Squirrel and Bird are best friends even though they are opposites. Whilst Squirrel is loud and confident, Bird is quiet and shy. But the reader soon discovers that there is much more to these two woodland creatures than how they are perceived by the narrator of the story. As they get ready for a concert to which all the forest animals are invited, it quickly becomes clear that both bird and squirrel’s identities cannot be defined by a single quality and they express themselves in different ways at different times and in different situations.
I absolutely loved the muted autumnal colour palette used to create the most stunning images of the woodland and its creatures from the acorns and ladybirds to the badgers and hedgehogs. The endpapers are joyous and I have no doubt that young children will enjoy following a pictorial nature trail within them. I also loved that squirrel and bird are enjoying the creative expression that many children enjoy such as playing instruments, singing and painting as they prepare for their concert.
I also really liked the cleverness of the messages shown in the illustrations which are often in contrast to the narrator’s words, for example, telling the reader that bird prefers to sit and do nothing when bird is making a poster or stating that Squirrel has no nerves when his facial expression shows otherwise.
Whilst this story is mostly told from the narrator’s viewpoint, Bird does react to what is said and this is shown in a different font which will help young children to distinguish between the voices. I really liked that Bird is a brilliant advocate for the different aspects of personality and was able to convince the narrator to define them as not just one personality trait but as a kaleidoscope of traits.
I loved the messages about self-expression, perception of others, identity and the different traits that define someone. This story opens up a perfect opportunity to discuss these messages with young children.
A stunning and thought-provoking picture book, with the most heart-warming messages, perfect for children of 3+.
Thank you to Little Tiger to sending me a copy of this book. It was my decision to read and review and my review is my honest opinion of the book.
Written by Chae Strathie Illustrated by Erin Brown Published by Little Tiger
Tales from the Ocean: 20 Bedtime Nature Stories is a beautifully illustrated collection of tales featuring a wide range of ocean creatures which are sure to capture the imagination, and hearts, of young readers as they learn more about ocean habitats and creatures.
There are tales from different parts of the ocean including: the reef; coastal waters and shallows; tropical and temperate waters; and, arctic and polar waters. Each short story tells the tale of a creature who lives in these different parts of the ocean from the smallest shrimp to the largest blue whale and a myriad of delightful creatures in between.
Each story includes a stunning, vibrant full page colour illustration as well as heading and border illustrations which are guaranteed to delight young readers and engage them even more in these wonderful stories. The pages themselves reflect the colours of the ocean making this a truly stunning book.
Each tale is a perfect length to enjoy as a bedtime story, or with a class, ranging between three and six pages. I have no doubt that these stories will be enjoyed both by younger children who will enjoy listening to them and older children who will love to read them on their own.
Each story tells a gentle tale which gives an insight into the life of each creature and many share an important message. There is also a four-line rhyming verse to finish each story which shares facts about the creature told from its point of view.
In The Perfect Home for a Clam a young Giant Clam is searching for the perfect home but is taught a lesson about the value of patience when making an important decision. In Manatee’s New Friend, Manatee is determined to make friends with grumpy Big Crocodile who learns that everyone needs a friend. In Little Turtle’s Long Journey, Little Turtle hatches from her egg and follows her brothers and sisters towards the ocean, learning to hide from danger. In A Seal in a Storm, harbour seal enjoys exploring new places further and further from his home until one day he gets caught in a storm far out at sea and learns not to take anything for granted. This really is a wonderful collection of tales that I have no doubt children will return to again and again as they find their favourites and learn more about these fantastic ocean creatures.
There is also a useful section at the end of the book which gives more factual, fascinating information about each of the twenty creatures included in the stories – a great catalyst to encourage children to find out more about these wonderful creatures.
A gorgeously illustrated collection of nature stories from the oceans, perfect for young readers of 5+.
Thank you to Little Tiger for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I was very excited to receive a wonderful trio of picture books from Little Tiger and really enjoyed reading each of them and looking at their beautiful illustrations. These will all be published on 3rd April. I have reviewed each of them in this Blog Post.
