Today I’m bringing you a charming tale of a boy and his dog. Or rather, a dog and his boy... This brilliant and totally charming tale is cleverly told from the flipped perspective of a ‘pet’ dog. The story begins on Christmas Day when boy and dog first meet. It’s love at first sight and … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘I always Wanted One,’ by Olivier Tallec.
Category: Younger Readers
‘Impossible,’ by Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tony Neal.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading any of Tracey Corderoy’s picture books yet, you have a whole treasure trove of fabulous titles ahead of you to try. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing her latest picture book, ‘Impossible.’ Dog has busy life in the city. By day, he washes and returns his … Continue reading ‘Impossible,’ by Tracey Corderoy, illustrated by Tony Neal.
Albie’s 10th Anniversary Tour! ‘How to Win a Monster Race,’ by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Ed Eaves.
We are absolutely huge fans of Caryl Hart’s awesome series of Albie picture books. Each story is a leap into the imagination of a young boy with a habit of attracting adventure and mischief! When my own boys were younger, we’d have Albie’s adventures on bedtime story repeat. They had several favourites, one of the being … Continue reading Albie’s 10th Anniversary Tour! ‘How to Win a Monster Race,’ by Caryl Hart, illustrated by Ed Eaves.
Blog tour: ‘Oof Makes an Ouch!’ by Duncan Beedie.
I love Duncan Beedie’s picture books - funny, wise and beautifully illustrated. Today I have one of his new titles to share with you: ‘Oof Makes an Ouch.’ AND a piece from Duncan about where the early idea for this brilliant book came from along with a peek in his sketchbook. Meet Oof and Pib. … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Oof Makes an Ouch!’ by Duncan Beedie.
‘Monsieur Roscoe On Holiday,’ by Jim Field.
Bonjour! Today I’m sharing one of my favourite picture books of the summer: ‘Monsieur Roscoe On Holiday.’ Readers learn how to speak French whilst they follow Monsieur Roscoe and his Goldfish, Fry, en vacances. After packing, the dynamic duo head to the countryside to go camping with with their friend, Eva. Then skiing in the … Continue reading ‘Monsieur Roscoe On Holiday,’ by Jim Field.
‘Paris Cat,’ by Dianne Hofmeyr, illustrated by Piet Grobler.
We couldn’t have a French week on the blog without visiting Paris and who better to guide us than a high-kicking cat with dreams of becoming an entertainer! Cat was born in an alleyway behind a fishmongers, and although she loved playing with her brothers, sisters and cousins, she couldn’t help but wonder if there … Continue reading ‘Paris Cat,’ by Dianne Hofmeyr, illustrated by Piet Grobler.
Blog Tour: ‘Spaghetti Hunters,’ by Morag Hood.
Woo-hoo! Another absolutely fabulous picture book by Morag Hood is now available for all you luck readers! Her tightly-plotted and hilarious books are amongst some of my favourites. And now we have ‘Spaghetti Hunters’ to enjoy! Duck has a BIG problem. - he has lost his spaghetti. Thankfully, Tiny Horse is on hand to help … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Spaghetti Hunters,’ by Morag Hood.
Blog Tour: ‘I Can Catch a Monster,’ by Bethan Woollvin.
Full disclosure - I am huge fan of Bethan’s delightfully twisted fairy tales and was absolutely THRILLED to discover that she had written a totally original story with a powerful female lead. We are also lucky enough to get a peek into Bethan’s sketchbook as she shares how she uses roughs to help create the … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘I Can Catch a Monster,’ by Bethan Woollvin.
#TuesdayReviewsDay: ‘Oi Puppies!’ by Kes Gray and Jim Field.
It seems like everyone I know has been buying puppies during Lockdown. Perhaps if they’d read this book, they’d have thought twice! Can you believe it, but this is the FIFTH instalment in the award-winning ‘Oi Frog!’ series?! Packed with word play, rhymes and some extremely mischievous pups. The fun begins when Dog is left … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay: ‘Oi Puppies!’ by Kes Gray and Jim Field.
Blog tour: ‘Trailblazer: Lily Parr the Unstoppable Star of Women’s Football,’ by Elizabeth Dale, illustrated by Carolina Coroa.
Nowadays, women’s football is shown on the television and some of its star players are household names. It seems difficult to believe that in 1921, the Football Association decided to ban women’s football. But who was playing? And why had some women been allowed to play in the first place? ‘Trailblazer’ may just give you … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Trailblazer: Lily Parr the Unstoppable Star of Women’s Football,’ by Elizabeth Dale, illustrated by Carolina Coroa.
