Author jillrbennett

Christmas Comes to Moominvalley

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Christmas Comes to Moominvalley
Alex Haridi, Cecilia Davidsson and Filippa Widlund
Macmillan Children’s Books

I’ve adored Tove Jansson’s Moomins since I was a child and it’s wonderful to be back in Moominvalley with an adaptation of Tove’s classic The Fir Tree story by contemporary Scandi. authors Alex Haridi and Cecilia Davidsson with illustrations by Filippa Widlund.

Without further ado let’s head over to Moominvalley where the Moomin family are all nestled in for their long winter sleep. Not so Hemulen though who crash lands unceremoniously into their attic and then proceeds to disturb the slumberers and tell them about Christmas, something they too should be getting ready for.

Now being as they’re normally asleep the Moomins know nothing about this Christmas business save that it sounds dreadful.
Once wide awake though, they climb out onto the roof from whence Hemulen came and from there they spy a friend who tells them they need a fir tree before night falls.

While the others are donning their warm attire and going off to obtain the tree, Moominmamma discovers a tiny little creature shivering beneath the veranda and she invites it in for a hot drink.

It’s with the help of this tiny being that they manage eventually to adorn their tree and rustle up some favourite foods. But just when they think everything is going well, Hemulen reappears with talk of presents so they too are organised, after which the Moomins sit back and wait for disaster to strike.

Meanwhile the little creature has assembled all its friends and relations – just in time for Moominmamma to make a special announcement that will bring all those woodies, toffles and creeps the most wonderful Christmas surprise ever.
And who cares if something other than a star is atop their Christmas tree – or is it?

Then with their fears and misunderstandings set aside, there’s only one thing for the Moomins to do: retire to bed once more and wait for spring.

Perfect wintry reading to snuggle down with – it’s gently humorous, reassuring and gives you a wonderfully warm feeling inside.

Mouse’s Night Before Christmas

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Mouse’s Night Before Christmas
Tracey Corderoy and Sarah Massini
Nosy Crow

Tracey and Sarah’s version of the classic poem offers an utterly delightful new twist in the character of a little mouse.

Tracey cleverly interweaves occasional lines from Clement Clark Moore in her rhyming narrative that tells of Mouse’s Christmas Eve adventure which all begins when he makes a wish in front of the festive Christmas tree that stands in the hall. For as we hear, there actually is a creature stirring in this particular house. And having done so and made that wish he encounters a lost Santa who is more than grateful to have him act as guide for the remainder of his round.

When the deliveries are done, it’s time for Mouse and Santa to part company but Santa hasn’t forgotten his tiny helper’s wish: he gives Mouse not one but two presents and a map …

Could it be that not just one but two tiny creatures are to have their Christmas wishes fulfilled?

Beautifully told – Tracey’s text is sheer pleasure to read aloud – and Sara’s illustrations with all those gorgeous details – despite the snowy landscapes, positively radiate all that’s warm about Christmas.

Share with little ones at home snuggled up with hot chocolate, as well as in foundation stage settings and expect requests of ‘again’ as soon as you try to close the covers. Tracey and Sarah’s little Mouse is an adorable character.

The Snow Dragon

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The Snow Dragon
Abi Elphinstone and Fiona Woodstock
Simon & Schuster

It’s a snowy Christmas Eve when we meet young Phoebe who lives in the orphanage owned by the cruel Griselda Bones. All the other young residents have had their ‘Miracle Day’, been adopted and departed to become part of a family.

Griselda runs a soulless regime – no daydreaming, skipping or games such as hide-and-seek and as for Christmas – forget it, lessons will continue as always. But even those are interrupted when Griselda throws Phoebe out to spend a night in the kennels for daring to be creative in her grammar lesson.

Then it starts to snow and having managed to climb out of the enclosure, Phoebe with the help of dachshund, Herb, builds a snowman, seeing in it a possibility of something magical.

And something magical is swirled into being before her eyes in the form of a snow dragon …

upon whose back Phoebe is whisked away on a fantastic adventure.

But the Christmas magic doesn’t stop there for there’s something even more awesome to follow …

Everything about this book, (which is an abridged version of a tale included in the collection, Winter Magic), is out of this world gorgeous. The telling is full of uplifting messages for youngsters, not least of which is that even in dark times ‘We all have the gift of wonder’ and mustn’t forget to look at the world’s natural beauty. ‘Be content. Be watchful. Be brave’ the dragon tells her.

Sheer enchantment of the best kind is provided in Fiona’s sublime illustrations, especially those of ‘wonderflible’ Northern Lights and the dragon’s first appearance.

This story is a distillation of all that’s best about Christmas.

Early Years Christmas Books

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Maisy’s Christmas Letters
Lucy Cousins
Walker Books

Maisy is throwing a Christmas party and she’s been busy writing invitations to all her friends. It’s not long before the replies start coming in, along with other surprise items for Maisy such as a calendar(Eddie), a recipe (Cyril), a tiny joke book (Charley) and a special letter.
Interactive fun for little ones and just right to share in the run-up to Christmas. I suspect Maisy will acquire a host of new human friends with this book.

Marvin and Marigold: A Christmas Surprise
Mark Carthew and Simon Prescott
New Frontier Publishing

Thanks to a surprise gift from her mother on the first of December, and her own thoughtfulness, Marigold Mouse is able to bring Christmas happiness to her best friend Marvin.
Mark Carthew’s lively rhyming narrative and Simon Prescott’s expressive illustrations together make for a warm-hearted seasonal story in the Marvin and Marigold series reminding us all that Christmas is for sharing with others.

Winnie the Pooh: The Long Winter Sleep
Jane Riordan, Eleanor Taylor and Mikki Butterley
Egmont

Who or what is making those Scritch! Scratch! Crunch! sounds as Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood bed down for their long winter sleep, shutting out the cold wind blowing through the Forest? One after another the animals venture out into the darkness in the hopes of discovering the source of the weird noises. What they find comes as a wonderful surprise that warms them both outside and inside.

Jane Riordan succeeds in capturing the essence of Milne’s characters in this charming tale while the illustrators give a slightly carton feel to the artwork.
Also in the same series but in a mini edition:

A Pudding for Christmas
The friends all gather to make a Christmas pudding, “A gigantic delicious pudding as big as Pooh,” announces Christopher Robin. Each in turn adds an ingredient to the mix and then one by one they stir the pudding and make a wish until Kanga realises that Roo is missing. Is he or is he not somewhere in the pudding? It’s probably a good idea to defer cooking it – just in case …
Another enchanting episode for tinies, this pocket sized book would make a good stocking filler.

Vegetables in Holiday Underwear
Jared Chapman
Abrams Appleseed

The eagerly anticipated season of holiday underwear has arrived and there’s seasonal excitement in veggie land. So says the green pea announcer at the start of the latest in Jared Chapman’s zany series.

Readers are then treated to a pants extravaganza that displays underwear of the cosy and scratchy kinds, that to wear inside and outside; to accommodate the Christmas meal there are stretchy pants as well as the inevitable tight pair. Some pants are similar while others are utterly unique. And because it’s Christmas even Santa is suitably ‘panted. Festive silliness for sure.

Things New and Things Old for Christmas

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The Most Wonderful Gift in the World
Mark Sperring and Lucy Fleming
Little Tiger

Friends, Esme and Bear, discover one last present under their tree on Christmas morning but it isn’t for either of them. Its tag reads ‘For Little Bunny Boo-Boo, Love Santa.’ They decide to find its intended recipient and donning their warmest clothes, off they go into the snow. Guided by signs that give specific instructions ‘FOLLOW THE TREACHEROUS PATH’, ‘WALK THROUGH THE HOWLING GALE’ and carry on beyond ‘DEEP, DEEP’ snow drifts, the two slip, slide, bump and are blasted towards a little wooden cabin.

There they receive a wonderfully warm welcome from Little Bunny Boo Boo but notice that thus far, she hasn’t received a single Christmas present. Imagine Bear and Esme’s surprise then when the rabbit opens the package only to find there’s absolutely nothing inside other than a small note.

The explanation that follows from Little Bunny Boo-Boo reveals that’s she’s actually received exactly what she was hoping for.

Mark Sperring’s festive tale about kindness, friendship and going the extra mile shows readers and listeners that the very best presents aren’t really wrappable at all. Imbued with the warmth and spirit of the season too are Lucy Fleming’s bright, expressive illustrations making this a book to read with little ones in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

The Christmas Unicorn
Anna Currey
Oxford University Press

Here’s a tale of the enduring magic that Christmas holds for young children.

Young Milly isn’t too happy at the prospect of spending Christmas at her Grandpa’s, but Mum explains as she tucks her into bed that he’ll be lonely otherwise and that Dad will join them as soon as he can.

During the night Milly is woken by a noise coming from beneath her bedroom window and discovers a unicorn standing there, attracted by the twinkling of all the Christmas lights of the town. Florian is his name. Milly lets him inside and from then on the unicorn participates in breakfast and all the Christmas preparations. They unpack decorations and adorn the tree but when the newcomer gets a bit over-enthusiastic about tasting the decorations, Grandpa suggests a trip to the Christmas market where Florian temporarily goes missing.

Milly’s search yields not only the unicorn, but also an invitation from a little girl who lives nearby, for Milly to join her in tobogganing the following day.

Then it’s time for Florian to depart but back in Grandpa’s house something very special awaits their return.

This wonderfully warm story of wishes, magic and love has all the warmth of the season but without the glitz and glitter. Anna Currey’s gentle watercolour illustrations add much to her telling; they’re enchantingly expressive and really bring the characters to life.

First published fifteen years ago the book has lost none of its original charm.

Mimi and the Mountain Dragon / On Angel Wings

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Mimi and the Mountain Dragon
Michael Morpurgo and Helen Stephens
Egmont

I’d not until now come across this story, despite it originally being published five years ago and subsequently made into a musical play. It’s said to be inspired by the author’s visit to a village in Switzerland some years earlier and tells of a fearsome dragon that lives in her castle lair high in the mountains, and a little girl, Mimi who lives in the village below.

One snowy Christmas morning Mimi discovers a baby dragon in the woodshed.

As the entire village population, her father among them, had been chanting ‘Death to the Mountain Dragon!’ the previous day, she knows she must keep him a secret and get him back to his mother as soon as possible.

Waiting until everyone else is safely inside the church for the Christmas service, she bravely sets out alone up the mountain.
Once at the castle, Mimi almost decides to flee when she finds herself face to face with the terrifying Mountain Dragon; but before she can move, the baby launches himself towards his mother and the two are reunited.

