Tag Becky Cameron

The Angel and the Mermaid

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The Angel and the Mermaid
Becky Cameron
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books

Meet siblings Avery and Mira born one midsummer’s night. Baby Avery was ‘gentle and quiet as the whispering breeze.’ In contrast, baby Mira was ‘as wild and loud as a crashing wave.’ As they grew, despite their differences they spent their days playing together close to their home. However as the days turned to years the siblings become curious about the world and one day Mira suggests they play a game: whoever went the furthest and found the best treasure would be the winner.

Excitedly they begin their quest, Mira diving deep down in the ocean and Avery taking flight to the highest mountain. On their return the two compare treasures and Mira considers her shell the best whereas Avery declares his feather much better.

They squabble and part company but soon begin to miss one another. Suddenly a storm blows in and Mira, concerned for her brother’s safety, determines to find him. Meanwhile Avery is missing his sister too and the thought comes to him that she probably feels the same. Unable to swim, he dives courageously into the waves but starts sinking.

Fortunately a hand stretches out and takes hold of him: it’s Mira, and they give each other sorry, forever friends hugs.

Henceforward no matter where their lives led them, they’d always return home to their special place where sky and sea meet.

An unusual magical tale of two siblings and their unbreakable bond. Becky Cameron’s illustrations are a delight, detailed and capturing the feelings of the siblings beautifully.

Daddy’s Rainbow

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Daddy’s Rainbow
Lucy Rowland and Becky Cameron
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Grief and loss are incredibly difficult topics to handle with children of any age and it’s both rare and wonderful to see a picture book that approaches the death of a parent with such sensitivity and delicacy.

Erin’s daddy sees colour in everything. No matter the weather, even on the rainiest of days, the two of them would don wellies and waterproof clothes and out they’d go splashing in puddles and having a wonderful time together. “We can’t see rainbows without the rain,” Daddy would say. Whatever the situation, day or even night, he always found something colourful to enjoy with the rest of the family.

Then Erin realises things are changing: her Daddy becomes increasingly poorly and the world becomes greyer until one day … Quiet. Here Becky’s illustrations are suffused with emotion and overwhelmingly, with love.

In the following days and weeks the other family members miss Daddy enormously but they join together in sharing memories of the colour and joy he brought to all their lives. Erin remembers the scrapbook and little by little they manage to smile again.

Then one rainy day, Mummy, Erin and her small sibling venture out

and on the way home when the rain has almost stopped, they see in the sky, something wonderful and we share an incredibly poignant moment …

Both words and pictures are pitch perfect and work in perfect harmony throughout. This is a book that offers families an ideal starting point for talking about the death of a loved one and equally important, about the person who has died. All primary schools should add a copy to their collections.

Midge & Mo / Judy Moody Super Book Whiz

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Midge & Mo
Lara Williamson & Becky Cameron
Little Tiger

Starting at a new school is almost always a bit scary and many children go through those ‘I want things to be how they were before we moved’ feelings. It’s certainly the case for Midge in this latest story in the Stripes series of full colour fiction for new solo readers.

Midge’s parents have separated and Midge is faced with having to start at a new school with all the challenges that presents. He really doesn’t want to embrace the change, instead he wants his old school and friends, and his parents together.

On his first day he receives a warm welcome from teacher, Mr Lupin who asks Mo to be Midge’s buddy. This proves to be a challenging role, for no matter how hard she tries, Midge remains sad and silent.

At the end of the day, Mr Lupin encourages her to keep on trying.

Back at home that night, Mo has an idea. She reaches for the snow globe her mum and dad gave her when she was a newbie at school and sits down with her parents whose words of wisdom inspire her to create a special something for Midge.

At school the following morning, she tries again with Midge and her actions precipitate a change in him: little by little, the clouds begin to shift …

Told and illustrated with obvious empathy, Lara’s words and Becky’s illustrations express so well, the emotional turmoil of Midge. It’s a lovely warm-hearted story for young just-independent readers as well as providing an ideal opportunity to explore the feelings associated with changing schools and/or a parental separation.

Judy Moody Super Book Whiz
Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
Walker Books

My goodness, I hadn’t realised just how many Judy Moody books there now are.

Although there is a competition in this story regarding factual recall of things in stories and I’m somewhat uncomfortable with that, books and reading rule and that must be a good thing.

Judy Moody and her brother Stink are both on their school bookworm team (along with Frank and Judy’s erstwhile arch nemesis Jessica, Frank and Sophie). They have to read all the books on the list in order to beat the team from a school in the nearby town. There’s money for the school library as a prize and their much-loved teacher, Mr Todd is asking the questions, but can team Virginia Dare Bookworms out-perform The Fake-Moustache Defenders with their star, ‘Mighty Fantasky, Fourth grader’.

In order to be in with a chance the Bookworms will need to read at every possible opportunity – on the bus, in karate class, at the dining table, sick in bed, even.

Judy tries speed-reading while Stink fashions a cape using sticky post-it notes both of which are not quite the answer.

However, enthusiasm for reading never wanes in this exciting bookish battle, (all titles read are listed after the story), and let’s just say that it’s a win for books, for hard work and for determination.

I’ll leave you to decide to whom that applies and suggest you get a copy of the book for your classroom or a bookish young reader. Either way the final list of books, as well as the story, with its liberal scattering of funky Peter H. Reynolds illustrations, provide literary inspiration and enjoyment.