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Let’s Save Antarctica

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Let’s Save Antarctica: Why We Must Protect Our Planet
Catherine Barr and Jean Claude
Walker Books

This book is an urgent plea from author Catherine Barr and illustrator Jean Claude for readers and listeners to help in the vital task of protecting our precious planet, in particular Antarctica from climate change and plastic pollution, and all that means.

That vast white continent covering the South Pole – the most extreme environment on earth – is home to millions of Emperor penguins as well as safe waters for the enormous whales that live in the depths of the surrounding Southern Ocean. Losing these, thus far tough survivors just doesn’t bear thinking about, but think about it we must.

Penguins though are just some of the awesome inhabitants of the vast icy wilderness, for eons ago it was home to dinosaurs, and fossils, footprints, teeth and ginormous bones have been discovered by scientists investigating the ancient volcanic ash of the Antarctic sea floor.

Other scientists have and still are investigating what Antarctica can reveal about how earth’s climate – the temperatures and wind patterns – have changed over hundreds and thousands of years.

But what are the secrets to the survival of the flora and fauna of this extreme environment? Yes they are all protected in this our last great wilderness.

However, it’s something biologists are studying while others are looking at what allows deep sea life to survive.

So too is the crucial work that scientists are doing to monitor the effects and speed of climate change, Antarctica’s greatest risk of all, and something that will also have a huge impact on all of our lives.

You don’t have to be a scientist to contribute to the saving of Antarctica and the final spread comprises things that we can all do to stop plastic pollution in the ocean and help slow down climate change. What Catherine has written will surely spark action to protect this incredible place; it’s up to us …

The Dragon with the Blazing Bottom

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The Dragon With the Blazing Bottom
Beach
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Back in the days of yore, disaster has struck: Sir Wayne’s dragon has lost his fearsome flame. Not a flash or a flicker can he raise no matter how hard he huffs and puffs. Sir Wayne’s alternative ideas go down like a damp squib;

only a flaming breath will do.

So what is causing this lack of fire? Could it be those spotless teeth or is his tongue too pink? The trouble must be down to diet, the knight suggests, but no need to worry. Sir Wayne has a dietary plan so sizzlingly hot it just can’t fail.

A single hot dinner comprising electric eels, half a dozen sacks of coal, an unspecified amount of oil, a couple hundred fireflies, a blazing log fire, a barbed wire-wrapped cactus, a heat-seeking rocket, a burning bush, sparklers and fireworks so long as they ‘WHOOSH!’ and finally and most disgustingly, a small piece of cheese – “Almost as green as the snot from a sneeze.”

It most definitely looks astonishing. Foolproof surely? Erm … The proof of the dinner is in the eating …

Beach has certainly created a sure fire winner of the whiffy kind with this, which apparently is the start of a series. The rhyming text reads aloud splendidly and with comical incidents aplenty, the illustrations are suitably hilarious. I can’t imagine a single child failing to respond with spluttering delight. Bring on the next episode say I.

Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth / What’s in the Box? / Halloween

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Ganesha’ Sweet Tooth
Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes
Chronicle Books

Just in time for Ganesh Chaturthi in a few days is this lovely board book edition of a modern version of one of the most popular Hindu legends – the episode in which Ganesha got his broken tusk. It tells how when young, Ganesha liked nothing better than eating sweet things, especially the Indian confection, laddoos. This results in tragedy during Ganesha and his ‘friend’ Mr Mouse’s search for sweets when they come upon a new kind of laddoo, The Super Jumbo Jawbreaker Laddoo.

Despite warnings from Mr Mouse, Ganesha just can’t resist chomping down on the thing – “I’m invincible.” he reassures his friend – and snap! Off comes one of his tusks. Furious at being unable to repair himself, young Ganesha hurls the broken tusk at the moon.

It misses, landing at the feet of the ancient sage and poet, Vyasa who happens to have a special task for the tusk thrower and thus Ganesha lands the job of scribing the great epic of Hindu literature, the Mahabharata.

This little book is a riot of dayglo colour with Sanjay Patel’s brilliant ultra-modern visuals, some of which are reminiscent of what you might see in a temple in South India. Others are decidedly closer to some of the contemporary Pixar animations he has worked on.

By adding their own embellishments and playing slightly with the original plot, Patel and Haynes have created a wonderfully playful rendering of a classic legend that will appeal widely .

The next two are published by Little Tiger:

What’s in the Box?
Isabel Otter and Jaoquin Camp

How exciting: a pile of parcels has just arrived waiting to be investigated. What could be packed away inside? That’s what youngsters are invited to discover in this chunky tactile, lift-the-flap book.

Box one looks as though it’s rather fiery but what has made those scorch marks? There’s a hint in the cut-away shiny, scaly shape just visible.

The second box seems to have the fidgets and there’s a warning on the wrapping … A tricky one this. I wonder what it holds …

Next is a beribboned container but strangely some wool has escaped from within. “Fragile” says the label on the fourth box wherein so we read, is something noisy – hmmm? 

However, the best has been kept till last – it’s a veritable treasure trove of … Can you guess what?

With Isabel Otter’s brief rhyming text andJoaquin Camp’s alluring surprise containers to explore, there’s sufficient to engage little ones during several book sharing sessions.

Halloween
Patricia Hegarty and Fhiona Galloway

With Halloween coming up next month (I can’t believe I’m saying that), adults might want to reinforce counting skills with this mock-scary book that introduces in turn, one little skeleton that’s found a hiding place, two slightly anxious little trick-or-treaters, three glowing jack o’lanterns, four hoppy toads, five family portraits, one about to take a tumble, six sleepy bats, seven ghosts, eight spiders of the hirsute kind, nine snoozing moggies, or rather they were before being disturbed by the ten small, appropriately attired party goers.

The rhyming text and Fhionna Galloway’s cute, colourful illustrations offer plenty for preschoolers to enjoy herein.

Earth is Big

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Earth is Big
Steve Tomecek and Marcos Farina
What on Earth Books

Every one of the eighteen topics in this large format book explores the notion of absolutes in relation to planet Earth.

The author has an impressive science background and in his introduction he uses measurement and comparison to talk about this planet calling it in the final paragraph a ‘big, small, heavy, light, cold, hot, wet, dry, fast, slow, round, jagged planet, Earth.

Then follow double spreads, the titles of which are for the most part seemingly contradictory – Earth is Big followed by Earth is Small, Earth is Cold then Earth is Hot and so on.

So is Earth big, or is Earth small? What we learn is that in comparison to the inner and dwarf planets, its diameter is big whereas when compared with the outer ones, Earth is small.
When it comes to a consideration of roundness, Earth is an almost perfect sphere though it’s not without imperfections; 

however despite appearing spherical, the surface is rough and jagged on account of such things as mountains and canyons.

Sometimes changes take place on Earth quickly or suddenly on account of such phenomena as earthquakes, moon phases or wind; at others it changes slowly. The relevant spread briefly explains tectonic plates and like all the other explanations is accessible, no matter the scientific field. 

An amazing amount of always readable information encompassing such topics as mass extinctions, 

the Sutter’s Hill meteor strike in 2021 and climate change, which is mentioned several times, is packed between the covers of this book.

There’s a slightly retro look about Marcos Farina’s stylised illustrations and each page layout is different, helping to maintain the general reader’s interest in this unusually conceived scientific book. It also has a a glossary, contents, index, conversion tables and source notes.

One to add to KS2 collections and family bookshelves.

Daisy’s Dragons / Green

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Daisy’s Dragons
Frances Stickley and Annabel Tempest
Studio Press

Here’s a picture book that encompasses dealing with your feelings, owning a pet (or several) and even perhaps coping with pandemic reds, greens and silvers, and sometimes blues, pinks, and purples too. These colours refer to the pet dragons that young Daisy has and only she knows they’re there, each playing its own particular role. That is until one day when everything goes haywire on a visit to the ice-cream shop

and the result is that three of Daisy’s dragon friends go missing, and Daisy herself gives vent to her own emotions as she becomes scared, angry and sad, sending the others away.

In an attempt to bring back the absent Happy dragon feelings, the little girl plays with her toys and as she does so she realises that it’s actually very important to have the entire range of emotions: “None of you are bad,” she says, confirming what an apologetic Sad has already articulated with “But all of us are part of you … and none of us are bad.”

Told in Frances Stickley’s rhyming narrative and with Annabel Tempest’s splendidly portrayed dragons, this is an engaging story that opens up opportunities to talk about the all important topic of emotions with young children. I suspect that by the time the story’s told, both adult sharers and young listeners will have developed a fondness for all six special dragons.

Green
Louise Greig and Hannah Peck
Farshore

There’s always a slight quirkiness to Louise Greig’s books that I love, and so it is with this one.
Ed becomes downhearted when he’s no longer the owner of the best sled of the slopes. Back to his shed he goes to build an outstanding one, spending many a wintry day and night to that end. Despite knowing that he’s missing out on lots of fun he just can’t bring himself to go out and join his friends who are eager to see him.

Unbeknown to the boy, during the time he’s been working away, the days have been growing longer and warmer, and when he finally emerges he fails to hear the song of the blackbird and see the blue flowers peeping through. Then unexpectedly after a shower, everything turns green, speckled with white daisies. Now what will he do with a sled, even if it is THE best?

Suddenly he hears his name being called: it’s his friends saying how much they’ve missed him. Now at last Ed feels the sun’s warmth and he’s filled with joy but feels somewhat foolish as he explains what he’s been doing. Soon he realises that he’s missed so much: the companionship and exhilaration he now experiences are the things that really matter; they’re way more important than having something biggest and best.

Told in Louise Greig’s poetic text with Hannah Peck’s scenes that perfectly capture the feelings of the characters and their movement, this is a thought-provoking story about emotions, showing how envy negates the pleasures of the here and now.

The More the Merrier

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The More the Merrier
David Martin and Raissa Figueroa
Walker Books

Bursting with delicious movement words – stepping, galumphing, slipping and sliding, and wiggling, leaping, swooping and flying, skipping, even flappity-flipping – go the creatures in this book as we meet in turn Bear with kicking feet and bending knees, Moose going high, low, fast and slow,

Snake doing what it can, beat-loving Deer and round-eyed Owl.

Then come cute Baby Mouse drawn to the action as are Mouse’s friends with their “Hey diddle, diddle”. Round they cavort singing at the tops of their voices until sleep finally overcomes them and zzzzzzz.

Who could resist the call to action to head over to that forest and join Bear in following the infectious beat of the rhyming telling. Inspired by the dancing animals shown in Raissa Figueroa’s dynamic scenes, young listeners will probably also want to offer their own unique dance moves performed with similar abandon to the animal cavorters that grace the pages accompanied by David Martin’s joyfully upbeat, cleverly patterned text with its almost irresistible beat.

