Category Picture Books

The Whopper

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The Whopper
Rebecca Ashdown
Templar Publishing
What would you do if given a terrible sweater lovingly knitted by your Gran? Try your best to dispose of it one way or another, probably. And that is exactly what happens in this story when Percy receives a ghastly-looking jumper from his Grandma. “Just right for walking the dog in!”

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she tells him and that is exactly what Percy does – though perhaps not quite in the way Grandma had intended however.

 

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When it gets beyond the pale there is only one thing for it …

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and when on his return, Percy’s mum wants to know where the rainbow wonder is, what does Percy do? Tells a whacking great lie and hot foots it up to his room: he’d hardly put his hands up to dumping it in the bin, now would he?  Suddenly in the bedroom, he notices an odd looking creature who, Percy learns, is his Whopper. Said Whopper is invisible to grown-ups (a good thing) but gets bigger as the lie increases in stature (definitely not a good thing). So, by the time Grandma leaves the Whopper is enormous.
Time to tell the truth, brother Boris suggests but Percy isn’t convinced, so at bedtime, Percy has a bed companion – a very hungry one …

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But it’s not until the Whopper casts his hungry eyes on Boris the next day after school that Percy puts his hands up to the lie and then with the truth out, you can imagine what happens to that Whopper. Which just goes to show that it’s always best to be honest – though maybe not where Grandmas are concerned …
A delightfully playful take on a serious topic that faces all children from time to time. Most of us know how that seemingly simple little lie can grow out of all proportion to become all-consuming, if the perpetrator doesn’t own up. Rebecca Ashdown’s illustrations bring that truth home in a deliciously humorous manner with images that will surely make young children think twice before they lie to get themselves out of trouble.

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I shared the book with a group of 5s to 8s, first stopping just before the Whooper appeared. They were merely told it was blue: here are some ideas of what it might be like.

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Where the Bugaboo Lives

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Where the BUGABOO Lives
Sean Taylor and Neal Layton
Walker Books
How many ways are there to read a story? In this instance, I’m still trying to discover the answer. It assuredly puts the reader very much in control; you can if you wish stop reading at page 7 for instance; or …
I took the scary option and went with Ruby and her brother Floyd (who is desperate to retrieve his ball that’s rolled down into the valley wherein the scariest of all creatures THE BUGABOO resides). Eventually I found myself here

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but you can of course guess what I did then …
You might be pierced by a prickle-beast, eviscerated by a hungry Old English Spook, tossed terrifyingly by a troll, stunk out by a scuttling spider, drooled upon by a demon, battered by a bony hobgoblin

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or worse. It all depends whether you go uphill or down; follow the spring path or the autumn one; wander on a winter way

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or take a summer stroll, head for the smoke or the coloured lights.
This one comes with a parental warning as it’s overflowing with the kind of terrifying creatures that will make adults run for cover. The whole thing is crammed with crocs, bedevilled with blood-sucking mosquitoes,

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inhabited by giant infants, a-fire with fearsome fiends, sweetly scented by snooze-inducing sniffers – daisies actually but pretty powerful ones. And that’s not all.
Oh! And if kisses aren’t your thing, be alert and join Floyd and Ruby in their mad homeward dash. PHEW!
I foresee family fights ensuing over this book and one copy in a classroom will definitely not be enough to cope with the demand.
Gloriously ghoulish, amazingly awesome and eminently re-readable; it’s brimming over with visual and verbal delights.
Miss this one at your peril. Or perhaps that should be, get hold of it at your peril.

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The Amazing Human Body Detectives

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The Amazing Human Body Detectives
Maggie Li
Pavilion Children’s Books
I learned something new today, (though I could say that’s true of pretty much every day when working with children). I discovered from Maggi Li’s new book that blondes have more hairs than others.
The human body fascinates most young children – how it works and what it can do. In twelve double spreads (plus contents and glossary) Maggi Li takes readers through the basics introducing first the main organs (Busy Organs as she calls the heart, lungs and kidneys)

 

 

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wherein alongside the essential facts of function and size, is a ‘body challenge’ and, in this instance, Laugh Factory stating ‘Laughing is good for you so get giggling!’ Children will delight in using that as a reason for so doing, I suspect.
In fact the whole book is presented as a journey with readers invited to take the magnifying glass from the front cover and use it to explore within. They might take a look inside the mouth at the teeth, or look closely at the skin to spot goose pimples, for instance. Quirky facts are writ small within each page of the book and you can even get close up to a bogie –

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another favourite with children. But the most read spread in my experience is assuredly Waste Factory

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with its focus on burps, hiccups, wee, sick, trumps and in particular The Bristol Stool Chart with its associated Body Challenge.

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This is the one I suspect that will get most take up!
There is a surprising amount of human anatomical information for readers to discover between the covers of this book. The clever thing however, is that with the emphasis on exciting and intriguing visuals, rather than dense blocks of text, children do not realise just how much hard information is embedded within each spread. And, once their interest has been stimulated there are further suggestions for on-going investigations on the final spreads
Definitely one for the family bookshelf or primary classroom.

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Flips, Flaps and Dots

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Find the Dots
Andy Mansfield
Templar Publishing
This dotty book is truly amazing. Herein it’s creator – paper-engineer extraordinaire, Andy Mansfield employs every trick imaginable and then some. The set of instructions: PUSH, PULL, LIFT, TURN, TWIST, FOLD, LOOK, PEEK should also include GASP (in awe) as one reaches the grand finale …

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There’s even a mirror discretely tucked under the invitation to ‘Find 6 blue dots’.
Hours of absorbing manipulating, some frustration and lots of delight are guaranteed.
I’m putting chains on my copy…

 

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Flip Flap Jungle
Axel Scheffler
Nosy Crow
‘What crazy creatures will you meet today?’ asks the butterfly on the title page of Scheffler’s latest Flip Flap book in which he features eleven jungle inhabitants. What’s crazy about jungle animals, you might ask; well nothing really if you mean the tiger, frog, monkey, toucan, armadillo, leopard, gorilla, parakeet, porcupine, chameleon and anteater; but that’s because you haven’t tried any of the numerous combinations possible in this highly amusing split page book.
I randomly opened the book and found myself confronting a Toucadillo,

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followed by a Frey (poisonous, blue with clever hands for climbing, fruit picking or maybe checking Mum for fleas.) Ribbit! Ribbit! Ooo! Ooo!

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Each animal has two descriptive verses, one on the top half of the page, the other at the bottom so these two get mixed along with the animal tops and bottoms, adding to the fun.
Guaranteed hours of enjoyment from this one and, children will most likely be paying close attention to how the animal names, real and invented, are put together – an added bonus.

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Friend or Foe?

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One little alien built himself a spacecraft and sat inside to read the story.

My Alien and Me
Smriti Prasadam-Halls and Tom McLaughlin
Oxford University Press
When is a human not a human? When he’s a small boy who crash-lands his rocket on another planet and meets the inhabitants, thus becoming the alien centre of attraction in this amusing story. The narrator is a small creature whose dad is an expert on UFOs and his mother eager to offer hospitality to a shipwrecked earthling visitor. This earthling finds his new-found friend’s school something of a trial, especially when it comes to such things as eating lunch with toes not fingers, or black-hole bungee jumping.

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Life is not peachy for either party concerned especially when …

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When night comes the small narrator starts feeling somewhat sad in his tummy and wants to talk. It’s time to make amends: but where has that little alien gone?
All finally ends happily leaving space for a return visit…

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And, it all goes to show that we need to accept people for what they are, and celebrate our differences and our unique individuality. Equally importantly we need to find out as much as possible about those whose world views differ from our own: that way comes understanding and the likelihood of harmony.
The important themes embedded in this amusing story are delivered in a straightforward, gently humorous manner by the author who turns the But Martin idea upside down, in effect. Tom McLaughlin ‘s visuals are wonderfully upbeat and his delightfully quirky scenes speak volumes about the feelings of the two main characters.
This one will definitely go down well in early years settings and younger primary classrooms as well as with individuals around the age of that little alien.

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Crunch!
Carolina Rabei
Child’s Play pbk
Crunch (aptly named because he just loves to eat) is a guinea pig and a rather appealing character at that. His life is pretty good: judging by his somewhat rotund appearance he’s more than amply fed and he has a comfy bed but something seems to be missing though he knows not what.
Then one day he finds himself sharing his breakfast with an uninvited guest,

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a mouse named Cheddar. All the little mouse wants is a small share of the tasty meal but Crunch is having none of it – or rather all of it. “No way! My food is MY food!” he tells Cheddar in no uncertain terms even when offered a hug in exchange. I suspect his feast didn’t taste quite so good after that encounter …

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especially as we learn that Crunch’s conscience is starting to trouble him. He’s managed to keep his food but in so doing has lost a friend. Time to move outside your comfort zone Crunch;

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you might just find something much more valuable than a mere meal.

 

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Beautifully visualised in subtle colours, lovely characterization and a delightful story that offers plenty of food for thought. I love Carolina Rabei’s attention to detail and the gentle humour of her illustrations large and small.

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Thieves At Large

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Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam: The Cat Burglar
Tracey Corderoy and Steve Lennon
Nosy Crow
Reformed robbers of repute, Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam are now successful bakers with their own café, an establishment frequented by those who particularly enjoy a good gossip; and there are plenty. One day Sam shares the latest news headlines with their customers: one Kitty Le Claw – a fiendish feline if ever there was one – is in town.

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Such news warrants a top secret meeting, but this is no sooner under way when a desperate-looking job-seeker arrives at the door.

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Ruby, for that is her name (supposedly – though young audiences will already be suspicious) is quickly taken on and becomes a star baker of delicious confections, waitress and cleaner.
At the end of the day as a result of Ruby’s sweeping and tidying, the dogs discover a secret tunnel in the basement of their establishment and are almost tempted back into their old ways but instead find themselves turning detective. But can they manage to apprehend the criminal and turn her over to the law? Well, Kitty is a certainly a pretty slippery character but …

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This is a second crazy canine caper from Corderoy and Lenton; she provides a pacey text that’s enormous fun to read aloud especially if you enjoy high drama; and he supplies the delectable visuals. The details therein are almost as delicious as the fare served up in Shifty and Sam’s establishment and the sight of those infant canines looking longingly at the cakes is a joy in itself.
Yummy stuff say I.

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The Cherry Thief
Renata Galindo
Child’s Play pbk
Chef Armand is a celebrated pastry cook; the rosy red cherries he decorates his confections with are his trademark. He’s even named his patisserie La Cerise. But then one day he notices that the cherries have begun to disappear. Quelle horreur! Has he merely forgotten to add them perhaps? No, not so but what an embarrassment when customers complain …

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Time to discover the perpetrator of the outrage decides the chef. I could say track down but our perplexed chef has missed the clue. His dog however, like children, is more aware and has noticed the telltale tiny blue footprints.
Having drawn Chef Armand’s attention to same, the two lie in wait and eventually the thief makes an appearance. A chase ensues: the thief eventually escapes leaving behind in the trail of havoc, something amazing

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and ultimately fruitful for all concerned…

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A tasty diversion illustrated in a spare style that children may well try to emulate. My audiences loved the slapstick humour of the chase,

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delighted in the small details and characterisation, and were surprised by the rapid growth of the tree. “Well, it’s just magic,” one suggested.

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Tricky Times with Albert and Whiffy Wilson

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Albert and Little Henry
Jez Alborough
Walker Books
There’s a touch of the Not Now Bernards about the latest Jez Alborough offering. It features young Albert who has a particular prowess for storytelling, regaling his parents with his flights of fancy.

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Until, one day there’s a new arrival in the family. “I can’t listen to a story now, … Little Henry needs his bath.” and “Not now, Albie, I’m trying to get Little Henry off to sleep,” is what he hears or “Why don’t you tell us a story later?” from his weary Dad and Mum.
When Albert does as he’s bid and goes to his room to wait for ‘later,’ a strange feeling comes upon him …

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Nobody notices his sudden lack of stature and at Little Henry’s celebration party it’s the same story.

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An angry Albert heads for his bedroom leaving others firmly on the opposite side of the door. Then Mum leaves a special present for him bearing three important words and after that things begin to change – for the better this time. Albert is restored to his former size and those creative juices start flowing once more…
Albert clearly shows how the arrival of a new brother or sister can make a child feel small and insecure. His woeful expressions and temper tantrum are beautifully visualized in Alborough’s adorable scenes or sibling jealousy.
For me, it doesn’t quite have the allure of Where’s My Teddy? and sequels but Albert is sure to find a place in the hearts of any family facing the potential emotional upheavals of a new baby.

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Whiffy Wilson The Wolf Who Wouldn’t Go To School
Caryl Hart and Leonie Lord
Orchard Books pbk
Whiffy Wilson is introduced to the delights of school when he reluctantly allows his friend and playmate, Dotty, to lead him by the paw to the door. From there though she has to use a little bit of force to get him into the reception class. Before long however, she has initiated him into the delights of painting, playdough, and mathematical activities; and then it’s time for lunch and a game of soccer. At this, Whiffy proves something of a star and makes some new friends too.

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The afternoon is spent in some co-operative model making – hard work despite Wilson’s comment, “All we’ve done so far is play!”

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followed by storytime.
It’s a contented Wilson who accompanies Dotty home and next morning he’s up and ready for some more school delights but there’s a shock in store …
This hilarious rhyming story (it’s great to read aloud) went down really well with my audience of young children who have already discovered the delights of school. These ‘old-hands’ loved the visuals and immediately recognized the young wolf’s initial fears and laughed delightedly at the comic ending.

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Captain Falsebeard in A Very Fishy Tale & another salty story

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Captain Falsebeard in a Very Fishy Tale
Fred Blunt
Puffin Books pbk
The fine detail in this one is awesome and truly hilarious in parts. Take for instance the sight of all those evil-looking parrots launching their aeronautical attack (of which more later).
The story tells of two pirates bold, fearsome and sworn deadly enemies, Captain Falsebeard and Admiral Swinetoes by name. For over a decade these pirates have searched the briny blue looking for the Crossbone Treasure and now finally, one of the pair, Falsebeard has it in his clutches and, when we meet him is about to stash the loot safely aboard his ship, the Pretty Polly and partake of a celebratory fishy supper. First though, there’s to be a fish-off competition to catch a creature worthy of the cap’n’s table.
Lines are duly cast and with the competitors concentrating on the task in hand, none of them notices the watchful parrot observer close by.

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This wily creature flies back to the Killjoy to report his discoveries to Admiral Swinetoes, who as you can imagine, is none too impressed. But a plan is quickly set in motion.
Not long after, back aboard the Pretty Polly a sizeable catch is landed and it’s something of a surprise

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and a totally beguiling one.
When Falsebeard discovers the nature of the hoodwinking, an even more cunning plan is ignominiously thrust upon him – or rather before him. One that involves the unleashing of a truly deadly weapon (which is where we came in).

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But does Captain Falsebeard retrieve his plunder?

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Well that would be telling wouldn’t it?
A wonderful rib-tickling yarn of the saltiest variety that will have your audiences calling out for more and demanding opportunities to pore over the individual frames and full pages scenes. Welcome to the REAL picture book scene Fred Blunt: a superbly swashbuckling debut.
Miss this at your peril me ’arties!

Also with a marine theme is

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Mr Benn Diver
Based on the TV series by David McKee
Hodder Children’s Books pbk
Herein Mr B. visits the costume shop and finds himself part of an adventure involving rival submarine crews searching for a sea monster, a mermaid seeking a special present for King Neptune’s birthday and a cunning trick to ensure the king is left in peace to enjoy his birthday celebrations with his pet monster. It certainly kept a lively group of 5s to 7s involved throughout and wanting more.

