Category Picture Books

My First Book of Dinosaur Comparisons

jillrbennett Leave a comment

My First Book of Dinosaur Comparisons
Sara Hurst and Ana Seixas
Happy Yak

Authors are always looking for new ways to present dinosaurs to young enthusiasts who seem to have an insatiable appetite for these prehistoric creatures.

Herein Sara Hurst compares dinos. with vehicles, predators, humans and modern day foods among other things. With a body longer than a tennis court, Diplodocus needed to munch through around 33kg of ferns daily – that’s the equivalent of a human gobbling 66 boxes of cereal every single day – imagine that!

First though come an explanatory spread explaining comparisons, a pronunciation guide to dinosaur names and a time line.
The comparisons start on the Fossil Clues pages where readers learn for example, that one of the largest fossil poos ever found was around 70cm long and weighed more than a bowling ball.

I was fascinated to discover that a dinosaur’s age is calculated by counting the growth rings inside its bones (in a similar fashion to trees I imagine).
Other spreads look at the super skills of a variety of dinosaurs – Dromiceiomimus was about as speedy as an ostrich and twice as fast as the fastest man sprinter. Other spreads explore defence, food, weight

hunting ability, self defence and more, concluding with what was the likely cause of dinosaurs dying out.

In addition there’s a scattering of quizzes (answers at the back) and the entire book is brightly and dramatically illustrated by Ana Seixas.

Agent Llama

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Agent Llama
Angela Woolfe and Duncan Beedie
Little Tiger

Let me introduce Charlie Palmer, hotshot agent, awesome spy and fluffy llama. Having saved the world the previous day, said superspy is already engaged on her next mission, when she receives an urgent call from HQ. The Prime Minster’s underpants (banana patterned) have been stolen and Charlie is required to track down the perpetrator of the crime and save the world.

After a nail biting, sorry, hoof biting, plane journey completed with a perfect landing

Charlie rocks up at a posh hotel where she soon encounters an ‘old acquaintance’ Greta Grimm wallowing in the pool and she just happens to be sporting a pair of banana printed shorts. Pant-pinching crime solved.

However, Grimm (aided and abetted by her Goons entourage) doesn’t intend handing them over to Charlie any time soon. Moreover despite our agent’s martial arts prowess, all too quickly she finds herself well and truly trapped. Is there any escape now or is it destination outer space?

Can a spot of lunch courtesy of Charlie’s bag of techno tricks save the day …

Adult readers aloud will likely appreciate the high jinks that characterise spy films while their young audiences will relish the high drama delivered through Angela Woolfe’s whacky rhyming narrative and Duncan Beedie’s bold retro, cartoonish illustrations somewhat reminiscent of 60s glam in places. Love the stylish silhouette endpapers and variety of page layouts that hype up the action.

The Wind in the Willows

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame adapted by Timothy Knapman with original E.H. Shepard illustrations
Farshore

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of Kenneth Grahame’s classic, this is a picture book adaptation of the original story by Timothy Knapman with E.H.Shepard’s iconic illustrations.

All too often adaptations of children’s classics are at worst a huge disappointment and at best underwhelming; one certainly wouldn’t dream of reading them aloud to young children.

Does it read aloud well is key and in this instance the answer is a resounding yes. Herein, there’s a certain musicality to Timothy’s narrative (‘And there was the river itself, chasing and chuckling along, like a magical sparkling animal.’): it retains the essence of the original while also using 21st century phraseology such as ‘Then when their tummies started to rumble, they tied up at a perfect picnic spot.’ And, Mole to the intruder stoats and weasels in Toad Hall, ‘ “What a mess you’ve made! You don’t get to leave until you’ve tidied this whole place up.” ‘

Although we don’t have all the episodes from the original book, what’s included is a coherent story with plenty of Toad’s shenanigans …

that can be shared and enjoyed in a single session, or two if preferred.

I Like Trains / Phoebe Dupree is Coming To Tea!

jillrbennett 1 Comment

These are two recent picture books from Walker Books – thank you to the publishers for sending them for review

I Like Trains
Daisy Hirst

The young canine narrator of this story has a particular liking for trains – playing with toy ones, reading about his passion,

and travelling in the real kind, especially to pay a visit to Granny’s. That’s when she can hear all about the exciting journey, is treated to a picture of the ride, and then she and the puppy have great fun playing in a park sandpit that has a train theme.

With her art taking centre stage, this is a briefer, less sophisticated tale than many of Daisy Hirst’s previous books, but equally delightful, It’s perfectly pitched for very young listeners and beginning readers particularly those who share the puppy’s enthusiasm.

Phoebe Dupree is Coming To Tea!
Linda Ashman and Alea Marley

Abby, narrator of this rhyming story has invited her friend for tea, hoping that all will be as perfect as the guest herself. To that end, she prepares carefully for the three o’clock rendezvous, instructing dog Louie to be on his best behaviour and arranging a tray with delicious confections, flowers, and a china tea set, as well as lining up the other guests – three toys.

Then DING-DONG! The eagerly anticipated guest arrives and ‘oh-so-politely’ sits herself down in her seat while her hostess goes to fetch the tray. But on her return with the tray (it’s really heavy), she has a Mrs Wobble moment and trips sending the contents of said tray every which way. This results in further chaos as Phoebe leaps up onto her chair and in so doing sends the entire table over causing such a mess. Will Phoebe contemplate returning ever again?

Now comes the time when Phoebe surprises readers and her friend too … After all, who wants perfection when it’s at the expense of fun?

Linda Ashman’s narrative reads aloud well with both page breaks and Alea Marley’s detailed illustrations highlighting the drama and suspense splendidly. With its subtly empowering message, this is a delightful story to share with youngsters.

There Is No Big Bad Wolf in this Story

jillrbennett Leave a comment

There Is No Big Bad Wolf in this Story
Lou Carter and Deborah Allwright
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Hot footing it on the heels of Lou and Deborah’s There Is No Dragon in This Story comes another take on classic fairytales, this time with Wolf as star of the show.

The problem is that he’s running late and feeling mightily stressed about it as he rushes through the forest to Grandma’s house to get there before Little Red Riding Hood. En route Wolf manages to upset the The Little Pigs making them ‘seriously grumpy’ but what with Grandma’s grumbles too, the poor creature decides enough is definitely enough. No more being taken for granted and definitely no more huffing and puffing from our vulpine friend.

Instead the other characters will have to go it alone but this Big Bad Wolfing is way harder than it looks. A realisation dawns and then along comes a winged fire-breather: maybe he could save the stories? Errrm … No1

So, can Little Red Riding Hood et al twist Wolf’s front paw and persuade him to help after all?

Young listeners and adult sharers will delight in this book. With hilariously conveyed messages about the importance of team work and not taking others for granted, it’s a tongue-in-cheek, hugely engaging tale that features their favourite characters like they’ve never before seen them. I really love the variety of page layouts Deborah uses: they hot up the story brilliantly.

Babies, Babies Everywhere!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Babies, Babies Everywhere!
Mary Hoffman and Ros Asquith
Otter-Barry Books

An absolutely gorgeous and inclusive celebration of babies during their first year of life. Now I’m no lover of babies, (though I have particular fondness for one particular little girl, now a toddler, a few months beyond her first year), but this book is a delight from cover to cover.

We follow the ups and downs of that first year with five families all of which welcome a new little one (or two) into their lives. To start with there’s a lot of sleeping, crying, milk drinking, burping and naturally, pooing and weeing. Then comes limb waving and laughing,

followed after a few weeks with facial recognition of those they see daily. Next is the grabbing, grasping stage often accompanied by much gurgling and cooing,

after which sitting and rolling ensue. By around six months the infants are usually ready for some solid foods – often a very messy time as can be the mobile stage when bottom shuffling and crawling, and beginning to get onto two feet, frequently leads to the little ones opening cupboards, etc and enjoying scattering the contents everywhere.

That’s nothing compared to what they can get up to once they start toddling …

One thing’s for sure though, there’s never a dull moment as Ros’s wonderfully detailed, amusing illustrations show (I love the soft toy’s thought bubbles). Mary’s straightforward narrative has a gentle playfulness with lots of baby sounds and comments from family members. (There’s a reminder on the dedication page, that babies develop at different rates and not all of them do things at the same age.)

Great fun for sharing with babies. toddlers who will enjoy spotting things at every page turn, not least the purple elephant, as well as for including in a ‘Families’ topic box in the foundation stage.

I Spy Island

jillrbennett Leave a comment

I Spy Island
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Absolutely full of fun pretty well sums up this first in a new series from Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet of Supertato fame.

Said Island loves nothing better than to play I Spy with its four friends Glove, Banana, Bottle and Bird who appear to reside thereon. It’s while engaged in such a game that the players notice an object that they suspect has recently washed up on Island’s beach.

Speculations start – legs emerging from its head, an upside-down bird, is it edible, a trouser press … but suddenly the thing does a flip and announces itself to be a very important, much sought after treasure chest on account of its priceless contents. Moreover, Treasure Chest really does not want to stay on Island, it desperately wants someone to find it.

Several days later however, there it still is, sad and in need of cheering up.

The Island suggests playing some games to jolly things up a bit and after some initial reluctance Treasure Chest is having the time of its life. So much so that it has a change of heart about the Island, until …

a fierce, scary storm suddenly rages. Where can the four friends go to stay safe until it blows over? And then what?

