Tag Kes Gray

A Mouse Just Ate My House!

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A Mouse Just Ate My House!
Kes Gray and Sebastien Braun
Happy Yak

The narrator of Kes Gray’s text speaks in rhyme as he relates the disaster that has befallen him, or make that sequence of disasters. There’s a mouse in his house and she has nibbled, munched and chomped her way through pretty much everything except the resident himself. First, as you might expect she sank her teeth into the skirting board but as soon as the narrator had retired to bed, she got started on the downstairs rooms and their contents.

Traps proved totally ineffective, indeed they merely served as part of the rodent’s repast before she proceeded to the bathroom, followed by the bedroom,

where not even poor Ted escaped from a severe nibbling. Other deterrents – a cricket bat, the neighbour’s cat

and pest controller and much more failed to survive. It will come as no surprise to readers that the mouse’s belly appears to have increased in size considerably after all this but there’s no sign of her suffering from indigestion or nausea. How is that possible?

This whole sorry saga is heightened by Sebastien Braun’s dramatic, hole-strewn depictions of the trail of destruction.

With an absolutely delicious throwaway final twist this one has winner stamped all over it. Listeners and readers aloud will relish it.

Torla & Smorla and the Lower Than Average Cloud

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Torla & Smorla and the Lower Than Average Cloud
Kes Grey and Chris Jevons
Happy Yak

Meet giraffe friends, Torla and Smorla with their star patterned coats. One day the two are out on a ‘longer-than-average walk’ when Smorla comments on the beautiful day. However with Torla’s head engulfed by a fluffy white ‘lower-than-average cloud’, as her friend tells her, nothing is visible but white. Her concerns about seeing where she’s going are quickly allayed when Smorla offers to take the lead, saying that sooner or later the cloud will disappear.

Now trust is crucial in such situations and Torla totally trusts her pal, following her instructions carefully. In this way (but now seeing grey) she avoids bumping into a tree (taller than average), tripping over ‘lazier-than-average lions’;

she navigates a path without getting scratched by the ‘pricklier-than-average bushes’. By now the cloud has become an even greyer grey.

They stop just before a chasm in their path where Smorla tells her friend to bend her knees and do her biggest forward jump ever. Safely across, they walk round crocodiles practising yoga and bingo-playing hippos, over an elephant enjoying the sun, across a tightrope traversing a ravine,

past dancing flamingos until finally they stop. Down comes heavy rain from the now black cloud above Torla’s head. Now can you believe it but Smorla just happens to have a pocket within which she has something else that’s bigger-than-average. Can you guess what?

Children will love the animal antics of the bit part players almost as much as the dialogue between the giraffe characters, which as one would expect of Ken Grey, is wonderfully droll.

The Hoys

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The Hoys
Kes Gray and Mark Chambers
Happy Yak

ARRR! Me hearties! How many of you have ever wondered what a hoy is? No? Well, you are about to find out in this zany piratical tale.

When his friends call out ‘Ahoy There’ Pirate Jake is confused – what are these hoys and where can he find them?

His hoy hunt around the harbour proves unsuccessful so Pirate Jake goes on a very long and very miserable walk along the beach during which he argues with his parrot and having run out of beach, ends up at the bottom of a tall cliff. There, in the sand, he discovers a trail of strange- shaped footprints …

Now where might they lead, the two wonder and who do they belong to? They decide to follow them and see.

‘Ahoy there!” he calls on entering a well-concealed cave. Could this place contain the answer to Pirate Jake’s puzzlement; will he perhaps end up feeling like a true pirate at last?
Ho! Ho! Ho! To reveal the ending would make me a story-spoiler.

Mark Chambers’ bold bright art, some scenes bursting with fun piratical details, is perfect for Kes Gray’s crazy telling, which contains some smashing descriptive phrases. A thoroughly enjoyable read aloud and one to re-read come ‘talk like a pirate day’ this year’s being on 19th September.

The Night After Christmas

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The Night After Christmas
Kes Gray and Claire Powell
Hodder Children’s Books

For many, Boxing Day is something of a come down after the big day itself. Not so for Santa and his wife, especially come evening time. That’s when things really start to hot up for them, as well as for his faithful band of elves who are eagerly awaiting that rallying cry to the eight giant owls aptly named Snowy, Ghost, Blizzard, Snowball, Milkshake, Whitefly, Misty and Noble. Their task on this special occasion is to safely deliver a ginormous cracker – XXL-plus size no less, filled to near bursting point and ready for the big bang.