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Whiffs, Pongs and A Foiled Robbery

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Poo in the Zoo
Steve Smallman and Ada Grey
Little Tiger Press pbk
Young children simply revel in all things slightly whiffy; I know one two year old girl who became fascinated by the various poos she saw in the countryside even saying ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ to the sheep droppings in a particular spot.
This poo-centred picture book is an absolute hoot – or rather, toot, if you like that kind of thing and I’ve yet to find a four or five year old who doesn’t. (So long as it isn’t their own of course). Herein we meet Zookeeper Bob who is finding his muck-shovelling duties rather too much as he goes around collecting all the dollops, drippy droppings, plummeting splats, steamy pongy pats and ducking from Monkey’s speedily tossed poops.
When he goes to clear Iguana’s mess, the creature gives him the slip, escaping to create havoc around the café as it gobbles everything in sight including some sparkly fireflies (‘he fancied something light’ you see.)

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Imagine the surprise when next the creature plops a poop: a glowing extra-terrestrial poo, thinks Bob. News quickly spreads, and the zookeeper receives a visit from a fellow poo collector who simply has to have the Iguana’s illuminated wonder. Will Bob part with it though? Well, let’s just say that he no longer has to do that poo-picking up for himself thanks to …

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This rhyming super-stinker just cries out to be read aloud; indeed it only really works if you do. Ada Grey’s scatological scenes induced howls of delighted laughter from my audience of 5s to 10s, several of whom wanted to paw over the pages for themselves

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after the immediate re-read they all demanded.

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Rex and the Crown Jewels Robbery
Kate Sheppard (illustrator)
Walker Books pbk
This amusing canine caper is loosely based on a real historical event that happened in 1671, during the reign of King Charles ll. It tells how scruffy mongrel, Rex, excavates a litter bin chock full of deliciously stinky rubbish and finds himself somewhere totally unexpected…

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… where his nose detects a wonderfully meaty aroma, which of course, he must follow. It takes him to an old tower wherein he spies some shiny objects closely guarded by …

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But there’s a dastardly plan afoot to steal those shiny objects aka The Crown Jewels. Can the two dogs foil the plotters and save that priceless crown, orb and sceptre?
There follows a frantic dash and much more until eventually Rex finds himself back more or less where he’d started on Tower Green.
Funny, fast and full of comical scenes that are sure to appeal to young time travelling enthusiasts especially.

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Sir Scallywag and the Battle of Stinky Bottom
Giles Andreae and Korky Paul
Puffin Books
King Colin has another mission for six-year old Sir Scallywag – to locate the giant Golden Sausage – an object that could confer immortality on the king so he’s heard. The probability is that said sausage is located in the centre of Lake Stinkybottom, a truly malodorous place. Off rides bold Sir Scallywag on his trusty steed, deep into the woods and beyond, to the troll-infested swamp where, in the gloaming he locates the sought article. Outnumbered one hundred to one though, can the young knight outwit the troll king and his army? Yes; and he does duly deliver the glowing object to the royal kitchen but that’s not quite the end of this madcap rhyming romp of derring-do …

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It’s great fun to read aloud;Korky Paul’s hilarious action-packed scenes are an absolute riot and brim over with witty details.

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When I Coloured the World

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When I Coloured the World
Ahmadreza Ahmadi
Tiny Owl
I tend to discourage the use of erasers – in school at least – and especially for the very young who all too easily become obsessed with using them, needlessly rubbing out their so called ‘mistakes’. Not so the child narrator of this beautiful fable wherein we see how colour can change the world and the way we look at it. Her judicious use of a single eraser and her box of crayons makes the world a place of joy and peace, hope, playfulness and much more, filling it with red roses, yellow lights, blue sky to play beneath,

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silver rain and drizzle to eliminate the floods, wheat growing green, peaceful light blue, orange spring filled with scented blossom, dark blue for song and dance, purple laughter, gentle breezes of violet, healthy glowing pink for healing, orange for people whose age is immaterial …

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and finally, with another wielding of the yellow crayon …

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I love the way the author has captured the child-like innocence of this wonderful, empowering book. It’s one I can envisage being shared and discussed widely in schools as well as being enjoyed at home and it’s a great starting point for children’s own colourful, world changing artistic creations.

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Fern rubbed out sadness and wrote happiness in yellow “For sunshine so children can dance and sing outdoors.”

 

 

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Beth rubbed out despairing and wrote celebrating in red.

 

Ehsan Abdollahi, the book’s illustrator too has captured that special child-like simplicity in the uplifting scenes that are aglow with wonderfully patterned, richly hued images.
What riches Tiny Owl is bringing to the UK with the publication of such truly beautiful books from Iran. I hope they achieve the wide audience they merit.

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Bing Paint Day
Ted Dewan
Harper Collins Children’s Books
Anyone who knows Bing (and that is countless preschoolers and their parents and carers) will anticipate the outcome of letting the young Bunny loose with a paintbrush, paints and a pot of water. As usual with Bing, things begin fairly calmly and he is busy producing a colourful scene

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but then a tornado hits and …

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It’s a good job that there’s a single colour left and it just happens to be Bing’s favourite orange; so all ends happily in true Bing fashion because as we know “It’s a Bing Thing”.

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Double? More? Too Much?

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Double Trouble for Anna Hibiscus!
Atinuke and Lauren Tobia
Walker Books
When Anna Hibiscus discovers that the ‘big bump’ is twin brothers, she knows that she’s in for some “Big Trouble” as her cousin Chocolate puts it. What it means immediately though is that none of the family seems to have time for her any more; they’re all far too busy with extra work that’s a result of the two newcomers. Uncle Sam is busy making food for Anna’s mum; her Grandmother has been up all night and now needs to sleep and her aunties are baby minding.

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Poor Anna Hibiscus finally loses her temper and shouts, which sets the babies off bawling and she herself dissolves into tears. Oh Dear! It’s then that Papa finally takes notice of her and explains the implications of Double Trouble: sharing is now the order of the day.
Eventually though, people do pay her attention  and then it’s the turn of that big sister to become a comforter.

 

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It will take time for young Anna Hibiscus to learn how to accommodate those newcomers, and she has to learn to take turns for her mother’s hugs and sometimes even share them with others…

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I’ve loved all the Anna Hibiscus stories: this one too is a real delight and it’s absolutely perfect for those with a new baby in the family or anyone anticipating a new arrival. Those gorgeously warm-hearted illustrations are just the business.

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More!
Tracey Corderoy and Tim Warnes
Little Tiger Press pbk
In most very young infants, the acquisition of a new word is a cause for celebration. However when young Alfie rhino adds “More!” to his vocabulary the result is destruction,

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and all manner of excesses, some dietary, others very noisy or messy or, on occasion, something rather more desirable.
So when he is invited to a fancy dress party he gets more than a little carried away with the design of his costume

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and despite its amazingness, it has distinct disadvantages when it comes to joining in the party fun especially at cake-sharing time …
Fortunately though having more than just a few friends is one thing that does work in his favour, and all ends happily.
The young charmer is sure to win further friends with his latest romp: as always it is delivered with appropriate verve and exuberance in both words and pictures. Share with Alfies and other littles of the human variety and I suspect they’ll straightway ask for MORE!

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No More Cuddles!
Jane Chapman
Little Tiger Press
Despite living alone in the forest, Barry suffers from a surfeit of cuddles: he’s literally smothered by them and it’s all a bit too much.
A disguise might do the trick, he thinks to himself; but it just isn’t scary enough.

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Angry growls and scowls don’t work either; something more drastic is required seemingly. So Barry advertises for a relief cuddler and finally along comes one that meets the job description perfectly. Even then though, the animals continue to hurl themselves at Barry and he finds himself hurtling into a mucky swamp and it’s there that he gains a bit of well-earned respite.
Exuberant scenes and a decidedly cuddle-able main character, not to mention a host of delightful bit part players, are the chief ingredients of this warm-hearted story.

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Hubert Horatio
Lauren Child
Puffin pbk
Child prodigy, Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent, (referred to as H by his ultra-rich, but forgetful parents) starts to call the tune right from his early infancy. He cannot however do anything about the fact that the nightly cup of cocoa he and his parents share is always cold by the time the lad has climbed the numerous flights of stairs to the parental bedroom. Despite this, life jogs along happily for Horatio until one day his parents throw a party and the jelly runs out halfway through. Very odd, thinks Horatio but that is only the start of the family’s woes and before long he realizes that his parents are financially embarrassed, to say the least.
The young lad takes the initiative and money-making plans intended to refill the family coffers are soon put into action. But Mr and Mrs Bobton-Trent continue to party and live the high life

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until a frustrated HH decides downsizing is their only option. The family moves to a new home – 17b Plankton Heights – and there surprisingly, Horatio’s mum and dad settle quickly and woopy-do – because of the short distance to walk, everyone’s cocoa is still warm by the time it arrives at the parental bedroom.
Highly entertaining with wonderfully whimsical, richly patterned collage-style illustrations, Hubert Horatio is truly a force to be reckoned with.

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Amazing Information Books

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Nina (who does like snakes) enjoying the book.

I Don’t Like Snakes
Nicola Davies and Luciano Lozano
Walker Books
On a visit to Kerala (India) a couple of years back I was beguiled by the resident naturalist into showing the local housekeeping staff that there was nothing to fear from the snakes that were found in the grounds and occasionally found their way into the guest cottages. There I was inwardly quaking and having what looked to me a huge snake dangled about my person.

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So, the girl narrator of this wonderful orphidiological extravaganza has my sympathies when she declares, “I really, really, REALLY don’t like snakes!” to her incredulous family members who immediately counter her statement with “WHY?”
Every reason she proffers is met with an informative rejoinder that serves to weaken her case; and it isn’t long before her protestations about slithering, icky, slimy skin or flicky tongue have fueled her interest in their sidewinding, twining or flying methods of locomotion, their wonderful mosaic patterned, renewable skins

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and the scent-smelling organ used in locating their prey. Oh and those staring eyes are so informative about their hunting habits too.

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We really know she’s been won over however, when having turned to a large book, our narrator informs her brother about the reproductive habits of snakes

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and finally says – well what do you think?
My subsequent real-life experiences with snakes certainly haven’t won me round but I have to admit that the book has gone some way towards so doing. Davies’ chatty, gently humorous narrative style and Luciano Lozano’s superb illustrations of both human and reptilian characters work so well together. The combination of almost cartoon-like humans and zoologically accurate snake drawings together with the differing type-faces used for the text is enormously effective.A must buy for budding zoologists and for the primary school library.

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Surprising Sharks
Nicola Davies and James Croft
Walker Books pbk
Sharks come in all shapes and sizes, the smallest being not much larger than a bar of chocolate and comparatively few of them have attacked humans. And, did you know that ‘Sand tiger sharks give birth to just two live young— which is all that’s left after those two have eaten the other six babies in their mother’s belly.’
These are just a few of the interesting facts youngsters can discover between the covers of this highly readable, gently humorous re-issue.

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Dino-Dinners
Mick Manning and Brita Granström
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books pbk
This inviting book, published in association with the Natural History Museum, features ten dinosaurs, each having a double spread within which the creature – illustrated in watercolour- introduces itself with a rhyme telling of its dietary habits alongside which is an inset of additional information including name pronunciation, size and geological dating. One of the Brachiosaurus spreads (it has two because it’s so long) includes details about its poo too;

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I didn’t know that fossil poos are called coprolites before I read it here. The book also includes a time line and glossary. A fascinating book for young addicts and one that will likely kindle an interest in those new to the subject.
Equally fascinating and informative and from the same team is

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Woolly Mammoth
In this one, mammoth narrator, gentle giant and ‘veggie warrior with bull-neck power’ takes readers back to the ice-age when these huge shaggy beasts roamed free, sometimes hunted by hungry wolves, bears or hyenas and sometimes by humans.
Both titles would make excellent additions to a family or primary school collection.

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Exploring Big Ideas: Grandad’s Island & Alive Again

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Grandad’s Island
Benji Davies
Simon and Schuster Children’s Books pbk
Sometimes along comes a book that moves me to tears; this is such a one. It really tugs at the heartstrings as it tells how young Syd accompanies his beloved Grandad on a final journey. With Grandad at the helm,

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the two of them set forth on a tall ship across the ocean and its rolling waves to a far distant island. Abandoning his stick, Grandad leads Syd into the thick jungle where they come upon an old shack.

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Having made everything ‘shipshape’, the two of them sally forth to explore and come upon a perfect resting spot.

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It’s there that Grandad breaks the news to Syd that he is going to remain on the island, assuring him that he won’t feel lonely.
So, after a loving farewell, Syd returns home alone. It’s a lonesome journey and a long one and when Syd returns to Grandad’s house, there’s nobody there. But then he hears a tapping at the window and there, sent by special mail is …

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Poignantly beautiful both visually and verbally: Benji Davies has done it again.

 

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Alive Again
Ahmadreza Ahmadi and Nahid Kazemi
Tiny Owl
The well-regarded Iranian poet Ahmadi is the author of this seemingly simple, thought-provoking tale.
One by one, things that a boy loves disappear from his life: are they gone forever, he wonders. Can blossom, rain and wheat come back?

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They can and will, but each in its own good time.
The author’s spare prose allows children to create their own interpretations and fill the gaps left in the telling. Ahmadi gives the impression of being close to young children and the kinds of ideas that preoccupy them from time to time. Themes of change, loss, death, rebirth and renewal, and the cycles of nature

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are all possible ideas to explore having shared the reassuring book with young listeners.
As with all the Tiny Owl titles, the production is excellent and the illustrations superb. The collage style illustrator Nahid Kazemi used here has a child-like quality about it and is likely to inspire children’s own creative endeavours.

 

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A box of interesting fabrics, some decent backing paper, fine-line pens and glue is all that’s required.
A wonderful book for primary teachers looking to further children’s spiritual and imaginative development.

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Mad About Monkeys

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Mad About Monkeys
Owen Davey
Flying Eye Books
I’ve loved Owen Davey’s work since receiving a copy of the wordless Foxly’s Feast to review. Here he offers another feast – a visual and factual one about the group of haplorine or dry-nosed primates we call monkeys.
In fifteen double spreads he presents answers to the questions, ‘What Are Monkeys?’ – which provides some basic facts, and ‘Is a Monkey My Uncle?’ In the latter he repudiates the idea that humans come from monkeys showing how primates have evolved over some 45 million years and charting the two groups (Old World and New World) into which monkeys fall. This is further explored in the next spread that explains how to differentiate between the two. I discovered quite a bit here.

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Readers are then invited to become detectives and decide whether the six shown are from the Old World or the New.
Did you know the smallest monkey species, the Pygmy Marmoset has a body of around 12cm and a tail measuring 17cm? I certainly didn’t, although I did know the male Mandrill is the largest monkey and that they have brightly coloured noses and bottoms.
Social life and hierarchy are the next topics discussed and Geladas, a very special kind of monkey are given their own spread. I certainly would not want to encounter one of those close up.

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All manner of weird and wonderful monkeys are presented in the next two spreads including the noisiest, the fastest mover, the one with the longest tail, the hairiest faced monkey and the first in space, as well as eight of the strangest-looking species.
I was fascinated to read in Smarter than Average that white-faced capuchin monkeys have even learned to self medicate by rubbing their fur with Giant African Millipedes and leaves to repel insects. And those Japanese macaques are truly amazing.
Anyone who has ever visited India will most likely have encountered monkeys that steal sandwiches, fruit and anything else such as cameras and bags that takes their fancy;I have certainly fallen victim to their unwanted thieving on several occasions. Such marauding practices are explored in the next pages

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and then we take a brief look at Monkey Mythology and, the impact of deforestation on monkey habitats.
Owen Davey’s illustrations are simply superb and truly works of art. They somehow convey so much more than a photograph and help the reader to home in on the essential characteristics of each of the animals featured as well as to appreciate their beauty. The text is highly informative, scientific and totally accessible without being in any way condescending; and there’s a useful index. One very small quibble: perhaps his editors could have been consistent over the use of metric and imperial measurements.
Awesome from cover to cover.