Written and illustrated by Jessica Meserve
Our Tree is a stunning hardback picture book celebrating togetherness, community and acceptance.
Tree feels a small animal’s feet climbing up their trunk. They welcome Little Red who wants the tree all for himself but Tree good naturedly reminds him that lots of other animals and insects rely on them for food, rest and shelter from caterpillars to swifts to elephants. Little Red would rather be swishing leaves than eating them, jumping on branches than resting in them and playing by himself than being together with others. He is not at all impressed when he discovers that Tree is for everyone and not just for him so decides to find a tree that’s all for himself. In his rush to leave Tree, he falls and finds himself in need of friends …
This is a wonderful story that will teach young children the importance of friendship and community as Little Red learns lessons in sharing, tolerance and acceptance.
The language is a joy to share with younger children with its use of onomatopoeia, action verbs and repetition of the phrase “Look behind you!” which I can imagine young children enjoying joining in with as they listen to the story.
The illustrations are stunning with an image of Tree personified on every page, full of gentleness, kindness and celebrating the community that they welcome. The colours are a blend of both muted pastel natural shades of browns, greens and blues with Little Red and the other creatures shown in brighter hues. I really liked this contrast and the wide variety of animals and insects on the pages which I have no doubt young children will enjoy finding and identifying. I also loved the movement within the images which suits the use of the action verbs within the story perfectly.
A gorgeously illustrated picture book for young children of 3+.
Written by Laura Dockrilland Illustrated by Kip Alizadeh
I am Strong Just Being Me is a beautifully illustrated poem celebrating ways to be strong for ourselves and others told through the imagery of strength in nature.
This beautiful, thought-provoking story begins with a series of questions about the meaning of what it is to be strong and whether it is something we should strive to be.
Bean sets out to explore the concept of strength and begins by asking her nanna what strength is. Her Nanna answers her question by first sharing what strength is not and then by sharing a range of ways in which strength is shown from knowing when to speak up and when to be quiet to making mistakes and asking for help as well as finding the courage to say sorry, forgive and give others a second chance.
Bean and her Nanna share their conversation in her Nanna’s beautiful, wild garden and the illustrations of nature act as metaphors for the written traits of strength such as a mouse keeping quiet when a cat is hunting, birds defending their chicks or a tiny seedling growing in strength into a tree capable of changing and growing. I love the final message that there is strength in just being yourself – wonderfully empowering!
The illustrations are gorgeous with both bright and pastel colours depicting a wild, spring garden with its plants and creatures. I loved how Bean and her Nanna stand out against the more impressionistic depiction of the garden. The close bond of love between Bean and her Nanna is perfectly portrayed in both words and illustrations.
The endpapers are beautiful with beautiful illustrations of plants and herbs with a note of what they are associated with from friendship to protection to happiness and bravery.
A stunning hardback picture book with an empowering message about strength, perfect for children of 3+.
Written by Annemarie Cool and Illustrated by James Jones
Small Steps, Big Change is a wonderful picture book on sustainable living, inspired by The Sustainable Development Goals (formulated by the United Nations).
Children are introduced to illustrations of twelve heroes from Nature Hero to Fairness Hero and Energy Hero before they start the book. The characters encourage children to take small steps for change to protect our earth, ourselves and each other and to share these steps with friends and family.
Each of these 12 heroes share small ways in which we can make a difference for ourselves and others from sourcing food locally to taking care of our minds and bodies to saving water and energy and treating others fairly. This book is both informative and empowering and I can really see it being a catalyst for children to make changes in their own lives and to encourage the adults in their lives to do likewise. I think this is a wonderful book for teachers to share with their class to open up discussions around sustainable development. The message that taking small steps can lead to big changes is such a powerful and hopeful one.
