Category Picture Books

Captain Looroll

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Captain Looroll
Matt Carr
Farshore

She’s ready for anything, so Captain Looroll declares on the day of her birth but she probably hadn’t anticipated a mundane existence such as the one she finds herself faced with, stuck on a holder hanging on the wall in the toilet under the stairs, of all boring places.

Equally bored are her close chums Ray the spray and Barbara Bogbrush. Victoria Sponge however remains more upbeat, frequently stating that ‘something’s bound to happen.’ and happen it does in the form of ToiletTROLL from the upstairs bathroom.

Word of a mission comes from above via the downpipe and after something of a struggle the downstairs buddies make it up to the scene of the chaotic bathroom where something green and cylindrical, aka TT, is creating complete havoc. Indeed he’s fast turning the entire house into a powerfully pooey, gooey viridescent residence.

As things unroll at a rapid rate, it’s evident that one of the two rolls is so much more than mere tissue; as well as heart and soul, she’s quick-thinking and super-resourceful.

Can she and her crew see off that dastardly supervillain once and for all: you bet! However there’s still a considerable amount of wiping that requires doing.

Replete with bum-clenchingly excruciating puns this is a hilarious read aloud that will have children wriggling on their bottoms in delight as they cheer for the hero and her gang and giggle at Matt Carr’s vibrant, action-packed scenes. Bathroom visits will never seem the same once you’ve met the cast of this crazy book: this is toilet humour of the first order. Roll on the next adventure.

The Fastest Tortoise in Town

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The Fastest Tortoise in Town
Howard Calvert and Karen Obuhanych
Walker Books

Barbara Hendricks, narrator of this story and describing herself as ‘just a regular leopard tortoise’, is troubled. The reason is that in just a week she is to participate in a running race. Now although the entrant has no self confidence at all, her owner and best friend, Lorraine, is optimistic about the outcome of the fun run and sets up a daily training schedule for her pet. However this only serves to make the shelled creature all the more downcast at her prospects. They’re overtaken by, in turn, an absentminded worm a newly toddling human, a great-granda’, a remote controlled toy and an out-of-control vacuum cleaner – enough to dampen any contestant’s spirits.

Not so Lorraine’s who encourages her pet saying, “Just run your own race.” Nevertheless come race day the tortoise is a bundle of nerves. Surely all that training isn’t going to be for nothing: Barbara will never find out if she stays in her shell so off they go to the stadium.

Children (and adults) will have a good giggle at the sight of the other contestants at the starting line – ‘the fastest animals I’ve ever seen’, the narrator tells us.

Off they all go with Barbara employing her ‘put one foot in front of the other’ strategy over and over again until … And the winner is? Who do you think?

Then, with a nod to a certain Aesop’s fable, Calvert delivers a wonderful surprise ending.

Full of pathos, Karen Obuhanych’s mixed media illustrations are a hoot and will surely have youngsters rooting for Barbara from the outset.

Certainly a winner in my book, this.

The King’s Runaway Crown

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The King’s Runaway Crown
Rosalind Spark and Ian Smith
Oxford Children’s Books

It’s the morning of the new King’s coronation and preparations are well underway until suddenly Colin, the King’s dog snatches the crown from right under the nose of the royal butler who is busily polishing the ceremonial symbols. Off dashes the pooch hotly pursued by said butler, the palace guards, the coach driver (plus horses Ruby and Diamond), a proliferation of pigeons and a fast growing crowd that had gathered to watch the big event, through the streets of London

and along the riverside.

At Tower Bridge stands little Violet and her parents. She sees what is happening and steps forward commanding in a loud voice, “STOP!” The pursuers and the pursued halt right then and there.

Violet picks up Colin, cuddles him and a communication takes place between them. She passes Colin’s fearful feelings on to the crowd.

Meanwhile back at the palace, a royal someone is feeling equally beset by nerves when he notices a particularly peculiar parade passing through the gates. Out runs the King, Violet hands over the crown and they all listen to his highness before he takes his place on the throne for the crowning ceremony.

This right royal romp, with its wealth of alliteration and its crying out to be joined in with, repeat refrain, “Catch Colin! Save the crown!’ is told with aplomb by Rosalind Spark and energetically illustrated by Ian Smith whose scenes of the chaos one little dog causes, are comic delights.

Little People, Big Dreams: Vanessa Nakate / The Flying Man

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Little People, Big Dreams: Vanessa Nakate
Maria Isabel Sánchez Vegara, illustrated by Olivia Amos
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

In this addition to the excellent series we meet a young and outstanding activist. As a child growing up, Vanessa lived with her parents in Uganda’s capital city, Kampala. Her parents always encouraged her to speak out for what she thought was right, but in the countryside where she attended school, climate change seemed a world away.

At university however she began noticing how, despite being the least responsible, Africans were suffering most by climate change. Thus she became an activist and persuaded her friends and relations to do likewise. She spoke out against the destruction of the Congolian rainforests and its consequences and one day she, one of few from the African continent, was invited to join other young climate activists in New York where they hoped to make world leaders take action against global warming.

When she returned home Vanessa continued her fight and after a setback at a protest in Switzerland, her work has been recognised
and now she is an inspiration to fellow young Africans and indeed the entire world. A vital topic and with its focus on Africa, this is an excellent book to inspire KS1 readers to use their own voices and indeed actions, to support the on-going fight to save the planet.

The Flying Man
Mike Downs and David Hohn
Astra Young Readers

In this picture book biography Mike Downs pays tribute to a relatively unknown German aviator, Otto Lilienthal, whose pioneering spirit led him to create the first flying machine.

Perseverance was key as despite considerable skepticism from others around, he and his younger brother, Gustav worked away observing, experimenting, testing and improving their designs until in 1891 Otto was successful in making a hang glider that travelled through the air . Eventually in 1896 in a more sophisticated (albeit still flimsy) glider he soared above admiring crowds with, so the illustrator shows, a euphoric expression on his face.

Following this a photograph dubbed him ‘The Flying Man’ but sadly a week later, Otto died from injuries that were the result of a crash. (This information the author places in an afterword) Nonetheless his work inspired many other fliers, including the Wright brothers who cited Otto as their greatest inspiration.

It’s evident from his writing that author of this book Mike Downs, found Otto Lithenthal inspirational too.

Ava Loves Rescuing Animals / Pedro Loves Saving the Planet

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Ava Loves Rescuing Animals
Pedro Loves Saving the Planet
Jess French and Duncan Beedie
Happy Yak

These are additions to the Nature Heroes series where the focus is on a group of friends who love nature and being outdoors: essentially each one is a fact-filled picture book story.

In the first we meet Ava who lives with her grandparents They run an animal rescue centre that provides a temporary home for all kinds of animals, be they pets or wild creatures, large or small.
Accompanied by a tiny white mouse, Ava takes a walk around the centre and its environs as they head to the pet shop to buy hay for the animals soon to be cared for by her grandparents. On the way Ava stops at a pond containing frogs and lots of frogspawn and gives readers information on a frog’s life cycle and introduces some other amphibians.
We follow Ava on her ‘adventure’ during which she meets Pedro, the narrator of the next book,

and a lizard that narrowly escapes being run over by his cycle wheels. The entire walk turns into a fascinating learning journey for readers as they are introduced to various mammals – some of them record breakers, and find out about basic animal groups, ecosystems, habitats and more. Ava also meets another friend, Billy, who narrated Billy Loves Birds. Finally we discover the identity of the creatures that have just arrived at the rescue centre during their absence.

Pedro is an eco-warrior and in Pedro Loves Saving the Planet he and his older brother spend a day in the eco club’s new cabin. They choose to walk to their destination and encounter others who are using planet-friendly means of transport. Then once inside the cabin Pedro talks about renewable and non-renewable energy,

ways of saving water, points out that the cabin is built from sustainable materials, which leads on to a presentation of the 7 Rs (things that everyone should always keep in mind)) and other vital topics such as how to grow your own food, composting, the importance of trees, how to save energy at home, and the joys of being outside in green places.

Both books are illustrated by Duncan Beedie whose amusing art work underscores naturalist/vet Jess French’s informative, enjoyable texts. It’s never too early for young children to start learning about the importance of environmental care and the impact their actions have, both now and for the future. These books are spot on for foundation stage and KS1 class collections.

Scotty Plants a Seed

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A big thank you to Little Door Books for inviting me to participate in this blog tour.

Scotty Plants a Seed
Conn Iggulden and Lizzy Duncan
Little Door Books

Scotty is a small black dog living on the island of Mull with a fisherman, having been blown in by a storm. One day, deciding the pup needs a collar, the fisherman takes down the one that had once belonged to Scotty’s mother and places it around the pup’s neck. Hanging from it is a tag that neither of them can read but it certainly has an effect on Scotty. Off he races to see his friend Owl and show off his brand new collar.

Owl declares that the writing on the tag is old, which impresses Scotty but he then pees against Owl’s tree displeasing his friend who is further upset at Scotty calling his home ‘a sort of a stick, but well, bigger instead.’

As Owl proceeds to talk of the wonderful trees he has seen – the shady banyan and the enormous Caoba – he notices Scotty’s collar begin to glow

and suddenly the pup disappears. Seemingly his collar fob acts as some kind of transportation device taking him first to India

and then to Brazil. There Scotty sees the two trees Owl spoke of, but manages to displease first a group of children and then a monkey by peeing.

When Owl catches up he’s both exhausted and without much of his plumage:Scotty though is eager to visit the plains of Africa. There a ranger points out an area of reforestation. ‘Just one little voice – just one seed in the ground, / One voice that can wake the whole world with its sound!’ he says to Scotty.