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Animals – Wild and Tame

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Wild and Tame Animals
Dahlov Ipcar
Flying Eye Books
‘Long ago all the animals in the world were wild. Some were timid and hid in the woods, and some were ferocious and dangerous … But long ago men learned to tame some of the wild animals.’ So begins this Ipcar presentation wherein wild animals and their tame varieties are introduced in captioned spreads. Thus we encounter feral cats, and household tame ones, wild dogs and trained ones, wild horses and the working variety. Many more of the world’s fauna are depicted working for humans in places such as Asia,

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India, Saudi Arabia and the Arctic;

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and donkeys have a special international spread of their own.
Thank goodness then that animals still live wild in the world’s jungles, plains and woodlands for us to see: long may it be so.
There is a real vintage feel to this one for which the artist has used a restricted colour palette of tan, mustard, olive, grey, white and black. As always with Wide Eyed publications, the production is top quality. For the primary school library I’d suggest: It would make a good starting point to the whole issue of the way humans use/abuse animals.

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One Day on Our Blue Planet … In the Savannah
Ella Bailey
Flying Eye Books
All the animals are free to roam their African savannah homeland in this, Ella Bailey’s second picture book; and how different in nature from her previous one, No Such Thing, it is.
We trail a lion cub as he pursues his mother from their den, through the tall grass and eventually, to the river for some midday refreshment;

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then while she rests, the little cub plays at hunting, stalking and chasing.

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At sunset however, it’s the turn of the lionesses to hunt for real. With their cubs in a safe place, they are off on the trail of their favourite meal – meat. (Little cub still needs only his mother’s milk at this stage though.) And he does need lots of sleep – unlike his parents that may well stay awake through the night.

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During the course of the twenty-four hours we also meet the little cub’s relations and a whole host of other animals that share their Savanna homeland; and in so doing readers/listeners can discover further details about the indigenous fauna and flora. Gorgeous endpapers present the diurnal and nocturnal creatures and the playful spreads in between offer opportunities to find out more. The straightforward narrative text conveys additional bite-size chunks of ecological information.
I look forward to spending delightful days in other habitats on Our Blue Planet.

Four year olds’ versions of the little lion cub:

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Old Friends and New

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Max
Marc Martin
Templar Publishing
Most of us will be familiar with the empty feeling that comes when circumstances separate close friends. In this affecting story by an award winning Australian artist, the avian protagonist certainly does.
Max is a seagull – a very fine looking one and slightly mischievous, so a gull after my own heart. He has a particular penchant for fish and chips

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and a special friend, Bob who keeps him supplied with the latter. And the former? The friends spend their evenings together catching those: life is pretty peachy for Max.
Then one day when Max arrives at Bob’s shop, he finds it empty; but where oh where is Bob?
Max waits a long time but then decides it’s time to take flight and off he goes searching …

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until as he flies above a city, a familiar smell pervades his nares.
Down he swoops and eventually finds …

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Wonder of wonders – there is his old pal and a joyful reunion is the order of the day, along with a few chips of course.
Oh, and their after hours fishing trips are resumed too …
Beautifully rendered through mixed media illustrations and a spare text that allows observant readers and listeners plenty of room to fill the gaps, this is a tender-hearted celebration of friendship triumphing against the odds. For instance we are never told about the fairground and its possible impact on the shops it dominates but it’s shown several times in the early scenes.

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Delicious!

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Best Friends
Mara Bergman and Nicola Slater
Hodder Children’s Books
Crazy capers ensue when three balls are thrown: these are immediately pursued by Dexter, Daisy and Lily, three altogether different dogs. Dexter McFadden McSimmons McClean (imagine yelling ‘Come here DMMM’ in full when he charges off) is a dashing greyhound, Daisy is a somewhat dreamy-looking dachshund and Lily, a prettified poodle.
Hot on their trails go respective owners, William – at a mad dash, Jack at a more leisurely stroll and a somewhat embarrassed Maddie, sporting a new haircut. But Dexter crash-lands right into a rather genteel picnic;

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Daisy somehow scares a reader and Lily becomes entangled in a kite. That however, is nowhere near the end of the canine-caused chaos …

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There’s a soaking in store too and it’s not just for those demented dogs

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But, with new friendships forged, all ends happily in Mara Bergman’s hilarious rhyming romp. It’s told in a jaunty fashion entirely in keeping with which are Nicola Slater’s superbly energetic, retro-style illustrations that have all the verve and vigour of Lynley Dodd’s well-known and much loved, Hairy Maclary.
Definitely a book that will stand up to the many re-readings I’m sure young listeners will demand, mine certainly have. I found myself falling for all three of those canine charmers despite being dog-phobic.

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Friends
Eric Carle
Puffin Books
A boy and a girl are close friends playing together and sharing each other’s secrets until one day the girl is gone; she’s moved somewhere far away. The boy counts to ten then sets off to find her. Having swum across a cold river, slept under a starry sky climbed up a steep mountain and down into a grassy meadow. He journeys through the rain till sleep overtakes him. Next day off he goes once more through a shadowy forest and a garden where he gathers flowers and eventually finds his friend again. “I have found you!” he shouted. “I knew you would come,” she said.
Much of the journey features only the landscape, which is conveyed through abstract brush-strokes and collage forms, with the children appearing just at the beginning and end. This serves to allow the reader to step into the shoes of the boy and in so doing get a feeling of the enormous distance he travels. Certainly the lad was a determined over-comer of obstacles.
The final pages show a photograph of Carle and a girl friend from his early childhood in 1932 from whom he was separated when his family moved. Seemingly this friendship was part of the inspiration for the book, although the real-life friends have never been reunited.

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The Little Gardener

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The Little Gardener
Emily Hughes
Flying Eye Books
‘A garden is a lovesome thing’; it certainly is so for the little gardener of the title, a diminutive boy whose garden is his world –his pride and joy that he shares with his pet worm.

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Therein he toils long hours and is rewarded by a single bloom ‘alive and wonderful.’

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Despite the gardener’s labours however, the rest of the garden does not flourish: all around things are dying and he is near to despair.
“I wish I had a little help” is the message he sends out from his bed one night; a message that goes unheard; but all is not lost for that glorious lone zinnia acts as a beacon of light attracting the attention of a little girl.

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While he slumbers – for a whole month so tired is the little gardener – that girl and a boy work away at the garden and when he wakes, there before him is a wonderful, thriving, almost magical garden.

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This truly is a book to treasure. The story unfolds in a gentle, straightforward manner and her spare, unobtrusive way of telling allows for Emily’s lush, richly detailed illustrations to do most of the talking. Many of the spreads bring to mind William Morris designs and palette as they draw the reader in to a very special earthy world infused with vibrancy and populated by winning worms and wondrous flora.
‘In my beginning is my end’ came to mind as I read this a second time: there is a satisfying shaping of the whole thing from the opening ‘This was the garden. It didn’t look much, but it meant everything to its gardener.’ through to the final, ‘This is the garden now. And this is its gardener. He doesn’t look like much but he means everything to his garden.’ Such verbal artistry.
If anything deserves to achieve classic status it’s this one; and on top of everything else it’s ideal for those in the early stages of reading to try for themselves –

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Rosa shares the story with a snake.

once they’ve had the pleasure of an adult sharing it, of course.

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Some 6 to 9 year olds inspired by the story, created their own garden collages.

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An Ungrateful Neighbour & An Unexpected Guest

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Little Oleg
Margaret and John Cort
Hodder Children’s Books
A special 50th anniversary reissue of a classic picture book from the Cort husband and wife partnership.
Eric and Oleg are great friends. When Oleg’s slumbers are disturbed one night by a banging on his door, he discovers an alarmed Eric. “Come quickly! he urges. “My house is on fire.” Off dashes Oleg leaving Eric in a state of collapse only to find that nothing can be done to save the house. Good friend that he is, Oleg offers to share his home with his pal and agrees to help him build a new one.

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From then on, Eric really does take advantage of his unselfish host eating him out of house and home, and leaving him to do most of the work building the new house. Thus, Oleg’s vegetable crop is neglected and he’s forced to ask the miller for a loan.
When he asks Eric for some help however, Oleg is given an old coat and this leads to a turn in his fortune,

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thanks to the gold buttons with which it is adorned. But is his erstwhile friend ready to share in his good luck: what do you think?
A charming book with delightful retro illustrations executed with a limited colour palette. The whole thing has something of a folksy feel to it that works so well with the rather mannered telling.

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It’s a longish story so it might need two sessions; equally, children at that in-between stage just before totally assured reading will enjoy it as a solo read.

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The Unexpected Crocodile
Kim Kane and Sara Acton
Allen & Unwin
It has been raining buckets for weeks and there’s water everywhere – even in the chops awaiting cooking: Peggy and her family are expecting guests for dinner. Suddenly there is a Snap Snap! Tap Tap! at the door. It’s not the Dawson’s however, but a dapper-looking crocodile sporting red bow tie and clutching a matching brolly.

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Unbothered by the offer of soggy bakery buns, he is eager to join the dinner party and so is invited in. Not long after the Dawson’s duly turn up bearing “a little croquembouche we whipped up earlier.” as Mrs Dawson puts it.

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Seemingly the Dawsons are far from your ideal guests: the boys are extremely picky eaters and a game of parental one-upmanship rapidly ensues until Peggy’s mother offers coleslaw to the crocodile. “ No thank you. … I’d care for Mrs Dawson,” he replies and SNAP! From there on things go from bad to worse (though perhaps not from the host’s viewpoint) as the crocodile demolishes the rest of the Dawson family one by one leaving only …

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Moreover, he has the audacity to leave before desert having responded to the host’s “Do you always eat the guests? It’s a terrible habit.” With “Not usually … it must be the weather.”
One cannot help wondering if the illustrator was perhaps a pupil of Quentin Blake: her ink/watercolours do bear a slight resemblance to the master artist. She captures that croc’s personality to perfection and her wry scenes are a fine foil for Kim Kane’s dryly-humorous writing. Kane’s matter of fact way of telling reminds me of a cross between Roald Dahl and Paul Jennings. Her word-play is wonderful too and will amuse adults readers aloud as well as the intended child audience, as will Peggy’s mother’s response to the whole sorry evening. What a great introduction to farce this book is, while the fact that young Peggy is twice shown with a book showing a crocodile – once at the beginning of the evening before the arrival of any guests

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and once when they’ve all gone – leaves room for audience interpretation, as does the final endpaper scene.
I do hope this story (that originated in Australia) gets the UK exposure it deserves.

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Dinosaur Pursuits

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Dylan’s Amazing Dinosaurs The Spinosaurus
E.T.Harper and Dan Taylor
Simon & Schuster
Dinosaur-loving Dylan is back with another adventure – his third – and once again, he consults his Grandpa Fossil’s Dinosaur Journal with Wings, his toy pterodactyl by his side. The page about Spinosaurus is the launch-pad for their next dino mission and the objective is to discover the purpose of its spiny sail.
Off they go, but as they glide above the swampy jungle, disaster occurs; Dylan’s rucksack plunges down through the trees …

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and double disaster – it’s seized by the jaws of a Spinosaurus no less.
When the creature catches sight of Dylan and Wings, it’s time to put operation swamp monster into action forthwith.

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Story spoiler I won’t be; so if you want to know whether Dylan regains his rucksack and its precious contents from the Spinosaurus and finds out what it uses that spiny sail for, then get hold of a copy of this action-packed, vividly coloured book for yourself.
With a removable cardboard Spinosaurus included, I’m pretty sure, the new Dylan adventure will help him win more friends as well as satisfying those he already has.

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Yikes, Ticklysaurus!
Pamela Butchart and Sam Lloyd
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
When Brontosaurus and his pals feel in need of something to relieve their boredom, Ticklysaurus suggests a game of Tickle Chase. What better excuse can an adult reader aloud have for tickling a young audience than that? (Fortunately however, my 4s and 5s didn’t emulate Bronto’s excited wee though.)

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There’s a whole lot of tickling, wiggling and giggling in this madcap romp and a bit of splashing too; but what happens when the mischievous tickler finds himself face to face with that scariest of all dinosaurs? Will he dare to tickle a T.Rex? Erm… would you?

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Those brightly coloured dinopal depictions are just the thing to inspire young listeners to create their own dino-representations in two and three dimensions having listened to Pamela Butchart’s rhyming text.

 

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How to Bath Your Little Dinosaur
Jane Clarke and Georgie Birkett
Red Fox
For the very youngest dinosaur lovers, this is a series of instructions on changing the appearance (and the mind) of the cute-looking but very mucky little dino that is reluctant to get himself cleaned up. Seemingly, the small child involved knows just what to do already as he fills the bathtub, pours in lashings of bubble bath, then drops in a rubber duck and squirty fish before …

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Then of course, that little creature is enjoying himself so much that there’s only one way to get him out again

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And then a big hug in a cosy towel is the order of the day – or evening perhaps.
With Jane Clarke’s gentle rhyming text and super-cute illustrations by Georgie Birkett, this is just the thing for very young listeners. Their slightly older siblings who have begun to read for themselves may well be happy to employ their reading skills and share with baby brothers or sisters.
Equally delightful, also in board book format from the same team is:
How to Tuck in Your Sleepy Lion 

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– perfect bedtime reading for the very youngest.

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Animals: Eyes, Bunches, Numbers and Squares

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Who’s Who in the Woods?
Eryl Norris and Andy Mansfield
Templar Publishing
It’s nighttime in the woods: everywhere eyes peep out from the inky darkness. Eyes belonging to all manner of creatures; but which is the one causing all the unease?
Pop-ups on every spread but the first, leap out from the pages to reveal the animal with a frightening stare, the one with a fearsome roar and more

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in this exciting and engaging little book, written in rhyme for which the artist has used a limited palette to great effect. I suggest it’s best saved for home use as some of the pop-outs are quite fragile and might not stand up to the repeated readings this is bound to have.

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A Tower of Giraffes – Animal Bunches
Anna Wright
Words & Pictures
Subtitled ‘Animal Bunches’ this book is essentially a mixed media visual presentation of just that, with each of the sixteen animals represented under the heading of its collective noun. Thus we have the gloriously messy “A Drove of Pigs”,

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a wonderfully woolly Flock of Sheep,

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the florally coated …

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the oh-so-showy Ostentation of Peacocks and many others all portrayed in their full glory. There is a delightful quirkiness about the whole thing and the range of expressions on the animals’ faces in every group is splendid.
Alongside each animal portrait is a paragraph giving some information about the habits and characteristics. Thus we learn for instance that ‘Flamingos are highly sociable, living in groups of up to one thousand … These fancy feathered friends also work together to make theatrical displays … marching in time to impress other birds.’
This book is likely to appeal as much to those interested in design as nature and animals. It is certainly one for the school library or family bookshelf.

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Bear Counts
Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
Simon and Schuster pbk
A cumulative counting book whose rhyming text takes listeners through a sequence of encounters along with friends Mouse and Bear from their shared breakfast in the morning sun. Bear is the leader showing Mouse one sun, one dragonfly, one robin on her nest and one mouse disappointedly clutching just one berry. Then along comes Hare clutching two fruits and …

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so on until there’s a whole host of friends splashing and floating in the pond counting …

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Gorgeous double page spreads of the various stopping points alternate with the counting pages where the focus is on the individual items seen on the previous friend-encounter spread.

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Take a Square
Britta Teckentrup
Words and Pictures
This is one of a new series for the very young that looks at concepts in a fresh, imaginative way at the heart of which is clever design and uncluttered images. Herein, we trail a small dog as he involves readers in a follow-my-leader game taking them through the pages on a playful journey that encompasses a toy truck, the demolition of a block building, a cat, a bone, a toy robot, children playing,

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a visit to the park and finally, a bus ride home and bed.

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But the story is not quite over as closer study reveals …
As the journey progresses, the line of objects accumulates down the left-hand side of each double spread forming a kind of visual list of the story ingredients. Totally involving and lots of fun.