Let’s just say that one of the players has learned a very important life lesson during the turbulence and all concerned are now ready for another round or two of Island’s favourite game of I Spy …

I have no doubt young listeners will revel in the super silliness of Sue and Paul’s tale and be eager to pay another visit to that cheery place somewhere in the middle of the deep blue sea, ready for when the next mystery guest washes up.

Attack of the Giant Baby!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Attack of the Giant Baby!
David Lucas and Bruce Ingman
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Oh my goodness! A giant baby is at large in the kingdom and it’s in destructive mode. So says the royal messenger to the King and Queen at breakfast one morning. While her parents and the courtiers panic, the young Princess maintains, “He’s just a baby,” though her words go unheeded.

As the baby trashes trains, topples mountains, tramples forests, flattens buildings and people flee for their lives, the King calls in his advisors. The Princess tries again; still nobody listens and eventually the Airforce is sent for, but even then the baby is unstoppable.

“Let loose the Monster-sized Bear!’ orders the King and lo and behold …

However the cuddles are short-lived and again doom and gloom descend. Even in the face of the scariest thing his highness can call upon, the Giant Baby doesn’t flinch. Nor is it interested in the king’s riches.

Now it’s left to the Princess to face the ginormous babe. Can her gentle manner save the day?

David Lucas’s dramatic narrative and Bruce Ingman’s clever illustrations with their mix of almost childlike painting and black ink sketches, make a slightly silly, enormously enjoyable story demonstrating the importance of listening to children.

With its somewhat ambiguous ending, could there perhaps be a sequel in the offing?

The Cat and the Rat and the Hat

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Cat and the Rat and the Hat
Em Lynas and Matt Hunt
Nosy Crow

Comic capers of the daftest kind unfold in Em Lynas’s unashamedly ‘cat-ipalising’ assemblage of sound/symbol associations that she’s fashioned into a sequence of silly scenarios all about various items of attire and the lengths her animal characters will go to, to acquire them.

There’s the cat that plays, sleeps and dreams upon the mat; the rat with a big hat (dayglo pink to match its appendages) – at the start anyhow;

but a tustle ensues …

then there’s the bat sporting a fancy cravat (of the same pink colour albeit with tiny white dots) but also eager to take possession of said hat and willing to perform all manner of acrobatic actions to prevent others seizing the cravat.

Various snatch and grab actions follow but to find out who eventually ends up with which article of adornment, you’ll need to bag yourself a copy of this crazy book and read it yourself. ‘And that is that.’

With those neon bright colours, Matt Hunt makes the entire thing into a laugh out loud reading experience for beginning readers as well as for adults sharing the book with little ones.

Sunflower Sisters

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Sunflower Sisters
Monika Singh Gangotra and Michaela Dias-Hayes
Owlet Press

This is the first in the publisher’s new ‘own voice’ series of picture books. The story focuses on Amrita and her best friend Kiki, both of whose families have weddings to celebrate.

It’s when a taxi arrives carrying Amrita’s Aunty that things start getting a little difficult. Aunty has outdated views and her negative comments about skin colour do not go down well with the rest of Amrita’s South Asian family, not with the bride and especially Mum and Dad. “We need to teach (people) that the skin we are in is EXACTLY as it is meant to be.” Mum tells Amrita and on the wedding day itself she continues to support and empower the girl

who looks amazing in her gorgeous yellow lehenga.

As bride Jas and the groom are bidding farewell to the family,

Amrita hears music coming from over the road where Kiki and her Nigerian family are having a wonderful time celebrating too and Amrita is allowed to peep in at the dancing.

Kiki and Amrita then make each other a promise: henceforward they’ll both ensure that every day they feel like sunflowers … and so they did …

It’s sad that familial colourism, indeed colourism of any form, still continues to wield its influence and this beautiful book will, one truly hopes go some way towards changing people’s minds as well as empowering young women to feel positive about themselves, no matter what colour their skin is.

I recall some years back when visiting Ranakpur temple in Rajasthan being approached by two beautiful young Indian women. One of them put her arm next to mine and said, “Your fair skin is beautiful, my brown skin is too dark.” I felt hugely saddened by her comment and assured her that she was beautiful. We sat and talked for a while, she told me she was getting married soon and even invited me to her wedding. If only I’d had this book back then to give her.

Debut children’s book illustrator, Michaela Dias-Hayes’ vibrant scenes with the gorgeously patterned clothing of many of the characters, as well as those golden sunflowers, make every spread a delight in this much needed book.

Blow, Wind, Blow!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Blow, Wind, Blow!
Dom Conlon and Anastasia Izlesou
Graffeg

This is a new addition to The Wild Wanderers series.

Who wouldn’t want to be swept up in the breeze and follow Wind on a lyrical journey as it gains heat and strength from Earth and then continues on its way scattering ‘leaves like a sneeze’, moving on to turn Dutch windmills,

lifting up a balloon in Paris, travelling on across the still, quiet Pacific towards the deserts of Africa creating sandstorms in its wake as it goes on across the Atlantic, cyclonic now

wreaking havoc in Florida until, cooled by a cold blast from the Andes, Wind gradually calms, gently dispersing seeds

till finally it’s all blown out and ready to find a place to rest …

With its repeat refrain, ‘Go further, go farther / grow big and grow strong and / Blow, Wind, Blow!’ readers and listeners are treated to an exhilarating worldwide adventure related through Dom Conlon’s poem that in combination with Anastasia Izlesou’s powerful images of the elemental force and the consequences of its movements, create a mesmerising fusion of art and science.

Youngsters will love joining in the words that urge Wind to go, blow or slow in this book that has great classroom potential, but first and foremost share it for its own sake.

The Book that Did Not Want to be Read

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Book that Did Not Want to be Read
David Sundin (translated by B.J. Woodstein, graphic design Alexis Holmqvist
Puffin Books

What do you do about a book that says on the cover ‘Put it down. Do not open’? Maybe toss it aside to the rejects pile and not bother writing a review or defy those six words, plunge in and face the outcome.

David Sundin is a Swedish comedian, screenwriter, actor and television show host and this somewhat bizarre book is his story for a child unable to fall asleep who requests an adult read a story – this one.

By the second spread though, the book has turned into a steering wheel (centrally placed by Holmqvist) and we’re careering right and left, sounding the horn loudly before reaching a destination.

But then in order to put off the adult attempting to read it, lots of new words suddenly start appearing, not normal words but gibberish. If the reader survives and thinks it’ll be plain sailing thereafter, they’re wrong.

Many more challenges follow – wings appear, the text keeps changing size, the sound of music means a song must be sung, fire breaks out, letters become other letters …

and more. Lovely ending though. But PHEW! I’m exhausted after attempting to read it.

Adult readers aloud who enjoy giving a theatrical performance when sharing a book can have terrific fun with this, so too of course will young audiences.

I Don’t Want to go to School / Big

jillrbennett Leave a comment

I Don’t Want to go to School
Lula Bell and Brian Fitzgerald
Little Tiger

Both Mouse (teacher) and Dinosaur are suffering from first day nerves as they reluctantly get up, dress and are unable to face their respective breakfasts.

Concerns about being liked are voiced and both characters are feeling decidedly wibbly-wobbly.

School looks such a scary place full of seemingly intimidating children – until they encounter one another. Then it becomes a case of being brave together … and going on to have an absolutely terrific time. Yipee! school’s great

and tomorrow’s another day …

With a simple text that gets to the heart of those starting school wobbles and Brian Fitzgerald’s bright, humorous illustrations that capture so well the feelings of Mouse and Dinosaur, this is a definite winner and just right for youngsters starting school next term who will be amused to see that sometimes teachers have those apprehensive feelings too.

Big
Sav Akyüz
Oxford Children’s Books

Watching his big brother having the kind of fun that older brothers enjoy makes the small boy protagonist wish that he too could be big.

All of a sudden his wish is granted and off he goes on an awesome romp with the city as his adventure playground.

The trouble is he just keeps on increasing in size until he declares “Oh … no … I’m TOO big!’
Perhaps after all it’s better to be content with what you are and to use your imagination and say ‘what if …’.

With minimal words and arresting illustrations, debuting as author-illustrator Sav Akyüz has created a fun story that will resonate with lots of small brothers and sisters who watch their older siblings doing exciting things and think, ‘I wish … ‘

How to Grow a Unicorn

jillrbennett Leave a comment

How to Grow a Unicorn
Rachel Morrisroe and Steven Lenton
Puffin Books

Unicorn mania continues to grow apace and this book is especially magical, not in the usual way though, but actually in lots of ways.

It all begins when Sarah pays a visit to Mr Pottifer’s Parlour of Plants in search of an extra special present for her gran’s 88th birthday. She surely gets the surprise of her life when she steps inside to be greeted by…

The shop is full of botanical specimens doing very unplantlike things: there were runner beans racing in a hailstorm, foxgloves boxing,

a cowslip squirting milk to name just a few. But then a packet of seeds catches Sarah’s eye and she knows this is just the thing for Gran.

Back home, she follows the planting instructions on the packet – well only some of them – for instead of planting a single seed as recommended, she uses the entire twenty-four. During the night vines start creeping and come morning Gran’s house is engulfed.

Suddenly …

Before long the creatures are causing utter chaos,(Steve clearly had huge fun creating the relevant scenes) trashing all the party paraphernalia; but is Gran upset? No she isn’t. Instead she leads a procession of gallivanting unicorns and a worried Sarah back to Mr Pottifer’s shop.

