Tag Paula Bowles

Grimogen Darkstar: Bat-Cat-Tastrophe / Marv and the Funfare Fright

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Grimogen Darkstar: Bat-Cat-Tastrophe
Emma Finlayson-Palmer
Tiny Tree Books

Young Grimogen Darkstar or Immi as she prefers to be called, desperately wants a pet, even more so when the team from Howler’s Rescue Centre bring animals into her school for a special day. “Maybe I’ll meet my future first pet,” she says. First though she has to prove to her parents that she is sufficiently responsible to care for one. So, when her class is called to the hall, she’s more than delighted to see all manner of magical creatures and she can hardly wait to feed some of them, declaring herself “ a bit of an expert at feeding animals.”

Pretty soon though things start to go wrong: Immi is certain she’s seen a bat-cat outside the window and refuses to accept the explanation that what she saw was just a bat. Almost immediately after, her classmates are running around as bats swoop in and get stuck in people’s hair. Fortunately for her though, things are quickly sorted out and an open day at Rescue Centre is announced, to be held the next day. Helping out offers another opportunity for Immi to prove she’s ready for her own pet. Can she do so without causing a catastrophe?

Impetuous, curious, brave and kind-hearted, Immi is a delight and young readers/listeners, especially animal-lovers, will enjoy meeting her. in this first story with its sprinkling of whimsical black and white illustrations.

Marv and the Funfare Fright
Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles
Oxford Children’s Books

Marv is excited when he hears that from the funfair has arrived at the local park for its annual visit and super-excited when he finds that he’s now tall enough to go on the Head Spinner roller coaster (rather him than me). Off he goes with his super-suit and sidekick, Pixel, in his backpack and Grandad at his side. It’s extremely crowded and noisy but it’s not long before while riding on the Spinning Teacups, Marv detects a supervillain – The Conjuror – with whom he’d had an unpleasant encounter before.

Time for Marv to don his super-suit and track down that Conjuror: assuredly she’ll be up to no good. And so she is. First a zombie is on the loose and then shortly after, there are seven cuddly toy pandas running riot in the Hall of Mirrors. Marv gives chase but his rocket boosters fail and the pandas escape causing chaos all around the funfair.

Can Marv put a stop to the panic and panda-monium and not only save his friends but all the other fair visitors. He’ll most certainly need to use every means at his disposal. Maybe he can change that Conjuror into an superhero instead of a supervillain too, or is that asking too much …

Dramatically illustrated by Paula Bowles, Marv’s ninth adventure – ideal for the upcoming spooky season – is every bit as exciting as his previous ones: established fans will love it and I’m sure he’ll gain plenty of new followers too.

Marv and the Duck of Doom / Kitty and the Clifftop Peril

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These are both additions to popular series for new solo readers: thank you to Oxford Children’s Books for sending them for review.

Marv and the Duck of Doom
Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles

Marvin and his Grandad (plus Marvin’s high-tech side-kick Pixel) are visiting Adventure Zone. They’re going to meet Grandad’s best friend Steve (once Professor Feather, a powerful supervillain, but now a reformed character as Grandad explains before Steve arrives). With Steve is a girl around Marvin’s age so he thinks; her name is Izzy. After some rounds at the bowling alley Pixel picks up a supervillain signal and warns Marvin and later after spending more time with Izzy, during which she shows him her grandfather’s Duck of Doom, Marvin feels very uneasy about her.

The following week as Marvin and his Grandad are enjoying a picnic in the park, there comes a loud scream and the boy sees people running from something: it’s a gigantic robotic duck – the Duck of Doom. Time for Marvin to don his super-suit and morph into Marv. That way he can use the suit’s special facilities; he makes himself invisible and gets closer to the monstrous duck. Sure enough, who should be sitting on its back controlling the thing but Izzy, calling herself Professor Feather and issuing a challenge – superhero versus supervillain. Then suddenly it’s not just one gigantic robot duck but a whole army of robotic ducklings too. Can Marv and Pixel discover their weakness? Maybe the answer is in the elements … but even if they can see off the ducklings what about that Duck of Doom? And the Professor?