With mother and baby dragon now back together, Mimi is no longer scared but she knows she must get back down to the village. She also knows that the disaster that happens thereafter has nothing to do with the Mountain Dragon as the villagers suppose.

All ends happily thanks in fact, to the dragon …

With the folk style feel to Michael Morpurgo’s Christmassy telling and Helen’s equally folksy illustrations, this is a timeless book that can be enjoyed and revisited year after year.

On Angel Wings
Michael Morpurgo and Quentin Blake
Egmont

Created by dream team erstwhile Children’s Laureates Michael Morpurgo and Quentin Blake, this is a beautiful reworking of the nativity story for older readers/listeners.

Imbued throughout with warmth and humour, Michael Morpurgo’s telling captivates from its opening lines, ‘The truth is that once we weren’t children anymore, we never did believe Grandpa’s story, not really—as much as we might have wanted to…. We still loved listening to it, though. Christmas nights would never have been the same without it.’ This sets the scene for Grandpa, then a young shepherd boy, to tell his tale of what happened on the night Christ was born.

A family of shepherds is visited by the angel Gabriel: “Oh dear … I can see you are going to need some convincing,“ he says in response to their questions but convince them he does (with the aid of a host of angels).

Off they set towards Bethlehem leaving the far from happy youngest among them to mind the sheep, despairing of the unfairness of his situation.

But then Gabriel appears before the boy

saying “So I’ve had this idea, to make it a little fairer. I could fly you there and back, lickety-split, and no one would ever know you’d been gone.” (I love that use of colloquial language.) And so he does with the result that the lad is the first visitor to the stable.

He leaves the infant his very own shepherd’s crook before Gabriel wings him back to the flock of sheep, though that isn’t quite the end …

Quentin Blake’s distinctive ink and watercolour illustrations deepen both the wit and poignancy of Morpurgo’s telling making this a book to cherish.

Sarah’s Two Nativities

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Sarah’s Two Nativities
Janine M. Fraser and Hélène Magisson
Walker Books

In our world where many people distrust others whom they see as a threat to their way of life, and religious differences are the cause of so many problems, it’s wonderful to see this story that will help children understand that although there are many different beliefs and customs, if we listen to one another and take time to understand our differences, it will help us discover what we have in common.

Sarah has two grandmothers, Grandmother Azar and Grandmother Maria both of whom she loves to spend time with. Grandmother Azar tells her stories from the Holy Koran and when she visits she cooks kofte with Sarah. Grandmother Maria’s stories come from the Bible and together she and Sarah make cupcakes.

Both holy books, full of stories, sit side by side on a shelf in Sarah’s house and her favourite stories are the nativities her grandmothers tell at Christmas.

They are similar in many ways but have differences too. ‘How can they both be true?’ asks Sarah. What she hears in response and what follows, show the little girl that what is most important is a family living together in peace.

What a smashing story showing how similarities transcend differences and that’s what we should focus on and celebrate; it’s ideal for sharing during the Christmas season but a lovely book for any time. Hélène Magisson’s watercolour illustrations are absolutely beautiful, radiating the love and warmth that exists between all the members of Sarah’s family.

We CAN live peaceably together if we listen to one another’s stories.

Seasonal Stories for Young Solo Readers

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Isadora Moon Makes Winter Magic
Harriet Muncaster
Oxford University Press

In case you missed the hardback publication of this wintry wonder last year then grab it now; it’s perfect seasonal reading for new solo readers.
Full of sparkly magic and fab. pink and black illustrations of the half fairy, half vampire star of the show, her friends and family members, this is first chapter book bliss for a certain section of the population.

Isadora feels more than a tad disappointed not to have been invited to her friend Oliver’s ice-skating birthday party, something her parents notice once she’s back home.

To cheer her up Mum suggests inviting her snow fairy, Aunt Crystal, over instead. Isadora has terrific fun with Pink Rabbit playing in the snow and ice her aunt makes ; even more so when the adults go indoors and the snow boy she’s built and Pink Rabbit’s snow bunny come magically to life.

But as her mum tells her, “Magic can’t always last forever … even magic snow melts eventually.” Can the Snow Fairy Queen who lives in the Land of Ice and Snow help? It’s certainly worth finding out …

A charmer best enjoyed along with a cup of hot chocolate after which there are all the festive activities at the back to try.

More seasonal magic in another chapter book:

Winnie and Wilbur: The Santa Surprise
Laura Owen and Korky Paul
Oxford University Press

Picture book favourites Winnie the Witch and her forbearing feline, like countless others are eagerly anticipating Christmas. The excitement mounts as the Advent calendar is opened each day, but it’s presents that occupy their thoughts in the main and especially presents for Santa himself. “Proper presents that are more than a drinkie and squince pie?” wonders Winnie.

Before you can say, ‘Christmas stocking’ the two W’s are on the case. Perhaps the staff and pupils at the local primary school could help with suggestions for a perfect Santa pressie.

Then it’s off to the North Pole – brrrrrrr! Make sure you wear your fur-lined undies Winnie. But will they arrive in time to deliver his Santa-ness the gift of a lifetime and still reach home to celebrate the big day with all their friends?

Zany madness that’s full of the joys of the festive season.

The Pug who wanted to be a Reindeer
Bella Swift, illustrated by Nina Jones
Orchard Books

It’s December and a year since Peggy the pug found her forever home with the Jackson family. Now though the prospect of Christmas isn’t making Chloe feel at all cheerful and the rest of the family seem to be down in the dumps too.

When even the school Christmas fair fails to cheer Chloe up, Peggy resolves to become a reindeer. That way she could use some reindeer magic to make the person she loves most in the world feel happy again. It’s not quite as simple as she anticipates though – there’s the question of antlers for a start.

In the end Peggy decides she needs a new plan, one that involves going to the North Pole and enlisting the help of Santa himself. With less than a week to go before he leaves for his Christmas Eve delivery round there’s no time to lose.

Can Peggy possibly fix things so that not just Chloe but the entire Jackson family find their festive spirit in time for the big day?

Another warm and snuggly Peggy the Pug story about thinking of others at Christmas time.

The Tree That’s Meant To Be

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The Tree That’s Meant To Be
Yuval Zommer
Oxford University Press

Both his wonderful sense of humour and his love of nature and its beauty, shine forth from Yuval Zommer’s festive story of a little tree.

The tale is told by the tree itself. It speaks of its perceived imperfections right from the start – its asymmetry and lack of rapid growth: ‘Looking wonky. Feeling small’ we’re told.

The seasons come and go. People search the forest looking for the perfect tree to cut and take inside for Christmas. One by one the trees are felled until one snowy winter’s night the little tree finds itself alone, seemingly forgotten and unloved.

It’s not so though, for the forest animals have heard its cry and it turns out that the little tree is to have a very special Christmas after all.

Such important themes for all, children especially – unconditional love, enduring companionship and support – are woven into this tale. And what a wonderful way to end, which ensures that this is a story to share beyond Christmas.

All Yuval’s rich, detailed illustrations are a joy to behold. Breaking into rhyme from time to time, the narration really gives a sense of what it feels like to think you’re far from perfect, but this is ultimately, an uplifting book, one to keep and revisit.

The Little Fir Tree

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The Little Fir Tree
Christopher Corr
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Christopher Corr’s reworking of the Hans Christian Andersen classic story is a cautionary tale that ends rather differently from the original.

Christopher’s characteristic dazzling folk art style illustrations follow the little fir tree from its place deep in the forest where it stands feeling discontented with its lot, as other, bigger trees around are felled. Learning that they are to be used to build cabins and ships, the tree insists it too wants to “become a ship and sail on the sea.”

“Don’t wish your life away … Every moment is precious” is the sage advice from the birds that comment on its beauty, as do others – human and animals during the next couple of years.

But then comes the fir tree’s opportunity to have a sparkling adventure of its own. Having been cut down it’s taken into a grand house where children adorn its branches with festive decorations.

Its time of glory though is short-lived, although the fir tree does enjoy a sharing of The Snow Queen

before its branches are stripped of all its adornments by eager hands just before bedtime, leaving the tree eagerly anticipating their replacement the following day.

But it’s not to be, for next morning the tree is taken outside and put in the shed where it stays abandoned with nothing to do but reminisce about its life back in the forest – “It was the best place in the world … If only I’d known it then.”

Corr doesn’t leave the tree rueing its fate though, for come spring, the children drag it outside once more and there they give it a new persona; and thanks to its old friend Squirrel, there’s also an opportunity to create life anew.

Live in the moment and appreciate what you have is the gentle message that emerges from this fine book.

A Christmas Carol / A Cat’s Christmas Carol

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A Christmas Carol
retold by Tony Mitton, illustrated by Mike Redman
Orchard Books

In faultless rhyme, poet and author Tony Mitton tells the story – albeit a somewhat shortened one – of the Charles Dickens Christmas classic that begins on Christmas Eve with the miserly Scrooge responding to his clerk Bob Cratchit’s Merry Christmas wishes thus “Christmas? Humbug … A feast for foolish men.”

Then back in his room, come the ghosts – first that of Marley and later in turn, those of the Ghost of Christmas Past,

the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Future, each one eerily portrayed in Mike Redman’s atmospheric filmic spreads.

As you’ll know, the vision of Bob’s invalid son looking so frail and ill, and that of all the working poor toiling to earn but a pittance, result in a change of heart in old Scrooge who instead of Scrooge the Miser is transformed into ‘Scrooge, the Man / who keeps as kind a Christmas / as any person can.’

This book offers a highly accessible introduction to the famous seasonal classic for children.

A Cat’s Christmas Carol
Sam Hay & Helen Shoesmith
Simon & Schuster

It’s Christmas Eve and closing time in the large department store. The shoppers have gone and the staff are on their way out bidding each other a “Merry Christmas”.

That leaves just Clawdia the security guard’s cat and a trio of mice that have come in out of the cold. Clawdia attempts to apprehend them but they lead her on a merry chase all round the store, stopping from time to time to point out things that make her ponder on the past, present and future,

and begin to question her “Christmas is for sillybillies” attitude.

But then she receives an unexpectedly kind invitation from the tiny rodents she’s been chasing. That’s not quite the end of the kindness though: there’s an even bigger surprise in store and it’s one that results in a wonderful family Christmas Day for the moggy, the mice and the warm-hearted, welcoming humans with whom she gets into proper festive mood.

Helen Shoesmith’s hilarious scenes of the chase around the store

and the superbly expressed feelings of both animal and human characters bring out the warmth and humour of Say Hay’s story: just right for spreading some seasonal cheer at home or in the classroom.