By the way, it’s also a great book for developing sound/symbol awareness. The foundation stage classroom potential is huge but more important, it’s a super story that supports the all-important message that playing with language is fun..

Everything Under the Sun

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Everything Under the Sun
Molly Oldfield
Ladybird Books

This is an exciting compendium of 366 questions (one for every day of the year plus 1 for a leap year) posed by inquisitive children from all over the world, that has its origins in the podcast from Molly Oldfield aka QI Elf.

Written contributions, some factual responses others opinion-based, come from a wealth of experts such as scientists, authors, poets, politicians, conservationists and the twelve illustrators who provided the visuals. Interestingly Rob Biddulph gives an answer (as does author Abi Eplhinstone) to “Where do ideas come from?” but he isn’t among those illustrators (Laurie Stansfield did the art for that one); neither is Oliver Jeffers who responds to “Why do people make art?” I particularly love this part of Rob’s reply, probably because he endorses my feelings: “… My children are a really good source for my ideas. They are big readers, and they have really vivid imaginations! And no idea is too silly!”

Some of the spreads have a theme, for instance there’s one with four wild animal questions, three relating to big cats, the other being “What noise does a zebra make?” Another has three penguin questions.

Others devote a double spread to a single question “Why do butterflies have patterns on their wings” being one for August.

There’s a splendid illustration of an owl around which a question of head rotation is discussed.

On a completely different topic, Nick Ross explains why the Tower of Pisa is leaning.

Not something this reviewer has ever considered but I was interested to learn why nonetheless. That’s another way this book works. You can just dip in randomly and discover something that perhaps you didn’t know before and no matter your particular interests, you’re pretty sure to come upon something illuminating.

Or you might have a question binge and spend hours browsing and you could formulate a few questions of your own. I wondered why there are relatively few ‘where?’ questions compared with those asking ‘why’ and ‘what’ and it’s great to see such a wide age range of inquiring children (2-18) included as the source of the questions.

I’d strongly recommend both families and primary schools adding this engrossing book to their shelves.

The Fairy Dogmother

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The Fairy Dogmother
Caroline Crowe and Richard Merritt
Little Tiger

This playful modern fairy tale has its origins in Cinderella and is set in Woofington’s Dog Shelter, home to most of the characters in the book including Cinders. This resident is just contemplating lunch when suddenly one Priscilla Paws, Fairy dog mother announces herself and offers Cinders a wish – “Whatever will make you the happiest you can be,” she suggests.

Now Cinders is pretty satisfied already with his home, food and friends so he tells Priscilla, but the fairy urges him to make haste before the wish times out. Unable to come up with anything, Cinders consults his friends and every one has a different suggestion, Boris’s idea being a ball … How do you think Priscilla envisages that one?

The clock ticks on and Cinders’ time is almost up …

when suddenly Old Wally has a brilliant proposal. Kind-hearted Cinders happily makes the wish but it leaves him without any companions. Or does it? For as Priscilla’s experience tells her and she tells Cinders, “fairy tails always have a happy ending” …

Dreams sometimes do come true, perhaps even when the dreamers don’t realise what their deepest wishes are.

Be they bursting with detail and pattern or less ornate, Richard Merritt’s vibrant humorous scenes completely fill every page and along with Caroline Crowe’s positive message about Cinders’ kindness and generosity,.this is a fun book to share with youngsters, preferably once they know a traditional version of Cinderella.

Rainbow Grey

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Rainbow Grey
Laura Ellen Anderson
Farshore

Having hugely enjoyed Laura’s Amelia Fang series I couldn’t wait to get hold of her new story. and it certainly lived up to my expectations.

It’s set in the brilliantly imagined magical sky world of Weatherlands in the city of Celestia and features ten-year old Ray Grey. who lives with her family – mum Cloudia, Dad Haze and cloud-cat, Nim.

All the other Weatherlings have at their fingertips, amazing magical weather power – be it sun ( I love the glowing sunflower in the sky image giving light to Earth), 

snow or rain, cloud or wind; not so Ray who like her mother, has no weather magic of any kind, though she longs for such magic to appear suddenly one morning so she’s more like her friends Droplet Dewbells and Snowden Everfreeze.

Rumour has it though that until they were all wiped out by the worst tornado in history, there were also Weatherlings who had Rainbow magic, – although most people don’t believe this . 

When Ray attends her first festival for the Eclipse with her friends, it’s the start of an unlikely adventure triggered by a tatty old book. Adventure is something else Ray longs for, wanting to be like her hero, the famous, beautiful Earth Explorer La Blaze Delight whom she meets at the festival.

Young Ray is one determined character and so is prepared to be a rule breaker (hurrah!) leaving Celestia without a grown-up and setting off for earth on a ‘daring quest’ in search of treasures.

It’s a trip that changes her life: a transformation takes place making her not Ray Grey but Rainbow Grey. Now all that’s left to do is to gain control of her powers and save the earth from a mysterious, powerful destructive enemy. 

Can she succeed? Perhaps, with the help of her best pals (and Nim) – surely that isn’t asking too much …

Laura’s storytelling weaves a spell around you from the outset; it’s totally gripping throughout with tension building as the end draws nigh, full of splendid humorous detail (the pigeon named Coo La La, for example) with sprinklings of silliness such as that highly explosive farting cloud cat, and the eat them quick before they erupt, rumblebuns.

This book has all you can ask for and more: teamwork, friendship, an environmental message, being something of an outsider, there’s even a mention of reading problems ( Ray talks of letters being jumbled on the page and later, reading from coloured paper is mentioned). Magicalicious – bring on the next adventure please!

Nook

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Nook
Sally Anne Garland
Sunbird Books

This is a gentle, sweet tale that shows the empowering quality of the kindness of others.

Nook is a small, shy rabbit; she speaks little and prefers to stay in quiet spots with somewhere against which to press her back so she feels safe.

Her most favourite place of all is the deep hollow in an old elm tree, the ideal place from which to watch the other animals play. Try as they might to entice her out to join them, Nook prefers to keep her body feeling safe in her nook, but in spirit she’d be a participant in their games.

‘Nook’s place’ is what the hollow becomes known as, a place where other creatures know not to sit. Or rather, not quite all of them, for one day filling the hollow she finds …

The surly creature claims the space as his own, leaving Nook with welling tears and panic stricken.

Not for long however for her fear gives ways to surprise when the other animals stand behind her and speak out in her support. As they edge forward, the little rabbit feels protected and encouraged so that at last she feels confident enough to let them lead her away and play …

Do you think she continued so to do? You bet.

As it is with little animals so it is with young humans; some are outgoing and happy to be one of the crowd from the start, others – the introverts – need empathetic understanding and encouragement so they don’t stay forever on the sidelines.

Sally Anne Garland uses bold brush and coloured pencil strokes to imbue her animal characters with kindliness and humanity while also including in her outdoor scenes, lovely details from the natural world – a ladybird, seed heads, small flowers, for instance.

Definitely a book to share with foundation stage children, and individuals at home.

Big Dance / Bea by the Sea / The Roller-Coaster Ride

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There are three recent releases from Child’s Play – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

Big Dance
Aoife Greenham

As the Big Dance draws near, everyone seems excited about their moves, except young Pippa. Despite what her Poppa says she doesn’t think she has a dance inside. To prove his point, he decides to show her what Kit, Hip, Skip and Whizz and the others can do.

However, Pippa remains unconvinced about her own ability so Poppa then demonstrates his dance. “I’m not anything like that. I’m just a ME” muses Pippa but nonetheless she finds herself trying just a little dance and initially things look as though they’re going well but then she decides it’s no go nonsense. Her pals concede that it may be so, but add that it’s also fun – and inclusive. “It’s all of us … where we are all the same and all different … we can all be ourselves together. It’s where we all belong.” How aptly they put it but is it sufficient to encourage the one that’s still missing? What do you think?
Reassuring, all encompassing and a reminder of the importance of having the freedom to be yourself (something not everybody has) as well as a delightful demonstration of the joy of joining in. There’s plenty to talk about be that at home or in a school setting, when this quirky delight is shared with youngsters.

Bea by the Sea
Jo Byatt

Young Bea is a lion expert, thinking about the creatures all day long. When her mum suggests a day at the beach Bea would much prefer to stay at home playing lions especially as she doesn’t like the gritty, scratchy sand at all. Nonetheless she packs her lion paraphernalia, puts on her wellies and decides the best way is to pretend she too is a lion. Off they go with Bea concentrating on hopping from rock to rock rather than noticing the awesome lion sculptures her mum points out.
Suddenly she trips and falls flat on her face scattering her lion things all over the place.

As she brushes herself off a loud voice introduces itself as Sand Lion, suggests she leave her boots off and leads the way towards the sea. Gradually Bea sees as they play together, that sand can be great fun and they spend the entire day enjoying its possibilities, the Sand Lion also making a discovery.
The following day Bea returns eagerly to the beach but the tide has changed everything. No Sand Lion to be seen but Bea knows the best thing to do …
Bea is a delightful character and Jo Byatt’s portrayal of her is superb: I love the resemblance between the Lion’s mane and her hairstyle as well as the way she captures movement in her illustrations.
When you share this lovely book make sure you allow time to explore the factual endpapers.

The Roller-Coaster Ride
David Broadbent

As Vincent and his grandma journey in the purple bus towards the beach they talk of the exciting rides, especially Vincent’s favourite roller coaster, the boy eagerly anticipating and imagining its many interesting possibilities. However when they reach their Funland destination there’s a sign saying it’s closed for repairs. You can imagine Vincent’s disappointment, but Grandma offers encouragement and alternatives in the form of splendiferous ice-cream

and a play park, not to mention an unusual way of getting back to the bus stop.
I was quite surprised to see how accommodating Vincent is and impressed by his flexibility and positivity in not letting unforeseen circumstances completely ruin his day out: a great example to little ones. It’s good to see the author/illustrator’s inclusivity in his lively, brightly coloured scenes -I wonder how many of them will notice Vincent is differently abled on a first reading. The environmental positives include that the bus is electric, the charging points available, the cycle track, wetlands and wild life reserve all shown on the endpapers’ maps.

Amazing Rivers

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Amazing Rivers
Julie Vosburgh Agnone and Kerry Hyndman
What on Earth Books

Author Julie Vosburgh Agnone starts by giving a general description of a river and then takes readers on an exploration of freshwater waterways all around the world. She and illustrator Kerry Hyndman then present more than a hundred rivers explaining as they go subjects including measurement, source and flow,

as well as what is to be found in and also around rivers, and the humans living and working in their vicinity.

Crop growing has long been an important activity with dates and other fruits, grains and vegetables having been watered by water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers since ancient times when Sumerian farmers designed irrigation methods to divert the river water.