With themes of determination, friendship and forgiveness, some interesting new characters and gentle humour, this latest story leaves the door open for a new direction. Add to that Paula Bowles’ lively illustrations and we have another cracker for readers in years 1-3 and for home collections.

Another series featuring a superhero (in training) is

Kitty and the Clifftop Peril
Paula Harrison, illustrated by Jenny Lovlie

This is Kitty’s sixteenth adventure and she and her family are holidaying in the sleepy seaside town of Pebblecove, so Kitty’s not anticipating using her feline superpowers. As the book begins they’re visiting a seal rescue centre. Just before they have lunch Kitty encounters young Lee who tells her he’s helping his father by feeding the seals. It’s when she rejoins her parents that the trouble starts.

First crates of fish intended for the rescue centre seals are scattered everywhere, then stands of things from the shop fall over and the cafe menus are ripped. It must all be due to a mysterious creature rather than Kitty’s friend Cutlass the pirate cat. Now Kitty must put on her superhero cape, go in search of the culprit.and find out why they are causing such chaos. Could they be looking for something and if so, what?

A gentle story but one where Kitty has to be especially brave as she’s not in familiar territory. Jenny Lovlie’s black and orange illustrations throughout, heighten the drama.

Gordon Starts a Band / Marv and the Alien Invasion

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Both these are additions to series ideal for newly independent readers – thanks to the publishers Oxford Children’s Books for sending them for review.

Gordon Starts a Band
Alex Latimer

Gordon the goose is back and despite being dubbed the meanest goose on earth, he’s still trying to be good: that’s thanks to his now best friend, piglet Anthony. However to say Gordon is a totally reformed character is perhaps over-stating things, despite his best intentions. After a day of kind deeds Gordon cannot sleep, so when he meets up with Anthony the following morning he’s in a honkingly bad mood thanks in no small part to the terrible noise that kept him awake all night. A noise so bad Gordon feels that unless he discovers what’s making the sound and can put a stop to it, he’ll revert to his former mean self.

So he and Anthony start to follow the noise until they reach the darkest part of the forest and in a nearby clearing there is the perpetrator. It’s Edgar the Moose and what he reveals to Gordon and Anthony shocks both the friends. However the former thinks he should try to put things right but this proves much more challenging than Gordon could ever have imagined. It even involves a rendezvous with members of the Meanest Goose Society so Gordon can enlist their help in a scheme he has. With a considerable amount of thumping and banging, la-la-ing strumming and singing, all ends on a high with Gordon slightly further along the road to redemption.

Alex Latimer serves up another slice of delightful wry silliness that will have young solo readers backing Gordon all the way to the final page whereon we see a blissfully sleeping goose – err?

Marv and the Alien Invasion
Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles

Marvin’s seventh adventure is set in a Space Centre that his class visits; it’s a trip involving an overnight stay. On arrival their tour guide Jessie greets the group and shows them where to leave their bags. This means that Pixel, Marvin’s tiny robot, will have to remain stashed in his backpack until all his classmates are asleep. First they go to the planet room where a display of the solar system’s planets hangs from the ceiling. Suddenly Jupiter falls from its fixing almost crashing onto Marvin’s friend Joe: was it mere accident or something else?

Next comes the rocket room wherein there stands a gigantic replica of a space rocket, alongside which is a life-sized replica of a control room. Unexpectedly the control panel lights up and starts beeping loudly -a loose connection? The final surprise before bedtime is when their guide dims the lights and projected onto the ceiling are the constellations. As they gaze upwards a potato hits Joe on the head and shortly after there appears the figure of supervillain Cosmic, and his little alien friends. Chaos ensues in the form of a food fight.

Time for Marvin to don his super-suit and morph into Marv the superhero. Out of Marvin’s bag too comes Pixel. But then Cosmic snatches up Pixel saying he’s going to take her to robot planet where she belongs and hauls her into the centre’s rocket. Can Marv do something before the rocket blasts off into space?

Another episode of MARVellous fun for those just taking off as solo readers from team Alex and Paula.