Rather than be a party pooper, I’ll leave them there with the girl explaining her plight to Mr P. But you can rest assured that the end of Rachel’s rhyming story will utterly delight not only Gran, but young audiences and adult sharers too. (I love Sarah’s letter on the inside back cover too.)

Steve Lenton’s richly patterned illustrations are both full of humour and feeling; and his rainbow hued colour palette make his scenes all the more alluring.

For Your Toddler Bookshelf

jillrbennett Leave a comment

I’m thinking of a Jungle Animal
Adam & Charlotte Guillain and Lucia Gaggiotti
Nosy Crow

Each of the the four wide-eyed child participants in the ‘I’m thinking of …’ game has a different jungle animal in mind. What do these creatures look like? What do they eat? What sound do they make? Little humans are invited to think about the simple clues, have a guess based on the information provided, search for the animal hiding in Lucia Gaggiotti’s colourful jungle scene and finally, pull the slider to discover the answer to the rhyming clues. Fun learning for the very young.

100 First Words: City
illustrated by Edward Underwood
Nosy Crow

Edward Underwood features city life in this second large format, super-stylish board book, devoting a double spread to in turn, the street, a railway station, the zoo, a supermarket. a museum, a (swimming) pool and a restaurant. Using a grid format and bright, colourful illustrations like the previous book, Underwood introduces a variety of nouns: for instance in the supermarket toddlers will see such items as tomato, trolley, toilet paper, broccoli, cashier, till, boxes and there are two sturdy, shaped flaps to look under. On this spread there’s a tin inside which are fish, and boxes that reveal an assistant.

This book is likely to prove invaluable in helping to build vocabulary at that vital stage when toddlers are learning to talk. One hopes adults will use this as stimulus for speech by asking questions like ‘what shall we put in the trolley?’ as they share the book with a little one.

Home Is Where the Heart Is
Emma Dodd
Templar Books

We all have things that make our particular home feel special and so it is with Emma Dodd’s thoughtful big cat and a playful little kitten. For the feline twosome, home’s a place to spend time playing and resting; a warm safe haven from stormy weather, as well as somewhere special no matter if its residents are there together or for some reason, apart.

Emma’s distinctive golden touches embellish her adorable feline illustrations on alternate spreads and her rhyming narrative told from the adult cat’s viewpoint.

Pablo

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Pablo
Rascal (translated by Antony Shugaar)
Gecko Press

This story of the hatching of chick, Pablo is sheer delight. It begins with Pablo fast asleep spending his last night encased in his shell.

Come morning, he needs to gather his strength for the job of breaking free from the confines of his shell and how better than with some delicious breakfast of hot chocolate and a croissant?

That done, the creature within is justifiably feeling a tad apprehensive, though he’s eager to see what the world around has to offer. Best to start small he decides, making a tiny hole through which to peep. This is followed, after a glance all around, by a second hole. 

He continues his task making a hole for each ear, one for his beak so he can hear the wind and smell the perfume of flowers, a sixth and seventh for his legs. Now Pablo has all his senses and is able to hop. Then with holes eight and nine duly made, his wings are freed and whey-hey, he takes to the air – ‘not scared now!’

All that’s left to do is to get rid of that shell but you never know when you might need to take cover and so, Pablo saves a small piece …

I absolutely love this little character and the way the artist gradually reveals through stylised images, his anything but simple personality: Pablo stands out stark against the white background and it’s not until the final spread that we’re shown his yellow fluffiness. 

Visually arresting yes, but the text is cleverly constructed too: little humans will love joining Pablo in hearing the buzzing fly, caaawww of the crows and the whoooo of the wind, as well as flapping their wings along with the hatchling at the appropriate point in the story.

My Day with the Panye

jillrbennett Leave a comment

My Day with the Panye
Tami Charles and Sara Palacios
Walker Books

Fallon lives with her family in the hills of Port-au-Prince where we meet them on a market day when her Manman has invited her elder daughter to accompany her to the market. The girl narrates what happens, talking especially about her desire to be able to carry the panye on her head (a kind of rite of passage) as her Manman does.

Her first attempt is a failure but Manman quotes her own manman,: ” ‘Pitit, pitit, zwazo fe nich li’ Little by little the bird builds its nest. Not everything is learned fast. “

Desperate to learn the skill, Fallon envies Manman’s grace as she moves with a sway of her hips, panye perfectly balanced, through Sara Palacios’ busy, richly coloured Haitian landscape

and into the bustling market also awash with its vibrant colours and patterns

including those of mothers and daughters ‘Their feet are graceful. Their panyes are still, even as the wind swirls through the city.’ (I love the author’s lyrical language)

After the purchases are complete and the two are ready to begin their journey home, Fallon begs to be allowed to carry the panye. Finally her mother agrees, assisting with the balancing; but the full basket is very heavy and down it crashes sending vegetables flying all around.
Now it’s Manman’s turn to do the urging when Fallon wants to give up, and with the reloaded panye, slowly, slowly … success! Feeling like a queen she makes her way back home. “The panye means we are graceful when the load is heavy. We are strong, even when the earth is not. We are family, fed from love.”

There is so much to enjoy about this book in both words and pictures (look out for the antics of the dog): the warmth of the mother/daughter relationship especially the encouraging of perseverance when learning something new.

The author ends with a note explaining the tradition of panye carrying and telling us that Haiti is her husband’s homeland and why she wrote the story.

Splash

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Splash
Claire Cashmore and Sharon Davey
Farshore

Written by awesome Paralympic gold medallist Claire Cashmore, this, her debut book is a celebration of overcoming your fears and following your dream. The story is based on Claire’s own experience of having a can do attitude with almost everything, although being scared of the water keeps her out of the swimming pool.

That changes however one very hot day when the young girl Claire aka Bear decides to try just dipping a toe into the water. Then, because it feels so inviting those frissons of fear dissipate until … SPLASH! She’s loving how she feels and her siblings are almost as thrilled as Bear is.

Now in the water Bear is literally in her element and she has a new dream. It’s going to take a lot of hard work and determination but she never gives up and finally after her mammoth efforts Bear is ready to enter her very first swimming race …

As she ploughs through the water, Bear isn’t the only one wondering, Will today be the day? And …

Then up on the podium with her first ever gold medal around her neck, Claire dreams of the next time … and the next and … safe in the knowledge that ‘whatever she can’t do today … she knows she will conquer tomorrow!’
And what an inspiration is young Bear to us all. She had the courage to step right out of her comfort zone and then to prove to herself and everybody else that by holding fast to her dreams, being differently abled is just a part of who she is and that is INCREDIBLE.

Sharon Davey’s illustrations beautifully capture Bear’s emotional journey as, supported by her siblings, she moves from fearful to fearless.

Baby’s First Train Robbery

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Baby’s First Train Robbery
Jim Whalley and Stephen Collins
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

It seems there’s no stopping Baby Frank who’s back for a third, let’s say reckless escapade.

With the family home now a zoo, life is pretty exhausting for Frank and his parents, so much so that Mum and Dad decide a holiday away is needed. Frank is less than enthusiastic to leave the zoo in Grandma’s care:; can she cope with tiger-sitting for instance? Nevertheless off they drive to the seaside, parents and infant.

Once on the beach with Mum busy building sandcastles and Dad snoozing in the sun, Frank makes a break for it having first left them a note. At the station stands a train and the babe is soon aboard, all alone. Nothing happens so Frank decides to investigate by crawling into the driver’s cab but he accidentally bumps his bum against a lever setting the train in motion.

Back on the beach meanwhile his parents make a discovery but by then there’s nothing they can do to halt the train as it puffs merrily along towards a very steep drop. Due to his lack of stature, there’s nothing Frank can do either; but what about Grandma?

Back at the zoo, she’s having a terrific time until she she turns on the TV, hears the news and sees where Frank and the train are heading …

Will young Frank ever see his precious animals again?

Told through Jim Whalley’s faultless rhyming text and Stephen Collins’ retro style illustrations that fuel the wonderful daftness of the story, this is once again a hilarious read aloud from team Whalley and Collins.

See What I Can Do!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

See What I Can Do!
Jon Roberts and Hannah Rounding
Graffeg

Everybody is different: we all have our individual strengths and weaknesses and that’s part of what makes our world such an exciting place.

Here’s a picture book that embraces difference in an entirely positive way showing how, as one of the characters, Molly, says on the first spread, ”being different doesn’t mean you can’t do anything you want!”

The author goes on to introduce three children with autism who communicate in a variety of ways including in one case, by using Makaton; and then two boys who have dyslexia who explain how this affects them.

I loved what Caitlin and Anna’s friend says in response to the two girls telling her they have dyspraxia and what this means to each one them: “ Well if you ask me, it’s not weird. It means you have your own style. And that’s cool!”

We also hear accounts from children with dyscalculia, ADHD, Down’s syndrome,

Cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy; others have hearing loss, low vision, spina bifida, epilepsy, brittle bone disease or asthma.

One thing they all have in common is a ‘can do’ approach to life that while acknowledging they face some challenges, emphasises what they have achieved and hope to do in the future.

Inclusive and inspiring, this beautifully illustrated picture book ought to be in every primary classroom and on family bookshelves.

Margaret’s Unicorn

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Margaret’s Unicorn
Briony May Smith
Walker Books

Children seem to love unicorns and stories about these mythical creatures. I have no doubt they will love this gentle one of Briony’s with its atmospheric setting; it definitely stands out from the crowd.

Margaret and her parents have moved to a distant cottage in the mountains to be near Grandma. To the child, this house feels strange and unfriendly so her parents send her out to explore while they organise things inside. Don’t go beyond the big stone, they warn.