The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland / The Night Before Christmas

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The Night Before Christmas in Wonderland
Carys Bexington and Kate Hindley
Macmillan Children’s Books

Demonstrating the true meaning of Christmas, this is a marvellous mix up of two classics– Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Clement Clarke Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas.

It begins thus: ‘Twas the night before Christmas, a dark snowy night / When St Nick and his reindeer were just taking flight.’

Debut picture book author, Carys Bexington manages to sustain the jaunty rhyme unfalteringly throughout the tale. Therein she gives Santa aka St. Nick a turn to go adventuring down the rabbit hole when he responds to the plea of the Princess of Hearts who sends a letter begging for a Christmas present after her parents have said no.

Having made their way down the royal chimney St. Nick plus reindeer come upon a decidedly unseasonal scene and disturb the Queen of Hearts. She, we learn hates Christmas because as a little princess, her Dear Santa letter missed the last post on account of the White rabbit’s tardiness and so she was presentless.

As a consequence, presents, along with tinsel, mince pies and good cheer are all banned.

Now though, at long last, it’s time to deliver that gift to the erstwhile little princess.

Can St. Nick succeed in restoring the ‘Happy’ into Christmas? Perhaps, but only if her royal grumpiness, the Queen of Hearts responds positively to Rudolph’s assertion, that alluded to at the start of this review.

A full cast that includes the Cheshire Cat and the Mad Hatter, are depicted in Kate Hindley’s absolutely priceless scenes of seasonal mayhem and festive frolics, each of which is bursting with delicious details and Kate’s own brand of brilliance.

The Night Before Christmas
Clement C. Moore and Roger Duvoisin
Scallywag Press

If you are looking for a version of the classic Clement Clarke Moore seasonal poem this year then I’d wholeheartedly recommend this superbly designed one first published in 1954.

Its tall, slim shape and size is perfect chimney shaped design and here we follow Santa – portly and with an enormous beard – as he alights on the rooftop and slides down the chimney of the narrator’s residence (in how many homes would that be possible nowadays?).

Observant readers who are familiar with Duvoisin’s creation for Louise Fatio’s The Happy Lion will spot the striking resemblance of one of the soft toys left as a gift, to said lion.

Retro brilliance this!

Board Book Christmas

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Just Right for Christmas
Birdie Black and Rosalind Beardshaw
Nosy Crow

A board book version of a Christmas favourite from a few years ago unfolods over two days.

It begins on a snowy Christmas Eve with the king walking around the market. His purchase of a roll of beautiful red cloth to make a cloak for his daughter results in the left-over scraps of fabric being placed outside the back door.  Jenny the kitchen maid finds them and makes  a jacket for her ma. The remaining scraps are turned into a hat for Bertie Badger’s pa, then gloves for Samuel Squirrel’s wife and a scarf for Milly Mouse’s little one, and all just in time for Christmas Day.

A warm, feel-good story ‘… just how Christmas should feel’ celebrating the pleasures of giving, made all the more so with Rosalind Beardshaw’s, mixed media illustrations that help stitch the narrative together beautifully.

The Twelve Days of Christmas
Illustrated by Britta Teckentrup
Little Tiger

In this board book, using two enchanting elf characters and her trademark die-cut collage style illustrations, Britta Teckentrup presents a favourite seasonal song aimed at the very youngest listeners. As the song progresses, one verse per spread, the gift is revealed through the cut out. Then on the fourth day additional die-cuts are used to accommodate the 4 colly birds and so on until the eleventh day. On day twelve all the gifts are revealed around the tree on the recto while in the bottom corner on the verso the elves give each other a Christmas kiss.

Just right for tiny hands and there’s plenty of counting fun to be had too.

Wake up, Santa!
illustrated by Pintachan
Words & Pictures

With cleverly designed paper engineering and digital illustrations, this bright, jolly interactive board book will get little ones and their sharers in festive mood as they waken in turn Santa, the elves, Rudolph and a teddy bear.

There are things to find, name, count and talk about all in a tiny, fun-filled ‘Little Faces’ package.

Christmas is Awesome!
Sabrina Moyle and Eunice Moyle
Abrams Appleseed

The Moyle sisters go to town to demonstrate the veracity of their latest board book’s title.

Popping with neon pink, Eunice provides lively scenes of assorted animals getting into the festive spirit with ‘twinkling lights, silent nights, being nice ‘(of course) and much more.

Humorous touches abound with ‘ugly sweaters’, a dachshund sporting one such takes the opportunity to get beneath the mistletoe and bestow a long-tongued lick upon the cat’s beaming countenance; and don’t miss the lump of coal getting in on the act by knitting itself a sweater from ‘darkest black abyss’ yarn. And the nativity scene is priceless: Mary and Joseph are two birds looking benevolently upon their newborn baby Jesus – a haloed egg.

Sabrina’s rhyming narrative orchestrates the celebrations concluding thus: ‘Joy and kindness, love and fun, Christmas is for everyone!’ Their portrayal is certainly a whole lot of fun.

Busy Reindeer
illustrated by Samantha Meredith
Campbell Books

As an adult reads the rhyming couplets, little fingers can manipulate the sliders to activate Santa’s reindeer Ruby, then watch the sleigh take flight over a snowy landscape, help Santa down the chimney and finally, open the stable door for him to thank and bid goodnight to his number one helper. All of this is illustrated in Samantha Meredith’s bright, jolly scenes of a busy Christmas delivery round.

Cavegirl / It’s Too Scary / Manju’s Magic Wishes

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Cavegirl
Abie Longstaff and Shane Crampton
It’s Too Scary!
Adam & Charlotte Guillain and Sharon Davey
Manju’s Magic Wishes
Chitra Soundar and Verónica Montoya
Bloomsbury Education

These are three recent additions to Bloomsbury Education’s Young Readers series, which aims to help children take that important step into independent reading.

Each book has been written by a popular author, has short chapters providing suitable stopping points and full colour illustrations that make each book look inviting.

Cavegirl Aggie is an independent, creative little girl with a warm heart and a mission: to get a very special birthday present for her mum. She learns that one of the villagers, Gron, has found a piece of amber that glows like the sun and is certain it’s the right gift. She sets about her task, making several trades and finally she has something she thinks Gron will trade for the amber. Gron agrees but then on the way home disaster strikes in the shape of a boar and the amber disappears before her eyes. But Abbie isn’t one to give up and the satisfying story ends happily.

It’s Too Scary! is the story of a visit to the fair. Mum takes Jun and his sister Lin but while she’s eager to try all the rides, Jun who’s first visit to a fair this is, is fearful and wants to avoid anything scary. Can Lin, help her little brother overcome his fear of those ‘big rides’ so that he too can enjoy all the fun of the fair and make his experience one he’ll want to repeat?

Chitra’s Manju’s Magic Wishes is slightly longer in terms of words and like Cavegirl, has a little girl who is eager to give her mum a wonderful birthday gift. The story has plenty of action and excitement and of course magic – there’s a magic lamp, a genie and seven wishes, and an enormously tasty finale. Manju and her cat, Cumin discuss mum’s birthday present and Cumin suddenly becomes excited, rushing into Grandma’s room. It’s there that they accidentally discover Grandma’s magic lamp and by recalling Gran’s instructions Manju is able to call up a genie. He grants them seven wishes – more than Manju is expecting. Those will surely be sufficient to conjure up something very special. However the task isn’t quite as simple as they anticipate; indeed Manju almost runs out of wishes before that ‘just right’ gift is ready and waiting.

For adults sharing them with children, the inside covers of all three books have helpful tips, discussion points and creative ideas to extend the stories.

Tyrannosaurus Rex

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Tyrannosaurus Rex
Dougal Dixon and Rachel Caldwell
Templar Books

Subtitled ‘ A Pop-Up Guide to Anatomy’, this totally splendid book from Dougal Dixon and Rachel Caldwell, zooms readers right up close to and within what is possibly THE most fearsome of the dinosaurs.

Dougal so he would have readers believe, is in attendance at the dissection of one of these incredible creatures – ‘a world first’ so he says as we’re treated to the stripping away of its layers.

First there’s the integumentary system (outer covering), then a look at the musculature system

beneath which is the skeletal support system. All of these reveal just how amazing an anatomy these super-strong, speedy predators had. It is after all called by many, the lizard king of all the dinosaurs and Rachel’s stunning illustrations certainly make that evident throughout – oh my goodness those daggers of teeth and colossal jaws – bone crushers they surely were.

The book is designed to give the impression of a Victorian science tome with medical notes, masses of facts, sketches of the instruments used in the dissection and of parts of the creatures and much more. There are flaps aplenty, many revealing additional facts as well as visual information

and the back endpapers have a glossary and a superb view of a Victorian laboratory cupboard filled with scientific paraphernalia.

Awesome through and through – the book as well as the dinosaur; what superb innovation; what brilliant pop-up paper-engineering. A wonderful interactive offering that makes my zoological dissections back in the day look totally pathetic; and yes I still have the set of instruments tucked away so I might have to dig them out for my next reading of this stunner of a book.

The Hero’s Quest

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The Hero’s Quest
Jeffrey Alan Love
Walker Studio

Told in rhyming couplets writ large on the page, and dramatic scenes of a rider who, tasked by the Ancient One, sets out on a quest into the unknown, this epic tale has a satisfying circularity.

We see the quester looking dwarfed as he encounters the array of massive, terrifying adversaries that threaten. There are dragons, elves wielding swords wreathed in flames,

a terrifying wolfpack

sea monsters and more, each presented in a limited colour palette that serves to heighten the impact of the drama.

Totally brilliant: this enormously accomplished, immersive book will appeal particularly to myth and fantasy lovers across a very wide age group who, due to its structure, will want to read it over and over marvelling at each and every spread.

Having seen this picture book, it’s no surprise to learn that Jeffrey Alan Love is a multi-award winning artist and writer.

Dinosaurs vs Humans

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Dinosaurs vs Humans
Matt Robertson
Orchard Books

Can dinosaurs and humans co-exist harmoniously? Seemingly not: the humans do things that annoy the dinos. and the dinosaurs tease the humans.

One day though, one little human, Pearl by name and one little dinosaur, Dexter, both decide to take a walk and they bump into one another – literally! Surprisingly they get on well and before long have become besties – ‘a Human-Dino team’ no less. Needless to say this incurs the wrath of their respective tribes.

Time to seek a new place to enjoy themselves they decide and off they go.

Suddenly though disaster strikes and the friends find themselves in great danger.

