Author jillrbennett

Once Upon a Touch …

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Once Upon a Touch …
Mary Atkinson and Sandra Hooper
Singing Dragon
A number of years ago while working as an early years teacher in  outer London, I participated in an excellent massage course given by Mia Elmsater (and several follow up courses). From this first, I think, UK course of its kind, developed the Massage in Schools Programme (MISP). I then introduced peer massage into my school and one I moved on to. So, my own experience tells me that the narrative method documented herein – ‘Story Massage for Children’ yields enormous benefits and is a tool well worth every primary teacher acquiring. To this end, two experienced MISP trainers have put together this book.
It comprises a short introduction followed by three brief sections that outline the benefits of story massage for children and offer guidelines on how to use same. Here the importance of respect is stressed as well as taking into account the needs of individuals.
We are then introduced to the ten massage strokes that are the bedrock of the whole programme; and clear, illustrated details of how to do each stroke (and some variations) is given.

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The main part of the book ‘Story Massage in Action’ contains over 30 story/rhyme massages that draw on these basic strokes, and this is divided into six sections. The first contains well know tales and nursery rhymes with the visual symbols for each massage stroke to be used.

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The second section has six seasonal offerings; the third ‘In Your Imagination’ has a musical interlude, a pirate encounter, a visit to the fair, a balloon ride, an aeroplane flight and a circus trip. The remaining two are topic related and wide ranging.
Having read and absorbed this excellent little book, adults should be in a strong position to try the approach perhaps with their own children in the first instance knowing they have the tools to be confident and sensitive in providing, calming relaxing massage sessions for the young.
Once they become confident in using ideas from the book, readers can begin to choose stories and rhymes for themselves to add to their repertoire of story massages; many well-known picture books, traditional tales and nursery rhymes work well.

Order from JKP

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What Do I Do? What Am I For?

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Blackbird, Blackbird, What Do You Do?
Kate McLelland
Hodder Children’s Books
Young blackbird Pip is yet to identify what makes him special, so off he flies into the big wide world on a mission to find out. It certainly isn’t standing in the river waiting for fish like Heron; Pip’s legs are way too short.

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Nor is it staying up all night looking for mice like Owl, so what about nest building in the sand? Definitely not that with such a tiny beak as Pip has. And seed pecking Pigeon style in a crowded place is a definite ‘No’ too.
Pip’s efforts to be like sand-digging Puffin, seed-pecking Pigeon, the swooping falcons, chattering parrots and waddling ducks are all disastrous

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and it’s a very downcast blackbird that flies back to the nest on the branch.
As he sits despairing of ever finding something at which he can excel, Pip sings to himself – so he thinks. But his song attracts the attention of all the other birds and it’s then that he discovers he had a special talent all along; it was just a matter of finding it.

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New kid on the block, Kate McLelland’s tale of self-discovery is one that needs to be shared and discussed with all young (and perhaps not so young) children). Her beautiful prints make every turn of the page a delight for audiences and adult readers aloud alike.

Finding out about yourself is also part and parcel of this story:

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A Big Surprise for Little Card
Charise Mericle Harper and Anna Raff
Walker Books
Little Card is the unlikely chief protagonist of this picture book and when we first encounter him he’s living with all kinds of other cards: there’s Wide Card – a postcard, price tag Round Card, Tiny Card a ticket for a shiny toy, Giant Card, a folder for important office work, Long Card –yet to be assigned a role, and Little Card, ditto. Then a letter arrives summoning Little Card to birthday card training. At last he’s to ‘be’ something and next day off he goes to learn how.

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One day on his return from school, Long Card greets him with the news that due to a mix up he isn’t to be a birthday card after all and the following morning off goes our Little Card to an imposing building to discover his new identity. He’s to be a library card, something he finds very exciting especially when he meets young Alice, his new owner.

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Thus begins a journey of discovery wherein the two new friends explore the many fascinating activities that the library has to offer – games, story time and snacks as well as all those amazing books-

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and Little Card breaks into song – albeit in his quietest voice – before the two of them head home together. And the best thing of all is that unlike once a year Happy Birthdays, ‘Happy Library Day’ is every day but Sunday.
The mixed media collage scenes capture the exuberance of Little Card and his justifiable excitement about the whole library experience.
A fun introduction to the wonderful possibilities on offer behind the doors of our libraries, those of us who are still fortunate enough to have one that is.

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Ballet Dreams

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Ballet Dreams
Cerrie Burnell & Laura Ellen Anderson
Scholastic Children’s Books
In this enchanting story we are introduced to the adorable young Little Bird, so called by her Granddad, because of her penchant for pirouettes and other swallow-like dance steps. When we meet her, Little Bird is about to start school but is somewhat reluctant; she’d far rather be spending her time dancing. However, she is eventually persuaded by Granddad’s talk of learning to read books and spelling her name. to accompany him to visit the school.
On the way however, Little Bird hears music coming from an old theatre and the two stop off to see  ballet dancers practising their Swan Lake.

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Entranced by her graceful moves, the child speaks to the lead dancer who suggests when she grows up she might join the company but meanwhile, there is a children’s class about to begin. In she goes and dances briefly …

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But then, from the swan princess she hears some important words “even ballerinas go to school. … Everything you learn is like a feather. When you have gathered enough, … all that you’ve learned will help you to fly.”

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With this advice ringing in her ears off goes Little Bird to meet her new classmates in a classroom ‘of sunlight and stories’. I love that.
Thereafter we share with Little Bird, a wonderful surprise from Granddad, a dance all the way to school on her first day and a glorious balletic finale.

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A delightful, uplifting, starting school, spreading your wings and following your dreams story; it will please all would-be dancers in particular. And, Laura Ellen Anderson’s tender, soft-focus illustrations portray that very special bond between the very young and the ‘old’ beautifully.

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The Bear’s Surprise/ And then …

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The Bear’s Surprise
Benjamin Chaud
Chronicle Books
Spring has come to the forest and emerging from hibernation, Little Bear discovers Papa Bear missing. Intent on discovering the whereabouts of his parent off he goes down a ‘never-before-seen path’ as it twists and turns taking him through the cut-outs on every spread: down a dark hole into a cave wherein he spies an intriguing pipe …

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Then, emerging from the washing machine – for that was where the pipe led – he finds himself in a huge circus tent. There, on a very tiny bike, he spots Papa Bear performing a stunt before himself becoming part of the show …

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and eventually, courtesy of a cannon blast, landing atop a large nose belonging to none other than his very own Mama Bear.

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And she has a very special, very tiny surprise of her own to share with Little Bear and with delighted readers and listeners. Just the thing to complete a family balancing act

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before the whole family wends its way back home to the bear den and some well-earned sleep.
There is just so much to see in this book. Almost every spread is teeming with minute details of animals, circus performers and avid spectators. And just in case all this isn’t enough, Chaud drops in the odd character or two from Lewis Carroll along the way. This is definitely one to enjoy with a small group, or for sharing with an individual.

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And then …
Alborozo
Child’s Play
Determined to divert some of the attention away from her newly born baby brother, the young, birthday girl narrator of this marvellous story creates a portrait of the recent arrival, makes a special wish

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and then lets her imagination run riot … as she miniaturises her parents, deals with a squid emergency –

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with a little bit of help from a friendly doc once …

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or twice … ,

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allows herself another wish – it’s her birthday after all AND something of an emergency, before coming to a momentous decision concerning her baby sibling.

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Do I hear another story starting to emerge …
Enormous fun, this offbeat tale is a testament to the imagination  (storying in particular) and how it can help youngsters, indeed all of us, deal with those life experiences that challenge us from time to time.

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Sleepy Cheetah

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Sleepy Cheetah
Mwenye Hadithi and Adrienne Kennaway
Hodder Children’s Books
In this neo-pourquoi tale set on the plains of Africa, we learn how sleep-loving Cheetah, once a plain old sandy colour, got her spots and became the fastest of all the animals.
It all begins with a crash of thunder, a flash of lightning and a cry from little Vervet Monkeys calling, “Wake up, Sleepy Cheetah! Wake up!” But Cheetah’s only response is to open one of her sleepy eyes and continue dozing. As the other animals make a dash towards the rushing river, the monkeys move closer to Cheetah, once more urging her, “Wake up, Sleepy Cheetah! We can see Fire! Wake up and run!” and then bouncing with their black sooty paws all over her sandy back,

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tummy and tail while repeating their wake up and run cries. But all Cheetah does is to roll over and go back to sleep.
The dash past her continues with each passing animal urging the sleepy creature to “Run!” all to no avail until suddenly Cheetah feels a tingle in her tail as it begins to heat up. And that’s when she starts to move, slowly at first but then faster and faster …

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till she’s ‘racing like the wind’ away from the fire and urging the others to speed up as she outstrips them in her frantic dash to the water’s edge. So fast does she run that tears stream down streaking her face, but still on she runs pausing briefly to allow the Vervet Monkeys to hop up onto her back before taking an enormous leap across the water to land safe and sound on the opposite bank.

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It’s then that Cheetah becomes aware of her striking new look for as she glances down at her reflection what she sees is a beautiful spotty coat and tear tracks down her face.

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Moreover, from that day to this Cheetah has been the fastest animal on four legs.
Gorgeous watercolour visuals and a pacey text keep listeners entranced as they follow Cheetah’s transformation from somnolent creature to graceful speedster.

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Coco Chanel & Frida Kahlo: Little People Big Dreams

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Little People, Big Dreams Coco Chanel
Little People, Big Dreams Frida Kahlo
Ma. Isabel Sánchez Vegara and Ana Albero, translated by Emma Martinez
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Delightfully different are these stylish picture book biographies for young readers, and both feature young women – girls when we first meet them – who themselves were different and proud to be so.
When we first encounter Coco Chanel, she’s called Gabrielle and lives in an orphanage. where the nuns there are far from happy about her unusual behaviour as they deem it, …

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Even at an early age, Gabrielle liked to spend time sewing rather than playing with the other girls and when she grew up, the young miss sewed during the daytime and sang at night. It was then people began calling her Coco.
Then one day Coco makes a hat for a friend, a hat quite out of the ordinary and thus begins her new career as a designer of hats.

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Before long though her flair for design leads her to create stylish clothes that not only looked different but felt different: they were comfortable to wear. Not everyone took to them straight away but gradually women realised that stylish needn’t mean stiff and sparkly:

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Coco Chanel had begun to make her mark on the fashion world and would continue to be remembered as a great designer and style icon even to this day.

Right from the start as a young girl in Mexico, Frida Kahlo stood out from the crowd. But it wasn’t until she was involved in a terrible road accident that Frida’s life really changed. Following the accident, she spent a lot of time in bed and to pass the time she’d draw pictures of first, her foot and then by using a mirror, entire self-portraits.

 

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Gradually she amassed a whole portfolio and decided to visit the famous artist, Diego Rivera. It wasn’t only her pictures that impressed him however, and eventually the two were married.

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Encouraged by her partner, Frida continued painting self-portraits, her pictures reflecting how she felt at the time and a show was organised of her work in New York City. Sadly though, Frida’s health continued to decline but despite this, she carried on painting to the end: her passion for life and for painting never left her. It wasn’t until after her death however, that the painter truly won fame as an international artist whose work is characterised by vivid colours and Mexican symbols.
Truly inspirational are these two women who have both left a lasting mark on the world and made it a better place for us all; and all because they dared to be different and let nothing or no one stand in the way of their dreams.
Both books have a time line at the end as well as additional facts and a brief list of further reading suggestions and museums where their work can be seen.
Definitely worth investing in for KS1 and lower KS2 classrooms and just the thing to help celebrate International Women’s Day on 8th March.

