Category Picture Books

Igor and the Mending Mice

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Igor and the Mending Mice
Alexander Mostov
Ivy Kids

In a little town where fashion was everything, people threw clothes away that weren’t perfect and bought new ones. That meant anything torn, faded, stained or no longer fashionable enditfked up on the scrap heap. This meant that for Igor, the owner of the towns’s biggest garment factory, business was booming.

However unbeknown to him, as he worked, a family of mice studied his techniques through a crack in the wall. What they saw inspired the mice to teach themselves to darn, sew, embroider and hem using the abandoned garments. Soon their cupboards were full of amazing made-to-measure clothes.

The mice then decided on a new challenge – mending the discarded clothes – so they set to work creating funky garments from them. The townsfolk were thrilled and gave the mice delicious cheese to thank them. Moreover they stopped buying brand-new clothes, which meant that Ivor’s business started to fail.

One night when everyone was asleep, Igor crept out and set a trap for the mice comprising mendable clothing outside his factory. The following morning there was a chase as the mice hurried through the town with Igor hot on their tails and just as he was about to catch them, he tumbled into a thorny bush, tearing his favourite coat that had been passed down through generations of his family. The sight of the heartbroken Igor is a turning point for both the mice and the factory owner: can you imagine what happened?

The importance of re-using and re-cycling is at the heart of this story. A sharing of the book could well be the starting point for a discussion with young listeners; it’s never too soon for them to become responsible citizens aware of how crucial re-using and recycling are for the environment.

My Tiger

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My Tiger
Joy Cowley and David Barrow
Gecko Press

We first encounter the young boy narrator’s tiger as the two of them are wandering down the road just outside a cake shop. The window is full of the tiger’s favourite food: cake. They enter and the baker is anxious to know whether the tiger is dangerous. “He only eats cake”, his friend replies and the feline proceeds to sample some of the cakes. Almost inevitably after a diet of sweet confectionary, the tiger gets a bad toothache.

Time for a visit to the dentist. Clearly alarmed like the baker, the dentist inquires whether the tiger is dangerous. She receives the same assurance as the baker and so the tiger is coaxed into her chair. The drill makes the patient howl and growl but eventually the tooth is fixed. “Tell him he’s not to have cake again,” the dentist tells first the boy and then the tiger.

So what is the tiger supposed to eat: what do you think is best suited to his needs? …

The hilarious, dark ending will likely satisfy young human listeners to Joy Cowley’s dead pan, simple but very funny telling, In contrast David Barrow’s wonderfully expressive watercolour illustrations portray the tiger as truly intimidating with its vast size, and those jagged teeth that we see in some close up views.

100 Goats and Granny!

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100 Goats and Granny!
Atinuke and Lauren Hinds
Walker Books

‘Granny’s got a goat! / Granny’s got a goat! // Not 1, not 2, not 3, /not 4, But more and more / and more and more!’ Granny is sitting on a crate with laundry drying on the line behind her as she looks benevolently at a little white goat. However, every turn of the page reveals more goats engaging in mischief of one kind or another until 99 goats grace the spread, several of which are shown pooing while others cavort on roofs, clamber up trees, chew the pages of books and more: ’20, 30, 40, 50 … / 60, 70, 80, 90 … // Till 99 …’ we read. Where though is Granny’s goat? Imagine what ensues when Granny digs in the garden, visits the tailor, spends a day at church. Moreover on the return journey, one stays on the bus having a great time beeping the driver’s horn; another visits the salon for a trim,

the baby ones chew the aunties’ panties and one takes it upon himself to guzzle whatever he feels like. Where will all this end?

At round up time where will Granny’s 100th goat be and what might it be up to? A considerable bit of mischief somewhere in the town,

but will it ever be caught and if so, who will be the catcher?

With Atinuke’s playful, rollicking text that cries out for young listeners to join in, and Lauren Hinds’s highly detailed, exuberant scenes both large and small, this book is an absolute delight to share with a pre-school/KS1 class or group. It’s glorious goatish gleefulness.

Sticky Mildred

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Sticky Mildred
Alastair Chisholm and Rikin Parekh
Walker Books

Mildred Honeyfur is a creator of chaos of the messy kind. She absolutely loves sticky things such as pond slime, glue and purple goo and she loves being sticky all over. However, she absolutely loathes having a bath. Despite her despairing parents, Mildred sets off to look for the stickiest thing in the whole world

and it’s not so long before having declared herself the stickiest creature in the world, her sticky trail is so huge that arriving at the top of a hill, she trips and tumbles all the way back down – what ‘a big sticky, runaway ball’ she has become. Unstoppable rolling Mildred passes a jelly shop, a glue factory and a glittery quarry as she heads straight for the cliff edge where she grabs a tree and clings on for all she’s worth, stretching and stretching until …

What happens thereafter turns out to be a surprise, one which causes Mildred to feel somewhat different about stickiness. Young listeners however, will be in for an altogether different surprise on the final page.

Rikin Parekh portrays the chaos caused by Mildred brilliantly in his detailed, sometimes scribbly style illustrations and Alastair Chisholm’s slightly surreal telling that sometimes breaks into rhyme is a cautionary tale of the adhesive kind that could just coerce young listeners into having regular baths and enjoying so doing. A really fun read aloud.

Isla and the Sky

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Isla and the Sky
Greg Stobbs
Oxford Children’s Books

Isla sees Sky differently from other people and this is reflected in her paintings. Sky has a variety of moods: sometimes she is rainy and people complain about her dreariness and grumble about the awful weather. Isla however loves the sky on the days when it rains – those dancing, swirling clouds – and with her paintbrush she creates swirls of purple, white, brown, blue, pink and many kinds of black she sees. She loves the sunset on such days and brushes gentle pink and pale yellow across her page. Equally she loves the deep inky black sky on a cloudy night and paints that too.

Come morning Isla’s bedroom is filled with sunlight and this bright blue delights everybody. “If only every day were like this,” Isla hears them say. This is a day to use her bright blue paint. The sky that night is gorgeous – star filled and stunningly beautiful. Several days and nights like this ensue: Sky smiles and Isla paints, again and again and …

The lack of rain causes the landscape to change, Sky’s smile starts to fade and Isla’s paintings are boringly the same for she misses the variety of weather. The girl is just about to give up painting but decides to try something different first. She climbs high up a mountain and calls to Sky offering her help. Sky finally sees Isla and explains why she’s been people pleasing rather than being true to how she feels. Isla’s encouraging words and her paintings might just change this.

How will the people react if Sky reverts to expressing her true emotions? And will Isla start painting again?

A touching tale of emotions and artistic representation, gorgeously illustrated by the author showing how important it is for big feelings to be understood and supported.

The Awesomely Adventurous Librarians

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The Awesomely Adventurous Librarians
Donna David and Victoria Stebleva
Oxford Children’s Books

Rida’s Grandad works in Sleepy Creek Library and Rida absolutely loves to help him. She dusts shelves and finds books for all the visitors: Grandad being of the opinion that there’s ‘a perfectly perfect book for everyone’ and their job is to find it. Rida would observe the visitors, make a list of their requirements and when everyone had gone home, she’d pass the list on to Grandad. Then having slid back a large bookshelf, off he’d go to visit the Land of Books. Bedtime stories were to be found among the clouds, books about marine life required him to dive deep down in the ocean and for those about tiny animals, he’d crawl around. A good system until Arun comes to the library saying he’s eager to read Awesome Adventures at Lava Falls. Despite Grandad’s efforts to offer him other books, Arun stands his ground and Grandpa explains it was an impossible task, leaving the boy to go home feeling sad.

That night Rida recalls Grandad’s remark about there being a ‘ perfectly perfect book for everyone’ . She takes it upon herself to fulfil Arun’s request. Grabbing Grandad’s map she goes on her first visit to the Land of Books, heading to the outermost edge where the book is waiting up in a tree. Rida takes out her lasso, fastens it securely around a nearby tree and chases the book

through rapids, up a mountain and over bubbling lava pools. Just when the book is about to go up in flames Rida performs a daring rescue for which the book is very grateful. As a thank you, the awesome Adventures at Lava Falls agrees to the request Rida makes and everyone is happy at last – for a while anyway.

Featuring two very special librarians, this is a fun story about the power of books and the worlds they open up to readers, the delights of libraries and being kind. The illustrations are full of delicious details to linger over.

