Greenwillow Books, 2017. ISBN 9780062383006
The alphabet letters were quite happy being what they were until one
day Little i's dot fell off. It rolled down a hill, tumbled over a
cliff and splashed into the sea. Little i felt weird and the other
letters felt confused because now Little i looked like a number and
you can't make words with numbers.
So Little i decided to find his dot and starts off on an adventure
that takes him to some interesting places. His question mark boat
takes him across the seas until he finds an island that has a
remarkable sea passage that passes a spectacular exclamation point
waterfall, through the cold dark parenthesis tunnel (with asterisk
gems), through the field of lovely comma sprouts, across the
spine-chilling hyphen bridge to the very edge of the land where his
dot completes his journey like a full stop at the end of a sentence.
But when Little i puts his dot back on he feels strange, setting his
quest and his story up for an imaginative and fun end.
With bold shapes and colours, this is one of those books that seems
really simple on the surface but then you wonder what sort of mind
could make such a story. But then he did write Red, a crayon's
story. Not only is it clever it is brilliant, so rich in so
much for the very young reader. Little i feels incomplete without
his dot and that he doesn't really belong in the alphabet, just as
some children feel adrift if they haven't got their mum, a special
friend or a favourite toy by their side and so talking about Little
i's story may help them realise that they can not only survive
without that security blanket but be even better for being brave
enough to leave it behind. Self-confidence in who we are is such a
critical part of growing up.
It is also wonderful for those who are just beginning to understand
that words are constructed from letters - Hall shows this by having
the letters in the words do their talking; distinguishing between
letters and numerals; and maybe starting to wonder what the other
marks on the page are. There is a myriad of talking and teaching
opportunities as the children demonstrate their knowledge of those
initial concepts about print that are part of early kindergarten
assessments. Yet, whatever level the child is at for looking at the
technicalities and tools of language, overall and throughout there
is an engaging story and a satisfying finish which have to be at the
core of anything we share with little ones if they are to love
stories and reading and all that they offer.
Barbara Braxton
Molly Mischief and the big pet by Adam Hargreaves
Pavilion, 2017. ISBN 9781843653424
Molly, aka Molly Mischief or MOLLY!!!, has lots of ideas, some of
which are not as good as others. When her dad takes her and
her brother to the zoo, she decides that she would really like a BIG
pet, one much bigger than Polka her pet mouse. And so she tries a
few - a hippopotamus, a polar bear, a giraffe, a tiger, a
rhinoceros, even a walrus - but none of them is just right.
Even the ostrich and the snake weren't suitable - her family is so
hard to please. But then she discovers the elephant...
When his father Roger died after a series of strokes in 1988, Adam
took over the successful Mr Men series and even though it took him
"years of trial and error" to perfect his father's art style, he
persevered and it is that same canvas that adds the charm to this
new series that will resonate with many children who have good but
out-there ideas, annoying brothers, and a twinkle in their eye.
When almost-independent Miss 6 spotted this on the review pile, she
pounced on it and did not surface until it was complete, and even
after reading it she had so much to tell us as she speculated on the
sort of pet she could/would have! A better recommendation than any
fancy words I might write!
Barbara Braxton
One Christmas wish by Katherine Rundell
Ill. by Emily Sutton. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408885734
(Age: 7+) Highly recommended. Themes: Christmas, Loneliness,
Sharing, Decorations, Friends, Family. A modern fable, this story
tells of a young boy's wish at Christmas and how his wish is
fulfilled when he sees a star falling across the night sky.
It is Christmas Eve and he has been left with a new babysitter who
falls asleep over her mobile phone in the kitchen. He takes the
decorations from the strongly sellotaped box to hang on the tree,
and is dismayed all over again that his parents have not replaced
the broken ones. He attaches the damaged baubles and finds four more
decorations at the bottom of the box: a toy soldier with a rusty
drum, a fairy with damaged wings, a wooden horse on worm eaten
rockers and a a bedraggled robin.
