Tag Tiphanie Beeke

Animal Encounters

jillrbennett Leave a comment

These three board books from Graffeg: thanks to the publisher for sending them for review.

Fletcher’s Numbers
Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke

‘One fox called Fletcher’ and his friends are clearly enjoying themselves as we see two grey seals swimming in the sea … four friendly frogs hopping in the pond …five busy squirrels scampering after sunbeams and so on taking us through to ten twinkling stars shining in the sky. Charming, richly coloured illustrations showing the actions referred to in each single sentence, above which is a large numeral. I particularly like the author’s use of alliterative phrases in many of these.
A delight from start to finish.

Albert 1 2 3
Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke

In his garden home, Albert the tortoise – the one and only – has lots of friends too. Little ones will enjoy counting their way through to ten as they meet ‘two butterflies with their colourful wings’, three birds about to fly off, four flowerpots that are homes for woodlice, seven snails with shiny shells … and when all are assembled, there are ten friends enjoying some fun. The number word begins each descriptive sentence and the respective numeral is printed large on the opposite side of the double spread. A fun, gently educative way for small children to be introduced to a popular reptilian character.

You and Rabbit Make a Snowman
Jemma and Tiphanie Beeke

In a snow-covered garden stands a tree. Attached to the tree is a swing; not far away is a bird table and between the two is an upturned red wheelbarrow. As yet there are no footprints in the snow but the text suggests that by walking their fingers from the tree to the bird table, a small child can create some. This action is watched from behind the tree by a little rabbit who is keen to join the fun of making a snowman. Following a sequence of instructions, Rabbit and child participant build a large snowman which Rabbit then gives a hat and scarf. A mouth and eyes are added but something is missing. What does Rabbit have behind her back … How will this brief interactive story finish: with a tasty lunch for Rabbit or a nose for the snowman?
This collaboration between sisters, author Jemma and illustrator Tiphanie offers seasonal fun for sharing with very young children on wintry days.

Butterfly Skies / Fletcher and the Seasons

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Butterfly Skies
Lauren Fairgrieve and Kate Read
Nosy Crow

Readers can enjoy creating their own 3D butterflies – twenty in all – using the thick cardboard press-outs at the front of this book, which is published in collaboration with the National Trust.
The second section contains beautifully illustrated spreads of in turn, the Orange-tip, the Camberwell Beauty, the Clouded Yellow, the Comma with those wonderful patterns on the upper surface of its wings,. Then come the Swallowtail, the Peacock with its startling eyed wings, the Chalkhill Blue, (one of my favourite butterflies)

the Purple Emperor, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary and the Green Hairstreak. All these are European species, some being rarer than others, the Green Hairstreak, the UK’s only green butterfly, for instance.

The caterpillars of each species are also included in Kate Reid’s illustrations, as well as the flora – often the food plant – on which they are frequently found.

My only slight criticism of the art is the use of ‘googly eyes’ for the butterflies and caterpillars.
Give this to a child and you may well spark a life long interest in butterflies.

Fletcher and the Seasons
Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg

As little fox Fletcher journeys through the four seasons accompanied by his friends, he enjoys what each one has to offer and what makes it different from the other seasons. Spring brings woods with blossom on the trees; summer is warm and a great opportunity to play in the sun; autumn is the time when the leaves come fluttering down from the trees and winter often brings snow and ‘cosy lights aglow’.

With Tiphanie Beeke’s softly glowing illustrations evoking each different time of year and featuring the characters from the Fletcher picture books, and a brief accompanying text, this board book offers a good opportunity to introduce them to younger children, as well as to talk about what they enjoy about each season.

Albert and his Friends / Spooky Little Halloween / That’s How Much I Love You

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Albert and his Friends
Ian Brown and Eoin Clarke
Graffeg

Albert the Tortoise has already established himself as a popular character among children from around three and their adult sharers. Now he wants to introduce himself and his minibeast friends to the very youngest children. In this little book, with its simple text and close-up images, they will meet in turn, Butterfly with its gorgeous wings, then a pair of woodlice, wiggly worm pops its head up through the soil, Buzzy Bee alights on a flower just in time to say hello, Snail slithers up with its shiny shell, Ladybird gives a wave with one of its front legs, Spider proudly shows a newly spun web 

and the ants demonstrate their teamwork. On the final spread, Albert’s multitude of friends return the compliment, telling the tortoise what a good friend he is to all of them.
Just right for the under threes.