Eventually the two friends return to Owl’s tree, Owl almost completely sans feathers and guess what Scotty does. You can probably guess too what they both do the following morning …

Told through a rhyming narrative and bold, dramatic illustrations that capture the grandeur of the trees and contrasting desolation of a felled forest, this environmental adventure is an unusual way of presenting the alarming fact that trees all over the world are in danger. However it’s also one of hope, encouraging the vital importance of planting trees and caring for those we already have. Nobody is too small to make a difference.

Don’t forget to search for the hidden seed on every spread.

Love, The Earth

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Love, The Earth
Frances Stickley and Tim Hopgood
Walker Books

Barely a day goes by when there isn’t something in the media about the climate crisis or the numerous ways in which people are still damaging our precious environment; but time is running out so it’s never too early to issue the rallying cry to young children.

This cleverly titled collaboration between author Frances Stickley and artist Tom Hopgood does just that in a truly captivating way.

It’s from Earth’s point of view that the rhyming narrative comes; the voice is gentle and friendly while also expressing a plea to be shown the kindness and fairness it needs for all its wonders to survive. With that plea comes a promise, given to the tiny newborn child we see at the start and follow through the book.

Earth’s riches are shown in Tim’s glorious mixed media illustrations as he transports us to wonderful woodlands,

gorgeous gardens, shows star-filled skies and sunny days, icy landscapes and the marvels of the deep.

Pitch perfect for little ones in every way and what a truly exquisite gift it would make to a recently born little one like the child shown at the start of the book.

The Crown

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The Crown
Emily Kapff
Walker Books

Wearing a crown and speaking from the future, a girl addresses readers. She explains that she is no princess, her crown is made from rubbish that has been left behind by previous generations. So too is the hill upon which she stands; that is made of landfill. 

In this landfill however the child discovers a book; a book full of pictures showing what is the past for her, but is our world as it now is. She becomes filled with joy as, beside her equine companion, she peruses the pages showing the wonderful seas, infinite sky, the land all with a wealth of wonderful flora and fauna.

In contrast to her world, this one is beautiful to behold; this earth that belongs to all of us. It’s within our power to pass down those wonders so that the girl can wear a different crown, one not made of rubbish but alive with the flora and fauna we are fortunate still to see around us.

The message that comes through loud and clear is a positive one: it’s within the power of us all to pass down a different kind of crown.

Yes we still have the power – just – but do we have the will? Surely it’s incumbent upon us all to do our bit to help and the final page has some starting points for everyone.

Powerful too with her lyrical text and show-stopping illustrations is Emily Kapff’s debut picture book. The contrast between the ugliness of the grubby world of our throwaway society and the beauty of nature’s wonders really drives the message home to readers. Let’s hope it’s shared widely and acted upon before it’s too late.

Too Much

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Too Much
Anne Booth and Maria Christania
Tiny Owl

It’s spring so why won’t Bear come out of his cave and play with the friends that are waiting for him? Rabbit wants him to enjoy some hill rolling, Squirrel wants him to climb trees but what is keeping their ursine friend rolled up in his blanket?

Off go Squirrel and Rabbit to consult Fox. Fox has been busily packing a picnic basket and has an idea that just might be the way to treat Bear’s “too much of everything” fears about the world beyond his cave.

First they gather some sweet smelling flowers and arrange them around the cave entrance; then they sit down close by making comments they hope might entice their friend from his extended hibernation to partake of both the delights of spring and the tasty treats that await.

Bear’s friends are an empathetic trio understanding that no matter how much they miss him, after a long period away from company and the open air, he is perhaps going to feel overwhelmed at the prospect of re-emerging, so they allow him to do so in his own time, when he feels ready.

Anne Booth’s gentle tale contains an important message for us all: however much you might want a person to do something, put yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective, encourage but don’t force them. I know this is true of several friends and a fair number of children who have found coming out of lockdown hugely challenging. I love Maria Christania’s portrayal of the characters and the sheer exuberance spring brings upon them (and most of us) in her mixed media illustrations.

Silver Linings

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Silver Linings
Fiona Woodcock
Harper 360

Close neighbours Pip and Parker are best friends, so in tune with one another that sometimes they don’t need to speak.
However, when Pip feels down Parker always manages to find just the right words, like the time when her crayon broke: “It’s okay, Pip … Now we can both use yellow,” he says.

When they can’t find their toy boat to sail in the park, Parker suggests making paper ones instead.

Then when Parker’s boat is swept away by the wind, he suggests playing with kites and when an approaching storm makes the sky cloudy upsetting Pip, Parker sees it as a chance to look for shapes in the clouds. Parker has a gift for seeing the bright side—the silver lining – in any situation. How better to deal with rain than to splash in the puddles.

Then their need for a snack sends them back inside. Now it’s Parker who is responsible for a mishap – a very messy one that spoils their work of art.

What will Pip do? With such a good role model, she knows to make the most of the situation – to find that silver lining – and not a single word is necessary.

The story ends on such a sweet note that it’s bound to bring a big smile to the faces of readers, young and not so young.

Softly coloured, Fiona’s patterned, mixed media illustrations are full of charming details and her portrayal of the best friends is a delight; in fact the entire book from cover to cover is delightful.

This lovely lesson about the rewards of optimism and having a good friend is one to add to foundation stage and KS1 class collections and to family bookshelves.

Wanna See A Penguin? / The Lost Leopard

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Wanna See A Penguin?
Simon Philip and Ian Smith
Oxford Children’s Books

A self-declared penguin expert and friend search the city for penguins; they see all kinds of black and white creatures striped ones, furry ones,

animals with fins, horned ones, ones with hooves, four-legged animals and others but none of the eight fit all the penguin criteria. Is there actually a penguin anywhere around?

Yes indeed and that is what makes this book such fun. Hiding in plain sight in every scene is the animal the friends seek. Young listeners will love searching the pages to find its whereabouts as well as guessing the identity of the partially shown animal on each spread and laughing at the misidentifications of the so called penguin pundit.

The author’s manner of telling is gently humorous – the ending a hoot – and Ian Smith’s delightfully droll illustrations include lots of amusing details.
There’s a fact file after the story presenting a paragraph each on the zebra, puffin, duck-billed platypus, monkey, orca, goat and dog that appear in the story.,

The Lost Leopard
Jonny Marx and Xuan Le
Little Tiger

We join Flora and Fauna (dubbed the ‘world’s greatest explorers) and their baby, Bud, on their search for the elusive clouded leopard.

Their journey takes them to various habitats along a river,

over foothills and up the Himalayan mountains, through forests and jungles and a rainforest; even down into caves. Needless to say there’s an awful lot of mud and not everywhere is accessible by road so their quest involves a lot of walking; walking through rain and snow, strong swirly winds and scorching heat until they finally arrive at a tropical forest location.

During their travels they encounter a wealth of amazing wildlife including yaks, langur monkeys, Bengal tigers,Indian elephants,

a King cobra, all labelled. Truly an epic journey but do they find what they have been searching for? Baby Bud has certainly learned a lot and so will youngsters who explore this exciting book.

Xuan Le’s vibrant detailed illustrations, which include lift the flap sections, cutaway pages, die cut surprises and a gate fold, extend Jonny Marx’s engaging, informative text making this a book that is probably best shared with an individual child or small group as there is so much to explore on every spread. Individual, more confident young solo readers will also love embarking on the adventure with Flora, Fauna and little Bud.

Wally the World’s Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat

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Wally the World’s Greatest Piano-Playing Wombat
Ratha Tep and Camilla Pintonato
Princeton Architectural Press

Making music at every opportunity, Wally is, so he thinks, the world’s greatest piano-playing wombat; but then he encounters Wylie Wombat and then he isn’t. So he adds another element to his musical performance and so begins an intense rivalry: the two musical wombats, become increasingly competitive as they vie to be best musical wombat in the world. Tap dancing – while playing the piano – tick! Twirling a ball on snout—while tap dancing and playing the piano – tick! With that Wally loses it crying “ENOUGH!” He covers his piano and takes refuge in his burrow. No more piano playing for him; instead his life becomes a quiet one of reading, knitting and pet keeping. But does he find that satisfying? No. Wally greatly misses his music making, the thing he most loves.

One night, Wally hears a noise outside his burrow. What is his rival doing there? What Wylie is in fact doing in offering an olive branch in the form of chocolate chip cookies carefully laid out on a blanket.

Playing solo, he tells Wally, is far less enjoyable.

Picnic over, the two move to Wally’s piano and play a duet. Wow! This is such fun; so fuelled by chocolate chip cookies, they practise and practise until together they become the world’s best piano-playing wombats ever.

But then, they aren’t.

So which is preferable: being best at something or doing it because it brings you joy? That’s the question Ratha Tep poses for young audiences, who will be entranced by watching Wally’s emotion-filled learning journey in Camilla Pintonato’s scenes, which are in turn passionate and pricelessly silly.

A fun fable that takes a look at the world of competition, wombat style.

Our Beach / Walter the Wonder Snail

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Our Beach
Rebecca Smith and Zoe Waring
Harper Collins Children’s Books

It’s wonderful what a collection of bits and pieces can lead to and that’s what we discover in this story of a little girl and her granddad who spend the day together.

As the book opens we see the two hand in hand, grandad carrying a large bag, making their way towards the sea shore.

They enjoy exploring rock pools, collecting seashells and pebbles and most important each other’s company.

Then comes a sudden change and a spread shows what is really happening before the flights of fancy recommence, and with them, the resurfacing of precious memories. It’s Gran’s “Time for our tea!” announcement that brings the two back to reality,

somewhat reluctantly perhaps as they eek out their imaginative experience for as long as they can before sitting down to share the tasty meal set out on the table.
A delightful celebration of the power of the imagination and a special intergenerational bond.