As Margaret walks she suddenly notices what at first glance seems like mist over the sea but then she realises it’s unicorns leaping across the skyline, only to vanish almost immediately. 

On her way back she comes upon a baby unicorn tangled in the weeds presumably left behind by the others. Having freed the little creature, she carries it back home.

With her grandma’s help, the girl tends the little unicorn, buying it flowers to eat and making a nest in Margaret’s new room. That night she and her father don wellies and go to collect some of the “water touched by moonlight” her gran had said it would drink. And so it does, making its horn glow with magic in the dark.

Over the changing seasons Margaret nurtures her little unicorn while at the same time gradually thinking less about her old home. ‘When a unicorn is your friend, you wish spring would stay far away.’ she tells readers but inevitably come it does and with it the other unicorns, among which is her unicorn’s mother. It’s time to bid a sad farewell to her friend 

and then the unicorns depart.

By the following spring Margaret has made some new friends and feels settled in this beautiful environment; but will she ever see her unicorn friend again?

Yes there’s magic in this lyrical tale but never of the sparkly sort; rather it has an earthiness fed by the landscapes and the seasonal changes all around, so beautifully captured in the illustrations, that and the love.

Ceri & Deri: Pudding for Desert / A Little Bit of Courage

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Ceri & Deri: Pudding for Desert
Max Low
Graffeg

Best friends Ceri and Deri have a particular penchant for all things sweet. Their favourite shopping places to visit in town are Delwen’s Domain of Desserts and Peredur’s Pudding Parlour, each of which offers delicacies they can’t resist.

Strangely though the shops are next to each other and thus far, relations between the two vendors has been amicable. Not so today though: as Ceri and Deri approach they hear an argument in full flow.

At first it’s only insults that fly back and forth as the friends attempt to get served; but pretty soon it’s a case of flying puds and hurtling desserts. Moreover, the situation is exacerbated by various other individuals who show up – D.I Nigel, followed by the mayor

and several others each of whom takes a side in the escalating drama.

Horrified at the waste of good food, Ceri and Deri leap skywards to catch some treats to pop in their mouths.

Can there possibly be a truce between the two sides before both establishments completely run out of goodies? Perhaps, if somebody (or somebodies) can think of a compromise …

As always the cat and dog duo offer some gentle (or in this case somewhat less gentle) learning concerning different ways of seeing along the way, but it never gets in the way of the fun story, illustrated in Max Low’s characteristic expressive, gently humorous colourful small town scenes.

A Little Bit of Courage
Claire Alexander
Happy Yak

This is my first encounter with the Ploofers though it’s their second story, and they’re learning to fly.

There’s one of their number though, a little one, that is feeling fearful and too scared to become part of this exciting new adventure. So will the others leave Little One behind on the ground? Of course not; that isn’t what friends do.

Back comes Toasty to have a chat and offer some words of encouragement to help Little One lose those jelly wobbles. With Toasty’s support, can Little summon up sufficient courage to take that vital leap?

A gentle look at fear, finding the courage to step out of your comfort zone, the importance of teamwork, as well as a celebration of difference Ploofer style.

Simply illustrated and told in a suitably conversational voice, Claire Alexander provides an empowering message for little ones and adults too.

Mister Boo!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Mister Boo!
Joyce Dunbar and Petr Horáček
Walker Books

Meet Mister Boo, a mischievous moggy that loves to tease, not least Rosie when he pops his head out from the box on arrival at her home.

Surprises are his special thing: he alarms the mice, flips the goldfish from their bowl,

and come spring there’s no stopping him. He frightens the baby birds as they learn to fly,

terrifies the baby rabbits and the owl fledglings with his springtime joie de vivre.

Time passes and one morning awoken late by birdsong, Mister Boo finds that despite it being spring, he no longer feels that spring in himself. Equally upsetting is the fact that the other animals either ignore him or show him little interest other than the mother owl that lets him know what she thinks.

Feeling decidedly downhearted Mister Boo creeps back home where he’s greeted by a joyful Rosie who has a surprise in store.

Can this restore his spirits? He’ll assuredly need to accept some changes in the home …

Told through Joyce’s chatty text with its lively, playful language and Petr’s distinctive, brilliantly expressive scenes of the ups and downs of the titular character this will delight young listeners and adult sharers alike, especially those with a particular penchant for prankish cats.

I Love my Bike

jillrbennett Leave a comment

I Love my Bike
Simon Mole and Sam Usher
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

The little girl narrator of this story is the proud owner of a new red bike and with the help of her dad, she’s learning to ride it.

His encouragement enables her to get going and with confidence growing, ‘a tingle in her tummy’ and a ‘flame on the frame’ she soon loves the experience, even starting to take some risks as she rides.

Hills are a struggle (my bike gets lazy) but the walk up is well worth it as the view from the top is incredible.

Now for the downhill run, that’s sure to be fun, or is it?

Before long, exhilaration gives way to exasperation, the tingle in her tum turns to a tangle and …

Her response reminds me a a young relation who having taken her first tumble said, “Nincompoop bike”, threw hers down and walked away. Inevitably such falls hurt, probably both pride and limbs, but thanks to an understanding Dad and some beautiful natural surroundings to rest in, it isn’t too long before our novice cyclist is back on the saddle and feeling positive once more, off she goes again …

Both poet Simon Mole’s words and Sam Usher’s illustrations capture so well the lows and highs of learning to ride a bike as well as celebrating both a warm father/child relationship, and the sheer joy of being outdoors, especially in a green place.

The Lion on the Bus / All Aboard the Words Train & All Aboard the Sounds Train

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Lion on the Bus
Gareth P. Jones and Jeff Harter
Farshore

This is a really rumbustious version of the children’s nursery favourite The Wheels on the Bus. It starts with the usual verse but already there’s an anticipation of what’s to come in Jeff Harter’s opening illustration as a maned passenger carrying a bag crosses to get on board the vehicle heading for the park.

Almost instantly the driver is looking alarmed at the RAR-RAR-RAR!” that issues forth and the baby on the bus certainly isn’t happy …

On gets a panther at the next stop, a panther that insists on prowling, ‘PROWL–PROWL-PROWL, …’

By the time a SNAP-SNAP-SNAP-ing crocodile and a trio of H-O-W-O-O-O-O-L-ing wolves have also boarded and are adding to the din, the driver decides he’s had enough and makes a hasty exit,

leaving the passengers – humans (screaming) and animals (jaws gaping wide) to face each other out.

And that’s where we’ll leave them at the ready, perhaps to exit,

with readers and listeners eagerly anticipating a rousing finale …

Assuredly, with Jeff Harter’s hilarious illustrations, Gareth’s is a version to add to early years collections; it’s one that would be enormous fun to act out in a foundation stage setting.

All Aboard the Words Train
All Aboard the Sounds Train
illustrated by Sean Sims
Oxford Children’s Books

No ticket necessary to climb aboard the latest excursions into Oxford Children’s fun World of Learning.
Whichever train you decide to board, you’re sure to enjoy the ride and the destination.

With six lively children plus playful dog, the Words Train is heading for the seaside. Once there, appropriately hatted and sun creamed, the gang will start exploring. First behind rocks and in the cave, after which they’ll pause for play and ice-creams, followed by a swim in the chilly water, a spot of sailing on the sea, a dive under the water, perhaps even visiting a wrecked pirate ship. All this and more before night falls and it’s time to go home.

While most spreads focus on nouns, the focus of others is either verbs or adjectives: Sean Sims’ vibrant illustrations provide just the right amount of details in each one.

The Sounds Train journeys through the seasons and concentrates on environmental sounds be they created by animals, the elements, the children or the occasional machine.

Great for introducing or reinforcing sound/symbol associations.

Mr Tiger

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Mr Tiger
Davide Cali and Miguel Tanco
Tate Publishing

With his world-famous moves – the head smash, the pain-in-the-neck clutch, fatal hug and his trademark Leap of the Tiger – wrestler, Mr Tiger is the strongest in the world.
He’s defeated Blackclaw (his greatest rival), Boogeyman, Constrictor and Blob, all formidable opponents in the ring.

Out of the ring however, it’s an entirely different matter. Mr T. is enormously shy and entirely lacking in friends other than his canine pal, Fifi.

Of late though, Mr Tiger has become enamoured with Lily but on account of his extreme reserve, he just can’t summon the courage to speak to her; even his rivals have noticed he seems a tad less fearsome than usual.

As he sits pondering his plight and considering how he might make some sort of approach, a certain fluffy friend makes a move. 

Could that lead to our masked wrestler making the most gigantic leap of his entire life …

Inspired by the Mexican sport/art form lucha libre, this entertaining book with Miguel Tanco’s quirky illustrations and Davide Cali’s reporter style text will go down especially well with those who like something out of the ordinary when it comes to picture books.

Oscar’s Tower of Flowers

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Oscar’s Tower of Flowers
Lauren Tobia
Walker Books

Oscar’s mum takes him to stay with his grandmother for a while in this wordless, wonderfully warm story. He bids a sad farewell to his mum and then despite reassuring hugs from his nan, the boy spends a very difficult first night away from home.

Next morning though his nan observes Oscar’s interest – a picture he draws, and his careful watering of a seedling.

She takes him to a very special shop where they buy all kinds of gardening things including seeds.

Back in nan’s apartment, Oscar plants and tends the seeds

until her entire residence, both inside and out, is alive with flowers, greenery, even vines. There are certainly sufficient plants to make gifts to the other residents of the block, especially a little girl who soon becomes his friend.