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Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap/Artistic Autistic Colouring Book

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Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap
Clay Morton, Gail Morton and Alex Merry
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
A young male narrator with autism discusses the behaviour of his friend Johnny who can at times act strangely and unpredictably. “Mom says it is because he is NT, or neurotypical. He doesn’t have autism, so his brain works differently from mine.” he explains.
Johnny also looks his pal straight in the eye, which our narrator finds unsettling, he’s not really interested in knowing everything about WW2, dinosaurs or forklift trucks. Johnny understands   the school rules, never has a meltdown and, in the school playground he’s keen to play with the other children. And all of that’s OK. His use of language is sometimes way off –

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he never seems to understand that he should say what he means; describing a maths test as “a piece of cake” well really. Despite all this our young narrator ends positively with these affirming words: “I like Johnny. I think being NT is OK.“
This cleverly constructed role reversing text is effective and it’s always good to try to see things from another person’s viewpoint. The watercolour illustrations are I suspect kept dispassionate for the benefit of those readers who have autism

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(even in the meltdown scene there doesn’t really look to be much emotion on the narrator’s face, nor in his stance) .
The final ‘Note for Parents’ endorses the call for understanding and acceptance whether their own child/children be on the autism spectrum or NT …… ‘ if your child does not have an NT kid in their life, they almost certainly will at some point. … Children with autism often find it very difficult to interact with NTs … But it is important for autistic people to understand that NTs are people too, and the fact they are different doesn’t mean that there is anything wrong with them.’

One characteristic of many people on the autism spectrum is an obsessive interest in a particular topic or activity; here – created by someone who himself has Asperger’s syndrome – is just the thing for those with a creative obsession.

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Artistic Autistic Colouring Book
Peter Myers
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Amazingly these finely detailed illustrations are hand drawn in pen and ink.

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In many instances their complexity is astounding: some of that minute detail is truly awesome in its precision and beauty.

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Buy from JKP

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Everybody Feels …

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Everybody Feels … Angry!
Everybody Feels … Sad!
Moira Butterfield and Holly Stirling
QED
These are two of a quartet of books each of which centres on a different emotion (the others being Happy! and Scared!), presented from the viewpoint of child narrators.
Sophie and Ethan tell their angry stories. Sophie became overwhelmed by angry feelings when having left her ‘really good picture’ to retrieve her shoe from the dog’s mouth, she finds that her younger brother couldn’t resist adding some marks of his own to the drawing.

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Ethan’s anger was roused by the discovery that the chocolate bar his gran had given him had vanished from the cupboard and he then notices first the empty wrapper and then tell-tale marks on his big brother’s face.

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Fortunately however, the children are neighbours and so Ethan visits Sophie in her garden where it’s ‘calm and quiet’, the two talk about their feelings and the respective siblings then apologise, so all ends harmoniously.
In addition to the scenarios described, there are retrospective pages – one each for the children’s stories, a spread of related vocabulary and a ‘Next Steps’ finale offering early years teachers (should they need them) and other adults some guidelines for discussion, art and drama.
The second title follows a similar pattern: a story from sad girl Chloe, and one from sad boy, Omar. The former’s sadness is a result of losing her favourite toy elephant, Beebee; the latter is sad because his beloved cat Socks has died. (Ethan features in this story too: his cat has some kittens that go to live with Omar.)

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Sensitively told, and beautifully illustrated by rising star, Holly Sterling, this series is ideal for use in early years settings as well as families where there are young children.

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Little Why

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Red Reading Hub is delighted to have the opportunity to be a part of the blog tour for this debut picture book.

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Little Why
Jonny Lambert
Little Tiger Press
A delightfully direct down-to earth narrative with delicious alliteration, exciting-sounding repeat refrains to join in with, deliciously droll collage style illustrations, a charmingly inquisitive main character, and with a vital message and celebration of individuality and uniqueness at its heart -and it is really all heart – this smashing book really is presented from the viewpoint of its chief protagonist, the adorable Little Why.
And, according to its creator, Jonny Lambert, it all started with a tiny felted creature and some doodles …
As he follows behind the Elders, baby elephant, Little Why just cannot keep in line. He’s constantly being side tracked by the sight of other amazing animals of the African savannah. Take Wildebeest and his special spiny-spiky horns for instance; Little Why must have a pair like that to give him great charging powers and make him appear super-duper scary.

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But his request for wildebeest-like horns is met with a swift and emphatic “NO!“ and when he asks “Why?”, “Keep in line!” is all the response he gets.
The same thing happens when he spots Giraffe’s long-lofty leggy legs – just the thing to make me ‘super-stretchy tall’ to reach those tasty topmost leaves, thinks Little Why. But this request is treated in the same manner as the first.
By now my audience were ready to join in here, eagerly shouting NO! and the other repeat lines, as soon as Little Why spies Cheetah with that “speedy-spotty, fuzzy fur”.
But then, still not back where he should be, despite the best efforts of the gallant, feathered, silent player, what’s this about to confront our intrepid explorer of animal attributes?

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Surely that little, or rather huge, surprise is sufficient to keep Little Why on track?
Perhaps, but he still doesn’t seem satisfied with his lot. “If only I had … “ he says sulkily but this round of wishful thinking is brought to an abrupt halt by his mother,

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and this time his request to STOP! receives not one but two explanatory responses. Firstly the animals have reached their destination,

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but much more important is mother elephant’s final reassurance” “You don’t need … You’ve got fantastic flipflappy ears, a super-squirty trunk and … you’re special just the way you are.”
Much enjoyed by all I’ve shared it with, (audiences of 5s to 9s) Jonny Lambert’s debut solo picture book is definitely a winner.

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Some of my listeners imagined what Little Why might look like with some additional attributes…

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A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting

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A Beginner’s Guide to Bear Spotting
Michelle Robinson and David Roberts
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
2016 looks set to be the Year of the Bear so far as picture books go anyway (I’m counting in the Gough/Field offering here). And now here we have an achingly rib-tickling treat from Robinson and Roberts who just want to make sure we’re all fully informed before going on a bear hunt, so to speak. I have to say here at the outset, that bear country itself looks pretty hostile and that’s even without a single bear sighting …

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Oh I tell a lie – our intrepid ursine explorer has something looking distinctly bear-shaped attached to his luggage.
Right then, on with the show: there’s the black bear (aka Ursus Americanus) and the brown bear (Ursus Horibilis), both of which can be highly dangerous and not at all averse to gobbling you up. Sometimes however, their coats might just show a touch of otherness. so it’s important to keep your wits about you at all times. Now, which kind could this little – oops! I mean large- beauty be?

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Did I hear you say, “back away” just then; well that advice doesn’t seem to have been altogether reliable in the circumstances …

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And nor does the pepper spray, so what about the bubble gum??

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Oh well, at least that bought a bit of time but now desperate measures are called for…

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Hmm seems this might just be going to work …

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Errr! Or should that be, Grrr!?
I’m totally bearsotted with this one and it certainly takes field notes to a whole different level.

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I Am Bear

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I Am Bear
Ben Bailey Smith and Sav Akyüz
Walker Books
Our initial introduction to the ursine narrator of this wonderfully anarchic offering from the pen of actor and rapper Doc Brown (aka Ben Bailey Smith) shows him as a bare pink-skinned character who, having turned his bum on squirrel,

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lumbers off to don a purple onesie and adopt a confrontational stance.
We next see Bear in the process of consuming his favourite nosh while continuing with his narration thus …

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After which he discards his protective gear before going on to play a knock! knock! joke on a red squirrel, though only one animal finds that at all funny.
Next comes a spot of magic: first off fishing with a wand, followed by a vanishing act and further fun and games, Bear’s favourite being “Cops and robbers.”

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Seems he’s managed to set up another squirrel here.
It looks like this Bear is a dab hand when it comes to wielding a paintbrush too, and who can blame him for beating a rather hasty retreat …

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Delivered as it is with a superb verbal economy, this riotous rapping rhyme of a picture book is perfect for beginning readers as well as for reading aloud.
Storyboard artist Sav Akyüz’s rendering of Bear and the other characters is suitably upbeat and perfectly in-keeping with the playful text and almost gives the impression the visuals have been created with spray cans or daubed with house painting brushes.
Published under the Walker Entertainment imprint, there’s assuredly plenty to entertain herein but equally there are a whole lot of inbuilt literacy lessons too.

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Bear on a Bike

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Bear on a Bike
Hannah Shaw
Alison Green Books
Meet Bear, an immediately engaging character who has made a scrummy-looking cake for his pal Mouse. But, on arrival at Mouse’s house, he discovers that said friend has already departed, zooming off on his trusty motor scooter. Thus ensues an amazing chase with Bear in hot pursuit having quickly abandoned his bike, bagging rides on all manner of vehicles: a lorry, a bus, a trolley,

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a skateboard, a train,

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a canoe, a crane even. This one deposits our ursine hero onto a steamboat and he then moves to a campervan, a tuk-tuk, (love it!)

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a stately sedan, skis, a biplane, and finally, a parachute that drops him unceremoniously into the welcoming arms – almost – of …

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And you might guess where the meeting takes place.
This one is fab. Totally brilliant. Especially the fact that all the while during the chase, Bear has Mouse in his sights and oh, so nearly within his grasp.
And, even better, it has all the vital elements for beginning readers and some: a hugely enjoyable story, great characters, text perfectly matched to hugely humorous, story-telling pictures (these are visually cumulative in places and every one is a potential starting point for children’s own flights of fancy,) rhyme and rhythm, speech bubbles, signs – great to see a bookshop among them and more…
With its circular structure what more can any one ask?
I have been thinking for some while about re-doing elements of Learning to Read with Picture Books (that I penned as a fledgling teacher) as a weblog. This will be among my very first recommendations thereon.

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Baxter’s Book/Strictly No Crocs

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Baxter’s Book
Hrefna Bragadottir
Nosy Crow
Meet bibliophile Baxter. So strong is his love for books – especially scary wolf-infested ones and those inhabited by brave lions, cuddly bears or cute rabbits – that he yearns to be in a book himself. Then one day he spies a large notice outside a house and seemingly there’s no time to lose …

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Lots of other characters have the same idea and they’ve all played parts in books before but Baxter seems undeterred. After all, he can sing, dance, do acrobatics and act – what more could they want?

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Well, seemingly not an unusual creature like Baxter after all. His audition is a let down and poor Baxter gets the brush off.
Time for a spot of coaching from some of those other characters … but nothing feels quite right. Baxter has a pressing question …

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After all he’ll never be scary like Wolf, brave like Lion, cuddly like Bear or even, cute like Rabbit. Maybe it’s time to bow out gracefully and head off home … or is it?
An exciting picture book debut from Hrefna Bragadottir; I love her offbeat style and look forward to seeing what’s next.

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Strictly No Crocs
Heather Pindar and Susan Batori
Maverick Arts Publishing
It’s party time for Zebra and the invitation is posted but there’s one proviso.

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Crunchie, Chomper and Snapper are determined to gain entry however. You might guess what their favourite food is going to be; and Snapper has a plan at the ready.
The plan proves pretty successful initially and none of the others suspects that spotty-clad high bouncer, nor the winner of the pass the parcel teddy

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or that cake scoffer.

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In fact the threesome even go so far as to lead the vocals for the conga and that fireworks finale is really dazzling.
All too soon however, the crocs are wending their way back home, extolling the virtues of “an amazing party!” Hold on guys – wasn’t there something you forgot: it certainly wasn’t that scrummy-looking cake.
A tasty treat for young listeners although definitely not for crocs. Susan Batori’s zany illustrations are real laugh inducers and the story’s likely to keep your audience on the edge of their seats as they wait to see whether those snappers will be unmasked.

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It’s Bedtime

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DSCN6535 (800x600)Unstoppable Max
Julia Patton
Oxford University Press
I suspect many parents of a lively youngster will recognise Max: his batteries never seem to run down. So when it comes to almost bedtime, Max is brimming over with energy and has a whole lot of things on his ‘to do’ list. …”So if you can tidy away your toys, get into your clean pyjamas, and feed Fluffy, I’ll be back in five minutes.” his mum says. A simple enough request except that Max doesn’t have toys; what he has is an army engaged in Operation Castle Attack and stopping is not what Max wants to do.