Blog tour: ‘In My Dreams,’ by Stef Gemmill, illustrated by Tanja Stephani.
Today it’s my stop on the blog tour, so I get to share with you a magical new bedtime read: ‘In My Dreams,’ by Stef Gemmill. As a little boy drifts off to sleep, his dreams take him to the furthest reaches of his imagination. Diving to the deepest depths of the ocean, dancing in … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘In My Dreams,’ by Stef Gemmill, illustrated by Tanja Stephani.
#TuesdayReviewsDay ‘Everybody has a Body,’ by Jon Burgerman.
Having a positive body image plays a huge role in helping children develop their confidence and self-esteem. It’s fantastic to see a picture book for young children like ‘Everybody has a Body,’ which celebrates bodies of all shapes and sizes. With Jon Burgerman’s exuberant illustrations packed full of colour and humour, and a positive, inclusive … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay ‘Everybody has a Body,’ by Jon Burgerman.
Refugee Week 2020 – stories of kindness, accepting others and refugees.
This week is Refugee Week so it seems an alt time to share with you come of the very beautiful books I’ve been sent which look at refugees specifically, but also have themes of kindness and acceptance which might be more appropriate for younger children. I will be adding new titles to this post as … Continue reading Refugee Week 2020 – stories of kindness, accepting others and refugees.
Three cheers for the dads!
In the approach to Fathers’ Day in the U.K., I like to share titles which celebrate dads in all their glory. I am particularly impressed by the two I’m showcasing today as they have inclusivity and diversity at their cores. ‘That’s my Daddy!’ by Ruth Redford, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Egmont Publishing) Daddies come in … Continue reading Three cheers for the dads!
‘Now Wash Your Hands!’ by Matt Carr.
I have been amazed by the quick response of many authors and publishers to the current covid-19 crisis. I’ve seen some excellent books about the virus and trying to explain why we need to socially-distance from those we love. Yesterday, a new title about the importance of hand-washing arrived through my letterbox. Now that more … Continue reading ‘Now Wash Your Hands!’ by Matt Carr.
Blog tour: ‘There’s a Lion in the Library!’ by Dave Skinner and Aurélie Guillerey.
Today, for your reading pleasure, I have a brilliant twist on the classic cautionary tale ‘The Boy Who Cried Wolf.’ Introducing ‘There’s a Lion in the Library!’ Little Lucy Lupin has the most adorable dimples, a little button nose and a very charming scattering of freckles. She looks as though butter wouldn’t melt in her … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘There’s a Lion in the Library!’ by Dave Skinner and Aurélie Guillerey.
Blog tour: ‘Llama Glamarama,’ by Simon James Green, illustrated by Garry Parsons.
Today I’m dusty off my dancing shoes, fluffing up my feather boa and high-kicking off the blog tour for the totally fabulous ‘Llama Glamarama’ blog tour. Best known for his award-winning ‘Noah Can’t Even’ teen series, Simon James Green is making his first glitter-filled foray into the world of picture books. And this fabulous creature … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Llama Glamarama,’ by Simon James Green, illustrated by Garry Parsons.
‘Bloom,’ by Anne Booth, illustrated by Robyn Wilson-Owen.
Receiving a book from Tiny Owl is always such a treat. You know that you’re going to get a beautiful book with an important story tell. ‘Bloom’ definitely falls into this category! You can soon hear me reading it on Tiny Owl’s YouTube channel here. Every morning before school, the little girl and her brother … Continue reading ‘Bloom,’ by Anne Booth, illustrated by Robyn Wilson-Owen.
#TuesdayReviewsDay ‘In Every House, on Every Street,’ by Jess Hitchman, illustrated by Lili La Baleine.
During lockdown, our houses have become our castles. Places to hunker down, shelter in safety and be with our families. ‘In Every House, on Every Street’ is the perfect picture book to share and explore the the many variations in homes and families. The bouncy rhyming text takes readers on a tour through the rooms … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay ‘In Every House, on Every Street,’ by Jess Hitchman, illustrated by Lili La Baleine.
Blog tour: ‘A Climate in Chaos,’ by Neal Layton.
Children see and hear the words ‘climate change’ everywhere, but do they truly understand what they mean? This brilliant picture book from Neal Layton explains very clearly and simply some of the causes of climate change and the impact that can have on our planet. Have you ever wondered what greenhouse gases are and what … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘A Climate in Chaos,’ by Neal Layton.