Walter the Wonder Snail
Neil Clark
Happy Yak

Tired of the tedium of leaves, Walter the Snail believes there must be more to life; he longs to escape the confines of his leafy existence and discover what the wider world offers. With hat atop his horns and shell packed, off he slides into the great unknown.

Our intrepid traveller faces challenges aplenty on his journey, but there are plenty of other creatures ready and willing to offer encouragement and help.

Nonetheless Walter is also able to adapt to a variety of terrains and weather conditions,

and to think outside the box, especially when it comes to making his way back home.

On his return Walter imparts some wise words to his fellow snails: “I know that anyone can do anything they put their mind to.You’ve just got to think big!” That’s a vital life lesson for young humans too and one they’ll learn subconsciously through Neil Clark’s wise words and his diverting, richly coloured, scenes of Walter’s travels. I love the variety of viewpoints and page layouts.

Rich in classroom potential but above all, a thoroughly enjoyable story.

The King’s Hats

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The King’s Hats
Sheila May Bird and Mark Beech
Zebeck Flame

The royal crown is weighing heavy on the head of Charles 111, the new King, Not only that, but hot and tight too. So he acts on the advice of his wife and heads out to his ‘Happy Place’, there to work out what to do.

In his beloved garden he finds his old friend, Tom, the gardener who wants to know the cause of the king’s pained expression. Having heard the crown is the problem, Tom wisely speaks at length reminding the monarch that in the course of his duties, he will be required to wear all kinds of hats including protective helmets, hard hats,

surgical hats, parade hats of the feathery kind,

paper party hats, a hairnet even. However, as Tom also points out, “sometimes you must wear your crown/And you will smile and wave/ Your crown is very heavy/ But remember…kings are brave”.

Mark Beech captures Charles’ royal nose, ears and facial expressions splendidly in his scribbly, cartoon style illustrations and the final page depicting a statue of Queen Victoria looking extremely displeased on account of the pigeon on her head, is a hoot.
Hats off to both the new king and his gardener who offers not just wise advice but the loan of his sunhat for when Charles is out weeding the path.

Playful pictures combined with a jaunty rhyming text make this book both funny but also with more serious undertones of the monarch’s fears of perhaps not living up to expectations and being brave in his new role.

Who Owns the Woods? / Above and Below: Sea and Shore

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Here are two recent picture books about the natural world from Little Tiger – thanks to the publishers for sending them for review.

Who Owns the Woods?
Emily Hibbs and Jess Mason

A boy and his grandma go exploring in the woods and as they walk, the child asks ‘who owns’ various natural things. Could it be one of the tiny animals they stop to observe – the spiders spinning their webs perhaps, or the butterflies with their beautifully patterned wings. 

Perhaps the woods belong to the magnificent stag, a fox or … maybe the boy himself is the owner of all those magnificent trees.

Not so, says his wise grandma; nobody can claim ownership of this particular area of woodland forest with its wealth of awe-inspiring flora and fauna; it is there for the enjoyment of every single person and moreover, as the boy himself confirms, it needs to be shown respect and treated with care.

What is needed is stewardship not ownership; that is the key message in this book beautifully illustrated by Jess Mason. Her scenes truly evoke the magic and tranquility of these special places. I really like the way the branches of the trees speak to readers serving to re-inforce the all important theme of Emily’s Hibb’s text.

Above and Below: Sea and Shore
Harriet Evans and Hannah Bailey

Now published in paperback, this is one of an excellent spilt page, lift-the-flap natural history series; it explores ocean habitats below and above the waves taking readers to such locations as the coastline, a sub-aquatic kelp forest, polar oceans and an estuary. There’s a visit to a tropical shore, a coral reef, a mangrove swamp and more.

The information comes in bite-sized portions making it accessible to EYFS and KS1 audiences. Children will be fascinated to discover that for instance, a lobster tastes with its legs and has teeth in its stomach and that in the forests of a mangrove swamp is a grey-headed flying fox with a wingspan of 1.5 metres, making it one of the world’s largest bat species.

The spilt pages work well providing as the title indicates, above and below views of the locations featured, each being beautifully illustrated with lots of detail: there’s so much to see.

This is a book that celebrates the natural world and gives a real sense of the sheer diversity of life in our oceans and rivers and on our shores.

Molly, Olive & Dexter / The Brambly Hedge Pop-Up Book

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Molly, Olive & Dexter
Catherine Rayner
Walker Books

Meet Molly the hare, Olive the owl and Dexter the fox whose home is a garden oak tree. The three friends love to play together and Molly’s favourite game is hide and seek. “I’ll count and you two hide,” she tells her pals as she begins to count down, “5,4,3,2 … 1!’ but on opening her eyes after the ‘here I come’ Olive and Dexter have clearly misunderstood what effective hiding is and Molly finds them right away. Somewhat frustratedly she instructs them twice more to try again, properly.

Their third attempt proves too good, for now Molly cannot find Olive and Dexter anywhere. Where can they be? Suppose they’ve got lost and even worse, she never sees them again.

Happily for all this isn’t the case.

As always Catherine Rayner’s watercolour illustrations are superb: her three characters are winsome winners that capture the essence of the animals portrayed and the flora a delicately detailed delight.
I look forward to further stories in this new series by the wonderful watercolourist; so too, I have no doubt, will young listeners.

The Brambly Hedge Pop-Up Book
Jill Barklem
Harper Collins Books

There’s wonderful rich detail too, in Jill Barklem’s illustrations and it’s testimony to the world she created that it lives on and will continue to entice new audiences with this publication. However it’s not so much a pop-up as a multi-layered book. There are six 3D scenes to delve into: prepare to be enraptured as you visit the Toadflax family’s cottage on Wilfred’s birthday, call on their neighbours Mr and Mrs Apple from where you can almost smell those delicious baking aromas of Mrs Apple as she works in her kitchen; join the wedding celebrations of Poppy and Dusty. and find out what happened when Primrose went exploring. All this and more thanks to Mrs Apple’s diary wherein she chronicles hedgerow life through the seasons.

For adult reviewers like myself this is all a trip down memory lane; for younger readers, it’s an opportunity to get to know Jill Barklem’s characters and something about their lives.

Super Small / The Versatile Reptile

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Super Small
Tiffany Stone and Ashley Spires
Greystone Kids

You may be surprised to learn that some of the world’s smallest creatures have awesome superpowers.

The minute oribatid mite can lift more than 1,000 times its own weight. The pygmy seahorses are so good at camouflage that scientists only discovered them accidentally when they brought some coral into a lab to study; then there’s the bee hummingbird that’s able to fly backwards and upside-down – clever stuff!

Did you know that wood frogs are able to survive harsh winter conditions as ‘frogsicles’ – they stop breathing, their hearts stop beating and their bodies make a kind of protective antifreeze and as for those teeny tiny tardigrades, here’s what author Tiffany Stone has to say about them: ‘The tardigrade, or water bear, / is so small that its barely there. / … And bear in mind, although it’s wee, / it’s tougher that you’ll ever be. / Freezing cold or boiling hot— / too much to bear? This bear thinks not.’

Ashley Spires uses her artistic superpower to illustrate each featured creature, making every miniature marvel appear super-confident; and to accompany her poetic descriptions Tiffany Stone provides some side-notes in the form of animal monologues (or dialogue) presented in comic strip style side panels. This is a book that will appeal to animal enthusiasts especially.

So will:

The Versatile Reptile
Nicola Davies and Abbie Cameron
Graffeg

In this addition to the rhyming series in which Nicola Davies presents a look at various animal types, we meet some reptiles.

Reptiles are found in many different parts of the world as the young adventurer in this book discovers in her search. These scaly creatures might be jungle dwellers, live in desert places or swim in the seas among the seaweed, and can vary in size from massive to minute and from endearing to downright grim and ghastly. 

One thing the entire reptile group can claim though, is versatility. 

Abbie Cameron’s accurately detailed, close-up illustrations really drive that point home to readers who will one hopes enjoy coming face to face with such fascinating creatures. This reviewer certainly did.

Perfectly pitched for KS1 readers.

When I Became Your Brother / Some Do, Some Don’t

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When I Became Your Brother
Susannah Shane and Britta Tekentrup
Nosy Crow

Written in rhyme that shows tenderness and devotion, and illustrated with gorgeously warm scenes by Britta Teckentrup, this book told from the viewpoint of the older one, celebrates the bond between a brother and his new sibling.
From sunrise to sunset two fox cubs love to spend time exploring their woodland surroundings and playing together. They dash through the fields, play with pinecones

and laugh and leap together beneath the setting sun before snuggling up under the stars. Being an older sibling brings companionship, responsibility for guidance and above all, love.

With its comforting text and sparkling art, this is a book to give a young child when a new sibling arrives in the family.

Some Do, Some Don’t
Dipacho
Mineditions

Dipacho uses jabiru storks in this presentation of individuality. By means of a simple, straightforward text and elegant images of these storks he depicts them in various sizes and in a range of situations starting thus: ‘Some of us have no family’ accompanied by an image of a solitary bird. Turn the page and we see two jabirus flapping, almost dancing and the words ‘Others do.’
Some take off alone to explore what the world has to offer, others stay behind. Some like to be in the company of others, in family groups or more of a crowd; some want solitude. Some live together reluctantly; some are distanced but want to be near another.
Some have families with differences, indeed many do

and sometimes new family members arrive; some in contrast have left for ever. Some jabirus prefer to ‘stick to our own kind,’ whereas others are interested in a variety of types of birds. The author concludes, ‘Some of us fly off and follow our own path. …Actually we all do.’
In eighteen double spreads Dipacho covers almost each and every experience a child may have.
The final page provides three factual paragraphs about jabirus including that they are the second largest birds in the world. I didn’t know that; thanks to this book now I do.

