Up high, in the dark, dark sky....a message: LOST, ONE SMALL STAR. When a little brother happens upon a very sparkly treasure whilst out hunting, he and his big sister try very hard to find its owner - surely something so special must have an owner. But search as they may, no one seems to … Continue reading ‘Star in the Jar,’ by Sam Hay, illustrated by Sarah Massini.
We are great fans of Duncan's books in this household ('The Lumberjack's Beard' was on a bedtime loop for quite some time!) so we were all thrilled to receive a copy of his newest title - 'The Last Chip' so we could be part of its blog tour. I was also delighted that Duncan was … Continue reading ‘The Last Chip,’ by Duncan Beedie.
Christmas (or any other time) is the perfect occasion to give someone a beautiful new edition of a book they love. This stunning 3D version of the beloved classic ‘Beauty and the Beast’ would be an absolutely ideal gift for any fan to find under their Christmas tree this year. The glistening foil highlights hint … Continue reading ‘Beauty and the Beast – a magical 3D fairy tale,’ by Dinara Mirtalipova.
You could have heard the cheers from outer space when I told the book boys there was going to be a new book in the fantastic ‘You Choose’ series. Particularly when they learnt it was to be set in space - a dream combination! We are absolutely massive fans of ‘You Choose’ and ‘Just Imagine,’ having read our way through … Continue reading ‘You Choose in Space,’ by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart.
My next spooky choice for little ones is the delightful 'Monster & Son' by David LaRochelle. This tale takes a look at the softer side of some of the world's most feared monsters. Have you ever wondered what a daddy Frankenstein and his son get up to when they play together? Or how Yeti and … Continue reading ‘Monster & Son,’ by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Joey Chou.
Sometimes books arrive and are snatched out of my hands before I get a chance to read them, and Ludwig was one of them - I think it was the promise of adventure and the lure of 3D glasses! This is actually the second eye-popping adventure about Ludwig the dog (after 'Ludwig the Space Dog), … Continue reading ‘Ludwig the Sea Dog,’ by Henning Lohlein.
Today I'd like to introduce you to a magical new bedtime story - Dreamweaver. The dreamweaver glides through the jungle sprinkling dream-dust over all the sleepy (or not so sleepy) baby jungle animals. Collecting flowers from magical mountain-tops and glittering comet trails from high in the heavens, she crafts the perfect dream for each little … Continue reading ‘Dreamweaver,’ by Claire Freedman, illustrated by Carrie May.
A witchy tale, perfect for Halloween and young book enthusiasts everywhere. Witch is just enjoying an early morning brew when she hears a ping from her laptop. It's Troll, inviting her on a romantic picnic. As she sets off through the woods to meet him, the woodland animals make a few helpful suggestions as to … Continue reading ‘Pretty,’ by Canizales.
As we enter the month of October, I am looking forward to sharing with you books which celebrate Autumn and all things spooky. My very first offering is the gorgeous 'Cat Learns to Listen at Moonlight School,' the third title in the Moonlight School series. Tonight, Miss Moon is taking her class of pupils out … Continue reading ‘Cat Learns to Listen at Moonlight School,’ by Simon Puttock, illustrated by Ali Pye.
Now that Autumn is officially with us, I thought I'd share some titles which sum up the very essence of the season: squirrels, sticks and hibernation! 'The Nut Stayed Shut' by Mike Henson (Templar Publishing) Rodney is a champion nut cracker, so the task of cracking three nuts should be easy, right? Wrong! The third … Continue reading Autumnal Delights
These next three books are perfect for fans of all things dinosaur. We have some fabulous fiction, non-fiction and a gorgeous colour and discover book. 'The Book of Prehistoric Beasts,' from Angela Rizza and Jonny Marx (Buster Books) This gorgeous book is a clever mix of facts, profiles and fearsome creatures to colour in. … Continue reading Dinotastic Discoveries!
Britta Teckentrup has already brought us two beautiful 'spotting books' and now we're lucky enough to have a third to enjoy. Renowned for her gorgeous repeated pattern style, reminiscent of a rather exclusive wallpaper design, Britta brings us spreads with a hidden secret - a baby animal is hiding with its parent somewhere on the … Continue reading ‘Where’s The Baby?,’ by Britta Teckentrup.
I am thrilled to be able to combine two of my great passions in this blog post: fabulous books and chocolate cake! 'Chocolate Cake' by Michael Rosen, illustrated by Kevin Waldron ( Puffin Books) Finally, there's a gloriously illustrated picture book of Michael Rosen's now classic funny poem, 'Chocolate Cake.' It tells the tale of … Continue reading Let Them Eat Cake!
One Button Benny isn't like all the other robots. He only has one button. Which must ONLY be pressed in an emergency. Benny gets teased so much by the other robots that he longs for an emergency to happen so he can find out what (if anything!) his button actually does. He waits....and he waits....until … Continue reading ‘One Button Benny,’ by Alan Windram, illustrated by Chloe Holwill-Hunter.
In today's society, with not only peer pressure but the pressures of social media to contend with, children can sometimes struggle to have the courage to be themselves. 'Perfectly Norman' is a story about a boy who felt exactly the same way, until one day something extraordinary happened to him... Norman had always been perfectly … Continue reading ‘Perfectly Norman,’ by Tom Percival.
Any book which makes its reader twist, turn, jump and shout gets a huge thumbs up in our house. That's why we were so excited to receive these three titles recently... Crocodali by Lucy Volpin (Templar Publishing) Crocodali considers himself one of the world's greatest artists and YOU are privileged enough to be invited to … Continue reading Twist and shout!
I am loving the current trend for drawing on the classic plot lines and characters of beloved fairy tales and injecting them with a hefty dose of attitude and wit, especially those where the formerly helpless princesses was expected to lay about waiting for a prince to come and rescue them. The two new paperback … Continue reading Two deliciously twisted tales…
"Once there was a soft brown toy called Dogger. One of his ears pointed upwards and the other flopped over. His fur was worn in places because he was quite old. he belonged to Dave." I'm fairly sure there aren't many children of the eighties who haven't heard the timeless and endearing story of 'Dogger.' … Continue reading ‘Dogger,’ by Shirley Hughes.
I am a huge fan of Zommer's beautifully-illustrated books so was thrilled to be sent a copy of his latest picture book for Templar - 'Big Brown Bear's Cave.' Big Brown Bear is looking for a new cave to call his own and is delighted when he quickly finds a dark and dusty cave which … Continue reading ‘Big Brown Bear’s Cave,’ by Yuval Zommer.
Library Girl and Book Boy 