Marv and the Killer Plants / Mirabelle Wants to Win

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These are new titles in series popular with new solo readers: thanks to Oxford Children’s Books for sending them for review

Marv and the Killer Plants
Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles

When Marvin and his classmates take part in a competition to design a new garden for the school grounds, he’s eager to win, and to give him some ideas his Grandad takes him to the botanical gardens. There he sees some Venus flytraps in the hothouse and makes a drawing of one. Later on he encounters one of his class friends, Eva. She has come to get some ideas for her design too. But when the competition winner is announced and it’s Eva, he wonders if she has copied his design and he later accuses her of so doing.

It’s not long before that is the least of Marv’s worries: the partly completed school garden has become a jungle thick with creeping vines and it appears that the school too, not to mention the whole town, could be overrun with writhing tendrils.

Time for Marv to don that superhero suit

Suddenly atop a thick vine, Marv spies a figure calling herself Violet Vine, a supervillain, so Marv’s side-kick robot Pixel, tells him. Moreover when a gigantic Venus flytrap shoots up out of the ground right before his eyes there’s a strong likelihood that for Marv, it’s a case of be careful what you wish for.
His first task though, is to rescue his friend, Joe, who is entangled upside down in a thick vine. With this done, he has a second rescue to attempt – this time from the mouth of the gigantic Venus flytrap. Having succeeded in task two, Marv’s work is far from finished. Assisted by his super-suit accoutrements, can he finally outsmart the wicked Violet Vine and rid the school of her killer plants?

Fast paced, fun and with a lesson about jealousy, this fifth of Marv’s challenging adventures shows him at his invincible marvellous best (almost all of the time). Paula Bowles has done a fantastic job with her dramatic illustrations.

Another favourite series continues with drama of a different kind in

Mirabelle Wants to Win
Harriet Muncaster

Mirabelle is excited to hear one morning that famous footballer, Chrissy Gold, an ex pupil of her school, is coming to watch the students play football. First though, Mirabelle et al have to learn how to play human football, which means strictly no magic. Mirabelle is extra happy when she learns that Chrissy is only half witch, just like she is.

PE teacher Miss Toadflax assembles all the pupils on the field and explains the rules and basics of the game. Then the practice session gets under way and Mirabelle quickly discovers that human football is more difficult than witchball. Could a teeny tiny touch of magic help her play well and thus impress Chrissy Gold; maybe her side could even win the all important game.

Needless to say, where Mirabelle and magic are concerned, things don’t go smoothly.

Mirabelle ends the session soaking wet but still wanting to win that glittering trophy that’s been promised. She’s even more eager, having met Chrissy, so much so that she forgets to check her kit before going onto the field for the crucial match.

By the end of what proves to be a highly eventful game, refreshments and some very sound advice, from Chrissy, our little half witch, half fairy has learned a very important lesson.

With sprinklings of mischief and a large dollop of mayhem, this latest instalment starring Isadora Moon’s cousin is as sparkling as ever and will have Mirabelle’s fans cheering from the touch sidelines.

Marv and the Mega Robot / Marv and the Dino Attack

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Marv and the Mega Robot
Marv and the Dino Attack
Alex Falase-Koya, illustrated by Paula Bowles
Oxford Children’s Books

This is a new series of early chapter books that star a new superhero protagonist, Marv along with his excitable sidekick, robot Pixel. One of the author’s aims in writing the series was so that children would have black superheroes in their stories, something he didn’t find when he was growing up.

Essentially Marvin is a normal boy who likes to spend his time with his empathetic Grandpa, reading comics and doing science experiments with best friend, Joe. Life is fairly normal until one day, Grandpa sends Marvin up to the attic where, stowed away in a dusty old suitcase, he finds a superhero outfit, which when he tries it on, shrinks to fit him perfectly. He soon discovers that Grandpa too was a superhero and that the suit is powered by two things: kindness and imagination; now it’s up to Marvin to take on that mantle.

In the first story supervillain Mastermind, plus her evil giant robot appear at the school science fair, it’s up to Marvin to assume his Marv role and try to save the day.

Aided and abetted by Pixel, of course the time has come for Marvin to meet his destiny.