Many rivers, we’re told, contain fish species in abundance including perch, catfish and trout while others yield freshwater crabs and shrimps that can make a tasty meal.
I was fascinated to read about pancakes – not the edible variety but ones made of ice that are occasionally formed in the River Dee in Scotland.

In contrast the Boiling River in Peru has water hot enough to cook an egg.

Some rivers – the Amazon, the Yangtze and another Chinese river, the Li – are allocated a spread each while other spreads are topical including treasures found in rivers, industry, feats of engineering and threats to divers with short titled paragraphs presenting the facts set into or around stylised illustrations.

Kerry Hyndman uses a variety of visual layouts that include vignettes,

close-ups, arial views and broad river scenes as well as making good use of texture and shadow to help maintain readers’ interest throughout. There’s also a central foldout map showing the location of each river mentioned as well as giving some fun river-related lists. A glossary, index and resource list comprise the four final pages.

Altogether a fascinating and informative resource book for individual browsing and KS2/3 school collections.

Max + Xam / I’m Not a Mouse!/ Best Friends, Busy Friends / New Shoes, Red Shoes

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Thanks to Child’s Play for sending these ‘catch-up’ books for review

Max + Xam
Ariane Hofmann-Maniyar
Meet next-door neighbours and long-time friends Xam and Max. They live alongside one another spending much of their time together until comes a day when an amicable teatime turns nasty bringing to a halt their sharing of pleasurable encounters.
Max gets to work on a plan fashioning his own set of friends from bits and pieces; Xam does a similar thing

but creates even more inanimate friends than Max. Pretty soon both of them learn two things: firstly that such friends offer no fun at all; secondly that they miss one another very much.
Time for reparations. Gifts in the form of edible and floral treats are exchanged and after a bit of a mishap, amicability and happiness resume.
A lively, playful tale of the highs and lows of friendship presented through a straightforward text and enchantingly detailed illustrations. Perceptive youngsters will enjoy the nominative wordplay, likely relish the explosive falling out and the occasional surprises in this feel-good look at enduring friendship.

I’m Not a Mouse!
Evgenia Golubeva

Parents can sometimes really irritate their offspring by inventing and insisting on using pet names and so it is for the young narrator of this book. Her mum annoyingly calls her Mouse all the time the effect being that the little girl morphs into a mouse whenever she’s so called. Thus far this has caused at best inconvenient, at worst, extremely dangerous situations. There was the birthday incident, the occasion of the soccer match,

the time the two were out roller-skating and the life-threatening occasion in front of the family cat.
Enough is enough decides our protagonist, refusing to respond to the next “Mouse!” calls that greet her after school the following day. It’s not until she uses “Olivia” instead that the little girl is happy and reacts accordingly.
But then it turns out that she’s not the only one whose parents or adult relations use embarrassing nicknames creating similar problems.
Highly entertaining, with splendidly exuberant illustrations this is a fun story to share and a playful reminder to adults that not all children are happy to be called anything other than their given name. There’s more visual pleasure to be had by exploring the endpapers – the front ones showing Mouse, the back ones an assortment of pet names none of which I suspect, would be happily received.

Best Friends, Busy Friends
Susan Rollings and Nichola Cowdery

Interestingly during a walk I was having a discussion with a young relation about the various things her friendships offer and got home to find this book among those that had arrived for review.
Essentially it’s an inclusive rhyming observation by what look to be twins, of their friends that takes us through their school day from wake-up time to a final celebration. We meet among others, friends fast and slow, tall and small, messy and tidy, kind and caring, not so kind; some are funny, other silly, those who enjoy sharing a story. Some might be sad, some happy, there are even feathered ones needing a feed and fluffy ones that can be over-playful.
This inclusive presentation of friendship with its simple text and Nichola Cowdery’s bold, lively, illustrations of young children and their care-givers offers lots of possibilities for discussions with toddlers and preschoolers.

New Shoes, Red Shoes
Susan Rollings and Becky Baur

Here’s a simple story of a child going with his mother to buy new shoes. Their journey to the shop is an opportunity to observe all manner of shoes being worn in Becky Baur’s scenes – by people at the bus stop, on the bus, in the park, in the street at a friend’s and in the market.
When they finally reach the shoe shop there are so many possibilities: which ones will they buy and for what special occasion are they getting them?
With a simple rhythmic text and inclusive illustrations, in particular that the family comprises two mothers and a child, this is a good one for beginning readers and young listeners.

Mo and Crow

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Mo and Crow
Jo Kasch and Jonathan Bentley
Allen & Unwin

‘No man is an island’ wrote poet John Donne more than 400 years ago but Mo wants it so to be.

Mo is a loner and that’s the way he likes it. He’s built a sturdy house surrounded by a protective wall to deter intruders be that elemental, animal or human kind. Privacy is vital so he thinks.

Then from behind the wall he hears tap tap tap over and over. Mo’s various ways to block out the infuriating sound invading his silence prove futile and it’s not long before the continual tapping causes the displacement of a stone and there is a beak belonging to Crow.

Mo pushes back the stone but the next day Crow pushes out another one and another …

Furious, Mo tries begging, yelling and shouting but to no avail. The invader doesn’t go. The size of the hole increases and eventually Mo seizes the biggest stone he can find and hurls it at Crow. The creature remains. The two sit watching one another; Mo within his house Crow from his perch on the broken wall.

This goes on all day and eventually Mo goes to bed and sleeps. Next morning no Crow. Mo prepares,,,, materials to repair his wall and then as he looks up there’s space, clouds in the sky and hills: a whole world has been opened up.

But where is Crow?

Debut picture book author Jo Kasch and illustrator Jonathan Bentley present two contrasting characters – one a seeker of company, one who eschews it, in this tale of diversity, acceptance, the breaking down of barriers and the importance of friendship. With the economic text occasionally breaking into rhyme and lots of repetition providing joining in possibilities, and Jonathan Bentley’s boldly coloured scenes of the unfolding drama to feast their eyes on, youngsters will certainly have their attention held throughout this thought-provoking allegory.

Flip Flap Zoo / Where’s Mr Fire Engine?

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These are recent additions to popular, playful series from Nosy Crow – thanks to the publishers for sending them for review

Axel Scheffler’s Flip Flap Zoo

The zoo is the latest location for Axel Scheffler’s split page animal extravaganza and happily there’s not a cage in sight for the dozen creatures that offer rhyming verses on themselves.
What fun you can have generating your own crazy conglomerates – 121 possibilities according to the frog on the back cover.

What would you get by crossing a lemur with an ostrich?

In case you didn’t guess – it’s a lemich. Then what about a jaguar and a hippopotamus? Roar! Roar! Growl! Growl! that one’s a jagotamus.

Full of zany names, noises aplenty to exercise the vocal cords and all those creature combinations to giggle over, this book will give preschool joiners-in, and Foundation Stage/KS1 children hours of pleasure both visual and verbal.

Where’s Mr Fire Engine?
Ingela P Arrhenius

Four potentially very noisy vehicles lurk beneath the variously shaped felt flaps in the latest of this series that ends with a surprise mirror (or maybe not such a surprise if your little one is familiar with previous titles). Nonetheless the very youngest will enjoy guessing what’s hidden, exploring the bright stylised scenes and joining in with the ‘Here s/he is!’ as the police car, ambulance, helicopter and fire engine are revealed.

The Naughtiest Unicorn on Holiday / Super Cute: Fun in the Sun

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These are two young fiction books both by Pip Bird, kindly sent for review by Farshore

The Naughtiest Unicorn on Holiday

The latest addition to The Naughtiest Unicorn series sees Mira and Dave off on an adventure holiday – their best ever adventure so Mira anticipates. Especially as there’s to be a secret quest to discover a special Golden Marshmallow. With sleeping bag rolled and rucksack packed with essentials (and a bit more too) she can hardly contain her excitement and Dave is going positively bananas or rather toffees. Having discussed the various poo possibilities for humans and unicorns, members of Red Class are finally ready to make that foray into the Wild Woods where they’ll be under the care , not of their teacher Miss Glitterhorn but of energetic leader, Ms Mustang, a stickler for teamwork.

Will the adventurers ever manage to put up their tents – that is the first challenge followed closely by, will Dave consume all the marshmallows stashed in the special snack box?

Then what about the raft-making activity? Readers will certainly get some laughs over this, but what of team Mira, Raheem and Jake and their unicorns?

With the first day’s adventures duly over it’s time to bed down for some shut-eye but that’s when the weird noises start up: what or who is making those, not to mention the scary shadowy shape? …

With the usual generous serving of farts of the unicorn variety, this is a thoroughly enjoyable romp for fans of Mira and Dave and I’m sure having induced lots of giggles, they’ll win a fair few new followers too.

Super Cute: Fun in the Sun

New to me is the author’s World of Cute where preparations are underway for the annual summer Friendship festival.

With Micky Pig in charge, delicious treats to share are baked in Micky’s outdoor kitchen Mudporium. The first taster will be a Special Guest. So will this be, as Cami declares, “The best Friendship ever!” ?

Not if one of the vital baking ingredients is missing … This is the first indication that a saboteur is at work; surely that couldn’t be so – could it?

I’m not sure if this series will gain as many fans as The Naughtiest Unicorn but it’s worth offering to young solo readers to taste for themselves: they’ll certainly find lots of yummy confectionery including a volcano cake that erupts strawberry jam, in this story that celebrates our differences.

Inside Animals

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Inside Animals
Barbara Taylor and Margaux Carpentier
Wide Eyed Editions

Back in the day when I was studying zoology at A-level and beyond I always felt extremely uncomfortable having to do animal dissections to get a close look at an animal’s innards. Now here’s a book containing twenty one cross-sections of a variety of animals large and small, all illustrated in vibrant colours by Margaux Carpentier. 

In the introductory section, detailed pictures show how skeleton, muscles, organs and nerves fit together inside the featured creature – a snake, a camel and a shark.

Then come several focus topics – Muscles and Moving, Skeletons, Lungs and Breathing, Brain and Senses, Heart and Blood, and Amazing Organs.

Written by one time Science Editor at London’s Natural History Museum, Barbara Taylor and set out around each internal view, are factual paragraphs and an introduction, for all the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects, spiders and other invertebrates spotlighted herein.

I was fascinated to see the honey stomach of the honeybee – a storage organ for nectar – shown and mentioned in one of the paragraphs and part of what helps this creature survive and thrive.

No animal would be able to survive without oxygen to breathe but not all have lungs, or gills like fish and oysters. Within a parrot we see both lungs and additional air sacs that keep oxygen-supplying air flowing throughout its body so the energy for flight is available. 

Other creatures including we read, land-living earthworms, breathe through their skin.