Once the elves have pulled the thing and spilled out its super-tasty contents, it’s time for Mrs Claus to step up for the big switch-on. And what a magnificent sight she triggers: first the colours cascade forth and then the stars shift to create spectacular ‘Yule constellations’.

Thereafter comes the dancing with both elves and reindeer performing their ‘Strictly’ moves with panache – all except Vixen who has four left hooves, so we’re told.

But all good things must come to an end and as the northern lights begin to fade, Santa starts to feel the need for some shut-eye. Off go the revellers and you can guess what Mr and Mrs Claus do (after a quick stop under the mistletoe) – zzzzz.

Brilliantly told in Kes Grey’s unfaultable rhyming text that bounces joyfully along to that final throwaway finale, and equally exuberantly illustrated in Claire Powell’s fantastically funky scenes of festivity. How she managed to portray all those elves as the party erupts, is an astonishing feat in itself.

A Christmas cracker with a superabundance of ‘rooty-toot-toot’ magic that will surely become a seasonal classic.

Oi Aardvark!

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Oi Aardvark!
Kes Gray and Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books

Frog seems to be mining a seemingly bottomless – or maybe it should be bottomful – pit in Kes and Jim’s new Oi offering.

At the outset he throws out an invitation to the titular animal to participate in his new book that’s to be entitled ‘My ALL-NEW ALPHABETTY BOTTY BOOK. Dog is all agog; not so the cat who is, as usual, a sourpuss and ready to pour cold water over the enterprise even before it gets underway.

I have to hand it to Frog with his first chair substitute though, it’s pure genius: “Aardvarks will sit on cardsharks!” Nevertheless a certain feline is ready with a bit of negativity: “What’s a cardshark?” it demands. “It’s a shark who’s really good at playing snap!” comes Frog’s rapid response. That should shut Cat up, but let’s see.

We get through B and C without any interference, and only a minor bit of banter from Cat comes to herald in D. But then Dog’s tongue-twisting mix-up of a comment fuels another catty utterance. Eventually Frog announces his D and on we go safely (actually pretty precariously) through E and F.

For G, Frog has two clever inclusions – “giraffes can sit on baths and Gazelles can sit on bells!”

With horses comfortably seated and iguanas less so, clever claws Cat cheekily interjects again. (as if Frog doesn’t know his alphabetical order – well really!).

Anyway, or rather, Frog’s way, J. is duly dealt with and then as we’ve already been told, comes K. K is splendidly stinky …

Looks like the frog is the only one amused about this botty placement.

Off we go, with the dog heaping praise on our book compiler and guess who being its usual party pooping scorn pourer. Let’s skip to P and be pretty sure there’s a treat in store – ta da! Four animals happily installed on their bum bearers; but then comes another treat in the form of a double fold-out taking us through – with an inevitable purring pouring of cold water from the cat, to X.

Yet again Frog emerges triumphant, even giving himself a round of applause before zipping off through Y to the grand finale and completion of his book.

Or maybe not quite: we’ll leave it to the threesome to get to the bottom of their zany dispute.

So far beyond brilliant that it will never find the way back is this combination of Kes’ carefully and creatively concocted, rhyming, weaving of wordplay and Jim’s superbly silly seating solutions shown in his side-splitting visuals.

I’m hoping against hope that Frog doesn’t decide to rest on his laurels after this, his latest tour de force. I can’t wait to share it with anyone I can get to sit on their selected sit-upon.

The Diddle That Dummed

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The Diddle That Dummed
Kes Gray and Fred Blunt
Hodder Children’s Books

Oh my goodness, this book has given me the first really big laugh I’ve had since the lockdown, It’s utterly hilarious team Kes and Fred, and appealed most strongly to my sense of humour as well as to my divergent nature.

So let’s meet the cast: first is musician Flinty Bo Diddle who at the time our story starts is busy composing a tune to play upon his fiddle. Things go swimmingly at first with twenty nine diddles doing just as they ought but there has to be one doesn’t there, for the thirtieth note decides to make itself a dum.

How dare it – and half way through the tune at that.