I Heard a Bird

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I Heard a Bird
Rob Ramsden
Scallywag Press

I’m a big fan of Rob’s In the Garden books so I guess I was predisposed to like this one, which sadly, is the final title of the series.

The narrator is a little girl who greets us with a cheery wave and the words of the title. She goes on to tell readers of other sounds she’s heard in the garden – cats wailing, which results in the bird flying off in fright, the rustling of the leaves in the breeze, her feet tapping on the ground, bees buzzing among the flowers.

This child doesn’t only use her ears though, she observes with all her senses: crouching down she notices a wealth of minibeasts on the move

and keeping close to the ground, she follows a mouse into the undergrowth where she has a surprise encounter with a hopping toad.

Next comes a few minutes of mindfulness as our narrator enjoys the opportunity to listen:

following a few moments of silence she hears her own breath, her heart beating and when she opens her eyes once more there comes a pip pip pipping sound: now what could that be?

Just right for sharing with young children, Rob’s simple rhythmic text lets his beautifully patterned, screen printed illustrations carry most of the story. This book is a must for anyone who wants to encourage little ones to engage with the natural world and enjoy what it has to offer.

Farah Loves Mangos

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Farah Loves Mangos
Sarthak Sinha
Flying Eye Books

Having just returned from a visit to India during which my mango loving partner announced that he wants to establish a mango orchard in the grounds of our friend’s Rajasthan country hotel, I was immediately attracted to this book that features a mango-loving little girl.

Farah’s Grandpa has a mango tree in his large backyard and every year she enjoys collecting the fruits, aided by Mali the dog. Then comes a summer when the tree doesn’t produce a single mango and unsurprisingly Farah wants to know why. Dismayed, she asks Grandpa but he’s too busy with a piece of wood to respond so Farah’s questions so she takes matters into her own hands, trying out all manner of remedies to make the tree produce fruit. She sings to it, gives it milk,

adds manure, ties a red scarf around its trunk and waters it with her profuse tears, all to no avail. The tree is useless, decides an angry Farah.

Along comes Grandpa hand outstretched, puts his granddaughter on the swing he’s been making all the while and gives the swing a push.

As Farah swings up into the tree’s canopy she discovers a world of wonder far beyond anything she might have imagined. This new way of seeing brings a vital realisation: a tree is SO much more than its fruit bearing function.

Sinha’s richly hued illustrations are bursting with humour, emotion and movement extending his story far beyond the words. A fun book to share with an important lesson about ways of seeing and appreciating natural things in their entirety.

The Laugh

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The Laugh
Fay Evans and Ayse Klinge
Flying Eye Books

‘There was once a lady who had the loveliest laugh in the world.’ This lady laughed both loudly and quietly, sometimes with others, sometimes to herself; her laugh was contagious

and always full of love, no matter how it sounded. But then one day, that lovely lady becomes ill and dies, and with her dies the laughter.

The lady has left a great big hole in the world.

Her little girl can’t find the laughter, no matter where she searches. Then unexpectedly, something funny happens and the girl laughs again.

This moving look at a child navigating loss is such a beautiful tribute to a mother whose presence in her child’s life is enormous. The author of the third person narrative acknowledges that after a loved one’s death the family affected are unable to ‘move on’ – and indeed don’t want to but ends on a positive suggestion that the possibility of laughter returning is in fact, welcome. Ayse Klinge’s warm, comforting mixed-media illustrations convey strong emotions throughout as the book moves from joyful laughter, to sadness and then to laughter once more.

This book would be an invaluable resource for any young child who is grieving for a loved one.

Frog’s Bog / Hugg ’n’ Bugg: The Comb

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These are two recent picture books kindly sent for review by the publishers, Graffeg 

Frog’s Bog
Marielle Bayliss and Mariela Malova

It’s a fine sunny morning and all Frog feels like doing is relaxing on a log in the boggy pond. It’s not to be though, for first of all Fox gives him a soaking – albeit unintentionally. Then as he sits waiting for a bug to consume, along comes Dragonfly diving right at him – goodbye tasty treat.

Next Frog tries a boat in a moat, surely nothing can disturb him there. Err, he hadn’t factored in a visit from Kingfisher. Next thing he knows, Frog’s boat is upturned and as for peace and quiet, the day is fast disappearing and poor Frog still hasn’t found any of that.

Come sunset, Frog is in a brook and is ready to join the blackbirds in their evening rendition, never mind all he can manage is a raspy croaking croon. Suddenly this is brought to a conclusion thanks to a woodpecker sending down a shower of wood chippings making Frog depart hastily to the stream to contemplate his disaster of a day. As he speaks aloud of his discontent, he’s heard by the bees. They buzz off to have a few words on Froggy’s behalf with the animals that live nearby.

Can teamwork provide a means of making Frog’s Bog the very best place to be?

Mariela Malova’s scenes of Frog’s frightful day as he tries to find a peaceful piece of water are hilarious 

and make Marielle Bayliss’s rhyming account of his day even more deliciously droll and dramatic.

Hugg ’n’ Bugg: The Comb
Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke

The unlikely duo messy yeti Hugg, and Bugg, a flea that doesn’t like the cold, return in a new tale set as before in the Himalayas. While out wandering lower down the mountain they discover something small and pink on the snowy ground and suddenly encounter a frightened man who on seeing them, dashes away in fright leaving behind the comb.

Hugg picks up the pink object and tests it in a lock of his hair, moving on to his thicker fur. He likes the feeling and is soon bragging about his new handsome appearance, dubbing himself ‘the most stylish Mummy Nubble Snowman’. Bugg meanwhile is not enjoying the combing and a squabble ensues with Hugg going so far as suggesting the two part company.

Bugg is horrified that a new comb could result in him having to find a new home and proceeds to remind Hugg of what he will miss should they go their separate ways. But then a run-in with some very rude leopards, 

followed by an alarming threat to their home, help Hugg ‘n Bugg see sense, value their togetherness; and as for the comb, it’s still safe among Hugg’s treasures.

Whimsical and whacky illustrations by Eoin Clarke combined with Ian Brown’s fun rhyming text will entertain young listeners at home or in the classroom, and adult readers aloud will enjoy giving a hair-raising performance of the drama.Categories: Picture Books Tags: Eoin Clarke, Frog’s Bog, Graffeg, HuggnBugg: The Comb, Ian Brown, Mariela Malova, Marielle Bayliss

Grizzly Ben

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A big thank you to Little Door Books for inviting me to take part in the blog tour for this book.

Grizzly Ben
Alan Dapré and Alex Ayliffe
Little Door Books

Ben is grizzly bear mad, so much so that he asks for one for his birthday. That of course is not what he finds in the large parcel that awaits in his bedroom.

Less than impressed with his ursine gift, Ben sets about training Cuddly to be a Grizzly Bear. Things however don’t quite go as intended. The honey-eating lesson,

fishing demonstration and tree climbing certainly produce transformations, just not to Cuddly. He’s left stuck up a tree while, finding it all too much to bear, Grizzly Ben stomps angrily around in the garden till he falls fast asleep from exhaustion.

When he wakes, Grizzly Ben spies something very alarming.

What he needs at that moment is a warm. cosy BIG HUG from a certain cuddly toy. Could such a hug perhaps work another transformation?

The cleverly constructed tale, full of humour and a fair amount of havoc, is complemented by Alex Ayliffe’s wonderfully expressive scenes; she clearly had great fun creating them and I love the vibrancy of her colour palette and her inclusion of the additional characters who silently involve themselves in the action throughout the story. It’s one that offers lots of opportunities for audience participation of the roaring, stomping kind, so prepare yourself for a lively session when you share this with young children.

Don’t forget to check out the posts of the other blog tour participants.

Dad, Don’t Miss It! / City Under the City

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Here are two recent additions to Astra Young Readers list – thanks to GMC Distribution for sending them for review.

Dad, Don’t Miss It!
Qiaoqiao Li

In her debut picture book Qiaoqiao Li starts with a situation that will be familiar to many young children: a parent – father in this instance – immersed in a computer screen. This he does even when he and his son are supposed to be sharing some quality time going on an adventure. They take a bus to their forest destination but both en route and when they arrive, Dad has his computer screen on. So distracted is he that he fails to see the red fairy and its friends, a white deer and a stone elf, the tree monsters and flower troll, all of which play with his child. Eager to introduce them to his dad the boy waits patiently in the first instance but gradually becomes more frustrated and eventually loses patience, yelling ‘Dad!’

Not only has Dad been missing the possibilities of play, he’s completely unaware of the transformation he’s been undergoing all the while until a response finally comes.This sends everyone other than Dad rolling down the hill and right into the lake.

Can this parent now forget his computer and save the day?

With otherworldly digital illustrations, this magical tale serves as a timely reminder that we should all turn off our screens, leave the virtual world behind for a while and enjoy some real life adventures.

City Under The City
Dan Yaccarino

Residing in a dystopian city under constant surveillance from the Eyes are Bix and her family. Said Eyes have absolute control over the daily lives of everyone.

Wanting autonomy, young Bix is not understood by her family, plays with nobody and frequently feels completely alone, She and her schoolmates only read on handheld screens and under the constant supervision of the Eyes, never choose their reading matter. However ‘The Eyes don’t just help. They also watch.’ But why and what, Bix wants to know. All this we learn from Dan Yaccarino’s comic panels and brief accompanying text.

One day Bix hears something new – a squeaking sound and liking what she sees, follows the little creature, a friendly rat deep down underground to the ruins of a city that at first sight seems similar to, but is in fact altogether different, from that in which she lives. For there in this place she is led to its abandoned library full of books, 

a museum, a restaurant and a music hall—what’s left of life before the Eyes took over. Here Bix and her new friend can be truly self-directing but what has happened to all the people?