What about brains? It’s not every animal that has one of those although all rely on sensory information sent via electrical signals along nerves. Such information might be gathered through an animal’s sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Without a brain, jellyfish for instance use a simple nerve network to detect touch, light, smells and to respond to their surroundings; amazingly these graceful creatures can still sting after they’re dead.

Turning to animals having more in common with humans, a giraffe for instance possesses lungs (around eight times the size of ours), and a heart – also enormous and roughly the weight of your average two year old. I was surprised to learn that despite its very long neck, a giraffe has only seven neck bones, linked we read by ball-and-socket joints enabling that neck to be super-bendy.

I suspect that any youngster, especially those with a scientific bent, will discover some surprises in this engrossing book. It’s one I’d recommend adding to family bookshelves and KS2 classroom collections.

Fletcher and the Rainbow

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Fletcher and the Rainbow
Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg

The latest in this series featuring Fletcher and his animal friends is again a delight. Young listeners will be swept along with the little fox in his determined effort to find the rainbow before it disappears, gone in the rainy autumn mist. He hopes that if he’s able to find it he could help it shine forever rather than as his mum had said, “soon be gone”.

Through the dripping wood he goes soon coming upon birds giving themselves a final feed before setting off to fly south. They tell him that the rainbow’s end is at Hedgehog’s nest and Fletcher hastens on his way.

His search takes him next to Squirrel, also preparing for winter; then as he tumbles into the stream where Squirrel has helpfully sent him, Goose. She’s doubtful when Fletcher tells her that the rainbow has fallen in the stream but helps him look nonetheless. They do see a reflection but it’s a learning experience for Fletcher.

Finally as he hurries past the rabbits the little fox sees …

but even then the rainbow eludes him.

Stopping now, Fletcher reflects on his search and how the rainbow’s led him through the woods and he decides he can at least create a rainbow memorial …

All his friends are happy to assist and together they create the most gorgeous autumn rainbow …

Whether you want a story to introduce to young children the scientific ideas connected with rainbows or the natural world in autumn, hope and determination, or creative problem solving, this is a lovely starting point. Most important though, it’s a sweet, uplifting book for sharing and pausing to delight in the captivating, richly hued scenes of Fletcher’s journey. and that sparkling finale spread.

Run Like a Girl

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Run Like a Girl
Danielle Brown, illustrated by Robin Shields
Button Books

With an illustration by Robin Shields on every spread, 2x Paralympic Gold Medallist, able-bodied Commonwealth Games medallist and champion of inclusion, Danielle Brown presents a look at the lives and achievements of 50 incredibly talented women from around the world of various ethnicities, ages and abilities.

No matter the sport, what these women all have in common is passion and perseverance and these qualities are what matter most of all. Resilience too is key, for success doesn’t come without something of a struggle.

Some of those featured have been honoured by their countries. For instance Olympic gold medal winning boxer Nicola Adams has an OBE,

while hockey player, captain and Olympic gold medallist Kate Richardson-Walsh has received an OBE and carried the TeamGB flag at the closing ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Triathlete, cyclist and rock climber Karen Darke not only has an MBE and a paralympic gold medal, but she also studied the gold content in rocks for a geology doctorate. She’s never let a fall down a cliff while climbing that left her paralysed and unable to walk again, hold her back. ‘Ability is a state of mind, not a state of body’ is her mantra.

Defying both terrorist threats and cultural restrictions, squash player Maria Toorpakai from Pakistan dressed like a boy when she was four in order to play outside and when she began playing squash she was often bullied and bruised by other players, received death threats from the Taliban at sixteen but has now, thanks to support from Canadian squash player Jonathon Power, become Pakistan’s top female squash player. She’s also set up a foundation that aims to create opportunities for children in remote communities to reach their potential: “I want to tell girls that fear is taught. You are born free and you are born brave,” she says.

Tracey Neville has been a netball player and England coach; Stephanie Frappart a soccer referee of women’s and men’s matches, and the first woman to officiate at a major European men’s match are also featured.

No matter the sporting interest of the young reader, they’ll likely find it represented in this inspiring book that is essentially all about following your dreams and exceeding expectations and goals. With the Olympics just over and Paris 2024 to look forward to, youngsters can browse the narrative information and biographical details of the spotlighted women herein. Never say never … for as swimmer Yusra Mardini who became a member of the 2016 Refugee Olympic team says, “I want everyone not to give up on their dreams. Even if it’s impossible, you never know what will happen.”

Scaredy Bat

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Thanks to Little Door Books for inviting me to join the blog tour for:

Scaredy Bat
Jonathan Meres and Anders Frang
Little Door Books

Absolutely bat-tastic sums up my response to this book. It had me hooked from the opening lines, so poetically describing the coming of morning to the Dark, Dark Wood. A wood where, in an old oak, dangle Big Bat, Middle Bat and Little Bat, snuggled up and ready for rest and perhaps some inverted dreams.

However, bothered by the buzzing, humming and drumming that fills the air, Little Bat just can’t get to sleep. The others tease him and so he decides to prove to them that he’s not in the slightest bit scared of the light. Off he goes with a ‘Wheeeee!’,

their warnings about the BOGEY BAT and bothersome bumps echoing in his ears. ‘Scaredy Bat! Scaredy Bat! Ner, ner, ner, ner, ner!” was their mocking cry.

As Little Bat fizzes and whizzes around in and out of the branches his confidence grows and he feels like he’s king of the wood. But then a strange feeling comes upon him – a feeling he’s no longer alone.

Surely it couldn’t be that bogey bat after all, could it?

Quickening his pace has no effect: wherever he goes that dark creature goes too until a sudden realisation dawns … But then he really knew all the time didn’t he?

Time to head back home to the others, both now a bit bothered by his prolonged absence.

Could there be another fright in store? …

Jonathan Meres’ dramatic rhyming narrative reads aloud like a dream (not of the upside down kind) and adult sharers will enjoy performing the tale probably as much as little humans will enjoy being entertained, both by the words and Anders Frang’s equally theatrical scenes. I love the way he uses the bats’ eyes to show their various feelings, and the cuddly toy rabbit.

Sing Like a Whale

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Sing Like a Whale
Moira Butterfield and Gwen Millward
Welbeck Publishing

Previously Moira Butterfield invited youngsters to lessons that would help them Dance Like a Flamingo. Now in this spirited book their voices are the focus as they take delight in joining in with this exploration of the variety of sounds made by creatures large and small.

First to perform its song is the male humpback whale as he swims through the ocean with a long low Hoooooooo Hoooooooo.

Back on land we meet shaggy maned father lion ready and waiting to make his loudest Roar! Roar! – the ideal sound for little ones to stand proud and tall ready to give vent to their feelings.

Next to use its vocal organ is an owl Hoot, hoot! it goes as it perches on a branch. Make sure youngsters are ready to emulate its turning head movements as well as its hooting before spreading their wings and gliding off.

Also enjoying a moonlit singing session are a pack of wolves, each one A-woooooooo-ing and waiting for little humans to creep, sit and create an echoing A-woo! A-woo!

A further eight creatures, some feathered, others furry and one scaly are all eager to give renditions and encourage children to copy them

and then it’s the turn to the children to issue an invitation to “Sing with me!”

Whether you share this book with one, several or an entire foundation stage class prepare yourself for a very noisy and thoroughly enjoyable story/movement session. Make sure you allow time to let your audience see Gwen Millward’s humorous illustrations of the various animals, and the animated child mimickers clearly enjoying themselves.

Bird’s Eye View

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Bird’s Eye View
Frann Preston-Gannon
Templar Books

Little Bird is curious about what lies beyond the treetops wherein she nests with her mother. Mama tells her that beyond the forest live people though she knows not what people actually are other than that her own mother has told her to avoid them. However, once her wings are sufficiently strong, Little Bird tells her Mama that she’s ready to leave the nest and see the world. Off she flies enjoying the freedom as she observes the world from above and it’s not long before she spies what she thinks must be people.

As she flies further, Little Bird becomes increasingly confused: some people are quiet and slow, others frantically hurrying around. There are happy, colourful people sharing what they have and singing lovely songs.

But then she sees something that leads her to believe that not everybody values freedom, they put birds in cages, spoil the environment with rubbish and burning fossil fuels. Other people in contrast are cleaning up the mess.
Her journey takes her over land and sea until eventually Little Bird needs to pause for rest; that’s when she has a narrow escape.

Now hurt and doubting whether she’ll ever see her mama again, Little Bird feels gentle hands. Hands that rescue and nurture her until she’s strong enough to take flight once again.

Finally back home, Little Bird has much to tell her Mama, the most important relating to acts of kindness.

Cleverly using a bird’s eye view, Frann weaves powerful themes relating to the impact humans have on the world into both her verbal and her visual storytelling. There are ‘people on the move. “Migrating like birds”,

black smoke billowing into the sky and those who share whatever they can, all acting as powerful reminders of the importance of having a sense of responsibility and showing kindness. Therein ultimately lies freedom.

Share this beautiful story at home with little humans especially those just starting to spread their wings; share it in the classroom as an inspiration to help make the world a better place.

The Hundred Decker Bus / The Hundred Decker Rocket

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The Hundred Decker Bus
The Hundred Decker Rocket
Mike Smith
Macmillan Children’s Books

New to me but a reissue of his debut picture book is Mike Smith’s The Hundred Decker Bus. Tired of his usual routine, the bus driver takes inspiration from a passing hot air balloon and decides to take a new route that he’s never before noticed. Imagine being on that bus: what would your reaction be to a diversion to nobody knows where? That of the passengers (whose numbers increase en route), is one of happy abandon, as after a day’s driving the bus reaches …

But that is only a small part of their adventure about which I’ll say no more other than the sky’s the limit … or maybe it’s not.

This fantastical story with its awesome fold-out page will grip youngsters as they explore not only that spread but every one of Mike Smith’s humorous, highly detailed scenes be they large or small.

Share this uplifting picture book reissue either with one child, a group or a whole class. It has huge potential in the classroom.

So too does The Hundred Decker Rocket. This begins in Ivy’s bedroom where she’s just finished creating a massive telescope through which she sees a strange and beautiful ‘something’ glimmering in the sky far off. An adventure beckons Ivy and her trusty dog Eddie, but that will require another round of constructing.

Several days later the two are blasting off skywards in their rocket, landing unceremoniously, after what seems an incredibly long journey. on a planet entirely covered in rubbish.

Eddie learns from the resident environmentally un-savvy aliens that they’ve messed up their home and now want to leave and find a new place to live – if Ivy and Eddie help them build a spaceship that is. The construction continues apace as more and more aliens appear and yet more rubbish accumulates and is used, leaving the planet much cleaner.

With a hundred decks duly built, they deem the rocket ready for boarding and blast off takes place that night.