Ten Tiny Squirrels

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Ten Tiny Squirrels
Kael Tudor and Marc Boutavant
Scholastic

A zany counting book wherein readers, along with the bear narrator, are supposed to count back from ten to zero one joining in with the rhyme. That isn’t quite what happens however. It starts off thus: ‘Ten tiny squirrels sitting in a line, / One ran away, / and then there were … ‘ but it’s not just one squirrel that runs away – it’s all of them.

A squirrel hunt ensues during which we encounter a diminishing number of other creatures – nine budgies, eight geese, seven polar bears, six chameleons (particular hard to spot), five mice, four very belligerent ducks,

three rocks – oops! make that tortoises, a couple of budgies AGAIN! and one very large tiger snacking on – phew! not squirrels. At journey’s end sitting atop a park bench are the runaways, all ten of them. Let the counting game begin. Err …

There are plenty of counting opportunities in this tale but so much more. I thought- I saw some of the squirrels hiding in plain sight among the other animals but were they?

With Bear’s various different expressions and those of the other animals engaged in all manner of unlikely occupations, Marc Boutavant’s illustrations give readers and listeners so much more to enjoy.

Home Away from Home

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Home Away from Home
Nazneen Akbari and Rashin Kheiriyeh
Barefoot Books

Nuha is anxious about the prospect of going to spend the summer with her Jadda (grandmother) in Oman; however she takes comfort in her favourite doll, Mary, that she’s taking with her. That is her intention at least but on arriving at the airport Nuha realises that she’s left Mary behind in the car.

Consequently when she arrives in Oman, Nuha is sad and grumpy. Fortunately Jadda knows what to do: she takes her granddaughter straightway to the souk to choose a new doll. Despite her reluctance, Nuha goes along but remains unimpressed with the Omani dolls that look nothing like her Mary.

Lured by the smell of roast chicken, they then proceed to the place where the meat is being cooked and eventually Nuha decides to taste a bite of shawarma (a Middle Eastern street food) and approves of the snack. After this they continue exploring the alleyways full of stalls and shops in search of dolls. While so doing Nuha is distracted by women applying henna and is reminded of Eid celebrations at home. She sits down very still and after a while is excited to see her name in henna on Jadda’s hand.

This proves to be a turning point and henceforward the little girl discovers joy and fun in her new environment: she plays a drum and dances before finally sitting with her Jadda and feeling that after all, this place truly is ‘home away from home’. As they walk back to Jadda’s through the market, an Omani doll catches Nuha’s eye and she loves it for lots of reasons. Jadda buys the doll and Nuha names her Maryam.

This tenderly told, delightful story, provides a glimpse of every day life in Oman. Rashin Kheiriyeh’s warm, detailed mixed media illustrations extend the text. I love that Nuha names her new doll named Maryam, the Arabic equivalent of her favourite doll, Mary.
(Notes following the story add further details about some of the things Nuha experiences and there’s a short glossary.)

Rock and Roll

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Rock and Roll
Ruby Amy Thompson
Little Tiger

Meet Rock and Roll. Rock is grey and hard; he also hates attention. Roll is a golden yellow colour, squashy and loves attention. They always appear on opposite pages – Rock on the verso, Roll on the recto. They don’t seem to have much in common but wait. Despite coming from very different worlds,

they are both great team players; they both look fabulous in green; both love fancy dress and both remain calm when under pressure

Yes they’re always on different pages but though strong as a rule, sometimes Rock is soft, Roll, on the other hand has the strength to give comfort. It appears that this is a friendship that can rock and roll. Assuredly, these two have found common ground.

With its seemingly simple text, and clever layout, this is a picture book that’s bursting with heart and can initiate deep thinking on the part of listeners. Wise and wonderful is what I’d call the creator’s debut picture book.

Ribbit Rabbit

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Ribbit Rabbit
Philip Ardagh and Gareth Conway
Scholastic

Bob is a frog and the rest of his family are rabbits so Bob does things rather differently from the others.

He’s smaller than the others, far greener, his manner of eating is slurping whereas the rabbits chew, and his diet is insects – carrots bring him out in spots. When it comes to hopping, they’re all good but Bob out hops all the rest; he also out swims them and at lily pad leaping the rabbits are no competition at all.
However, if any of the woodland creatures bully Bob, they have to face up to his entire family.

Certainly not something to be recommended.

The combination of Philip Ardagh’s bouncy rhyming text, which is the perfect fit for the movements of his characters and Gareth Conway’s splendidly expressive illustrations make a thought-provoking, funny, heart-warming story of family, difference, acceptance and love. It’s a book that is rich in potential for Foundation stage/ KS1 discussion after a class read aloud. 
Definitely one to add to your collection be it family bookshelves or a class library.

Tomorrow I’m in Charge!

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Tomorrow I’m in Charge!
Jörg Mühle
Gecko Press

When Weasel comes home he’s surprised (and a tad annoyed) to find his pal Bear playing with Badger. “We’re in the middle of a game,” says Bear. “Would you like to make us something to eat?” So begins a long row between Bear and Weasel about who should be friends with Badger, what games they should play – house,

football, memory, hibernation or hide-and-seek, as well as what role each should play in each one.

It’s no surprise when a thoroughly disgruntled Badger, announcing that it’s time to go home, decides to leave them to it and not return the following day; tomorrow will be a play day with Fox.

A story showing a battle of wills if ever there was one. Jörg Mühle’s straightforward, direct text is very similar to what a child’s emotions and exchanges would be. His watercolour and pencil illustrations of the characters stand out against the white background and are in prefect harmony with the words.

Negotiating social interactions is an important life lesson and young children still working out when they should be assertive and when to acquiesce will surely relate to Weasel and Bear. It won’t surprise them that Bear is jealous of Badger and empathise with Badger and his dilemma.

A sharing of this book with Foundation Stage/KS1 children will surely lead to a lively circle time discussion

Don’t Do It, Doug

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Don’t Do It, Doug
Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie
Little Tiger

Doug is a hamster with insatiable curiosity. Nothing wrong with that you might think, but with Doug, the result always seems to land him in trouble. Lacking self control, he does things such as shaking cans of fizzy drink, disturbing a nest of bees – ouch!

and touching a tall pyramid of canned beans, causing an avalanche. (I seem to remember my partner being similarly tempted by a tall stack of bean bag seats in Habitat with similar catastrophic results, causing the floor staff considerable angst.)

Having pressed the lever on a reclining chair that his insect friend has taken him to for relaxation purposes, he ends up flat as a pancake, between the halves so his pal takes him skydiving, followed by wakeboarding and lastly, roller-coaster riding.

After these experiences, Doug appears to have gained control of his impulses. He slurps his drinks, ignores red buttons and handles the tiny saucepan with surprising care. His friends even award him a rosette.

Could it be a case of no more temptations for Doug? Errr! What do you think? The last we see of him he’s wielding a stick …

Duncan Beedie’s illustrations are absolutely bursting with humour and are an ideal complement to Maudie Powell-Tuck’s to the point narrative. Young listeners will delight in admonishing Doug by repeating, ‘Don’t do it, Doug!’ when an adult shares the book.

You Can Do It, Bert!

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You Can Do It, Bert!
Ole Könnecke
Gecko Press

We meet Bert on his big day. Having prepared himself both mentally and physically he’s going to jump out of the tree. He’s ready, well almost, though he needs to check everything … just once more. Yes, got it! He’ll do a running start but … hang on, he’s going to snack on his banana first. With that finished, surely he’ll jump. Maybe some loud encouragement from the narrator and little humans will do the trick.

Yeah! Off he goes dashing along the branch and wheee! After worrying on the way down, into the water he plunges and there to greet him are his other avian friends. Time for another jump: Who’s going first?

A spare text, which makes a great read aloud and simple. bold illustrations that show so well Bert’s feelings throughout, provide a story that contains a powerful reassuring message about overcoming your reluctance to try something new. Young listeners will certainly relate to Bert’s internal struggle and the book offers a great starting point for discussion on risk taking.

One for both home bookshelves and class collections.

The Chase

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The Chase
Jenny Bloomfield
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

What starts as a straightforward game of chase on the beach involving a child and her dog quickly escalates. The girl tosses a red ball and as she says chase, a plethora of pooches of all kinds join in. The chase that takes the ever increasing number of canines dashing through a museum creating mayhem in their wake. After the elusive ball they go, to a construction site and onto a beam that gives them a free ride to the top of a tall building, then down they dash again racing, chasing and CRASH! through a bandstand

and splash splash into some moving water narrowly missing cascading over a waterfall.
Eventually they end up right back where they started on the beach, where stands the child with her ball ready and waiting to start all over again.