Their cries for help are heard by both tribes and each rushes to the rescue but neither the humans nor the dinosaurs can reach sufficiently far down to where Pearl and Dexter are trapped.
Is it perhaps time to set aside the antagonism towards one another and join forces?

Told in rhyme, this unlikely adventure with themes of friendship, community spirit, and respecting and celebrating differences, offers plenty to ponder upon and discuss with young listeners, some of whom will doubtless enjoy pointing out the impossibility of the two sets of characters ever meeting. Matt Robertson’s delightfully daft scenes of dinosaurs and early humans certainly provide lots to explore and giggle over.

Discovering Energy

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Discovering Energy
Eduard Altarriba, Johannes Hirn & Veronica Sanz
Button Books

In his characteristic bright, retro illustrative style, Eduard Altarriba in collaboration with writers Hirn and Sanz, both of whom are experts in physics, explores the vital topic of energy and its effects on all our lives.

After a spread on the sun’s energy, the book looks at what energy actually is including the difference between potential and kinetic energy.

It goes on to investigate the interrelationship between energy and power, exploring wind power, water power, electricity, fossil fuels, nuclear power, solar power and much more.

Historical pioneers including Aristotle, Galileo, Newton, James Watt of steam engine fame, Alessandro Volta who created the first battery and Einstein

are all introduced in relation to their contributions to our understanding of the topic.

In the light of the drastic effects of climate change on the planet and life thereon, there is a spread on the all-important area of ‘clean and green energy’ and the crucial developments that will make safe, clean, sustainable energy now and in the future.

This vast subject is one we all need to come to grips with and it’s never too soon to start learning. This enlightening book, although aimed at young audiences, could also be useful to adults who have no background at all in physics.

Queen of Physics

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Queen of Physics
Teresa Robeson and Rebecca Huang
Sterling

Subtitled How Wu Chien Shiung Helped Unlock the Secerts of the Atom, this is a fascinating exploration of the life of a woman who overcame the barriers of gender and race to become a ground breaking experimental physicist.

Born in China in 1912, Wu Chien Shiung (meaning Courageous hero) was fortunate in having forward thinking parents. Her mother even opened a school in Liuhe to encourage parents to educate their daughters, so it was waiting by the time her own daughter was ready to start.

But it wasn’t long before Chien Shiung had outgrown her parents’ school

so they sent her fifty miles away to the city of Suzhou. There, despite opting for teacher training, she developed a passion for science, especially physics. Not only that but she became her fellow students’ leader in an underground group to fight against the injustices of the oppressive Chinese government.

Eventually her talents took her far from home, first to Berkley and then to New York’s Columbia University to continue her studies in beta decay.

Three times her outstanding work deserved the Nobel Prize but it was those men who had enlisted her help in their research, not Chien Shiung who won the award.

Not only that but she was passed over for jobs she wanted  ‘because she was a woman, because she was Asian’.

Sadly she never saw her parents again but Chien Shiung continued achieving amazing things in physics while continuing to fight prejudice against woman and Asians and in 1963 was declared ‘Queen of Physics’ by Newsweek.

Robeson explains scientific concepts in a straightforward, accessible manner, providing at the end of the book a summary of her subject’s life and there’s also a glossary and suggestions for further reading. Rebecca Huang’s mixed media illustrations add further inspiration to this biography that is rich in potential for classroom discussion as well as for aspiring young scientists.

The Small Five / Scapegoat

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The Small Five
Ralph Johnstone and Harriet Stanes
Little Steps Publishing

The “Big Five’ of Africa are the lion, the elephant, the leopard, the rhino and the buffalo, known the world over. In this subtly humorous rhyming story Ralph Johnstone tells how these are the creatures that ruled supreme in wild life habitats until the Small Five (Buffalo weaver, Elephant Shrew, Antlion, Rhinoceros Beetle and Leopard Tortoise decide to take them on.

We learn what happens as The Battle of The Bush unfolds. With Doc the Croc as referee, there are five challenges focussing on different skills each time, with a representative of the Big and Small teams participating …

Which side will emerge as the winners?

The theme of this tale is summed up in Old Doc’s closing speech, “ And it’s time we all realise / that being big and tough isn’t ever enough’. Size alone does not equate to an animal’s (or a child’s) worth and nobody should be judged on size and stature alone – definitely something to be discussed at home or in school.

Harriet Stanes’ lively, amusing illustrations move readers, along with the action, through different parts of the African landscape adding fun details as well as zoological ones.

Part of the proceeds of sales of the book will through the purchase of produce from Nairobi’s Organic Farmers’ Market go to supporting children living in Kenya’s Children’s home.

Cleverly constructed this is an enjoyable, thought-provoking read aloud.

Scapegoat
Ava Keyes and Alexandra Szmidt
Little Steps Publishing

There are lots of picture books that deal with bullying but I’ve not come across one before that looks at bullying at home. Debut author Ava Keyes presents in her rhyming narrative a story of a family member that always gets the blame when others, young and adult feel angry or frustrated about something. So deep does this cut the young Scapegoat that sometimes even at school, which he loves on account of his friend Harry, the little character feels overwhelmed by shame.

On one such occasion, Harry notices his pal’s tearfulness and alerts their teacher thus allowing Scapegoat to share how he feels. Mr Sheep’s response is ‘Never apologise for what you feel. / It’s like saying sorry for being real’.

He goes on to explain that adults, in spite of doing their best, do get things wrong at times.

He has a talk with dad and mum who eventually see what has been happening to their son who then starts to believe in himself: ‘Inside he knew that he could cope, / Scapegoat had help now, he had found hope,’

Through the story (despite occasional clunks in the rhyme) combined with Alexandra Szmidt’s expressive, mixed media illustrations readers are shown that confiding in a trusted friend or adult, along with finding their own inner strength, are effective when it comes to dealing with bullying.

This is a useful book to have in a foundation/ KS1classroom collection.

Musical Mac / Just So Willow

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Musical Mac
Brendan Kearney
Sterling

Here we have a solo offering from the illustrative half of the Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast series.

Millipede Mac loves to play music but the thought of competing solo in the Soggy Bog Talent Show fills him with fear.

To get round this he decides to join a band, so packing up his numerous instruments he sets out in search of a suitable one.

He tries his luck with several rehearsing groups – a tiny antennae orchestra, a band of alleycats, he plays guitar with frogs and drums with dogs but despite his talents none of the bands will take him on.

After a too close for comfort encounter with a bird choir, Mac is so thoroughly frightened that he dashes right on to the stage of the talent show – all alone.

Can he – with a bit of encouragement from the other bands he’s met on his way – summon up the courage to give it a go? He certainly has plenty of instruments …

Full of zany detail. Brendan Kearney’s illustrations provide plenty to pore over and the scattering of alliterative phrases adds interest to the text.

Just So Willow
Sara F. Shacter and Stephanie Laberis
Sterling

Bear cub, Willow, is fanatically finicky even ironing her underwear and unscrambling her spaghetti.

When a snowstorm covers her backyard one morning, Willow is delighted at its perfection and is determined to keep it just so. But then a stray snowball tossed by one of the children playing close by is deemed to be the start of her perfect space being turned into a ‘lumpy, bumpy mess’ Willow just has to stop them. But how?

Shouting doesn’t work as she can’t get close enough despite some athletic efforts, but the little bear just keeps on trying.

Eventually she accidentally toboggans into the centre of the group of frolickers creating a perfect ‘crisp white ribbon around the yard.

Then it’s time to discover the possibilities of different kinds of perfect and a whole lot of fun with friends too perhaps …

It’s evident that author Sara Shacter understands children like Willow (I love all the playful language) and illustrator Stephanie Laberis goes to town with the characters’ expressions especially those of Willow in her comical scenes.

A fun story about stepping outside your comfort zone and risk taking.

Snow Still / Flip Flap Frozen

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Here are two decidedly shivery offerings from Nosy Crow Books

Snow Still
Holly Surplice
Nosy Crow

A young fawn experiences the world while taking its first steps in a snowy landscape.

Told through a sequence of rhyming couplets beginning ‘Snow white. // Snow slide. // Snow chase. //Snow hide. and gorgeous visuals, we follow the little creature through a series of beautiful watercolour scenes that show a game with rabbits; an encounter with a group of perching birds; an owl gliding high overhead across a silent empty plain;

a squirrel curled up in the hollow of a tree … and finally as the fawn struggles with the extra depth of a further snowfall, we meet the adult deer ready and waiting to provide a warm safe haven for their little one.

I love all the different perspectives used and how the seeming simplicity of the words allows the visual landscapes plenty of space to convey the beauty and starkness of the countryside – its woodlands with the berries all aglow, the umbel seed heads a-sparkle with touches of silver, and the vastness of the open field. (This is some of the best use of silver highlighting that I’ve seen in a picture book certainly this season).

Lyrical and lovely; a beautiful book to share with the very young on a chilly winter’s day.

Flip Flap Frozen
Axel Scheffler
Nosy Crow

There’s a decidedly icy feel to the latest in Axel’s terrific Flip Flap series.

Readers can discover what happens when a polar bear is crossed with a walrus (you get a polrus), or a reindeer with an orca (a reinca – naturally!) and a host of other brilliantly bonkers species as they play around with the spit pages.

Samuel experimenting with combinations

Of course if you play it straight then Axel’s animals have provided factual rhyming descriptions about themselves and they even accompany them with their characteristic sounds.

Guaranteed hours of fun whether consumed solo or with the help of an obliging adult reading the main text and a youngster making the noises and flipping the flaps.

The Snow Queen

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The Snow Queen
retold by Geraldine McCaughrean, illustrated by Laura Barrett
Orchard Books

Like everything else she writes, award-winning author, Geraldine McCaughrean’s retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen classic tale is simply stupendous: the way she uses words herein is sheer enchantment: ‘From that moment, Kai was full of goblin mischief … and empty of joy. … And when in the market square, he saw the beautiful lady again, in her curlicue silver sleigh, he just climbed in beside her. Had to. Something made him. A magic bigger than mischief.’

That’s when Kai disappears in the company of the wicked Snow Queen and thus begins the search for Gerda’s dearest friend.

During her search Gerda encounters a kindly witch, a clever crow, a prince and princess,

a den of robbers and in particular a Robber Girl. It’s the latter who gives her a pet reindeer to ride.

At the top of the world she comes to a house wherein dwells a wise woman who knows the way to the palace of the Snow Queen. This woman urges Gerda to find courage and sends her on her way.

And find Kai she does, once the Snow Queen has departed leaving him with a puzzle to solve, but convinced he’ll fail.