Eventually the aliens agree on what they feel is a suitable new planet and down they go … but there’s a strange familiarity about it …

With a great final twist, incredibly detailed, zany scenes that youngsters will pore over for hours revelling in the wealth of humorous touches, including speech bubbles and onomatopoeic noises off, and its fold-out page, this is a cracking book. Highly relevant is the vital environmental message about the importance of caring for our planet.

If you’re after a fun story or a super starting point for an ecological discussion that will galvanise children to take care what they throw out and where/how they dispose of it, this is it.

Willow Wildthing and the Magic Spell

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Willow Wildthing and the Magic Spell
Gill Lewis, illustrated by Rebecca Bagley
Oxford Children’s Books

It’s great to see another adventure of Willow and her friends. Now they’re on a mission to save the Wilderness from the clutches of a dastardly property developer, one Lord Smog aka the money wizard, who it seems will stop at nothing to get his way. That means he intends to fell all the trees to make way for his housing development.

What Willow needs is to ‘out-spell’ him and there’s somebody the Wild Things know who can surely help them. Off they go to see their witch friend though even she isn’t very hopeful, initially at least. But after some discussion on the possibilities of what a spell might do they set about creating one – a spell written from the heart. That’s part one of the plan.

The second is to make their adults remember what it was like to be wild.

Can they do it? Anything is worth a try to save the wild green space wherein nature and magic meet, that they love so much.

At first I thought perhaps ash dieback might be the reason for the trees being marked and it was a relief to find it wasn’t so: even a powerful enchantment of the Willow kind wouldn’t work against that.

I really loved that Willow, her little brother Freddie, Bear, Fox, Mouse, Hare and Raven co-create the spell.

I’m sure Willow’s multitude of established fans will relish this smashing story spell-bindingly created by Gill Lewis and Rebecca Bagley; and the determined girl will doubtless add significantly to her fanbase too.

How to be a Human / Museum Kittens: The Treasure Map

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Two recent fiction titles from Little Tiger – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

How to be a Human
Karen McCombie

When their home town is hit by unprecedented wild weather storms causing schools to close it seems something is badly wrong. Little Ty thinks he’s seen aliens in the sky and much to sister Kiki’s horror has even appeared on the news saying the freak weather was caused by strange beings in their spaceships. How will she face the embarrassment of such nonsensical talk when Riverside Academy reopens? Especially the taunts of Lola and the Popular Crew of which she wants to be part.

Someone else not thrilled with the school reopening is previously homeschooled newbie Wes, also in Y7 and an outsider (though the bullies have their eyes on him).

Then there is Star Boy, presently marooned on Earth about which he’s been taught some things relating to its inhabitants, as well as having taught himself some of its languages.

Both finding every day painful, Kiki and Wes start spending time together and soon realise they have things in common: they’re really struggling to settle in to the new school, they both have parents who have separated and then comes music.

Having observed their behaviour together, Star Boy decides he can learn much about human behaviour by watching and filming the duo so that once he returns to his own planet, the Master will consider him a ‘scientific hero’.

Then Wes and Kiki discover Star Boy. They start to learn things about one another but also about themselves and who they are; they learn what being human really means, about the importance of trust and of friendship. They also discover that sometimes what you really want is right there before you and that it’s possible to heal sadness.
With terrific characters Karen McCombie infuses her insightful story with warmth and gentle humour. She really seems to stand behind the heads of eleven/twelve year olds and their salient concerns.

Thoroughly recommended for those around the age of Kiki and Wes in particular.

for younger readers is

Museum Kittens: The Treasure Map
Holly Webb, illustrated by Sarah Lodge

The fourth tale of the kittens that get playful once all the visitors have left the museum begins up on the roof when Tasha declares that the cloud she’s seen in the sky is a dragon. Boris then decides it’s actually a ship which puts him in adventurous mood as he leads his fellow kittens off to see an actual ship, The Silver Lion, a four-hundred-year-old galleon in dry dock at the back of the museum.

No sooner have they gone aboard than they hear rats voices singing about treasure and they appear to have a map.

When Boris informs them that The Silver Lion was a pirate ship that once belonged to a pirate queen, his excitement rubs off on the other kittens. Grandpa Ivan gives them his blessings to follow the rats; they have to get hold of that map one way or another. But those rats are pretty tricky creatures … and is there really a treasure map, let alone any treasure?

Those familiar with the kittens and their escapades, illustrated by Sarah Lodge, will eagerly grab this; other new solo readers could start here and then likely will want to read what went before.

Mummies Unwrapped

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Mummies Unwrapped
Tom Froese
Nosy Crow (in collaboration with The British Museum)

Ancient Egypt is a popular topic for the KS2 History curriculum but the subject of mummies is given relatively little attention.

Now illustrator Tom Froese reveals their mysteries in this book unravelling both those of humans and animals. To allow them to remain together in the afterlife, sometimes pets were mummified at the same time as their humans.
First of all is an explanation of what a mummy actually is, and the origin of the word. We then learn how a mummy was made. It was crucial to start the embalming process as soon as possible to prevent the body rotting in the hot sun.

An embalmer’s toolkit is depicted and the entire process is described.

If you’ve ever wondered what the wrappings were made of, they were generally linen torn into long strips that look a bit like bandages.

We learn the grisly details of what was done with internal organs (only the heart was left in place as this was thought to be needed in the afterlife), as well as reading of the outcomes of embalmers’ errors.

There’s information about the funeral procession (after 70 days) to the tomb and what took place thereafter. There’s also a spread introducing some of the most famous mummies including Tutankhamun and one called the ‘unlucky mummy’ said to have been cursed.

Unearthed too are stories of tomb robbers, and what took place when archaeologists discovered mummies thousands of years after their burial; there’s mention of fake mummies and other shenanigans. Apparently the French King Francis 1 always carried a packet of powdered mummy with him in case he was ever in need of urgent healing. Bizarre!

Froese’s stylish illustrations have touches of gentle humour, plenty of detail and pattern making this a book I would definitely recommend adding to primary school collections and the bookshelves of youngsters with an interest in ancient history.

Look, Puppy!

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Look Puppy!
Mary Murphy and Victoria Ball
Walker Books

A little girl has long awaited the arrival of her new puppy and now, hurrah! At last the nameless creature has arrived and she is eager to introduce the newcomer, first to the immediate surroundings and then the world at large. The latter entails a walk around the neighbourhood to see the various houses and their inhabitants both human and canine,

most of whom are very welcoming and offer to help choose Puppy a name. But then disaster! The creature disappears.

Where is Puppy?

A frantic search begins, followed by a pause for some reflection,

a joyful reunion and a return home.

Will the little girl ever settle on a name for her puppy though. Yes of course, but what will it be?

With endearing, finely detailed illustrations by Victoria Ball, Mary Murphy’s is a warm, gentle tale that will especially appeal to youngsters with a dog in the family. The little human protagonist herein shows such understanding and love in her dealings with her puppy offering a great example to young readers.

What a Wonderful Phrase

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What a Wonderful Phrase
Nicola Edwards and Manu Montoya
Little Tiger

Nicola Edwards and illustrator Manu Montoya take readers on a world tour looking at idioms from far and wide, including such places as Sweden, South Africa, Korea, Nigeria and Greece. There’s even this: ‘Nuces relinquere’, Latin for ‘To Give Up Nuts’ which to the Ancient Romans meant to give up childish ways. Fascinating, as are all the other idiomatic phrases in this book, each of which is explained in a gently humorous manner in this compilation of curious utterances.

We learn the cultural and historical facts behind for instance, ‘Putting Watermelons Under Someone’s Arms’. Originating in Iran (then Persia) and also found in Azerbaijan and Turkey, it translates as ‘conning someone into doing a tiresome or stupid task for you’.

I was surprised at how many of the idioms mention food.

Can you guess the meaning of ‘To split open the crocodile’s intestine’ a phrase sometimes said by Izon speakers living around the Niger Delta. If your home language is English you’ll surely be familiar with ‘to butter someone up’ and ‘it’s raining cats and dogs’ but unless you speak Dutch you aren’t likely to have come across ‘a monkey sandwich story’.

I couldn’t help but laugh at this Icelandic one that translates as ‘peeing in your shoes will only keep you warm for a short while’. Really? However the accompanying bit about an unusual delicacy said still to be consumed by some did not appeal to my vegan sensibilities. Gross!

As well as being amusing, this delightfully illustrated book is an exploration of the diversity of language and a presentation of snippets from many different cultures that readers of all ages can enjoy sharing and discussing.

Ruffles and the Teeny, Tiny Kittens / I am Dog!

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Ruffles and the Teeny, Tiny Kittens
David Melling
Nosy Crow

Puppy Ruffles is in many ways similar to a little human as he learns about the world – its ups and downs. There’s much he enjoys but if there’s one thing he particularly dislikes it’s teeny tiny kittens. So you can imagine his feelings when five lively kittens of the teeny tiny kind come to stay. He is far from happy about their high-spirited actions, their noises and their poo. They follow him wherever he goes and try to do whatever anti-sharer Ruffles does. Worst of all is that they want to enjoy the delights of his Big Blue Blankie.

When a tug of war over this special object occurs the kittens’ game results in catastrophe.

Can these frolicking felines perhaps help Ruffles learn one of life’s important lessons – that sharing is the best way to make friends and have fun.
Once again David’s observations are spot on and this funny follow up to Ruffles and the Red, Red Coat is sure to be another winner with youngsters of the human kind. With its text closely matching the terrific illustrations this is also an ideal book for young learner readers.

I am Dog!
Peter Bently and Chris Chatterton
Macmillan Children’s Books

We meet another playful pooch herein, this time acting as the book’s narrator and telling of a day in its life from its very own doggy viewpoint. And what a clever creature to speak in clipped canine rhyme about liking such things as ‘beggy-beggy trick’ and ‘fetchy-fetchy stick’.
This canine can’t resist a watery chase,

a race or ‘feeling wind in face’, not to mention rolling in strongly ponging foxy droppings.

However, like the majority of canines, our narrator has a great aversion to the moggy residing next door.

Much more enjoyable are cosy cuddles, ‘lap-lap-lappy puddles’, sniffing the rear ends of fellow dogs and the ‘sniff-sniff’ aromas emanating from the tasty meal laid out on the table. But therein lies both disaster and satisfaction:

now what does the little human residing in the same home think of all this? …

Chris’s action-packed scenes portraying the predilections and pranks of Dog are hilarious and provide the perfect complement to Peter’s bouncy, splendidly onomatopoeic text.