Jenny Bloomfield’s jaunty rhyming text imitates the rhythm of the bouncy ball and the chase: ‘It’s a hustle, a bustle, a running tussle’. A playful pooch story that works really well as a read aloud but make sure you give your audience time to peruse each of the illustrations with their amusing details.. They’ll enjoy seeing one dog caught up in a tuba and removing it from the bandstand. Which breeds of dogs do they recognise from the many in the chase? Who can spot the one with wheels assisting its hind legs?

My Friend, Billy Whiskers

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My Friend, Billy Whiskers
David Litchfield
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Patrick is shy and as a consequence doesn’t join in with other children’s play. However, Patrick has Billy Whiskers, an imaginary lion friend that nobody else can see. They cycle together, read stories together and Billy listens as Patrick talks about all kinds of things. Billy’s a great listener; he listens as they play games and use the swings; he encourages Patrick when he kicks the ball up in the air over and over and when he climbs his favourite tree, watching the other children as he does so.

Patrick worries more and more about making friends and that’s when Billy takes him on extraordinary adventures through the air, through magical forests, eventually reaching a stadium where the boy scores the wining goal in a soccer game. Their adventures together make Billy ‘feel big and brave.’ Now he has the confidence to say hello to other children and at last he’s invited to play with them.

Patrick has a great time until he falls from a tree and back come all those worries. making him long to fly away with Billy Whiskers once again. That’s when something truly magical happens …

That’s not quite the end of the story, for Billy remains a part of Patrick’s story throughout his life, but he only appears now and then.

David Litchfield’s watercolour scenes are every bit as magical as the adventures Patrick and Billy Whiskers share, particularly those of the two characters flying through the starry skies and wandering through the forest.

Bear’s Perfect Dance

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Bear’s Perfect Dance
Rachel Tilda Wolf
Scallywag Press

Bear loves dancing so much that he spends all day practising his moves until they’re perfect. He touches his toes, works on this balance and even masters the splits. However, something bothers our ursine dancer; he’s always dancing solo and there are some dances that are better with two.

Bear decides to find himself the perfect dance partner. To that end he makes a checklist and several ‘wanted’ posters advertising auditions; the latter he puts up on trees all around the forest.

The following morning Bear wakes full of excitement. He dons his favourite tutu and best ballet shoes, then begins some warm up moves. Concerned in case nobody comes to audition, he opens the front door

to discover his garden is full of woodland creatures waiting to demonstrate their favourites moves.

Crow is first to audition – she won’t do as her Can-Can is chaotic. Beaver’s boogie lacks ‘Woogie”; Snake’s Shimmy is much too slithery; Fox’s Flamenco lacks fandango, Wild Pig’s waltz is much too awkward and Stag doesn’t move at all. All the other animals have got bored waiting and gone away leaving Bear thoroughly miserable. Back indoors he goes telling himself he’ll never find he perfect partner. Suddenly there comes a knocking at the door. Outside Bear discovers a child performing all manner of twists and twirls. Could this joyful dancer be the one?


With themes of connection and friendship, this charming tale is told and illustrated with gentle humour and a lot of warmth.

Rising: A Shabbat Baking Story

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Rising: A Shabbat Baking Story
Sidura Ludwig and Sophia Vincent Guy
Walker Books

An expectant mother – Ima – and her young child wake up early and begin preparing to make challah for the sabbath. Mum has a bowl of yeast bubbling in the warm water into which the child stirs the ingredients and they then knead the wet, sticky dough forming it eventually into a large round, shiny ball. They place a towel over the bowl and wait while it rises. Then it’s time to divide the dough into six parts, roll them like snakes and interweave them into two challah loaves. Once cooked they’re left too cool allowing time for family members to get ready to honour Shabbat.

All the family then sit together to eat but first they bless the candles, say a blessing and share the challah: ‘We add a sprinkle of salt for the times we’ve cried, sometimes a dab of honey for the sweet times to come.’

One sweet time is coming soon for on the final spread we see a new baby in its mother’s arms as the sibling and father prepare to make challah.

Yes, this book is about making challah and the rituals surrounding it, but it’s also about family, love and the beauty of taking time to rest. Sophia Vincent Guy’s mixed media illustrations in pastel shades are perfectly in-keeping with the gentle lyrical nature of Sidura Ludwig’s narrative. The author includes a recipe for challah and a glossary of Hebrew terms after the story.
A book that should definitely find a place in primary school collections.

The Map of Me

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The Map of Me
Nicola Davies and Olga Shtonda
Templar Books

The little girl narrator has just moved to a new home in a new country and inevitably everything feels strange and unfamiliar. ‘… the streets outside were like a jumble of spaghetti. I got lost every time I went out. The world seemed big and much too scary,’ she tells readers. Her thoughtful Mum helps her draw a map to help her navigate her way around: included are such things as the roads, the supermarket, the school, even the flowers by the traffic lights on the corner. However, some important things from before aren’t included – Granny and Joe-Dog for instance.

Mum’s comment that the map isn’t large enough prompts her daughter to extend the map so it fills the entire wall.

Now she can add new things as she found them – the swings in the park, the free lending library and her new friends for instance. On seeing the girl’s map those friends add things of their own and gradually the distance between everyone and everything seems to shrink. Her new house finally begins to feel like home. But then two sad things happen: Joe-Dog becomes poorly and dies and the girl’s favourite tree is cut down: even though they’d been on the map they weren’t safe.

That night the narrator cries herself to sleep but the following morning there on the kitchen wall is another map – a large one drawn by her dad – and it shows how things were once. Both the narrator and her friends like this map and go to find out more about the past and then add other places where their families have lived in the past.

The girl then ponders upon how things change – some are for the better but not all. She draws a map showing a future with trees on every street, parks not car parks, Granny now living close by and a puppy. This is a world without fear, without wars; yes it’s massive but it’s ‘full of love and wonder’. That’s the world we all long for and should be working towards.

With its empowering message, this is a story both for children experiencing big change in their lives and for sharing with a primary class to encourage discussion on belonging and relating to others.

The Good Deed Dogs

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The Good Deed Dogs
Emma Chichester Clark
Walker Books

Bodger, Billy and Betty are very good dogs, always eager to do good deeds: they’re constantly looking out for those who might be in need of help.

First they decide to help an old lady carry her shopping. However they end up scattering the contents of her bags all over the place because she keeps a firm hold of the bag handles. Fortunately she takes it in good heart and requests that they clear up the chaos they’ve created. Later the same day their efforts to assist a man on a ladder watering hanging baskets also has calamitous results and same is true of their attempts to help a girl hanging out washing. Both the man and the girl merely ask the pooches to clear up after themselves.

At the end of the day as a thoroughly despondent Bodger, Billy and Betty make their way home there comes a loud scream for help coming from the direction of the river. On the bank stands a little girl pointing to where a kitten in a saucepan is bobbing up and down in the water. Without a moment’s hesitation in dive the dogs with an almighty SPLASH! What will be the outcome of their efforts now?

The repetition element works really well and young listeners will love joining in with “We’re here to help!” and “Leave it to us! and shouting CALAMITY at each disaster but it’s Emma’s dramatic, detailed illustrations that really steal the show. A real winner this.

Seven Babies

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Seven Babies Forest Xiao Walker Books

One Thursday morning there’s a ring at the bell of number 14 and a box of seven babies appears – self-delivered one supposes.

A man and woman open the door looking somewhat bemused and invite the infants in. The babies quickly make themselves at home and for the reminder of the day, enjoy themselves. They play in the park, take a bath together and do some quiet investigating.

They help with hanging out the clothes on the washing line and come the end of the day, they snuggle up with their hosts to share the storybook they’d brought with them.

The exhausted couple then fall fast asleep and the exuberant babies depart with their box plus a few items they’ve appropriated – a sock, the woman’s sleeping mask, and the man’s spectacles. With them too are the ladybird (this can be spotted on every spread) and the seven little peas in a pod book that that came with them. The story concludes with a question for readers/listeners, ‘What will they do next?’ – A great opportunity for children to do their own creative storying about the adorable babes.

With a minimal text and scenes that are bursting with gentle humour, this light-hearted, playful tale is irresistible and certain to be requested over and over by little humans slightly older than those endearing visiting babies.