After he wishes on the falling star, he hears voices behind him and
is amazed to see the four decorations asking for help to come down
from the tree. From there the excitement of Christmas Eve, making
friends and sharing with others takes on a reality of heartfelt
proportions as Theo finds ways of making his friends happy. The
horse is unscrewed from its rockers, and the robin helped to find
someone who will teach it to sing as the five make their way to Mrs
Goodyere's house. The robin stays to help her celebrate Christmas,
remembering her dead husband, Arthur while she helps the robin sing.
They find feathers along the way to repair the fairy's wings, and
the tin soldier asks for help in finding someone to love. Theo
cleans up his drum, and they head to the doll shop where they find a
princess waiting for him. He leaves them guarding the infant in the
manger in the town square while the horse makes its way into the
sky. When Theo returns home, some magic happens for him as well when
his parents return sooner than everyone expected after seeing a
horse flying through the night sky and making them feel that they
should return home to be with their family.
The warmth of the story is reflected in the detailed illustrations,
reminiscent of books from long ago, with lots of Christmasy customs
and images to pour over. Readers of all ages will get a thrill
reading this lovely witty story and stopping to soak up the
marvelous illustrations.
Fran Knight
The Princess and the Christmas rescue by Caryl Hart
Ill. by Sarah Warburton. Nosy Crow, 2017. ISBN 9780857637079
Kept in her beautiful palace at the top of the world by parents who
fear for her safety because of what lives in the surrounding forest,
Princess Eliza is lonely But even though she is stuck inside all day
with no one to play with, she is resourceful and she figures out how
to make almost anything with a few bits of wood and some string -
including her own toys! But her parents think that her mechanical
inclinations aren't suited to a princess, and tell her she'd be
better off devoting her time to searching for a friend.
But not being allowed to go out into the world makes that a tricky
thing, and even drawing on her fairytales doesn't help - the
gingerbread man skedaddles, the frog she kisses doesn't turn into a
prince and even dangling her long hair out the window brings no
visitors. But as she sits at the window she smells smoke drifting
over the trees and is determined to find out who is making it and
she slips out into the forest. As a huge shaggy shape looms up out
of the snow she is frightened but it turns out to be a friendly deer
who carries to his master's house where she finds elves who are
overworked and despondent because Santa has the flu and they're
unlikely to finish all the orders before Christmas Eve.
But Eliza knows just what to do - at last all that time spent with
paper and paperclips, scissors and glue comes in very handy, but can
she save Christmas?
Recommended by A Mighty Girl for being a story that empowers girls
and encourages them to be "smart, confident and courageous" this
certainly meets these criteria. From defying her parents and going
into the forest, demonstrating her inventive intelligence in an
elves-and-shoemaker kind of way to save Christmas and yet still
keeping her feet on the ground (sort of), this is a story that will
appeal to girls everywhere and help take the sting from the word
'princess' that it has acquired over the last decade or so. Being
clever, imaginative and inventive is not restricted to boys! And it
could well be the springboard for kickstarting some problem-solving
as Makerspaces need new life breathed into them at the beginning of
2018. Students could brainstorm the other sorts of problems that
Santa might encounter as he tries to meet everyone's requests and
then they could invent something to solve them.
A joyful, fun story that will be a permanent part of my Christmas
Countdown.
Barbara Braxton
Rudolph shines again by Robert L. May
Ill. by Antonio Javier Caparo. Little Simon, 2015. ISBN
9781442474987
It's a dark and snowy Christmas Eve so once again Santa wants
Rudolph to lead the way for the sleigh as his nose shines bold and
bright. But the other reindeer are jealous and not content with just
laughing at Rudolph and calling him names, they are really mean and
make him carry the heaviest loads, even using him as the ball when
they played football!
Rudolph is so sad and whinges and whines so much that the light on
his nose goes out! With no reason to stay to help and full of
self-pity, he leaves the comparative safety of the North Pole for
somewhere where he is unknown and unrecognised. And there he
meets some rabbits whose babies are lost in the forest and at the
mercy of foxes and wolves. Completely forgetting his own troubles,
Rudolph promises to find them - but can he do it without his shiny
nose to light the way? Of course he does and with the rescue comes a
realisation that is brighter than any nose could be!