I Am Am Artist

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I Am Am Artist
Kertu Sillaste (translated by Adam Cullen)
Graffeg

Who or what is an artist? That lies at the heart of this picture book by illustrator/art teacher Kertu Sillaste. My experience of teaching young children indicates that it’s not until they reach about seven that they start saying such things as “I can’t draw” when what they mean is more like “I can’t create what I consider an accurate representation of this or that” – a tiger is the exemplar this book’s creator uses – but art is so much more.
This is what the young artist main character and narrator discusses and demonstrates herein.

First, with reference to a self-portrait, he presents the variety of processes that an artist might use, ‘An artist thinks and draws and paints and glues and sketches and moulds and photographs and films and considers and constructs and assembles.’ Most important at the outset is ‘a good idea’ and this can be generated in different ways including using one’s imagination, looking at art, taking out your paints and paper or perhaps you don’t even know what sparked it but you feel so inspired that you just have to get to work right away.

I love the playful ways the boy creates memorials for his grandparents 

and others, as well as his creative putting together of found objects. 

At other times art might be story-telling through pictures, and these pictures can perhaps be about worrying events or people, or in contrast reveal what makes that particular artist happy.

Not all creative ideas reach fruition though – some remain as ideas while others might be possibilities for another day. Indeed some days can go particularly unsatisfactorily with nothing at all working out; 

but still the creative spark is re-ignited the following morning.

There’s also the consideration of revealing what you’ve done to others – what will the reaction be? … ‘An artist really needs praise’ says John. Over-ridingly though the narrator loves to make art; that is what the author hopes he’ll put across to young readers of this book and in so doing, expand their boundaries of art and being an artist. Thinking outside the box is what we want to encourage.

Undoubtedly Kertu Sillaste succeeds in her mission and I suggest this is a book to share and discuss with KS1 children especially, ‘before that “I can’t draw’ notion takes root.

This Book is Pants

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This Book is Pants
John Kane
Templar Books

John Kane seems to have something of a penchant for a certain type of undergarment: I well remember groups of children enthusiastically chorusing, ‘underpants, underpants’ whenever I’ve shared his I Say OOH You Say AAH.

There’s certainly a plethora of pants in this interactive, intergalactic adventure starring a boy narrator and his alien pal, Buzzly, that he meets on the moon.

By donning the appropriate pants – courtesy of the reader aloud who has to wear them – the boy launches his rocket moonwards and having landed, encounters Buzzly who wants to visit planet Earth. Pants alert!

But what pants do you need to beat a hasty retreat,

climb a tree, escape from a dark scary place, warm an increasingly chilly rear,

or sate your hunger? And what are the very BEST PANTS EVER?
That, you’ll need to discover for yourself …

All you need to do is bag yourself a copy of the book, wear the appropriate snazzy pants as required and prepare for action: pantalicious fun assured. I forgot to mention that for the best results you’ll also need an audience of one or preferably quite a few, young listeners. Think of the fun you could have with a class creating their own pants stories using appropriately chuddies shaped books.

Eureka! A Big Book of Discoveries

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Eureka! A Big Book of Discoveries
Jonathan Litton and Wenjia Tang
Little Tiger

If you lack an open inquiring mind, open eyes and imagination, it’s unlikely that you’ll discover anything new or shed fresh light on something that’s already known.

In this book Jonathan Litton takes a look at all kinds of amazing discoveries from both long ago and recent times, history being the first theme with dinosaur remains the first topic along with what some key palaeontologists have discovered. I was astonished to read that on account of several factors including improved technology and more trained palaeontologists, dinosaurs are ‘being discovered at a faster rate than ever … a new species per week on average.’

Ancient civilisations and some of their artefacts are presented next including a visit to some entire cities that were lost.

The second section ‘Introduction to Earth’ takes readers to both the Arctic and Antarctic regions as well as deep down into oceans

and right into the earth’s core. We read of extinct species and new ones that are recent discoveries: I’d not heard before of the psychedelic frogfish that usually walks on the ocean floor but can make itself into a ball and jet propel itself from one place and another.

Section three presents discoveries of a scientific and mathematical kind, some like penicillin, accidental, others the outcome of experimentation either simple or incredibly complicated and costly.

Perhaps your interest is space. That is Litton’s next theme, about which humans have discovered relatively little despite it being a source of fascination for well over 1000 years. It’s good to see Vera Rubin and her work on galaxy rotation getting a mention herein

and I’m pleased that the author devotes a double spread to women whose remarkable discoveries gained them scant credit at the time. This forms part of the final ‘nature of discoveries’ section that considers some philosophical questions – what makes a discovery a discovery?

The world is a dynamic place and it’s likely in the time that I’ve taken to read this book and write these words, fresh knowledge is being uncovered. That truly is an incredible idea …

A thoroughly engrossing and inspiring book, alluringly illustrated by Wenjia Tang to add to individual and school collections.

Tiptoe Tiger

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Tiptoe Tiger
Jane Clarke and Britta Teckentrup
Nosy Crow

Tara is a little tiger cub – a lively one – and so, despite it being sundown in the jungle, she’s not ready for bed just yet.

But who can she find to play with? Could it be the fluttering Butterfly and her spotty-winged friends, the strutting peacock with his beautiful tail, or maybe those hooting owls sitting on the branch?

She’ll surely need to tread warily along the river bank on account of the scary-looking crocodile lurking in the water. I doubt if even Tara’s bouncing and pouncing will scare that away even if it frightens off all the other potential playmates.

This is another of Jane and Britta’s smashing interactive neon bright picture books that will delight little humans at bedtime (or any time). They’ll love delaying their own shut eye as they follow Tara on her nocturnal search helping her on her way with whispers of “Tiptoe, tiger,” spotting the animals lurking part-hidden in Britta’s neon bright, vibrant illustrations, fluttering their arms, stretching them wide, ‘Raaaaar-ing’ and finally, when the cub does settle down for the night, joining in with her yawn and bidding her, ‘Night, night, little tiger. Sleep tight!’

1,2,3, Do the Shark / The Horse that Jumped

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These are two picture books ideal for bedtime sharing kindly sent for review from Farshore

1,2,3, Do the Shark
Michelle Robinson and Rosalind Beardshaw

Get ready for a bit of funky action deep beneath the ocean where Bess’s fishy pals are somewhat disturbed by a storm. Not so Bess though; clad in her shark attire, she urges them all to join her in a bit of boogieing. “Copy me and do the shark!” she says performing the appropriate moves

until all the sea creatures are joining in with the stretching, fin waving, tail swishing and generally strutting their stuff.

That achieved, it’s time to take a dive down deeper, right to the ocean bed where something rather scary is peering out from the mouth of a cave.

Crab gives a Shark alert. Time to take evasive action suggests Bess and so they do.

But perhaps that shark isn’t as scary as they first thought? Has he another reason for watching them so closely perhaps …

With a lovely switch from imagined to real, the story has a perfect ending 1,2,3 zzzzz.
An ideal pre bedtime book for those around little Bess’s age told in Michelle’s splendidly readable rhyming text and through Rosalind’s delightful mainly subaquatic, scenes.

The Horse that Jumped
Thomas Docherty

This is a thoroughly enchanting tale of a little girl and a horse that jumps and keeps on jumping. It jumps over a flower, over a rock, over a fence, out of its field, across a steam, over a bench and through an open window right into the girl’s bedroom.

On jumps said girl and off they go right out into the world, galloping and then jumping through a series of richly illustrated scenes of mountains, sea

and skyscapes

until the girl falls fast asleep, is transported back to her own bed and thence into dreamland.

With mounting excitement, so evident in the eyes of girl and horse, as the journey moves from location to location, Thomas Docherty, tells this exhilarating story of freedom and friendship using relatively few well chosen words, leaving his gorgeous illustrations of a fabulous flight of fancy to do most of the talking. It’s impossible not to feel that joyful freeing sense of movement be you listener or reader aloud: what a splendid celebration of the power of the imagination.

Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon

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Petunia Perry and the Curse of the Ugly Pigeon
Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Gemma Correll
Nosy Crow

I missed this the first time round so I’m please to meet twelve year old Petunia Perry aka Peri in this reissue. Now in her first term at secondary school, Petunia has decided to write her memoirs and is starting to do so from inside her wardrobe.

As the cool chapter headings indicate, she’s beset by problems and presently believes her best friend Cammy hates her and will never speak to her again. There’s also a pigeon of the unpleasant kind, the question of whether she’s the perpetrator of spoon crime, an unwelcome unicorn-obsessed suitor,

a mother who is totally embarrassing at parents’ evening, not to mention that she begins to have doubts about the boy she really likes. Then when The Spoons, the band she’s formed with the inclusion of Cammy’s cat Margaret as lead singer, looks set to hit the rocks, things really can’t get much worse and certainly not any more crazy.
Totally hilarious throughout, but also surprisingly credible. Peri and the other characters – be they classmates such as Smile Boy and Cara, parents, relations, teachers (I must mention Mr Phart of socks and sandals fame) are all wonderfully observed. I love Gemma Correll’s accompanying visuals.

Pamela Butchart has given Peri a strong voice that readers will quickly come to love; she’ll have you chortling thoughout: I certainly was; but there are some serious themes too: forbearance, empathy and kindness being key.
Anybody want a spoon or two, or a kitten perhaps?

Nothing Scares Spider!

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Nothing Scares Spider!
S Marendaz and Carly Gledhill
Little Tiger

Spider is a fearless creature and is ready to set off and explore the ‘Whole Wide Garden’. First though she bids farewell to her minibeast friends and in so doing hears of their worries at being left without their protector.

Spider leaves a web thread that can be pulled to call her back but only in emergencies and then off she goes. Almost immediately however comes a tug TWANG!

and back home she dashes only to discover that her return is seemingly, unnecessary.

Away she goes again, but whenever Spider herself is unknowingly in danger there comes a tug on the thread – just in the nick of time. Back she goes on several occasions merely stopping to admonish the thread puller before she sets out once more. Now Spider is really getting irate but YANK! On her return this time she comes face to face with Frightening Frog.

Now it just might be Spider’s turn to feel scared …

Fortunately for them all, Caterpillar offers some sage advice which is followed by some nifty work, first by Spider and then her friends. Thereafter comes a deal with their captive and an invitation from Spider.

Carly Gledhill’s vibrant illustrations show what the text doesn’t, enabling young listeners to relish being in the know along with the book’s creators in this tale of friendship and teamwork that will go down well at storytime. Youngsters will also enjoy the humorous touches such as spider’s assorted footwear and the characters’ changing expressions in Carly’s deceptively simple scenes.

It Could Be Worse

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It Could Be Worse
Einat Tsarfati
Walker Books

Are you an optimist or a pessimist? In this story we meet one of each – Albertini is the latter, always placing a negative slant on a situation; his fellow sailor, George is an optimist, remaining cheerful no matter what.