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Out comes his thinking hat to help our young hero make a choice… sensible – tidying up; or naughty – keeping Mummy out of his bedroom; or crazy – going on an expedition to the South Pole? Max decides and that’s number one task he can tick – more or less …

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However he stlll has the clean pyjamas to get himself into and Fluffy is yet to receive his evening feed. How does Major Unstoppable Max deal with those other two tasks? Suffice it to say he needs a little assistance from that thinking hat, some very careful planning and a rather nifty move or two.
When his mum comes back she’s pretty impressed with young Max but as for following her instructions to “pop to the bathroom and brush your teeth.” – well um …

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A crazy tale of mayhem, making up your mind and an irrepressible imagination, this one’s sure to delight the countless Max’s of the world and make adults smile knowingly.

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Beep Beep Beep Time For Sleep
Claire Freedman and Richard Smythe
Simon and Schuster Children’s Books
It’s almost the end of the day and the road-building machines have been hard at work on the motorway: there’s the Backhoe loader, the digger, a tipper truck, a concrete mixer, a dump truck, a grader and a road roller all ready to wind down and take some well-earned rest. But first they need a bit of a clean up and then one by one the vehicles all line up in their yard under the silver moonlight for their nightly slumbers.

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Despite the onomatopoeic beeps, vrooms and pops, this rhyming text has a strangely soporific rhythm about it ,so once youngsters have had the opportunity to explore all the action in Richard Smythe’s busy scenes, (some have fold-out pages), they might well be ready to close their eyes and just listen one more time to the words and let the images drift into their sleepy heads and join the big machines in sweet dreams.

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Coming up next week:
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Jungle Jaunts

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Alan’s Big Scary Teeth
Jarvis
Walker Books
Alan is one big scary creature or so he’d have us believe. It’s certainly true that he’s descended from a long line of scary alligators and his reputation for scariness is legendary. His daily routine involved a whole lot of polishing (his scales), sharpening (his nails) and brushing – those huge gnashers – followed by a spot of frightening-face practice.

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Then ready to scare the world, off he’d saunter jaws a-snapping, teeth g-nashing and the result was, as you might expect, fear and terror all around .

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That’s how things went day in day out and then Alan would head home to the swamp for an evening of crossword completion and relaxation. And that’s when we’re let into a secret –perhaps young listeners have already an inkling of what’s about to be revealed …

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although I’m pretty sure they’ll have no idea of Alan’s pre-stashing “Good night teeth. Thweet dweams my theary thnappers,” nightly bidding.
Then one morning as he’s out doing a spot of wood collecting, Barry beaver spies a dozing Alan and seeking safety behind the nearest bush, is surprised by something looking decidedly familiar.

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Oh-Oh! – looks like you might have been rumbled Alan. Maybe there’s a deal to be struck though …

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Good thinking guys: Alan now has not just one, but three thoroughly reputable daytime occupations – gardener, hairdresser and dentist; and a very important nocturnal one too.

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A jungly jaunt that’s sure to bring Alan-sized smiles to the faces of listeners (not to mention the occasional adult reader aloud) and I love those vibrant, energetic scenes and some of the small details are real giggle-inducers.

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Giraffe on a Bicycle
Julia Woolf
Macmillan Children’s Books
Monkey is a complete novice when it comes to bike riding so it’s fortunate that when he discovers a bicycle one day, his friend giraffe is on hand to demonstrate his cycling skills. Pedalling straight takes a bit of getting used to though, even with an ‘expert’ in the saddle

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but as we all know …

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And off go the cyclists on a jaunt deeper into the jungle, collecting a whole host of additional ‘passengers’ or rather hangers on, as they go

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… gradually gathering speed till they’re literally ‘Whooshing’ along until

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Seems that monkey’s warning cry came too late to avert disaster; and now the bike’s in urgent need of repair. No! Make that reconstruction guys. And reconstruction is exactly what those animals embark on but pretty soon the job’s done. Ta dah! Good as new? …

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A wonderfully exuberant debut picture book from Julia Woolf: both words and pictures are full of fun. With a smattering of alliteration, the tension-building text keeps listeners on the edge of their saddles as they anticipate the inevitable outcome of the overload.
Make sure you take a close look at the end papers; there’s a whole other story going on there.

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Dogs to the Rescue

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Ralf.
Jean Jullien, text collaboration Gwendal Le Bec
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
This is Ralf, just a little dog …

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but he manages to occupy a great deal of space …

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get in the way rather too frequently OOPS beg your pardon Mum!

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Sorry Dad!

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The result? Banishment to his kennel where there ensues a very brief period of peace and quiet. But then Ralf’s nose begins to twitch: smoke is coming from the family home. Time for our canine pal to test his abilities to the utmost.
Flexible he may be – I’m sure this heroic pooch must have been taking yoga lessons on the quiet – but having finally gained an entrance of sorts, can he succeed in waking the blissfully unaware slumberers? Or is there another way he can effect a rescue perhaps? …
What follows are fantastic heroism and supreme stretchiness on Ralf’s part …

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and utter brilliance on Jean Jullien’s. In fact the whole book (endpapers included) is entirely brilliant.
Jullien documents Ralf’s rise from outcast to celebrated hero with such aplomb it’s hard to believe this is his first solo picture book. (he was the illustrator of the wonderful Hoot Owl)
Let’s hear it for Ralf. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! And again for the genius visual storytelling of Jean Jullien – YEAH! YEAH YEAH!

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Hot Dog Hal
Peter Bently and Tom McLaughlin
Scholastic Children’s Books
Most of us will be familiar with children having comforters they insist on taking everywhere they go, but a dachshund– surely not? Well surely yes, if your name happens to be Hal. Hal totally loved his blanket and refused to be parted from it despite the fact that ‘… he felt boiling and flustered/ And looked like a sausage all covered in mustard.’ and Buster McNally had started calling him Hot Dog Hal. And hot he truly was but even in the sunniest of situations Hal just would not take that blanket off;

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well it did, so he insisted have “a nice biscuit chocolatey smell.”
So besotted with this object of his was he that Hal found all manner of ways to keep it close to his person …

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none of which impressed Nipper or Buster and off they all trot for a game of hide-and-seek. Before long though down comes the rain and the canine crew are forced to take shelter in an old windmill. And as the thunder crashes and lightning flashes, good old Hal is ready to accommodate his pals beneath that comforter of his. But then disaster strikes leaving the creatures stranded.

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Maybe that old blanket is about to come into its own after all … But a torn, tattered blanket is no use to any self-respecting dog –

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or is it? …
This crazy canine romp is delivered in appropriately frisky style in Peter Bently’s rhyming text and wonderfully portrayed in Tom McLaughlin’s suitably silly sausage dog scenes.

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Quick Quack Quentin/How Many Legs?

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Quick Quack Quentin
Kes Gr y and Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books
Did you spot the deliberate mistake in the author’s name? It – or rather a missing A – is really key to the whole sorry situation in this hilarious book from the Field/Gray dream team that all begins when a duck, a duck whose ‘Quack’ has become a mere ‘Qu ck!’, consults a doctor about the distressing condition. But although quick with his diagnosis “… your QUACK has lost it’s a.” said doctor is unable to prescribe anything. So off goes Quentin to the FARM to see if any of the animals can help. They try their best: DOG offers his O, HEN her E, PIG his I and BULL a U

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but none of these sound appropriately duck-like.
Quentin’s next stop is the ZOO – a couple of OOs perhaps? On second thoughts maybe not, but perhaps there might be an animal with a spare A therein.
All the animals are sympathetic but part with an A – not likely! The APES don’t want to be PES.
The SNAKES don’t want to be SNKES nor the CAMELS CMELS. The PARROTS have no intention of becoming PRROTS and those PANDAS don’t want to be PNDAS or even PANDS.

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Poor Quentin, seems he’s stuck with that QUCK or is he? What’s this strange looking creature saying he has a spare A …

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A quacking read aloud, a fun introduction to vowels and a brilliant way of showing children they need to be flexible in their approach to letters and sounds. In my book it doesn’t quite beat Oi Frog! but it comes pretty darn close: those animal expressions are something else.

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How Many Legs!
Kes Gray and Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books
What begins as a simple question from the boy narrator of this picture book from the hugely talented Field and Gray “How many legs would there be if in this room there was only me?” gradually turns into a chaotic and riotous romp of a party as one after another animal crashes onto the scene at every turn of the page.

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Did I say another animal? Make that more than one on occasion …

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And just when you think it can’t get more crazy, this happens …

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With the addition of a slug, a snail, a maggot and a centipede just to name a few of the gate-crashers keeping up a leg count is pretty tricky.

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In fact I wouldn’t recommend trying it on a first reading – just enjoy the fun and leave computation till afterwards; and anyway the host reveals the answer to the leg question as he deals with the after- party chaos on the final page.
With wonderfully wacky guests splendidly attired, and scenes full of delightfully exuberant eccentricities, this book now out in paperback, is a cracker.

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Don’t Call Me Choochie Pooh!

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Don’t Call Me Choochie Pooh!
Sean Taylor and Kate Hindley
Walker Books
No self-respecting dog, even a little one, wants to be fed heart-shaped Mini Puppy treats or addressed thus, “Ickle Pickle Woof Woof”, “Incy Wincy Cupcake!” or “Choochie Pooh!”. And as for being kissed and then unceremoniously deposited in a handbag along with a packet of those Puppy Treats …

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well that just about tops the list in the embarrassment stakes for a little dog. It’s even worse when one’s owner stops in the park on the way home from the supermarket and there are other dogs dashing around doing ‘proper dog things.’

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However, things suddenly take a turn for the better when one of their number, Chief, instigates a spot of rebellion on the part of the pampered pooch; and it’s not long before he’s playing all kinds of games, the best of which appears to be this …

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All too soon though it’s time to go and what our canine narrator hears is the totally cringe inducing “Off we go OOPSIE BOOPSIE CHOOCHIE POOH!”; but home time for the other dogs is signalled by equally awful calls.

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Seems they too have to put up with similarly embarrassing owners although whether those owners feed their pooches Mini Puppy treats is something readers and listeners will have to decide for themselves.
Those I’ve shared this with delighted in Sean Taylor’s narrator and fully endorsed his sentiments over his owner’s humiliating behaviour.
Kate Hindley gives the whole canine crew real personalities in her hilarious portrayals and I love the way she shows everything from their ground-level perspective.

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Some portraits of the canine narrator

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The Bear Who Stared

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The Bear Who Stared
Duncan Beedie
Templar Publishing
Duncan Beedie’s staring bear is sure to bring a smile to your face as he goes around the countryside ogling at the very first thing he sees every day and on one particular morning that just happens to be a ladybird family enjoying their breakfast. I don’t like being stared at when I’m eating and neither do those ladybirds; they tell bear so in no uncertain terms before scuttling off to find a new breakfast spot. Bear however, wanders on, the next recipients of his innocent stare being a mother bird and her fledglings.

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They too angrily send Bear packing and on he goes, rather foolishly poking his head into a badger’s sett. This results not only in a face off with a furious badger, but also a very sore nose.

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Our ursine friend then decides to take a rest beside a pond wherein sits a frog. The two animals eyeball each other

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and then the frog’s comment, “Not much fun being stared at, is it?” results in an exchange wherein bear confesses his staring is really on account of his not knowing what to say to those he meets. After which, on looking into the water, he finds himself face to face with another bear…

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At this point, children will quickly identity the slightly wobbly face that stares back at him and will delight in frog’s final words and departing smile.
And Bear? He still goes on that same morning stroll every day but now he greets other creatures with a friendly, “Hello!” and a big smile.

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And, as you might expect, he’s quick to make lots of new friends and there’s one friend in particular who doesn’t object to being stared at; one who gives as good as he gets!

