresistible delight and although some of those emerging readers who lapped up her first stories may well have moved on to Harriet’s Victoria Stitch books, I’m sure there are plenty more waiting in the wings to meet the little half-fairy, half-vampire in this magical offering.

Kitty and the Woodland Wildcat
Paula Harrison, illustrated by Jennie Lovlie


Kitty and her friend and fellow superhero-in-training Ozzy are on a camping holiday with their families. The first night Kitty hears what she’s sure is a cat outside but Ozzy thinks she’s mistaken. Next morning Kitty finds a cat’s pawprints in the mud she follows them and discovers a wild cat. When she tells Ozzy he agrees to stay awake with her that night and together they find her and eventually persuade her they can help her find her missing kittens.
However, the forest is large and it looks as though a storm could be brewing. Kitty and Ozzy are definitely going to have to use their superpowers if they are to have any chance of finding Hollytail’s kittens.
This latest magical adventure, with Jennie Lovlie’s eye-catching two colour illustrations on every spread is, like the previous eight in the series, ideal for readers just starting out on chapter books.

Thanks to the publishers Oxford Children’s Books for sending these titles for review.

Goodbye Bear

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Goodbye Bear
Jane Chapman
Little Tiger

Beaver and Mole are heartbroken at the loss of their dear friend, Bear. They offer gentle support and comfort to one another as they experience a gamut of emotions including sadness, anger, numbness and sometimes think they can hear Bear’s voice.

The seasons change and with Spring almost upon them, Beaver and Mole decide to pay a visit to Bear’s treehouse. “ … The woods will be full of snowdrops. Bear loved snowdrops,” Mole says as they head off through the woods.

Once outside they discover Bear’s ladder and boxes of nails and decide to put up the ladder and go inside. “Bear loved us, Mole says, “and he wouldn’t mind in the slightest.” What they discover inside makes the two decide to finish the treehouse that Bear had started and invite all their friends to come and assist with the project.

As they work, the animals take turns to share their fond memories of Bear, finding joy in so doing, as well as in their joint project.

With the task nearing completion Mouse finds finds an old painting and then finally as they sit together celebrating Bear and sharing cake they find out that their friend had been planning an awesome surprise for them. It’s one they can always treasure, just like their memories.

This is such a beautiful, sensitively written and illustrated book. Jane’s illustrations chronicles the passage of time through the changing seasons, while also showing that although some of their feelings such as anger will dissipate over the months, their fond feelings remain constant. The sharing of grief helps ease the pain of loss and makes remembering so much more joyful.  

A wonderful story to read together as a family or with a KS1 class.

The Story Shop: Blast Off! / Dirty Bertie: Poop!

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These are two young fiction titles from the Stripes imprint of Little Tiger – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

The Story Shop: Blast Off!
Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tony Neal

The Story Shop – now there’s an irresistible name to give a place selling stories, but if that isn’t enough to lure in customers, then surely the idea that this particular establishment run by shopkeeper Wilbur and Fred Ferret his assistant, sells stories you can actually BE in with characters you can meet, should be irresistible. Moreover they have a huge stock of plots and props just waiting for customers.
On the particular day the story starts, the first customer to enter is a rather boastful mouse. Said mouse knows just what he wants, demanding “Something out of this world”. Then it’s time for the story pot to appear, and the ingredients to be added. With that task duly done, and an important reminder given to Mouse, WHOOSH! POP! the adventure begins. In no time at all Mouse, together with Fred, find themselves on the moon, whereupon a certain rodent very quickly lands himself in a whole lot of trouble with the resident aliens in a very cheesy environment. However having managed to get away from that particular whiffy situation, largely thanks to Fred’s help, Mouse quickly discovers planets with other kinds of aliens. On the Planet of Games he recklessly bets his tail on a game of Tiddlywonks with Phoebe FairPlay as his opponent. Will he, or will he not, end up tailless.

In the third of the linked adventures complete chaos ensues when a certain Mouse lands on Planet Cog. Can order be restored and even more important will the two space adventurers manage to return safely to the Story Shop?

Bursting with fun and humour, and a wonderful celebration of the power of the imagination, this first of a new series, full of smashing illustrations, is spot on for emergent readers.

Dirty Bertie: Poop!
David Roberts, illustrated by Alan MacDonald

Is there no end to Dirty Bertie’s misdemeanours? Ideal for those fairly new to chapter books here are three further episodes. The first relates what happens when the zealous park-keeper, he who has recently erected new signs, bans him and Whiffler from the park on account of the pongy deposits his pooch has supposedly left on the grass. Could it perhaps be a case of mistaken identity …
In the second chapter there’s more mistaken identity only of the human variety this time. This happens when Bertie tries his level best to get his unfavourite class teacher, Miss Boot, an award for excellence in education and in so doing see her promoted out of his school.

The trouble is that the arrival of the judge pretty much coincides with that of another visitor.
Finally – well not actually finally as we know Bertie will be back – he manages to get himself on a film set in the role of an extra: what could possibly go wrong?

Splendid shenanigans as ever when this young lad is involved, and hilariously illustrated with Alan MacDonald’s plentiful line drawings.

Arabic Folktales: The Three Princes of Serendip & Other Stories

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Arabic Folktales: The Three Princes of Serendip & Other Stories
retold by Rodaan Al Galidi (trans. Laura Watkinson), illustrated by Geertje Aalders
Walker Books

This is a collection of stories Rodaan Al Galidi has garnered from his childhood, from history and from literature, universal stories that belong to everyone, rewritten in his own style. Through tales such as these we find the commonalities among humankind.