In the second book Marvin and his friends are super excited: their class is on a school trip to The Natural History Museum. Marvin and Joe are thrilled to get right up close to their favourite dinosaur skeletons when suddenly the ground begins to shake and skeletons start to move. It’s supervillain Rex intent on causing complete dino-chaos. Marv knows he must employ those newly found superhero skills to save his classmates (and everyone else) from violent velociraptors, trampling T-Rexs and the other rampaging dino-skeletons.
Will it be another case of ‘superhero mission accomplished’ for Marv – hopefully so long as he can assume that super-suit in time.

Fizzing with excitement, and with themes of kindness, friendship, creativity, courage and resilience these two snappily-written tales are a super-duper start to Alex Falase-Koya’s action-packed series. Paula Bowles’ two-colour illustrations are terrific fun and help ramp that action right up.

Rabbit’s Pancake Picnic / Little Owl’s New Friend

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Rabbit’s Pancake Picnic
Tegen Evans and Paula Bowles
Nosy Crow

Rabbit is a determined, independent character and insists she’s going to make pancakes for her picnic all by herself. That’s the plan but then she discovers her recipe book is missing from the basket she’s packed. Botheration! She’ll have to wing it she decides as she starts adding ingredients to her mixing bowl.

In go first, strawberries (10) then syrup (9 spoonsful), followed in decreasing numbers by apples , lemons, bananas, cheese chunks, tomatoes, blobs of cream, spoonsful of sugar and finally a single pinch of salt. All the while she firmly resists her friends’s suggestions, but the end result is a ghastly-looking mess. Poor Rabbit; she dashes off to the woods to hide herself away.

But then along comes Bear and he has something that might just save the day …

A sweet, but unlike Rabbit’s mixture – far from sickly tale of teamwork, listening to the advice of one’s friends and the delights of working together. There’s so much for young listeners to enjoy including the adorable characters, the repeat refrains to join in with, the counting opportunities and then there’s the bonus of Rabbit’s Perfect Pancake recipe at the end. MMM!

Little Owl’s New Friend
Debi Gliori and Alison Brown
Bloomsbury Children’s Books

In this new Little Owl story, the chief protagonist is far from happy when his mum interrupts his play with his toy hedgehog, Hedge, announcing that “Small Squirrel has come to play.” A flat refusal comes from Little Owl: no way is a new friend joining in their Hungry Lion game.

Now Mum needs to use some clever tactics,. Can cinnamon buns (now I’d certainly weaken at the mention of those), change her offspring’s mind?

Small Squirrel seems to like them. If not perhaps a bear hunt, picnic-marauding Snaffleworms, or even a ‘Hush-Hush’ might save the day?

There’s SO much to talk about here. Both author Debi and illustrator Alison beautifully capture the feelings of youngsters who are apprehensive about making new friends. Young children will delight in Mummy Owl’s clever ploys while also empathising with both Little Owl and Small Squirrel.
Add to early years collections and home bookshelves if you have little humans of the preschool kind.

Wanda’s Words Got Stuck

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Wanda’s Words Got Stuck
Lucy Rowland and Paula Bowles
Nosy Crow

Written by speech and language therapist Lucy Rowland, this is an enchanting story of little witch Wanda who, determined as she might be, just can’t get her words out.

Then a new and very shy little witch Flo joins her class at school. Wanda notices and empathetically and wordlessly makes her feel welcome using alternative means of communication.

Before long the two become inseparable and the following day teacher Miss Cobweb announces a Magic Contest. The friends spend all their time after school trying out spells but still for Wanda, words won’t come.

Come Friday evening, it’s contest time: Flo’s full of excitement; Wanda’s full of fear. The spelling gets under way but quickly spirals out of control putting Flo in great danger.

Can Wanda finally summon up her courage and some magic words to save her best pal?

As a primary/ early years teacher I have over the years, worked with a great many children who for one reason or another struggle with their words. It’s terrific to have a story such as Lucy’s, wonderfully illustrated by Paula Bowles, that provides an opportunity to see things through Wanda’s lenses. Not only is it helpful to fellow strugglers, but equally their classmates and friends will likely become more aware and empathetic towards others like Wanda, who even on the final page, knows that words aren’t always the best way to express how you feel about someone especially your bestie.