Having spent many days down below and becoming aware of the possibilities of a different way of life, Bix feels the call of home and family. Back she goes up and up but although her family are overjoyed to see her; not so the Eyes, one of which snatches her sister. Little by little, Bix reveals what she’s discovered to her fellow citizens and eventually, bringing them all together, she leads an uprising, rescues Taff and reunites her entire family who are ‘really together for the first time.’

A scary look at a possible world ruled by AI and a surveillance culture for screen obsessed youngsters.

Mum, Me and the Mulberry Tree

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Mum, Me and the Mulberry Tree
Tanya Rosie and Chuck Groenink
Walker Books

Rituals are important and this lovely gentle book evokes the joys of simple childhood rituals as shared between a mother and child one day; rituals that will become cherished memories as well as giving pleasure in the here and now.

We follow the two from sunrise to sunset as they relish a day trip to the countryside, a special journey that takes them by bus to visit a large mulberry tree that stands on a hill in a field – ‘our tree’. Once there, the mother lifts her child high into the canopy of the tree and together they gather its abundant mulberries, eating some and getting juice all over themselves.

When they stop for a picnic lunch, down comes the rain so the two hurry back to sit sheltered beneath their tree. After lunch Mum cannot resist climbing the tree to search for more berries till as the sun sets, the two, tired but very happy, travel home together.

Back indoors Mum assisted by her daughter, gets to work preparing and baking a pie

which they sample together before the sleepy, pie-filled child is taken to bed ready to dream of her happy mulberry day.

Tanya Rosie’s lyrical text is a delight to read aloud and the calming nature of her writing makes the book an ideal bedtime share. Equally though, this would be a lovely story to share with a class of young children. Warmth radiates from Chuck Groenink’s illustrations, be they double spreads, single images or smaller framed scenes, they show so well the close relationship of mother and child and are the ideal complement for the words.

Dick the Delightful Duck

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Dick the Delightful Duck
Kaye Umansky and Ben Mantle
Alison Green Books

Dick the Duck has been dubbed a delight by all who know him. Polite, considerate and thoughtful, a wonderful listener, cheerer-upper and fantastic friend. Then one day, he isn’t. When he rises one morning he feels at odds with himself – cranky, grouchy and ready to snap at anyone that dares to cross his path including his unsuspecting cat companion.
Stamping and stomping, off he goes down the street, ignoring friends, jumping the bus queue and then occupying a seat he wasn’t entitled to before storming off at his destination and striding past everybody.

His pals are puzzled but rather than being equally unpleasant in return, they realise that everybody has an occasional bad day and decide, “We’ll do for Dick Duck what Dick Duck does for us.” And so they do. Duck is treated to kindnesses galore until little by little his frown becomes a smile and he’s back to his usual self and ready to apologise.

He even invites his pals over for a meal that evening (after he’s said sorry to his moggy and done a bit of furniture moving in his bedroom, that is).

Kaye Umansky’s rhyming text bounces – or should that be – waddles – merrily along and reads aloud well so long as you can get your tongue round those Duck Dick and Dick Ducks. Ben Mantle’s splendid illustrations of Dick Duck et al are an absolute delight – funny and bound to make you quackle. You’ll need to grab a copy of the book to discover what a quackle is, but it’s well worth so doing as it offers plenty for young listeners to enjoy.

The Toy Bus

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The Toy Bus
Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey
Walker Entertainment

It’s always wonderful to visit the Repair Shop whether via the tv programme or through one of Amy Sparkes and Katie Hickey’s splendid picture books of which this is the second in the series. It begins with young Toby and his Granny Elsie paying a visit to the barn that is home to the Repair Shop. Jay Blades greets them warmly and at his behest, Granny explains the purpose of their visit by telling the back story of the bus she hopes his team can work their wonders on.

As children Elise and her little brother loved going to the park and watching the large red bus drive by. It became something of a game with Elsie dashing along by the park fence waving, something her little brother couldn’t do as he’d been born with cerebral palsy and could barely manage to stand up.

One day returning from the park, David spots something in a toy shop window: a red bus. Elsie feels sure it would help her brother but Mum says they don’t have the money. Not prepared to let matters rest, Elsie empties out her piggy bank; then she and Dad return to the shop and buy the bus. Back home David is thrilled and plays with the new bus all the time. Little by little he learns to pull himself up and using the bus for support, begins to walk, gradually becoming more assured, until one day it’s his turn to play race the bus at the park.

Now Granny Elsie hopes that the Repair Shop experts can fix the bus so that her own grandchildren can play with it. Step up Dom and Lucia who begin work straight away. Back at their home we see on the final spread a grown-up David using a zimmer frame looking on joyfully as the youngsters play with the restored bus; an important example of showing not telling.

An uplifting story and one in which those familiar with the tv series will recognise Jay and members of the team. Nonetheless both children and adults can enjoy this moving tale and spend time exploring Katie Hickey’s heart-warming scenes, including the detailed endpapers, together. The final spread recounts the true story of the toy bus and gives brief details about Jay and his team. More please!

John’s Turn

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John’s Turn
Mac Barnett and Kate Berube
Walker Books

As the story opens we’re party to an event in the school canteen; here every Friday a school assembly takes place and one pupil presents something in what’s called the ‘Sharing Gifts’ performance. On this Friday it’s John’s turn and it’s pretty clear that he’s feeling nervous as he eats breakfast and dons his attire. Singing over, Mr Ross introduces John and out the boy steps as the curtain is pulled aside.

There’s some sniggering at the music that starts playing (‘strings, violins and things, and then maybe flutes’)

and the dance begins.

We’re treated to a sequence of double-page spreads – three wordless, two almost so – showcasing John’s moves: how stunning they are as we see his facial expressions and body language change as his fears dissipate and seemingly effortless, graceful capability takes over making him joyful.

Joyful too are the members of the audience as their doubts turn to real appreciation.

Kate Berube’s paint and ink illustrations communicate John’s feelings and showcase his accomplished athletic performance superbly, perfectly complementing Mac Barnett’s text, which takes the form of a simple pertinent narration that one assumes is by one of John’s fellow pupils.


Wonderfully empowering, this is a gorgeous book about finding the courage to be your true self that will speak to any child.

Lots of Dots

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Lots of Dots
Pippa Goodhart and Anna Doherty
Tiny Owl

Everyone wants to feel they belong but all too often there are challenges that get in the way. Will that be the case for the creatures in Pippa’s story, much of which is in the form of dialogue.

It begins with one Jaguar expressing aloud feelings of loneliness within the hearing of Ladybird and before long they and several other animals have formed “A Dotsy Club” with a secret password to be known only by club members. The arrival of Zebra causes the club members to rethink their membership criterion and it soon becomes the Patterns Club for which they set to work creating a flag.

Then comes the question of what to play: it needs to be something inclusive but soon along comes the very plain Monkey. Does Monkey feel lonely?: definitely not. Monkey is a member of an all inclusive club and it has a badge that everybody already possesses.

Can you guess what this badge is called? Moreover, do they actually still need a club at all?

What these creatures demonstrate is something that sadly all too many humans lack: wisdom and an understanding that it’s both similarities and differences that make life interesting. Anna Doherty’s animals – patterned or otherwise – are an engaging cast of characters. Keep an eye out for the tiny, unnamed ones too: they might not be saying anything but it’s fun to follow their activities throughout the book.

Share and discuss wherever possible.

You Are Loved

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You Are Loved
Margaret O’Hair, Sofia Sanchez and Sofia Cardoso
Scholastic

There are many ways to be a family; none is absolutely perfect but love is the vital element in every family. That message comes through loud and clear in this book, which was inspired by Sofia Sanchez whose parents, a father from Mexico and a mother from California, adopted her as a baby from an orphanage in Ukraine.

Really families are more than just those you see every day, or those related to you, perhaps you consider close friends, teachers and neighbours as part of your family too; they are certainly important.

Whether you are born into a family, chosen by your family or your family is chosen by you, its members will be special to you. They will make you feel special too and ‘strong’; they’ll tell you ‘You are enough’ and most crucially, ‘You are loved.’

Each family is different and that message is extended in Sofia Cardoso’s illustrations of diverse families, some of which are interracial..

Look closely at her scenes and you may notice some characters in more than one of them.
The book closes with a note from the mother of Sofia Sanchez.

An excellent choice for inclusion in a KS1 classroom collection.

Food Fight

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Food Fight
Alex Latimer
Oxford Children’s Books

Brimming over with wit and humour is this story of young friends Grape and Mushroom. These two have a problem though. Since way, way back in time and for reasons completely forgotten the Vegetables and the Fruits have been bitterly at odds, hurling insults at each other and attempting to put paid to the friendship between Grape and Mushroom. 

Now things have escalated so much that the two young ones hide themselves away during the fighting to discuss what, if anything can be done about this constant warfare.

They decide to ask the advice of the Wise Old Cheese – if such a being even exists – said to live, if the legend is correct, on the Top Shelf of the fridge. This entails scaling the heights on a perilous journey through blizzards and quicksands, each encouraging the other through the worst parts. (Beware of the puns). Finally, utterly exhausted Grape and Mushroom reach the object of their search. 

Wise Old Cheese, exceedingly old, stinky and a tad mouldy, is fast asleep on that Top Shelf. Having explained their plight, the wedge promises through its moustache to think about the problem, but then promptly falls fast asleep once more.
Very disappointed, the friends return, find the Fruits and Vegetables still battling and are about to part company when they become aware of a ‘mysterious milky light’ accompanied by ‘a familiar pungent pong’. 