A furious Flinty demands that the culprit confess. It does and the music starts up again with the dumming diddle consenting to another try. You can guess what happens with regard to Flinty,

and now all the other diddles turn on the dummer; the poor thing seems rather dumfounded but suggests being put first.

Diddles duly reshuffled, off they go again – err? Oops!

Maybe being placed as the final note might do the trick but …

What about changing the tune altogether suggests the dumming diddler. Flinty agrees though clearly a change of instrument is required.

The dums go well – for a while at least then …

Now those adults who happen to be teachers might recognise the sudden urge for a loo visit that is requested by our dear dumming diddle

especially as it precipitates a chain reaction.

The ending is beyond priceless and almost made my partner fall off his stool as I read it to him over coffee.

Brilliantly bonkers and a perfect antidote to lockdown blues.

Oi Puppies!

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Oi Puppies!
Kes Gray and Jim Field
Hodder Chidlren’s Books

YAP! YAP! YAP! YES! YES! YES! The long anticipated Gray and Field new ‘Oi … !’ episode Oi Puppies! is finally here and it was definitely worth the wait – expectations exceeded yet again!

It appears that the dog might have bitten off rather more than he can chew when it comes to the plethora of pups he’s rashly undertaken to puppy-sit. Certainly his pals the cat and the frog are not impressed with their mischief.

We all know from previous experience as the cat points out, that puppies should sit on guppies, but “These puppies are really badly trained” admits the dog.

Thank goodness then for the frog. With a deft manoeuvre he produces his mobile and makes a call to …

Puppies with names require tailor made seating apparently and so the fun begins as one by one each cute little canine creature is paired with a suitable seat as befits its name.

The dog is practically dumbfounded; cat momentarily silent while the frog looks mighty pleased with himself. But it doesn’t do to gloat.

The pups are certainly sitting comfortably now but that’s not quite the end of the story. Perhaps personalised perches can produce problems from time to time …

Nineteen puppies, each with a distinct personality – that’s no mean feat even for Jim Field – and the sight of the whole motley crew sitting there as though butter wouldn’t melt is absolutely superb.
Stupendously silly nonsense that only this partnership can provide: if you’ve not read any of the others I recommend getting the lot and reading them in order although this one works perfectly in its own right.

Think Big!

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Think Big!
Kes Gray and Nathan Reed
Hodder Children’s Books

Humpty Dumpty sits on a wall, but he’s not alone; his friends sit alongside and they are considering their futures.

Humpty however, sets the bar very low: “A boiled egg” is his only ambition. Shock horror among the others who go on to urge him to Think Big!

“Buy a pair of football boots and become a footballer,” suggests Wee Willie Winkie.

“Look for clues and become a detective, says Little Bo-Peep.

He could perhaps, like Little Miss Muffet, consider becoming a scientist.

Egg though he might be, he “really should try thinking outside of the box.” as Jack and Jill recommend. I second that!

An artist, a policeman, a doctor or a firefighter are also put forward as possibilities; but it is perhaps the Cow who jumped over the moon that really gets Humpty’s brain buzzing with potential personal achievements.

But will our eggy friend actually manage to live up to his elevated thoughts and reach for the stars …

Storytelling maestro Kes Gray smashes it again with this tale that will surely have you giggling from start to final, laugh-out-loud punchline (or more accurately crunchline).

Nathan Reed does a terrific job capturing Kes’s droll humour in his high-voltage illustrations, every one of which is a cracker.

With its powerfully positive ‘believe, work hard and you can achieve’ message this is an eggstra-special offering for young children.

Oi Duck-Billed Platypus!

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Oi Duck-Billed Platypus!
Kes Gray & Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books

Seemingly Frog’s work is never done, at least when it comes to finding suitable places upon which animals can rest their situpons.

Now he’s faced with not just the creature from the title but a whole host of other animals all wanting to know upon what they can sit and even worse, each one has a name that’s impossible to find a rhyme for – try hedgehog, say. Well perhaps the spiky creature could sit upon er, Frog. Ouch! I suspect that’s completely out of the question though. And kookaburra – hmm! Surely there must be another way of approaching this impasse. And happily there is!

Frog is a genius! “… what’s your first name?” he asks the duck-billed platypus. “Dolly,” comes the reply. Easily sorted.

