Tag Ariel Landy

Whack A Moley / Follow The Leader

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These are both recent books from Little Tiger – thanks to the publisher for sending them for review.

Whack A Moley
Bethan Clarke and Anders Frang

This is a laugh-out-loud sequel to Holey Moley that features Mavis Mole and Gus Goat. The two are an unlikely pair of friends: Gus exudes energy whereas Mavis only likes static activities. So, when Gus asks if they can play a game Mavis chooses tiddlywinks – her favourite. Gus wants something much more bold and active – ouch-inducing Whack A Moley. That or various alternatives that sound not dissimilar such as ‘quack a moley’, ‘snack a moley’ and stack a moley.

A wonderfully crazy comedic concatenation of suggestions that rely on wordplay and rhyme combined with the deadpan humour of Anders Frang’s splendidly stylish, deliciously dramatic scenes of the fun and games.

With a final twist, Bethan and Anders’ nonsensical, giggle inducing book is just the thing to show children that language is fun. Definitely one that will be enjoyed over and over.

Follow The Leader
Harriet Howe and Ariel Landy

It’s a sizzling hot morning in the jungle so Bear, Monkey and Armadillo decide to take a trip to the lake to cool off. The three enthuse about their destination and as it was Monkey’s suggestion, he insists on leading the way. This results in a bit of squabbling but after a while the other two fall in line, especially as Monkey has the map. Then though, a mishap occurs that ends up with Panda becoming leader and some time later, the map is ruined. Further disagreements occur, and three very sweaty animals eventually reach their destination where they finally come to understand about the importance of teamwork.

This rhyming tale is full of energy and fun and the illustrations of the animals and their somewhat hazardous journey ramp up the drama.

RT

The Spacesuit

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The Spacesuit
Alison Donald and Ariel Landy
Maverick Publishing

Over the last week many of us have been enthralled to watch the first moon landing in 1969 relived on our televisions screens for its 50th anniversary; but how many of us thought about what went into the designing and making of the protective spacesuits worn by the three Apollo astronauts, and in particular, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin when they walked on the moon.

These suits were the work of a team of women, led by Ellie Foraker, who were employed by the manufacturer of Playtex bras.

Even as a child, Ellie had loved designing and sewing on her machine and when an adult she got a job making garments with ILC Dover in the Plaxtex division. It was there that the quality of her work caught the attention of a company engineer. He asked Ellie if she was interested in entering a competition to design and make a prototype for a spacesuit that would be worn on the moon.

The competition was fierce with teams of engineers and military designers also participating but Ellie had a great team of hard workers determined to complete the task in time.

Their suit was to be flexible, have lots of soft, thin layers and protect the wearers from extremes of temperature.

Working all day and into the night, the women stitched and glued the layers until eventually the AL7 spacesuit was done – all 21 layers of it.

The entries were tested by the judges and finally the winner was declared. It was Ellie and her team’s AL7.

Alison Donald’s straightforward, accessible narrative focuses on Ellie Foraker’s skills and her determination to win the NASA competition, making it one of a very few moon-related books I’ve seen this past few months that has chosen to put the spotlight on women and their role in helping to send men to the moon.

Ariel Landy’s digitally worked illustrations too capture the resolve of Ellie and her team throughout the task, showing the tension when things get tough as well as the times when the mood was upbeat.

Along with the facts included in the story itself, the inside covers have short snippets of space travel information and there’s a glossary and a space time line extending from1957 and the launch of the 1st Russian satellite, through to the 1969 moon walk.

All in all an inspiring picture book for young readers. I received my copy after returning from a few days away so was unable to beat the 20th July commemoration but nonetheless this is well worth seeking out whatever the date.