All squabbling ceases as there before them is the wise Old Cheese. The mouldy wedge announces the purpose of his visit and draws their attention to Mushroom and Grape, wonderful examples of cooperation united in a single purpose.

And so it is that the two factions, impressed at what they’ve heard, decide they have rather a lot in common and resolve to try peaceable living.

With a plenitude of wordplay, speech bubbles, splendidly expressive garden produce and instantly recognisable kitchen equipment, this is a delicious story demonstrating the all-conquering power of friendship and the importance of focussing on similarities not differences.

Pick a Perfect Egg

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Pick a Perfect Egg
Patricia Toht and Jarvis
Walker Books

A little girl and her mother pay a visit to Patty’s Farm and there they pick their own eggs including a perfect white one. Returning home the two of them set about making coloured eggs for Easter: they boil the eggs and then as they cool, prepare the dyes using a mix of natural plant colours and bought ones.

The child suggests using a white crayon to create designs on eggs before dyeing them. Job done, the girl goes to bed thinking of what will happen in the morning.

The following day, she’s up as the sun rises, and donning her bunny suit and lining a basket, off she goes hand in hand with Mum, to join her friends for the Easter Egg hunt.

There’s plenty of excitement as the children discover all manner of eggs – chocolate ones, plastic ones with treats inside, and then there are the dyed eggs: what a very special one the little girl has crafted for this springtime celebration.

Finally it’s time to enjoy some of the chocolate variety as you wish everyone a very Happy Easter.

Patricia’s rhyming narrative and Jarvis’s brightly coloured illustrations capture so well that mounting excitement and the fun of those Easter rituals that most children love so much. With a gorgeous cover, this is a really fun book to share in the run up to Easter but make sure you read it in time for children to try some of the egg decorating ideas presented.

The Hare-Shaped Hole

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The Hare-Shaped Hole
John Dougherty and Thomas Docherty
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Despite their differences Bertle (a turtle) and Hertle (a hare) are almost inseparable. Hertle, the speedy one felt ill at ease in the water but with Bertle’s advice and patient support she was never left behind even though she never learned to swim. “We’re friends to the end!” they would both say but then suddenly and without warning, ‘the end came.’ Hertle was there no more; poor Bertle, all he can see is a hare-shaped hole in the air, nothing more of her at all.

Bertle finds it hard to believe so he sets out in search of his friend; he looks high, low and everywhere in between but all that remains is that empty Hertle-shaped hole. Bertle’s disbelief turns to anger and he gives vent to his feelings by shouting out until his throat hurts. No matter what Bertle tries to do, nothing brings back his friend, though the hole still accompanies him everywhere.

In utter despair Bertle sits and sobs at the side of the river, feeling himself surrounded by his sorrow.
As he sits immobilised by sorrow, a kind bear, Gerda comes along. She waits a while and then gives Bertle a bear-cuddle, allowing him to feel as deeply as he needed. 

After a while Gerda speaks some very wise words to the young turtle, telling him that the only thing to do is to fill that hare-shaped hollow with happy memories of the time the two friends spent together.

So begins the healing process for Bertle; certainly his emptiness won’t go away quickly but, now he has a new friend, the very wise Gerda to offer her helping paws.

The rawness readers will feel on first reading or hearing this heartfelt rhyming story of Bertle’s loss, grief and gradual embracing of life without Hertle, soon gives way to one of tenderness and appreciation of both the way John Dougherty’s tale is written and the manner in which Thomas Docherty captures the emotions in every one of his lovingly created illustrations. You might want a packet of tissues handy when you read this.

Ultimately uplifting, this poignant book is one to add to all primary school collections.

When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left

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When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left
Marc Colagiovanni and Peter H. Reynolds
Scholastic

The boy protagonist in this book discovers a simple procedure for lightening the heavy weight of worries, frustrations, doubts and fears he carries around with him.

It begins thus: ‘One day, for no particular reason, nothing was going right. Absolutely, positivelyNOTHING was going right. So I decided to go left.’ We see him putting down one of the heavy pieces of luggage – his large box – and walking on without it. He continues in similar vein, leaving behind a huge sack: thus he has dropped his weighty worries (little red monsters) and doubts (hairy green beasties).

On reaching the bottom of the high diving board, the boy deposits his suitcase of orange creatures, and attempts the dive but it’s not a great success. However the lad decides to leave his backpack of frustrations on the ground, its creatures yelling, “You can’t do it!’ and has another go at the dive.

Hurrah! A perfect entry this time. Suddenly a realisation dawns: the more left he goes, the more right he feels; in fact he continues going left and pretty soon, everything is going right. Now what remains as he has a quick look at the ground, are much, much smaller nasties, shrunken so it’s easy for him to pick them up again and continue, safe in the knowledge that they just need him to keep an eye on them.

An uplifting very positive message, imparted in a somewhat light-hearted manner through lawyer/author Marc Colagiovanni’s words and Peter H. Reynolds instantly recognisable illustrations, that encourages readers/listeners to drop the baggage when things are going badly in life.

Mr Leopard’s Bookshop / All the Wonderful Ways to Read

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Mr Leopard’s Bookshop
Alexa Brown and Julia Christians
Scholastic

Sophie needs to buy a present for her very best pal, her pug puppy Boss but it’s rather late in the day so the shops are shutting. However there’s one that looks as though customers would still be welcome so she tries the door. Wow! She can hardly believe her eyes at the sight of shelves and stacks of books everywhere she looks. Then suddenly the shop’s manager emerges; it’s the great Mr Leopard. The surprise causes Sophie’s mum to fall flat, but Mr Leopard is a kindly soul and offers to help the girl immediately.

He starts piling up books and bringing them for Sophie to peruse but she’s disappointed: nothing has that special sparkle she wants for a present for Boss.

Undaunted, Mr Leopard draws back a curtain to reveal something very unexpected

When Sophie has got over her initial shock sufficiently to listen to the characters that address her, she spies a rug on which is a dog holding a pen: surely it can’t be, but yes …

It can only be in a magical place such as Mr Leopard’s Bookshop where such amazing things can happen; but that isn’t the end of the amazing events, for the very next day Sophie throws a birthday party for Boss but she finds herself playing host to rather more guests than she’d anticipated.

Providing surprise after surprise, Alexa Brown’s jolly rhyming text bounces along merrily making the book an enjoyable read aloud and Julia Christians’s wonderful scenes of Mr Leopard’s establishment are a bibliophiles delight – once they’ve got over seeing the kind of characters it attracts.

All the Wonderful Ways to Read
Laura Baker and Sandra de la Prada
Little Tiger

‘Each reader is different – each one unique!’ So says author Laura Baker early on in this rhyming exploration of reading styles and celebration of the power of books. A power that takes readers on journeys to places far and near and perhaps to fantastic new worlds. It’s possible to go anywhere at all so long as you have the right book to read. Books can empower the reader, help them solve a problem, help them find meaning in their own experiences or those of others: reading can completely transform a person’s life, Reading develops the imagination and connects us; and I suspect anyone reading this picture book would find examples of ways of connecting.

Some may even become authors and/or illustrators, like those we meet in Sandra de la Prada’s scene of a group of people creating pictures and that showing a queue of eager readers waiting for an author to sign copies of her book.

The crucial thing that emerges from Laura’s text is that what’s important isn’t so much what you read, where or how you read, or how fast or slowly you read, but that you DO read. There are books out there waiting for everyone to discover and love: this fun one included.

Wake Up, Trucks!

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Wake Up, Trucks!
Jodie Parachini and Teresa Bellón
Little Tiger

A jaunty rhyming narrative and super bright scenes of a day in the life of a group of trucks and other construction vehicles: I can see this will be a hit with many small children.

We begin as, having feasted on a breakfast of fuel, the trucks trundle into life and honking as they go, make their way to the building site. There, the foreman awaits and the tugging and towing work gets going.

Each truck has a special role: there’s Dump Truck, carrier of heavy loads, Roller to smooth out the roads, the foundations pit is dug by Excavator and then little by little, Mixer does the filling. Next Loader carries wood for floors and some doors; humans fit the windows and to complete the building of one house, along comes Crane to top off the job with a roof.

Back in their yard at the end of the day, all the trucks are cleaned thoroughly and their engines allowed to cool right down. Definitely worth pointing out to all the truck enthusiastic young humans is that one of their number – a cement mixer – is plugged into an electrical charger.

Using a wealth of geometric shapes in her digital illustrations, Teresa Bellón’s vibrant scenes of those anthropomorphised vehicles provide plenty to explore and discuss.

Action-packed this surely is.

Baby Owl

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Baby Owl
Anne Rooney and Qu Lan
Oxford Children’s Books

The adorable-looking white fluffy owlet that emerges from an egg, the Baby Owl featured in this book doesn’t stay like that for long. With Daddy owl’s hunting and feeding regime, the owlets soon outgrow the nest, venturing out onto the tree branches. Baby Owl however, isn’t quite ready to catch his own insects. He ends up on the forest floor in a heap and has to climb all the way back to the nest by means of his sharp beak and claws.

Soon though, the owl parents leave their little ones to hunt for their own dinner and off goes Baby Owl in search of food.

Flying is fun, he decides and eventually with mouse in beak, back he goes to show his parents his prey. After consuming same, he settles down and falls asleep warmed by the rising sun..

As with previous titles in the series, young children will absorb quite a bit of information from the well-written narrative but characteristic of the Amazing Animal Tales are the flaps beneath which additional facts are presented as well as occasional questions, which add to the book’s interactive nature. In this one, youngsters will learn that an owl can turn its head nearly all the way round and can see all of its own back. Beautifully illustrated throughout, this is certainly one to add to early years collections.

