Tag Jane Massey

I Love You More / Love is in the Little Things / I Turtley Love You

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I Love You More
Clare Helen Walsh and Kevin & Kristen Howdeshell
Nosy Crow

Parental love and the wonders and beauty of the natural world come together one bedtime when Rae’s Mum attempts to tell her daughter just how much she loves her. Clare’s lyrical text in combination with team Howdeshell, the illustrators, convey the heartfelt message effectively, showing that such love is unconditional and life long.

Herein we encounter among other creatures, waddling penguins and snoozy seal pups atop the ice, gliding eagles, desert dwelling camels and lizards, various marine creatures ,

majestic big cats and pandas as well as celestial bodies – ‘sparkly planets shining brightly in the night’ and more. As the two finish counting the stars in the sky, Rae realises the enormity of her Mum’s love, .
a love that even then Mum feels she’s not expressed sufficiently strongly- and we see the two snuggled lovingly together.

The mixed media illustrations of the animals in their home environs suggest that the way is left open for Rae to change as she too explores beyond her immediate home and surroundings.

Love is in the Little Things
Stella J Jones and Jane Massey
Little Tiger

Small – a human child and Big – a large bear love one another very much, but how do they show that love? Stella Jones’s first person text and Jane Massey’s heart-warming watercolour illustrations show that essentially as Big says, ‘ love is made from the little things’ – every day things such as holding hands, making and taking tea together, a goodnight kiss, hugs, saying sorry,

extending a helping paw or hand. As Little realises as they look skywards, “Love is made of ALL the little things. Just like the trillions of tiny twinkly stars make the forever of the deep blue sky.’
Gentle, reassuring, and sometimes exciting like those ‘tingletastic, tummy jumbling, giant-enormous glorious fireworks and starbursts.’

I Turtley Love You
Harriet Evans and Bryony Clarkson
Little Tiger

This board book takes readers beneath the ocean waves where, through Harriet’s gentle rhymes and Bryony’s engaging illustrations they will encounter several ocean creatures and their little ones. There are turtles, seahorses, clownfish, jellyfish and more either playing or snuggled up together. The emphasis on each spread is the love the adult gives to the little one.
With cut-outs and stand-outs on each spread, little humans will enjoy the tactile opportunities offered by interesting watery, collage style visuals. Some adults might find the words slightly too sugary.

Gary’s Banana Drama

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Gary’s Banana Drama
Jane Massey
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Gary the huge gorilla is a banana-phile so you might imagine that his discovery one day that there are ‘NO MORE BANANAS’ would send him into a crisis. Not so! Gary isn’t one to panic; instead he dons his smart new titfa’, trims his toenails and sallies forth to carry out his plan: to search for his favourite food.

Pretty soon, it seems as though his plan is going to prove fruitful: there are bananas at almost every step.
The trouble is not one of the banana-looking items is the real thing. Some leap and lick his face, others burst into song

and then have the audacity to peck him; others come hurtling at him courtesy of one Billy.

He sees bananas wherever he looks; it’s enough to drive the creature absolutely err, bananas, especially when it starts to rain.

Then however, Gary’s luck changes. He bashes his bonce on a huge obstacle

and then despite not at first wanting anything to do with the object he’s bumped into, suddenly changes his mind and launches himself off towards the most wonderful place he could never have imagined …

Is it possible though to have too much of a good thing? …

Totally crazy – bananas you might say – but with some wonderful slap-stick moments Gary and his banana-filled drama will have your audience chortling with delight.

Minnie & Max are OK! / Florence Frizzball

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Minnie & Max are OK!
Chris Calland, Nicky Hutchinson and Emmi Smid
Jessica Kingsley Publishers

Minnie has had a bad day at school having been teased and shunned by two girls, and now she wishes she looked more like them.
When her grandma meets her at the end of the day, she notices than Minnie is upset and decides that a trip to the park might help. On the way both Minnie and her dog Max peer at their reflections in a shop window and soon both of them are full of doubts about their appearance.
As they sit together in the café, Minnie tells her gran how she feels and Gran’ responds calmly, lovingly and reassuringly. “I love you just the way you are!” she says, “I think it’s wonderful that we all look so different … Just look around us.” And Minnie does …

Max sees a great variety of dogs too and before long both child and dog are playing happily with friends.