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Playful Books for Little Ones

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Peek-a-Boo You!
Jane Cabrera
Templar Publishing
A frisky cat plays peek-a-boo with a small girl and her ted as it frolics through the peep holes in the pages of this delightful rhyming book. Kitty delights in activities such as jumping into a shoebox

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and overturning a beaker, although perhaps she isn’t quite so delighted by this …

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However, the playful puss has a surprise for the little girl …

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and there’s a surprise finale for readers too.
Great fun to share with the very young. Equally, with its predictable patterned text, this book is ideal for beginning readers and so much more fun that dull reading scheme fodder.

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One Lonely Fish
Andy Mansfield and Thomas Flintham
Templar Publishing
‘A counting book with bite!’ announces the cover of this playful book as we begin with one very tiny fish swimming through the sea watched only, or so it seems, by a couple of crabs from the ocean floor.
Flip the fin-like page and a second fish is revealed now swimming behind the first.

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Continue in similar fashion until nine fish of increasing size swim one behind the other, still watched by that pair of crabs that are now looking decidedly alarmed and turning over one more time will reveal the reason why.

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What follows is a satisfying finale? – Err, that all depends on your viewpoint.
Great fun and full of mathematical potential within and beyond the pages of the book.

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Brown Bear Colour Book
Jane Foster
Templar Publishing
This charming concept book is also an invitation to play hide and seek with Brown Bear – he peeps through the increasingly large die-cut circle on every colour spread. The three primary colours plus orange, green and purple each have a double spread which follows the same form: text on the left-hand side; seven small pictures, plus bear peeping through, on the right. The text too, keeps to a repeating pattern: here is Red …

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In fact pattern is key to the whole thing. The individual objects are beautifully patterned

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and often set against a patterned background in a shade of the featured colour.
As the pages are turned the previous colours are visible through the increasingly large hole on the left hand die-cut circle until the surprise grand finale …

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Those of us who have taught young children /and or/ are parents, will know that the very young do not generally acquire colour concepts from books, rather they develop them through experiences of the real world and interactions with adults. However, this book will certainly help to reinforce ideas relating to colour and is a delight in itself. There is so much to talk about on every spread; and the predictable, repeating pattern of the whole thing makes it a book that beginning readers can enjoy trying for themselves.

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Gobbly Goat
Axel Scheffler
Nosy Crow
It’s lunchtime and Gobbly Goat has a rumbly tum. He wanders around the farmyard in search of something tasty to munch. Ugh! That straw hat tastes pretty disgusting, the rosy apples are way too high and Horse isn’t keen on sharing his hay so what can Gobbly gobble? …

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Told with a rhyming text and with deliciously funny farmyard scenes, this is a tasty treat for toddlers who will delight in pressing that sound button and making Gobbly bleat.

In similarly delightful Scheffler style and also in boardbook format is

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Higgly Hen
Nosy Crow
Here, although Higgly is hungry as the story begins, food is not the main object of her search. No sooner has she begun her food finding walk than her eggs hatch – six in all –

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and it’s those she wanders around the farm in search of. Silly hen; it’s a good thing that the cat, horse, pigs and other farmyard animals are on hand to help with her hunt.

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With Lots of Love

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I Love You More and More
Nicky Benson and Jonny Lambert
Little Tiger Press
Warm and reassuring is this litany of endless love, which celebrates a very special relationship between an adult bear and its cub, while at the same time introducing a host of other endearing animal characters …

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as the two journey together through woods, up hills and down, to a waterfall

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and river, then pausing to look upwards at the star-filled night sky,

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big bear assures the little one “You are beautiful in all you do,
And in all the words you say …
I love you, baby, more and more
   With every precious day.”
And just how precious those shared times are is evident in Jonny Lambert’s stylish collage style illustrations and Nicky Benson’s gentle, lyrical rhyming words.
Just the thing to snuggle up and share with a loved one at bedtime or any time of day.

Equally delightful is the small format:

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Love …
Emma Dodd
Nosy Crow
Herein a mother rabbit and her little one spend the day together talking, resting, sheltering …

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and sometimes, savouring the moment …

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as the young rabbit learns from those inevitable mistakes

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and mother rabbit realises that the world is even more wonderful now that she can share it with her little one.
Chock-full of love, this is perfect for sharing with tinies (and perhaps not so tinies) at bedtime, in the daytime, any time you want to pass on some tender magic Emma Dodd style.

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Terrific Twosomes

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I Love You Already
Jory John and Benji Davies
Harper Collins Children’s Books
The Goodnight Already duo(s) are back with another rip-roaring winner.
We start with Duck seemingly planning a morning stroll with his best pal and Bear extolling the virtues of lazy weekends at home …

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Before long though Bear’s peace is shattered by a knock at his door and this little buddy isn’t taking no for an answer.
Maybe that walk isn’t quite such a good idea after all though …

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and it seems Bear likes “quiet time by himself’ as much or maybe even more than he likes his chatty neighbour, and is determined to have some quality time to himself no matter what, or where.
Not very much however, for very soon he hears …

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And sees …

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Guess who is starting to feel a little bit of remorse now and then even more when he hears “You don’t even like me, do you, Bear? ” to which he responds, “Nonsense. You’re basically my family. I love you already, Duck.”
Maybe not the best thing you could have said, Bear because …

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That irrepressible, fun loving Duck is the perfect complement to his ursine neighbour who loves nothing better than a quiet day to himself with plenty of books and the odd cuppa.
Super stuff.

On the subject of perfect partnerships, bears, and a rabbit this time, an unmissable book for newly independent and emerging readers is:

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Rabbit & Bear: Rabbit’s Bad Habits
Julian Gough & Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books
I absolutely adored Jim Field’s wonderful Oi Frog! so I couldn’t wait to read this and wow! did I love it. I’ve always thought Frog and Toad were the unbeatable pairing when it comes to perfectly balanced contrasting characters but now along come the all-knowing Rabbit and laid-back Bear; and if this first book is anything to go by, they are about to give those amphibian guys a run for their money.
This side-splitting woodland romp is the setting for a tale of snowballs, snowman building,

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almost-avalanches, cracking ice, a breath-taking escape, a bit of stealing, poo eating – did I just say poo eating? (apparently, in this instance it’s called coprophagia) – not to mention the odd soggy carrot, oh! and there’s this other character I almost forgot to mention too.

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And of course, there’s friendship – who could ask for anything more? Well, other than – next instalment very soon please Mr G and Mr F.
Such a brilliantly seamless amalgam of words and pictures. Roll on The Pest in the Nest say I.

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The Last Book Before Bedtime

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The Last Book Before Bedtime
Nicola O’Byrne
Nosy Crow
I’m a huge fan of books that play around with fairy tales and loved the author’s previous Open Very Carefully and Use Your Imagination so couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of this one. It more than lives up to expectation.
The stars are three porcine siblings – a soccer enthusiast, a bibliophile and er, a cake lover and of course, where there are three little pigs, there absolutely HAS to be a BIG BAD WOLF.
Right! Intros over, it’s time to get on with the bedtime story – the most important story of the whole day no less. There go the little pigs on their house-building sortie and as we all know, Number One Pig is going to construct with straw – or maybe not for, before that “… out of straw!” utterance has left his lips he’s interrupted by a certain young miss demanding inclusion in the storybook; moreover she’s already setting her sights on a movie and associated merchandise. And with such comments as “No one’s going to want to watch a film with you pork chops in it.” miss Cinderella is something of an insult hurler too.
Despite all this, and some reluctance on the pigs’ part, the narrator seems ready to include young Cinderella and cast the three of them into HER story. At least one little pig is happy to go with the flow though.

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Oh oh! Now who’s this demanding to be part of the plot? And she’s got a BBW in tow. Time for a quick cast reshuffle.

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Here we go again … “Once upon a time there was a little girl whose cloak had a beautiful red hood … beware of the BIG BAD WOLF!” (Thought it was too good to last; but we have got to page fifteen before he puts in an appearance and even then it seems he’s about to get the brush off.) “… Cinderella, you can be Little Red’s mother, pig number two, you’re the granny. And wolf, you’re not in this bit.” (There you are.) Seemingly even those who DO have parts are not satisfied …
So, off skips LRRH and whom should she meet …

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More dissent, followed by a narratorial ticking off of the cast and can you believe it – yet more dissent; those characters really do need taking to task before something truly terrible happens.
WHAT? I cannot believe my eyes …

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With the book in tiny pieces, is that the end before the whole thing’s even really begun? Or can that motley crew possibly co-construct a plot to please them all? Perhaps, but only if it’s got romance, humour, danger – no prizes for guessing who asks for that, excitement and one more vital ingredient – cake!
On with the show … let’s hope that no matter what, it has a suitably soporific outcome …
A riotous metafictional romp if ever there was one; and a real gift to those who, like this reviewer, enjoy throwing themselves heart and soul into reading aloud.
All my audiences of 5 to 8s have demanded immediate rereads.

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The cast of characters from one group

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Tree Matters

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Tree Matters
Gangu Bai, Gita Wolf and V.Geetha
Tara Books
I’m a tree lover, a lover of India and have an interest in the Bhil culture, so this fascinating book was a winner with me right away.
One of the largest tribal communities in India, the Bhils tend to live in villages set between forest and field, relying less now due to restrictions of access, on the forests for supplying food and firewood than did their ancestors. Their sense of connectedness with the forests remains strong however, despite the fact that some are now city dwellers working in mines and factories. Cleverly titled, Tree Matters sets out to demonstrate through wonderful paintings by Bhil artist Gangu Bai, and her oral narrative that has been edited for the book, by Gita Wolf and V.Geetha, to show just how much they matter to members of her tribe, to the natural world, indeed to the whole country and our planet itself.
There are four main sections Everyday in the Forest; Tree Matters; Guardians and Gods and finally, Trees for Every Occasion. The first focuses on what particular trees have to offer in the way of food for either humans or animals: berries of the Sindi berry tree provide snacks for birds, monkeys and children: beware of the sharp thorns though, and the twigs make good brooms. The Ghondi tree has edible leaves – food for monkeys and humans (and delicious when cooked especially in bud form.) We also learn in this section, how people first began to eat leaves and to distinguish good ones from poisonous kinds.

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The second section includes a spread of beautiful tattoo designs based on the Ryan tree…

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and another pictorially documenting the birth of Jangal, the son of a friend of the artist.
In Guardians and Gods we learn of a mischievous, demanding jungle spirit; the protective Mother goddess; then there’s the god Kasumer, a fulfiller of wishes and finally, the Great God Badadev. Here he’s shown as a stone beneath a banyan tree.

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The final part depicts trees being used for all manner of occasions: the Mango beneath which the bridegroom’s party sits during a wedding reception; the Neem – that plays an important medicinal role with its oil, bitter leaves, and twigs that can be used as toothbrushes …

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Then there’s the Khakra tree that plays a central role in tribal life; Mahua is the tree of life whose flowers are used to distil a sacred liquor; the Toddy palm…

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the fruits of which are tapped for the sometimes intoxicating, drink and finally, we see a Jamun tree beneath which young girls might congregate following the festival of Holi.
This totally fascinating, absorbing look at many aspects of Bhil life, rendered in traditional tribal style paintings offers much to anyone interested in sustainability, tribal culture, art, the natural environment and much more. Indeed I would love to have each and every one of Gangu Bai’s paintings adorning the walls of my home.

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Friendship, Fun and Feelings

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Blue & Bertie
Kristyna Litten
Simon & Schuster
Bertie is a conventional creature spending his time along with the other giraffes crunchity- crunching the sweet leaves from the treetops, sip, slurping cooling water from the watering hole and then curling his long neck and snore, snore snoozing.

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That’s the way things were and that’s the way they liked them.
But then one day having overslept Bertie finds himself alone and unsure which way to go. Before long our long-necked friend is thoroughly lost and he’s not at all happy about it.