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Betty Goes Bananas In Her Pyjamas

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Enjoying Betty’s antics

Betty Goes Bananas in her Pyjamas
Steve Antony
Oxford University Press
Brilliant bananas! Beloved Betty is back sporting her snazzy banana print PJs this time and being her usual recalcitrant self. It’s her bedtime but – like most infants – she has other things to do. Things like making music …

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A sleep-inducing activity surely thinks Mr Toucan but oh dear me …

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especially not when there’s a painting easel standing there just calling out to be used; and use it she does emphatically …

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Till yawn … But no inducement from Mr T. is going to work, not even that snuggle up with “your big, cuddly teddy bear.’ Because there are all those exciting-looking vehicles to BEEP! HONK! CHOO! CHOO! and WHOOSH!.
Finally the long-suffering Mr T. has had enough. “STOP!” he yells but he has a trump card up his sleeve and it’s one that any self-respecting infant gorilla or child should be happy to settle for …

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So let’s leave the two of them happily together sharing the bedtime story book as I really don’t want to spoil that wonderfully funny finale.
This is such a cracking book, one of those you want to shout about and wave from the rooftops.
Assuredly parents of youngsters will immediately recognize the delaying game Betty is playing and empathise with Mr Toucan as he patiently – well, most of the time – does battle with Betty But, even more importantly, I hope that they will employ his sleep-inducing tactic.

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The Parrot and the Merchant

jillrbennett 2 Comments
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Carmen engrossed in the story

The Parrot and the Merchant
Marjan Vafaian
Tiny Owl
Exquisite, jewel-like illustrations grace every page of this thought-provoking retelling of the ancient fable from the pen of 13th C poet/philosopher Rumi. Gloriously visualised by Marjan Vafaian who has made the merchant a woman, it tells of said merchant, named Mah Jahan who collects and cages beautiful birds for her own pleasure, and one particular bird, her favourite an Indian parrot. A parrot that is able to talk.
When Mah Jahan is set to return to India on a trading mission, she asks her servants what gifts they’d like brought back. She also asks her parrot whose response is this: “Please say hello to my parrot friends in India. Tell them that I miss them, and that makes me sad. Ask them if they have any advice for me.”
Mah Jahan promises to do so and sets off on her journey…

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In India, with her trading complete, Mah Jahan heads for the jungle in search of the parrots. She passes on the message as promised and although the parrots are unable to speak they can communicate. Indeed, one becomes completely still and then plummets down from the tree.
Mah Jahan decides to keep quiet about this terrible alarming occurrence but when confronted by her own enquiring parrot on her return, she decides to say what happened. Her account is met with a silent response and then he too drops to the floor. Convinced he has died, a weeping Mah Jahan carefully lifts the bird only to discover it is still alive. Thereupon it flies into a tree rejoicing in its freedom – the gift she’s brought from India. As the parrot takes flight to its true home, a confused Mar Jahan then realizes, how much she loves that bird, that freedom is what it needs and that freedom will bring her happiness too.
A truly wonderful amalgam of words and pictures for all ages.

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Pictures inspired by the story

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A Froggy Tale and A Squiggly One

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Sir Lilypad
Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie
Simon & Schuster pbk
What a gloriously exuberant celebration of magical happenings and some not so magical too: well, on second thoughts everything about this tale of tiny would-be hero Little Tad and his valiant attempts to gain recognition as Sir Lilypad is pretty magical. It all begins when our pea-sized amphibian reads a book wherein he learns of the amazing transformation from frog to prince by the bestowal of ‘one small kiss from a grateful royal miss.’

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Finding a princess to obtain a kiss and thereby add to his stature then becomes his mission. Off he sets and consults with an ogre, but he is less than helpful and the search continues in forest and field, a witch’s residence and that of a wizard,

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all to no avail. But the quest must continue, stitch, itchy chainmail and soggy sandwiches notwithstanding. Then joy of joys, he glimpses …

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Does this damsel need saving by the gallant Sir Lily? Oh dear me no; and despite his best roaring and sword-wielding efforts, the dragon is at best disdainful and the princess unimpressed.
All is not lost however and after a fantastic show of wailing and beseeching the princess proffers her own words – of wisdom – and more. But who wants to be a story-spoiler, so lets move hastily on a few centuries to the grand finale of this triumphant tale, for that’s ultimately what it is. And a splendid one it is too with it’s dream of a read aloud rhyming text and utterly magnificent scenes of derring-do.
Get this or be sorry: the sword-swooshing, Sir Lilypad will be hot on your trail.

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The Queen’s Spaghetti
Patricia Cleveland-Peck and Tim Archbold
Harper Collins pbk
Queen Nellie and King Jim aren’t your normal royals: they’re not rich and to top up the coffers King Jim works part time at the Royal Mint. Nonetheless, the Queen is a cheerful soul, working in their large garden by day and cooking Jim’s supper on his return from work. On this particular day, feeling especially hungry herself, she decides to rustle up some spaghetti and tomato sauce – one of the King’s favourites too. “Iggly-wiggly spaghetti–o” she sings as she boils up an enormous pan of the stuff and sets to work on the sauce. Soon however, the pan is overflowing and swelling spaghetti fills all the royal saucepans and it’s slithering all over the kitchen floor. Oh dear me: if there’s something King Jim hates, it’s waste, thinks the Queen as she tries valiantly to feed it to the cat, the dog and even the royal peacock.

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But none of them has more than a cursory taster.
The ducks are more obliging as are the hens and the geese; but there’s still an awful lot to dispose of. Thank goodness then for the royal pigs: pretty soon they …

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A delicious aroma greets the hungry King on his return but what do you think happens when he requests a second helping of the scrumptious meal …

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With a nod to the traditional magic pasta pot tale and a wink to the porridge pot, Patricia Cleveland-Peck has cooked up a tasty concoction with a regal base, a sprinkling of farmyard animals and a saucy finale. All in all, with Tim Archbold’s giggle-inducing accompaniments of the visual variety, this re-issue is destined to tickle the taste buds of a whole new child audience. They will relish the riotous scenes, especially the spaghetti-entwined farmyard fowl, and delight in Patricia Cleveland-Peck’s pleasingly playful textual servings.

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Who Wants a Dog?

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The Cloud Spotter
Tom McLaughlin
Bloomsury Children’s Books
Franklin (aka The Cloudspotter) is something of a loner who spends his time watching the clouds, all kinds of clouds that he sees through his various optical devices. Indeed it’s through these that he gets his adventures: underwater,

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as a racing car driver, even as King of the Castle. All is well until along comes The Scruffy Dog; seemingly she too is searching for something, not his clouds, hopes the Cloudspotter. But that canine becomes a shadow and even gets herself into Cloudspotter’s adventures. And that’s when a decision is made. The Scruffy Dog must go. She does – skywards ; but is being alone all that The Cloudspotter had hoped? Or is there room in his life for …

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especially another cloudspotter.
Quirkily delightful characterisation, offbeat visuals and, as with Tom McLaughlin’s The Story Machine, a splendid celebration of the power of the imagination and of friendship. All my readings have elicited positive responses from 5s to 8s.

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I Have a Dog
Charlotte Lance
Allen & Unwin
I’ve never wanted to own a dog – far from it but I have to admit to being enchanted by the exuberant, shaggy canine owned by the narrator of this offbeat, captivating little book. I’m just glad he’s not a member of my household. Pretty much everything is inconvenient so far as the boy is concerned from the moment he wakes, when he has breakfast, gets dressed, engages in a spot of excavating …

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or just wants to play. And really, that’s all his pet wants to do.

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On occasions however this inconvenient creature can be highly convenient – he’s pretty useful when something accidentally gets broken, he’s a great flight launcher, disgusting dinner demolisher, cuddle on the sofa during scary TV programme companion/comforter and finally, bed-wrecker…

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Charlotte Lance uses a muted colour palette for her gently humorous watercolour illustrations of the canine-caused chaos and the contrasting companionship; and by making the patterned text minimal, allows the visuals to do most of the talking. It’s just the thing for dog lovers and anyone needing a reason not to become a dog owner.

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Quests of Wonder

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DSCN4633 (800x600) (2) Little Bell and the Moon
Giles Paley-Phillips and Iris Deppe
Fat Fox Books
Every night at bedtime,Little Bell watches the Moon and hears its tales of whales, boats and treasure: DSCN4632 (800x600) (2) each loves the other and all is well. One night Bell asks her friend to show her that magical-sounding world and together they fly far across mountains, seas and forests. DSCN4631 (800x600) Each night thereafter, they journey and at dawn Bell is safely back home. For sixty years they explore the galaxy until Bell begins to fade, growing more and more frail DSCN4630 (800x600) (2) till it is time for one final farewell tale from a mournful moon before Bell’s soul takes flight on its last journey. A journey that takes it far, far out into space wherein it comes to a special resting place – a ball of light among the stars. ‘ The darkness soon began to clear,/Then the moon did reappear./Upon the light its eyes did dwell,/Within it, it saw Little Bell. /And as the Moon shone back at Bell/They both felt all was well.’ A deeply affecting and tender story of life’s journey, ageing and death. The latter can be a tricky topic for young children. Here though, with poetic text and powerful atmospheric scenes, author and artist have created a safe place from which to explore the inherent themes. Definitely one for the spirituality bookshelf at home or school: a book that resonates long after its reading.   DSCN4655 (800x600) The Most Wonderful Thing in the World
Vivian French and Angela Barrett
Walker Books
A king and queen ponder the future of their kingdom and decide a husband must be found for their daughter, Princess Lucia. Having consulted Wise Old Angelo, they promise their daughter’s hand in marriage to the young man who can show them the most wonderful thing in the world. Lucia meanwhile has made the acquaintance of one, Salvatore, DSCN4653 (800x600) and at the princess’s request, the two explore the city together. At the palace however, her parents are inundated with suitors, each one showing something wonderful. No matter how amazing the items proffered by the endless stream of prospective bridegrooms, DSCN4651 (800x600) nothing seems quite right to the by now, completely overwhelmed, king and queen who then decide to call off the search. First though they must locate their daughter to tell her of their decision and it is only when they locate her and find themselves face to face with a young man claiming to have found what they are seeking,   DSCN4654 (800x600) that things feel right. For what he tells them is absolutely so. It’s then that the eyes of the king and queen are finally opened and all ends, in true fairytale fashion, with a happily married couple adored by all in their kingdom. Angela Barrett’s exquisitely detailed, mannered illustrations grace the pages of Vivian French’s enchanting and admirably crafted telling of this wondrous fairy tale, seemingly given an Italian setting here. For romantics and lovers of fairy tales especially, no matter what their age.
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Tickles, Troubles, Rewards and Rides

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Silly Dizzy Dinosaur!
Jack Tickle
Little Tiger Press pbk
Aptly named, Dizzy is a fun-loving young dinosaur that loves tickles – so long as they aren’t too tickly. Find out what happens when he receives an enormous tickling that is all a bit TOO much in this action-packed romp that is chock full of opportunities for shouting, shaking, hiccupping, and of course, tickling. The up-close scenes zoom readers right in to the main action

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but at the same time there are small part actors in the form of minibeasts and fish to add to the fun and frenzy.

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Go To Sleep, Monty!
Kim Geyer
Andersen Press
Max has looked after his toy dog, Snuffly Poo since he was a baby but now he’s a ‘big boy’ his parents have agreed to him having a real puppy. Little does he realize what he’s taking on though when he chooses his pup; Monty needs a fair bit of training to say the very least.

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But when bedtime comes, things prove even more tricky: despite Max’s very best efforts, Monty just will not go to sleep.

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Indeed, he pees all over the kitchen floor. Then Max has a brainwave; he offers Monty Snuggly Poo as a sleep mate. Bad move, Max.
Just what will it take for the boy and his lively pup to get a night’s sleep?
Kim Geyer has created some endearing characters – human and otherwise for her debut picture book, presenting the action very much from Max and Monty’s perspective using a subdued palette for the larger than life scenes. It’s a story that will go down well with under fives at bedtime or any time, particularly those who have a lively pup to look after.

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Babies Don’t Walk They Ride!
Kathy Henderson and Lauren Tobia
Brubaker, Ford & Friends (Templar)
Delectable infants grace the pages of this lovely book as they are pushed, shoulder ride, glide, stroll (in their buggies of course), roll in trolleys (and other things), go bumping in buses,

 

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charge charioteer-like and even fly sometimes;

 

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all courtesy of their parents, carers, siblings and very likely, grandparents and other willing movers and shakers, all of whom huggle and cuddle, and sing to their charges. And those babes if only they could, would join in the chorus of “Babies don’t walk they ride!’
What a joyful time is had by all – readers, listeners and of course, those infants and those who care for them in this gorgeously illustrated, rhyming parade of perambulations.

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A great partnership and a ‘read over-and over’-production for the very young and all their adult minders. One (or more) to give and one to keep, I’d say.

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The Fairiest Fairy
Anne Booth and Rosalind Beardshaw
Nosy Crow
When young, Betty starts Fairy School her teacher despairs of her. Although she does her very best Betty just cannot manage to make dewdrops sparkle in the sun, nor wake the flowers up in the morning

 

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or even paint rainbows like the other pupils. She does have a very kind heart though as we see when she attends to a rabbit’s foot, helps a baby bird learn to fly and rescues a butterfly tangled up in a flower.

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When it’s time for the annual Fairy Ball, a tearful Betty is convinced she won’t be chosen by the Fairy King and Queen. How could such a messy, muddle-making fairy, be the Fairiest Fairy in all the land?
Endearing infant fairies cavort and sometimes, stumble across the rainbow hued pages of this enchanting rhyming take on the joys and tribulations of starting nursery or school for the first time which is at the same time, a demonstration of the importance of showing kindness and consideration to all.

Other recent or reissued titles on first experiences at nursery/school are:

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Pete the Cat Rocking in My School Shoes
Eric Litwin and James Dean
Harper Collins pbk
Groovy Pete dons his funky new school shoes and heads off to school. There he discovers the joys of the library, painting, eating his packed lunch and the slide in the playground. He also tries his paws at writing and basic maths and decides school rocks.
Upbeat and offbeat fun; and a song to sing-along with.
and
Going to Nursery
Catherine and Lawrence Anholt
Orchard Books pbk
A reissue of the beautifully reassuring story of Anna’s first forays into nursery wherein she meets the lovely teacher, Mrs Sams and the rest of her exuberant charges and samples the delights of the exciting range of activities on offer.

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Dads and A Digger-Driving Pirate

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Daddy I Can’t Sleep
Alan Durant and Judi Abbot
Picture Corgi pbk
It’s bedtime for Little Panda but he just cannot get to sleep: He can hear all kinds of scary noises. What could be roaring and howling outside their cave in the forest?
Fortunately, Daddy Panda knows exactly how to quell those fears. Taking Little Panda on his back off he goes into the forest and there they hear not scary sounds, but the gentle music of the bamboos,

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see the palm fronds waving bird-like in the wind and smell the sweet aroma of the fresh juicy shoots. Then having collected stem, leaves

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and shoots they head home and after partaking of a tasty treat, Little Panda snuggles down in bed. But before he sleeps there’s a lovely surprise – or rather, two lovely surprises – waiting for him, courtesy of Daddy Panda.

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A warm, reassuring tale with a pair of delightful characters; what a super, empathetic father figure Daddy Panda is. Judi Abbot’s densely coloured illustrations capture the atmosphere of the moonlit forest beautifully and those panda expressions speak volumes. Snuggle up close and share at bedtime or any time.

 

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I Want My Daddy
Tracey Corderoy and Alison Edgson
Little Tiger Press
There are times when only a dad will do and Arthur is having one of those days. The first time it’s when his castle collapses, then when his knightly activities cause him to come a cropper

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and after that his foray into fishing proves rather too much for the youngster. But happily for Arthur his Daddy is on hand to rescue the situation every time disaster strikes. After such an eventful day the young knight decides from the safety of his super new castle that it is time to inaugurate a very special king to rule over the kingdom and he sets to work creating …

 

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Share with Dads (and others) especially after one of those days when everything’s been just a bit too much. We can all applaud the fatherly care and consideration shown to young Arthur in this warm-hearted story for the very young.

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Pirates Don’t Drive Diggers
Alex English and Duncan Beady
Maverick Arts Publishing pbk
Brad comes from pirating stock; his Dad is determined young Pirate Brad should go off and join a crew. Brad however, has other plans: rather than fighting and plundering, he longs for a life driving diggers on a building site. Dad wishes win the day and so Bradley packs his bag and boards ship as crew member of the Salty Dog.