With its gentle humour, and Emmi Smid’s captivating ilustrations, this is a good book to read with any young child struggling with self-esteem be it related to body image or any other perceived ‘difference’. Equally if shared with a class or group, it should make potential negative commenters stop and think about how much better our world is for its rich diversity.
There is a final spread aimed at adults wherein the authors, both education consultants, offer ideas for discussion on the themes of teasing, self-image and diversity.
All in all, a valuable tool in the fight for embracing and celebrating difference and diversity.

Florence Frizzball
Claire Freedman and Jane Massey
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Florence the small girl narrator of this story has hair issues; her curly frizz is thick and unruly. Her little brother’s sleek, flat hair is altogether more preferable, so she thinks. It doesn’t tickle or prickle …

or obscure anyone’s view on windy days, nor when watching television; and no one else in the family is similarly troubled other than the dog, Scuff.
Can a visit to the hairdressers be the answer perhaps?

It certainly results in a transformation; but is straight hair really so desirable …
With its cute characters, this sweet rhyming tale presents themes of individuality, self-image and self-acceptance in an accessible story for the very young.

Celebrating Dads

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My Amazing Dad
Ross Collins
Simon and Schuster pbk
Little crocodile, Snip, loves his dad but has absolutely no idea how he spends his time. In contrast all his friends’ dads seem to do amazing things:Monkey Max’s dad ‘Whooshes’, zebra Stripe’s dad is great at hiding, Trunkle’s dad can spray water higher than the trees, Bongo the gorilla has a dad who can beat his chest louder than anyone and Wallow’s dad can stay under water for ages. Seemingly, all the dads are cooler than his, thinks Snip and off he goes back to his Mum to find out just what his Dad does all day.
Mum takes her offspring and shows him that in fact, his Dad, as teacher of all the others, is truly amazing.

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This amusing, warm-hearted tale of fathers and friendship is just the thing for sharing with that special dad on Father’s Day, or any time.
Buy from Amazon

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Just the Job for Dad
Abie Longstaff and Lauren Beard
Scholastc pbk
Emma and her brother, Sam explore a variety of exciting sounding jobs for their father whose own job sounds to them, deadly boring. But on closer examination they  all seem to have requirements that would interfere with their Dad’s normal routines. Dragon minding for instance would mean starting at t sunrise, so what about their breakfast?

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A pirate captain’s look out has to report for duty at 5pm (their swimming time) and other occupations would involve performing at dinner time, setting out at bath time, or even being away a whole week. Maybe what Dad already has – the job of being a being a great Dad – is, as he says, himself, “… just the job for me!” But what about Mum?

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Funny pictures, a funny story with the kind of repetition children love joining in with and a caring Dad who reads stories to his offspring: what more can anyone ask? Make sure you explore every single part of this one.
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My Dad and Me
Tania Cox and Lorette Broekstra
Allen & Unwin (Murdoch Books)
Small children love to spend time with their dads. Here we have a small celebration of some of the things they love to do with that very special person: things like dancing and singing, chatting on the phone, cooking,

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sharing a surprise; but best of all is that “I-LOVE-YOU-HUG”.
Told through a series of happy scenes and a rhyming text, this simple little book might fit the bill for a celebration of one particular dad on Father’s day.
Buy from Amazon

