The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Lovlie. This ones a real winner, quite literally and follows 4 young friends play and live out their childhood around a tree, before we see them grow up and deal with lives challenges into adulthood. It’s one of those book that is possibly targeted at the adult reader (and buyer) but it’s strong …
The Girl and the Dinosaur by Hollie Hughes and Sarah Massini. A little girl who digs for dinosaur bones on the beach dreams at night that her Jurassic companion will come alive…Which of course it does! It’s all a bit magical and dreamy which is just what you want at bedtime! The illustrations are skilfully executed and are really superb. …
The New Kitten by Joyce Carol Oates and David Mottram. Well here’s one for the cat lovers (which includes me by the way)! The story follows Cherie the family cat, who gets a shock one day when she is presented with a new kitten into the house. You can predict the jealousy and bad feeling that results from this and …
Under the Same Sky by Britta Teckentrup. This is a beautifully illustrated book the features a whole host of animals all living under our shared sky. Cats, bunnies, foxes and even flamingos, all help carry this story of unification. It’s a simple book with minimal text, however the lyrical style gives it a comforting quality. Plus there is a clever …
I Really Want to Win by Simon Philip and Lucia Gaggiotti. I fully confident little girl thinks that she will win at sports day and any other competition. Unfortunately things don’t work out that way. Not only is this a well observed tale of children’s competitiveness and disappointment, it’s cleverly told in rhyme which makes the whole thing even better. …
Somebody Swallowed Stanley by Sarah Roberts and Hannah Peck. Not only does this book have an intriguing title, it also has a very clever story and an important ecological message. Stanley is a discarded carrier bag all adrift at sea and frequently mistaken for food by the marine life. What will become of Stanley and what about those who try …
The Suitcase by Chris Naylor-Ballesteros. A strange and weary creature turns up with only his suitcase and it’s contents for his belongings. But what exactly is in the suitcase? The other animals want to find out. The book parallels the issues of displacement, refugees and mistrust of strangers. Thankfully it all ends with the benevolence and kindness needed to overcome …
The King Who banned the Dark by Emily Haworth-Booth. This is rather a clever and unusual story which follows a King who was afraid of the dark as a child and decides to outlaw it. It creates some ridiculously funny scenarios of what it would be like if the lights were kept on the whole time. Children will be engaged …
Paper Planes by Jim Helmore and Richard Jones. Mia and Ben are two friends who enjoy making paper planes together. They dream that one day they will make a plane that will fly over the lake, but one day Ben and his family move house far away. Yes this bitter sweet tale is designed to tug at the heart strings, …
By Linda Herron and Marie Delon. A birthday party is coming up for two identical twins. Will the pair want to do the same things just like every other year, or will they want to start expressing their individuality? This book gives us a charming look at identical twins and how their similarities and differences are celebrated. The illustrations have …