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Enter another creature looking very like himself except in one respect; and not only is this creature reassuring but he’s offering to show Bertie the way home.
A way that takes the two of them trit trotting beside some interesting spots and amazing sights

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and even among …

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Finally Bertie’s herd is in sight. Surely though he can’t be thinking of going back to his mundane existence and letting Blue, despite his difference, walk away all by himself, can he?
Thankfully not – after all everyone’s (or giraffe’s) daily life needs a bit of variety, not to mention a special friend to share it with.
Kristina Litten’s first solo picture book is enchanting: I particularly love the way she uses pattern and perspective in her illustrations. Blue and Bertie delightfully demonstrate what  all young children know: that being different is no barrier to friendship.

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Astro the Robot Dog
Claire Freedman and Russell Julian
Scholastic Children’s Books
Built from metal parts and programmed to obey at all times, robot dog Astro lives with alien boy, Zak on Planet Xog and their life is decidedly lacking in fun. Then one day a message flashes up on Zak’s computer screen …

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Off he goes to Planet Earth with a mission to visit Humankind and make a report. Shortly after landing he finds himself being ‘looked after’ by a small boy and daily life becomes filled with fun activities. As Astro makes his nightly reports back to Planet Xog he begins to wonder whether Zak too would enjoy these earthly activities: He’s now a robot dog with feelings. Feelings that, despite his new found friendship, make him miss his erstwhile friend very much. So when another summons comes – one calling him back home, it’s with mixed feelings that he thanks Boy and bids him farewell and off he goes.

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Thanks to Boy’s kindness however life back on Planet Xog is about to become a whole lot more fun and full of feelings, for Zak and Astro anyway.

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Told in jaunty rhyme, this is a heart-warming story of friendship, fun and a spot of football.

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Small Matters

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I’ll Never Let You Go
Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Alison Brown
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
An inexhaustible supply of love no matter what, is something everyone needs, particularly in those early years when everything is new and exciting; when you’re finding out about the world around and testing those boundaries …

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when things don’t go just right and you get in a tizz…

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When you’re feeling fearful, or sad, or ready for sleep. Then again when it’s time for an adventure or you need to feel that little bit more brave …

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An understanding adult is on hand to share those moments with his or her unique brand of unconditional love as Smriti Prasadam-Hall’s gentle rhyming text tells. Alison Brown’s scenes beautifully capture the highs and lows these little ones experience in this celebration of love and life as shared between adult and toddler animal style.

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Hug Time
Patrick McDonnell
Orion Children’s Books
Meet Jules, an endearing kitten with an enormous globe-trotting mission. What’s behind this tiny feline’s massive adventure you might be wondering? The clue’s in the picture (and the title of course). ‘He wanted to give the whole world a hug.’
And to ensure that he fulfils his intentions, the little fellow’s first job is a ‘Hug To-Do List’.

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Thereafter it’s a case of starting with those closest to him then off he goes over land,

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and sea …

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First port of call is Africa with its elephants, chimps, giraffes, hippos, baobab trees even.
India is the next destination where stillness and determination finally bring rewards but there’s no time to waste with wombats and wallabies still to be hugged. Then comes the North Pole, a lonely place …

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but just in time there’s a polar bear offering – guess what. And then it’s time to head home to bestow a special hug to Doozy, the one he loves best of all.
Delivered in rhyming couplets and through a series of wonderful illustrations (the book’s real strength), this story of universal kindness and unconditional love really does demonstrate how one simple act can make a massive impact. How splendidly McDonnell portrays each animal’s reaction to Jules, be it benevolence, surprise, delight, or downright indifference, in those small watercolour pictures.
Right now in these troubled times, there’s no need to undertake a globe trotting journey such as Jules’; but we certainly need to embrace his sentiments to all those, who for one reason or another, are in desperate need of some warmth and kindness.

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Hush-a-Bye Bunny
Holly Surplice
Nosy Crow
It’s almost little Bunny’s bedtime. First though there’s milk and supper to be eaten, followed by ‘a ‘Rub-a-dub, scrub-a-dub, /Down to your toes.’; then a game of peekaboo and into those pyjamas for a snuggleup with Teddy. Best of all though are those magical moments with a storybook

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and off with the light.
So what can possibly be troubling that baby bun who doesn’t want to let go of Mummy?
No matter what comes, her reassuring words are ready to help,
“ Hush-a-bye bunny,
Now tell me your fears.
I can hug away worries
And kiss away tears.”
And of course, she does just that before finally putting her loved one back into bed and turning down the light.
Tender moments shared through suitably soft watercolour illustrations and a lilting lullaby. It’s perfect just before bedtime reading to share with your tiny or tinies, particularly when there might be moments of separation anxiety before lights out and a bit of extra comfort is required.

For even younger ones:

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Goodnight Baby!
illustrated by Sarah Ward
Little Tiger Press
One of the ‘To Baby, With Love series’, this one bids goodnight to all manner of soft toys as they prepare for sleep: there’s Bunny and Lion, Penguin and Mouse,

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Giraffe and Bear, not forgetting little Pup. They’re all ready in their pyjamas for a snuggly bedtime story with Elephant before everyone is tucked up ready for “zzzzzzzzzz”. Shh! Don’t wake them till morning when they’ll all be up and ready for a game of:

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Peekaboo Baby!
There are plenty of things to hide under, behind and maybe inside, or even have a little nibble on, which is fine so long as you don’t get caught in the act. OOPS!

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With a flap on every double spread and a surprise ending this companion board book is just the thing for a playful session with your baby.

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Two Wacky Tales

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Professor McQuark and the Oojamaflip
Lou Treleaven and Julia Patton
Maverick Arts Publishing
When Professor McQuark invents a wonderful new gadget, so weird and wacky is it, that she names it Oojamaflip. Then off she dashes to her workshop – aka the shed – and sets to work bringing that design in her head to finished product.

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What is the next thing to do once the Oojamflip is finished? Take it to be displayed at the Science Fair of course, and so with headlights polished, the next stop is the town hall. There is just one snag however and it concerns the relative size of the building’s doors and that of the Oojamaflip;

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so the prof. is forced to leave her machine outside.
Inside there are all manner of wacky inventions: a square balloon maker, a zip up door, an infinitely re-sizeable alien suit and a self-playing flute to name a few and they’re all vying for the judges’ attention to win that first prize. And here comes an announcement …

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Or maybe not – all the visitors are suddenly dashing outside leaving the judges startled and puzzled and there’s only one thing they can do; head outside too and discover what all the fuss is about …

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Seems they’re all pretty impressed with this extra mural exhibit but there’s one thing still puzzling them: “what does this Ooja-thing actually do?” The clue is in the title – I’ll say no more.
Great to see a female in the role of scientist cum inventor: the aptly named Professor McQuark should be an inspiration to all young inventors. Debut author Lou Treleaven’s sparky rhyming story is wackily illustrated by Julia Patton, whose scenes are full of zany details to pore over, and possibly provide some ideas to child inventors.

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Giant Jelly Jaws and the Pirates
Helen Baugh and Ben Mantle
Harper Collins Children’s Books
Unlike his fellow crew members, new cabin boy Jake is not brave or strong; indeed he has no head for heights, cries at the slightest hint of a scratch and at night, his hammock-mate is a teddy bear. It looks as though Captain Fish-Breath Fred has made an almighty mistake in engaging young Jake. But can the lad manage to prove his worth in the face of a rival pirate crew whose members are intent on getting their hands on the treasure map whereon X marks the spot. Seemingly not, for here’s a rather stinky situation where we see his fellow shipmates about to walk the plank…

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and the cabin boy himself cowering behind some kegs of pop.
Hold on me hearties! What is Jake up to now? Surely it’s no time to be guzzling pop, or is it? …

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If you want to know how this ripping rhyming yarn concludes, you’ll have to get your own copy of the riotous romp and read the rest yourself. It’s certainly true to say ship’s figurehead Giant Jelly Jaws has found his match when it comes to monstrous eruptions; and awash with detail, Ben Mantle’s riotous scenes are suitably salty and swashbuckling.

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What Pet Should I Get?

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What Pet Should I Get?
Dr Seuss
Harper Collins Children’s Books
This slip-cased edition of a never before published Dr Seuss story is in itself something of a treat, especially if you’re a fan of the great Theodor Geisel and I definitely am.
The book’s main characters are the brother and sister from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, the story being narrated by the brother, as the two are faced with a tricky problem when they visit the pet shop to choose just one, and only one, pet. (Back in those days people didn’t go to animal rescue centres and the like to source a pet). In typical Seuss fashion, the children are confronted with all manner of animals – real and imagined – as they struggle to make their ultimate choice. There’s that hand-shaking dog, rather favoured by the brother whereas Kay would prefer the friendly-looking cat …

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The pup or that kitty? Or maybe a fish … no matter what, the order is

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Maybe not some of these beauties though, they might just be pushing the would-be pet owners’ luck just a little too far …

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but faced with so much choice, there’s only one thing to do and that is exactly what big bro does: “I picked one out fast,/and then that was that.”

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But as to the identity of the ‘that’ in question – the ambiguous finale leaves readers themselves to decide what’s in the basket those siblings proudly take back home.
Notes at the end of the book tell of Seuss’s love of animals, in particular dogs as well as how, after her husband’s death in 1991, his wife Audrey found of box of manuscripts, which she set aside at that time. Then, in 2013 along with his secretary Claudia Prescott, she rediscovered that box containing among other things, the manuscript of this story and some uncoloured artwork.
Was this a project that subsequently turned into One Fish, Two Fish? We’ll never know for sure; but what is certain is that here we have another jaunty script filled with crazy creatures that have been lovingly and thoughtfully coloured under the direction of art director Cathy Goldsmith and the result is classic Seuss nostalgia.

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Let’s Play

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Ready, Steady, DIG!
Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Ed Eaves
Hodder Children’s Books
As one little boy plays with his collection of vehicles, his playmat becomes the scene for Construction Crew to rumble into action. There’s Connor Crane with wrecking ball to bash and smash, big tough Dumper Dave to haul and heave, Mixer Millie is at the ready,

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followed by Ravi Roller to squash the tarmac and Doug the Digger with that enormous scoop – OOPS!

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He’s got stuck, so now it’s a case of teamwork to heave him out and complete the task …

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before that well-earned rest.

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Ed Eaves transforms the various vehicles into friendly-looking monsters, which, in combination with Smriti Prasadam-Halls’ lively rhyming text, make for a rumbustious read to share with the very young.
Teachers in early years settings may well want to take the opportunity this book offers to add some movement to the story session with the children themselves becoming the various members of the Construction Crew as the story unfolds – after an initial seated reading, that is.
Certainly this is one to add to an early years collection.

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Hedgehugs Hopping Hot
Lucy Tapper and Steve Wilson
Maverick Arts Publishing
The delightful duo, best friends Horace and Hattie return with their third story and it’s a very sunny day on which we find them attempting to play a favourite hopping game. The trouble is they’re feeling far too hot and the only shady spot doesn’t furnish sufficient hopping space. Their cooling strategies don’t meet with much success either

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and it’s well nigh impossible to emulate frogs when you make so much splash. Hiding under rocks like woodlice will certainly not work, if you want to hop that is …

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and nor will a squelchy mud covering. What about emulating that bird up there on a branch, think the friends but although it’s definitely a cooler place, it’s not suitable for jumping and …

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Hold on though, perhaps down here might be just what those spiky friends need – whatever the weather …

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Gentle humour delivered hedgehog fashion is fun no matter what the temperature: Horace and Hattie are such a joyful twosome; even in the face of all those misadventures they just bounce right back up, and that’s exactly what’s needed for a hopping game too! Lucy Tapper’s beautifully patterned illustrations capture the mood perfectly.

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Odd Socks

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Odd Socks
Michelle Robinson and Rebecca Ashdown
Andersen Press
Meet Suki and Sosh as unlikely a pair of storybook characters as you can imagine, new socks, perfectly matched and totally besotted with one another. They love their life too as they fit into jellies, wellies, the washing machine of course and naturally they just love hanging out together.

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Perhaps best of all though is when, at the end of a day, they’re snuggled up together in the dark drawer and that’s when Suki might be heard to utter, “Just you and me, darling, we never will part. Your threads are entwined in my warm, woolly heart.” Ahhh!