Having said that, it’s probably true to say that there’s something for all interests in this gorgeously illustrated offering of twenty short tales. Some feature animals: an ant and a cockroach debate whether hard work and preparation are more important than doing things that make you happy;

a group of turtles endeavour to get a visiting partridge to change his lifestyle and remain on their island always; and an arrogant rooster learns that he’s not as indispensable as he’d always thought; and, a lion, a wolf and a fox discover that they have different views about sharing their hunting spoils.

Humans too have much to learn, not least regarding perceptions: upset as a result of boys calling her ugly, a beautiful girl retreats inside her grandmother’s home. In response her grandmother tells her of a father, his son, and a donkey travelling to Baghdad. The man rode, the son walked, and people thought it was disgraceful that the father was not more caring for the boy. Hearing their comments father and son change places before reaching the next village. I’m sure you can already imagine where this story is going …
There’s a tale about finding a way to eat with a spoon three feet long (one I’ve used in school assemblies from time to time) that demonstrates the difference between merely having love on your lips and having love in your heart too.

The title page of each story has a gorgeous cut paper design surround and further beautiful illustrations, some exquisitely detailed, are woven into the fabric of every tale by the hand of Geertje Aalders. These help readers and listeners conjure up ideas of the setting the author uses for each of his tellings although in his introduction is this: ‘Feel free to change the names or to choose other flowers, waters, windows or doors. … stories are the best migrants and the finest travellers. Let these stories become your own.’ Assisting readers of English to do exactly that is Laura Watkinson the translator, who like the illustrator, lives in the Netherlands.

Ancient though folktales may be, they contain much that is relevant in today’s world and I’d wholeheartedly recommend adding this book to your shelves at home or at school.

Ebb and Flo and Their New Friend / The Tale of the Tiny Man

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Ebb and Flo and Their New Friend
Jane Simmons
Graffeg

Jane Simmons’ books with their gorgeous, soft focus, painterly illustrations, were very popular with foundation stage classes in my early teaching days and it’s good to see Graffeg reintroducing Ebb and Flo to a new generation of young children.

For those unfamiliar with the characters and their adventures, Ebb is a dog and Flo a young girl. They live near the sea and are constant companions. As this story opens the two of them are sitting in their boat with Ebb in her favourite spot in the bow when suddenly her place is usurped by a large bird. Flo urges Ebb to accept the visitor as a friend but Ebb is anything but accepting of the newcomer with its frequent ‘beep, beep, beep’ sounds. 

As the days pass even Granny takes to Bird, giving it some of Ebb’s favourite snacks. 

Ebb wishes Bird gone and the following morning, to Flo’s disappointment, the wish has come true.

However, it quickly becomes an instance of you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, for Ebb finds herself missing Bird and that beeping, especially when as the summer days pass, they see reminders on their journeys along the river. 

Then one day, Ebb hears a familiar sound: could it be …

This gentle exploration of change, jealousy and the challenges of accepting a new friend into an established group, will resonate with many young listeners who will likely look forward to hearing more about Ebb and Flo in the other titles Graffeg will also publish.

The Tale of the Tiny Man
Barbro Lindgren (translated by Julia Marshall), illustrated by Eva Eriksson
Gecko Press

This is a re-illustrated classic tale from Sweden originally published over thirty years ago. It tells of a tiny and sad man who lives a very lonely life ignored and sometimes mistreated by other people perhaps because ‘he was too small and possibly a bit slow.’
One day as spring approaches he attaches a note to a tree ‘Friend Wanted’ and giving his name and address. For ten days he waits, sitting on his doorstep by day, and crying at night on account of the blackbirds’ song. Then on the tenth night he’s dozed off only to be awakened by a large and playful stray dog.
Little by little over the next few days, the tiny man’s kind actions gain the animal’s friendship and trust. It moves in to share the man’s house, his food and even his bedroom. 

When they’re out and about, the dog protects the tiny man from bullies.

By summer life together is happy for both tiny man and big dog. Come the following spring however, a cheerful little girl comes along and she too makes friends with the dog causing the tiny man to feel left out and hurt. 

Convinced he can’t compete with the little girl, full of sorrow the tiny man wanders off into the woods. For seven days he roams alone; meanwhile dog and child sit on the steps wondering where the man has gone. On the eighth day the tiny man returns to find on his doorstep, a dejected dog and an equally dejected little girl. Can it be that this friendship can accommodate three? Is there room in dog’s heart for two human friends and in the tiny man’s heart for the dog and the girl?

With its themes of loneliness and friendship, this beautifully told and illustrated story looks at various emotions including empathy, loneliness and prejudice. Whether read alone or aloud, there’s much to think about and one hopes, talk about with family members and/or classmates.

Teapot Trouble

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Teapot Trouble
Morag Hood
Two Hoots

Stars of Spaghetti Hunters, the highly opinionated Tiny Horse and Duck – he’s the thoughtful, pragmatic one – return in a new story. Duck has a problem and is far from happy: a crab has taken up residence in his teapot. Of course, Tiny Horse knows exactly how to sort out a teapot disaster; all that’s required is a wave of a whisk – or maybe not …

No matter: know-all Tiny Horse has plenty of other tools to try – a toothbrush and a net for instance; moreover, once Duck has almost certainly identified his teapot usurper, the diminutive horse claims to be an experienced crab-tamer – a picnic will definitely lure the unwanted visitor out. 

Failure follows failure until poor Duck is convinced he’ll never reclaim his teapot home.

Problem solved, announces Tiny Horse but his friend thinks otherwise. 

Now at a complete loss, off Duck stomps teapot on his back, to the beach for a spot of shell collecting. Needless to say Tiny Horse ridicules the notion of a shell teapot; but what will the outcome of this potty problem be?

Morag Hood’s wonderfully quirky wry humour will have both children and adults laughing out loud over this latest of her terrific picture books. I love the characters and I love the way they interact.