Super Poopers

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Super Poopers
Alex Woolf and Isobel Lundie
Little Tiger

The topic of poo almost invariably raises interest in young readers and this book will surely do so with its humorous approach to those often whiffy bodily emanations. Before you turn your nose up though, consider this statement that concludes the author’s introduction: ‘In short, there seems to be no end to human and animal ingenuity when it comes to finding uses for poo’.
A fair bit of ingenuity is also presented between the covers of this collaboration between author Alex Woolf and illustrator Isobel Lundie.

They start by presenting a handful or two of the weirdest facts about creatures and their poop. Did you know for instance that a hippopotamus whirls its tail while pooing. The result being flying faeces (sometimes reaching as high as 10 metres) that can be used to mark their territory and to show off to the opposite sex. 

Imagine being a pitcher plant in the vicinity of a mountain tree shrew; said animals use pitcher plants as toilets, which is of mutual benefit: the plant receives nutrients in the poo and the shrew licks the plant’s nectar.

Child readers may well be aware that poo makes a fantastic fertiliser – there’s a spread on that topic herein – but how many are aware of some of the things it can be used to make. For instance there’s a company in Thailand aptly named Poo Poo Paper that uses elephant poo to make paper. Of course, the pong is removed during a process of boiling that also disinfects the pulp before it’s mixed with plant fibres, spread on mesh trays and left to bake in the sun. The result is paper. Apparently one elephant’s daily dung dump is sufficient for over 100 sheets of paper. 

There’s also a luxury coffee that uses beans collected from the poo of Asian palm civets and it’s said to cost way, way more than your usual cup of coffee. I don’t think I’ll be trying that though.

Covering twelve topics in all, Alex Woolf’s playful, punning text is both fascinating – yes really – and full of amazing information and includes such topics as diverse as ancient fossilised faeces and what it can teach us, and ways poo can or might be utilised to produce power for heating, lighting and even vehicle fuel. In keeping with the tone of the verbal content, Isobel Lundie’s bright, detailed visuals are appropriately amusing and the resulting combination is sure to produce giggles aplenty in readers.

Manny’s Mood Clouds

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Manny’s Mood Clouds
Lourdes Ubidia
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

We learn about Manny’s moods through the eyes of his younger brother Elijah. He tells how his brother’s emotions are very quick to change and with it the way in which he acts; they’re so big they seem like coloured clouds that hover above his head. When he’s angry the cloud is red (that’s when Manny feels most frustrated); a blue cloud signifies sadness – then Manny wants to be left alone. A purple one comes when he experiences panic and is scared of everything; yellow represents happiness – Manny is ‘so happy he doesn’t know what to do with himself.’

Yes we all have little clouds, explains his brother but the difficulty for Elijah is the unpredictability of his brother’s mood changes. These aren’t like other people’s clouds, these are so big they’re overwhelming.

Their supportive parents decide eventually that Manny needs more help from someone with specialist knowledge so they take him to meet a therapist. She says that Manny has what is called a ‘mood disorder’ and gradually with her help, along with the support of his empathetic parents and sibling, he can be helped to work through his feelings. No, Manny’s clouds cannot be completely eradicated, but there are practical coping strategies that the brothers can do together. 

The examples given in the book are matched with the colours of Manny’s clouds which is especially helpful for families looking to support a child. It’s good to see that there’s a final spread showing a variety of other people who have mood clouds

The tone of the narration is a matter of fact one and the accompanying bright cartoon style illustrations keep the tenor of the book light and accessible for young children.

Backmatter written by clinical psychologist, Aimee Daramus offers some useful resources and tips for parents and carers of children with mood disorders.

 Lourdes Ubidia, Manny’s Mood Clouds, mood disorder

My Momma Zo

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My Momma Zo
Kelly & Zoey Allen, illustrated by Tara O’Brien
uclanpublishing

This bright picture book is about a family with two mums, one of whom is trans.

The narrator is young Molly who begins by showing readers a drawing of the family – herself, her brother George and their two mums. The four of them live in a small house in the city.

Molly goes on to talk of the likes and dislikes of each one: she for example likes pasta, puddle jumping and adventures with her dog; George dislikes vegetables, wearing a coat regardless of the weather and likes walking the dog, playing games and watermelon. He’s also very kind to his sister.

Among Mommy Kel’s likes are tea drinking and she shares Molly’s liking of pasta. Momma Zo likes long baths, singing and cuddles but does not like cauliflower or having to shave her face from time to time.

We’re then told something else about Momma Zo: “We used to call her Daddy. She was often sad and unhappy, but nobody knew why.’ Molly says.

Now though Momma Zo has become a trans woman; she’s so much happier and as George says, Momma Zo is still the same person inside and Ziggy the dog loves her no matter what; but then he’s just part of what is a loving and supportive family.

There are occasions however when they all go out, that somebody is unkind but since transitioning Momma Zo has become much stronger and on this matter too George has something to say ‘you should always get to know someone before finding out their gender.’ A wise boy is George.

Sensitively written, this empowering story is stylishly illustrated by Tara O’Brien and deserves a place in all primary school collections.

Carry Me!

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Carry Me!
Georgie Birkett
Walker Books

It’s a while since Wilbur was an easy to carry, snuggly baby; he’s now considerably bigger and stronger. Nonetheless he still tries insisting, “Carry Me!” He loves piggybacks, shoulder rides and being pushed in his buggy regardless of the weather.

Unsurprisingly, all this effort eventually takes its toll on Wilbur’s Mummy and even when she suggests he should try walking, Wilbur is ready with an excuse or two.

One day however, when out with his mum, Wilbur drops his toy, Rabbit. Out of the buggy he leaps and off he hops to retrieve Rabbit.

On his return, who should be sitting in the buggy but his Mummy. I wonder what the little lad did next …

Thereafter, Wilbur and his Mummy can be seen walking home side by side, chatting happily and Wilbur’s chief want is no longer Carry Me! He’s replaced it with another request.

A smashing story for busy, weary grown-ups to share with their little ones. It would make a warm hug of a book to give a mum on Mother’s Day but equally it’s a great one to read to a nursery group or a small child at any time. Make sure you start reading from the front endpapers where. Georgie Birkett portrays Wilbur’s mum carrying her unborn child. The illustrations throughout show so much more than the straightforward narrative; you will definitely want to linger over every spread enjoying the humorous details and watching the changing expressions and body language of the two main characters.

Meet The Weather

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Meet the Weather
Caryl Hart and Bethan Woollvin
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Team Hart and Woollvin follow their introductions to the planets and the oceans with an opportunity for young children to go adventuring a third time and find out about different kinds of weather. Meet the Weather sees a little girl and her canine companion soaring through the sky in a magical hot air balloon. On their journey they’ll meet shape-shifting clouds, wild whooping whooshing winds, lightning along with booming thunder, a destructive tornado that twirls and whirls sending everything in its path skywards. 

Then there’s the cold murky fog with its damp greyness; 

the snow that can transform the land into a carpet of white, the radiant sunshine that makes the world joyful; the vital rain to refresh the natural world and help it grow, and finally perhaps most beautiful of all, a glorious rainbow where the sun meets the raindrops.

Young children will love copying the various onomatopoeic sounds Caryl includes in her rhyming text and enjoy exploring the land- and sky-scapes presented in Bethan’s dramatic, vividly coloured illustrations in this book which provides a subtle STEM lesson woven into a fun story.

The Big Bad Bug

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The Big Bad Bug
Kate Read
Two Hoots

The Big Bad Bug is a self important beetle and on the beautiful morning when this story unfolds, he’s in a big bad mood that upsets all the other minibeasts in the garden. They’re especially aggrieved when the Big Bad Bug claims ownership of the splendid bug house intended for them all.

But then they come upon a ginormous, absolutely deliciously juicy-looking berry big enough for everyone. You can guess who wants it all for himself.

Now the other minibeasts stand their ground, demanding they all have a share. A tussle ensues and the outcome is one stuck bug, seemingly with more than merely his pride hurt.

Just when it looks as though the BBB is about to meet his doom with a dark shadow looming above, the caterpillar has a change of heart, so to speak, and the Big Baddie has a narrow escape. Instead of being squished out of existence, he is seized by a delighted child who lavishes kindness and care upon him for the rest of the morning.

Come lunchtime though, she releases the “sweet little bug’’ to find his friends and off he goes grumbling to himself till he comes face to face with the other bugs. A new one among their number might just be the one to stand up to selfish, bullying Big Bad Bug.
Will he never learn to share though? What do you think?

Kate Read’s richly coloured, detailed illustrations of all manner of minibeasts in their natural environment are infused with humour. Her text includes lots of dialogue, which allows adult readers aloud to create plenty of drama as they share the book with young children.

My Mummies Built a Treehouse / Amazing Mum

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My Mummies Built a Treehouse
Gareth Peter and Izzy Evans
Lantana

In a rhyming narrative the boy protagonist asks his two mummies to build him a treehouse. Both agree and each has different ideas and skills to bring to the project, but first they’re all three involved in the choice of the right tree. That done, the creation process gets underway with the drawing of a plan and as Mummy insists ‘very strong foundations’. Mum (a doctor) points out that trees are living things and so in order to give their tree room to grow, they should build around it.

Then it’s off to buy the wood and other materials needed for the construction and back at home the three spend the rest of the day working together. There are occasional mishaps and some adverse weather, but eventually a few days later, the narrator has the key in his hand and up, up, up the ladder he climbs to be met at the top with an amazing view of the countryside. ‘The perfect palace in the clouds for all my friends and me.’ The fulfilment of a dream and a perfect day to share it, first with his many pals and then come the evening, beneath the stars with “Mummy, Mum and Me’.