This book is incredibly engaging with direct questions to the reader, practical advice from the sustainable development heroes and factual information. The illustrations are both fun and helpful and complement the encouragement from the heroes perfectly.
A wonderful book to encourage and inspire young readers – and their adults- to make a difference through small steps that will lead to big change. This is a book I’m excited to share with my class and is ideal for readers from 5+.
Thank you to Little Tiger for providing me with copies of these three fantastic picture books. It was my choice to review them and all opinions are my honest reviews of these books.
Written by Tom Jackson Illustrated by Good Wives and Warriors Published by Laurence King (an imprint of Hachette Children’s Group)
Dinopedia: An Encyclopedia of Prehistoric Beasts is an absolutely stunning, beautifully illustrated hardback information book sharing fascinating facts about prehistoric animals. Many young – and older – readers are fascinated by dinosaurs and this is a book that is guaranteed to absorb readers as they enjoy learning more about the lives of these incredible creatures.
This stunning book is divided in to five sections: Palaeozic, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Present Day. Each is introduced with a short explanation of what the period means and is followed by a double page spread consisting of a beautifully illustrated page and an information page about some of the animals that inhabited each of these periods.
As well as introducing readers to fascinating facts about a range of prehistoric animals, it also shares other more general, but related, information such as the mass extinction of animals about 252 million years ago, fossil hunters, the evolution of flight and the mass extinction of dinosaurs 66 million years ago. There is also more general information about dinosaurs including what they sound like, how they move, caring for their young and their colours.
This book really is treasure trove of information for curious young minds, presented in an accessible and engaging manner, often comparing habits and attributes of pre-historic animals to animals children will be familiar with. Did you know that the oldest wishbone we know about comes from the Coelophysis? Or that a Brachiosaurus could have looked over the top of a three-storey house? Or even that a Diplodocus replaced each tooth every month or so?
The full page, detailed illustrations are stunning and are guaranteed to capture the attention of readers as they can imagine each animal in its natural habitat as they read the information which complements each illustration.
This book is a perfect read for young dino fans who will be absorbed both by the wide range of fascinating facts and colourful illustrations. A brilliant introduction to palaeontology for young readers of 7+.
Thank you to Hachette for sending me a copy of this stunning book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Written by Jonathan Freedland Illustrated by Emily Sutton Published by Pushkin Children’s Books
King Winter’s Birthday is an absolutely stunning hardback picture book – a beautifully told fairy tale which celebrates the four seasons and their importance in keeping balance in nature.
King Winter is celebrating his birthday and he wants to make it really special so he invites his brothers and sisters to attend. They are none other than: Queen Spring, King Summer and Queen Autumn. Despite being warned by the sun and winds, the leaves and trees, that this is not a good idea, King Winter is determined to celebrate with them in order to make his party the greatest ever.
But when his siblings arrive at the Winter Palace, something strange happens outside as the seasons become mingled together, upsetting the delicate balance of nature … will the seasonal siblings be able to bring an end to this imbalance before it is too late?
This story has a wonderfully warm message of the importance of balance in nature, but also of the warmth engendered by joyful memories – even when this is all we have left.
The illustrations throughout are absolutely gorgeous from the trees through the seasons on the end pages to the stunning, intricate internal illustrations which depict the personification of the Seasons in all their natural resplendence. The colour palette used to depict each season is just perfect from the crisp blues and whites of winter to the browns and golds of autumn, the yellows and greens of spring and the vibrant rainbow of summer colours. These images are full of energy and life and I have no doubt that, just like me, young readers will enjoy exploring them.
This story is inspired by a story with the same title written by Ulrich Alexander Boschwitz, a German Jew, whilst he was interned on the Isle of Man during the Second World War as an ‘enemy alien’. Information about Ulrich is included at the end of the book – and makes for a heartbreaking read!
A captivating, beautifully illustrated fairy tale that will make a treasured addition to any child’s book collection, and a perfect winter gift for young readers.