However with Gerda at his side, a word takes shape …

and then it’s time to flee for their lives, Gerda, Kai and two brave reindeer …

Geraldine’s out of this world telling has the perfect illustrator in Laura Barrett. Putting me in mind rather of Lotte Reiniger and Jan Pieńkowski’s work, her silhouette illustrations are incredibly beautiful.

The Blanket Bears

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The Blanket Bears
Samuel Langley-Swain and Ashlee Spink
Owlet Press

Here’s a little book, written by an adoptive Dad that provides an outline of the adoption process from a child’s point of view.

The author’s story of two little bears removed from a dangerous situation, doesn’t gloss over the fact that adoptive children will have had troubling experiences that they bring with them into their ‘forever’ homes, and thus provides an honest sensitive look at the adoption journey that the very young can relate to.

Herein we meet and follow the two little bears from the time they’re visited by a care worker, Tilly, one snowy day. She secures them a temporary foster home where the two begin to feel safe while their carers, Bailey and Niko make sure that their foster ‘children’ know this is a temporary arrangement until Tilly has found them a ‘forever’ home.

One day she arrives with a huge smile and a picture book about a family and the little bears’ new home, explaining that they’ll soon be having a visit from their ’forever family’.

All goes well and very soon the little bears, with mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension leave Bailey and Niko and move into their permanent and very loving home.

Ashlee Spink’s illustrations portray the emotions of the little bears and the characters who help them beautifully, showing both the downs and the ups the main characters’ experience.

Endorsed by Adoption UK this is a book for early years settings to have in their collections, as well as for adopters and their children.

The Magical Underwater Activity Book / Roman Adventure Activity Book

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The Magical Underwater Activity Book
Mia Underwood
Button Books

Following on from her Secret Woodland Activity Book, Mia Underwood has created another exciting volume that combines fantasy and reality – merpeople and microplastics. It starts with an invitation from the sea creatures to become an ‘ocean hero’ and help save the planet.

On the reality front, there are such diverse activities as meeting microscopic creatures like phytoplankton and zooplankton (their roles are explained),

and finding out some things to do that will help our planet.

There’s a challenge to design an ocean-cleaning gadget; maths and language challenges; ideas for lunch box snacks to prepare, crafty things to make, ideas for getting creative with pens or crayons and scissors, and much more.

There are also four pages of stickers to use in some of the scenes.

Guaranteed hours of engagement of the enjoyable and gently educational kind; just the thing for some screen free, dark evenings.

Roman Adventure Activity Book
illustrated by Jen Alliston
Button Books

Youngsters can find out about the world of Ancient Rome as they engage in the wealth of fun activities between the covers of this book. There are such diverse ideas as making a Roman bracelet (not the solid gold kind popular in Roman times)

and discovering some of the remedies ancient Romans used for common ailments: I reckon consuming raw egg yolks would increase my digestive problems rather than curing an upset tummy; and imagine being told to kiss the nose of a mule to cure a cold. No way!

Puzzles – both word and maths, codes, mazes, spot the difference pages, colouring, search and find, and crafty things to make such as a gladiator shield. You can even, with adult help, bake some libum (a special bread made as an offering to the household gods).

Skills of several kinds are developed while engaging in these activities and there are pages of stickers to use along the way. Almost without exception, the Romans depicted in Jen Alliston’s illustrations look like children but I guess that’s part of the allure for young users.

Argh! There’s a Skeleton Inside You! / A Cat Called Trim

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Allen & Unwin offer some unusual ways of presenting information in these two non-fiction books

Argh! There’s a Skeleton Inside You!
Idan Ben-Barak and Julian Frost
Allen & Unwin

Quog (a blobbly armless thing) and Oort (a gas cloud) are in their spacecraft going to a party but mechanical issues hold things up. They need to get out and fix the problem but without hands or arms, opening the door isn’t possible. Or is it? That’s when the narrative becomes interactive – the reader turns the page and … out they come.

‘Give Quog and Oort a wave,’ we’re told and a page turn reveals Quog has grown arms and hands. That’s a good start but there are further issues.

Little by little youngsters are then introduced to the bones,

muscles …

and nerves of the hand – their form and function.

With simple, bright, lively illustrations, this, zany mix of fact and fiction is enormously engaging: little humans will love the idea of helping the little aliens reach their destination, and in so doing learning some basic human biology – anatomy and physiology – as presented by the clever human team Idan Ben-Barak (author/scientist) and illustrator Julian Frost.

A Cat Called Trim
Corinne Fenton and Craig Smith
Allen & Unwin

‘Trim was a cat born for adventure.’ That he surely was having been born aboard the sailing ship Reliance bound for Botany Bay and then not long after, finds himself hurtling over the side of the ship into the inky depths of the Indian Ocean.

Happily for the kitten and his saviour Matthew Flinders, a special relationship is forged, with Trim accompanying his master on all his expeditions until the fateful day when Flinders was accused of spying, his precious books, charts and journals confiscated and he became a prisoner on the Isle de France (Mauritius).

After a while Trim disappeared and his master never saw him again.

Both educative and entertaining, Corinne Fenton’s telling of this true story is compelling and accompanied by Craig Smith’s dramatic, detailed illustrations, and maps, makes for an absorbing starting point for primary readers interested in Australia and its history.

Sofia Valdez, Future Prez

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Sofia Valdez, Future Prez
Andrea Beaty and David Roberts
Abrams Books for Young Readers

I can’t think of a better time than now for this continuation of the Questioneers series to appear: young Sofia Valdez has a vision to make the world – in particular her own neighbourhood – a better place.

From a very young age Sophia has been a caring, helpful child and one morning on the way to school with her much loved Abuela (granddad) a squirrel chasing dog precipitates the downfall of a huge mountain of rubbish, causing an injury to her grandfather.

Thereafter, Sofia decides to become an environmental activist leader who campaigns for the mess mountain to be cleared and a community park constructed in its place. Her neighbours are on board with ideas but then Sofia has a crisis of confidence.

However, despite feeling daunted she heads to the City Hall next morning and after being directed from one office to another,

she eventually rallies the support of all the employees including the mayor.

Operation Blue River Creek Citizens’ Park is underway.

A slight departure from STEM subjects, this fourth, rhyming story adds a social science/citizenship strand to the series: stand up for what you believe is right is one message in this tale of empathy, finding your own voice, courage, leadership, community spirit and creativity. For adults wanting to encourage any of those in youngsters, this is must have book. Along the way readers will enjoy meeting some old friends from previous books before David Roberts’ wonderful, uplifting final spread.

Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales

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Franklin and Luna and the Book of Fairy Tales
Jen Campbell and Katie Harnett
Thames & Hudson

This is dragon Franklin and his human pal, Luna’s third adventure. Herein the two are about to celebrate bibliophile Franklin’s six hundred and sixth birthday.

Luna and the villagers are planning a special surprise party and to distract Franklin, Luna takes him to a strange bookshop where spiders act as assistants to the lady owner and there are exciting books in abundance.

But the real adventure begins when Luna’s pet tortoise Neil is entrapped by an old book,

and Franklin and Luna follow into what turns out to be, the wondrous world of fairy tales.

There they meet the likely characters – the three little pigs building a hotel,

three bears, a boy who has so he says, sold his cow for magic beans, a ‘yawning princess with a bag of frozen peas’ (love that), as well as a host of other story book inhabitants.

Some of these, including the final one they encounter – a large grey wolf – don’t conform to the stereotype: this huffing creature informs the searchers that he’s turned vegetarian and practises yoga. Not only that, he actually points out the missing tortoise (engaged in a race with a long-eared leporine).

Yes, they do escape from the book – just! – and return to the village for that surprise party, but whether it turns out to be their ‘happily ever after’ as Luna wonders during the celebratory picnic, we’ll have to wait and see.

Young listeners will delight in the story and especially relish pointing out their favourite fairy tale characters, while adult sharers will welcome the creators’ promotion of books, stories and proper bookshops.

Greta and the Giants

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Greta and the Giants
Zoë Tucker and Zoe Persico
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

The impassioned 16 year old Swedish environment activist Greta Thunberg is often in the headlines and here we have an allegorical picture book tale of a forest-dwelling Greta and the troubled animals whose beautiful home environment is threatened by thoughtless greedy giants.

The importance of conscious interaction with both the land and the animals that make its various environments their home, comes across powerfully through both Zoê Tucker’s words and Zoe Persico’s spirited illustrations.

One can’t help but wish that the real world culprits were as responsive and had consciences that made them respond as positively as the giants who, in this heartfelt fable, change their ways for the better.

Yes, this inspiring story has a happy ending but as its creators acknowledge, the real Greta is still fighting the Giants (industry and governments).However there are things that everyone, no matter how young, can do to make a difference where climate change and the climate crisis is concerned; if we all work together ‘we can change the world’. That in itself makes the book a must for all families and classrooms where there are young children.

(Thanks to the publishers, 3% of the cover price of every copy of the book, which in the UK is printed on 100% recycled paper, will go to Greenpeace UK.)

Scruffle-Nut / Hugless Douglas Plays Hide-and-Seek

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Here are two very different stories with a theme of friendship:

Scruffle-Nut
Corinne Fenton and Owen Swan
New Frontier Publishing

‘As winter leaves tumble and twirl / a wisp of memory / wraps itself about me / and whispers me back / to long ago … ‘

So begins a gentle tale told by Olivia whose childhood memories we share in this sensitively told, equally sensitively illustrated story with its soft-spoken bullying theme.

As a young child her Nanny Clementine would take her to the park and there one day she sees a shy stumpy-tailed little squirrel that is chased away by the squirrels with large bushy tails.

It’s the beginning of a friendship that develops between child and squirrel – a squirrel that is, like the girl, a little different from others.

Time passes, the days turn colder until the snow falls and visits to the park come to a halt and Olivia is left wondering whether Scruffle-Nut, as she calls her friend, will be able to ward off attacks from the Bully-Bunch, the name she gives to the bushy-tail squirrels.

Although she never sees her squirrel friend again, he stays in her heart along with the lesson she learned from him so long ago.

Hugless Douglas Plays Hide-and-Seek
David Melling
Hodder Children’s Books

Playing hide-and-seek with his woolly friends is somewhat problematic for Douglas; he’s always the one to be found first.

But when Little Sheep invites him to team up and become a seeker, he certainly proves his worth; in fact he’s a little too good.

The game continues apace until there’s only Flossie left to find and then in his enthusiasm Douglas picks up the only possible hiding place remaining, in its entirety, which has the desired result. They locate Flossie but then find that Little Sheep is missing.

