Tag Olivia Hope

Little Lion Girl

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Little Lion Girl
Olivia Hope and Fiona Woodcock
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Leonie and her mother are city bound when they board the train for a day’s adventure. As Leonie looks around her everyone she sees is somewhat extraordinary. This prompts her to become a brave little lion girl and swinging her tail, she roars, determined to make the most of all the sights and sounds the city has to offer.

“I’m a lion girl and I’m totally amazing!” she says as she views the exhibits in the museum gallery.

What wonders she sees all around and after some refreshments in a cafe, off dashes Leonie across the square and climbs right up to the very top of a fountain where she proclaims herself king of the city.
But when she sees a butterfly while her mum is chatting to a friend, Leonie forgets mum’s warning to take care and dashes off in pursuit.

Suddenly her surroundings seem to engulf her and that little lion girl discovers her roar has disappeared along with her pride. Huddling in the shadows she hears a very loud “Leonie!” Her fears begin to dissipate and as her mother embraces Leonie her roar starts to grow within once more. “I’m lion girl and I love you” she says giving her mum a tight hug.

This is such a lovely story of the power of the imagination and coming to understand the vital importance of having a loving someone to look out for us and help us become whatever we want. Told through Olivia Hope’s lyrical text and Fiona Woodcock’s vibrant, wonderfully expressive illustrations working in perfect harmony creating a roarsome story to share and discuss with young children at home or in an educational setting.

Be Wild, Little One

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Be Wild, Little One
Olivia Hope and Daniel Egnéus
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

‘Wake up early, don’t be shy, / this bright world can make you FLY. / Be wild, little one.’ So urges the author in her opening lines of this exhilarating, rhythmic text that encourages children to believe they should go out into the world, explore it imaginatively and believe that anything is possible; in other words, to make the world their playground. Be it climbing trees, swimming in the deep blue ocean, chasing storms, (yes those will eventually go) or running with wolves through snowy mountains,

Daniel Egnéus captures and enlarges the experience with his glorious, memorable scenes of a child embracing the wonders of the natural world and experiencing every opportunity as an adventure. Not only do the words sing but so too, do the illustrations. And what better way to end than with this final spread where readers feel that they really are standing alongside the child under the starry sky ready to relish every moment of that adventure.

Truly a joyous, magical book bursting with encouragement and energy; be yourself in this wonderful world and embrace life imaginatively and fully. What better message could you give a child? A must have for class collections and family bookshelves.