Thank you to the Publisher, Pushkin Children’s Books for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Written by Moira Butterfield Illustrated by Cindy Wume Published by Walker Books
National Non-Fiction Novemberis an entire month dedicated to celebrating the wonderful range of non-fiction books which are published each year. This is co-ordinated by the brilliant Federation of Children’s Book Groups. I am delighted to have been invited to join the 2024 Bloggers’ Tour and today I am sharing my review of My Big Book of Questions About the World. Thank you to the FCBG for organising a copy for me, provided by the Publisher, Walker Books.
My Big Book of Questions About the World is a brilliant book for curious young minds as it answers a wide range of questions about the world around us in a fun and engaging way. Guaranteed to fascinate young readers – and have them generating further questions of their own! What a wonderful way to introduce some big ideas to children and to engage their natural curiosity when learning about the world around them.
This beautifully illustrated book opens with question prompts and images of a diverse range of young characters who lead readers through the book, making them feel like they’ve joined a group of friends to explore questions about the world … and they’ll know many answers to big questions which they can then share with their real-life friends by the end.
The book is divided into seven sections: Our World, The Land Around Us, The Sea, Plants, Animals, People, The Weather and Out in Space. Have you ever wondered … what is the world made of? Why is the sea salty? Do animals play games? Why is the sky blue? Or even, can we go on holiday to space? There is such a wide range of questions about our world that I have no doubt will fascinate young readers as they read the answers and pore over the illustrations. I can also imagine many of these questions being a catalyst into further engaging children’s interest in finding out more about the world around them. A brilliant way into STEM learning!
Each section of this book includes a series of between 5 and 8 questions with answers given in a clear, engaging manner all of which are easily accessible for younger readers. I really liked the way comparisons were made with things young readers will understand and have knowledge of such as the layers of the world being compared to a chocolate-covered lolly with ice-cream and toffee in the middle. I also really liked the friendly, chatty style of the writing that talks directly to the reader. As well as this, there are labelled diagrams and gorgeous, vivid illustrations which reinforce answers in a clear and fun way on every page.
This is a perfect book to share with younger readers of 5+ or for newly independent readers to enjoy on their own. Either way, there is lots for curious young minds to delight in and engage with as they learn more about the world around them.
Do check out the other stops on the #FCGB #NNFN2024 Bloggers’ Tour and enjoy learning about a wide range of non-fiction books this November – and beyond!
Winter is on its way, and Little Goose is excited, and impatient, to begin the migration to a warmer climate. With her Grandfather’s warning to stay close, the geese eventually begin their journey. Fascinated by the wealth of things to see, she finds herself at the back, enjoying all the new sights. But then danger arrives in the form of early snow and, as Little Goose fights against snowflakes and hailstones to keep up, she realises that she has become separated from the others … and finds herself falling to the ground … towards a house with a red-brick chimney.
Little Goose is found by Finn and his mum who take care of her, but can they help her find her way back to the wild geese, and her family?
This is a gorgeously heart-warming read for younger children celebrating the changing beauty of the seasons and natural world, and the fascinating life of migratory birds. It is also a story about helping others, and finding the way home. Finn makes a special connection with Little Goose so feels her loss, but this is lessened by his mother’s reassurance that he will see Little Goose again.
The illustrations are stunning with the wonderfully wintery blue and white colour palette turning to the green and yellows of spring and the oranges and yellows of autumn. The friendship between Finn and Little Goose is perfectly portrayed in the vivid, energetic and joyous illustrations. I adored the illustrations inside the house with the red-brick chimney which felt so homely, cosy and safe.
This is a beautifully presented hardback book, opening into a double-page map of Little Goose’s journey to Ireland from Greenland with the most gorgeous illustrations throughout complementing a story brimming with the re-assuring warmth of family and friendship.
An exquisite, magical picture book that is sure to bring joy to young readers as winter approaches – and they look to the sky hoping for a sight of their own Little Goose.
Thank you to The O’Brien Press for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Book Craic 