Can they discover where their friend is before it’s dark?

Another eventful episode from the adorable Douglas to please his fans and more than likely win him a whole lot more.

Magical Kingdom of Birds: The Snow Goose / Unicorn Academy: Violet and Twinkle

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Magical Kingdom of Birds: The Snow Goose
Anne Booth, illustrated by Rosie Butcher
Oxford University Press

There’s trouble in the Magical Kingdom of Birds: the amazing Silver Snow Goose normally appears to open the Winter Festival and the snow geese then start to migrate south for winter but this year there’s no sign of him, so winter cannot come.

Uncle Astor is causing problems again. He’s furious at not being  guest of honour at the festival and this is the result.

Can Keeper of the Book, Maya, and her friends, uncover the whereabouts of the missing snow goose, and bring winter to the kingdom, even if it means Maya taking her longest ever flight?

With the popular mix of magic and bird facts, Anne Booth’s Maya and her new adventure will certainly please her numerous already established followers and she’ll no doubt win new enthusiasts with this wintry tale. Rosie Butcher’s black and white illustrations and beautiful borders are likely to seduce readers whether or not they’re familiar with the series.

There’s plenty of magic too in

Unicorn Academy: Violet and Twinkle
Julie Sykes, illustrated by Lucy Truman
Nosy Crow

Can it really be the 11th adventure set in the school where magic is part and parcel of the pupils’ lives?

Violet is eager to graduate from Unicorn Academy along with all her friends. First though she needs to bond with her unicorn Twinkle and becoming true friends with this creature inclined to put his hoof in it when he speaks and thus hurt other people’s feelings isn’t straightforward.

What’s more he doesn’t really listen to Violet or think about what she wants to do.

In the meantime there’s the identity of the cloaked figure to be discovered.

Her unmasking precipitates an alarming event that sees Violet and Twinkle cascading towards the Frozen Lagoon where almost before you can say ‘binding spell’ they find themselves taken prisoner.

Can Twinkle discover his magic and save not only the two of them, but also all the friends who come searching for the missing pair? A very daring rescue is called for.

Certainly for young solo readers, the magic still holds good.

Early Years Bookshelf: Moon and Me / All Around Me: A First Book of Childhood

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Moon and Me
Andrew Davenport and Mariko Umeda
Scholastic

Not being familiar with the TV programmes I watched an episode and with its generous sprinkling of ‘tiddle toddle’s, it certainly does have some of the magic of the Teletubbies and In the Night Garden.

What we have in this book is a sequence of episodes starting with Pepi Nana’s sending of a magical letter to the moon that results in a visit from Moon Baby and his magical kalimba; and thus she makes a new friend.

Once at Pepi Nana’s Toy House he wakes her friends with his music: for the uninitiated they are Mr Onion, Colly Wobble, Sleepy Dibillo, Little Nana, Lambkin and Lily Plant. They create tissue paper flowers from the resources in the curiosity box and one ends up looking like a seed that becomes the inspiration for the next Storyland tale wherein ‘Tiddle toddle’ Pepi Nana’s magical seed grows into a large beanstalk which everybody climbs

and there they see something wonderful.

And so it continues until finally, it’s time for sleep and for their visitor to return to the moon.

There are songs to learn and the repeated “And I think she was right about that’ to join in with, as well as a lot of playing of Moon Baby’s magical kalimba.

If your little ones enjoy the Moon and Me CBeebies series then I suspect they’ll love this attractively presented, whimsical picture book.

All Around Me: A First Book of Childhood
Shirley Hughes
Walker Books

Putting together five previously published books, this is the most delightful children’s collection of basic concepts done with genius as only Shirley Hughes can.

Enormous fun and wonderfully engaging for little ones, we’re shown the world of childhood through the eyes of Katie and her smaller brother, Olly.

Whether it’s the rhyming look at Opposites; the story of an outing (Grandpa and Katie) to the park that provides a superb opportunity for Counting; Colours identified through wondrous scenes and accompanying rhymes;

the enchanting visual presentation of All Shapes and Sizes, again with accompanying rhymes; or cacophonous Sounds alongside some gentler ones, each section offers sheer pleasure (and some gentle learning) at every page turn.

If you have a little one or know others who have, then this is for you. Equally it’s a classic to add to a nursery or playschool collection.

We Are Artists

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We Are Artists
Kari Herbert
Thames & Hudson

For this splendid celebration of creativity, Kari Herbert has selected fifteen influential women artists from various cultures and different parts of the world who succeeded, often against considerable odds.

Each one is the subject of a chapter that includes a quote, a fantastic portrait (by Herbert), a short biography and one or two reproductions of their work.

I was thrilled to see Tove Jansson, especially her Moomins sketches. Kari Hebert’s ‘Back in 1950s Finland, for a woman to love another woman was illegal. But on the islands… they could live and love as they wanted.’ is an example of the sensitive manner in which this book is written.

Abstract Sea, Tove jansson 1963

As you might expect we meet Georgia O’Keeffe and Frida Kahlo but there are also Corita Kent, Yayoi Kusama and Emily Kame Kngwarreye.

Among the few artists new to me, and despite my being a frequent visitor to India with two close friends who are artists, is Amrita Sher-Gil whose interpretations of the rich colours she saw in the everyday lives of India’s poor are enormously moving.

Group of Three Girls, 1935

‘In India the light spoke to her’, we read in contrast to the greyness of Europe where as daughter of a Hungarian opera singer mother and an aristocratic North Indian Sikh father, she spent her early years.

Another new discovery for me is Lyubov Popova, one of several avant-garde women artists in Russia in the early part of the 20th century. I love the quote that introduces her: ‘ Most important of all is the spirit of creative process.’

Engrossing and inspiring, this superb book is for youngsters with an interest in art and those who want to encourage creativity especially in young people.

The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story

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The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story
Bob Graham
Walker Books

This is the wonderful Bob Graham’s second story about Esme and April. Herein while their parents work, they are to spend a whole day and night with their Grandma and Grandpa in the teapot house by the airport fence. What joy!

As they’re just settling in Grandma’s phone rings. It’s Mum about a job: Akuba, a small girl shortly arriving from Ghana by plane has lost a tooth and it needs collecting.

With Mum’s permission it’s decided that Grandad will remain behind to look after baby Vincent, and Esme, April and Grandma will get the tooth, taking great care not to be seen.
Off they go to the ‘terminable’ as Esme calls it to await Akuba’s arrival.

There follows an exciting time as they fly around in the terminal among angels and cupids some of whom they actually meet and learn about their jobs.

Then the Ghana flight’s arrival is announced; can the tooth fairies locate Akuba’s tooth and get hold of a coin with which to replace it without Akuba catching sight of them?

What a gorgeously whimsical, magical tale of determination, hoping and believing. Bob Graham’s telling is absolutely full of delicious moments. For instance Grandad’s reading ‘A Poem for Every Day of the Year’ as the tooth collectors depart and is still so doing ‘with Vincent’s sweet breath in his ear’ on their return and what’s more he’d managed to read four months in that single sitting.

Equally wonderful are Graham’s distinctive illustrations – I just love the scene where Grandad has tethered himself to Vincent so that should he drop off while reading, the baby can’t float away like a balloon.

Totally adorable from start to finish.

Orchestra

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Orchestra
Avalon Nuovo and David Doran
Flying Eye Books

Here’s a concise, engaging introduction to western music for young readers.

It’s divided into three parts, the first – The Orchestra – being the longest, and the parts are subdivided into double page sections.

The Orchestra looks at the arrangement of an orchestra, exploring its different sections (strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, guests – those instruments not always there such as the harp), and also looks at how representative instruments from each category work and how their sound is created. For instance of the clarinet representing the woodwind section, ‘When the player blows into the instrument it is the reed’s vibration against the mouthpiece that makes the sound.’

When we reach the percussion section we see how the author develops an idea when she says, ‘You may have started to see a pattern in how instruments work. Some use air, some are plucked or bowed, but all of them are doing the same thing to make sound: vibrating. With percussion, vibrations come from the force of a player striking the instrument.’

Part two Music and its Makers discusses music and composers. There’s a spread on reading music and one on musical composition after which the focus turns to individual composers with a look at Hildegard of Bingen, Vivaldi and the Four Seasons,

Amy Beach, Gustav Holst and The Planets, Duke Ellington, and six others – Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Ethel Smyth, William Grant Still and Michel Legrand are included in a Hall of Fame that spans the second half of the 18th century to the present.

The third part takes us Beyond the Concert Hall to look at the mythology of music, opera, there’s a look at music as the basis for dancing, in particular ballet (Orchestra and Dance) and then come pages talking about the differences between composing for musical theatre and cinema.

Orchestra and technology examines how digital technology has changed both the way music is performed and how it is written.

Encouraging young readers to learn music is the object of the last spread and the book concludes with a glossary and index.

David Doran’s stylised illustrations gracing every spread, reinforce the idea that music is cool, inclusive and fun: I love his colour palette.

Great for home or school use.

Aaahhh!

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Aaahhh!
Guilherme Karsten
Thames & Hudson

Aaahhh! Aaahhh! Aaahhh! Whatever is that noise?

The world’s highest mountain collapses; something weird is happening between the north and south poles; the biggest tiger in the world becomes stripeless.

Aaahhh! Aaahhh! Aaahhh! A terrible eardrum shattering noise is permeating the entire planet.

Nobody can think straight let alone hear other voices. Chaos and confusion reign as computers go crazy with buzzes and beeps.

Where can such a havoc wreaking sound possibly be coming from? Outer space perhaps? Or could it be a catastrophic hit on the trombone factory, or an enormous out of tune saxophone being played? Whatever it is, the sound seems to be drawing more and ever more people towards its source.

A plot spoiler I won’t be so I’ll leave you to decide what or who is the cause of the cacophonous din. The answer certainly came as a complete surprise to me; I was anticipating something completely different.

Enormous fun and full of witty artistic allusions, illustrator and graphic designer Guilherme Karsten’s mixed media illustrations of paint, crayon and collage have details aplenty to pore over. You might want to reach for your earplugs as you read his resoundingly zany tale aloud to a participatory child audience.

The Adventures of Moose & Mr Brown

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The Adventures of Moose & Mr Brown
Paul Smith and Sam Usher
Pavilion Books

Like the book’s author, Mr Brown (a monkey) is a famous fashion designer.

He meets Moose on a plane en route from the USA to London. Moose has lost his twin brother at the airport and seeing his distress Mr Brown offers to help Moose find him.