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Right from the start though, Brad fails to live up to Captain Blood’s expectations: his compass reading is topsy turvy, sword fights turn him to a quivering, cowering jelly and he takes a terrible tumble landing right in Blood’s bunk.
Begging for a final chance, Brad is presented with a large map and ordered to return with the treasure or walk the plank, so off he rows, fearing for his life. As luck would have it however, he eventually lands up on shore and having found the X begins to dig but …

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Surely our Brad isn’t about to meet his doom? As he keeps saying, “A pirate’s life is not for me,/ I want to drive a digger, see.” Hold on though lad … what did you just say? Off he dashes to the building site.

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But can he persuade those astonished builders to help him out? What do you think? …

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The Little Bookshop and the Origami Army!

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The Little Bookshop and the Origami Army!
Michael Foreman
Andersen Press
One rainy day when newspaper boy Joey hears from The Little Bookshop’s owner

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of the mayor’s plans to demolish the bookshop and replace it with a superstore he immediately takes action calling upon his erstwhile Super Hero ally, Origami Girl; and instantly she is there. She and Joey, with the help of the bookseller, set about transforming pages from favourite children’s titles

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into an Origami Army of best-loved children’s characters.
Then, off they all fly towards Parliament forming as they go a huge rainbow of fairytale, myth and legend, before descending and charging right into the Great Hall of Government to discover a room full of sleeping ministers.
The disillusioned troops hastily return to the bookshop only to be confronted by the Mayor, surveyors and a whole lot of destructive machinery. Undaunted, Origami Girl heads off to the obvious place to recruit reinforcements – the Public Library – and soon an enlarged army is ready to do battle. The Mayor’s derisory “They are only made of paper … ” is countered by army members’ responses of “We are made of IDEAS!” together with, “And IMAGINATION… We are made of things you can never destroy!” and more.

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But it’s not until the builders begin to recognize the likes of Elmer, Peter Pan, Alice, the Walrus and the Carpenter and The Little Princess that things really start to turn in favour of the bookshop protectors.
Does the Origami Army finally defeat the Mayor and his dastardly plan? Well, I’ll leave that to your imagination and just say that thanks to the builders, there’s a rainbow-hued ending.
Unequivocally a fine testament to the power of books, bookshops, reading and of course, ideas and the imagination: and with Foreman’s masterful watercolours what else could one ask – an army of readers to save all threatened bookshops perhaps? Bring them on, say I.

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Surprising a Dad/Superhero Dad

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How to Surprise a Dad
Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish
Hodder Children’s Books
The same team who gave us manuals for babysitting a Grandma and a Grandad now offer another instruction book. Herein we find a brother and sister joining forces to give their Dad a day (or several) to remember If you want tips on Dad-pleasing, then look no further, so long as you are prepared to be more than a little tricky;

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and it’s better to enlist Mum’s support too.
There are suggestions for the kind of surprises you might make – inventions for instance,

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or getting things ready or organising things for him, helping with the shopping, days out enjoying nature and some wonderful cooking extravaganzas with favourite ingredients (spicy crisps, smoked oysters, super-stinky cheese for instance) to serve along with those choc. chip cookies.

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With a plethora of plans to please a papa from Reagan and those digitally rendered illustrations peppered with presents and pop-pleasing humour from Wildish, this is an obvious choice for Father’s Day but equally fun to share with Dad at any time.

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Superhero Dad
Timothy Knapman and Joe Berger
Nosy Crow
The Dad in this rhyming romp is assuredly a larger than life character – a secret superhero – the boy narrator informs us. His snores are ear-splitting, breakfasts are outlandishly awesome concoctions,

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he laughs uproariously at his own super-soppy jokes, his strength is – well what do you think?

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So much is worthy of his superhero status: his roars, (and kisses), his zooms and lifts, his woodwork skills especially.

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But, the positioning of his pants puts his whole ‘superhero-ness’ in doubt (to those who don’t know him well that is) but not to our young narrator: he knows what others don’t. It’s Dad though, not boy who has the final word …
With comical celebratory capers, cleverly constructed by the super Knapman and Berger partnership, this is a special treat for Dads to share with their super-kids and vice-versa; but also great fun for all super-adults to read to all super-smalls.

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Gracie and Leo engrossed in the story.

 

 

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My Dad’s the Best!
Nicholas Allan
Red Fox pbk
All dads are special is the message in Nicholas Allen’s latest offering. None however is quite like that belonging to the young narrator of this rhyming celebration of one slightly eccentric father figure, and dads in general.

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Told through a jaunty text and a sequence of zany watercolour illustrations,
this is one for dads and their offspring to share and not just on Fathers’ Day.

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Love and Safe-Keeping

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I’ll Catch You If You Fall
Mark Sperring and Layn Marlow
Oxford University Press pbk
As a small boy with fishing gear journeys on a small boat on a big, big ocean, the question to ponder is ‘Who will keep him safe?’ His mother is there for that; and the captain to keep them both safe;

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and a star to guide the boat through the stormy seas until they all reach the harbour safe and sound where Daddy waits with open arms.

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And then it is the turn of the little boy to offer safekeeping – to …

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There is a satisfying circularity to Mark Sperring’s short, gentle question and answer text, which is beautifully depicted. Layn Marlow’s illustrations radiate warmth, really capturing those feelings of loving care and security engendered by the words.

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I Love Dad
J.M.Walsh and Judi Abbot
Simon & Schuster pbk
A young dinosaur narrator relives with readers his day, a day shared with his Dad that’s filled with playful fun and games. Together Dad and offspring walk, cycle (once Dad has fixed up their bikes that is), bounce –that’s little dinosaur using Dad’s knees as a trampoline, and more. Back at home there’s plenty of shared fun too: playing games,

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cooking and sharing a meal; and nobody but Dad can make a bedtime story such an action-packed delight.
After all that, what’s better than to dream of tomorrow’s Dad-filled day?
What young child wouldn’t wish for a father like that Dino-dad who can turn his hand to pretty much anything.

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Enormously endearing characters both large and small in scenes delightfully created in Walsh’s words and Abbot’s warm-hearted pictorial renderings.

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I Love You Daddy Grizzle
Mark Sperring and Sebastien Braun
Puffin Books
In the third story to feature this delightful duo, Little Pip is just about to wake his slumbering Dad one morning when discovers a note saying …

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Unsure what is to be celebrated, he ignores the request and discovers the pair have planned a special day out, a day that starts with the collecting of sticks. Off they go together into the woods and slowly, bit by bit, with Daddy Grizzle’s helpful clues, Little Pip pieces together a whole adventure filled with fun,

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fire-lighting, feasting and a final unplanned surprise …
A gorgeously warm-hearted celebration of paternal affection that quietly delivers a message about love and companionship being more important than material gifts.

 

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Braun’s illustrations are packed with humorous details and heart melting moments.

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Black Cat, White Cat & The White Book

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Emmanuelle was enchanted by the two cats and their story

Black Cat, White Cat
Silvia Borando
Walker Books
This is one of two Minibombo titles originally published in Italy and now released by Walker Books in the UK. They are the creation of a highly innovative visual designer and have a great deal to offer to the young and not so young.
Black Cat is just that – entirely black ‘from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tale.’ He is diurnal by nature.
White Cat in contrast is white all over from nose to tail; she is nocturnal.
Both however are curious creatures and decide to find out about the unknown. That is how they encounter one another and each agrees to act as guide facilitating the other on a journey of discovery. Thus Black Cat delights in the wonders of night such as the “glittery, fluttery fireflies’”

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and samples the tasty snakes, bats and mice of the night.

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White Cat is surprised by the day-flying “busy, buzzy bumblebees” and sees the beautiful daisies, doves and butterflies.
Ultimately, the two become inseparable

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and two become …
A wonderful surprise ending ensues but I don’t want to spoil that.
Juxtaposition is key throughout this seemingly simple, visually striking book.
By using only black and white the focus is always on the visual play between the characters, their backgrounds, the placing of the images on the spreads and the contrasting space around them. Genius!

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The White Book
Silvia Borando, Lorenzo Clerici & Elisabetta Pica
Walker Books
An endearing small boy stands before a white wall, large paint roller in hand. He then proceeds to paint the wall all over, first with magenta, then blue, green, grey, yellow ochre, purple and finally, orange. Each time the lad puts paint to wall he creates and gives life to, a series of animals.

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These appear to leap from the background at first as white outlines and then take solid form as creatures that move away. In this way the protagonist emulates Crockett Johnson’s Harold (of Purple Crayon fame.) Thus the birds take flight, the fish swim off, a stegosaurus roars alarmingly, a large elephant lumbers back squashing the boy against the wall, one of the giraffes lifts him skywards,

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almost by the scruff of his neck and a purple aardvark seemingly attempts to swallow the paint-roller.
After all this, the boy’s persistence and determination is rewarded when a sausage shaped-pup appears from the orange wall and

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yippee! it wants to play.
It’s assuredly a case of ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try and try again’ and so cleverly rendered in this wordless story.
The book is a wonderful starting point for encouraging children to use their imaginations to create visual narratives of their own. Its inventive ideas and ingenious use of white and single colours is sure to make a powerful impact.
I look forward eagerly to more Minibombo titles.

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Woolly Wonders and Katie’s Wondrous Starry Night

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A Box of Socks
Amanda Brandon and Catalina Echeverri
Maverick Arts Publishing pbk
Granny Mutton is knitting again – not a scarf this time but socks – a whole box of them. Little Lionel cannot wait to open the box of delights that is Granny’s container for the woollen gifts she Clickety-click’ creates with her trusty needles. Instead he plays the “What’s in the box … “ guessing game; (now that sounds familiar to me in my foundation stage teacher role) and learns that its contents will keep the feet of his friends horse, duck, dog and mouse cosy and warm.
After a spell spent pairing and labelling said socks, off goes an excited Lionel to deliver them to his pals.

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But disaster strikes in the form of sheepdog, Rocky who zooms past sending the box and its contents whirling skywards – whoopsie! You will guess what happens when Lionel finally retrieves all the socks and labels – labels that have been separated from their sock pairs …
Then it’s a case of Operation Swap Sock until order is finally restored and those stylish socks (and one more pair) duly celebrated.

 

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Part of the enjoyment of this amusing tale is in the anticipation of the sock mix-up and the story is a fantastic starting point for an early years game of sock sorting/matching. (You will need a few pairs of funky socks to play and there are several possibilities for activities, some open-ended, others less so.)
First though, share this super-socky story with your class or group and let them relish the antics portrayed in Calalina Echeverri’s wild and woolly artwork.

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Katie and the Starry Night
James Mayhew
Orchard Books pbk
Katie and her Grandma enjoy visiting art galleries together and on this particular day, the purpose of their visit is to look at some of the works of Vincent Van Gogh. Katie’s favourite is The Starry Night and as Grandma dozes in front of the painting, Katie goes right inside it and catches one of the dazzling stars. Other stars tumble out and follow her as she leaves the picture and moves on visiting

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Vincent’s Chair, Noon, The Olive Grove and Fishing Boats on the Beach each of which becomes part of her magical journey. But she must catch and replace all the stars before the gallery guard discovers their absence. Katie is joined on her journey by the subjects of the other paintings,

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but rest assured, everything and everyone is returned to the rightful place before Grandma stirs from her own dream.
It’s over twenty-five years since James Mayhew first introduced Katie as a means of sharing his enthusiasm for art with children. He has continued to delight countless under eights (and adults) with further Katie books and this one will be no exception. It’s a wonderful way to introduce the work of Van Gogh to a young audience (along with seeing one of the artist’s paintings for real that is) and will surely inspire many of them to try creating their own twirly, starry, skies. There’s even a final page message from Katie to help set those paint tools or fingers a-swirling.
Not to be missed: a classic.

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Bad Behaviour and Good

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Rude Cakes
Rowboat Watkins
Chronicle Books
If you’re looking for a quirky take on manners bad and good, then this entirely crazy confection is certainly one you should bite into. The tale shows what happens when the two-tiered character of the title – a far from sweet, indeed thoroughly ill-mannered, badly behaved object – that bullies and totally disrespects his four-tiered parents is whisked away

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to a place inhabited by Giant Cyclopses and one of their number starts sporting “Rudey” as my audience named him as a ‘jaunty little hat.’

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From upon a Cyclops’ head, the cake discovers a completely new way of being: one where sharing, politeness and respect for one’s elders is the thing and is then returned, a reformed character, to his bedroom safe and altogether sweeter.
Watkins has used watercolours in pastel shades, and delicate lines, to portray his wonderfully silly cakey characters and somehow manages to create sufficient solidity and gravitas in the Cyclopses to give them a powerful presence, a presence that began in the form of a toy stolen from a chocolate cupcake and a poster above the chief protagonist’s bed. (Observant readers will have noticed these.)

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And the moral of the tale? Well, that’s pretty clear but the deliciously playful manner of telling means that there’s no preaching. Rather the whole thing is a cleverly concocted metaphor showing how greater forces for good can prevail.
Would that it were so in our world of conflicts and catastrophes.
Powerful stuff: I wonder what Watkins will cook up next.

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A Gold Star for George
Alice Hemming and Kimberley Scott
Maverick Arts Publishing
I’m not a fan of the rewards and punishments system that is so prevalent in schools but I have to applaud, and wholeheartedly endorse George Giraffe’s endeavours in this story, set in The Heavenly Hippos Wildlife Park.
When the notice announcing Heavenly Hippos Gold Star Awards is posted George ponders the possibilities of getting a shiny gold star for that special place on his fence.

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He’s always on hand to assist his pals in their endeavours but could he be a winner? All the other animals have talents to display but George cannot win that category; what about the most stylish animal perhaps? No – that’s goes to the only unadorned of the animals.
It’s a somewhat downhearted George that celebrates his pals’ prizes but goes to sleep without one of his own. What then is that sound he hears on waking … and that bright twinkle? …

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Kindness and consideration win through in this story, which I envisage being shared as a prelude to circle time sessions in early years settings especially. Amusingly expressive illustrations grace every spread and celebrate an endearing character.

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Journeys with Elephants

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Gracie captivated by Raju’s journey with his mother

Soon
Timothy Knapman and Patrick Benson
Walker Books
A mummy elephant opens the eyes of her little one, Raju to the wonders of the world around when she takes him on a long walk. They travel to the river where crocodiles snap, the shadowy forest where snakes slither,

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the tall grass wherein a tiger prowls and climb to the top of a mountain from where Raju sees his whole world before him and the two agree that it’s beautiful. Even then though, Raju’s only question like always, is, “When can we go home again?” But when she has tenderly led him back home, past the tiger, the snake and the crocodiles, her weary offspring wants to know, “When can we do it all again?” As always, this beautiful book’s title is her response.
Patrick Benson’s use of light and shade magically evokes passage of the day and the journey of the elephants through the changing Indian landscapes – landscapes that are aglow with sunlight and finally, moonlight.

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I know not whether he has actually seen such scenes: I have and they definitely are, spot on. Make sure you don’t miss those gorgeous endpapers.
Knapman’s use of repetition serves to add weight to the words of warning and reassuring actions of Mummy elephant who keeps a steadfast vigilance and knows exactly what to do to keep her young one safe at every potentially dangerous encounter.

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A book to visit over and over, as I imagine that mountain-top will be by the elephant characters therein.

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Emily Brown and the Elephant Emergency
Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton
Hodder Children’s Books pbk
Emily, Stanley and elephant pal, Matilda are whitewater rafting on the Zambezi river in order to investigate some mysterious footprints they hope will lead to the discovery of a new dinosaur species. In case of emergencies, they have a telephone but the trouble is Matilda’s extremely anxious mother insists on ringing to check that her offspring is wearing her wellies (I ask you), keeping warm and not ending up as some creature’s next meal. Moreover, she insists on calling at the most inopportune, moments for ridiculous, non-emergency reasons just when the intrepid explorers are for example, scaling the heights of Mount Everest.
Indeed it’s pretty clear that the only real problem is these constant check-up calls: the phone itself has become a tyrannical nuisance.