In her captivating, warm illustrations. Paula captures Wanda’s feelings – her anxiety is palpable, as is her fondness for Flo.

A perfect foundation stage story time book that speaks for itself.

Superkitty Versus Mousezilla

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Superkitty Versus Mousezilla
Hannah Whitty and Paula Bowles
Simon & Schuster Children’s Books

Superkitty is back in a new adventure – hurrah! In case you’ve not met this particular superhero before, she heads up a team of assorted animals collectively called the Sensational Superheroes.

Now Kitty (our narrator) has called the crew together in the office to give them the day off to join in the Big City’s Picnic Party. Of course, they can’t go without stocking up on some goodies. Their first stop is Mr Fudge’s sweet shop. Horror of horrors! All the sweets have disappeared; similarly all the bottles in Mr Fizz’s pop shop have been drained

and the bakery has mere crumbs to offer. The owner Mrs Appleton says she has it on the mayor’s authority that mice are responsible.

Superkitty has her doubts; however her team is quickly on the case searching the city starting at the cheese shop.

Suddenly a booming sound fills the air and shortly after, the investigators come upon a massive Mousezilla clutching something or someone.

It looks as though Kitty may have been right in not jumping to conclusions.

Hannah’s Kitty is indeed a wise and determined character; this humorous tale warns against not accepting things at face value – the notion of fake news raises its head too. Add to the mix Paula’s terrific, detailed illustrations that little ones will adore and some, especially the particularly playful scene in the cheese shop, will give adult sharers a good giggle too.

All though will enjoy pondering upon the possibilities that arise with the new additions to Superkitty’s team; she’ll most certainly have her paws full.

Superkitty

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Superkitty
Hannah Whitty and Paula Bowles
Simon & Schuster

There’s a new superhero on the block – or rather as Hannah Whitty’s story opens – a would-be one. It’s the fluffy feline narrator of the story and she works at the Sensational Superhero Agency located in Big City.

Her chief role however seems to be office stooge in contrast to Cheetah, Wildebeest, Lion, Elephant, Rhino and Bear. These guys get all the crook-chasing, crime-busting fun while kitty is left behind to answer the phones.

So, when a call comes in from Dr Fossil reporting the theft of a precious bone from her most recent dinosaur discovery, kitty is determined to get in on the act of the most ‘dastardly and diabolical crime EVER’. Grabbing the appropriate gear. She quits the office and despite being told to return to her post by the six scoundrel catchers, she manages to join the action and tails the Sensational Superheroes through the streets as one by one,

they stop off to attend to their own personal whims and fancies.

Eventually the crew reach Sky Tower where it’s kitty’s turn to shine. Scaling up the side of the building she finds herself face to face with the dastardly dog burglar, Nefarious Norman and we all know what dogs love best …

Can Kitty summon up sufficient bravado, face off the thief and save the bone from the stinky breathed canine or is she destined to become a dog’s breakfast instead?

Let’s leave her there and merely add that there’s one mightily happy feline and an enormously satisfied agency customer at the conclusion to this rip-roaring saga. Never let it be said that it’s always the guys who wear the pants (and capes and masks) hereafter.

Fast-moving, funny and illustrated with aplomb by Paula Bowles, this will hold the attention of young listeners throughout; and if my experience is anything to go by, action replays will be the order of the day.

Sammy Claws The Christmas Cat / Santa’s High-Tech Christmas / Christmas Gremlins / A Very Corgi Christmas

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Sammy Claws The Christmas Cat
Lucy Rowland and Paula Bowles
Nosy Crow

Such is his fondness for taking a snooze that Santa’s fluffy feline Sammy will drop off pretty much anywhere and dream of accompanying his owner on the Christmas Eve delivery run.

What he doesn’t imagine though when he dashes off to Santa’s workshop, is the manner in which that dream finally comes true. The somnolent cat gets parcelled up and dropped in among the other packages on the back of the sleigh and then it’s a case of “Ho! Ho! Ho! “ and off they go.

However, Sammy isn’t the only extra rider on Santa’s sleigh that night. Two wicked robbers, Mischievous May and Bad Billy are ready and waiting to seize their big chance and help themselves to some of the parcels.