Zamzam for Everyone

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Zamzam for Everyone
Razeena Omar Gutta and Bassent Dawoud
Barefoot Books

Mariam, the narrator and her parents are among the throng on their Hajj, a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Makkah. “Mariam, Hajj is a time to do good, share and be thankful. …” Mama tells her daughter. After filling her bottle with Zamzam water, Mariam ponders upon what her good deed could be. Eventually she decides that sharing the Zamzam with others is the best idea and she proceeds to do so cup by cup. Each sharing is a learning experience for Mariam: having helped an old lady find a seat and given her some Zamzam, the lady responds by saying “Shukriya”, giving her some dates and telling her that she’s from Pakistan. Next Mariam asks two sisters if they too would like Zamzam: “Terima kasha,” comes the reply. The sisters are from Indonesia and they share some sweet pandan cookies.

Besides them, an Uyghur family say, “Rahmat”, when they receive Zamzam from Mariam and share with her some crunchy fried dough, sangza.

Throughout Mariam’s umrah, she learns ways to express thanks in different languages and samples tasty foods like syrupy koeksisters from South Africa in return, as the pilgrims she meets from many different lands each respond in their own language and share some traditional food, mostly sweet.

Eventually it’s time for the journey to begin and off they set. Mariam is concerned whether or not she’ll have sufficient Zamzam for everybody. What about their bus driver?

Kindness, generosity to others and thankfulness are key in this heartwarming story, which together with Bassent Dawoud’s digital, collage images show the rich cultural diversity and comradeship of those undertaking Hajj, the fifth pillar of Islam.

One to add to primary school book collections.

Grandad’s World

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Grandad’s World
Michael Foreman
Scholastic

It’s the beginning of the summer holidays and city dweller, Jack is off to stay with his Grandad in the countryside. Jack’s favourite thing is to walk in the woods with Grandad who points out all kinds of interesting wild life. Grandad’s favourite place is the stream running through the woods to a pond on the village green and he reminisces about taking a similar walk when he was a boy.

Having watched the otters building a den, Jack is eager to build one too and so they do, staying inside it watching the animals until darkness creeps upon them. The following day is stormy so Grandad and Jack spend their time in the shed where there are lots of exciting model boats about which Grandad tells stories and they construct a nesting box for blue tits. Once the storm has passed the two venture out to the stream, which looks very peaceful.

However that night the screech of tyres and shouting wake Jake and through the window he sees Grandad chasing a van that’s driving from the stream. He’s horrified to discover a large pile of rubbish heading down towards Grandad’s special pond. Immediately the two fetch a wheelbarrow, buckets and a torch and return to start clearing the rubbish the fly-tippers have dumped

and come morning lots of other villagers join them in their task. Can they clear it all before it’s too late?
A lovely portrait of the special intergenerational bond between Jack and Grandad with a powerful message about caring for the environment.

Goldilocs

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Goldilocs
Ella McCleod and Rochelle Falconer
Scholastic

Readers of this blog will know that I’m a fractured fairytales enthusiast and this one certainly fits the bill. It’s Goldilocs narrating her own story and as you’ll notice from the cover, her hair is black. Her name comes from other golden attributes – her style, her beads and her smile. She’s a resident of fairyland and being a girl, she has only three options: she can be a wicked witch, an evil power mad queen or a royal princess. The last Goldilocs considers the worst as a prince’s kiss is needed to break an evil curse. What to do?

First she concocts a spell to make her hair grow, with disastrous results. So Goldilocs resorts to cooking her Grandad’s cornmeal porridge. As she stirs the pot there comes a growly sound – time to hide from the three ursine characters that have appeared. However, no need to panic: they consume the porridge with relish.
Next Goldilocs tries being an evil queen and using all manner of bits and pieces she creates three thrones for royal sitters.

It’ s not royal sitters that try them but the three bears and they deem them just right.

Finally Goldilocs switches to princess mode but soon falls asleep. Back come the bears and terrified of being their next meal Goldilocs declares herself a total failure and tries to run away. To her surprise Baby Bear’s carefully considered words of encouragement make her feel empowered. Her decision? “ … the only rule is that I just be ME. As long as I’m kind and try my best, I don’t need to worry about the rest.” The most important thing to remember is that despite being an imperfect person, she has made three new and very supportive friends.

Told in rhyme with just the occasional glitch in the rhythm, this feminist version of the classic story with Rochelle Falconer’s vibrant, expressive illustrations makes for a tasty story time treat.

It’s Not My Cookie

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It’s (Not) My Cookie
Kael Tudor and Ben Sanders
Scholastic

Imagine strolling along and suddenly finding a cookie: what would you do? That is exactly what happens to Bear, the story’s narrator. and he’s now in a quandary. Who does it belong to? It must be lonely sitting there surely and it certainly does look yummy. Bear persuades himself it’s not right to pick it up if it belongs to someone but then changes his mind: a quick feel won’t hurt surely. With the cookie in his paw, Bear delights in its crumbly texture and delectable chocolate chips.
Along come some other creatures and they too like the look of the cookie. A tortoise lumbers up with an apple and what it says might prick the cookie claimer’s conscience, or will it?

Then there arrives a distressed-looking animal looking for a cookie: what happens then? Well that would make me a story spoiler so I’ll leave it to author Kael and illustrator Ben to finish the tasty tale.

I love the dry humour of both words and pictures that capture so well Bear’s temptation. I’m pretty sure both young listeners and readers aloud will be salivating before the story is finished and the former will request second helpings.

The Big Green

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The Big Green
Ken Wilson-Max
Otter-Barry Books

It’s another hot day in Mali and there’s excitement in the air in the village where Maryam and Issa live. As their Mum and Dad are busy poking and shovelling the parched earth, Uncle Cedric pulls up with a truck full of plants. “What are those plants?” Issa wants to know. “Your future,” replies his Uncle, smiling, a response that puzzles the siblings. Creating this future is actually a community task. Neighbours balance buckets of water on their heads, the children help carry unplanted seedlings into the shade, the grown-ups dig holes and put in the seedlings and everybody waters them, over and over and over again. 

Everyone knew that ‘they were making a difference to their world.’ Then comes the waiting.
The final spread shows the siblings, somewhat bigger, enjoying walking through green grass under spreading trees, appreciating the flowers and butterflies, while knowing that they now have both a place in which to play and a place to look after.

This story is an example of the enormous work that is being done in the Great Green Wall, a project that involves eleven countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Ken Wilson-Max provides further information about this on the book’s penultimate page, which is followed by a ‘Plant Your Own Tree’ activity to inspire youngsters to make a difference in their own part of the world.

Young listeners will love joining in with the various sounds – Clap Clap’s, CHAs, DUMs, and Ulululu… included in the narrative as they listen to the upbeat story with its vibrant illustrations.

The Last Egg

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The Last Egg
Sofie Laguna and Jess Racklyeft
Allen & Unwin

One day as a Mother Bird sits on the nest, she tells Father Bird that the eggs within are soon to hatch. That night she’s woken by a screeching sound and the following morning there’s a fourth egg in the nest. Despite Father Bird’s doubts, Mother Bird insists that they must now take care of that one too, so they do. After some days the eggs start to hatch – one, two three. The parent birds teach the chicks how to feed themselves, how to sing and how to fly; but the fourth egg remains an egg as the days become colder and the time to fly to somewhere warmer approaches. “All eggs hatch,” Mother Bird assures Father Bird. When the three fledglings are able to care for themselves, Mother and Father Bird know they must remain until that final egg hatches and they start to struggle as the days shorten, becoming ever colder.

Then the day comes when Father Bird is too weak to fly and the two, their wings covered in ice, sit silent over the egg. That same night the egg finally hatches and Mother Bird comes face to face with the newborn creature. That is when something unexpected and amazing happens …

A truly heartwarming story of love, commitment and revelation with a fantastical ending, beautifully illustrated in watercolour and collage by Jess Racklyeft.

The Tiny Baker / I Took the Moon for a Walk

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These are two books from Barefoot Books – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review

The Tiny Baker
Hayley Barrett and Alison Jay

A wonderfully whimsical, tasty picture book told in rhyming couplets by Hayley Barrett and illustrated in oils by Alison Jay.

As the story begins the titular tiny baker is listing on a chalkboard the sweet treat she has on sale that day. Outside her establishment is a long line of ant customers elegantly dressed waiting to try her ‘lemon tarts, / Her sugar-sprinkled cookie hearts, / To sample her pecan pralines / And nibble lacy florentines.’ Meanwhile inside, the baker ensures all is ready and with her team of ladybirds busy whisking and mixing the clock approaches opening time.

At three on the dot, the door opens and in come the ants to be ushered to the table ready to enjoy a treat or two.