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Then Matilda decides to sit out of the diamond search; could she possibly have become ensnared by her own worst fears, or rather her mum’s? …

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And is there another explanation for the sudden absence of that Ri-i-i-ing! Ri-i-i-i-ng sound that has seemed so all- pervasive?
Wonderfully witty and at times, woeful illustrations of the friends, show the energetic characters delighting in their freedom to explore, while the pesky phone is never far from the view. And, I just love that throwaway ending.
Over-anxious parents take note…

If elephants are your thing then you will also like:

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Elephant
Suzi Eszterhas
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books pbk
This is one of the excellent Eye on the Wild series by an award-winning wildlife photographer. Herein we follow a new born African bull elephant as he slowly grows and develops into a full-grown adult some fifteen years later.
The many aspects of family life are shown, the herd being a matriarchal society wherein all the females work together sharing the care of the young elephants. The photographs – small and full page or double spread – beautifully portray life in the herd. There are in addition some close ups such as one of the tough wrinkled skin, which helps protect the elephant from the baking sun and the playful water-hole scenes are a delight.

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In addition to the straightforward narrative text, there is a final page giving additional facts opposite which is a powerful image of the bull elephant going off alone through the grassy savannah.
Simple but very effective and ideal for helping to instill a love and understanding of the natural world in the young, be they at home or in an early years/younger primary classroom.

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Look, Do, Discover

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How Things Work
Thames and Hudson
This large-sized book is a veritable treasure trove of ideas scientific, all using things that are likely to be found in the immediate environment as a starting point for investigation.
We join friends Koko and Alex – the former a deconstructionist fascinated by how things work, the latter a would-be machine builder. We also meet a trio of explorers who act as commentator, questioner and thought provoker, throughout. Starting with How to build a house, our explorers take readers through the process step by step introducing the various materials used. Then we move on to a spread that looks at all kinds of homes and there’s an invitation to play I Spy.

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Back we go next to learn about water and electricity and how not to waste these vital resources in the home.
There’s a materials game to play followed by some playful ‘Can you?’ scenarios to consider such as a paper hammer or wooden specs.

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There’s also a great “How is it made? section about book making from author’s ideas to finished product, followed by instructions on making a concertina book – budding authors/illustrators take note. I could go on but suffice it to say other topics include ‘What is a machine?’ and spin off activities, shadow play and other light-related activities, a look at other power sources and …
As a teacher I’m always encouraging children to ask ‘how?’, ‘why? And ‘what?’ questions and equally they love to do so and then discover answers to their queries. Billed as ‘Facts and fun/Questions and answers/ Things to make and do’,

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this volume, in addition to being a fun introduction to a host of science concepts, is an ideal starting point for enquiring minds.
The illustrations – a mix of seemingly, simple child-like art and photographs –

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are plentiful, amusing, involving and show great attention to detail.
A stonkingly good book all round either for home enjoyment or the primary classroom.

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Creatures Great and Small
Lucy Engelman illustrator
Wide Eyed Editions
Is it a colouring book? Is it a field guide? Actually, this one is more like a sketchpad with thick card backboard and tear-out pages containing thirty five prints of members of the animal kingdom from all over the world is both. Some 250 species in all are featured and these are divided into groups, each one having a page print to colour. So for example there are pages of large mammals, Marine Mammals for instance or Primates as well as Frogs, Toads or Bugs, Beetles and Bees.
The limited space available dictates that only a snippet of information can be given about each creature on the colouring page,

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with further details provided (by Valerie Davies) on the back key page. This includes information on the colour and pattern of each animal drawn.
This is certainly not a book for the very young; rather it will appeal to older readers (child and adult) who like information rendered visually rather in lots of words. There is assuredly plenty to keep anyone gainfully occupied and may very well send readers off to research and find other sources of information although completing the pictures can equally well be an end in itself.

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Be the Change/Watch the Change

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Bogtrotter
Margaret Wild and Judith Rossell
Walker Books
‘What is this life, if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare’ said the poet W.H.Davies.
Pretty awful and extremely hectic, and that’s certainly so for the hero of this fantastic philosophical tale.
Bogtrotter lives his life in a gloomy cave in a mushy bog by night, and by day he dashes madly up, down and around the bog. He never questions this monotonous existence although on occasion and without knowing why, he feels bored, lonely and in need of a change.
The catalyst for that change comes in the form of a more radical frog who stops to question Bogtrotter’s unrelentingly dull existence then hops off with an “Ah,” leaving a Bogtrotter in whom a seed of change has already started to take root. Indeed he notices something small and yellow at his feet and …

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That night the flower is clutched tight to Bogtrotter when he goes to sleep and the following day he’s quickly up and off for his morning run but with a friendship forging stop en route. And so it goes on morning after morning, Bogtrotter embracing new experiences but all the while continuing with his same bog-bound running regime.

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Yet something still seems to be missing from this changed existence; what or who might it be?
There follows a timely reappearance of frog. “Do you ever run outside the bog?” he asks and leaves Bogtrotter pondering. Then, responding to the Frog’s question Bogtrotter is off on his run… over, up and over again DSCN4672 (800x600)
and … DSCN4673 (800x600)
I love the author’s contrasting characters – unimaginative, blinkered Bogtrotter and the more divergent thinking frog who does nothing much but pose two questions and respond entirely appropriately “Ah.” to what Bogtrotter replies.(He’d make a good early years teacher, that frog.)
I also love Judith Rossell’s watercolour renditions of those characters in the swampy scenes and the way she has made both Bogtrotter (despite his limited world view)

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and frog so endearing. I just wanted to hug that Bogtrotter tight and give him a few gentle shakes to get him out of his rut.
So much to think about, so much to talk about in this book; but first, share it and enjoy the journey, for that’s really what it is and it’s one I’d wholeheartedly recommend is undertaken by anyone from around four years old onwards.

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Hedgehugs Horace and Hattiepillar
Lucy Tapper and Steve Wilson
Marverick Arts Publising pbk
Handstanding Hattie and tree-climbing Horace hedgehogs are almost inseparable friends. One day they discover a tiny, smooth shiny object beneath a leaf; something that turns out to be a stripy and extremely hungry caterpillar. In no time at all it has devoured the leaf and Horace and Hattie have to go in search of fresh food supplies for the constantly growing creature. Until that is, it’s had it’s fill and is ready to pupate.
Then it’s a waiting time for the friends; but eventually they are rewarded with …

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If you want to know what happens when Hattie and Horace follow suit, you might try emulating the caterpillar

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in this sequel from the partnership that gave us the delightful Hedgehugs, find your own copy of this book. And, it would be wonderful to let children bury themselves in a fluffy bed of flowers (unpicked of course) – so long as they don’t get hay fever, that is.

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As in the first story, the richly patterned artwork is charming and may well encourage children to create their own Hattie and Horace collage pictures and perhaps, stories.

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A Groovy World and A Fishy One

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It’s A Groovy World, Alfredo!
Sean Taylor and Chris Garbutt
Walker Books
Alfredo (frog) is not into groovy dancing so when he receives an invitation to Rick’s birthday party where such dancing is scheduled under disco lights, he is less than enthusiastic. Marty promises to teach him all the moves and arrives at Alfredo’s house ready to demonstrate COOL BOOGIE STYLE. Alfredo’s efforts are far from the knees bend, shimmy-shammy shuffle demonstrated by his winged friend; indeed they are a total flop.

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So too is his rendering of the SPEEDY HEEBIE-JEEBIES which is totally unlike Marty’s …

 

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But worst of all is the SILKY-SMOOTH MOVING AND GROOVING as done by our pal Alfredo. It’s his jump, jump, jumping that wrecks it every time. Nonetheless, Marty is eager to take his friend along to that party so off they go …

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where assuredly, rhythm does take control of Marty but our jumping Alfredo? That’s altogether a different story; and procrastination not withstanding …

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Could it now be that a fourth way of grooving has been added to the approved party dance agenda?
Prolific author Sean Taylor has joined forces with animation artist, Garbutt and it’s an entirely appropriate collaboration for this exuberant and funky foray into disco dancing fly- and frog-style. Upbeat, outgoing Marty is the ideal foil to self-conscious, floppy-footed, Alfredo.

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Children’s mixed media responses to Fish’s world view of what Frog saw.

 

Fish is Fish
Leo Lionni
Andersen Press pbk
Another classic Leo Lionni story is reissued and it’s still as powerful as ever with today’s children (and adults who may well have heard it the first time around). At the heart of this multi-layered tale is the notion that we all look at the world through different lenses: our world-view depends on our life experience and that limits the way in which we think about and understand others and their cultures.
In the story we watch what happens when close friends, a minnow and a tadpole, having begun to talk philosophically, start to grow apart as they develop; and in particular tadpole, changes. As frog, he climbs out of the pond and goes off to explore the wider world returning weeks later full of excited accounts of what he has seen.
His friend imagines the birds, cows and humans he hears of with fishy characteristics

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and as the days pass, the curious minnow resolves to see such amazing creatures for himself. His foray onto land however is a near disaster and it’s only thanks to his amphibious friend, that the fish is safely returned to his watery home – ‘the most beautiful of all worlds’ – for fish anyhow.
A wonderfully dramatic story and a thoughtful look at what constitutes truth and how we construct reality: postmodernism for primary children. It’s a great jumping off point too for further philosophical discussion and exploration of ideas relating to being true to oneself, enduring friendship and much more, depending on the age and stage of the audience.
Unmissable.

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A Bear on a Chair, A Tearful Teddybear

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There’s a Bear On My Chair
Ross Collins
Nosy Crow
“There’s a bear on my chair,” declares the grumpy-looking mouse. Well, wouldn’t you be annoyed if you found an enormous white ursine character had plonked itself on your favourite piece of furniture and was refusing to budge despite your best efforts.

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Especially when said bear then proceeds to peruse the paper, attend to his coiffeur and cannot even to be tempted to shift with a juicy pear.
This is just not on – well I suppose it is, if you’re the bear – but our tiny friend is determined to reclaim his seat so scaring is his next move. But …

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seemingly this bear is not for moving. Hold on a minute, do I detect a slight shift …

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so what is all that about?
Completely at a loss, the despairing narrator mouse finally decides to quit the scene but whither do his little paws take him? Well, that would be telling wouldn’t it?
A resounding cheer – and another – and another for Ross Collins and his glorious two hander, or should that be monologue perhaps? Whichever, it’s superb.
The comic timing is spot on and what a gift to the adult reader aloud. This one has had terrific fun sharing it with groups of listeners wherever she can get a chair. And those illustrations speak volumes – I’d love to show you every single one but you’ll just have to get your paws on a copy of the book for that.

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Cheer Up Your Teddy Bear, Emily Brown!
Cressida Cowell and Neal Layton
Hodder Children’s Books pbk
In this, the fourth title to feature Emily Brown and her rabbit Stanley, the two are indoors on a wet day playing at camping in the Australian Outback when they hear a PLIP! PLOP! seemingly coming from the toy box. Therein they find a somewhat soggy, very tearful little teddy singing plaintively about her loneliness.

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Emily invites the troubled ted to accompany them on their camping adventure in the hope of cheering her up and off the three go. But does this have the desired mood lifting effect? Oh dear no, so Emily undaunted (as yet) suggests a trip to the Yellowstone Park

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but although Emily Brown and Stanley have a great time bear spotting the grizzlies, black bears and others (despite the lack of other teddies), this too fails to lift the mood of Tearful Teddy.
What about the third attempt? Their south of France, Van Gogh efforts must surely do the trick …

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Goodness me NO! What a misery guts their ursine companion is. Eventually that large black cloud engulfs not only Tearful Teddy, but Emily Brown and Stanley too.
Time for some drastic action, thinks Emily B. Out comes her red brolly with a SWOOOOOOOOOOOSH!! And, there before their eyes up pop …

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a dozen little teddies needing a temporary shelter from their picnic. They explain their initial reluctance to include Tearful Ted in their fun and she tries explaining her lack of smile. Emily Brown of course, in her unflappable way, is ready to help with a ‘rediscover your smile plan’ and all ends smilingly – despite another shower.
Another super read aloud and a real testament to young children’s imagination. It’s great for starting an exploration of feelings indicating that sometimes it’s OK to feel sad, particularly when there are friends to help you cheer up.
My audiences have loved joining in with Tearful Ted’s increasingly long song; some clapped at the umbrella-opening incident and immediately demanded a re-read at the end. Two 5 year olds even left the room singing Tearful Ted’s song.

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A group of 4s to 9s created a teddybears’ picnic for Tearful Ted

 

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A Forest & It Might Be An Apple

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A Forest
Marc Martin
Templar Publishing
Once there was a forest – an ancient one that had grown up thick and lush over thousands of years; but then along came people with saws and axes and they began to cut down the trees, Just a little at a time at first and with care, replacing what they’d taken.

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Greed soon replaces judiciousness though and gradually trees give way to smoke-belching factories. There instead stands a city – all but treeless and thick with pollution. Then comes a terrible storm with rain so strong it destroys the entire built environment …

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leaving just one small tree.
Thank heavens for that one tree for, as the years pass it develops into another forest.

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Let’s hope those greedy people stop and think this itme.
This alarmingly thought-provoking fable – a debut book for Australian illustrator, Martin – is a timely (and timeless) reminder of the terrible damage mankind can all too easily do to our precious environment. His mixed media scenes are a felicitous amalgam of digitally manipulated watercolour and fine-lined, close packed pen work.

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It Might be An Apple
Shinsuke Yoshitake
Thames and Hudson
When you see an apple before you on the table, what do you think? Probably, like me – ‘Hmm! yummy – just what I need’ – and you proceed to bite into it.
Not so the boy in this brilliantly inventive, romp of a book. His thoughts are much more philosophical in nature: is it really an apple? Might it perhaps be a jelly-filled cherry, a red fish curled into a ball or an egg? Could it even be packed with clever devices

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such as an engine, a flavour generator, a redness regulator?
Our investigator’s imagination continues to flow – onwards, up and out – till it becomes an amazing house, then an entire crazy fantasy planet populated with tiny apple aliens. Seemingly the possibilities are endless when entertained by our lad herein: does it have feelings? Siblings and other family members? A desire to learn about our narrator? A funky new hairstyle?

 

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Even,’Is everyone else an apple?’

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Then of course, there’s that existential question ‘Why is it here in the first place?’
And much more …

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Not only has Shinsuke Yoshitake picked a common or garden item and peeled off its skin to reveal a world with a multitude of possibilities and more, he also encourages youngsters (and perhaps adults) to adopt a questioning attitude towards the world around. Those comic strip sequences and full spread scenes are fantastic; thought provoking and highly entertaining – in more ways than one. I feel a community of enquiry coming on.
Do, I urge you take a bite of this one; and then go back for more and more and … And, in case you are wondering whether our boy narrator finally samples this object of wonder,

 

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well you’ll have to get hold of this delicious book and discover for yourself. Superb stuff.

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GRUMBUG!

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Grumbug!
Adam Stower
Templar Publishing
Yippee! It’s a return visit from my favourite Troll and of course, Oliver. This time however, it’s Oliver’s small sister, Dolly who features large – well not that large – in this story.
At the outset we find Oliver and his best pal, Troll hard at work in their café: a café run exclusively for trolls (of the cake-only-eating variety I hasten to add.) So busy are the friends that they fail to notice young Dolly heading out through the open door.

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Some time later her absence is discovered and a hunt ensues. An exhaustive search of the café reveals no Dolly so Oliver declares an outside search is needed. “BEWARE! Steer clear of Munch Mountain – you know who lives there!” warns a wise old troll speaking of  …  

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All manner of dreadful descriptions issue forth from other trolls but Oliver is undaunted and armed with cake and alone save his trusty pal Troll, he sallies forth on a Dolly hunt. Into the forest they go … Oliver at least, heedless of the clues around them

 

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– until they find themselves at the foot of Munch Mountain. Up, up they go and at the top they find …

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And she’s not alone; but surely that creature cannot be the BIGGEST, MEANEST, GRUMPIEST and GREENEST troll of all? Can it …? Erm, maybe not; but nobody wants to spoil a super-dooper story so let’s bid our cake-eating crew a hearty farewell and leave them to enjoy their repast

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… and I’ll just add Oliver’s parting words “WE NEED BIGGER CAKE!” Amen to that: and more servings please, Adam Stower. That one was a decidedly tasty offering.
The recipe’s pretty much as before with occasional textual forays into rhyme and Stower’s wonderful way of showing not telling with his witty illustrations.
My four to nine year old audiences have relished every serving and demanded immediate second helpings.