Can Sammy save the day? And what is the special present Santa leaves for his pet moggy under the Christmas tree?

Festive fun aided and abetted by a snoozy feline delivered in Lucy Rowland’s bouncing rhyme with the addition of a good sprinkling of elves and excitement in Paula Bowles’ pattern-rich illustrations.

Santa’s High-Tech Christmas
Mike Dumbleton and Angela Perrini
New Frontier Publishing

Santa has eschewed the old fashioned methods when it comes to transport and keeping account of Christmas parcels; instead he uses a motorised sleigh and stores all his lists on his smart new techno-pad. But disaster strikes as he’s whizzing over the rooftops by means of his rocket-pack; Santa’s techno-device plummets to the ground and he’s faced with a blank screen.

Enter Jasmin, a techno-savvy little girl who is more that happy to give sad old Santa a helping hand by showing him how to access all the information he needs.

Not only that but she comes to his aid in another way too: after all Christmas really is all about giving.

Mike Dumbleton’s jaunty rhyming narrative is given added zaniness by Angela Perrini’s illustrations.

Christmas Gremlins
Adam & Charlotte Guillain and Chris Chatterton
Egmont

Oh my goodness, those gremlins are at large again in another of the Guillains’ rhyming romps and now they’re on the rampage creating havoc in the run up to Christmas. It seems they’re determined to get in on the act no matter whether it’s decorating the tree, baking mince pies and Christmas cake (or should that be gobbling same?), wrapping up all the presents (and everything else in sight), singing – more like screeching – carols at the door or popping out of Christmas cards. But that’s only indoors. Further prankish doings are likely outside too: nothing is safe from their mischief so let’s hope they’re well out of the way before Santa arrives.

With more than 50 flaps to lift, this madness and mayhem will keep little ones entertained as they play hunt the mischief makers on every one of Chris Chatterton’s jolly spreads.

A Very Corgi Christmas
Sam Hay and Loretta Schauer
Simon & Schuster

The royal corgis are among those not feeling the Christmas spirit, far from it, all except for young Bella that is. Dazzled by the lights and excited by the hustle and bustle outside she decides to go and join in the fun. Hitching a ride in the back of a mail van, she gets out at Piccadilly Circus where everything suddenly feels overwhelming – too bright, too hectic and FAR TOO LOUD!

As luck would have it along comes London savvy pup Pip offering to show her the sights. A great time is had by both but suddenly as they approach the palace, Pip goes missing. Will Posy ever see her newfound friend again? Perhaps with the assistance of a very special royal couple …

Delivered with an abundance of Christmas spirit, Sam and Loretta’s London tale is a charmer.

I Don’t Want Curly Hair / My Tail’s Not Tired

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I Don’t Want Curly Hair
Laura Ellen Anderson
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
We all have bad hair days but the small curl girl narrator of this hair-raising story really has my sympathies. While I don’t have madly curly, well nigh uncontrollable hair like hers, mine does have a wave and try as I might, I can never get it to go straight in the right places. I certainly wouldn’t however, go to the lengths she does to get it super straight and smooth.No matter what though, that deliciously red mop does as it will.

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But then along comes somebody else; and things start to look altogether better: friendship and a spot of hair styling wins the day.

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The rhyme moves along apace rising to a glorious pinnacle in its final stages.
All that angst and anguish is wonderfully portrayed in appropriately fiery hues and all members of the supporting cast are a delight.

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My Tail’s Not Tired!
Jana Novotny Hunter and Paula Bowles
Child’s Play
Like most infants, Little Monster is reluctant to begin his bedtime routine. He’s far from tired: his knees still have plenty of bounce in them,

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his bottom has lots of wiggle-jiggles left, and even after a demonstration of same, his tail is still full of swing and his back ready for more roly polys. Any excuse is worth a try; but Big Monster knows all the tricks too: she counters each lively action with a gentle sleep-inducing one of her own.

