Tag Ian Smith

The Day the Jungle-Net Broke

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The Day the Jungle-Net Broke
Marleen Lammers and Ian Smith
New Frontier Publishing

Having recently moved back to the London area I encounter many more adults out and about with small children, mostly in pushchairs. I’d say that over 80% are playing with screens. It’s a joy to see a few others engaging with a board book or picture book, but if only there were more so doing.

Marleen Lammers’ story has a jungle setting and its main character is Miles, a monkey. Miles relies on his screen for virtually everything. The early morning Beep! Beep! beeping of the alarm wakes him from his slumbers and informs him that it’s time to do his exercises. Having done these, the creature is hungry and so uses his Just Peel app to order some bananas before his daily ‘tree-time’ face-call with his cousin.

In the middle of their chat, Miles’s screen freezes and he tries everything to get it back working, but to no avail.The Jungle-Net is Broken: disastrous news.

In the middle of Miles expressing his worries about what he won’t be able to do sans screens, he hears a voice from the ground. It’s a tortoise that suggests he uses ‘snail mail’ to communicate with his cousin. With no other option, Miles writes a note to Manny and leaves his i-tree for the first time in ages and starts walking. Yes, it does take him considerable time but it also means he can engage with the rainforest differently. In so doing, his hunger is stated and he feels energised on reaching the post office..

His return journey is even more fruitful and Miles even makes some real friends,

friends that he discovers he loves to spend time with exploring the jungle and having adventures.

Helped by Ian Smith’s bright jungle illustrations that bring the wealth of jungle fauna to life, this is an amusing, playful story that doesn’t ban screens completely, rather it encourages children to set them aside fairly frequently and enjoy engaging with friends in person, as well one hopes, with the wealth of exciting books for young children with stories for their own sake: what they offer is a place from which to become aware, aware of new worlds and ideas that stimulate the imagination.

Wanna See A Llama? / We’re Going on an Egg Hunt

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

In this equally entertaining sequel to Wanna See A Penguin? the same young animal expert, so she says, now includes llamas in her field of expertise. She invites her friend to accompany her on a llama-spotting expedition around the city. As they walk, they encounter all manner of creatures – humped, scaly, furry with spots, shelled,

very long-necked, soft and woolly, but a llama? Not around here declares our self-dubbed expert who evidently hasn’t noticed any of the posters advertising a parade as she leads her long suffering friend who identifies each animal, on a wild-llama chase.
Asserting on the penultimate spread, ‘There can’t be any llamas round here’ our leader heads homewards.

Young listeners will delight in the final spread whereon Ian shows a Llama Parade just behind the two children. Those same listeners will also have enjoyed spotting a llama (or two) in the background of every other double page illustration.

We’re Going on an Egg Hunt
Goldie Hawk and Angie Rozelaar
Nosy Crow

Unashamedly using the nursery favourite ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ as the basis, Goldie Hawk sends her three young child protagonists, springing into action in search of eggs, baskets in hand. As they walk, the children encounter pecking, clucking hens, munching-crunching bunny rabbits, hopping frogs,

rustling-swishing plants until eventually – yippee! They discover ten eggs. Having loaded their baskets, it’s time to make the return journey back the way they came, arriving just in time to take part in a joyful Easter parade.

Angie Rozelaar’s vibrant scenes with splashes of day-gio pink and luminous green convey the freshness and joy of springtime and of the search. Just right for sharing with very young children as spring and Easter approach. I suggest buying to give instead of an Easter egg; its pleasures will last SO much longer.

The King’s Runaway Crown

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

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

and along the riverside.

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

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

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

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

Wanna See A Penguin? / The Lost Leopard

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

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

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

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

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

The Lost Leopard
Jonny Marx and Xuan Le
Little Tiger

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

Their journey takes them to various habitats along a river,

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

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

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

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