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Life continues in this blissful fashion until the dreadful day when their whole togetherness is threatened by Sosh’s discovery of a tiny hole in Suki’s big toe. And we all know what happens to a small sock hole – it just gets bigger and bigger …
“You’re done for … bound for the bin,” asserts the bullying Big Bob, a moany character if ever there was one but Sosh is having none of it. “Chuck a super sock? They wouldn’t dare.” he reassures her.

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Come evening however, Sosh is without his partner in that drawer they shared and so begins a desperate search for his sole mate and he’s prepared to risk heel and toe to find her.

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So is that the end for the devoted pair?
Well, not quite; seems they’ve both undergone a reincarnation and have a new home to boot …

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This crazy rhyming tale is jauntily told in an appropriately melodramatic manner by Michelle Robinson who seems to have found the perfect illustrative partner in Rebecca Ashdown. Those woolly warmers of hers are certainly ones that make you want to snuggle into them. Great fun for a chilly, wintery day.

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Seahorse’s Magical Sun Sequences

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Seahorse’s Magical Sun Sequences
Michael Chissick and Sarah Peacock
Singing Dragon (JKP)
Using a variety of sea creature characters, yoga teacher Michael Chissick weaves a narrative through which the ‘Sun Salutation’ sequence is introduced, thus making it highly accessible to all primary aged children.
The Sun Salutation is a sequence of linked postures that should help children to feel confident and positive about themselves. To this end he offers four sequences, three of which have been specially modified to suit the particular needs of wheelchair users; those with autism or sensory problems; those who for one reason or anther – cerebral palsy or a temporary problem that makes it hard for them to stand up and the first, for children whose bodies are not yet sufficiently supple for the full sequence (here called the Challenging Sun Sequence).
Chissick has carefully selected sea animals to represent the various challenges children may be faced with: Toddler and Junior the Starfish Brothers, have very stiff backs so Seahorse teaches them the first “Sun Sequence” breaking it down into a cyclical sequence and reassuringly telling the brothers to go only as far as they can with the bending and stretching. This one involves some twisting the author calls “curly whirly 1’ and ‘curly whirly 2’.
Eel is a wheelchair user …

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and Starfish has a specially adapted sequence for her, which helps to make her feel included.

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Then comes Crab; he likes things to be done in a strict order but doesn’t like being with others. Seahorse knows just how to help him and allows Crab to do a version of the sequence sitting in a chair; and soon Crab too feels much happier.
Octopus, a highly competitive creature, has been badly injured (six broken legs) in a pole vaulting competition so Seahorse teaches him a Sitting Sun Salutation

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that allows even a creature in such a bad physical state to do a sequence of postures: a liberating experience for the injured character.
Finally, after several months, Seahorse encounters the Starfish Brothers again and decides they are ready for another challenge and proceeds to teach them the ‘Challenging Sun Sequence”,

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the one most adult yogis are likely to be familiar with.
Throughout the story, Seahorse is gently encouraging, explaining the benefits of what he’s teaching and in true yoga teacher fashion, never making any of the learners feel inadequate: “Do you best … You’ll soon get the hand of it,” he tells each one in turn.
There is a straightforward ‘Guidance for teachers, Professionals and Parents’ introduction to the book. This explains Surya Namaskar simply and clearly, as well as explaining how the book can be used and the final pages give more details about the various sequences and offers a case study. And, from my viewpoint as an experienced teacher of yoga and early years teacher it’s good to see this message stated loudly and clearly: ‘children’s yoga is not about perfection in the posture’. Amen to that!
From personal experience I know that using stories when teaching yoga to young children is very effective and this beautifully illustrated book is likely to be welcomed by all of us who work to bring yoga and children together no matter what the setting.
Buy from JKP
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Little One

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Little One
Jo Weaver
Hodder Children’s Books
Big Bear and Little One emerge from their winter den into the spring sunshine. It’s clearly Little One’s first experience of the season: “There’s so much to discover in your new world,” his mother tells him leading him into a forest astir with new life.

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What follows is a journey through the seasons with some life lessons for Little One, wonderfully rendered in Jo Weaver’s quietly beautiful charcoal illustrations. How to be gentle …

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and playful. How to catch fish …

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and how to swim.
How to find food in the autumn

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before winter comes around once more and it’s time to leave the forest and head for their den to spend another winter together, Little One so much wiser now from all his experiences.
Jo Weaver’s superb craftsmanship in her use of black and white and greys is evident on every single spread: just look at this nocturnal scene:

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and this glorious skyscape …

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There’s a gentle lyrical, almost meditational quality too, in Weaver’s writing as she moves her characters and readers right through a whole year in this, her debut picture book. It’s one to be shared one to one or with a small group when in keeping with the narrative, the pace can be slow and children and adult have time to explore the wonderful, illustrative details. I love the circular nature of the whole thing too.

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The Orange House

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The Orange House
Nahid Kazemi
Tiny Owl Publishing
Down at the end of the alley lined by tall buildings Sky, Star, Sea and Moonlight, stands the Orange House and Orange is far from happy. The reason being she is the only remaining old house, and while the other buildings all watch and comment on the nearby, as yet nameless new building,

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single storeyed Orange House stays silent. She doesn’t have a lift, nor amazing plumbing or even beautiful bricks or windows as the others have commented. Puzzled by her continued silence,

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Turquoise, the first of the more recent buildings, continues speaking, recalling when like Orange, other houses in the alley had gardens with trees, ponds, birds and fish. The rest join the conversation, reminiscing about the lost beauty and gradually realising the impact they themselves have had on the locality, Turquoise commenting on the quality of the air (cleaner and easier to breathe back then).
Suddenly Orange notices workmen approaching with picks and shovels; but then so do the others. Deciding it’s time to make a stand against further development, the tall buildings form a barricade around the Orange House making her invisible to those would-be destructive humans who give up their search and walk away.

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And thus stands Orange House, smiling and happy surrounded by her new friends and protectors.
This is a powerful fable of our time, when thoughtless, money-grabbing developers are often too ready to knock down buildings and destroy open spaces in the name of progress.
With its naive perspectives, Nahid Kazemi’s quirky, offbeat illustrative style delivers the message with a punchy panache.

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Treats for Tinies

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Kiss it Better
Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Sarah Massini
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
How many times have you said the title words in your dealings with young (or not so young children? I suspect you’ve lost count.
This tender celebration of the healing power of kisses is charmingly presented courtesy of a bear family as they, in particular the two young bears, go about their daily lives with those inevitable thrills and spills. No matter those ‘down in the dumps’ feelings when a tumble has been taken there’s always a kiss to make it feel better.

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There are playful kisses too, and those that mean ‘I’m sorry’ when the siblings come to blows.
Then comes the cheer-up kind after a bad day at school or nursery and the wonderful goodnight, go-to-sleep variety that help shoo any of those bedtime storybook monsters that might be lurking
No matter the time of day or night, whether you’re feeling poorly or grumpy a kiss will help. Or maybe more than one … and they never run out. Kisses work no matter how big or small you are In fact everyone needs a kiss from time to time …

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Sarah Massini’s bears are truly adorable and a perfect match for Smriti Prasadam-Halls’ gentle rhyming text. Just the thing to have on hand in the home or an early years setting; you never know when a kiss and cuddle up with this delightful book might be called for.

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Good Night, I Love You
Caroline Jayne Church
Hodder Children’s Books
We join a brother and sister as they embark on their nightly bedtime routine: splashing,

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scrubbing, wrapping and brushing. Then it’s on with those pjs and time to share a story before snuggle down and lights out time.

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Told in rhyming couplets, it’s gently playful, cosy and just the thing to round off the day with your toddler.

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Jane Foster’s First Words
Jane Foster
Templar Publishing
Here is a beautifully illustrated board book introducing twenty items – one per page to babies and perhaps those learning English as an additional language. The uncluttered nature of each page and the single word label make it obvious at once what is being so clearly named. The images themselves – animals,

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transport, a house and some things you’d find in and around a house – are for the most part, richly patterned reflecting Jane Foster’s background in textiles;

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and on occasion, the image is set against a softly patterned, textured background.
Altogether a stylish little book for babes and their parents/carers to share:

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despite its apparent simplicity, this is rich in language potential.

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Hide and Seek Bob and Flo
Rebecca Ashdown
Oxford University Press
The endearing penguin pals are back in the nursery again and it’s a rainy day so Bob’s brought his brolly. This triggers a game of hide-and-seek and Bob’s first to hide – so he thinks. The trouble is Bob is at the developmental stage where he thinks if he can’t see people (or penguins) they can’t see him and even after a bit of coaching he’s still not quite getting the hang of things.

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Sam and Flo decide to give him even more help; they go off to play in the kitchen giving him much longer to find a good hiding place.

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Can Bob manage to disappear this time? And what’s cake got to do with all this?
Gentle, playful humour delightfully delivered by Rebecca Ashdown and perfect to share with those around the age of Bob and Flo.

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The Jackal Who Thought He Was a Peacock

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The Jackal Who Thought He Was a Peacock
Firoozeh Golmohammadi
Tiny Owl Publishing
Coming to terms with and accepting one’s own identity is at the heart of this striking reworking of a Rumi fable.
Dissatisfied with his dull grey and brown fur, a jackal longs to stand out from the crowd like a colourful peacock and to this end, adorns himself with bright objects he comes across, and spends much of his time observing those stunning birds, further strengthening his desire to become one.
One night the jackal has a dream wherein his wish has finally come true: he has become a beautiful peacock waited on hand and foot by the other creatures, so dazzled are they by his beauty.

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Until that is, the loudness of his bossy orders wakes him from his slumbers bringing him firmly back to his grey-brown reality.
However, the desire remains stronger than ever, and thus it is that the jackal pays a visit to the dyer’s house where, dazzling in the moonlight stand vats of wonderful coloured paint into which of course, one by one, the jackal leaps.
The result is spectacular, the dyer furious and the jackal? He’s cock-a-hoop.

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But we know – and jackal is soon to discover – pride comes before a fall; and fall he does, pretty hard. So, has that would-be peacock finally come to terms with his ‘jackalness’? Well, yes … and no.
Firoozeh Golmohammadi’s portraits of the animal characters and the landscape and townscape settings are executed in a painterly style which is at once absorbing and arresting .
As with all Tiny Owl publications, the book’s design and the quality of the production are superb.

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One Day On Our Blue Planet … In the Antarctic

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One Day On Our Blue Planet … In the Antarctic
Ella Bailey
Flying Eye Books
Ella Bailey’s second day-stop on her tour of Our Blue Planet is a decidedly chilly one, the Antarctic. Here, as day breaks we join a recently hatched Adélie penguin chick as she waddles along the frozen coastline, weaving across the nesting grounds in answer to her parents’ call.

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Her mother feeds her one last meal and then that little penguin must set out alone into the enormous Antarctic Ocean to fend for herself.
When she reaches the water’s edge there is nothing for it but to launch herself seawards and once in the water, the little creature moves through it with grace and speed, travelling huge distances every day as she seeks food. In her search, the little penguin encounters all manner of marine giants …

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And diving down under the ice she discovers a hidden world rich in food such as krill, squid and fish; but there are also dangerous creatures intent on eating her.

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Further north fur seals are to be discovered as well as different kinds of penguins; but no matter how long it is before that chick returns to solid ground, she has a thick protective layer of fat to keep her warm be she in the sea or, as the cold, cold day turns to bitter night, resting on the floating ice …

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As with her first Savannah destination, Ella Bailey presents an amazing amount of information in such a way that it will be easily absorbed by children who, like this adult reviewer, will delight in making the journey through those chilly southern waters along with little penguin. Her aptly crisp, clear illustrations are superb and the end papers (one above the ice, the other below) are chock-full of visual information.