But in the kitchen the ladybirds have downed tools and are leaving the kitchen through an open window. Disaster! When the baker re-enters the kitchen she’s aghast at what she sees. Every single worker has flown away leaving chaos in their wake and a baker ‘slumped amidst the mess – / Bewildered, flummoxed, in distress’ …

Having heard the to do, cricket sounds a call to action and the ants respond by cleaning, moving, clearing and mending until very soon order and the tiny baker are restored. Overcome by the wonderful gesture of her customers, the baker is even more surprised to learn of the prime reason they make their daily visit to her establishment. As a way of showing her immense gratitude she offers them a tray of her goodies.

As endearing tale of kindness and community that will surely make readers’ mouths water at the yummy pastries and delight in the period flavour provided by Alison Jay’s portrayal of the customers in fashionable Victorian clothes in her detailed scenes created on a craquelure background.

I Took the Moon for a Walk
Carolyn Curtis and Alison Jay

Mysterious and enchanting is this story of a nocturnal walk taken by a boy narrator. With the moon following behind him like ‘a still summer kite’ he has a variety of small but significant adventures. For instance, unused to accompanying a boy on a walk, the moon very nearly gets hooked on a church spire. It’s also serenaded by a canine chorus and later on hand in hand, the two tiptoe through the grass ‘where the night crawlers creep / when he rust-bellied / robins have all / gone to sleep.’ They enjoy a swing flying up high and more before crossing the bridge and returning to the narrator’s home where the Moon shows its thanks by providing a ‘sweet sleepy light’.

Lyrical and rhythmic, Carolyn Curtis’s text reads aloud well and complemented by Alison Jay’s gorgeous scenes of a world bathed in moonlight, would make a comforting pre bedtime tale.
At the back of the book, the author includes information about ‘The Mysterious Moon,’ and ‘The World at Night’, which gives facts about some fauna and flora.

There is a QR code on the back cover of each book: scan them to bring the stories to life with narrations by Teresa Gallagher.

A Tree For Everyone

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A Tree For Everyone
Kathy Urban and Rosie Butcher
Little Steps Publishing

Jake, Aiden and Pip absolutely love the tree they have discovered. Indeed they’ve made it their own through their creative play. First it’s a castle, reaching high into the summer sky. Thereafter it becomes a pirate ship sailing the high seas searching for lost treasure and then a rocket bound for space. No matter what, it’s a place to laugh, share dreams and do all the things best friends do together.
However, one morning to their surprise, their place of play is no longer theirs alone: three other children are there. Seeing them as a threat to their private world, Jake et al tell the newcomers to go away. Despite knowing it’s not a kind way to behave, things escalate and the tree house is broken into pieces and silence prevails in their special place.

The children disperse and begin finding other things to do and other children to play with. No so Jake though; he stays near to home and can’t stop his mind wandering back to his special friends and the exciting things they’d done together. Eventually he returns to the tree but he’s not the only one who has done so. Lily too has drifted back and, after apologising to one another, little by little a fresh understanding and friendship develops.. Finally, joy of joys, there’s a new treehouse that, as the title says, is for everyone.

This heartwarming tale celebrates children’s creativity but even more important, being willing to offer apologies and accept second chances. Kindness, empathy and inclusivity are key when it comes to resolving differences. Rosie Butcher’s detailed illustrations show how the natural world and the oak tree in particular inspire the children’s imaginations: would that all youngsters had easy access to nature.

Hot Food: Nice!

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Hot Food: Nice!
Michael Rosen and Neal Layton
Walker Books

This is Michael Rosen’s hugely popular poem ‘Hot Food’ to which a prelude has been added wherein the narrator tells readers, “When I was a boy I thought my dad knew everything.’ However the day dawns when a discovery destroys that belief. This is what happens: It’s dinner time and the family – mum, dad, the narrator and his brother are sitting around the kitchen table, plates piled high with dinner. It’s evident to the narrator that the potato’s a tad on the hot side and so with just a small amount on his fork, he blows on it – whooph whooph – ‘until it’s cool, / just cool, / then into the mouth: nice!’ His brother and mum do a similar thing. Dad however acts, let’s say, rather rashly. Into his mouth goes a large amount of potato:

YIKES! You can almost feel the skin inside his mouth blistering in Neal Layton’s scene of Dad as he flaps his hands, blows and puffs and a whole lot more until he ejects the potato in small pieces back onto his plate. His family are obviously dumbfounded, perhaps even more so when he states, “Watch out everybody – the potato’s very hot.”

A paragraph from the publisher at the back of the book includes a couple of amusing facts concerning ‘nice’ the meme in both China and the USA.

Neal Layton’s illustrations capture the potato incident splendidly so it becomes a scrumptious slapstick visual story too, full of fantastic facial expressions. A unmissable read aloud for class and family sharing.

Protecting the Planet: The Secret World of Seahorses

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Protecting the Planet: The Secret World of Seahorses
Nicola Davies and Lou Baker-Smith
Walker Books

This immersive addition to the Protecting the Planet series is written in an accessible narrative style by zoologist,, Nicola Davies with impressive mixed media illustrations by Lou Baker Smith.

I’m fortunate to have seen live seahorses off the coast of Kerala but I doubt many readers of this book will have been so lucky as to see these graceful, fascinating, almost magical creatures. This is due in part to the 70+ million that are caught annually by humans who then make them into pills and potions or items such as key-rings to sell them as trinkets. Others of them meanwhile become the victims of pollution and dragnets. It’s still not too late however, to save these wonderful animals from becoming extinct: readers will discover how seahorses have adapted to their environment through movement and by means of camouflage and diet changes.

Furthermore on the positive side, they’ll read of innovative conservation schemes in the UK,

and in Malaysia and Cambodia to protect seahorse habitats.

Did you know that seahorses perform a ritual dance? You can discover why from the book and what makes paternal seahorses unique in the animal kingdom.

Certainly worth adding to family bookshelves and KS2 class collections; make sure children’s attention is drawn to the final spread ‘Seahorses and Climate Change’.

Molly, Olive and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?

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Molly, Olive and Dexter: Who’s Afraid of the Dark?
Catherine Rayner
Walker Books

Friends Molly the hare, Dexter the fox and Olive the owl return in a tale of nighttime nerves. It begins with the three enjoying watching the sun setting, but as darkness descends, Molly hears a rustling sound that troubles her. It’s only Dexter cleaning his whiskers. Next Dexter feels something brushing against him and before long, Olive too is spooked though it’s merely shadow shapes. (They are made by Molly’s long leporine ears.)

Then comes rain whooshing down accompanied by thunder – another alarming experience – but eventually the friends realise that their sensory experiences are created by harmless things. The story ends with the three woodland pals enjoying something together before resting beneath their massive oak tree at the forest edge.

Young children too have night-time fears and this fun picture book, with Catherine Rayner’s watercolour scenes where the friends’ expressions – Molly’s in particular – show superbly their growing panic as the tale progresses, is perfect for sharing as a pre bedtime tale.

Molly, Dexter and Olive are endearing characters and their evening episode is ultimately reassuring. Add this book to early years collections and family bookshelves where there are young children.

Baxter’s View

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Baxter’s View
Kerri Cunningham (Murphy’s Sketches)
Fox & Ink Books

Herein we meet siblings, Rory the elder and his younger brother, Baxter. They see the world differently: ‘Baxter likes to bounce, and hum, and flap. Sometimes it can take a while to get wherever they’re going. Sometimes this makes Rory cross.’

We join Baxter and Rory as they visit the park with their mum. On the way Baxter enjoys some puddle paddling, and Rory notices how the leaves dance beneath his brother’s wellies before joining him in some splashy fun.

At the park gate Baxter stops to feel the long grass tickling him, and having watched him, Rory runs his fingers through the blades, which made him feel calmer. By the pond Baxter emulates the ducks and his brother is amused at his actions. Very eager to reach the playground, Rory is getting grumpy but he does as Mum suggests and lies beneath the tree branches and watches creatures above in the flickering sunlight, appreciating its beauty from Baxter’s viewpoint.

Of course they do eventually get to the playground and the brothers enjoy themselves.

The following week when it’s park visiting time again, it’s evident that Rory has learned that by slowing down, you can see exciting and wonderful things.

As well as celebrating neurodiversity, this sweet, earnest story gently encourages everyone to slow down and take time to see the beauty of the natural world. A book to share and discuss in EYFS and KS1 classrooms as well as with family members.

The Family Tree

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The Family Tree
Yasmine Anane and Mark Beech
Tiny Tree

What makes a family? That question is at the heart of this story.