Stranded out on the open sea on what’s left of their ship after a disaster that took place prior to the start of the story, we see them facing a series of incidents that get progressively unlikely. First comes a cloudburst with the rain falling only on the two sailors, followed almost immediately by a torrent of excreta from a school of flying fish suffering from diarrhoea, that strangely amuses George (perhaps none fell on him).

Their disparate viewpoints continue as they encounter half a dozen crooning mermaids whose song lodges itself in lamenting Albertini’s brain; then while George renders the mermaids’ tune on his harmonica, a ghost ship of pirates suddenly appears, closely followed by an ark brimming over with animals – very hungry ones on account of being food deprived for forty days.

Their adventure then takes a subaquatic turn as the tentacles of a massive sea anemone pull them to the ocean floor

where George’s oft repeated “It could be worse” starts to wobble somewhat as they’re surrounded by jellyfish, engulfed (albeit briefly) by a whale

before landing unceremoniously on a rather smelly island where they bed down for the night. Or attempt to before they get the surprise of their lives …

Now how on earth (or in water)? did that happen?

Comical illustrations of the unlikely scenarios and George’s oft-repeated refrain will likely keep young listeners anticipating the possibilities of the next unlikely happening, while causing lots of giggles along the way.

Fox & Rabbit Celebrate

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Fox & Rabbit Celebrate
Beth Ferry and Gergely Dudás
Amulet Books

This graphic novel style series is terrific fun and it’s reached the third book. The focus for the five interconnected stories is celebration and there’s so much to love about them, not least being the alliterative story titles.

First Fix, Fuss & Flies takes place just before Sparrow’s birthday and begins with Fox announcing confusingly for his pal Rabbit that he’s decided to change the middle letter of his name to i and henceforward he’s to be called Fix not Fox or even better Fix-it Fox. Well maybe for that day only; but before it ends there are a number of jobs that need fixing and other animals wanting to be part of i day. So, Fred becomes Frid, and Rabbit gets dubbed Ribbit.

All ends happily with the work done but I do wonder what Tortoise might have been called had he not rocked up right at the day’s end in time for dinner, asking his usual ‘What’d I miss?’

In Party, Pizza & Plans Rabbit and Fox resolve to make Sparrow’s birthday (the next day) ‘super-trooper special’, the best ever and that entails making him the biggest, yummiest pizza in the world. As they have no idea how to make such a thing, they’ll need help, but from whom? Where will all the ingredients come from and how will they go about cooking so huge a thing?

Make way for a new and fiery character in the third story, the addressing of whom requires speaking another language – or perhaps not.

Said new character also appears in Birthdays, Best Days & Best Friends, where he’s introduced, performs a key task, becomes part of the team and a great time is had by all; but guess who almost misses the entire thing.

Wonder, Wish & Wow involves memories of the celebration, a lot of guessing and a considerable amount of hard work; but is it all worth the effort? Does Sparrow’s birthday wish come true?
Love the ending, love the new character and of course, I totally love Tortoise.

Dudás’ brightly coloured, splendidly expressive illustrations together with Beth Ferry’s terrific text, almost entirely in speech bubbles, make this perfect for those just moving to chapter books.

ROAR! / Build

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Thanks to publishers Little Tiger for sending these new board books for review

ROAR!
Amelia Hepworth and Jorge Martín

Who will be the winner of the Best Roar in Town contest? With a dapper duck as compere, the animals take turns to let loose their most fearsome roars. There’s Mouse who receives faint praise; Penguin – not overly impressive; Dog – definitely an underwhelming performance and then comes Dinosaur.

Now here’s a likely winner especially with a score of eight.

Hang on though, step forward another competitor …

With flaps to manipulate, number scores to recognise, contestants’ comments from the sidelines and the entire verbal presentation via speech bubbles, little ones will delight in the silliness of the whole thing as well as the opportunities for some roaring.

Build
Pau Morgan

The latest in this Little Nature series presents animals as constructors of their own homes. There are honey bees busily building a beeswax safe place to store food and keep their eggs. Then comes stick-collecting eagle looking for materials to build a nest, followed by web-spinning spider and finally a pair of beavers. These strong-toothed mammals collect stones and bits of trees to build a dam wherein they make a cosy lodge.

Peek-through holes provide additional interest to this one and it’s printed on 100% recycled board which gives a lovely feel to the sturdy pages.

Seven Sisters

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Seven Sisters
Ayisha Malik and Erika Meza
Little Tiger

Lola, Esher, Ayla, Zoha, Zayna, Amelia and Saffah all live in the Forest of Tremendous Trees. Each of them lives in a tree and despite being sisters, they’re very different characters with very different interests. Zayna is a writer, Lola is an artist, Saffah is the musical one, shy Ayla has a technological mind, Amelia loves gymnastics, Zoha particularly enjoys the natural world and Esher is an inventor. Despite being so different, they get along well largely because they have their own spaces wherein to hone their talents.

Suddenly one day they sense change is afoot and lo and behold a large tree appears before them and continues growing becoming the most beautiful in the entire forest.

That night the girls retire to their beds each thinking of the house they could build in the new tree.

Inevitably next morning they all make their way to the tree where each of them puts forward a case for ownership.

Arguments ensue and things get chaotic until they decide the only way to solve the issue is to hold a competition with their beloved aunt as judge.

Despite her reservations the competition is scheduled for the following day but none of them had expected the storm that blows up just as they arrive. Time to take refuge … together.

Could this perhaps be the best learning opportunity that nature could offer the seven sisters?

Read solo or read aloud: there are lessons aplenty in this engaging story that celebrates individual differences, creativity and the joys of community. Having recently enjoyed Ayisha’s adult novel This Green and Pleasant Land I was pleasantly surprised to learn that she also writes for children. Erika Mesa’s mixed media illustrations are wonderfully expressive, full of life and really bring out the girls differing personalities.

Ten Delicious Teachers

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Ten Delicious Teachers
Ross Montgomery and Sarah Warburton
Walker Books

In all my time as a teacher I’ve heard teachers called many thing but never ‘delicious’. Get hold of this yummy counting down rhyme though and you’ll immediately see the reason for the adjective.

Many youngsters have recently bid farewell to their teachers but here you’ll not see a single child for as the book begins what we have is those ten teachers, tired and weary coming out en masse only to discover that they’ve missed the last bus home: no cars parked in a car park- what a ‘green’ lot they are.

Maybe though, I should use green in another way, for following Mr Smith’s suggestion to take the shortcut, they head off into the Dark Forest wherein lurks a hungry horde of hirsute beasties of all shapes, sizes and hues, ready and waiting for that next tidbit.

One by one, the easily distracted teachers are gulped down by the waiting monsters

until just one, Miss Hunter the nursery teacher remains.

Then comes a brilliant twist to Ross’s jaunty rhyming tale: who will have the last laugh though? Surely that will be the youngsters who savour this number narrative so dramatically illustrated by Sarah Warburton whose mock-scary monsters are hilarious. I love all her witty details too.

Myths, Monsters and Mayhem in Ancient Greece

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Myths, Monsters and Mayhem in Ancient Greece
James Davies
Big Picture Press

However famous the Greek myths might be, retellings of these ancient tales for youngsters can sometimes be pretty dull, turgid even; now here’s a book that makes them anything but.

In a dramatic comic book style James Davies presents half a dozen tales making them highly accessible to primary age readers wherein they will find bravery, loss, love,

greed and envy. Interspersed between the stories are thematic spreads on various topics that offer a broader look at such aspects of Greek mythology as the Greek gods and how the Greek myths explained the world; there’s a presentation of heroes and heroines including Atlanta, Achilles, Penthesilea and Odysseus. We also take a journey through the Greek underworld, a place that could be downright scary or delightful depending on your actions during your life.

James Davies’s bold graphic artistic style means that he manages to make even the most terrifying monsters such as the many-headed Scylla and the gigantic Hydra look amusing.

Right now I think we definitely need that tiny little shining insect that popped out of Pandora’s Box spreading light wherever there was darkness and hope wherever there was despair. Definitely now would not be a good time even to contemplate hiding away inside that ginormous wooden horse like those Greek soldiers did when Helen was rescued in The Trojan Horse story. However there’s much to learn from all six stories: that of Theseus and his quest to defeat the horrendous Minotaur,

the Twelve Labours of Heracles, Orpheus and Eurydice and Perseus and Medusa.

With Ancient Greece being one of the oft used topics in KS2 history, a couple of copies of this enthralling book would make a worthwhile, up to the minute addition to primary school topic resources as well as the school library.

10 Silly Children

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10 Silly Children
Jon Lander
Pavilion Books

Here’s an altogether new and huge fun take on the customary counting book by debuting picture book author/illustrator Jon Lander.

It begins with ‘1 sensible child / sitting quietly’ but not for long though for behind her back she has something hidden – something with which to make a great deal of noise. You discover what by lifting the flap.

And so it goes on with every sentence on the verso being a great whopping lie: there are for instance ‘3 sensible children drawing quietly’, or not …

‘4 sensible children / helping with the washing’ as they do …

(or rather, don’t).

Actually I told a lie earlier (as did the author) – it’s related to the 5 sensible children – good on them, but I won’t reveal why I say so.

Keep going and you’ll discover 8 children brushing their teeth

and more …

This hugely entertaining, tongue in cheek book will delight young listeners (and one hopes their adult sharers) with its inherent silliness and repeat phrases. I love his ‘Dear reader’ introduction and finale too. Jon Lander’s seemingly laid back illustrative style is just right for the children portrayed in both their sensible and exuberant modes.

I shall watch Lander with interest.

Jack and the Beanstalk & Cinderella / Vocabulary Ninja Workbooks

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Jack and the Beanstalk
Cinderella
Stephen Tucker and Nick Sharratt
Macmillan Children’s Books

When I was a KS1 class teacher these lift-the-flap fairy tales were very popular with children just taking off as readers. The fact that youngsters were in the main already familiar with the stories, their rhyming texts, and Nick’s trademark cartoon bright, bold humorous illustrations made them ideal choices for confidence building as well as entertainment and getting across the vital reading is fun message.

Now with new editions that include a QR code to scan to access audio versions read by actor Anna Chancellor, the playful, witty tellings will be sure fire winners with a new generation of learner readers and listeners in school or at home.

Vocabulary Ninja Workbooks
Andrew Jennings
Bloomsbury Education

This series of six vocabulary books is intended to support home learning. There is one for each year group from Y1 through to Y6 ie covering both KS1 and KS2 and providing the vocabulary likely to be needed in the National Curriculum topics such as geography, history and science.

With most children missing a lot of school over the past eighteen months these books are likely to be a boon for parents struggling to help their youngsters and not knowing where to turn.