Spooky Little Halloween
Nick Sherratt and Sally Symes
Walker Books

Not really very spooky as the eight characters that almost leap from the pages of this vibrant ‘Finger Wiggle’ book are all smiling in a friendly manner. First comes a little witch riding her broom, arms outstretched; she’s followed by a little wolf singing to the moon, a spider wiggling its eight hairy feet, a little ghost, a rotund pumpkin, an upside down bat, a black cat and finally a little monster proudly showing his first tooth – albeit a very sharp one. On each spread that introduces Nick Sharratt’s endearing characters, Sally Symes’ simple rhyming text provides a ‘wiggle wiggle’ and a fun, sometimes onomatopoeic phrase to join in with.

That’s How Much I Love You
Julie A. Rudi and Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg

One cannot help but bring to mind Sam McBratney’s Guess How Much I Love You when reading this first person rhyming tale wherein an adult racoon tells its cub just how much it is loved. The rhyme reads well aloud presenting in turn pairings such as a sock and a shoe, the sun and the moon, a bowl and a spoon; but it’s Tiphanie Beeke’s richly hued illustrations painted on textured paper showing the two racoons that steal the show, especially the final one wherein paw in paw, adult and cub walk in a woodland setting at sundown.
A gentle bedtime wind-down book to share with toddlers.

Fletcher and the Stars / The Winter Dragon

jillrbennett 1 Comment

Fletcher and the Stars
Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg

The fourth Fletcher story in the Four Seasons series is a wonderful wintry one.

One chilly night as Fletcher sits at the entrance to his den gazing up at the glittering stars, they begin to disappear. Concerned, he calls to tell his Mum but she assures him that they are just covered by cloud. However, he remains worried and can’t sleep. Instead he creeps out, determined to save the stars and before long he hears a snuffling sound. It’s a badger cub that says she’s afraid of the dark and is hiding till the stars return. Encouraged by Fletcher, Badger climbs onto his shoulders and twiggy branch in paw begins swish sweeping across the sky, but of shining stars there is no sign.
Next they try from up among the branches of a tree. That only succeeds in waking sleeping Squirrel; Squirrel offers to use his tail but to no avail. Can Owl sweep away those clouds?

The others wait snuggled up in a hollow in Owl’s tree and eventually fall asleep. When Owl returns having tried her best, Fletcher is down hearted at her news. But then at least Badger has some good news: she’s no longer afraid of the dark. Fletcher and Badger then tuck Owl into her tree once more and depart in the hope that by the time she wakes, their mission to reveal those stars again will have been successful.

Up the windy hill they climb and begin to puff. I wonder what will happen …

It’s a delight to be back in the company of Fletcher with his determination, consideration for his friends and passion for the natural world. Tiphanie Beeke’s gorgeous illustrations, glow even brighter than ever in this story as they evoke so well the icy winter’s night and the feelings of the animal friends. What a perfect match for Julia Rawlinson’s equally evocative, poetic text. Snuggle up and share this with young children at home or in school.

The Winter Dragon
Caroline Pitcher and Sophy Williams
Graffeg

Young Rory hates the long dark winter nights imagining them to be the time when hidden demons lurking in the shadows come creeping out. But Rory has recently made a model dragon from his craft materials and one night as he cowers beneath the bedcovers he hears a strange growling sound.
Peeping out cautiously he finds his dragon glowing like a nightlight, keeping away the dark and using its hot breath to warm his bed and his slippers and his bathwater.

Each night the dragon returns to warm him with tales of bravery with blazing fires, jewels hidden beneath the earth, elf kings, knights and dragons. With every visit Rory and the Winter Dragon together ‘banish the demons of the dark’ enabling the boy, his heart filled with the dragon’s stories, to sleep soundly, unafraid.

With the coming of Spring, Rory knows in his heart that it’s time for him and his dragon to bid one another farewell and one night safe in the knowledge that his friend will always be there should Rory need him, he watches the dragon leave, bound once again for his own world again.

With a gentle sprinkling of fantasy, Caroline Pitcher ’s lyrical telling combined with Sophy Williams’ soft focus, realistic illustrations highlight one little boy’s battle with his fears and his growing courage.