An uplifting tale that reads aloud well combined with detailed illustrations of the loving family and their activities. You’ll want to spend time enjoying each scene: the family moggy gets up to lots of antics; there’s small mammal activity underground, a plethora of potted plants and a family of birds and much more, to feast your eyes on in Izzy Evans’ richly hued illustrations.

Amazing Mum
Alison Brown
Farshore

Love and humour abound in Alison Brown’s celebration of mums and it seems likely that young children will find a character very like their own mum or mother figure in this exuberant celebration of their diverse talents and idiosyncrasies. They will encounter mums juggly, snuggly, those super at finding missing things, mums with an eye for the main chance when it comes to cake, supportive mums, fussy mums, those good at mending things and many others;

they’ll even find ‘Double mums’. No matter what, mums never run out of love. Finally, there’s the absolute best BIG hug sharer and that is everyone’s very own mum.

Inclusive and a delight to share with the very young: little ones will enjoy Alison’s simple rhyming text and find plenty to giggle at in her mum portrayals. There’s lots to talk about and with just the right amount of quirky detail, each one is endearing rather than overly cute.

Mums of all kinds will be very happy to receive this as a Mother’s Day present.

My Mummy Marches

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My Mummy Marches
Samantha Hawkins and Cory Reid
Lantana

The little girl herein talks about her mum and the various causes she marches for including protecting the environment and social justice. Crucially though she marches to fix the world’s problems, to say things that need saying and to remind people how to love. She marches no matter the season or the weather; she marches with lots of other people all supporting the same cause, but sometimes she’ll even march alone.

On occasion she feels sad, tears well up and then she marches quietly. She never stops marching however, just like her own mummy and grandmother did when they marched for equal rights and a better way of life.

With such a powerful advocate for social justice,

what does the little girl herself think? She’s clearly proud of her mother, telling readers, ‘She marches like the beat of a terrific, giant drum. She marches ferocious and tall, like lightning burning across the open sky … She marches proud and passionate with her face lit up in the biggest smile.’ It’s evident that our young narrator intends to follow in her mother’s footsteps – she’s already learning to march, we’re told: “I will march for freedom, for kindness and for love.’

In her straightforward narrative, Samantha Hawkins makes effective use of simile and metaphor as she presents her empowering theme and it is made even more compelling by Cory Reid’s dramatic, inclusive illustrations. A book that one hopes will galvanise young readers and listeners to stand up and march to make the world a kinder place for everyone.

Art and Joy: Best Friends Forever

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Art and Joy: Best Friends Forever
Danielle Krysa
Prestel

Meet best friends, Art and Joy. These two love creating things together, all kinds of things and they do so with minimal resources. From paper, a few pink crayons and a roll of tape they made Gumballio, a brand new planet; boxes were fashioned into a funky parade and their homes for magical creatures were desired by all the town’s fairies, though some had particular colour requirements.

Everything is going swingingly until one day, the Art Bully criticises their latest endeavour. Art in particular is affected by the negativity: no matter what the friends work on, despite Joy’s delight in their creations, the insidious Art Bully continues to hover nearby ready to pour scorn upon their work.

Art is bemused that Joy appears to be untroubled by that bullying voice and with Art Bully’s words always there, becomes more and more miserable. Now Art refuses to make anything unless it’s ‘serious, normal, tidy, and right’.

Will Art ever be able to get the better of that self-critical voice and rediscover the delights of creative expression? Happily yes, thanks to some time spent in the great outdoors.

This book’s creator really understands that many children, especially as they get older, are beset by their own inner critic that finds fault with their artistic endeavours. Her playfully humorous collage illustrations, wise words, and clever use of typography will surely help youngsters to overcome their own Art Bullies and find joy in both the creative process and product.

The Bear and the Wildcat

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The Bear and the Wildcat
Kazumi Yumoto and Komako Sakai
Gecko Press


‘One morning, Bear was crying. His best friend, a little bird, was dead.’ So begins this deeply moving, poignant story of friendship, loss, grief and finally, hope.

Bear fashions a small wooden box and gently places the bird inside. He carries the box everywhere showing it to other animals he meets. They admire its beauty but failing to understand why Bear takes the box around, tell him to forget his friend.

Bear returns home and shuts himself away for several days but one morning sunshine streaming through the window wakes him. This prompts him to venture outside and as he walks along the riverbank, he comes upon a wildcat dozing at the waterside; beside him are a battered rucksack and a strangely-shaped box.

The latter interests Bear who wants to know what’s inside. The wildcat agrees to show him on condition Bear opens his box too.
The wildcat listens as Bear tells his story, realising that he must miss the friend he’d loved deeply. It’s the first time anybody else has acknowledged this to Bear. In return wildcat opens his box, takes out his violin and offers to play a song for Bear’s friend. As he does so, Bear remembers some of the times he and Bird had spent happily together

and in so doing Bear’s sadness begins to lift and he starts to heal. He decides it’s time to bury his friend and with the wildcat’s help they create a final resting place for the little bird.

The wildcat invites Bear to accompany him on his travels, he gives him a well-used tambourine and together the two animals move on, travelling the world and making music.

Kazumi Yumoto’s text is lyrically and lovingly written; and is accompanied by Komako Sakai’s soft edged, smudgy black and white images, which become infused with touches of pink as Bear begins to recall the happy memories and accept his friend’s death.

A beautiful book to offer comfort to those experiencing loss, and an opportunity to talk about death and grief with younger children.

Cheeky Worries

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Cheeky Worries
Patrick Davey and Anna Smith, illustrated by Anne Wilson
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Finn is just like other boys, fun loving and adventurous; he has worries, just like other boys but he doesn’t know this as the story starts.

His worries come upon him one day as he sits on the top deck of a bus right at the front, pretending to be the driver:suddenly a frightening thought pops into his head: suppose Mummy gets off without me. His heart beats faster and he gets butterflies in his tummy. Holding onto his mummy’s hand helps him forget his scary thought and all is well.

That night another scary thought arrives in his mind. So scared does Finn feel about the possibility of a monster lurking beneath his bed that he doesn’t want to snuggle down inside.

The following day he gets a scary thought about falling from the slide and off he gets.

Sitting dejectedly alone on a bench, he hears a whooshing sound and right beside him is an owl. Now this owl knows lots about scary thoughts and their effects as she’s seen many other people who have been similarly troubled. She calls the thoughts ‘cheeky worries’ on account of the way they creep uninvited into a person’s mind and by distorting the truth, prevent them doing what they want. Moreover the owl has several strategies Finn can use to dispel his worries before they get the better of him.

Having shared her wisdom, the owl gives Finn one of her ‘magic’ feathers. Then in answer to the boy’s question regarding the number of feathers the owl has missing, she bids him farewell with a parting, ‘Because, Finn, my brave little friend, everybody – however big or small – has cheeky worries’. Finn then starts noticing other people with strategically placed feathers.

With Anne Wilson’s bright, empathetic illustrations, this engaging, hugely reassuring story for young children was written by an NHS psychiatrist (Patrick Davey) and a clinical psychologist working in the NHS (Anna Smith). The book discusses anxiety in a child-friendly manner, giving young children the tools needed to deal with their fears.

One to add to classroom resources and family bookshelves.

The Swing

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The Swing
Britta Teckentrup
Prestel

This is an absolute jewel of a book: a poetic reflection on the passage of time, at the centre of which is a swing.

The swing stands on a hill overlooking the sea. Said swing had always been there, the narrator tells us ‘… it invited everyone to take a seat.’ It’s a place for meeting, for being alone, a place of joy and laughter; it’s also a place for big decisions and perhaps change – beginnings and endings: somewhere anything and everything is possible. There are pensive moments, playful moments and pour your heart out moments. It’s a place to contemplate and dream about the future.

Friends meet there and so do lovers. It might be a place from which to take flight …

Seasons come and seasons go, bringing with them changes – in the natural world and also in relationships.
Mia and her grandmother would stop and counting carefully, have twenty swings on their daily walk to school and even now as a grown up with a daughter of her own, Mia recalls that swinging and her beloved gran. Precious memories stay with us always.

Little by little the swing grows ever more creaky, battered by storms, until eventually nobody uses it and nobody fixes it. But then, years later, a young man and his son walked by. Another change – a vital one – takes place as the man and other people start a joint restoration …
Childhood, friendship, love and loss are portrayed in Britta’s meditative, exquisitely illustrated collage style scenes. It’s amazing how she communicates so much in what at first appear to be relatively simple, yet quietly powerful, pictures and narrative.

The Emerald Forest

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The Emerald Forest
Catherine Ward and Karin Littlewood
Otter-Barry Books

A mother orangutan lives with her children in a green Sumatran forest that is teeming with wildlife. She teaches her little ones the vital life skills they need to survive but one day she hears a loud CRASH! that sends birds every which way and then she sees smoke starting to permeate the canopy. Orangutan moves her family away from the noise and smoke and for a time things are apparently back to normal.

Then again comes that terrible sound, raging like an enormous beast, accompanied by clouds of dark, dense smoke. Suddenly Orangutan and her tree are crashing earthwards.

At first it seems there’s no escaping the fires all around, but as the smoke starts to clear a smiling face and an outstretched hand appear. Help has come in the form of a woman who leads the orangutan mother and her family to a place of safety; a green, tree-filled place where they can live alongside other creatures.

The island of Sumatra has lost nearly half of its rainforest in the last thirty or so years but this poignant picture book is one of hope: the place where the fictional orangutan family found safety is based on the Bukit Tigapulu National Park on the island of Sumatra. (Notes inside the back cover give details of the Emerald Forest setting of the story as well as facts about the critically endangered orangutans.)

Author Catherine Ward’s passion for wildlife conservation is apparent in her compelling prose and Karin Littlewood’s pictures have a power and poignancy of their own that makes the book even more impactful.