Written in 1954, this is the sequel to Rudolph
the Red-Nosed Reindeer but unlike the original which May
wrote to entertain children as part of a department store promotion,
this one has a stronger message about there always being someone
worse off than you, perhaps inspired by his family circumstances as
his wife died from cancer as he worked on the original. While not
necessarily the time for an in-depth discussion, nevertheless young
children will feel Rudolph's pain at being bullied and might think
about the feelings of others that they tease. They will also
draw encouragement from Rudolph being able to get things in
perspective and go back to face his tormentors knowing that he is
strong and has a lot to offer.
This new release is stunning with its beautiful artwork bringing
another dimension to the story, also told in rhyme, and making a
special duo of books for the Christmas Countdown.
Barbara Braxton
Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm by Libby Frost
Ill. by Lucy Fleming. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408890011
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Princess Snowbelle and the
snowstorm is a gorgeous picture book and is also a lovely
story of friendship, courage and resilience. Princess Snowbelle is
rather nervous as she will be singing at the Snow Ball. Thankfully,
her friend Sparkleshine will be helping her. As Snowbelle waits for
Sparkleshine, a huge snowstorm hits the forest. Snowbelle and her
pony Icetail race into the forest to get Sparkleshine but find
themselves lost. Can Snowbelle use the magic in her charm bracelet
to find her way? will she make it to the Snow ball in time? Princess Snowbelle and the snowstorm's detailed and colourful
pictures are engaging and help tell the story. They show feelings in
the character's faces and the scenery is breathtaking. The story is
quick and easy to read and would be easy to retell in a classroom
situation or when parents read it to their child. The story would
also be great in Child Protection lessons as children learn about
feelings and problem solving. Alternate endings could be written,
characters could be changed and children could create their own
version.
It is highly recommended for girls aged 3+ and more independent
readers aged 7+ can read it on their own.
Kylie Kempster
The Tooth Fairy's Christmas by Peter Bently and Garry Parsons
Hodder Children's, 2014. ISBN 9781444918359
It's Christmas Eve and when the Tooth Fairy gets a message from
Robin Redbreast that Little Tim Tucker has lost a tooth, it puts an
end to her hopes and plans for an early night at home. Outside a
winter's gale is blasting and she is tossed every which way, ending
up lost. But in the distance she hears a strange sound and into
sight comes Santa and his sleigh. He rescues her but that is not the
end of her adventures... will Little Tim Tucker wake up to
a nice surprise or will he be disappointed.
Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy are such an integral
part of the early lives of children the world over that to have two
of the three team up and help each other has to be a good
combination that will appeal to our very young children. Working
together, Santa and the Tooth Fairy show that all sorts of problems
can be overcome - each has skills and that special something that
when put together as a team can solve all sorts of dilemmas.
Bright glossy pictures, imaginative layout and rhyme and rhythm move
the story along making an original and intriguing adventure story
that will delight as the Christmas Countdown continues.
Barbara Braxton
Don't spew in your spacesuit by Tim Miller
HarperCollins Publishers, 2017. ISBN 9780733334672
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Don't Spew in Your Spacesuit
will have readers laughing even before they read the story. What
child doesn't laugh at words like 'spew'? Our young astronaut is
heading for Mars and his stomach is upset from the moment the
spaceship blasts off. Poor thing, the cockpit is full of spew and he
is floating through it all! The young astronaut meets a Martian on
Mars but vomit has the alien on the run. Who knew being an astronaut
could cause so many problems? Don't Spew in Your Spacesuit is a hilarious look at life in
space. The cartoon style illustrations are funny and full of spew
(of course). The rhyming story is engaging and rhythmic, making it a
great read out loud story for bedtime (if you don't mind too many
giggles) as well as the classroom. It is a quick story to read and
great for retelling and maybe drawing a few scenes. It would be good
to use as part of a unit on space, comparing it to real images of
astronauts and space. Students could also create their own alien.
This story is highly recommended for all readers aged 4+, especially
if they love all things space and aliens.