As autumn turns to winter Mole realises that living alone, he’s beset by loneliness and embarks on a journey to search for his family tree. Before long, he spies an owl flying overhead and calls to him in the hope that he will assist in finding his family tree. Owl doesn’t know what is meant by this, but after Mole has explained, he realises that he too is lonely. Could he find his own family by accompanying Mole perhaps: at least it means he’s no longer alone.

The two continue together, chatting and telling stories as they walk, when suddenly they notice a squirrel watching them. She’s heard them mention ‘a family tree, where all looked the same, for the whole world to see. … and you build a home where you truly belong.’ Squirrel joins the other searchers and off they go together merrily. Their laughter is heard by a rabbit and so the three become four.

With winter now upon the enchanted wood, they reach the final tree. Sadly Mole declares that there isn’t a family tree, but Owl has a different understanding of what this means. “We’re not all the same – but that’s the best part, / it’s not what you look like, but what’s in your heart.” Already the four seekers have formed a loving bond

and Mole has to agree, so, no more searching, journey over, they build a home together.

Told in rhyme that reads aloud well, Yasmine Anane’s narrative, with its themes of acceptance, kindness and understanding in tandem with Mark Beech’s illustrations that bring the characters to life on the page, have created a thought-provoking fable to share and discuss with children at home or in a KS1 cl

The Day the Jungle-Net Broke

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The Day the Jungle-Net Broke
Marleen Lammers and Ian Smith
New Frontier Publishing

Having recently moved back to the London area I encounter many more adults out and about with small children, mostly in pushchairs. I’d say that over 80% are playing with screens. It’s a joy to see a few others engaging with a board book or picture book, but if only there were more so doing.

Marleen Lammers’ story has a jungle setting and its main character is Miles, a monkey. Miles relies on his screen for virtually everything. The early morning Beep! Beep! beeping of the alarm wakes him from his slumbers and informs him that it’s time to do his exercises. Having done these, the creature is hungry and so uses his Just Peel app to order some bananas before his daily ‘tree-time’ face-call with his cousin.

In the middle of their chat, Miles’s screen freezes and he tries everything to get it back working, but to no avail.The Jungle-Net is Broken: disastrous news.

In the middle of Miles expressing his worries about what he won’t be able to do sans screens, he hears a voice from the ground. It’s a tortoise that suggests he uses ‘snail mail’ to communicate with his cousin. With no other option, Miles writes a note to Manny and leaves his i-tree for the first time in ages and starts walking. Yes, it does take him considerable time but it also means he can engage with the rainforest differently. In so doing, his hunger is stated and he feels energised on reaching the post office..

His return journey is even more fruitful and Miles even makes some real friends,

friends that he discovers he loves to spend time with exploring the jungle and having adventures.

Helped by Ian Smith’s bright jungle illustrations that bring the wealth of jungle fauna to life, this is an amusing, playful story that doesn’t ban screens completely, rather it encourages children to set them aside fairly frequently and enjoy engaging with friends in person, as well one hopes, with the wealth of exciting books for young children with stories for their own sake: what they offer is a place from which to become aware, aware of new worlds and ideas that stimulate the imagination.

Ming the Panda

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Ming the Panda
Jake Hope and Yu Rong
Otter-Barry Books

When a young child is unable to sleep, Mama tells a story about a very special panda who brought love and hope to millions of people. It’s the real-life story of Ming, the first baby Giant Panda to be brought to London Zoo in 1938, who became a wartime symbol of courage and hope. The little panda began its life in the mountains of China. As she grew in size, she also grew in bravery and one day she began a journey that took her all the way to London Zoo. There she was looked after by a kindly zookeeper – his very first panda – that he named Ming (a Chinese name that means Brightness).

People came from near and far to visit the panda and they even wrote her messages and sang to her. One very special visitor was a young princess, who later became Queen Elizabeth. Ming’s fame spread all around the world but then war broke out and bombs fell on London. Despite this, brave Ming helped those who visited her until one day, transported in her mind to the snowy Chinese mountains. she died. However, her memory continued to act as a shining light bringing hope to the people.

Ming’s inspiration also brought hope at worrying times to the little child hearing her story and it is to be hoped to other children who need help to be resilient whatever trouble they face.

Jake Hope’s sensitively told narrative – a story within a story – reads aloud well and together with Yu Rong’s beautiful illustrations, a combination of Chinese folk art paper-cutting and pencil drawing, make this a child-friendly way to start discussing issues such as war and animals being kept in captivity.

A Rainy Dragon Day

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A Rainy Dragon Day
Julie Völk
Gecko Press

The child narrator of this story starts by saying they love rainy days – just right for reading, playing, mucking around and daydreaming without being bothered by anyone. However, having just settled down for a bit of reading, ‘DrrrrrrrrrrrinG!’ the doorbell rings and standing at the entrance is a rather large dragon with a brolly.

In comes the dragon: it’s introduced as Fred, lover of sausages and coffee, lots of coffee, and starts making itself at home. The child then needs to use the loo and does so in full view of the dragon. Fred then asks if he can do so too.

However, the large creature won’t fit into the bathroom no matter how hard our host pushes and shoves. having drawn a large red loo outline on the wall to no avail, they head outside to search for the place ‘where dragons go’.

The next few spreads are particularly amusing as we watch the agitated, increasingly desperate dragon being led around the city – past a tree, a fountain, and other possible pee-ing places. Finally Fred flies the child to a watery dragon park full of elegant gazebos, some already occupied but Fred finds the perfect one, relieves himself with a golden jet stream

and then back they fly.

A hilarious story – droll bathroom humour with a difference – illustrated with beautifully drawn pencil images, painted in watercolour. What a different bedtime story this would make, but equally it would greatly amuse a class of under 7s at any time of the school day.

Sketch

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Sketch
Jacques Goldstyn
Greystone Kids

Almost as soon he’s born the baby seems a little different, in appearance especially. His parents adore him and name him Sketch. They watch avidly as he does amusing things, a bit wild on occasion.

However the place where the family lives is a perfect town with straight streets and identical houses where everything has a place and everything works on time. Orthodoxy rules.

It’s when Sketch encounters other children that things get a bit challenging, though the boy isn’t bothered; he merely gets on with what he likes to do – investigate and invent. When he starts school, the headteacher looks with displeasure at his scruffiness and expects trouble from Sketch. His teachers look disapprovingly at his writing – a jumble of lowercase and capital letters – and tell him to write as the others do and they certainly don’t appreciate his active imagination. One member of staff, the art teacher . Miss Beauregard, does create an environment wherein Sketch is happy; she loves his work, which is so different from that of the other pupils and gives him words of encouragement, telling him to persevere.

At High School, Sketch bonds with some other artistic students – Flow, a dancer, dark, handsome Muddy who has an air of mystery about him

and Doodle who is forever changing his shape and form; these new friends give him strength as they become inseparable. Part of that strength enables him to turn down their idea of moving away, for Sketch has a rather different idea.

This whimsical picture book is an ode to divergent thinking and creativity that will appeal especially to imaginative readers, including those older than the usual picture book audience.

When I Feel Lonely

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When I Feel Lonely
Britta Teckentrup
Prestel

We all, adults and children, feel lonely from time to time and it can far too easily become overwhelming. Loneliness is the theme of Britta Teckentrup’s latest book. Herein we follow a young girl as she walks through a snowy forest: ‘My world feels lonely, cold and bare / with no one around and nothing to share’ she tells readers. Behind her however, is a wolf that has been on her trail as she traverses the grey landscape and after a while, the child narrator pauses and gives the creature a hug,

Then together they howl at the moon and the girl goes on to contemplate reaching out to others but says she’s frightened of being rejected if she approaches other children.
The wolf then shares some encouraging words of wisdom with her and strengthened by what she’s heard, the girl continues on her way and before long, she becomes aware of other children who are also searching for friends.

So, empowered by wolf’s words, can she take those vital first steps and reach out to another?
Britta’s empathetic, rhyming text shows readers that loneliness is a common feeling, but not usually a permanent one.This is brought out beautifully in the author’s powerful scenes of the walk wherein her colour changes indicate gradual improvement in the young girl’s mood.

A book to share and discuss with a class or group, some of whom might have felt lonely, perhaps on account of moving home or falling out with a special friend.