Then, with moral support from his pals – the dog and the cat, our amphibious friend rapidly comes up with places upon which another twenty or so animals can park their bottoms.

That leaves just the matter of Geraldine the kangaroo …

I think this book has ousted any of the other Oi titles to become my very favourite of the seemingly effortless, utterly priceless. rhyming gems Kes Gray produces. Brilliant as they are though, they wouldn’t be quite so fantastic without Jim Field’s side-splitting illustrations.
Unmissable!

Oi teachers, think what terrific fun you could have with your classes …

“You’re Called What?!”

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“You’re Called What?!”
Kes Gray and Nikki Dyson
Macmillan Children’s Books

Spluttersome delight is guaranteed in the latest of Kes Gray’s comic outpourings.

He takes us to the Ministry of Silly Names where there’s a queue of weird and wonderful creatures all intent on changing their monikers.

As each one reaches the counter and reveals what it’s called: Cockapoo, Monkeyface Pricklebat, Pink Fairy Armadillo, Blue-Footed Booby,(thanks to Jonny Lambert I’d heard of that one) Ice Cream Cone Worm,

Shovelnose Guitarfish, Blobfish

and yes, Bone-Eating Snot Flower Worm … the hoots of laughter from those behind get ever louder (and longer), in tandem, if my experience is anything to go by, with those of listeners.

Nikki Dyson’s hilarious portrayal of each animal with its peeved, or perhaps acquiescent countenance, is rib-ticklingly funny; but perhaps the best bit of all – no make that the second best bit – is the discovery that each and every one of these animals actually exists.

The funniest bit, at least for me, is when the final creature, the Aha Ha Wasp announces what its new name is to be.

Revealing this would most definitely spoil the fun so you’ll just have to lay your paws, feelers, fins or other appropriate appendages on a copy of the book pronto.

With its impeccable comic timing, this one’s beyond priceless, probably as much so as the author’s Oi Frog! and if your audience’s love of language isn’t boosted 100% after hearing the story, then I’m off to stick my head under the frill of that Tasselled Wobbegong.

I might have to do that anyway: one read aloud, with all those ‘HA HA’s, has left me utterly exhausted.

Oi Cat!

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Oi Cat!
Kes Gray and Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books

Frog is a stickler for the rules – his rules in particular – which is unfortunate for Cat whose turn it is to have his own book. Sadly though, for the feline at least, it’s been decreed that he, and all cats now ‘sit on gnats’.
Imagine the bites, imagine the itching, imagine the scratching of a very sensitive part of his anatomy. Ouch!
Inevitably Cat’s distress results in all kinds of possibilities being proffered by the other animals: were he a pony he could sit on macaroni, suggests Dog. This does not go down well with Cat who objects to his bottom being anyone’s business but his own.
Dog though is full of good ideas, all of which are rapidly negated by the frog on account of their not rhyming with cat.

And even when he does deliver the goods, that dastardly amphibian is quick to point out that bats – be they of the cricket, baseball or softball variety – are already allocated to, erm …

Still though, the dog keeps on trying and even changes tack, suggesting ‘mog’ as an alternative handle for the put upon cat. Now there’s a thought … Doesn’t that word rhyme with a certain extremely assertive creature beginning with f?
But that’s a no go area isn’t it? Surely there must be plenty of alternatives …

Someone’s going to regret that utterance.
I keep on thinking with every new addition to the Oi…! series that they can’t get any better, but then along comes another and I have to say, this one, with its splendid elevating finale, is as close to ‘purr-fect’ as you’re likely to get.
Top that, Kes and Jim …

Festive Fun and Frolics

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Nuddy Ned’s Christmas
Kes Gray and Garry Parsons
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
Nuddy Ned likes nothing better than to dash around in the altogether and yes, he’s super excited it being Christmas Eve; but dashing outside into the snowy evening chill is nothing short of crackers. There’s no stopping the little fellow though; he’s on a mission to meet Santa and he’s perfectly prepared to charge down the street and around the town completely starkers, parents in hot pursuit, in order to do so. Only some strategically placed flaps and other judiciously positioned items including a bird, a glove …

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and a bauble preserve his modesty.
Does this madcap streak finally get Ned what he wants – that Santa encounter, you’ll probably be wondering. Yes he does and Santa’s none too impressed at Ned’s lack of clothing but in the end it seems like a question of beat’em or join’em: what will Santa do? That would be telling wouldn’t it!
Kes Gray’s cracking rhyming text combined with equally giggle-inducing illustrations from Garry Parsons makes for some delightfully silly festive fun.