Kylie Kempster
The whiz mob and the grenadine kid by Colin Meloy
Ill. by Carson Ellis. Penguin, 2017. ISBN 9780143787860
(Age: 10+) The Whiz Mob and the Grenadine Kid is the complex
and excessively detailed story of a secret gang of child and teenage
pickpockets who target the tourists and rich people of Marseille in
the early 1960s. A Dickensian narrative, with a large cast of
interesting characters, set in a time when children could explore a
city with adult supervision with extensive information about living
outside of the law. Twelve year old Charlie Fisher son of an
American diplomat and abandoned by his mother, brokers a deal with
his tutor to freely explore this French city and record his short
stories of people passing by in his notebook.
Charlie observes the elaborate and smooth moves of the young
pickpockets operating in the market place and is drawn into their
intriguing world, after Amir steals Charlie's silver fountain pen.
He becomes intrigued and joins with the 'whiz mob' a multicultural
band of young people who train and then practice the art of
thievery, stealing jewellery, wallets and personal items. Their
actions portrayed as adventurous, challenging and exciting rather
than operating on the wrong side of the law. His acceptance into the
mob and his intense training at home and his commitment to robbing
the public drives the story.
After weeks of this heightened level of excitement and dangerous
activity, his friend Amir tells Charlie to quit the whiz mob and hey
have a falling out. Amir leaves and Charlie is set up to undertake
the biggest con of all, at a high society ball amongst diplomats and
royalty. Charlie comes to realize what the mob's long con has been
and the part he plays. Charlie and Amir undertake an intrepid
journey to Bogota Colombia the headquarters where young thieves are
trained. They travel without passport or currency relying on their
wits and skills determined to right the wrongs that happened at the
ball.
Meloy's writing style includes cynical asides to the reader and
copious descriptions of pickpocketing skills complete with technical
language. Carson Ellis's black and white full page sketches bring
the characters to life, showcasing the whiz mob, their skills and
their targets. The reader needs commitment to the reading challenge
of this lengthy story, set in a time where children can travel the
world, engage in underworld activities and roam free without
parental authority.
Rhyllis Bignell
Fantastically great women who changed the world activity book by Kate Pankhurst
Bloomsbury Activity Books, 2017. ISBN 9781408889961
(Age: 7+) Recommended. Themes: Women, Activities. Based on Kate
Pankhurst's book Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World,
this activity book will be a great addition to the original book.
The book is organised into snippets about famous women from a range
of achievements and features women like Coco Chanel, Mary Anning,
Anne Frank and Marie Curie among others. Each double page or single
page spread about the woman has the information as well as an
activity to challenge the reader both artistically and creatively.
Some of the activities include drawing the reader's own
self-portrait on the Frida Kahlo page, copying and colouring the
picture of Amelia Earhart, and writing a news story about something
that the reader believes is really important on the Emmeline
Pankhurst page. There are a series of postcards that can be cut out
and posted to "fantastically great women" and a page to draw the
people that the reader admires, as well as a page to write "How are
you going to change the world?" Over 200 stickers complete the book.
This would really complement the original book but it has sufficient
information for it to stand alone and is enjoyable, enlightening and
entertaining. I found myself finding out about women I hadn't heard
of, eg. Mary Seacole a woman from Jamaica who built a hospital for
wounded soldiers in the Crimean war, and then spending time doing
the "spot the difference" activity.
Pat Pledger
Goodnight stories for rebel girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Penguin, 2016. ISBN 9780141986005
(Ages: 5 - Adult) Highly recommended. 100 inspirational women from
around the world are featured in this collection of bedtime stories.
Each woman's story is a double page spread in the book. On one side
is a beautiful illustration of the woman featuring a quote they said
which is encouraging or inspirational. The other page contains brief
biographic information and a simple story about the woman's life. A
diverse range of women are featured, who have an empowering story, a
journey to overcome adversity and who have become successful in
their field of art, music, science, mathematics, literature, sport,
fashion and politics. Many of the women overcame obstacles and the
message of the book is that women can achieve anything they want to
if they are determined to do it.
This is not a non-fiction book, but rather considered by the authors
as a work of 'creative non-fiction' as it is written in a fairytale
style and does not contain an encyclopedic account of events. 60
female artists from around the world drew the portraits featured in
the book and the range of colourful and unique illustration styles
are thought provoking and add another element to the book's
presentation. At the back of the book there is a blank double page,
inviting the reader to write and draw their own story.
This is a heartwarming book for all ages, and for boys as well as
girls, to share in the stories of women who have lived adventurous
lives.
