For this review, I stepped a little out of my comfort zone and recorded a reel! Luckily, I managed to edit in several of the gorgeous spreads from the book so you don’t have to look at my face too much. I hope you love the book as much as I do. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CirnDe-qc8L/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y= ‘Join brilliant … Continue reading ‘A Wild Child’s Guide to Birds,’ by Dara McAnulty, illustrated by Barry Falls.
The arrival of the Windrush in 1948 is celebrated every year on Windrush Day, 22nd June. Until recently, there were very few children’s books about the influx of men, women, and children from Caribbean countries coming to the U.K. to start new lives and fill post-war labour shortages. Award-winning Dr Benjamin Zephaniah has previously written … Continue reading ‘We Sang Across the Sea: The Empire Windrush and Me,’ by Benjamin Zephaniah & Onyinye Iwu.
Books about animals will always pique a child’s interest, but this one’s just a little bit different as it focuses on all the weird and wonderful features animals have evolved to gain an advantage over the years. Tails, toes, necks, and noses all star in the most unusual ways! “A delightful compendium of all the … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Funny Bums, Freaky Beaks and Other Incredible Creature Features,’ by Alex Morrs & Sean Taylor, illustrated by Sarah Edmonds.
Get ready for a brand new series of books which cleverly use gamification to encourage readers to apply their powers of logic and problem-solving to a series of STEM-based challenges. Questers will develop their coding skills and understanding of algorithms as they follow the interactive story, collecting stickers and rewards as they go. I can … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘SuperQuesters – The Case of the Stolen Sun,’ by Lisa Moss & Dr. Thomas Bernard, illustrated by Amy Wilcox.
There have been such huge advances in how we travel over the centuries and these three wonderful books are sure to entice the mechanically-minded or car curious. My sons certainly both enjoyed seeing how train travel has evolved and what a huge variety of boats there is. “In this beautiful, gift-worthy hardback book on a … Continue reading Science Week: Boats, Trains, and Automobiles.
With a new technological breakthrough is announced nearly every week, we are trying to prepare our children for a unknown future and for jobs which don’t even exist yet. This brilliant book explores some of the revolutionary new ideas which are currently being worked on and could soon be permanent features in our lives. It … Continue reading Science Week: ‘The Science of the Future: Beyond Belief,’ by Alex Woolf and Jasmine Floyd.
With themes of conservation, carbon footprints, and the future of our planet, this book makes good use of mind-boggling facts and smoosh theory to explore the problems humans have created for the Earth’s future Meet the mega human: colossal, clueless . . . and the biggest hope for life on earth There are eight billion … Continue reading Science Week: ‘The Biggest Footprint,’ by Rob & Tom Sears.
Woo-hoo! I’m so excited that this throughly engaging title is back for a second a instalment! It’s already been snaffled by my son to read and he’s shared a lot of interesting (and strange) facts. To see my review of the first Factopia title, click here. ‘A world of 400 facts, all connected in surprising … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Return to Factopia,’ by Kate Hale, illustrated by Andy Smith.
If you haven’t already discovered this brilliant series of books, you’ll be delighted to learn that there are three other titles in the series to enjoy besides this one (Islands, Rivers, Treasures.) But for now, we’re diving into the world of Amazing Animals. Make sure you scroll down to read Sabrina’s Q&A about the inspirations … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Amazing Animals,’ by Sabrina Weiss & Paul Daviz.
Tony Bradman’s ‘Viking Boy’ is used in classrooms across the country when it’s time to learn about the intrepid Vikings. I am sure teachers will be delighted to learn that there’s now an official non-fiction guide written to help readers explore Gunnar’s world! Make sure you read Tony Bradman’s piece about what inspired him to … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Viking Boy: The Real Story,’ by Tony Bradman, illustrated by Thomas Sperling.
Books about the beautiful game are always extremely popular; fans love reading about the antics of their favourite players, or imagining themselves right there on the pitch. Very rarely do football biographies focus on the brains behind the team - their manager. That’s why I’m so pleased that Ransom Publishing have added the legendary Pep … Continue reading ‘Tales From the Touchline – Guardiola,’ by Harry Coninx, illustrated by Ben Farr.
In this post, I’m sharing some of the books I’ve received which celebrate the visual arts and music. With time for the sets bring squeezed out of the school timetable, it’s more important than ever that children can access resources which encourage them to express themselves artistically and learn about some of the great artists … Continue reading Artistically Speaking
Our young people live in an increasingly visual world - branding, advertising, and online images are a part of everyday life. The ability to decode and critically analyse images is key to becoming aware of when art is seeking manipulate your emotions or thoughts in some way. This fascinating book explores how typography, colour, and … Continue reading ‘Art of Protest – What Revolution Looks Like,’ by De Nichols, illustrated by Diana Dagadita, Saddo, Olivia Twist, Molly Mendoza, and Diego Becas.
There are few greater pleasures in life than cracking open the cover of a beautifully-produced, chunky information book. To that end, I am delighted to be sharing some of the most recent (and very giftable) titles I have been sent. A collection of 366 curious questions asked by children from around the world, based on … Continue reading Non-Fiction November
I never cease to be amazed by the vast collection of animals who make annual pilgrimages to find warmer climes or breeding grounds. As someone who needs a sat-nav to find her way almost anywhere, I am completely in awe the various strategies animals use to travel thousands of miles. This blog post features a … Continue reading Amazing Migrations
Today I have two books celebrating the rich history of Afro hair. First we travel back 5,000 years to the hair fashions of Ancient Egypt, then flash forwards to contemporary styles for textured hair such as hair puffs and halo braids. ‘The Story of Afro Hair,’ by K. N. Chimbiri, illustrated by Joelle Avelino (Scholastic) … Continue reading Awesome Afro Hair
There are periods in our history of which we may not be proud but which we need to remember. ‘I Saw a Beautiful Woodpecker’ is a poignant reminder of the impact of war on many cities and on the lives of millions. I am extremely honoured to have been asked to host a piece by … Continue reading ‘I Saw a Beautiful Woodpecker,’ by Michał Skibiński, illustrated Ala Bankroft.
‘The Histronauts - A Greek Adventure!’ is the newest title in the Histronauts series written by historian and author, Dr. Frances Durkin. The intrepid team of time-travelling children have already visited Ancient Egypt, Ancient Rome, The Viking times, and are now heading off to Ancient Greece to explore the marketplaces, witness the birth of theatre, … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Histronauts – A Greek Adventure!’ by Dr Frances Durkin, illustrated by Grace Cooke.
Today I’m sharing a brilliant interactive, wonderfully informative picture book about the weird and wonderful noises animals make. Why do owls hoot? Why do cats purr? Can you curl up like a sleepy snake? I also have a special Q&A from author Moira Butterfield about the inspiration and processes behind creating her two fabulous animal … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Sing Like a Whale – Learn How to Make a Noise Like Animals Do,’ by Moira Butterfield, illustrated by Gwen Millward.
It is so fantastic to see a brand new sport book which is celebrating RUGBY! There are so many fantastic football books to tempt readers but so few about other sports. And this one has the bonus of a foreword and gameplay tips from former All Black, Conrad Smith. ‘The first in a series of … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Rampaging Rugby,’ by Robin Bennett, illustrated by Matt Cherry.
Library Girl and Book Boy 