No words are needed here: Lauren Tobia’s gorgeous vignettes and full page scenes say it all. The emotions of the characters are made palpable both through their faces and their body language all the way through to the happy reunion of mother and child.

Perfectly paced, this is a super book to share nestled up with one child or a few, taking time to focus on and relish all the wonderful detail in every spread and both endpapers.

Let’s Go For a Walk / Look What I Found at the Seaside

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Let’s Go For a Walk
Ranger Hamza and Kate Kronreif
Ivy Kids

In the company of Ranger Hamza, any walk will be an experience that engages all the senses. No matter where or when you go there’s sure to be a wealth of interesting sights, sounds, smells and exciting tactile things to feel with our hands. Best to do as Ranger Hamza advises though and take a copy of this book along, then suitably attired and with eyes and ears open, everyone is ready to sally forth.

The first focus is colour and youngsters are encouraged to spot red things and of course, what is found will depend on the season and to some extent the surroundings.
Then what about trying to spy things tall, wide or small; or feeling various things like these walkers are doing on the sea shore.

Not all smells are to be savoured; we all enjoy different ones. I for instance would not want to be in close proximity of fresh fish or chimney smoke but would love to inhale the aroma of lavender or baking bread. The important thing is to do as the ranger suggests and ‘use our noses’.

Each double spread has a new focus: there are shapes, minibeasts, sounds,

letters and numbers, pairs of objects, different materials that things are made of. The dark makes everything look different, shadowy perhaps, or you might spot some nocturnal creatures or star patterns if you walk at night.
To see other things up high though, it’s better to walk in the daytime when the clouds sometimes look amazing; while focussing on the ground can be equally rewarding with plants popping up in unexpected places and all kinds of patterns created either by humans or by nature.

With wildlife photographer and CBeebies Ranger Manza as guide and Kate Kronreif as illustrator, this guided book walk is sure to make youngsters want to undertake the real thing. Nature and being able to get outdoors are what have kept so many of us – young and not so young – sane over the past year and now I’m pretty sure that henceforward, none of us will take these things for granted. Are you ready, ‘Let’s Go For a Walk’ …

Look What I Found at the Seaside
Moira Butterfield and Jesús Verona
Nosy Crow

There are wonders aplenty waiting to be found if you take a stroll on the seashore with the characters in this smashing book (a companion to Look What I Found in the Woods), also published in collaboration with the National Trust).

Every spread is packed with exciting things to discover, the first being the wealth of different shaped seashells, be they curly and shining bright ‘like a pearl’,

long and curly, opening like a pair of wings or perhaps a purse.

The rock pools too are full of exciting patterned pebbles, fish and other small sea creatures; among the seaweed too are more treasures and sometimes foraging seagulls. Watch out for crabs scuttling among the fronds or peeping out of shells.

It’s interesting to imagine what a mermaid might keep in one of those mermaid’s purses close to the cave mouth …

There’s much more too if you follow the cliff path; maybe some fossils, butterflies, bees and seaside flowers; and if you are quiet you just might come upon some wonderful sea birds tucked away among the rocks.

Yes, the seaside is a veritable treasure trove but it’s important to collect thoughtfully, doing no harm and leaving nothing but your footprints behind.

Told through a gentle rhyming narrative and also bursting with fascinating facts, and illustrated with alluring scenes of the children investigating the natural world, this will surely get youngsters enthused to get out and explore nature.

The Pirate Mums

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Pirate Mums
Jodie Lancet-Grant and Lydia Corry
Oxford Children’s Books

Arrr! me’arties, here’s a rousing tale of derring do that takes place on a school trip with a difference.

Billy isn’t overly keen when he learns that his mums have volunteered to join Mr Smart’s class on their seaside trip. His mums however can’t wait and despite their son’s best efforts to put them off, come the morning of the outing, they’re up with the lark (rather the parrot), raring to go and there’s no stopping them.

At the coast, Billy leaves them and joins his pals right away and then it’s ‘anchors away’ and off they sail.

All of a sudden Mama is alert to the black clouds the boat is heading straight towards but her attempts to inform Mr Smart come to nothing: he’s too busy throwing up. As the storm worsens a bolt of lightning does for the main mast and panic ensues among the children.

With Captain Fishface stuck in the loo …

it’s time for Billy’s mums to take charge and pretty soon with some sacrifices of the children’s clothing, expert knotting from the pirate mums and a few deft moves from Birdbrain, there’s a new sail ready to catch the wind. But still the boat remains stuck.

Never fear, the pirate mums are here and along with plenty of willing assistants they soon have the craft heading for harbour.

Could it be time for Billy to have a change of heart about wanting to be part of an ‘ordinary’ family?

What a smashing read aloud: told with a spirited text from debut picture book author Jodie Lancet-Grant and suitably dramatic illustrations by Lydia Corry, this is a splendid, open-hearted celebration of difference and families with same sex parents.

A Celebration of Dads

jillrbennett Leave a comment

My Dad
Susan Quinn and Marina Ruiz
Words & Pictures

A small child celebrates their dad, and the everyday activities – real and imaginary – that make him and the days they share together so special.

In Susan Quinn’s first person rhyming narrative the child presents such things as baking, growing vegetables, grocery shopping, going for picnics and bathing, moving through the different seasons and kinds of weather: ‘If it rains, we splash through puddles, / stomp through leaves of gold and red. / And gaze at a colourful rainbow, / big above my head.’

Marina Ruiz’s illustrations are suffused with the love shared between Dad and child, while her colour palette alters to reflect the changing seasons.

No matter the particular home situation of the young reader/listener and Dad this sensitively written book is one to enjoy together.

What is Daddy Going To Do?
Carly Madden and Juliana Perdomo
Words & Pictures

This is a fun lift the flap book for toddlers to enjoy, especially with a dad. It features diverse dads, one portrayed holding or wearing an item on the flap of each recto, while opposite the text says for instance, ‘Daddy has a stopwatch. / What is Daddy going to do?’ Having had a guess, little ones lift the large, sturdy flap to reveal the answer. (‘Start the family sports day!’)

In all there are six fun activities that Daddy does with his child or children – Fly to the moon, play in the forest, build a pirate ship, play in a band and make some noise, and read a bedtime story.


Little ones will want to join in with the repeat question and the (hidden) sounds, as well as lifting the flap (great for developing fine motor skills) and they’ll certainly enjoy exploring Juliana Perdomo’s bright, gently humorous illustrations and making predictions about the hidden activities.

Daddy
Leslie Patricelli
Walker Books

The adorable one-haired baby is back to introduce Daddy. Said male parent is ‘so big and strong’, his ‘legs are so, so long.’ The infant then enjoys a playful time with Daddy – riding piggyback, trying to touch the sky, feeling his unshaven scratchy face, fleeing from a pretend monster, singing, wrestling till they need a rest.
At other times Dad is busy so baby helps him cook and clean and much more.

Our baby narrator also introduces several other dads pointing out that each one is different be that ‘Dressy … Messy … Bald … Hairy … Tall or Short’ before pointing out the ideal nature of ‘My Daddy’.

With its rhyming text and warm, lively scenes of baby and Daddy, this is a delight for the very youngest.

How to Mend a Friend

jillrbennett Leave a comment

How to Mend a Friend
Karl Newson and Clara Anganuzzi
Studio Press

As he tells us at the end of the book, Karl’s story was written while he was undergoing treatment for cancer when inevitably things felt pretty uncertain. Nonetheless with the love and support of relations and friends, and of course the fantastic NHS staff who treated him, he found a way through and hopes that this heartfelt tale might help others.

No matter what, it’s a lovely hug of a picture book showing the importance of friendship and of people’s empathetic understanding.

Through Karl’s rhyming text, and Clara Anganuzzi’s beautiful, detailed scenes that exude warmth and love, we follow a little girl, accompanied by her huge imaginary polar bear

and a host of other animals as she contemplates the kind of support that might be needed or offered in difficult times.

I love the various perspectives and variety of settings used in the portrayal of the protagonist’s friends

and how all the characters come together in the final scene with Karl’s crucial closing words, ‘You can be the greatest friend / just by being you.’

Positive, moving and uplifting. During the past year or so when the pandemic has overshadowed pretty much everything, we’ve all come to realise what is most significant in our lives; family, friends and community. As a result every one of us has discovered and are continuing, to learn, how better to care for the ones who, in their unique ways, are important to us.

Somewhere

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Somewhere
Jeanne Willis and Anastasia Suvorova
Nosy Crow

An enchanting story about a little boy and those endless annoying questions that adults ask seemingly ALL THE TIME.

Oscar feels besieged by such irritating interrogations and decides that the best way to avoid them is to take action. Off he goes out of the house, down the garden – just to the bottom – but then suddenly he’s in the middle of …

With not a soul in sight, he can wander where he pleases without such intrusions as “Do you need a wee, Oscar”; play whatever he feels like without any “What are you doing up there, Oscar?” and so he builds himself a camp.


But then as dusk falls, the boy starts missing that familiar “What about a story, Oscar?” and other such words of familiar comfort.

