Tag mineditionUS

When I Became Your Brother / Some Do, Some Don’t

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When I Became Your Brother
Susannah Shane and Britta Tekentrup
Nosy Crow

Written in rhyme that shows tenderness and devotion, and illustrated with gorgeously warm scenes by Britta Teckentrup, this book told from the viewpoint of the older one, celebrates the bond between a brother and his new sibling.
From sunrise to sunset two fox cubs love to spend time exploring their woodland surroundings and playing together. They dash through the fields, play with pinecones

and laugh and leap together beneath the setting sun before snuggling up under the stars. Being an older sibling brings companionship, responsibility for guidance and above all, love.

With its comforting text and sparkling art, this is a book to give a young child when a new sibling arrives in the family.

Some Do, Some Don’t
Dipacho
Mineditions

Dipacho uses jabiru storks in this presentation of individuality. By means of a simple, straightforward text and elegant images of these storks he depicts them in various sizes and in a range of situations starting thus: ‘Some of us have no family’ accompanied by an image of a solitary bird. Turn the page and we see two jabirus flapping, almost dancing and the words ‘Others do.’
Some take off alone to explore what the world has to offer, others stay behind. Some like to be in the company of others, in family groups or more of a crowd; some want solitude. Some live together reluctantly; some are distanced but want to be near another.
Some have families with differences, indeed many do

and sometimes new family members arrive; some in contrast have left for ever. Some jabirus prefer to ‘stick to our own kind,’ whereas others are interested in a variety of types of birds. The author concludes, ‘Some of us fly off and follow our own path. …Actually we all do.’
In eighteen double spreads Dipacho covers almost each and every experience a child may have.
The final page provides three factual paragraphs about jabirus including that they are the second largest birds in the world. I didn’t know that; thanks to this book now I do.

Dad, Don’t Miss It! / City Under the City

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Here are two recent additions to Astra Young Readers list – thanks to GMC Distribution for sending them for review.

Dad, Don’t Miss It!
Qiaoqiao Li

In her debut picture book Qiaoqiao Li starts with a situation that will be familiar to many young children: a parent – father in this instance – immersed in a computer screen. This he does even when he and his son are supposed to be sharing some quality time going on an adventure. They take a bus to their forest destination but both en route and when they arrive, Dad has his computer screen on. So distracted is he that he fails to see the red fairy and its friends, a white deer and a stone elf, the tree monsters and flower troll, all of which play with his child. Eager to introduce them to his dad the boy waits patiently in the first instance but gradually becomes more frustrated and eventually loses patience, yelling ‘Dad!’

Not only has Dad been missing the possibilities of play, he’s completely unaware of the transformation he’s been undergoing all the while until a response finally comes.This sends everyone other than Dad rolling down the hill and right into the lake.

Can this parent now forget his computer and save the day?

With otherworldly digital illustrations, this magical tale serves as a timely reminder that we should all turn off our screens, leave the virtual world behind for a while and enjoy some real life adventures.

City Under The City
Dan Yaccarino

Residing in a dystopian city under constant surveillance from the Eyes are Bix and her family. Said Eyes have absolute control over the daily lives of everyone.

Wanting autonomy, young Bix is not understood by her family, plays with nobody and frequently feels completely alone, She and her schoolmates only read on handheld screens and under the constant supervision of the Eyes, never choose their reading matter. However ‘The Eyes don’t just help. They also watch.’ But why and what, Bix wants to know. All this we learn from Dan Yaccarino’s comic panels and brief accompanying text.

One day Bix hears something new – a squeaking sound and liking what she sees, follows the little creature, a friendly rat deep down underground to the ruins of a city that at first sight seems similar to, but is in fact altogether different, from that in which she lives. For there in this place she is led to its abandoned library full of books, 

a museum, a restaurant and a music hall—what’s left of life before the Eyes took over. Here Bix and her new friend can be truly self-directing but what has happened to all the people?

Having spent many days down below and becoming aware of the possibilities of a different way of life, Bix feels the call of home and family. Back she goes up and up but although her family are overjoyed to see her; not so the Eyes, one of which snatches her sister. Little by little, Bix reveals what she’s discovered to her fellow citizens and eventually, bringing them all together, she leads an uprising, rescues Taff and reunites her entire family who are ‘really together for the first time.’

A scary look at a possible world ruled by AI and a surveillance culture for screen obsessed youngsters.