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The Queen’s Present
Steve Antony
Hodder Children’s Books
Imagine being able to call on Father Christmas himself for a spot of last minute emergency present buying, but that is exactly what the Queen does in her desire to find the perfect gift for her great grandchildren. Down he comes and off they go on a whistle stop flight with a whole host of hangers-on in the form of Santa’s little helpers who have much work to do in the way of festooning the various landmarks – the Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Wall of China, Himeji Castle, Sydney Opera House …

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and the Statue of Liberty over which they fly before finally landing in the North Pole. Even there though, Her Majesty is unable to find the perfect present. With Christmas Day almost upon them, there seems to be only one thing to do …

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This whole crazy romp is executed using an appropriately seasonal colour palette. It’s not my favourite Steve Antony but it’s full of things to make you smile; and those elves really do earn their keep as well as having a terrific time adorning all those iconic landmarks.

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Winnie and Wilbur Meet Santa
Valerie Thomas and Korky Paul
Oxford University Press
The excitement is palpable in Winnie and Wilbur’s house as they bake, write cards and festoon the place with decorations. Then it’s time for writing those all important letters to Santa …

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Christmas Eve comes at last and just as the pair drop off to sleep, they hear a cry for help: something has gone drastically wrong with Santa’s chimney descent. It’s fortunate that Winnie just happens to have her wand right there on the bedside table and with a quick wave and a magical utterance, she soon has their visitor back on his feet and they’re off on an amazing adventure.

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Full of seasonal magic and excitement, this is sure to delight, especially that final pop-out surprise …

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For the very youngest:

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We Wish You a Merry Christmas
illustrated by Yu-hsuan Huang
Nosy Crow
This song on which this chunky board book is based is probably one of the most frequently sung in primary schools and nurseries in the run up to Christmas.
Here we join a host of warmly clad, cute animal friends celebrating the seasonal joys together as they sleigh, skate, ski and deliver presents before gathering together in a warm cosy room to share some gifts.

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In addition to the moving parts, you can further add to toddlers’ enjoyment by scanning the QR code inside the front cover and getting an audio version to sing along with.

Quick Quack Quentin/How Many Legs?

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Quick Quack Quentin
Kes Gr y and Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books
Did you spot the deliberate mistake in the author’s name? It – or rather a missing A – is really key to the whole sorry situation in this hilarious book from the Field/Gray dream team that all begins when a duck, a duck whose ‘Quack’ has become a mere ‘Qu ck!’, consults a doctor about the distressing condition. But although quick with his diagnosis “… your QUACK has lost it’s a.” said doctor is unable to prescribe anything. So off goes Quentin to the FARM to see if any of the animals can help. They try their best: DOG offers his O, HEN her E, PIG his I and BULL a U

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but none of these sound appropriately duck-like.
Quentin’s next stop is the ZOO – a couple of OOs perhaps? On second thoughts maybe not, but perhaps there might be an animal with a spare A therein.
All the animals are sympathetic but part with an A – not likely! The APES don’t want to be PES.
The SNAKES don’t want to be SNKES nor the CAMELS CMELS. The PARROTS have no intention of becoming PRROTS and those PANDAS don’t want to be PNDAS or even PANDS.

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Poor Quentin, seems he’s stuck with that QUCK or is he? What’s this strange looking creature saying he has a spare A …

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A quacking read aloud, a fun introduction to vowels and a brilliant way of showing children they need to be flexible in their approach to letters and sounds. In my book it doesn’t quite beat Oi Frog! but it comes pretty darn close: those animal expressions are something else.

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How Many Legs!
Kes Gray and Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books
What begins as a simple question from the boy narrator of this picture book from the hugely talented Field and Gray “How many legs would there be if in this room there was only me?” gradually turns into a chaotic and riotous romp of a party as one after another animal crashes onto the scene at every turn of the page.

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Did I say another animal? Make that more than one on occasion …

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And just when you think it can’t get more crazy, this happens …

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With the addition of a slug, a snail, a maggot and a centipede just to name a few of the gate-crashers keeping up a leg count is pretty tricky.