Fletcher and the Rockpool

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Fletcher and the Rockpool
Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg

Summer has come, the ideal time for inquisitive young Fletcher fox and his mum to foray from their woodland home for a seaside visit.

While Mum makes a camp on the seashore, Fletcher heads down to the water’s edge, enjoying the feel of the sand beneath his paws and the waves splashing his toes. Coming upon a rockpool, he stretches himself out flat and gazes into the water observing the creatures and seaweed therein. Suddenly he notices that the pool is getting smaller and he’s concerned about the fate of the limpets and sea anemone. Unaware of the sea’s tidal ebb and flo phases, so misunderstanding what is happening, the helpful Fletcher dashes to and fro filling his bucket with water and tipping it into the seemingly ever shrinking rockpool.

His behaviour puzzles a watching seagull and it tries to tell him about the tide but Fletcher is distraught.

All he can do is save Little Crab he decides, so he takes it back up to where his Mum has made the camp, creates for it a seaweed blanket and falls asleep alongside the crustacean.

Imagine his surprise and joy when in the morning he finds …

Tiphanie Beeke’s soft glowing paintings (the final one with a sprinkling of silver) evoke both the seashore and Fletcher’s concerns about the rockpool fauna and flora and are a perfect match for Julia Rawlinson’s lyrical, wonderfully warm words as they both pay poetic tribute to the summery seaside.
I have no doubt this latest Fletcher story will resonate with young listeners, as well as introducing them to the idea of tidal movement.

Fletcher and the Rainbow

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Fletcher and the Rainbow
Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg

The latest in this series featuring Fletcher and his animal friends is again a delight. Young listeners will be swept along with the little fox in his determined effort to find the rainbow before it disappears, gone in the rainy autumn mist. He hopes that if he’s able to find it he could help it shine forever rather than as his mum had said, “soon be gone”.

Through the dripping wood he goes soon coming upon birds giving themselves a final feed before setting off to fly south. They tell him that the rainbow’s end is at Hedgehog’s nest and Fletcher hastens on his way.

His search takes him next to Squirrel, also preparing for winter; then as he tumbles into the stream where Squirrel has helpfully sent him, Goose. She’s doubtful when Fletcher tells her that the rainbow has fallen in the stream but helps him look nonetheless. They do see a reflection but it’s a learning experience for Fletcher.

Finally as he hurries past the rabbits the little fox sees …

but even then the rainbow eludes him.

Stopping now, Fletcher reflects on his search and how the rainbow’s led him through the woods and he decides he can at least create a rainbow memorial …

All his friends are happy to assist and together they create the most gorgeous autumn rainbow …

Whether you want a story to introduce to young children the scientific ideas connected with rainbows or the natural world in autumn, hope and determination, or creative problem solving, this is a lovely starting point. Most important though, it’s a sweet, uplifting book for sharing and pausing to delight in the captivating, richly hued scenes of Fletcher’s journey. and that sparkling finale spread.

Fletcher and the Caterpillar

jillrbennett Leave a comment

Fletcher and the Caterpillar
Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke
Graffeg

For those, like this reviewer, meeting the main protagonist for the first time, Fletcher is an inquisitive little fox, and a bit of a worrier. His new story starts in the spring with the observant vulpine noticing that while everything else in the wood is growing, there’s one green leaf that is actually getting smaller. On investigation, he discovers a tiny caterpillar having a nibble. Friendly as always Fletcher, with the aid of his other animal friends, tries to involve the caterpillar in such activities as racing, boating

and hide and seek, but all the caterpillar is interested in, is munching.

One day though, the munching stops; the little creature is still and silent. Fletcher’s Mum reassures him that it’s normal caterpillar behaviour

but the cub is still concerned for its well-being, watching over it until he falls fast asleep.

Overnight a change occurs mystifying Fletcher but again his Mum tells him it’s what caterpillars do and soon he’ll have a wonderful surprise.

After a long, long wait, sure enough he does.

With Julia Rawlinson’s sweet, gentle nature narrative she paints a picture of friendship and of spring; a picture that is echoed in Tiphanie Beeke’s soft, textured, sun-infused art, which shows so well the colours and joys of its seasonal setting and one of nature’s wonderful mysteries.