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Nicholas and the Wild Ones

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Nicholas and the Wild Ones
Niki Daly
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Nicholas has just had his first day at school and we meet him at the gate where his mother greets him. “How did you like it?” she asks. “Not one bit,” is his response and on the way home he proceeds to tell her about the Wild Ones, who have made his life a misery all day. There’s the wildest, Charlie who jumps on people, Wedgie Reggie who gets his amusement by pulling his peers by their underpants, Big-Mouth Jake scoffer of other people’s snacks and scariest of all, the huge Cindy Crocker.

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Back home Nicholas’s family suggest ways to handle those bullies and next day armed with strategies Nicholas faces up to the gang and in the course of the day his tactics begin to pay dividends particularly with the number one bully, so much so that by the end of day two, Nicholas has a new friend with whom to share his design skill.

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And it’s this skill that eventually wins over the rest of the gang who are wild no longer. Well maybe just once in a while ….

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but no matter, Nicholas has plenty more designs up his sleeve.

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This humorous book tackles bullying head on, highlighting the fact that girls as well as boys can be bullies. It’s perfect for circle time discussions in primary classes and for individual sharing. I particularly like the way that Nicholas uses creative means to deal with the bullies here and those end papers are great.

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I’ll Wait, Mr Panda

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I’ll Wait, Mr Panda
Steve Antony
Hodder Children’s Books
Sporting a chef’s hat and delectable doughnut-patterned pinny, and wielding mixing bowl and spoon, straight-faced Mr Panda is back to deliver another lesson in manners and this time it’s all about being rewarded for patience. But when it comes to discovering the surprise being cooked up by Mr P, patience is something that is decidedly lacking in llama: he definitely doesn’t want to wait.

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Neither does aardvark although he thinks it could be cookies on the menu.

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And those bunnies are rather hoping for cupcakes but will they “wait and see” What do you think?

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Seemingly it’s only that one small penguin who has the right attitude when it comes to the waiting game. He’s determined to stick it out till the last.
So, will his patience be duly rewarded when Mr Panda finally produces the outcome of his labours? Err – yes but …

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Another one to relish: Steve Antony’s droll humour shines through yet again in this tasty tale of delayed gratification. The guy is a genius and cannot seem to put a foot (or a paw) wrong. More please Mr A. and of course, I’ll wait …

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A River

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A River
Marc Martin
Templar Publishing
This beautiful book comes from award-winning Marc Martin and begins in a child’s bedroom from where we are taken on a journey– real or imagined? – in a silver boat, down a river as it winds on its long journey through high rise city with its ant-like zooming cars and smoke-belching factories, meandering past farms with a patchwork of fields …

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into hills and alleys rich and green, cascading down a waterfall;

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then, watched by dozens of eyes, through lush tropical forests alive with birds and animals, past mangroves and on to the ocean smelling of salt and seaweed

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where a storm is gathering strength … and then returning to the bedroom once more, there in the gloom are those same pictures and objects that inspired the whole journey.
This journey is more than merely a visual one; truly it’s one that engages all the senses as we smell and taste that belching smoke …

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hear the running water as it murmurs along and then cascades down a waterfall, listen to the bird and animal sounds of the jungle,

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feel those watching eyes in the dark jungly depths …

 

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and of course, every spread is an arresting feast for the eyes.
Make sure too, to look for the tiny sailboat itself with its adventurous navigator as it charts its course through all those amazing landscapes so richly hued and textured. See how many animals you can notice dotted throughout the pages: look closely and be captivated. You’ll be reluctant to rejoin that child as she returns to the bedroom where raindrops pelt against the windowpane and a soft light shines, perhaps calling her forth once more. I certainly was.
When you do though, pay careful attention to those inspirational endpapers.
This truly is a book rich with potential for inspiring children’s creativity, for environmental and geographical discussions and more. First though let it be enjoyed and savoured for its aesthetic riches both visual and verbal.

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Cat Capers

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Stanley the Amazing Knitting Cat
Emily MacKenzie
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
In this follow-up to her splendid book-stealing Ralfy Rabbit, Emily MacKenzie provides another furry character with an unlikely preoccupation: marmalade cat Stanley is a fanatical knitter. He hones his craft not in chasing mice or dogs but in flexing his paws and clicking his needles to create all manner of wonderful objects: those pompoms are pretty cool (or should that be warm?), the bathtime bobble hats, ditto and then there are those tail cosies conjured up at the supermarket.

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Stanley’s pals were the lucky recipients of his craftsmanship: the balaclava-sporting bunnies looked wonderful, as did all the other woolly wearing animals.

 

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Until the day Stanley spots a poster …

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From then on, all Stanley’s energy, not to mention wool is focused on a single enterprise and nothing can stop him till – uh no! has Stanley come to the end of his chances of winning?

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But even that doesn’t stop the determined moggie as he embarks – to his friends’ chagrin, on operation unravel …

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When the day of the competition dawns, Stanley’s pals gather (sans woolies) at the venue but where is the great competitor himself? Seemingly he has thoughts other than victory on his mind after all;

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but in his efforts to make recompense to his friends, have Stanley’s prize-winning plans unravelled altogether, or does he still have a chance at the grand prize?
To discover the answer, you’ll have to get your mitts on a copy of this wacky, winning tale.

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Double Dave
Sue Hendra and Lee Wildish
Hodder Children’s Books
Rotund moggie Dave returns in another crazy tale and this time he has something of an identity crisis: who, or what is this Dave-like creature that’s sleeping in his bed and consuming his meals?

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And moreover, trying to take his friends .

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There’s only one thing for the indomitable Dave to do: unmask the imposter and prove himself worthy of the name Dave. That however seems to be somewhat more difficult than he (and Bug) have anticipated; but in the end, the proof of the pudding is in the eating or should that be its gaseous after effects …

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Doubtless Dave will please his already established fans, and gain a few new ones too, with this comical windy caper.

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Operation Rescue!

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Intergalactic Ed and the Space Pirates
Ella Denton and Jamie Littler
Oxford University Press
Just behind Ed’s bedroom wall, safely hidden by a panel, lies his Intergalactic Operations Headquarters so when through his bedroom window, Ed notices the troubled-looking moon, it takes almost no time for him to alert his cat Sputnik , grab his Turbo Torch and backpack, don his spacesuit, step into the Space Transporter Capsule and zoom off into space.

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Before long, into view comes the largest spaceship in the galaxy –the Interplanetary Plunderer no less. And what’s that? A gang of pirates intent on a dastardly, almost unbelievable plan: to steal the moon itself. Can Ed, with his knowledge about the lunar landscape not to mention the relative size of the moon vis-à-vis Jupiter’s moon Ganymede foil the plot, especially in the face of threats from the ghostly galactic crew? …

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Let’s just say, that the marauding crew hadn’t quite reckoned on the guile of Ed’s faithful Sputnik and his beguiling feline footwork …

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With Jamie Littler’s frenetic, cartoon style illustrations, this far-fetched frolic with its sprinkling of facts, will definitely appeal to those who like their action fast, furious and full of fun.

Much gentler but also involving a dramatic air-born rescue and teamwork is

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Badger and the Great Rescue
Suzanne Chiew and Caroline Pedler
Little Tiger Press
When Badger and his pals discover some bits and pieces lying abandoned in various places, they are quick to put them to good use: a washing line for Mouse, a new shed for Hedgehog and then there’s that large piece of red and yellow cloth. It would be ideal for a tent, a hammock and perhaps a kite – once the friends have shared it fairly that is.
Then all of a sudden, down swoops Bird with news of a little mole stranded in a tree …

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And that little mole knows just what the ‘trampoline’ offered for him to leap onto is a part of. Then it’s time for the friends to abandon their original creative plans and work together on operation repair and rescue.

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How to Find Gold

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How to Find Gold
Viviane Schwarz
Walker Books
Viviane Schwarz has definitely struck gold with her latest offering. It stars a pair of adorable characters, Anna, a small girl with a wonderfully fertile imagination, and her pal Crocodile – an all round down-to-earth good guy – who acts as a kind of steadying influence in the relationship, proffering such wise words as “That would be dangerous and difficult,” to Anna’s opening suggestion, “LET’S FIND GOLD,”. Indeed it’s the quality of the deadpan exchanges between the two, as much as the quest itself that make this book such a winner.
Once the plans have been made, maps duly drawn …

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and location possibilities weighed up …

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the next consideration is transport: that one is easily dealt with …

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and the adventure is then truly under way
There follows another priceless exchange: “Where are the ship-sinking mountains?” Anna asked. “Where are the monsters?”
“Underwater, “ said Crocodile.
“How about holes?”
“They are sunk with the ship,” said Crocodile.
“Ah,” said Anna. “Finding gold is difficult.”
“Very,” said Crocodile.
“Not dangerous though,” said Anna.
“Ha!” said Crocodile. “How about over there, where the sea is boiling and the clouds are like a tower and the fish are in the air?”
“A great storm!” said Anna. “There will be gold!”
“Hold on tight,” said Crocodile.
Anna is duly rewarded for her confidence. They do find gold, at the bottom of the deepest, darkest ocean imaginable …

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and what do they do with the spoils? Telling would ruin the wonderful finale which rounds this off in stupendous style, in a superb demonstration of what early years educators, parents of many young children (and this book’s creator) know: it’s the process, not the product that is most important in an undertaking such as this.
Like all good picture books, this one leaves readers with possibilities to entertain: “Is Crocodile ‘real’ or an imaginary friend?” being one. Your young audiences will doubtless come up with others.
The author provided further episodes to her wonderful There Are Cats In This Book. If anything calls for a follow up (or two), this brilliant book assuredly does.

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Blue Bottle Mystery

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Blue Bottle Mystery
Kathy Hoopmann, Rachael Smith & Mike Medaglia
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Subtitled ‘An Asperger Adventure’ this is essentially a graphic novel for primary/younger secondary age children adapted from the original fantasy story published some fifteen years ago. Herein we meet Ben who has Asperger’s syndrome and his pal Andy who doesn’t. Their discovery of a blue flask (they dig it up in the school yard) and the uncorking of same with the traditional three wishes they make, unleashes all kinds of surprising events in their lives. Ben then passes the bottle on to his teacher, Miss Browning-Lever who seems to be suffering from mood swings, in the hope it cheers her up.

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Not long after, Ben and his dad who is a widower, win a fortune on the lottery (thanks to Ben’s new pattern) – wish number one. Then Andy announces that he’s had a sudden growth spurt – school basketball team, here he comes – that’s wish number two taken care of. And number three? The boys are unable to recall what that was: surely not the blowing up of their arch enemies – or was it? Could it have been the destruction of their school perhaps?

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Suffice it to say that all ends happily albeit somewhat surprisingly but to tell would make me a story-spoiler so … let’s just say Ben gets his Asperger’s diagnosis and there’s something new for Ben’s dad too.
Assuredly this is a book that offers an explanation of aspects of Asperger’s Syndrome in a fun way making it accessible to a wide range of readers, especially those (on the spectrum or not) who have a particular passion for visuals. I have to say I was somewhat troubled by Ben’s dad having a go at him about his ‘flapping’ …

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and some of his other behaviours – thank goodness for his more understanding Gran. But I guess that is part of life for some youngsters on the spectrum.
All in all though, this is a perceptive, optimistic story that artfully weaves information relating to the condition throughout. It should find a place on the classroom shelves of all primary schools and in lower secondary libraries: those who read it will one hopes come away with a greater understanding of what it is to be ‘an aspie’. Let’s hear it for individuality and difference, and the way such characteristics can enrich the lives of us all.
You can order directly from the publishers JKP

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The tragic tale of Dwayne The Eating Monster

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The Tragic Tale of Dwayne the Eating Monster
Valentina Mendicino
Top That Publishing
Meet Dwayne – total food addict with no other interests apart from the assimilation of all manner of items from his fridge. Fine thus far – or maybe not so fine, judging by his already rotund appearance but things get even less fine when Dwayne decides to tickle his taste buds with some new fodder such as …

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which needless to say gets him into the neighbours’ bad books.
Dwayne’s insatiable appetite means that he’s ever expanding his girth to the point where he has outgrown his bed, is unable to reach to tie his shoelaces, cannot sit as his desk in school, nor play hide-and-seek or ride his bike, and eventually, squeeze through his own front door. Hmm!