Aiming to extend vocabulary and literacy skills in general in a fun, imaginative way, the activities on the pages of each book are grouped into levels: grasshopper, shin obi, warrior, samurai, assassin and grand master. In his introduction, the author (a teacher) suggests that a child should attempt to do the first two levels as independently as possible while from level three and beyond, he recommends some adult support to ensure full understanding. However those of us who are teachers or work in education will know that a great deal of differentiation may be required within a class, so parents will have to be guided by their own judgement and assuredly children will enjoy some adult interaction.

With their colourful graphics, straightforward instructions and activities that never overwhelm,

these books offer engaging and much-needed support and empowerment for learning at home, especially at present.

A Cat Called Waverley

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A Cat Called Waverley
Debi Gliori
Otter-Barry Books

Born in a park in Edinburgh, moggy Waverley has learned much about life, not least being how to make friends, his very best friend being Donald with whom he has supper every night for years.

Then one day Donald packs his bag and leaves his place of residence instructing Waverley to stay behind. One after another, all the cat’s other friends vanish from his life and unbeknownst to Donald who is at war,

his house is demolished.

What next for Waverley?

Off he goes to the railways station to wait for Donald. He waits and waits and it’s not long before people notice him, take photos and even bring him food, though he allows nobody to pick him up.

But despite the kindnesses shown by the station staff, nothing assuages his loneliness. Indeed Waverley misses his best pal more and more over the years.

Then one day as he makes his way down onto the platform, the cat hears, “Spare change. Spare a few pence for the homeless.” Surely that familiar voice belongs to his beloved Donald?

Debi’s story is written and illustrated with such empathy and sensitivity, it will surely bring a tear to your eye as you turn the pages of this book. Perhaps even more so when you read at the end that it’s about a real homeless war veteran for whom she wrote the book (as well as for all the countless other homeless people who share our world.)

Sona Sharma: Looking After Planet Earth / Leo’s Map of Monsters: The Frightmare

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Sona Sharma: Looking After Planet Earth
Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Jen Khatun
Walker Books

It’s great to have young Sona Sharma and her extended family back in another story. Now Sona is alarmed when she hears how much humans are doing to damage Planet Earth as her class talk about global warming, plastic pollution, deforestation and more and after the lessons she and her classmates all sign a pledge to do their bit to look after Planet Earth. Sona resolves to enlist the help of all her family members too, although once home she finds Paati (grandmother) is very preoccupied with perfecting her kolam designs in preparation for an upcoming competition.

Nonetheless, on Saturday Soma sets to work on her caring for the planet plan but her over-zealous electricity saving soon has other family members just a tad irritated, not to mention the disappearance of baby sister Minmini’s nappies.

Time for a family Panchayat as Sona’s grandfather calls it, to look at Sona’s list of changes to be made. There are some compromises but everyone seems satisfied with the outcome of the discussion and Sona goes to school clutching a plan she’s happy about on Monday morning.

That evening however, things happen that make her anything but happy and as a result some high drama ensues. The day ends well though but a new day brings another challenge for Sona when she resolves to get the use of chemicals, plastic and glitter banned in the kolam competition. 

Will she succeed? It might just require a miracle …

I’m an even bigger fan of Sona after this story: she’s certainly a force to be reckoned with. Her enthusiasm and determination are admirable even if they do get her into some tricky situations. I love too the way Chitra has woven into her narrative an explanation from the Ramayana of why the Indian palm squirrel has three stripes.

Jen Khatun’s line drawings are a delight; it’s great to have one, (often containing fine detail) on every spread.

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

Leo’s role as apprentice to the Guardian, Henrik, is to protect the village from any monsters that lurk in the encircling forest while keeping his job secret. Even if receiving a summons from Henrik means curtailing his enjoyment of the Spring Festival being celebrated as this story opens.

It’s as well he’s just demonstrated his target hitting prowess at the festival; he’s certainly going to need it in this assignment; but is the truth about his job in danger of being revealed when his close friend Jacob decides to help?

There’s only one thing to do according to The Guardian: Leo must urgently obtain a hair from one of the ghostly Frightmare’s tails before the end of the night. Not a problem then, except that these monsters haunt the higher mountain passes protecting their territory by breathing deadly blue fire from their nostrils.

Can Leo succeed? Perhaps with map in hand and the assistance of his Leatherwing friend, Starla. 

However as he soon discovers, these Frightmares have an unexpected power that will make his task even more difficult: that and the fog. But as Leo tells himself, ‘failure just wasn’t an option’ …

Established fans of the series will eagerly join Leo in this new, splendidly written and illustrated adventure that’s packed with thrills, action and atmosphere. Newcomers will quickly find themselves sucked into the intriguing story too and also enjoy the map and concluding illustrated fact files.

When I Was a Fairy

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When I Was a Fairy
Tom Silson and Ewa Poklewska-Koziello
Flying Eye Books

A grandmother shares reminiscences with her grandchild about the days back when she was a youngster. “When I was a fairy, I lived in an ancient willow, / Inside a homely hollow with a round red door. / When I was a fairy I slept on dandelion pillows. / Back when I was a fairy, do you want to hear more?” 

She goes on to talk of summers spent leaping over lily pads,

meandering through meadows, gathering blackberries, meeting up with all the other fairies to share letters from children. Then in winter, skating on snowflakes and painting holly berries. 

Those were times when everything was possible and days were for exploration.

And so it can be once more, only now it will be in the company of her grandchild for whom as yet, untold adventures await. 

So, invites gran, “Let me show you … clap your hands, flap your wings and come fly with me.”

With magical creatures aplenty adorning the pages so richly illustrated by Ewa Poklewska-Koziello, this rhyming tale of intergenerational love, memories and delighting in the natural world is a lovely one to share especially between grandmothers and their young grandchildren, particularly those who like stories with a touch of whimsy and enchantment.

Let’s Get Ready for School

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Let’s Get Ready for School
Jane Porter and Carolina Rabei
Walker Books

Meet Marley, Maya, Theo, Akiko, Ella and Zakir. These young children are about to experience one of the most important days of their lives: they’re starting school. Yes it may well feel exciting but that feeling is perhaps tinged with nervousness too.

The little ones share with readers, not only their feelings but their actions as they make themselves as ready as possible, trying to do such things as putting on their own coats and shoes and opening their lunch containers.
Then come two questions: ‘why do I have to go to school? and how will I get there?, both of which are answered with a spread for each.

Safely at school, there are lots of new faces.

We see them meeting their teacher and getting to know what happens in the classroom; how best to become a member of a largish group – working in a team, taking turns, how carpet times operate and more.

One of the most important lessons is a social one: accepting and understanding difference among your classmates and always being kind no matter what.

Then there are routines that help the day go smoothly: snack time, lunch time and playtime.

Not every single day will be the same however – sometimes there are special occasions to look forward to, but before you know it, the entire first day will have whizzed by and it’s home-time. Your grown ups will be waiting, having wondered about how you’ve got on and you may well be bubbling over to tell them all about it, or perhaps you aren’t ready to share your experiences just yet: it’s up to you.

With Jane Porter’s reassuring narrative (including a ‘worry page’), the plethora of speech bubbles and Carolina Rabei’s realistic illustrations of classroom life (why no story time, I wonder), this book will certainly be one to share in those days leading up to that big step, especially as due to the pandemic, youngsters may not have had those taster sessions normally offered before a child starts school.

Beep Beep!

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Beep Beep!
Max Low
Otter-Barry Books

Prepare yourself for a very noisy book session when you share this with little ones.

Not only will they relish beeping along with driver Big Bobby’s yellow bus – punctual as always, but there’s also Friendly Fern’s fire engine NEE NAWing its way to the rescue, Tremendous Tracy’s tractor

and Little Lemmy’s extremely lengthy limousine driven in a novel way by the owner. Then who could resist the offer of a spin in that sports car belonging to Super Speedy Susan – once she gets through those traffic lights, of course; or perhaps a ride on board Trudy’s spotty train. If you reach the sea, there’s always the enormous parp parp-ing ship with Captain Cool at the helm.

However if your preference is for flight, then why not accompany Harold in his helium balloon, RWAAAR! off with Jennifer in her jumbo jet (along with a host of feathered friends), or maybe if you hear that WUM WUM of Zappy Zurgle’s spacecraft you’d like to join the alien in a spin around the galaxy.

Hey! They’re all offering a lift so if you could only pick one, what it might be. Think I’d stick with that moggy character on the final page: now what would that entail?

With Max Low’s characteristic playfully quirky illustrations and all those sound making opportunities there’s plenty to entertain young audiences here.

Nikhil and Jay Save the Day / Nikhil and Jay The Birthday Star

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Nikhil and Jay Save the Day
Nikhil and Jay The Birthday Star
Chitra Soundar, illustrated by Soofiya
Otter-Barry Books

The main focus of these two delightful books of short stories is preschooler, Jay and his elder bother Nikhil. Jay finds it frustrating when he cannot do all that his brother can – climbing the apple tree in their garden and lifting up Nana’s heavy bag, for instance. However, when it comes to blowing out his birthday candles and cutting the cake, he’s ready to accept a bit of brotherly assistance, both of which enable him to adopt a ‘we do’ attitude. That story is in the first book. 

There are also episodes telling of a visit to Grandpa and Nana’s home without the green story dragon that Grandpa bought for Jay; then comes the weekly pancake making day when Amma makes the dosa that the boys love so much. Again patience is needed on behalf of Jay whose eyes might prove to be bigger than his tummy. (At the back, Chitra has included a recipe for those, and chutney especially for those who fancy trying to make their own, ‘ the Chennai Granny way’).

The final story tells what happens when the boys make their regular Saturday visit to the library and discover it’s closed ‘forever’ 

– or is it? Perhaps not when the local community gets involved in a protest.

In The Star Birthday, there’s huge excitement in the household as Granny and Grandad from Chennai come to stay. 

One of the first things they do is take the boys to the nearby Indian market to buy fruit and vegetables. Seemingly they ate the mangoes in similar fashion to the way my partner does (although he doesn’t sit in the bath) but he does suck the contents through the peel having made a hole in the top.

After Granny and Grandpa have stayed a week, it’s only one more before it’s time to celebrate Nikhil’s birthday. So why does Granny insist they celebrate on that particular Saturday, calling it a ‘Chennai birthday’ and not on the following week?

Then all four grandparents and the boys plan a visit to the park but first they have to make sure they have the right things to carry the food in – definitely no plastic; and the boys conclude that it’s the best picnic ever.

In the final story the boys prepare to bid farewell to their Chennai grandparents but there’s talk of them paying a visit to Chennai at Christmas. Perhaps this might be the topic of the next book – I hope so. 

It’s lovely to see these books for newly independent readers (or for reading aloud) starring a British Asian family. Chitra draws on her own South Indian background and the stories are illustrated with gently humorous line drawings by Soofia on every page.