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Daddy is My Hero
Dawn Richards and Jane Massey
Doubleday
For the very youngest to share, this is an abridged board book edition of a title previously reviewed on this site in the section April Paperback Pick
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Find and buy from your local bookshop:

http://www.booksellers.org.uk/bookshopsearch

Mum IS the Word

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Mum’s the Word
Timothy Knapman and Jamie Littler
Hodder Children’s Books pbk
A very energetic, playful pup decides to discover the one word that feels like all the things he most enjoys – a cuddle, a splash in a puddle, a warm goodnight kiss,

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a favourite bedtime story, a tasty knickerbocker glory, the warm bright sun, a firework that lights up the night; all this and more. What could that word possibly be? “Mum,!” of course.
A rhyming text delivered through the small canine narrator, gorgeous watercolour and ink illustrations with nice touches of visual word play and a thoroughly endearing character (even to one who is not a dog lover).
Perfect for playful preschoolers to give to Mums on Mother’s Day and to share whatever the day.
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My Mummy is Magic
Dawn Richards and Jane Massey
Picture Corgi pbk
A very cute-looking toddler takes us through the day telling of all the magical mother and child shared moments, seemingly ordinary moments that make every day special when you have the world’s Number 1 Mum.
Jane Massey is a prolific illustrator who uses a wide variety of techniques and styles. All mums have magical powers when they open a book and share it with their children.

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Such children will enjoy spotting the nursery characters when a swish of this storybook mummy’s magic wand brings to life the stories she shares.
For magical Mother’s Day moments and beyond.
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I Love Mum
Joanna Walsh and Judi Abbot
Simon and Schuster pbk
The small tigers in this story need no convincing that their mother is the world’s best Mum. She has the brightest, widest smile, is the best hugger and kisser better of hurt body parts and feelings and, she absolutely loves to play – at home,

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in the park and at bath time. All the best Mums are children at heart just like tiger Mum.
With lots of opportunities for toddler interactions and Judi Abbot’s delightful, lively, mixed media illustrations, this is another love-packed book from the co-creators of The Perfect Hug.

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Find and buy from your local bookseller:http://www.booksellers.org.uk/bookshopsearch

For more Mother’s Day suggestions see: Mother’s Day Medley (archived post):

https://jillrbennett.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/mothers-day-medley/

 

February Finale

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Two Little Aliens
Sam Lloyd
Orchard pbk
We see things from an outsider’s perspective when two small aliens spy a playground from their rocket and decide to pay a visit. What’s that ‘yellow stuff’? they wonder; it’s certainly not for eating.

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And, what does one do with those conical objects from the kiosk? They’re definitely not for throwing… “Waaah!” being new can be overwhelming, they decide, but who are those friendly-looking characters running towards them?
“Wow! “ … “Ahh!” … “Wheee!” …

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Problems solved, new friends made, but all too soon it’s time to head for home.
Dotty characters, bold bright images and funny scenes are the main ingredients of this funny story. The entire, brief text is in dialogue with just one or two sentences per page making the book ideal for young beginning readers as well as a good one to share with preschoolers.
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Gracie enjoying sharing the story.

Hugo the Hare’s Rainy Day
Jez Alborough
Doubleday
I once had a yoga teacher (now a friend) who advocated finding pleasure in everything you do, even those things (like ironing) that you dislike. This is exactly what Hugo Hare manages to do, finally, in this latest escapade featuring the usual trio, Hugo and his pals Billy the Goat and Nat the Cat.
When Hugo, who hates to get wet, sets out for the park to meet Nat and Billy, he takes his umbrella in anticipation of rain. This proves a sensible move as before long, there is a sudden downpour. Hugo offers Billy a share of his brolly but they have to adopt an unconventional way of walking in order to accommodate both of them. When they come upon Nat sheltering under a tree Hugo decides to join her and that’s when things start to take a turn for the worse

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The ensuing SPLASH however, is not such a disaster as Hugo at first thinks. In fact, from then on the sploshing, slapping and slopping in the slippery wet puddle proves a whole lot of fun (ask any 3/4 year old) and once the sky is bright again, it’s time for Nat to entertain her friends with one of her musical interludes.
A funny, jaunty rhyme that trips beautifully off the tongue and appropriately action packed, chucklesome scenes that show the characters’ changing moods are the hallmarks of Alborough’s third adventure in this series.
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(The second story, Billy the Goat’s Big Breakfast (previously reviewed on this site is just out in paperback.)