The Experimenters: Luke and Ruby’s Scientific Sleepover

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The Experimenters: Luke and Ruby’s Scientific Sleepover
Dr Shane Bergin, illustrated by Sayani Mukherjee
Little Island Books

It’s the half-term holiday and Luke and Ruby are excited to be spending the week at their grandparents’ home, which is full of amazing treasures. Both grandparents had been scientists: Grandad studied animals and Nanny studied outer space, “We did all sorts of experiments along the way,” Grandad tells the siblings. Nanny explains the basics of scientific experiments and immediately the siblings are eager to start . There follow eight chapters that present different science topics the children do, the first being observations of birds in the garden.

Next they explore floating and sinking with a variety of objects when they are asked to predict first and then test, and a question from Ruby prompts Grandad to bring up density and how it makes something float or sink.

Thereafter they look at ways of making music; make telephones from two paper cups and some string, make and bake a sponge cake;

test reaction times; closely observe minibeasts and finally, plant some seeds in pots to take home so that they can watch them grow.

Throughout it’s evident that the children are thoroughly enjoying themselves; the grandparents in turn offer encouragement and sometimes make a suggestion but they never force, rather they allow the siblings to work things out for themselves.

Inserted into each experiment are pages called “You’re the Scientist’ wherein Dr Shane Bergin asks readers to do some scientific thinking too.

This is a fun, playful way of encouraging young children to be science learners and Sayani Mukherjee’s illustrations certainly show the characters enjoying their investigations.

One to add to both home and KS1 class collections.

The Bestest Big Brother, Ever

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The Bestest Big Brother, Ever
Ben Mantle
Walker Books

This is told from the viewpoint of Nano, the younger of two brothers. He and Felix are, so he tells readers, best friends who can read one another’s minds and have some ‘super secret code words’. Sometimes though Felix wants some space of his own, something their Mum agrees with after Nano is so upset at finding himself shut out of the treehouse having spoiled the picture Felix has drawn. However the message he gets when trying again to gain entry to the treehouse, ‘ … Now stop copying me. And stop following me. And just leave me alone!’ could’t be clearer.

Off sets Nano to build his own tree house but the one he makes is far from weatherproof. Nano’s shouts for help go unheeded and as a result, Felix has gone from being the bestest big brother to ‘the WORST big brother.’

Off goes Nano to sulk in his bedroom. Then after a while up comes Felix and what he shows Nano is something TOTALLY GRAPE! – convincing him that after all, he is the bestest brother and his best friend – most of the time.

Ben Mantle’s capturing of a common family situation is pitch perfect; told with gentle humour and some wonderfully whimsical wording such as ‘totally grape’ (really great) and ‘fancy-pants umbrella house!’ His scenes of the ups and downs of the relationship are full of fun details including Nano wearing one sock most of the time, two pigeons having a tug of war over a worm and the child-made boils hanging from a tree branch in the garden. Assuredly a story that will resonate with countless families.

Porridge Please!

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Porridge Please!
Laura Mucha and Marc Boutavant
Walker Books

This is a terrific fairy tale spin off featuring a host of favourite characters that visit a little bear who is trying his very best to read the last page of his new book. The poor bear has had a continuous stream of visitors each wanting some of his ‘sumptuous scrumptious porridge’

as the Little Pig calls it when he comes a KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK knocking.

Having kindly fed Goldilocks, Red Riding Hood and three pigs,

Bear’s feeling frazzled when there comes yet another visitor – Granny supposedly – telling a tale of woe. But suddenly a realisation dawns: ‘THAT WASN’T GRANNY. Red Riding Hood said she was eaten by the Big Bad Wolf’. Time for some quick thinking and a clever ploy from Bear.

There’s so much to love about this book: Bear’s problem solving, his love of story books, and the tastiness of porridge: three vital ingredients in Laura Mucha’s telling and Marc Boutavant’s hilarious scenes of of the dramatic events.

In case you’re wondering whether Bear ever did get to read that last page, you’ll have to get your own copy of their book to find out. One thing that is certain though is that young listeners will endorse the READ IT AGAIN! plea on the final endpapers.


Big Thoughts / Some Days I’m the Wind

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Big Thoughts
Laura Dockrill and Ashling Lindsay
Walker Books

We’re all beset with worries from time to time – ‘Big Thoughts’ as the child narrator of this books calls them. Such thoughts can’t be seen by others despite them being loud inside your head. They might be Big Thoughts about the future, the past or perhaps even make-believe (not telling the truth). Moreover the more one tries to ignore such thoughts, the louder and more all embracing they become.

So what can be done to alleviate a very worried mind? One way is to share them with a an older person who has learned some coping strategies. Strategies that can be passed on and will then stay with the sufferer henceforward. Another way is to talk with a friend who has suffered similarly, so neither person feels alone.

Laura Dockrill’s text is such that readers/listeners are made to feel the centre of attention – seen and heard – and together with Ashling Lindsay’s sensitive illustrations and the final spread entitled Tips and Techniques’ make this a very reassuring and helpful book.

Some Days I’m the Wind
Rebecca Gardyn Levington and Dinara Mirtalipova
Barefoot Books

Using metaphors relating to the weather and the natural world, the young narrator of this book tells us how her feelings and emotions can change from day to day or perhaps several times in a single day. “Some days I’m the sun, welcoming, warm /patient, pleasant, fair. // Some days I’m the sun, / stubborn, HOT! / A raging, blazing glare.’

Or, ‘Some days I’m a tree, / flourishing, strong, reaching for the sky/ // Some days I’m a tree / trembling, bare, / bidding leaves goodbye.’

The well chosen, child friendly metaphors combined with the repeat ‘Some days’ of the gently rhythmic text and the vibrant, boldly coloured illustrations, keep readers turning the pages as they, like the narrator come to understand that there are a whole multitude of ways to feel, to act and to be. This is reaffirmed in the final proclamation, “And just like the wind, / or the sun, / or the sea / on some days / I’m some ways, / but all days // I’m me.”

After the child’s narration is a spread entitled “Exploring Our Emotions’ written by a child development specialist. A book to share and talk about at home, or with an EYFS or KS1 class.

To Activate Space Portal Lift Here

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To Activate Space Portal Lift Here
Antoinette Portis
Scallywag Press

This is an intergalactic romp of the metafictive kind; it’s also interactive.

On the first spread readers will find a small orange rectangle containing a smaller black circle and at the bottom of the right page are two little green dots, one labelled ‘power’, the other ‘auto translate’. A turn of the page shows a larger central rectangle within which is a large eye with a black pupil and orange iris. A couple of page turns on a portal opens up to reveal two extraterrestrial beings – Blrg, (with yellow skin) and Zrk (with orange skin). At first these two creatures are petrified concluding “Aliens are real!!!”

The two decide to engage readers in conversation to discover whether the alien being spoken to intends to eat them and ask to see its teeth. Having done so their concern disappears for the teeth are very tiny. “Alien, what is your planet called?” the two enquire. ‘Planeturth’ they hear in response, which of course they’ve never heard of.

The interaction continues and is mainly agreeable and an array of additional extraterrestrials appear to gaze at and greet the Alien.

They’ve just said “Hi!” when the power level of the book drops indicating the imminent closure of the portal before which farewells are exchanged and Blrg and Zrk deliver a final message to all planeturthlings. However by now the auto translate has turned red so they and we readers will never know what “SKF FLRBL GRNK!” means.

With its vibrantly coloured illustrations this weird, out of this world tale, will likely go down especially well with space fans.

The Monster in the Lake / The Kerfuffle

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These are both recent Gecko Press titles – thanks to the publisher and Nicky Potter for sending them for review

The Monster in the Lake
Leo Timmers

Following one duck’s suggestion, four ducks contemplate some fun in the lake. Another however, has concerns about the monster said to be in there, but the others insist there’s no need to worry. Off they go into the water, with three ducks urging the fourth, “Trust us!”. Eric trails reluctantly behind and perhaps this gives him a clearer idea of what is going on beneath the surface.

At each turn of the page readers and Eric see more of the subaquatic reality while his companions remain oblivious despite his loud, “MONSTER!”warning, even insisting that they are the only ones around other than frogs and small fish. It takes Eric’s disappearance to ruffle his friends’ feathers,

though his reappearance soon puts them at their ease again. For Eric, this whole swim has been a truly memorable adventure; as for the others, they certainly won’t know that the monster is far from threatening, rather it’s a playful beastie.

Young audiences will love sharing in Eric’s subterfuge. They’ll love too, Leo Timmers’ bold, bright, whimsical images of the marine characters and the their underwater accoutrements: why though did Eric keep all the fun part to himself?