Pamela Edwards
The picture atlas, an incredible journey by Simon Holland
Ill. by Jill Calder. Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408884867
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Atlas. Geography. Journey. I love atlases,
and this had me pouring over each page looking at the detail of the
people and places from all over the world. I can imagine younger
children getting a thrill out of the seventeen chapters covering
aspects of the world we live in. Bookended by an introduction and a
glossary and index at the back, children will delve into pages that
take their interest, discussing it with their neighboours.
Beginning with the Arctic, the page is turned to find out about
living in such a place, then the book moves onto Canada, USA, Mexico
and South America. Each double page introducing the chapters has a
colourful and informative map, bordered with illustrations about
animals, indigenous peoples, and major features. Kids will love
looking at the things pictured, and turning the page will find more
information about them. Each page has different fonts, different
font sizes, along with a range of illustrative techniques making
each page varied and inviting.
Some of the inclusions are different: Europe has a third double page
spread about their food, while South America has a third double page
about its jungles, and Africa similarly with an extra double page
about tis grasslands. A double page about the Indian Ocean follows
the four pages about Asia, and Australia includes a double page
about the Outback. Children will be intrigued with their incredible
journey as they read this book, presenting so many facts about the
world in which we live.
Fran Knight
The empty grave by Jonathan Stroud
Lockwood and Co. book 5. Corgi Books, 2017. ISBN 9780552575799
(Age: 11+) Highly recommended. Lockwood with his trusty cohort,
Lucy, George, Holly and Quill Kipps, not to mention the Skull in a
jar, are off on their most perilous adventure in The empty grave.
They are investigating the tomb of Marissa Fittes, trying to find
out whether it really is her body that lies there or whether
Penelope Fittes has succeeded in fooling everyone in London about
what is really happening with the ghosts that constantly appear. To
cap it all off, Penelope Fittes is on a mission to shut down all the
smaller agencies and Lockwood and Co is in her sights.
Stroud continues on his action filled adventure series and such is
the pace that the reader is keen to finish the 500+ pages of this
finale. There is plenty of sword fighting, much terror as ghosts are
vanquished and suspense as the reader follows the feelings that Lucy
has for Lockwood, hoping that he will reveal some of his background
and overcome his tendency to seek danger.
Stroud's witty asides and the Skull's sardonic dialogue gives the
narrative a sprinkle of laugh out loud moments which relieves the
sometimes scary moments as the group fight off their enemies and
walk through the land of the dead. Each of the group grows in
strength as they use their particular skills to fight the evil
pervading the land. I particularly liked the character of the Skull
whose role was crucial and fascinating and the bravery of Kipps and
Flo were a highlight too.
This was a most satisfying conclusion to an enthralling series and I
look forward to reading further books written by Stroud.
Pat Pledger
Merry Christmas from The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Puffin, 2017. ISBN 9780141388281
Fans of The Very Hungry Caterpillar will like this
small-format book from Eric Carle despite its northern hemisphere
focus. While the Very Hungry Caterpillar doesn't play an active role
in the story, he does appear on each page sharing the precepts of
the Christmas season in simple text and classic Carle illustrations
which will focus their thinking.
Older children could use it as a compare and contrast exercise as
they place the northern hemisphere version alongside their summer
hemisphere experience and then discuss the common themes. It could
inspire some artwork and help develop the language of comparison, or
even spark a discussion about the proliferation of Christmas books
and songs featuring favourite characters and artists and who they
enjoy most.
Barbara Braxton
Rockabye Pirate by Timothy Knapman and Ada Grey
Bloomsbury, 2017. ISBN 9781408849392
A-haarr! It's always difficult to get busy pirates to hang up their
peg legs, cutlasses and eyepatches at the end of another eventful
day of adventures on the high seas. But even bloodthirsty Sea Dog
McPhail, Black Bearded Brewster and the others have to take a bath
and shampoo before eating their supper and huddling around Mummy
with her big story book.
This rocking rhyme about plucky pirates, with its captivating
illustrations, is a warm-hearted children's book, together with
easy-to-read text, that is sure to delight all who venture here.
J. Kerr-Smith