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Bear and Hare Go Fishing
Emily Gravett
Macmillan
Friends, Hare and Bear go fishing. Bear loves to fish. Bear fishes, while Hare waits. He fishes Hare’s hat,

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a frog, a rollerskate, and …
Hare meanwhile is making a daisy chain. It gets longer…

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and longer.

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Then finally, a fish is caught!

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Brilliantly simple, brilliantly effective, very funny and perfect for beginning readers.
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Hooray for Hoppy!
Tim Hopgoood
Macmillan Children’s Books
Hoppy, the rabbit uses all five of his senses as he seeks out signs of spring. He smells the fresh air, sees the trees in blossom, hears the birds singing, smells the flowers and watches the lambs, tastes the fresh green grass and feels the warm ground beneath his feet. It really is spring he decides – a spring whose arrival he cannot wait to share with his many friends. But first he has to find them. Tim Hopgood’s delightful mixed media illustrations are seemingly simple but very effective; they put me in mind of some of the pictures created by foundation stage children using sponges for printing, crayons, paints and pastels.
This story would be a good starting point for a sensory walk with very young children either in a nursery or school setting, or with their parents.
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This is really funny, thinks Gracie

Do Dare Duck
Joyce Dunbar and Jane Massey
Jonathan Cape pbk
What does the duck do? Dance like the pig, dazzle like peacock, doze like dog, doodle like the cockerel’s cock-a-doodle-do!

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dawdle like tortoise, dash like hare or even dilly-dally-dangle with legs in a tangle donkey style? No, not exactly. Instead duck dares to … dance with pig, dazzle with peacock… dilly-dally dangle with donkey and having done all that our duck engages in a spot of dabbling and what’s more all her friends join her for some dibble dobble dabbling – up tails all!
Deliciously diverting alliteration delivered question and answer style by Dunbar and delightfully depicted in Massey’s marvellous illustrative pen and paint, sploshy, splattery musings.

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Every spread is  superb. Definitely one to put a spring in your step and much more as you emulate the animals herein, along with your children of course.
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Goodbye Grandma
Melanie Walsh
Walker Books
Having been told of his grandma’s death, the small boy narrator in this book shares his thoughts and anxieties with readers as he talks with his Mum about what has happened. He has lots of questions, which she answers  in a simple, frank manner, making links to other family members, pets and friends. She acknowledges his feelings of sadness: ‘Sometimes we will miss Grandma’ and it’s OK to feel sad, she tells him … but ‘We will never forget’ her.

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Melanie Walsh’s characteristic bold collage illustrations convey the range of feelings effectively in her straightforward and reassuring picture book for the very young. Recommended for use at times of bereavement and also as a starting point for discussion with young children in nursery settings.
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Also on the theme of death is

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Fred
Posy Simmons
Andersen Press pbk
This is a reissue of a classic story told in comic strip format, first published over twenty five years ago, wherein brother and sister, Nick and Sophie mourn the death of their beloved cat, Fred. Having buried him under the buddleia, they try to think of something nice to put on his gravestone. The two had always thought of Fred as a cat that liked nothing better than to eat and to sleep; seemingly he had spent most of his time asleep. That night Sophie and Nick are woken by noises in their garden and go down to investigate. There they discover a veritable army of cats, come to pay tribute to Fred, a cat they discover led a double life and was, in the eyes of his fellow felines, “The MOST FAMOUS CAT in the WORLD!”

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Fred has lost none of his appeal and should find a whole host of new fans.
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Find and buy form your local bookshop: http://www.booksellers.org.uk/bookshopsearch

Bookmark 5th March in your diary: wrad13nodate