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In fact I wouldn’t recommend trying it on a first reading – just enjoy the fun and leave computation till afterwards; and anyway the host reveals the answer to the leg question as he deals with the after- party chaos on the final page.
With wonderfully wacky guests splendidly attired, and scenes full of delightfully exuberant eccentricities, this book now out in paperback, is a cracker.

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ZIPPO The Super Hippo

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Emmanuelle more than a little concerned at the sight of the crocodile’s open jaws as Zippo plummets, seemingly  towards them.

ZIPPO The Super Hippo
Kes Gray and Nikki Dyson
Macmillan Children’s Books
Bottoms up for Zippo the hippo. As he wallows in the swamp, said hippo bemoans to his best pal, Roxi the oxpecker, the fact that he lacks a super power. What he wants is something BIG and exciting and he needs Roxi’s help to discover what exactly IS that personal speciality of his. Plodding, getting muddy and swimming don’t cut it in the super power department, nor do splishing, sploshing and splashing. Flying maybe, suggests Roxi leading Zippo to the top of a waterfall for his maiden flight …

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Several attempts later, not to mention a few splatted creatures …

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our would-be super hero declares that flying isn’t his thing after all. But, as Roxi tells him, “You didn’t just squash’em… You got’em with your bottom!” Super hippopotamus he isn’t; but super hippobottomus, well certainly …

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Who wouldn’t fall for (though definitely not under) Zippo with his massive rear and those wonderful super-pants. Giggles galore will result from sharing this one I predict. Like those Zippo landings, it will be a whopping hit for sure. I’m off to find some children to help launch Zippo into superhero stardom. They’re bound, like me, to give this super story a massive BUMS UP: It’s BUMBALICIOUS!

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Oi Frog!

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Dolci, not the gophers on the sofa, amused at the various places the animals sit.

Oi Frog!
Kes Gray and Jim Field
Hodder Children’s Books
When Frog complains to Cat about being asked to “Sit on a log!” (they’re nobbly, uncomfortable and give you splinters in your bottom.) he instigates a whole lesson on sitting correctness. Mules sit on stools, gophers on sofas, parrots on carrots … “It’s not about being comfortable. It’s about doing the right thing.” bossy Cat informs him emphatically from the comfort of his mat and so it goes on with the stroppy feline determined to keep Frog firmly in his place “… gibbons sit on ribbons, lambs sit on jams,

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bees sit on keys and pumas sit on satsumas.” What a mine of vital information Frog has gleaned during this dialogue; but there’s one obvious animal that’s been omitted from the rhyming litany, …

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Guess what he asked that dictatorial Cat next.
As someone who is in despair at what is currently going on in many infant departments in the name of teaching reading, I absolutely loved Kes Gray’s hilarious rhyming tale, which is such a brilliant (unintended?) send up of the whole phonics obsession.
Joy of joys; (I wanted to leap off my bum and grab the nearest mum and yell take a look at this brilliant book). Good old Frog determined to make his voice heard and not be made to stick to someone else’s rules; well yes, it sort of back-fired on this occasion but I bet he’s up and questioning again pretty soon; he’s definitely not one to be kept down.
It’s nigh on impossible to choose a favourite image from among Jim Field’s terrific teeterings, but among my most loved are bees on keys and pumas on satsumas, so brilliantly juxtaposed,

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and lions on irons – ouch!
Glorious.
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Exploring Feelings

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Made by Raffi
Craig Pomranz and Margaret Chamberlain
Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Raffi feels different from the other children at school and asks himself why. He knows he shies away from rough and noisy play, preferring instead to spent time in quiet, peaceful places. One day he notices a teacher sitting knitting and she offers to teach him how to do it.

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Soon Raffi is knitting and loving it, so much so that when he gets home he persuades his parents to let him buy some wool.
Having done so, he decides to knit a multi-coloured scarf for his dad’s birthday. However, so enthusiastic is Raffi, knitting at every opportunity, that he is laughed at by schoolmates on the bus, as the rainbow scarf trails everywhere.
That evening at home, Raffi talks to his mother about feeling different. “Do you think I’m … girly?” he asks. His mother’s sensible words reassure Raffi and then the following day at school, an announcement about the school play inspires him to use his creative talents to design and make a wonderful cloak for Barry, the lead actor in the school play, to wear for his performance.