After some self questioning, he decides to head for home but each path he tries ends … Nowhere. And nobody answers his calls until out of the black there emerges a …

Seemingly this little moggy isn’t fond of questions either, so they sit in a companionable silence for a while before Oscar makes a request and the cat responds by leading him … somewhere. In fact a very special place where his homecoming is greeted by, yes more questions, and youngsters will likely guess how Oscar will respond …

The power of the imagination, finding magic in the everyday ordinary and the importance of home are at the heart of this book. Anastasia Suvorova’s chosen colour palette for her scenes of Nowhere and Somewhere are perfect for lending an otherworldly atmosphere to the former as well as creating a seamless continuity between fantasy and reality. Die-cuts on every spread serve to highlight the beautiful texturing of the scenes.
Ideal for family sharing, bedtimes and together times in foundation stage settings.

You Can’t take an Elephant on Holiday

jillrbennett Leave a comment

You Can’t Take an Elephant on Holiday
Patricia Cleveland-Peck and David Tazzyman
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

This is the fourth in the deliciously daft rhyming ‘You Can’t …an Elephant … ’ series and now the topic under consideration is the holiday-sabotaging potential of the titular pachyderm and a host of other unlikely animals.

Some of the other potentially disastrous combinations are a cheetah at the wheel of a camper van, meerkats doing a round of mini-golf, eating candy floss in the vicinity of a circling albatross, a bison on a pedalo

and venturing into a paddling pool with a lot of piraña fish swimming in wait.

David Tazzyman’s hilarious renditions of those silly scenarios and others of Patricia’s possibilities, along with an achievable crowd-pleasing finale, offer a timely vacation contemplation, virtual or actual, in these ‘green light’, or otherwise, times we’re faced with.

Youngsters will surely enjoy this book as much as the previous ones by this creative partnership and likely be inspired to think up some potentially hazardous situations of their own.

Here’s Elena who says ‘Don’t try a giraffe or a penguin – you won’t be able to pack them away and the security guard won’t let them stay.’

Leo chose the potential consequences of a crocodile as a holiday companion …

Samuel considered the possibility of both a lion and a monkey:

Emmanuelle is definitely against taking a pig: the outcome would likely be no luggage on arrival and then no water in the swimming pool …

I wonder what your listeners will come up with.

Stella and the Seagull

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Stella and the Seagull
Georgina Stevens and Izzy Burton
Oxford Children’s Books

Young Stella (5¾) lives with her Granny Maggie in a flat beside the sea where a little seagull visits them frequently, often bringing a small gift. Lately though, rather than such things as shells and pebbles all her gifts are plastic rubbish of one kind or another, including a wrapper from Stella’s favourite chocolate bar.

Then one day, the little seagull fails to visit and concerned about her absence, Stella and her Gran go down to the beach and look for her. What they see is troubling: the poor bird looks sick.

Off they go to the vets right away where the vet takes an x-ray of the seagull and tells Stella that the bird has consumed a lot of plastic and shows her the alarming picture.

Leaving the seagull in the care of the vet, Stella realises that the beach must be where the bird found the plastic and so she and her Granny start picking up the litter, soon admitting that there’s far too much for them alone to collect. Then a poster gives Stella a great idea – “a Beach Clean Party” and as soon as they get home they set to work poster making. Before long, notices about the beach clean are all over the town.

Back home Stella spots the address of the chocolate company on a wrapper and decides to write to them, mentioning what has happened to the seagull and inviting them to the beach clean up party.

When she and her Gran go to post the letter it’s evident that lots of other people are also concerned about the seagull and many of the shops have stopped selling plastic items. But will they join the beach clean up and what about the Delicious Chocolate Company?

Let’s just say that one small passionate girl has galvanised not only her community but a manufacturing company to take action and make a BIG difference.

Written by sustainability advisor and campaigner, Georgina Stevens and wonderfully illustrated by Izzy Burton whose use of vignettes, single, and double page spreads make readers feel fully immersed in the story, this is a lovely demonstration of community power in action that will surely inspire young listeners to get involved in making change happen, especially with regard to single use plastic.

Definitely one to add to family bookshelves and classroom collections.

Move, Mr Mountain!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Move, Mr Mountain!
Francesca Sanna
Templar Publishing

Mr Mountain has seen and heard much in his long lifetime and now feels that nothing can disturb him. But he’s reckoned without one very determined, angry-looking little girl Lily who stands before him shouting “Can you move, please?” at the top of her voice. She goes on to explain the reason for her rudely delivered request but the somewhat confused Mr Mountain responds by losing his long-held patience and causing a huge thundery rainstorm. This does little if nothing to dampen Lily’s determination to get the massive obstacle to shift its ground and she reissues her order albeit rather more politely.
With mounting temper, Mr Mountain sends forth an icy wind that serves only to add to the girl’s enjoyment of the changing elements, as does the ensuing snow storm.

Seeing that this young miss means business, the exhausted Mr Mountain decides that a different approach is needed. Scooping Lily up in his huge rocky hand, he places her atop his head. Suddenly she finds herself gazing at the most incredible view that’s beyond even her imagination.

Now instead of enmity, girl and mountain share many peaceful hours contemplating the distant sights and dreaming of visiting far away places.

The following day, aided by Mr Mountain, Lily starts learning how to climb, returning day after day to improve her skill until finally she no longer visits her friend.

Missing the girl, Mr Mountain becomes more and more sad, which is reflected in the weather, until many months later he hears a familiar voice calling to him one morning. Joy of joys, Lily has returned

and what wonderful stories and photos of her travels she has to share. Something she continues to do each time she returns from another journey, thus enabling Mr Mountain to see the rest of the world and what it has to offer.

Hugely uplifting (pardon the pun), this story of an unlikely friendship demonstrates the importance of showing consideration for others. Dramatically illustrated by the author, with every spread superbly composed (I absolutely love her gorgeous colour palette), this is another winning book from Francesca Sanna.

Aunt Amelia’s House / We Want Our Books

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Aunt Amelia’s House
Rebecca Cobb
Macmillan Children’s Books

When it comes to aunts, Aunt Amelia, is surely unique. Now the children are mega-excited as they’re off to stay at her house for the very first time.

Arriving with high expectations of lots of fun, they certainly aren’t expecting her to present them with a long list of jobs that need to be done.

However, whether it’s watering the plants, picking fruit and sharing it with the neighbours, feeding her pets, hanging out the washing, cleaning the windows,

or entertaining visitors, Aunt Amelia has her own highly unusual way of doing it. And the children need not have feared about chores being enjoyable: done Aunt Amelia style they are enormous fun, albeit pretty exhausting.

As always, Rebecca’s illustrations are full of fun, fascinating details making each spread one to linger over, while both words and pictures exude warmth and a gentle humour that celebrates the special relationship young children have with aunts (or other family members).

With its unexpected ending, this is a super story, to share at home or in the classroom, that will likely spark discussion of what is special about listeners’ own aunts or other relations.

We Want Our Books
Jake Alexander
Two Hoots

When Rosa visits her local library she discovers that it’s been closed. Horrified, she seeks advice from her elder sister who says that a protest is what’s needed. However their ‘SAVE OUR LIBRARY’ poster fails to impress and so the girls try to enlist help from other people in the town but they’re all too busy even to see them, or to hear their voices.

The girls aren’t giving up that easily though, so they up their game much to the disapproval of the developer.

Determined to thwart the planned closure, the family stands outside the library where they soon discover that they’re not the only ones who feel strongly about saving what is very much a vital part of their community.

Finally it’s a case of mission accomplished and rather than losing interest in using the facility, the community members make the library a thriving establishment; and it was all thanks to one little girl who reignited their enthusiasm.

Powerfully illustrated and simply told using Rosa as narrator, this story of determination and community beats the drum for local libraries, too many of which have already had their hours drastically cut or been forced to close altogether, and demonstrates the importance of protesting peacefully for what we believe in.

Sorry, Mrs Cake!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Sorry, Mrs Cake!
Kate Milner
Tiny Owl

It’s the day of the fair and Mrs Cake, a kindly woman, has assembled a delicious spread for all her friends. One little boy is hugely appreciative of what she’s done but everyone else is far too preoccupied to pay any attention to her efforts.

The boy and his cat accompany Mrs Cake around the venue site attempting to generate some interest in the yummy offerings laid out in the tent. They try in turn the dads, the mums, ‘the big kids’

and the grandparents, all to no avail: nobody has paid them any attention. The feast remains untouched.

As the little lad expresses disappointment in the fact that not a single person has listened, the cat has a brilliant idea and … Hurrah!

Finally with apologies proffered and thanks given to Mrs Cake, everybody partakes of the goodies she’s so painstakingly prepared.

With an unconventional witty style that mixes comic strip and full spread, highly detailed single illustrations, award-winning Kate Milner needs just a few words to convey her story showing how we need to listen to everyone, rather than only those who speak the loudest. (Apparently the stimulus for the book was the rowdy behaviour of politicians in the European parliament.)

Best shared one to one or in smallish groups to allow listeners to pore over the wealth of quirky, sometimes surreal, detail at almost every page turn.

The Screen Thief!

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Screen Thief!
Helen Docherty and Thomas Docherty
Alison Green Books

Watch out, watch out, a Snaffle’s about. Newly arrived in a city near you and on the lookout for some playmates, the creature is puzzled to see that everyone she sees is too busy staring at their screens. But what exactly is so special about these things, that nobody has time to notice a newcomer?

Puzzled, the Snaffle feels lonely but then she hears a beep! beep! coming from a phone on the ground so she does what all inquisitive creatures do, sniffs it and chews it and then gobbles the lot. Hmmm! Pretty tasty.