The Kerfuffle
Clotilde Perrin

Kitty and Pup are neighbours and the best of friends but suddenly everything changes. Kitty eats Pup’s fish, so in return Pup takes Kitty’s slipper. Now the two besties have become enemies and they decide not to see one another any more – ever. To that end they build a wall separating their abodes (the book’s flaps let readers see what is happening on either side.
With the wall complete, peace reigns but then a bunny rabbit appears on top of it. Dog and Kitty both want to make friends with the rabbit and they start fighting over the newcomer.

Now none of them is happy and Rabbit runs off. Eventually however Kitty decides it time to make peace with Dog and a lot of crashing and banging ensues that results in a solution that makes everyone happy.
Demonstrating the pointlessness of building walls, Clotilde Perrin’s clever amalgam of narrative and illustrations with those strategically placed flaps works really well. The illustrations deserve careful perusal as there is a lot going on between bit part players such as a pair of birds that start nesting, as well as a couple of mice.

The Bear Who Wanted to Dance

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The Bear Who Wanted to Dance
Stephanie Stansbie and Wendy J Warren
Little Tiger

Follow your dreams no matter whoever or whatever you are, is the message that shines through this story of Rita the bear who was inspired by the very first ballet she saw and knew in her heart that she too wanted to become a dancer. She took lessons with Monsieur le Fox where she met Wanda and the two became firm friends dreaming of their lives in dance. Rita, our narrator tells how she practised daily, pushing herself ever harder until the day came when Monsieur le Fox tells the class that there’s to be an audition for the prima ballerina.

The night before the auditions, as the two friends browse through dance magazines, Rita begins to worry and her worry grows as she realises that none of the ballerinas depicted look at all like her – there’s not a single bear.

At the auditions the following day their teacher has worked them till they ached and come moonlight, he gives the instruction: “Everyone in arabesque!” Having taken up the pose, Rita loses her balance, falls, and is distraught.

Is that the end of her dance dream? Happily Monsieur le Fox’s response to her fall is unexpectedly positive and up she gets and on she goes and …

With a body-positivity theme, this story with its soft-hued illustrations and forest setting is a delight and will surely encourage those who dream big but don’t see themselves depicted in the media.

I’m Going To Eat A Polar Bear

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I’m Going To Eat A Polar Bear
Karl Newson and Nicola Kinnear
Happy Yak

Despite being very hungry, a little penguin turns down the offer of fish, declaring it boring and instead demanding ‘something new. Something soft … and fluffy!’ One of the older penguins recalls hearing of something matching that description called a ‘bolar pear’. Off sets the little penguin, full of bravado, on a mission to find and eat a bolar pear, despite not knowing what such a creature actually looks like.

After a long journey over land, sea and the occasional croc. and the dismissal of warnings about the bear’s enormity, the little penguin finally arrives at the North Pole, the place where polar bears live.

Our bear seeker has an extremely rumbly tum but apparently not much common sense, for the little penguin decides that there are no polar bears, not even a tiny one, anywhere. Back home to some fish is the only option, that, or remain hungry. Little does said penguin realise that an equally hungry polar bear has been following close behind all the time.

This is one of those books that is sure to have young listeners yelling, “it’s behind you” as the story progresses and the totally oblivious little penguin almost ends up becoming the next meal for a polar bear, rather than the other way round. Children will love being in the know with the author in this tongue-in-cheek tale, the drama of which is captured with aplomb in Nicola Kinnear’s story-telling sequences.

Squirrel and Bird

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Squirrel and Bird
Laura Baker and Stacey Thomas
Little Tiger

Squirrel and Bird are best friends and the external narrator introducing them emphasises their difference: ‘Squirrel is loud! Very LOUD!’ Bird, on the other hand, ‘hardly makes a sound at all.’ ‘Squirrel is busy. Busy, busy, busy!’ Bird though, ‘prefers to sit and do nothing.’ This way of describing them really annoys Bird as the comments are not the whole picture – far from it.

As the friends prepare for a concert to be held in front of the entire forest, tension mounts and eventually the feathered creature has heard enough and lets the narrator know in no uncertain terms. “ENOUGH!” comes the angry cry. ‘We are not only what you say we are. There’s so much more to us than that.’

Feeling the rebuke, the narrator shows a degree of surprise and has to agree ‘Bird is LOTS of things … and Squirrel is too!’

With Laura Baker’s very effective minimal text and Stacey Thomas’s charmingly detailed, muted sepia and grey scenes, the vital message comes through clearly: we are all an amalgam of different things at different times and hasty judgements are foolish.

A thought-provoking book to share and talk about with primary classes, possibly in a circle time session.

I Definitely Don’t Like the Dark

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I Definitely Don’t Like the Dark
Fiona Barker and Christine Pym
Scholastic

The two delightful squirrel best friends, Hank and Hoog, return in another of the I Definitely Don’t Like stories.

After an enjoyable day together, as the sun sets the friends start to head for home when Hoog remarks on the long length of his shadow. Hank speeds up eager to get home before dark. “I d… don’t like the d… dark,” he whispers to his pal. An understanding Hoog offers to accompany him all the way back but as the sun disappears completely, Hank is alarmed by noises, noises made by other creatures

and the creaking of a tree. Once all is quiet, Hank starts worrying again, this time about what could be hiding, waiting in the dark.

After some reassurance from Hoog, they continue their way, Hank still not fully sure about the surrounding darkness. However Hoog still has something tucked in his fur to share with him. Together they sit on a branch gazing at the stars shining bright all around them and a realisation comes to Hank: ‘… despite having fear, with a good friend … there will always be light in the darkness.’

Fiona’s reassuring story is perfect to share with young children who, like Hank , are scared of the dark. Christine Pym uses a variety of viewpoints from which to present the events and this further adds to the power of the telling.

Brown Girl in the Snow

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Brown Girl in the Snow
Yolanda T. Marshall and Marianne Ferrer
Greystone Kids

Amina, the narrator of the story has recently moved from the Caribbean where she was able to grown all kinds of plants, to a snowy city in a new country, and she’s not happy.

“There’s a brown girl in the
Tra la la la la,
where none of her plants will grow”


She sings as she watches the other children playing, then asks her elder brother how she can grown her garden in such an environment. He suggests she should wait for the spring to come. Hearing her song, her dad takes her to the library where she discovers a book about gardens. This cheers her somewhat and the following day her teacher asks why she’s not out playing with the other children. Having heard how Amina misses growing plants, she has an idea:

she sets up a class field trip to a greenhouse. When her classmates her about this, some of them start talking about the plants they are missing from their home countries such as The Republic of Congo and India. They also ask Amina to join them in their play outside next time. The weeks pass and at last it’s the field trip. Amina is a bit disappointed that she doesn’t see sweet potatoes growing in the greenhouse though there are lots of other tropical plants; nonetheless the trip is a success. Particularly when Mr Lokon discovers that she was hoping to find sweet potatoes and gives her some slips to plant.

He also invites her and her new friends to return and watch their growth. This they do though it takes a long time and in the meantime, Amina becomes much more positive about her new home.

The refrain, “There’s a brown girl …” is repeated several times throughout the story, with different ending lines as events progress and young listeners will enjoy joining in each time. Aptly Marianne Ferrer’s stylised watercolour depictions of the plants and some clothing items are in various green hues, with a dark magenta for Amina’s sweet potatoes.

The author draws on her own experience for this story: it’s ideal for children who are moving to a different climate and those who feel homesick for a previous country as well as for a KS1 topic related to growing plants.

The Mushroom of Doom

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The Mushroom of Doom
Becky Davies and Thomas Elliott
Little Tiger

This story begins with a horrified-looking button mushroom hurtling down into a blender whirring on a work surface: certain death looks more than likely.
Prior to that said Mushroom was an optimistic fungus anticipating becoming the star ingredient on the evening’s pizza. That’s not what happens however: Pineapple is chosen for the topping not Mushroom, after which the day gets progressively worse. Milk accidentally spills all over him and his best trainers;

then down comes a big boot – somebody has stepped on him. After all this our protagonist is unceremoniously dumped into the compost bin where a closer look reveals hundreds of other mushrooms.

Time for revenge: designating himself the Mushroom of Doom, he assembles a mushroom army to take revenge – little do they know what they’re in for under the tyrannical leader that even refuses them any water.

But a dehydrated army is unable to fight at all. Worse is to follow for the Mushroom but just when it seems the end is nigh an erstwhile fridge sharer steps in and .… Surely now our Mushroom narrator will finally become a reformed character. Errr!

Thomas Elliott’s dramatic illustrations work superbly with Becky Davies’ pun-laden text in this anarchic story, the ending of which may come as a surprise.