This however isn’t straightforward for Moose finds himself assisting his new friend, offering ideas to extend his fashion range and travelling the world at the same time.

His ideas are certainly interesting – parkas for penguins, sneakers for cheetahs, scarves for giraffes, go-faster slippers for sloths and more.

But it’s during the styling of snow-shoes for a bear that Mr Brown has an idea. He enlists the ursine creature’s help and eventually at the Paris fashion show a happy reunion takes place and a dream team is born.

A fun story that celebrates creativity and highlights the importance of kindness and friendship. Illustrator Sam Usher has clearly enjoyed letting his own creative juices flow for this quirky book.

A World of Plants

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A World of Plants
James Brown and Martin Jenkins
Walker Studio

With the continuous stream of books about animals, it’s great to see this large format volume about plants.

There’s an absolute wealth of information packed between its covers with each spread focusing on a different aspect of plant life. The author, Martin Jenkins is highly adept at presenting complicated topics in such a way as to make them accessible and enjoyable for children. Having explained what a plant is, he includes information about such aspects of plant life as photosynthesis, the carbon cycle and reproduction.

There’s a spread on the functions of xylem and phloem (tissues I didn’t come across until I studied A-level botany).

Seeds and their dispersal mechanisms are discussed;

so too are plant hormones, and climbing plants – those with twining stems, tendrils, clinging suckers or roots, and hooks.

Symbiosis and other plant interactions are explored, as are carnivorous plants – I’m always fascinated by these when I visit Kew Garden – and parasitic plants.

Sacred and Symbolic Plants talks about the many thousands of plants used as medicinal herbs and stimulants, provide spices, flavourings and perfumes or for ornamental purposes. I knew that the sacred lotus is an important symbol in Buddhism but was surprised to read that it was also revered in Ancient Egypt on account of the way its beautiful pure flowers emerge from unclean waters.

There’s a look at plant defences: I was fascinated to discover that there are plants with ‘spikes’ (needle-like crystals of calcium minerals called raphides) in their tissues that can penetrate the lining of an animal’s mouth and throat releasing poison into its bloodstream.

In fact no matter which spread you choose to read, you cannot  but be excited by the manner in which Jenkins and illustrator/print maker, James Brown present the botanical world. The latter’s full page illustrations, double spreads and borders are absolutely awesome.

This book provides wonderful insight into the wide and varied world of plants.

Rise Up! The Art of Protest

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Rise Up! The Art of Protest
Jo Rippon
Palazzo

Developed in collaboration with Amnesty International and with a foreword by Chris Riddell, Rise Up! celebrates the human right of peaceful protest. At the same time it encourages young people to engage in such protest for causes they believe in and to stand up for freedom.

Arranged thematically there are posters relating to the on-going fight for gender equality, civil rights, LGBTQ rights,

refugee and immigrant rights, peace, and the environment.

First come images of protest posters going back to the early decades of the twentieth century when women’s struggle for equality gave rise to the suffrage movement, which became popular across Europe at that time

coming right up to 2017 with the official poster for the 2017 women’s March on Washington but used around the world, in protest at comments made by Trump that many felt disrespected the rights of women.

Each theme is introduced by an apposite and powerful quote, such as this one from Nelson Mandela for the racial equality section, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

As you turn the pages you cannot help but feel both humbled and inspired. We seem to be living through a time when ever increasing numbers of people, especially the young, are politically aware, but there also seems to be more than ever to protest about. In the last couple of years I’ve carried pro refugees banners, anti BREXIT placards, of late proudly wear my pro EU sweatshirt and trainers, and have joined protests about climate change. I consider myself fortunate to be able to do so without any risk to myself, unlike many of those who carried some of the posters whose images are included in this enormously exhilarating, empowering book.

A copy, preferably several, should be in all schools and colleges; it’s a wonderful demonstration of the way in which a combination of creativity and bold resistance can help bring about positive changes that ultimately benefit everyone.

Angel on the Roof

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Angel on the Roof
Shirley Hughes
Walker Books

Come with me to 32 Paradise Street, Notting Hill, London where something wonderful unfolds.

In her inimitable style, Shirley Hughes presents the story of a friendship that develops between a boy, Lewis Brown, and an angel.

One night this angel alights unnoticed on the roof of the building wherein Lewis lives with his parents, spends the night there and next morning shakes his wings causing a golden feather to fall, landing on the sill of the window through which Lewis is peering.
(Having an underdeveloped leg, Lewis prefers people watching to interpersonal encounters.)

The boy notices the feather, knows it’s something special and clambers up to the roof to investigate.

What he sees is an angel with a beaming smile. Lewis pours out his heart to the being and thus begins their relationship.

The two walk together through the streets of west London, the angel wearing an overcoat belonging to Lewis’s father.

We never see its face, but alongside the angel Lewis feels alone no longer and gradually things change for the better at 32 Paradise Street.

For fear of spoiling the story, I’ll say little more other than that one night Lewis has the experience of a lifetime and things continue to change for the better both in his life and those of other people.

This is such a sublimely beautiful book; it’ll make you feel uplifted and having read it and wondered at Shirley’s illustrations with those touches of gold, you’ll want immediately to find others to share it with. I certainly did.

Earth Heroes

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Earth Heroes
Lily Dyu
Nosy Crow

In this timely book from travel journalist Lily Dyu we meet twenty individuals – conservationists and inventors from around the globe who are actively engaged in their work to save the world, to counter climate change and save its humans and our precious wildlife.

Familiar names such as Greta Thunberg, Sir David Attenborough and Stella McCartney are present, and we read fascinating information about their backgrounds and what set them on their paths.

Alongside these are less well-known people whose work is also inspiring: these include Mohammed Rezan, architect of floating schools in Bangladesh; Isabel Soares from Portugal a pioneer of cutting down food waste by persuading people to use ‘Fruit Feia (ugly fruit)

and the ingenious Chewang Norphel who was responsible for the building of artificial glaciers in Ladakh that have transformed thousands of lives.

Great for individual reading or classroom use, Lily Dyu’s engaging text is readable and pitched just right for its intended audience of young readers and cover designer Jackie Lay has provided splendidly designed art with a relevant and inspiring quote to introduce each entry.

Lily’s final words speak to us all ‘ … we need to fight for the planet we love. The future is ours for the making. You too can change the world.’ A powerful rallying cry for sure.

Silly Mr Wolf / Wolf in the Snow

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From Andersen Press come not one but two wolfish stories from award winning picture book creators this month:

Silly Mr Wolf
Tony Ross
Andersen Press

Like most storybook wolves, Mr Wolf is a very tricky character and a master of disguise – at the outset at least.

Said lupine has long outgrown his ‘sheep’s clothing’ and so in more recent times in order to obtain a juicy sheep for his dinner he’d put a bag over his head and changed his name, first to Mr Jones – which worked briefly; then (with a new suit and bigger bag) to Mr Smith. Again this ruse was temporarily successful,

so could it be third time lucky with a change of bag and outfit?

The sheep appear ready to fight their corner except for an old one . He points out that as well as whacking Mr Wolf, they need to deal with his pals. How can they drive away four wolves?

Is it he who’s the silly one? I don’t want to be a story spoiler so remember the title of the book and decide for yourself …

Daftness as only Tony Ross can deliver it, but there’s an important stranger-danger message here too.

Wolf In the Snow
Matthew Cordell
Andersen Press

Almost wordless, this is a wonderfully satisfying story about a little girl whose kindness is repaid one chillsome day.

The book opens with a view of a family warm inside their home.

Then, clad in a red hooded jacket, the little girl leaves the house, bids her dog farewell and sets off into the gently falling snow.
At the same time a pack of wolves is on the move.

This is no Red Riding Hood tale though, for then comes the title page after which we see the same child waving to her schoolmates and setting off homewards in the now, heavily falling snow.

Turn over and the wolves emitting steam from their mouths are heading in the girl’s direction.

The snow falls ever faster as the girl and a wolf cub approach one another to the accompaniment of the beginnings of a soundtrack.

With the pack’s howls resounding across the distant hills, she tenderly lifts the little creature and proceeds to carry it towards the sound with the blizzard swirling all around. Across streams, past antagonistic animals she trudges until at last she reaches its mother.

By now the child is well nigh exhausted but she continues her journey until she can go no further and collapses into the snow.
Then it’s time for the wolves to show their gratitude and they do so by surrounding her in a protective circle and howling.

Their call reaches her family and eventually all ends happily.

How brilliantly Cordell captures the multitude of feelings, both human and animal, in his pen-and-ink and watercolour ilustrations; and what an enormously satisfying circularity there is – both verbal and visual – to this superb tale.

Dinosaur Day Out

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Dinosaur Day Out
Sara Acton
Walker Books

Like the child characters Sally and Max in Sara Acton’s story, most young children love dinosaurs, so there’s always room for just one more dinosaur book.

We follow the exploits of the children as they visit the museum with their dad only to discover that on this particular day the dinosaur exhibition is closed.

Instead Dad buys a book about dinosaurs and they head into the city.

As they explore Dad reads the book telling the children about the diplodocus, the pterodactyl,

the stegosaurus, the tyrannosaurus and lesser-known dinosaurs but so engrossed is he that he fails to notice the exciting and occasionally alarming things around him.

Cleverly conceived, this is a case of showing not telling where the text and illustrations are delightfully mismatched. Little ones will delight in being in the know as Sally and Max give their imaginations free rein as they delight in the opportunities offered.

Woven into the narrative are some basic facts – dinosaur facts to please dino-curious youngsters, while all will enjoy the predominantly watercolour illustrations.

What Not to Give an Ogre for his Birthday / Caveboy Crush / Iguanas Love Bananas

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What Not to Give an Ogre for his Birthday
Will Hughes
Little Door Books

Stanley and Martha love buying birthday presents for people and always manage to find just the right thing; but when it comes to their new neighbour, Len the friendly ogre, the task is shall we say, a challenge. The usual things – a bike, clothes, a theatre trip or a pet don’t really fit the bill and a ride in a hot air balloon would be somewhat problematic.

Can the two come up with an idea that could make Len’s birthday the best he’s ever had?

This story of determination and friendship is the first of the Little Door Debuts imprint and it appears as though the publisher has found a new talent with Will Hughes, whose scribbly style illustrations are great fun, putting me in mind slightly of Quentin Blake’s work.

Caveboy Crush
Beth Ferry and Joseph Kuefler
Abrams Books for Young Readers

Here’s a sweet story of a first crush Neanderthal style.