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Any self-respecting person or monster would surely be taking him or herself in hand by this time; but Dwayne? Not on your life. He still carries on stuffing himself and getting larger and … but equally so do the things he wants to consume …

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Until finally, he’s eaten himself out of house and home, the planet, the … hang on;

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is he about to meet his cum uppance here?
This funny cautionary tale for foodies and others is bound to tickle the taste buds of young listeners and, once they’ve listened to the story a couple of times, developing readers. The whole thing is inviting, not least the three dimensional-looking characters and those flaps. I can well imagine children in an early years setting being inspired to create their very own ‘Dwayneiverse’ from soft modeling materials and inventing their own stories around it.

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Alphabets Are Amazing Animals

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Alphabets Are Amazing Animals
Anushka Ravishankar and Christiane Pieper
Tara Books pbk
I don’t subscribe to the current obsessive view of phonics as the best way to teach early reading – far from it; however I am a big fan of alliteration and it certainly helps in giving children an awareness of initial sound/symbol associations/phonemic awareness. Alliteration is also, when done well, poetic. Even when it’s not, that repetition of the first consonant or vowel (more tricky) can be enormous fun for children learning language or learning to read. This book of carefully constructed, playful sentences written by Anushka Ravishankar is a great boon. More than that though it’s clever and a delight to share with  individuals, a group or a class. They will relish the twenty six silly sentences each of which features a different animal (sometimes more than one per letter) …

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boldy rendered in Christiane Piper’s delightful pen-and-ink illustrations: A –has Anteaters, B, Buffaloes…

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and so on, and will be painlessly absorbing lessons about sentence structure in so doing ((subject, verb, object, adverb, adjective are all there in those sentences).
I particularly like those Mice:

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The gum gobbling geese gives one giggles …

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the sight of those Uakaris is … utterly unsettling to say the least.

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And it’s great to see that X has a real animal too – a type of gull.

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This one is sure to result in young listeners and readers relishing the opportunities it furnishes to rush off and create their own silly sounding super sentences.

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George’s illustration for his sentence: “Fierce Fox Fanning Fire”

In addition, this book could be a great one for speech therapists working with individuals who have difficulties producing particular sounds.

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Winter/A Bird Like Himself

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Winter
David A. Carter
Abrams & Chronicle
This small pop-up is full of wintry delights. As the sun goes down and snow begins to fall one chilly day, we see a white-tailed deer and follow deer tracks across the white covering and there’s a cardinal perching in a pine tree. Turn the page and make the snowflakes dance in the air, the snow geese too, take to the air while from behind a fir tree peeps a bear…

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yes there’s something to see at every level on each spread thereafter.
Turn over once again: holly berries deck the tree, a stoat stands stark with its tail aloft, a snowshoe hare hops by and mice are snuggling together to keep warm.
Next we see long-eared owls perching on an oak, long-tailed weasels as they are herein named, face us looking startled and red foxes are huddling from the cold (look behind the sandstone).

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Look on the next moonlit spread and find Orion above, a bobcat, snowberries glowing and creatures peeking and finally …

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Everything is still, everything is waiting under the milky way …

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One year old Jenson investigating the delights of WINTER

Some of the creatures are American but this adds interest for non-US readers rather than detracting from the charm of the book.

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A Bird Like Himself
Anahita Teymorian
Tiny Owl Publishing
When a chick emerges from a seemingly parentless egg, the animals living around take on the role of carers.

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They do their very best and if nothing else they give their new infant plenty of love.

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With such a variety of carers though, it’s not surprising that Baby – so called because he became everyone’s baby – has something of an identity crisis.
But with the winter fast approaching, it’s time for birds like Baby to be flying south to warmer climes and try as they might, none of the animals is able to demonstrate the techniques of flying …

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So what will be the fate of Baby who as yet isn’t really like those other birds? Can he finally spread those wings of his and take flight? Perhaps, with the help of a special friend …

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With its inherent themes of acceptance, parenting and caring, friendship and finding a place to fit in, this lovely book will resonate with adults as well as the many children I hope it will be shared with especially  with refugees from Syria being made to feel welcome in the UK as I write.
Author/illustrator Anahita Teymorian’s densely daubed illustrations are sheer delight. I absolutely love the final double spread whereon is revealed the significance of the chequer board design that appears on every spread – brilliant!

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How to be a Cowboy

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DSCN6070 (800x600)How to be a Cowboy
Alice V.Lickens
Pavilion Books
Calling all would-be cowboys, (and those who like quirky books) this is for you. It contains all kinds of useful info. – all the essentials that is – relating to cowboy living and a whole lot more. There are maps – one of the cowboy inhabited states in the US, another of cattle trails and a third a star map to guide those cowboys safely home; a spread of cowboy symbols, another to help you choose a name for your range, an ‘On the Ranch’ spread, a meeting with Mustangs, another with Texas Longhorns, some cowboy speak, information about specific jobs, and two spreads about dressing your extremities:

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And these beauties …

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‘Home on the Range’ gives facts about an 1886 chuck wagon that belonged to famous rancher, Charles Goodnight;

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open out the folds to reveal four recipes you may or may not want to test, depending on your taste: ‘GUNSLINGER BEANS’, ‘SON OF A GUN STEW’. ‘SOCK COFFEE’(seriously), and ‘ROUNDUP STEW’.
If all this isn’t sufficient for your budding broncos, there is in addition a pop-out hairy-legged cowboy character to bring into being with this fab gear.

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Love those endpapers too. YEEEHAAW! lads and lassies.
I know few picture books about cowboys other than Sue Heap’s delightful Cowboy Baby, which comes to mind instantly, so this one is doubly welcome.

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I Am Yoga

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I Am Yoga
Susan Verde and Peter H.Reynolds
Abrams Books for Young Readers
A young girl narrator, feeling overwhelmed by a world that seems to be spinning way too fast for her,

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calms herself through her yoga practice. She quietens her thoughts, focuses on her breath, then closes her eyes and begins first to imagine, and then move into a series of yoga asanas beginning with the grounding Mountain pose and thence into Tree pose and on to what the author calls ‘Airplane’ pose.
“I can sparkle with the stars./ I shimmer and shine.” she says in Star pose and in Moon pose …

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“I can dance with the moon./ I light up the sky.” thus describing each asana according to how it makes her feel.
Yoga means union and here is a wonderful demonstration of how this child can become through her practice of yoga, at one with herself and with the world …

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and nature itself.
The connectedness to nature is beautifully captured in Reynold’s depiction of savasana:,how perfectly he portrays that feeling of ‘shanti’ in his watercolour picture of the narrator by the sea’s edge.

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Indeed every one of his watercolours is both expressive and so aptly coloured, be it in a single hue, or several.
Verde’s lyrical text is full of both joy and tranquility, and perfectly pitched for young children to engage with the asanas, a more detailed verbal description of each of the sixteen covered, together with their Sanskrit names, being given in an author’s note in the final pages.
As an early years/primary teacher and a yoga teacher, I believe yoga should be part and parcel of every child’s daily experience from an early age and have seen the benefits it yields. For anyone wanting to introduce children to this life-enhancing practice, this little gem of a book, with its affirmations on every page …

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is a splendid starting point. Just get it and get going with some yoga.

If you like yoga why not try meditation with some meditational mood music

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Snowstorm Sorties

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Snow Bear
Tony Mitton and Alison Brown
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
From my first view of the cover, I fell for Snow Bear in a big way; he’s adorable but this is no sentimental story and Snow Bear is one determined character. He’s seeking a home, somewhere warm where he can snuggle up away from the raging icy blizzard. His forest wanderings take him to a fox’s den,

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and an owl’s nest up in a tree …

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but both are fully occupied, so lonely and shivering, Snow Bear trudges onwards till finally he comes upon somewhere that looks more promising – a small farmhouse.

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‘A chilly breeze ruffles the fur on his cheek,/ so Bear tiptoes in as the door gives a creak. / Inside it is warm, for the fire burns bright./ and Snow Bear can see by its flickering light.’
In sneaks Bear and there he comes upon a small girl, equally alone and in need of someone to hug. Having shared same, they snuggle up for a story, a fireside snooze …

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and eventually, head upstairs, for a ‘midwinter nap’ – friends together.
Tony Mitton’s rhyming tale has just the right degree of pathos and reads aloud well; and Alison Brown’s illustrations rendered in acrylics and I think, pencil, are sheer delight. Shaggy cushion-like Bear (thumb-sucking in the final spread), in particular, but also Fox with that pointy nose that to me, resembles the front of a jet plane, and startled-looking ‘tufty gruff Owl’ are splendid.
With the contrasting themes of loneliness and friendship at its heart, this tender, timeless story is just the thing to bring a warm glow to a chilly winter’s day or night.

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One Snowy Rescue
M Christina Butler and Tina Macnaughton
Little Tiger Press
Little Hedgehog has a whole series of stories all his own, his friends are there too of course. Here he stars in another snow-filled adventure – more and deeper snow in fact than our prickly pal has ever seen before. So much that a snowdrift surrounds his house and he has to dig himself out. Exhausted having done so, the kind-hearted creature’s first thoughts are of his friend Mouse and off he goes to see how she’s faring. But despite his careful tread, he soon finds himself tumbling …

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into a huge snowdrift.
It’s fortunate for him then that Little Hedgehog happens to be wearing his floppy red hat –

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just the thing for a rescue-wanted signal. And equally fortunately, who should happen along at just the right moment but Rabbit who heaves him out …

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and the two continue together but get lost. Fox comes to the rescue this time, but even that is not the end of the story for soon, another rescue is needed. Badger joins the team having been alerted by that trusty red hat again and finally, led by Badger, the object of their search – Mouse and offspring – together with the friendly entourage, head home for supper in the silvery moonlight. How versatile that hat is …

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A warm-hearted tale about putting the needs of others first, with the spiky hero, bold and resourceful as ever heading the cast of characters in a finely paced, festive foray that is delightfully depicted in Tina Mcnaughton’s bold, bright snowscapes.
Also from Little Tiger Press, newly in paperback and reviewed last year is:
The Magical Snow Garden
Tracey Corderoy and Jane Chapman
Here is Emmanuelle lost in the wonderful magic of a determined penguin, Wellington, and his snowy garden.

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Peas in a Pod

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Peas in a Pod
Tania McCartney and Tina Snerling
EK Books
Let me introduce these quintuplets  …

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Pippa, Pia, Poppy, Polly and Peg: aren’t they poppets? Right from birth, they’ve done everything the same, eaten the same meals, slept and even sat in the same way; as the title says, veritable Peas in a Pod.
Then things begin to change, the youngsters start to assert their own individuality – each and every one of them. That way lies chaos – for their parents at least who like things just so.

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But as we know and the Seuss poster in the entrance of one of the schools I visit reminds us, “Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive, who is you-er than you!’ And surely any adult who really thought about things would want children to develop in their own special unique way, …with their own individual personalities, pursuing their own interests and nurturing and developing their own talents and skills: their identity no less.
That is exactly what these five girls do wholeheartedly when they seize the reins…

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Hooray for the five in this story who, thus far are managing to eschew peer pressure to dress the same as everyone else, have the same as others, even sadly, think the same as others, …

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Long live independent thinking and individualism, say I. Perhaps these girls haven’t quite got it cracked yet though…

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Fantastic fun and who can resist the charms of the fabulous five with their frizzy hair and fanciful ideas.
Not a word is wasted in Tania McCartney’s punchy text, and it’s perfectly complemented by Tina Snerling’s adorable artistry: it’s bold, bright and an absolute delight.
I could go on at length about the possibilities this book offers for creative work, particulary using printing techniques but for now, just share it and let the story (and discussion) do its work.

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