Off she goes in search of further screens to sink her teeth into, but the more she consumes, the hungrier she becomes. Before long the library has lost twenty computers and the TV shop almost sixty of its largest sets. But there’s worse to come as the hungry-for-more Snaffle makes her way through the city towards the park.
Therein are lots of very sad children eager to find the culprit and one child called Max: Max is forgiving and happy to contemplate life sans screens. Meanwhile the Snaffle is now suffering from an attack of ‘scrindigestion’ and a kind of empty inside feeling. But then she looks up and sees a happy-looking screenless child playing just inside the park and in a flash …

Suddenly the two become aware of the large angry crowd that has gathered ready to give chase. Will they listen to what Max has to say? And if so, might his words precipitate a degree of change …

Assuredly, it’s a case of put your screens away, take a rest from your play; come sit and listen to this fun, timely treat of a tale told in Helen’s faultless rhyme and Thomas’ wonderfully detailed scenes of screen obsessives who learn a very important lesson, thanks to a visit from the friend-seeking Snaffle..

Fabulous Frankie

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Fabulous Frankie
Simon James Green and Garry Parsons
Scholastic

What does it take to be deemed fabulous? That issue lies at the heart of this tale of flamingo Frankie who more than anything else longs to stand out from his equally fabulous, fellow flamingos. A plan is what’s needed so Frankie gets creative fashioning a new super sparkly, shimmery designer stole. But when he gets to the lagoon what does he see but …

However, a magazine ad. beside the water gives him another idea, but it seems he’s not alone in fashionista fan waving or indeed glitter cannoning.
In the throes of a massive tantrum Frankie finds himself at the feet of his friend Pinkie to whom he cannot help but pay a compliment before flouncing off.

Frankie trudges on his way but having stopped to offer help to Flo (inadvertently upsetting a mule with his comment in so doing)

he hears his friends whispering about him. Has he finally found the key to being fabulous? And if so, what is it?

This ultimately uplifting tale of the importance of being yourself demonstrates how each and every one of us is unique: self-esteem is not reliant on appearances alone – there’s SO much more to being fabulous than that.
Garry Parsons’ fantastically funky illustrations are full of fun and feeling be that upbeat or down.

Gloria’s Porridge

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Gloria’s Porridge
Elizabeth Laird and Toby Newsome
Tiny Owl

Elizabeth Laird’s story is a reimagining of an Ethiopian folk tale that begins with the making of some porridge. Gloria tells her cat she’s so hungry that rather than sharing with him as requested, she intends gobbling the whole lot herself. First though she needs to fetch some water to make it less gloopy so off she goes bucket in hand to the stream.

As you might expect the cat can’t resist sampling what appears to be delicious porridge – just a lick from the spoon, he thinks. But in no time the pot is empty. Back comes Gloria with the water and rather than listen to the cat’s explanation,

she grabs the spoon and shakes it at the creature scaring it, whiskers awry out of the house. 

This action sets in motion a chaotic concatenation of events comprising shaking trees, angry bees, a frightened hen, scattered corn and a shouting, meowing, braying, buzzing, clucking, ear-splitting din.

A passing fox pauses to ask what on earth is happening and a protracted explanation ensues to which all involved add their bit. Having listened, the fox then asks a further question. 

The end result is peace and harmony are restored, and apologies are offered and accepted; after which comes the sharing of a new pot of porridge …

Accompanying Elizabeth’s spirited telling, Toby Newsome’s illustrations, inspired by his South African home environment are full of fun and animation. Together, the result is a highly entertaining and enjoyable read aloud story.

Noah’s Seal / Captain Toby

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Noah’s Seal
Layn Marlow
Oxford Children’s Books

In one way or another, the natural world offers inspiration to so many of us, and so it is with Noah, the young child protagonist in this book. As the story opens he sits on the shore looking out to sea in the hope of seeing a seal, as he has done for several days already, while his Nana talks of still needing to make the boat seaworthy before they can set sail.

Taking up her suggestion to play while he waits, Noah starts digging and soon realises that the mound he’s made is shaped very like a seal. To the boy it seems it’s ‘Just waiting to be my friend.’ He continues sculpting the creature adding natural features and then lies down beside it to dream of the ‘wild wide sea’.

Suddenly Nana’s shout, warning of an approaching storm rouses the dreamer and Noah makes a dash for cover to wait for the storm to abate.

Once it has though, the boy’s seal is no longer there.

Nana promises a sea trip the following day and starts heading home leaving Noah standing looking at the water. All of a sudden he spots something that makes his heart leap

and Nana decides that perhaps with something apparently waiting for them, the promised trip could be brought forward …
Perfectly paced, this sweet story of how a less than promising day at the beach turns into something extraordinary, thanks in part, to the power of the imagination is a delight through and through. Layn Marlow’s textured art and colour palette are wonderful.

Captain Toby
Satoshi Kitamura
Scallywag Press

One stormy night Toby lies in bed with the wind roaring outside, the noise so loud he cannot get to sleep. Thunder crashes and suddenly he feels his house start to rise and fall, and before he knows what’s happening it’s rolling on the ocean waves. Bravely, with the aid of his cat, Captain Toby charts his course as lightning flashes in the sky above, till there comes an enormous crash. Grabbing his binoculars he sees it’s not a rock, nor a massive wave but an enormous octopus tentacles spread menacingly and it’s heading scarily close.

Then CRASH! One if its writhing tentacles smashes the window and reaches out towards him. Yikes!

Fortunately however, help is close at hand in the form of a house-submarine carrying Captain Grandpa and Chief Gunner Grandma, the latter being a brilliant shot with balls of yarn.

Eventually the seas calm, the sun rises and the captains head for the harbour leaving a now peacefully engaged octopus. And that’s where we’ll leave them all, with a wonderful finale awaiting readers.

With a mix of surreal humour and high adventure, Kitamura’s illustrations provide a visual treat. I particularly love the richly hued seascape with the two sailing houses heading landwards.

It’s good to see Scallywag Press has reissued this 1980’s charmer.

When a Dragon Meets a Baby

jillrbennett Leave a comment

When a Dragon Meets a Baby
Caryl Hart and Rosalind Beardshaw
Nosy Crow

In the third story of this series, the lovable little dragon protagonist has a new baby sibling. But what will her reactions be? She might act all huffily and puffily resorting to a lot of slumping and grumping to gain the attention of Mummy and Daddy dragon. On the other hand she might just share her snuggliest toy, fetch the changing mat and nappies when baby has a leaky bottom and help find clean clothes.

Then when others pay a visit will big sis. be a pest or will she show baby’s things to the guests? Poor exhausted Mummy dragon will sometimes be in need of a quick nap but what will happen then? Noisy stomping and a romping or quiet house-tidying and story-sharing with Dad?

Behaving like the perfect older sibling is going to be a challenge and nobody – not even little dragons, can keep their fire inside all the time, surely.

Told in Caryl’s read-aloud-able rhyme, this is a fun, reassuring book that presents the conflicting emotions arising when a new baby arrives in the family and is pitch perfect for little humans who have recently or are about to become big brothers or sisters. Never mentioning a right way but merely offering a little dragon’s way, really works again here and Rosalind Beardshaw’s captivating illustrations showing what happens in this particular family are an absolute delight.

Hike

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Hike
Pete Oswald
Walker Books

Wordless save for some environmental sounds and labels, this is a truly beautiful book. 

It begins one evening as a man bids goodnight to his child in a room littered with outdoor gear.

Next morning the father wakes the child who packs the gear into a rucksack, the two get into a jeep and head off from their city home into the countryside for the day.

We follow the two as they walk into the forest where they see wildlife aplenty, 

sharing in occasional small dramatic moments as the child copes with some scary challenges. 

The two stop to share snacks, take photos, enjoy the view and finally carry out the task they’ve come to perform – the planting of a sapling they’ve brought with them and the taking of a selfie beside it.

As dusk descends, they leave the woods and drive home. Once there, they don pyjamas, share some cookies and look through a photo album.

Totally immersive, this wonderfully heartwarming book, open to more than one interpretation, is one that needs slow and careful reading of every page: I love the variety of perspectives and the wealth of visual clues we’re given. I love too, how Oswald shows us the natural world through the lens of the close child/parent relationship. A special day and a special relationship. 

To sum it up, I’ll borrow the title of a very old song ‘Memories are made of this’.

The Tossy-Turny Princess and the Pesky Pea

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Tossy-Turny Princess and the Pesky Pea
Susan Verde and Jay Fleck
Abrams Books for Young Readers

Rather than being a playful fractured fairytale version of the Hans Christian Andersen classic The Princess and the Pea, this is a deliberate reworking of the story using a hippo as the princess, by yoga and mindfulness teacher and writer of I am Yoga, to help young insomniacs get a good night’s sleep.

Usually good at falling asleep, said young royal – a busy creature by day – finds that one night after her usual daytime schedule, she just cannot fall asleep. What she doesn’t know is that earlier in the day a pea from her brother’s lunch accidentally ended up in-between the mattresses on his sibling’s bed and he’d been unable to retrieve it.

After two sleepless nights the princess is by day cranky, completely lacking in energy and generally out of sorts.

Fortunately however her friends – the royal gardener, the royal chef, the royal librarian and the royal astronomer in turn, are ready and willing to give her some good advice.

The gardener teaches her the lizard pose; the cook demonstrates a calming breathing technique; the librarian shows her a ‘feet and legs up the wall’ means of relaxing, and the astronomer shares his lie down, let the whole body relax … look at the sky … and place each … worry on a star “until with every sparkle, they disappear.”