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Some GRUMBUGS as imagined by 4-9s before they’d seen him in the story.

 

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An Unaware Jackdaw and A Nautical Mouse

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What the Jackdaw Saw
Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt
Macmillan Children’s Books
Jackdaw flies over the ocean, the farm, the town, and a forest towards a looming black cloud, issuing his invitation “Come to my party!” to all and sundry, ignoring the warning signs from octopus, horse, cat, and squirrel until he whizzes headlong into the thundercloud and thence …

 

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“Why didn’t they warn me?” he asks the owl. “Why didn’t you see them?” comes the reply, … Every one of them touching its head, Danger! Danger! That’s what they said.”

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Time for a lesson in signing for that heedless jackdaw, courtesy of owl of course and then hurray, jackdaw flies forth using his wings to sign “Come to my party!” to all his animal pals. Then off they all got to he seaside where a fantastic time is had by all those animals and just a few other guests too …

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Nick Sharratt’s powerful, expressive spreads capture the scenes of impending disaster, and the joyful exuberance of the jaunty tale with great aplomb.
After you’ve enjoyed the story, don’t miss the opportunity to practise signing some of the key words from the book; eight of them are found on the final spread.
Two years in the making, this book is the result of the author’s workshop (organized by Life and Deaf) for deaf children -20 are named – and of course, her collaboration with artist, Nick. What an ingenious and brilliantly inclusive book it is; and what a wonderful testament to the power of sign language and all who use it including finally, that jackdaw.

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The Mouse Who Sailed the Seas
Amy Sparkes and Nick East
Egmont Publishing pbk
The sight of those chunky bumblebees perching tenuously atop their beehive immediately appealed to my sense of the ridiculous when I turned from the introductory ‘A mouse he went to sail the seas. He sailed the seas/to look for cheese,/But all he found were … ‘

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The jaunty story continues with an invasion of purple peas of the alien variety,

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a drop in from a pair of hairy-kneed goats and some magic-sneezing elves. Surely disaster must be close at hand with such a load methinks and … CREAK! SQUEAK! LEAK! Oh dear me.

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But, could that concatenation triggered by a timely sneeze from the elves work its magic and save the day? Well, you will just have to get hold of this wonderfully madcap tale to find out that and to discover whether our intrepid sailor mouse finally does find the object of his cheesy search. Assuredly, it’s pretty nail- biting stuff.
Nick East’s exuberant and garish illustrations are brimming over with delicious touches of completely crazy detail – just the thing to complement Amy Sparkes’ super and stupendously silly saga.

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Fast and Furious; Slow and Steady

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Daniel devouring the story

 

Space Dog
Mini Grey
Jonathan Cape
It’s 3043 and deep in space, Space Dog is ready to zoom homewards having completed a lengthy problem-solving mission in the Dairy Quadrant. Supplies are stashed and he passes the time with a game of solo Dogopoly before sleeping.
Not far off however, is Astrocat, zooming in his space saucer, or actually is about to plummet into a thick creamy mire. Then it’s a case of operation rescue – for the Astrocat if not his craft. No time for age old enmity now, it’s go with Space Dog or be stranded.

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Once safely in SS Kennel, the two erstwhile enemies sit face to face for a game of Dogopoly, followed by a tasty snack courtesy of Astrocat. Then, co-ordinates set, there comes yet another distress call …

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And another … Moustronaut has been captured, bound and perilously suspended above a chasm of bubbling fondue by the Cheese Ants.

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With another rescue duly completed – well almost – they have to satisfy that drooling, dribbling look in the Ant Queen’s eyes first. Then it really is time to head for home. Of course, poor Moustronaut needs a bit of tlc first; and there’s a whole universe out there waiting for friends to conquer – together. So, it’s Mission UNKNOWN ZONE – after a round or so of Dogopoly that is.

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Wonderful stuff! This action-packed adventure is bound to appeal to the numerous established fans of Mini Grey and will I’m certain, win her a whole host of new ones. This is overflowing with exciting happenings, visual jokes and verbal ones; and every turn of the page brings fantastic and frenzied features to divert and delight.

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Fast and Furry Racers The Silver Serpent Cup
Jonathan Emmett and Ed Eaves
Oxford University Press pbk
Playing fair is at the heart of this riotous romp of a ride (or should it be race) that takes place over land, under sea and in the air. Packed full of alliteration and other tongue-teasing phrases to test the reader-aloud, this story unfolds at breakneck speed.
Everyone’s gathered in Furryville for the race and the line up’s an impressive one. BEEP! BEEP! TOOT! TOOT! There’s Roderick Von Rooster in his Hot Rod rocket car, Stephanie Skedaddle in her super stylish boat, Ollie Octolinni in his submarine – a distinct advantage at times. Then we have Baron Billy Blackstripes aboard his super fast steam train, not forgetting Ella Egghart in her aeroplane. Could she perhaps be the winner after all?

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But foul play has struck, in the form of sabotage and who should be emerging from the depths but Al Mcnasty – a ruthless villain if ever there was one and wearing that smug smile too.

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But things are not quite over yet, for out of the ground emerges Max O’Moley just in the nick of time – a thoroughly deserving and honest winner. Three cheers for Max recipient of THE SILVER SERPENT CUP.

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Ed Eaves’ exuberant illustrations really do give the impression of tremendous speed and those vehicles are just the thing to excite and enthrall young listeners.

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Days with Frog and Toad
Arnold Lobel
Harper Collins Children’s Books pbk
This is the second of the larger format publications of the classic Lobel Frog and Toad stories. This one offers five more delicious episodes featuring the friends– all an absolute delight – though I might to go for Shivers

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(wherein Frog tells a spooky story) – if I had to pick a favourite; or maybe Tomorrow (we’re all guilty of putting off things we don’t want to do). Then again there’s Toad’s laughable efforts to fly The Kite; and The Hat Frog gives his best pal for a birthday present, to bring a big smile; oh and the final Alone in which Frog goes off to be by himself for a while

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– all equally brilliant and unmissable.
The Frog and Toad books remain unsurpassed in the field of newly independent readers. Three cheers for the two fictional pals and their everlasting friendship.

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Giants, Gold-Spinning and a Growing Nose

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Dolci was a little bit alarmed at the giant’s child-eating threats

 

The Giant of Jum
Elli Woollard and Benji Davies
Macmillan Children’s Books
Inspired by the traditional tale told to him by his brother, about a boy called Jack, the Giant of Jum – a bad-tempered chap – sets out in search of some children for a tasty teatime snack. The children he discovers though, far from fearing the giant, enlist his help in reaching their ball.

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He obliges promising to be back to fulfill his own purposes, then goes on his way again. Before long another group of children beg for his assistance

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and once again our giant obliges and promises to return. His search is now for Jack … and sure enough – soon enough, there at his feet is a very small boy pleading for a ride. I’m sure you can guess the name of this little fellow and he’s thoroughly beguiled by the giant.
But … “Fee!” he said, and “Fi!” he said and “Little Jack snack, is that right?” and a whole lot worse. (This bit really had some children on the very edge of their seats.)

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But he hadn’t bargained for the children’s rapid intervention, and their bargaining powers …
It’s a happy ending for all – kindness begets kindness – and the giant discovers that some things actually taste better than children.

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Enormous fun; and what potential for inspiring creative work from young children. Elli Woollard’s rhyming text bounces along jauntily and is brilliant fun to read aloud: Benji Davies has created a wonderful character in the giant: I love that funky head attire and those peep-toed boots are just superb. With all manner of interesting perspectives (and some darker scenes)

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every page is packed with small details to relish and chuckle over. The illustrative style seems something of a new development for Benji Davies; this new partnership with Elli Woollard is one to be celebrated if their debut book is anything to go by. Maybe that Giant of Jum could even make a return …

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Jack and the Beanstalk
illustrated by Ed Bryan
Nosy Crow
This is I think, the fourth in the series of fairy tales created from Bryan’s award- winning Nosy Crow apps. It’s a lively rendition of a favourite story that includes a mouse, a frog

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and a baby dragon in the cast of characters. The latter enlists Jack’s help to release him from a dungeon cell and in return he tells Jack the whereabouts of the giant’s golden harp. This harp however, is a trickster and once Jack has it in his clutches, calls out, “Master Giant, wakey wakey! This boy Jack is trying to take me!” Nevertheless Jack does manage to escape from the castle hotly pursued by the giant, grab his trusty axe and bring the beanstalk crashing down. We never learn the fate of the giant but at least he never troubles Jack and his mother ever again.
The setting has something of a modern feel: Jack’s mum, despite her poverty, wears a stylish dress albeit with jazzy patches, and long boots;

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and Jack carries a rucksack. The story itself reads aloud well and as the goose on the back cover says, ‘is all about being kind and helpful’. May be not ‘all ’ but no one would argue with that as a worthwhile message.

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Rumpelstiltskin
Mara Alperin and Loretta Schauer
Little Tiger Press
This is a lively rendition of a favourite fairy tale with some fairly lavish verbal, and hence visual, embellishments such as the miller’s pre gold-spinning boast about his daughter: “Tulips start to bloom when my daughter sings,” and “When Isabel catches raindrops, they turn into butterflies.” for instance. Young Isabel is duly thrust into the highest tower by the king once he’s heard of her ability to spin straw into gold and ordered to do just that. There follows her encounter with the little man who offers help, makes a bargain and in her desperation, Isobel has promised him his “pick of treasure” once she’s rich. Having spun as promised (‘coins and crowns, and trinkets and trophies’), he vanishes leaving Isabel to reap the rewards from the king. (His visits are cut to one here) and the king introduces her to his kind son, Prince Herbert. Before long wedding bells ring forth and, in due course, the couple is blessed with a baby boy.

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The little man is completely forgotten until one stormy night that is. Then POOF! There he is cackling and demanding his dues. Nothing short of the baby will do unless Isabel can guess his name within three nights.

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However, it’s not Isabel who takes the initiative – not sure I approve of that – but her husband, Herbert. He tracks down the little man, discovers his name and informs his wife who then ‘guesses correctly’ on her final chance and with a howl and a growl, a stomp and a stamp, Rumpelstiltskin vanishes through the floor, never to be seen again in the kingdom, leaving baby Hugo to grow up safe and sound with his loving parents.
With smatterings of word play and bright, jolly, richly patterned illustrations, this version has a modern feel to it. It’s certainly one young audiences will be attracted to visually and they will enjoy the tension of the guessing game and its outcome in particular.
For me nothing can beat an oral telling I once heard Sara Corrin perform (based on the text in her Stories for Seven Year Olds collection) but this one is an enjoyable read aloud if that’s what you want.

Not a traditional tale but a classic one that seems to be ever popular is:

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The Patua Pinocchio
Carlo Collodi and Swarna Chitrakar
Tara Books
The artist, Swarna Chitrakar, a West Bengali scroll painter has given the tale a wholly new visual interpretation, totally unlike the westernized, often Disneyfied one where Pinocchio, the mischievous Italian marionette wears a yellow hat and a kind of romper suit. Here, in keeping with clothing styles from her own tradition, Pinocchio is clad in a dhoti/ loincloth, is adorned with jewellery (anklets and armlets and a neck adornment),

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and has a rich brown skin and beatific smile reminding one – and this is the author’s conception too – of the Hindu deity, Krishna whom she refers to in her afterword as ‘a lovable yet godly trickster figure … who looks composed and serene at all times.’
Geppetto in contrast has a mustard-coloured skin and wears a dhoti.
Visually striking, with its stylized Patua folk art images, this book will  particularly appeal to those fascinated by traditional art forms, and anyone interested in exploring the universality of stories.

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Families, Families, Families

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Families, Families, Families!
Suzanne Lang and Max Lang
Picture Corgi pbk
Family units come in many kinds and all are celebrated in a series of portraits each one aptly framed to give it a real photograph feel. Each one is displayed – in a fitting manner, either hanging against a  themed background, or in a couple of instances standing on a shelf alongside ornaments of the same kind.

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This truly is a reassuring and realistic look at families in all their diversity: parents may or may not be married, children may be adopted, a family might include stepbrothers and sisters, children may live with a single parent – mother or father,

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some have two mums or dads, sometimes grandparents or an aunt provide the family home, there may be a plethora of pets, siblings might be many or none.
Warm, funny, accepting and all embracing, the love shines through from every entry in the portrait gallery The rhythmic rhyming text bounces merrily along culminating in the all important

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A great way to introduce a discussion about diversity at school or at home.
The gentle humour of the photographic animal illustrations gives a fresh lively look to this important topic while also offering a distancing device for the human children who share this book with a supportive adult.

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Aren’t You Lucky!
Catherine and Laurence Anholt
Red Fox
Just the thing if there’s a new baby imminent or just arrived in a family,is a new edition of a “New baby Story’ first published over 20 years ago. Not my favourite Anholts’ new baby book – that’s Sophie and the New Baby – but a delightful and equally reassuring one nonetheless. It’s a sensitively done, first person narrative told by an older sibling. Used to being an only child, the little girl eagerly anticipates the arrival of a new brother or sister but once her new brother arrives, she soon discovers he is going to take a lot of getting used to. Happily though her understanding mum voices a wish for someone who could help her with the baby and before long our narrator discovers a whole new big sister role for herself.

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“Isn’t he lucky!” are the words uttered by family friends and the book’s final ones; so too are the young children given this charming Anholt classic at just the right time.

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Action Movie Kid
Daniel Hashimoto, Mandy Richardville and Valerio Faberge
Keywords Press
I know one person who has one of these –endlessly energetic, bright, fearless and imaginative – actually she has two, but only one called James.
Kept busy by his numerous adventures,

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Action Movie Kid somehow manages to find the time to help his family – he’s a well-meaning boy is James …
And his mum is frequently known to utter such things as …

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One evening AMK hears strange sounds emanating from the basement and when he bravely investigates, discovers inside the washing machine, a portal to another dimension. From the gooey depths emerges an alien slime monster – an extremely slippery customer with a seemingly insatiable appetite.
When things get too much, assistance is called for

 

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and that is exactly what they do – having hastily transformed themselves that is.

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Then mopping up missions complete and enemy sent back where he belongs, it’s time for … bed!
Great literature this certainly isn’t: great fun it assuredly is, particularly if you are an AMK with a big imagination and love comics, and I know a whole lot of those.

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Zoom!
Trish Cooke and Alex Ayliffe
Harper Colliins Children’s Books
Watch young children – they rarely walk , rather they run, skip, jump, whizz and generally dash madly around.
This is an exuberant and charming book about a brother and sister and the joys of general charging around – a favourite activity–

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and about finding some more peaceful, but equally enjoyable things to do when the dashing about has to be curtailed temporarily as it does when Hurricane Kieron falls and hurts his leg. It’s then that he discovers that he can make his paintbrush zzzzooooommm around on paper instead. And what wonderfully whooshing, creative fun he and later Ria, have too:

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not to mention the odd hurricane.
Share this one with those around the age of Kieron and Rush Around Ria – if you can manage to catch them and sit them down for long enough that is. With those bright, jolly action-packed illustrations and a whole host of deliciously noisy action words and other exuberant sounds to join in with, you should manage to have more than a few peaceful minutes of reading pleasure.

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Emu
Claire Saxby and Graham Byrne
Walker Books
Did you know that it’s the emu dad that takes the role of carer for his young? I didn’t. Once his female mate has laid her final egg in the nest the pair built together, she leaves the male to hatch and rear the fledglings. How he does so and much more about that and other animals of the Australian landscape emus inhabit, is related in this absorbing narrative information book.

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The descriptive language Claire Saxby uses is exciting and superbly crafted: ‘gangly, with stippled heads and ribbon stripes, the chick surveys the forest.’ And Graham Byrne provides gloriously textured, scratchy/splodgy storytelling illustrations that truly convey the eucalyptus forest setting of the narrative.