Meet caveboy, Neander, who falls for the ‘most beautiful girl in the prehistoric world’ short, hairy Neanne, who is perfect in every way. His parents accurately diagnose the problem when he becomes all moony.

Armed with flowers picked from The Field of Bees, Neander rushes off to try and woo the little cave-girl but …

and there she isn’t.

The disappointed caveboy decides a grander plan is needed but this too is a dismal failure of the CRUSH kind and Neanne decides her wooer is just a little a bit crazy.

Could it be a case of third time lucky perhaps …?

A fun tale with splendidly expressive illustrations should make for an enjoyable, somewhat noisy storytime as youngsters enjoy the opportunity to let rip with a CRUSH or two during the telling.

Iguanas Love Bananas
Jennie & Chris Cladingbee and Jeff Crowther
Maverick Publishing

I suspect the authors of this crazy rhyming narrative about animals and their food predilections are fans of Kes Gray & Jim Field’s ‘Oi!’ picture books.

In this story we meet all kinds of creatures, large and small, dining on their favourite foods much to the consternation of the humans from whom they steal or otherwise procure such things as fajitas – that’s cheetahs; sausage rolls – the water voles raid a picnic basket for theirs; vindaloos, though these are seemingly paid for at the take-away, but the people on whom they sneeze on account of the spices are less than impressed.

I’m unsure how the manatees got hold of a crate of blue cheese but the end result is constipation, so we’re told.

I have to say though, that I’m with the guy on the final page who is the only one relishing Brussels sprouts. Yummy!

Jeff Crowther clearly enjoyed himself creating the illustrations for this culinary romp; his scenes of all those animals stuffing themselves are full of gigglesome details.

Be Your Best Self

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Be Your Best Self
Danielle Brown and Nathan Kai
Button Books

At a time when more and more youngsters are suffering from low self-esteem, Danielle Brown double Paralympic Gold medallist and five times world champion in archery and Nathan Kai, (just seven at the time of writing), a member of MENSA and an elite athlete, have joined forces, creating a book to empower children to become their very best selves.

Profusely illustrated and including motivational quotes from the authors as well as the likes of Dr Seuss and J.K.Rowling, Michelle Obama and Amelia Earhart, this certainly is an inspiring book.

With a straightforward, thematically organised framework children are told to dream big and then determine what steps they need to take to fulfil their dreams.

Aspects such as The Mind and Mindset, which looks at the importance of developing a growth mindset rather than a fixed mindset,

Staying Focused, Learning How to Fail Well ( it’s a chance to learn), Self-Confidence,

People Skills, and the importance of eating well and getting plenty of sleep are included.

I have a teenage friend in Udaipur, Rajasthan who, one Christmas holiday four years ago announced she wanted to be sports captain of her school. She is a talented athlete but there is a tradition in Rajasthan for shooting and Karttiki decided she would try to become a shooter.

She started to practice in earnest and by luck one of the older girls fell sick at the last moment and Karttiki was given a chance to participate in an inter-school tournament. Thus began her shooting journey: one of determination and great focus.
Having researched several kinds of shooting, she decided that her best bet if she wanted to become a champion, was skeet. It’s a tough sport and very expensive but her father (my close friend) is very supportive. This year though still a junior, she has made the senior national team and in 2019, has represented India in the World Cup, World Championships and is about to go to the Asian Games (all this before A-levels). She’s had her downs as well as her ups along the way and feels tired a lot of the time, but as she says, “I’m doing it because I love it.”

Turning a dream into reality is just what this 17 year old is surely doing: she epitomises the spirit of this splendid book.

Shadow

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Shadow
Lucy Christopher and Anastasia Suvorova
Lantana Publishing

A little girl and her mother move into a new house. The girl narrator discovers a shadowy boy under her bed whom she names Shadow. They spend time together while the mother who seems completely distracted fails, despite his shape shifting, to see the boy, allowing the two freedom to wander together all through the almost dark house.

One day they go outside and into the woods where the girl is left alone.

After a very long time the girl’s mother finally leaves the house, comes searching for her daughter and the two are reunited.

They return home and then it’s time for mother and daughter to get to know one another again, and for the mother to start letting other people, and the light, back into her world.

There’s a distinct eeriness to Lucy Christopher’s enigmatic story; is it a metaphor for grief, depression or fear perhaps? No matter what, it ends happily as the facial expressions of mother and child on the final page show.

Anastasia Suvorova’s textured digital illustrations are a perfect complement for this rather dark tale for adults and children to share and discuss together.

Snow Leopard: Grey Ghost of the Mountain / Who Am I?

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Our precious wild animals are under threat as these two books show:

Snow Leopard: Grey Ghost of the Mountain
Justin Anderson and Patrick Benson
Walker Books

Here we have the latest addition to the Nature Storybook series that Walker Books does so brilliantly.

Filmmaker Justin Anderson debuts as an author; his narrative is accompanied by award winning Patrick Benson’s awesome,  finely detailed illustrations. The result is a wonderful look at the animal the inhabitants of the high Himalayas call the “Grey Ghost’, a very rare and beautiful animal.

Patrick Benson takes us right up close to the creature as it weathers a blizzard,

then communicates with other snow leopards by squirting pee.

She uses her camouflage coat to sneak up close to her prey – half a dozen ibex – lower down. Her meal however eludes her on this occasion because her cub alerts them to the danger.

We then follow mother and cub as they seek the sun’s warmth, then briefly curl up together before as the sun sinks they wake and continue their climb, disappearing into the silence of the mountain.

A final note provides further information highlighting the vulnerability of the species and detailing conservation organisations, while accompanying the narrative, in a different font, are snippets of factual information not woven into
the main text.

One feels privileged to have met these stunning animals in this quietly beautiful book.

Who Am I?
Tim Flach
Abrams Books for Young Readers

The award winning photographer Tim Flach whose superb photographs grace the pages of this ‘peek-through-the-pages’ book of endangered and threatened animals is passionate about rewilding.

Here, using riddles, full page shots, small circular images of parts of animal faces, and die-cut peek-through windows,

he introduces youngsters to a dozen animals (or rather they introduce themselves) including the Bengal tiger, a white-belied pangolin,

an axolotl and a giant panda.

In the final pages we learn what makes each creature special and why it’s endangered, and the author ends by asking young readers to help save these amazing animals, indicating how best to get involved in so doing.

A rallying call indeed.

The Boy Who Loved Everyone

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The Boy Who Loved Everyone
Jane Porter and Maisie Paradise Shearring
Walker Books

Dimitri is new at nursery. “I love you,” he tells everyone and everything from his classmates to the ants and the tree in the playground.

Come the afternoon the other children are finding all this loving rather too much.

At bedtime Dimitri and his mother tell each other they’re loved, but the following morning Dimitri doesn’t want to go to school. “I told everyone I love them, and no one said it back” he tells his mum as they get ready to leave the house.

Her response is that people have different ways of showing their feelings, not everyone says ‘I love you’ in words; it can be felt and takes root in new places.

On the way, they see the old man feeding the stray cats – his way of telling the cats he loves them, Mum explains.

Further examples of non-vocal ‘I love you’s are observed in the park and in the school playground where Dimitri is still unsure of his welcome. Not for long though as his classmates invite him to join them.

A feeling of warmth begins to spread through Dimitri and by storytime it seems that everyone wants to sit with him. Dimitri is accepted at last.

Tenderness and warmth emanate from both Jane Porter’s telling and Maisie Paradise Shearring’s illustrations in this book about the power of kindness.

Little Spiral / Friends Don’t Like Roaring

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Little Spiral
Pat Simmons and Patrick Shirvington
Little Steps

Deep in the rainforest ‘In a pearl-like egg’ grows Little Spiral safely tucked away but when he hatches, a tiny baby forest snail with a perfect spiral shell, the little mollusc must grow

and survive dangerous environments as he traverses the pages journeying over the forest floor, over stones, leaves and bracken through day and night as he encounters other creatures one of which – a rustling rat – scares him and another, a hungry lizard for which a snail would make a tasty snack.

Can he thrive as well as survive as he slowly moves and grows on his way to continue nature’s cycle: ‘Stay safe, Little Spiral’.

Perfectly complementing Pat Simmons’ poetic narrative, Patrick Shrivington’s wildlife watercolour illustrations provide a veritable visual feast of Little Spiral in his natural habitat.

Nature isn’t really magical but this book makes it seem almost so.

Friends Don’t Like Roaring
Antje Taylor and Matt Howarth
Little Steps

Lap is a small dinosaur with a large problem: he wants to play with the other little dinosaurs in the playground but he cannot figure out why they all beat a hasty retreat when he approaches them.

Happily Mummy Dinosaur is on hand to pacify her little one and having done so, to offer some words of about how to approach his potential playmates: “try using your words” she suggests and with a helpful lesson learnt, the day ends happily for Lap and all the little dinosaurs.

Antje Taylor’s straightforward present tense telling in combination with Matt Howorth’s bright, digital illustrations provide a simple story about building empathy and developing social interaction to share with the very young, especially those who are finding making friends and playing with others something of a challenge.

Mother Goose of Pudding Tale

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Mother Goose of Pudding Lane
Chris Raschka and Vladimir Radunsky
Walker Books

How many young children know nursery rhymes in this day and age? During my time as a foundation stage teacher I discovered that when they start school, comparatively few, and of those who did the majority knew only Baa Baa Black Sheep and the first verse of Jack and Jill; yet nursery rhymes are the bedrock of literary language and help in the development of an ear for language rhythms, rhymes and much more. In my early days of teaching reading I used picture book nursery rhymes with beginning readers who soon began to match what they had in their heads with the words printed on the page.

This book, subtitled ‘A small tall tale’ explores in playful fashion possible backstories about Mother Goose and her origins with Raschka’s poetic text suggestion that one Elizabeth Foster who married Isaac Goose was the true Mother Goose persona. He goes on to provide a biographical account of this woman from the time of her courtship, her wedding and raising of a family,

(fourteen children in all and all kinds of animals) weaving into the narrative thematically organised Mother Goose rhymes, and concluding thus: ‘Elizabeth Goose, / As / Mother Goose, / Can still be heard today.’ Would that it were so, and long may her rhymes continue.

Most spreads begin with Raschka’s own words

which are followed by a tradition Mother Goose rhyme that is illustrated with Vladimir Radunsky’s gorgeous, gouache, almost hypnagogic images, while at times there are also childlike pencil scribbles scattered on the page.

Wonderfully playful and silly, its great to read aloud or to read along with and provides a trip down memory lane for adults sharing the book with youngsters.