That night, the princess, once again wide awake, but somewhat relieved to know that others too have trouble sleeping from time to time, brings to mind the sage advice of her friends and tries their yoga and meditation techniques … until at last, she falls fast asleep. The following morning she’s bursting with energy once again and willing to overlook her brother’s pea accident, sure in the knowledge that it had resulted in some valuable learning experiences on her part.

Jay Fleck’s droll scenes featuring the princess and the royal entourage are engaging (little humans will be amused at their attire) and a final author’s note explains each of the techniques mentioned in the story.

Intended primarily as a pre-bedtime book, this is a gentle, soothing tale about learning to let go of your worries and the importance of friendship.

Race Cars

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Race Cars
Jenny Devenny ed. Charnaie Gordan
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

This book, is the result of a collaboration between author/illustrator Jenny Devenny who uses the metaphor of a car race to introduce institutional and systemic racism to children, and diversity and inclusion expert, Charnaie Gordon who edited the story. (Both have written an introductory note).

Meet best friends Chase and Ace. Chase is a black race car; Ace a white race car and they both love racing. Chase is super speedy and in his first year of entering, becomes the very first black car ever to win the ‘world-famous, annual race-car race.’ To his Ace friend who finishes fourth , it matters not: place is unimportant. However the race committee (all except the youngest, pink-tyred Grace, being white male autos) are anything but happy and resolve to alter some of the rules in favour of the white cars, thus disadvantaging the other cars in future races.

The route change they introduce for non-white cars

enables Ace to win the next race the following year and in the subsequent one, an official stops Chase before he enters the magic forest, demanding to be shown his ID. These two demonstrations of blatant discrimination result in Chase failing to qualify for the next year’s race. Now Ace starts to think perhaps something isn’t right: but even worse, Chase now feels inferior.

At a further committee meeting, Grace quietly talks of making the race ‘fair and equal for all’, but only one or two others agree, while the rest, fearing change, keep quiet.

The following year Chase is there spectating and supporting his friend who starts off at super speed. But as Ace approaches the magic forest, he notices something he’d not previously been aware of

and decides to take the route intended for non-white cars. Consequently he gets lost.

Back at the track the committee are worried about their star race car Ace not having crossed the line. Now, Grace knows she must speak out and so she does, with the result that Chase agrees to search for his friend … and finally they finish the race together.

Designed to be accessible to a young audience, and intended as a starting point for opening up discussion, this book has been engineered to tackle a difficult and sensitive topic. To this end there are discussion notes after the story. Almost every time I turn on the news I hear something alarming and upsetting concerning the ill-treatment of a person or persons of colour, so it’s clear that opportunities such as this book offer to get children talking are much needed.

Dance With Oti: The Bird Jive

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Dance With Oti: The Bird Jive
Oti Mabuse and Samara Hardy
Walker Books

This is the debut picture book of Strictly Come Dancing star, Oti Mabuse, and as the book opens, Mrs Oti is welcoming a host of would-be dancers into her studio for their very first lesson.

Warm ups and stretches completed, everyone is ready to start learning the jive. There are the inevitable thrills and spills but under their teacher’s enthusiastic, watchful, caring eye, the children are quick learners

and in no time the lesson is halfway through. Then suddenly, an unexpected winged visitor makes an appearance.

Mrs Oti deals with the disruption in her characteristic creative way and soon everyone is back on task

and the lesson proceeds towards the final steps and a wonderful controlled POSE! Just in time to give the waiting families a first performance of The Bird Jive. And humans aren’t the only ones that show their enthusiasm as the dance draws to a close.

With some delightful characters including Poppy, Gan and Olivia, all illustrated with panache by Samara Hardy, and a step-by-step demonstration of the Bird Jive routine by Oti, this is a thoroughly enjoyable celebration of movement, dance and giving it your all. Share the book then, get on your feet and JIVE!

Mammoth

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Mammoth
Anna Kemp and Adam Beer
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Waking from a sleep of indeterminate length an Ice Age mammoth is totally bothered, bewildered and bemused by the strange sights that meet his eyes when he heads to the meadow to join his herd for breakfast.
Having climbed to the top of a hill he sees an enormous ‘gleaming forest’ and makes his way towards it. Instead of his relations, said forest is full of weird smells and alarming sounds.

Nonetheless stuck in the big city, the visitor starts going about his daily business, despite being on the receiving end of some strange looks from those he encounters, not to mention a fair bit of shouty behaviour from the ‘cavemen’.

Deciding to make himself useful the mammoth does a spot of topiary but again his efforts are far from appreciated.

Then his hopes are raised when he finally enters the Ice Age exhibition and trumpets loudly at the mammoths before him. But these creatures he’d thought were from his herd prove not to be so and this disappointment triggers a rampage. Is he really now the only mammoth in the entire world.

In the distance he hears a faint trumpeting sound – strange and beautiful although not a mammoth sound – and it’s calling to him.

Perhaps at last he’s found his herd …

Anna Kemp tells a fun story about finding somewhere to be yourself with people who will accept you no matter what. Debut picture book illustrator, Adam Beer, brings out the humour of the mammoth’s situation, his interpretations of what he sees and some of the daft things he does (sporting a bow tie to visit the museum, for instance) while making readers feel sympathy at his plight.

The Pet

jillrbennett Leave a comment

The Pet
Catherine Emmett and David Tazzyman
Macmillan Children’s Books

Young Digby David is a demanding sort of a boy, especially when it comes to wanting a pet, and happily for him, his dad is an obliging sort of guy, maybe somewhat over indulgent. So when the lad issues one of his urgent stipulations, what does Daddy do (after his hair has turned slightly grey that is) but pick up the phone to the pet shop. Before long there they stand in the shop with Digby insisting on having, contrary to the owner’s advice, the hairiest rodent there. Dad offers double the price and off they go. Digby is a loving guinea pig owner – but for a mere half day, after which the poor creature is left untended in her hutch.
Things continue in similar fashion. Digby wants to better Lily Jean’s cat,

Lola’s frog, and Dipak’s froggy threesome and each time it’s a case of Dad gaining a few more grey hairs, calling the pet shop and making an extravagant purchase.

But then what should catch young mister ‘I WANT’s eye but Gus the gorilla.
Mr David parts with all his cash (is he crazy?) and finally Digby is happy. For a while at least, but then as the novelty wears off, so does the attention Gus is paid.

What does a bored gorilla do? This one decides to make a break for it. And we’ll leave the large hairy creature there …

But what of Digby, you might be wondering. Sorry but I’m going to leave that matter hanging too …

Delivered in jaunty rhyme that reads aloud brilliantly (so long as you can resist the urge to dissolve into giggles), and David Tazzyman’s wonderfully droll, scribblesome illustrations, this is a corker of a cautionary tale showing how crucial it is to take proper care of your pets – whatever they are. Oh! and stop and think before you wish …

Destined to become a firm favourite with both adult sharers and their young audiences.

Grandpa’s Gift

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Grandpa’s Gift
Fiona Lumbers
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

The little boy narrator of this story is finding his new life in the city a dull contrast to the open spaces he’d so enjoyed till he moved just over three weeks ago.

Feeling downcast he walks in the rain through the grey dreary streets with his grandpa who has a surprise in store. When they reach a dowdy-looking shop full of what looks like a lot of junk, Grandpa stops and in they go. The lad is totally disenchanted by what he finds inside, but why is Grandpa looking so excited?

Then he opens his hand to reveal …

A geode stone. Underwhelmed, the boy just stares. Then Grandpa tells him something his own grandmother had said to him many years ago: “ … beauty and magic can be found in the most unexpected of places. You just need to look for it.” He then proceeds to prise open the stone. Amazingly a transformation occurs …

With the rain stopped, the two head outside and continue walking, the boy with the stone safe in his pocket. Now he begins to look at the world anew and before long discovers that indeed, there is beauty and magic all around.

With hope in his heart and a rainbow overhead, the narrator takes his Grandpa’s hand and together they start to walk home,

Hugely uplifting is this, the second of Fiona Lumbers’ author/illustrated picture books. Her predominantly watercolour illustrations are an absolute delight – full of interesting details and small jewels of colour. I love the way she uses the geode stone as a metaphor for the city, showing how beauty can be discovered in the most unexpected places.

A Song of Gladness

jillrbennett Leave a comment

A Song of Gladness
Michael Morpurgo and Emily Gravett
Two Hoots

We’ve all in one way or another been affected by the lockdowns over the past year or so. This gorgeous timely book was inspired by a blackbird in Michael Morpurgo’s garden during the first lockdown and truly it is as the front cover says, ‘a story of hope for us and our planet’.

It begins with the author standing having a ‘conversation’ with said blackbird wherein he tells it of the sadness everyone is feeling. This precipitates an idea in the blackbird’s mind and he sings it out to the still sleepy fox near the shed. And so begins a chain reaction with the song passing from one to another with creatures all over the world, each in its own way joining in, 

until the entire animal world is singing a song of forgiveness. 

Not yet though the author who asks and receives permission from the blackbird to sing with them.

One can truly hope that humans the world over will during this last year or so, have rediscovered their connection with the natural world, and as Michael Morpurgo reminds us, will now take responsibility to care, not only for our fellow humans but for all living things on our precious planet.

Beautifully told with the author’s characteristic empathy and gentleness, this very personal, moving story speaks to us all, children and adults, capturing both our shared experience and our hearts. Emily Gravett’s illustrations brilliantly express the vital interconnectedness inherent in the text, as they carry us along from page to page swept up in the musicality both of Michael’s words, and the animals’ voices united in a final glorious harmony.