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Raffi gains the respect of all his classmates and self esteem boosted, thinks about becoming a designer in the future. In the meantime, there’s that scarf to finish and all manner of other projects to work on –
Best of all perhaps though is Barry’s comment on seeing Raffi knitting some weeks later … “Cool,” he said.
This story is a great advocate for creativity, demonstrating that differences should be celebrated as well as promoting the idea that everyone should have the confidence to be true to him or herself without fear of being made to feel inferior or being laughed at.
There is at least one Raffi in every class so I truly hope this book goes some way to deterring potential bullies: there must be no room for bullying in any shape or form.
Margaret Chamberlain’s illustrations too celebrate diversity and sympathetically portray Raffi’s changing emotions as he embarks on his journey of self-discovery.
Definitely a book to share and discuss with children in primary classes everywhere.
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My Big Brother Boris
Liz Pichon
Scholastic pbk
Boris has a birthday party but it seems to Little Croc that his big brother has started acting in a very odd manner telling the small narrator that he’s grown out of childish games, and wanting to spend all his time with his friends or sleeping. Mum is understanding and reminds Little Croc that there are preparations to finish before the party can start, even though the chief guest has yet to get up. When he does finally make an appearance, horror of horrors: Boris is sporting a shiny snout ring.

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Parental ranting follows and Boris storms off to his room. His guests arrive and then it’s down to Granny and Grandpa Croc and their younger grandson to save the day with a special party game of ‘guess who’s in the photos’.

 

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Harmony restored, Boris has, so he announces to all, “the best party EVER.” and reassumes his place as best big brother.
Young children with teenage siblings will recognize Boris and his behaviour; this funny story (a reissue) offers the opportunity to explore the feelings around the topic through a reassuring and amusing scenario. Liz Pichon’s pictures are a hoot and crammed with delicious details both visual and verbal.
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How Are You Feeling Today Baby Bear?
Jane Evans and Laurence Jackson
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
The author, Jane Evans has worked with families and children affected by domestic violence for many years and as a result of numerous requests from parents, carers and support workers she created this book to help adults trying to enable young children to make sense of the feelings they experienced when they were frightened and confused.
The story revolves around Baby Bear and his feelings

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(sensitively portrayed in the illustrations) as the Big Bears shout and rant at each other
until one leaves the family home.

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Using a family of bears rather than human characters perhaps helps create some distance -a space within which children feel safe to discuss and explore those feelings and emotions.
On some pages there are prompts for adults that can be used to start conversations with young children and at the back of the book are some activities and games to facilitate the understanding and expression of difficult emotions. Wearing my children’s yoga and mindfulness teacher’s hat, I particularly like the ‘tummy sunshine’ and the ‘grey rainy’ sad feelings. (Incidentally these can be useful with all young children).
I recommend this little book to all working with children affected by domestic violence whatever the setting.
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Worries Go Away!
Kes Gray and Lee Wildish
Hodder Children’s Books
The little girl narrator of this rhyming story shares with readers what happens when she is feeling sad: she goes off to her own world inside her head.

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There she feels free and at first everything is perfect but then once again, those worries begin to take hold, growing monstrous. Under a now blackened sky,

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the monsters give chase as, tripping and stumbling, the little girl makes for safety. She discovers a door in the darkness but where is the key? Through the keyhole, on the other side she discovers people waiting, waiting for her to open the door –

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the door of her heart and let them in. That’s when all those worries dissipate as she feels engulfed by love and not only that, she knows that next time there will be somebody waiting to share her troubles with.
The tension is palpable as the tentacles of the blotchy orange amorphous monsters seek to entangle the narrator’s thoughts in Lee Wildish’s powerful pictures: it’s almost as if the swirls are transformed into her curly tresses as she breaks free through the door.
Children do become engulfed by worries, letting those, to adults seemingly small troubles, become enormous and overwhelming. Kes Gray’s pacing of the rhyming text somehow helps to keep under control, the rising panic of the little girl and gives space for her to realize the way through.
Not a story for an everyday story session, rather it’s one to share and discuss as part of a PSE (personal, social and emotional development) programme for young children.
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