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Will Little Monster ever run out of steam; and who is going to be the first to succumb to complete exhaustion?
Billed as a bedtime story, I suggest NOT reading it at bedtime, or at least, not until your own little monster is well and truly under the duvet, otherwise you could be in for a dose of action-packed delaying tactics – bouncing, dancing, acrobatics, roly-polying, roaring, jumping and jet plane-like zooming before that shut-eye stage finally sets in, just like the little charmer in this amusing, time-for-bed tale.
Perhaps it would be better to share it during the day when there’s plenty of time for being energetic, and, if you’re sharing it with an early years group, then it’s a splendid opportunity for some very active participation. Just ask the children to ‘SHOW ME!‘

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Toys Lost, Toys Found

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Gracie was intrigued by the way the mammoth came unravelled but retained his perfect shape.

Little Lou and the Woolly Mammoth
Paula Bowles
Bloomsbury Children’s Books pbk
What is that bright wriggly thing protruding from among the muddle of toys wonders bored, lonely Little Lou. Being of an inquisitive nature she decides to tug at it. The thread wriggles away; Little Lou follows until she finds herself in the middle of a massive, tangly mess.

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Lou tugs and feels a shake and a shudder. From the tangle emerges a huge woolly mammoth right before her eyes. Little Lou runs away, zigzagging here and there, hotly pursued by the massive mammoth

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but then … OOPS his tail is caught up with a castle and that begins his undoing – literally. A shadow of his former self, the cuddlesome creature pitter- patters, turns and dashes off in alarm, this time with Little Lou in pursuit, both zigzagging to the point of exhaustion. Time for an elephantine embrace, Little Lou – a new friendship begins thereafter.

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Paula Bowles’ soft colours, set against cream background pages serve this gentle tale of looking beyond the perceived information beautifully. The mixed media illustrations, with their gently humorous details have great child appeal; that mammoth is truly irresistible. A thoroughly engaging story, playful language, lovable bit-part characters and a variety of print sizes complete the package.
Buy from Amazon

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Nightbear
Rebecca Patterson
Jonathan Cape pbk
The adorable-looking yellow bear narrator is not, he tells us, a new bear; he’s been around for ages and ages. Born in a northern factory, given as a birthday present, unloved and mistreated; indeed, bundled into a bag crammed with shoes and socks and sent to a charity shop. That becomes his home for long years, lonely and waiting for a new home.

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Then one day in comes a little girl with her mum and joy of joys, she buys that bear for just 50p. Off they go home, the bear with a new name, Buttercup. However, Buttercup discovers he’s bear number seven in his new home. Moreover, all the ursine residents have special jobs to do; each and every day they are hard at work. There’s Tufts, he’s the lift operator, Mr Brownbear who has to dress like a baby and have a daily buggy ride, Betty and Doffy don earrings and dance, Frank does stunts and Babyblue assists the little girl with bike riding and they all participate in daily beauty shows.

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Buttercup begins to worry about his role but then comes the realization that his fellow bears are all exhausted by their toil and fall fast asleep thereafter. Not so Buttercup; that’s when he comes into his own as story listener, comforter after scary dreams, sick attendant

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and story teller to the day bears, for what is Buttercup? Nightbear, of course!
Tinged with humour, this is a gorgeous tale of ursine love with endearing characters both teddy and human. Rebecca Patterson infuses every single spread with tenderness. Add to this, her choice of colour palette and attention to detail: the sum total is irresistible.
Buy from Amazon

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Found
Salina Yoon
Bloomsbury Children’s Books pbk
Bear finds a lost toy bunny under a tree one day and despite loving it immediately, resolves to find its owner. He makes a huge stack of posters and off he goes to post them on each and every tree.

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In addition he and bunny consult the ‘lost’ notices and search everywhere to no avail. Poor bunny and poor bunny’s family thinks the empathetic Bear as he goes to bed.
Next day the two have great fun together

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but all good things must come to an end … or so it seems.

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Well, yes and no, for special toys are meant to be passed on to special others.
There is so much sensitivity in this perfectly constructed story; that young bear shows such inter- and intra- personal intelligence in his behaviour. This is beautifully conveyed through the author’s spare, undidactic prose and brightly coloured pictures. The latter, to which Salina Yoon has added some soft texturing, also speak volumes about the emotions of the characters.
A total delight; perfectly pitched and a book that offers so much to think about and discuss with young listeners.
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