 

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This book is a celebration of a particular aspect of the natural world and a wonderful way of conveying information about it.

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Mermaid Messages and a Mix-Up

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Dear Mermaid
Alan Durant and Vanessa Cabban
Walker Books pbk
If, like young Holly in this story, you discovered a mermaid’s purse on the beach what would you do? Give it back to the mermaid perhaps? That is what Holly decides is right and she writes a message in the sand.

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So begins a pen friend correspondence (using the mermaid’s purse as a dead letter box) and in the first letter the mermaid, Princess Kora, (daughter of the Mer King and Queen) mentions a missing key. Holly in return determines to find it and the hunt – as well as the pen-pal exchange – continues. Holly provides Kora with updates on her attempts to locate the key, asks questions about Kora’s undersea life and leaves her small gifts. Kora in return responds to the questions and provides details about her mer-life, the creatures around her and the forthcoming Mer Festival.
Can Holly locate the golden key (a key that the Mer Queen needs to open her jewellery box) in time to save her friend having to face her mother’s anger?
This magical story will appeal most strongly to those who enjoy the excitement of the letter exchange, relish small treasures and like dressing up. Vanessa Cabban’s colours are gorgeously dream-like

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and the pages sparkle with gently glowing marine objects

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and bubble with small blessings.

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The Fairytale Hairdresser and the Little Mermaid
Abie Longstaff and Lauren Beard
Picture Corgi
In addition to the customers who visit Kittie Lacey’s salon, she also does home visits on occasion. One of her regular clients is Coral, the little singing mermaid who tells Kittie of a special human she’d like to meet – Prince Marino – royal diving instructor. Enchanted by her wonderful singing voice, the prince is equally eager to find its owner; but will the two ever get together? Happily yes, for Kittie is on hand to help. To do so however involves getting the better of the wicked sea witch and her evil enchantment.

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This is the sixth in the Fairytale Hairdresser series and as always, there’s a happily ever after ending and it’s packed with fairy tale characters to join in the celebrations. Doubtless Kittie’s fans (and she has many )will lap this one up too.

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Under a Pig Tree
Margie Palatini and Chuck Groenink
Abrams Books
When is a fig not a fig? Why, when it’s a pig of course. At least that is what seems to be the crux of the matter in this enigmatic picture book subtitled ‘A History of the Noble Fruit. (A Mixed-Up Book) and a mixed up book, it certainly is and a funny one. First of all we are told that ‘Pigs were presented as “medals” to the winners of the first Olympics in 776BC.’  I googled this putting in pigs and figs and the only thing I could turn up was that sometimes figs (dried ones) were recommended as a dietary tip for Ancient Olympian athletes prior to competing. Pigs however were used as a sacrifice, each athlete going to the sanctuary of Zeus and sacrificing one to the god.
I decided not to bother with Google any longer but just to enjoy the on-going battle between the book’s author and her editor in this post-modern foray; not forgetting of course, the wonderfully quirky illustrations provided by Groenink who has clearly had enormous fun creating all manner of porcine characters including celebrities,

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in his mixed media illustrations that also include parodies of ancient Greek vases, those of the Chinese Ming Dynasty and the medieval Book of Hours.

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This is certainly NOT a book for everyone but I can see it appealing to those readers who enjoy something different from a straightforward narrative: something that tickles and teases the taste buds perhaps.

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A Camping Trip & A Visit to the Pool

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Eddie’s Tent and How to go Camping
Sarah Garland
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
We join Eddie and his family as they head through the busy traffic to their seaside destination for a camping holiday. Once there, the whole family is pretty much ready for bed – after the tent’s been erected that is. Next morning Eddie is up first and heads down to a deserted, peaceful beach;

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but soon breakfast calls so he collects driftwood for the cooking fire and preparations are quickly under way for their first meal of the holiday.
Once the whole family has made everything “shipshape”, Eddie decides to make his own tent, with the help of some of the useful things he’d stowed away in his rucksack before leaving home. (A resourceful boy is young Eddie.) Soon it’s time for lunch – fish and chips are the order of the day and as he tucks in to his, Eddie strikes up a friendship with Max, who is fishing, and his dog, Bouncer.
Max lends Eddie his rod and line and Eddie is amazed when he hooks a large fish – just the thing for a tasty supper.
When the family returns to the campsite, they take a different route from whence they came (that one the ever resourceful Eddie had mapped on his trusty pad)

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and on the way, they re-encounter a distraught Max and his granddad. Bouncer has gone missing, they hear and so a hunt begins. It’s a good thing Eddie has taken along his compass as well as that notebook with the map, for the two boys need both to help them find their way back along the old route. Oh, and Eddie just happened to have his whistle too – just the thing for calling to a lost dog and happily it works.

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Before long, there’s Bouncer back safe in Max’s arms.
All’s well that ends well – and it does – with a celebratory fish supper – and more – shared by all.

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This longish, engaging, beautifully illustrated story has kept my audiences of 4 to 7s riveted throughout each telling and prompted a telling of a whole lot of camping tales of their own.
I’m sure some of them could well have done with the tips, recipes and other suggestions helpfully supplied at the end of this delightful, family-centred book. What better way to initiate the young into the joys of camping?

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Pool
JiHyeon Lee
Chronicle Books
Discover what happens when two shy children – a boy and a girl – encounter one another at a very busy swimming pool. Clearly, water is an element in which they both feel at home. Dive in with them and let your imagination take ’float’ as they swim among shoals of fish,

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seahorses and more. With surprising encounters,

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scary moments and opportunities just to drift and contemplate, this powerful visual tale takes a look at friendship and celebrates the power of the imagination in a sequence of muted, softly hued scenes
Seemingly simple but forceful in impact, no words are needed to create the many magical and memorable moments conjoured up here in Korean artist JiHyeon,’s debut picture book.

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Footpath Flowers

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Footpath Flowers
JonArno Lawson and Sydney Smith
Walker Books
To me this is a poem in pictures – poetry in motion only without the words and a pretty near perfect one too; an ode to young children, to the small wonders of nature, to joy in fact. The whole book is a small treasure.
Hand-in-hand, a child (I think a girl) and a man walk, through an urban landscape seemingly without speaking to one another. He is preoccupied with his mobile, the shopping and getting home. The child however, keeps stopping to pick the wild flowers that grow out – as wild flowers do – from all manner of cracks and corners;

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she smells each one lovingly and soon collects a small bunch. But then, still paying attention to the small things around, she notices a dead bird on the path and with due reverence, leaves her first bouquet on the bird.

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Next to receive her attention is a man (homeless?) snoozing on a park bench: he too receives a floral gift, as does a dog

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and once home she bestows floral offerings on her mum and her siblings. That leaves her just one flower:

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and she’s still walking. Whither next we wonder?

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Those of us who work with young children know that they often exhibit – like the child here – a sense of awe and wonder, a connectedness with nature and with their fellow beings and given opportunities for living in the moment, they demonstrate that felt sense, or sometimes even flow state, that young children can inhabit. To me this book is a demonstration of that and it’s achieved by its creators really getting down to the child’s eye level and showing us things from that perspective. I cannot praise too much the Canadian poet author’s storyline and the way in which he has left Sydney Smith to translate that into visual poetry with just the right amount of sentiment and judicious use of colour.

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His perspective in both full-page scenes and smaller strip-frames, is always that of the child; and this is key. So too is the fact that at no time does the adult become impatient or harass the child; rather he walks on but waits with outstretched hand at appropriate moments. (Would that every child had such an adult who showed that depth of understanding.)
Full of poignancy, this is a book to revisit and to cherish.

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Monstrous Reads

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The Big Monster Snoreybook
Leigh Hodgkinson
Nosy Crow
I’ve loved all Leigh Hodgkinson’s wonderfully playful books: this monster metafiction is no exception. It introduces, readers, courtesy of a supposedly unseen mini-monster, to all manner of large monsters that are all supposedly, fast asleep. This is called a ‘`Snoreybook’ after all.
First off there’s knobbly-kneed Norris with the chitter-chattering teeth. Our next encounter is with Jemima and Barbara: sleeptalking is their claim to fame.

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Then comes Tony with his tippy tappy toes, followed by fidgety Fiona, she of the five feet.

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Big-burbling-bellied Brian dreams of cream cakes so sweet readers need to take care – if he wakes up.
DINGA LINGA LING – that’s the alarm clock rousing those monsters from their slumbers, and snoozing has stoked their appetites. It’s a good thing little children are NOT to their taste; rather they have a penchant for little monsters but of course, we’ve not seen one of those anywhere recently have we? But what is that din? It couldn’t be a BIGGER monster – could it? Time for those BIG monsters to beat a hasty retreat seemingly.
Plan accomplished –

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Enormous fun; Leigh Hodgkinson immediately creates a bond with readers and maintains that magical connection throughout.

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One group of 4/5 year olds I shared this with were riveted and some immediately responded with their own monsters.

 

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Marilyn’s Monster
Michelle Knudson and Matt Phelan
Walker Books
Marilyn waits … and waits for a monster of her own, Her classmates all seem to have acquired in one way or another a monster which has become their very own as playmate, protector

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or constant companion. Eventually however, with everyone else paired up, Marilyn tires of just waiting and decides to take those monster matters into her own hands. Off she sets on a monster finding mission. Her success is far from immediate but when she and ‘her monster’ finally do come face to face, they know it was meant to be.

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This is a lovely, longish fantasy story that works on many levels: it concerns wanting to fit in – to have what others have; it’s also about being true to yourself, about sticking to your goal, about companionship, perhaps about journeying, going after your dreams and discovering your own particular place in the world. It all depends what you are bringing to the story as much as anything else. For me there are shades of Philip Pullman’s dæmons too.
Adorable rather than scary monsters, abound in this beautifully told tale. Phelan’s pencil and watercolour illustrations splendidly capture the changing emotions throughout

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as well as delightfully depicting those larger than life creatures with a gentle, mock-scary humour.

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And I just love all the different ways the various monsters came into those children’s lives …

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Knudson’s knitting together of this tender tale is absolutely spot on.

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Magical Moggie Moments

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How to Catch a Mouse
Philippa Leathers
Walker Books
Clemmie kitten maintains a mouse-free home – or so she thinks. One would expect no less from a brave, fearsome mouse-catcher especially one that is a brilliant stalker and chaser as well as being patient and alert. And she knows – thanks to her book – all about mouse catching and mice.

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Hold on though; we are now told that our heroic mouse catcher has never actually seen a mouse. Is that because they fear her so much or …  (“Look behind you,” demands one of my listeners)
No matter; our little ginger moggie knows just what to look for: a long pink tail, round ears, a whiskery, pointy nose …

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But nothing of that description comes within her view, does it?
By this stage in the book my young listeners were so involved in and delighted by what they could see, that they were almost climbing into the book themselves,
A wonderfully controlled, small comedy with a big impact. “Again!” was the immediate demand of another group I shared this with who equally enjoyed watching Clemmie and her mousing antics unfolding in the watercolour illustrations and loved it when she donned her disguise

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after the light-bulb moment that comes once she’s disrobed her prey.
With its short, memorable text one five year old was delighted to discover she could read this “super story” herself after hearing it read aloud.

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Where Does Kitty Go in the Rain?
Harriet Ziefert and Brigette Barrager
Blue Apple
This enchanting book is a mix of story and facts relating to rain.
Readers and listeners are invited via Harriet Ziefert’s rhyming couplets to join in the search for a little girl’s Kitty. In so doing they will find out what rain is, and how cats and other animals – ducks, squirrels, beetles,

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earthworms, butterflies …

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and birds – react to a shower of rain. There is also information about how ducks make themselves waterproof, squirrel’s own personal, always ready brolly, butterflies’ anti-rain roosts and more.
With those harmonious, mannered illustrations of Brigette Barrager to make you smile on every spread; and a trail to follow (with a happy ending) …

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this is just the thing to spark curiosity in the very young and get them further fascinated by the minutiae of life in the natural world.

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Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats
Alicia Potter and Birgitta Sif
Walker Books
Miss Hazeltine, a big-hearted young woman opens her home to ‘Shy and Fearful Cats’ and before long she has a whole host of new inmates; some are strays, others have been made homeless but all are welcome. Lessons commence for her beloved moggies – Bird Basics in the morning, Climbing Up and Climbing Down in the afternoon and on the evening curriculum is Scary Noises. Other lessons are tailored to making new friends, pouncing, not being scared of the ‘Broom’ and some yoga style arching and thinking;

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and Miss H. shows great understanding of reluctant joiners-in. She even goes so far as to tell them of her own fears and soon there develops a special understanding between her and Crumb, one of the least confident kitties.
Numbers continue to increase until one evening Miss Hazeltine is forced to go out for more milk. When she fails to return after dark having taken a tumble,

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it’s down to Crumb to head a rescue mission; a rescue mission that means leading the others out into the scary pitch-black darkness to find the one they’ve come to love.

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Despite being allergic to cats and near phobic if one comes near, I was utterly enchanted by this book with its wonderful cast of characters. Birgitta Sif’s slightly off-beat illustrations with their muted colours and the forest setting of the tale combine to give the whole thing the feeling of a fairy story; so too does the underdog – or rather cat- becoming the hero by overcoming great odds to rescue the one he loves. A quirky charm exudes from every spread: the sight of Miss H as yoga teacher is priceless and the forest scenes (with and without cats) have a real magical feel about them.

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They beautifully complement Alicia Potter’s carefully chosen words for her well-crafted text, underlying which are ideas about self-belief, overcoming your fears, kindness and compassion.

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Some children I shared this with were inspired to create their own inmates for Miss H’s Home.

 

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Rosie’s Chick & a Missing Monster

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Where, Oh Where, is Rosie’s Chick?
Pat Hutchins
Hodder Children’s Books
This is most assuredly a long-awaited, much anticipated sequel to the classic Rosie’s Walk – one of my all time favourite picture books – and its story is told in many more than its progenitor’s thirty-two words, (though with a patterned text it’s ideal, like Rosie’s Walk, for beginner readers).
Forty-seven years later, Rosie’s egg has well and truly hatched but the baby chick seems to have gone missing. Off goes Rosie to search … under the hen house,

 

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in the basket, behind the wheelbarrow, across the fields (some pretty precarious balancing involved here),

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through the straw (likewise)

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but no sign of her little one – to Rosie that is. Of course, following close behind her all the while is her baby chick, but it takes her farmyard companions to make her see this.
Then it’s off for a walk together, Rosie and chick side by side. Ahhh! (Great to see those beehives again.)

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Using the same colour palette as for Rosie’s Walk, Pat Hutchins has created another set of gorgeous scenes, more richly and densely patterned than before, full of that sparkling humour and with some old friends still lurking in the background. What more can one ask?
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful: And certainly worth the incubation period.

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Have You Seen My Monster?
Steve Light
Walker Books
Geometric shapes abound in this follow up to Have You Seen My Dragon? This time we join a little girl as she searches the fairground, (a map is provided in the end papers), for her missing monster – a furry, friendly looking creature. It’s a search that encompasses amazing rides,

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all manner of stalls, exhibits, competitions, a hall of mirrors, animals, musicians

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and more – pretty much all the fun of the fair.
Each spread introduces a shape; and what amazing variety – not only do we have the common or garden rectangle, hexagon,

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oval, square, kite, triangle, circle and crescent that many a young child is familiar with, but also octagon, rhombus, quatrefoil, trapezium, parallelogram, curvilinear triangle,

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heptagon, trapezoid, pentagon, nonagon, ellipse, decagon – exciting words that can be painlessly absorbed in the context of a fun story.
Light’s illustrations, executed in pen and ink are full of interesting details and despite being coloured on the cover, the chief characters are also depicted in black and white throughout the story, with just a splash of colour used for the specific shape featured on each spread. This serves to highlight the shape, making it the eye’s first focus. So, a double delight: A search for the (supposed) missing monster (and that’s of course part of the shared joke between author and audience) and a mathematical exploration for other shapes like the named shape, (or previously named shapes) in the details of each illustration.

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