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.
Blog tour: ‘The Inkberg Enigma,’ by Jonathan King.
We’re always on the lookout for new graphic novels in this household as Book Boy is a big fan. He also loves a good mystery adventure so ‘The Inkberg Enigma’ was perfect for him. Miro and Zia both live in the same tiny fishing village nestled at the foot of an ancient castle. When the … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Inkberg Enigma,’ by Jonathan King.
‘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.
Stone Age, Bone Age
With the Stone Age a firm fixture on the primary school national curriculum, it’s always useful to have some new texts up your sleeve to use along with tried and tested favourites. Today I’m going to share with you a selection of titles I’ve been sent which would fit well with a Stone Age topic … Continue reading Stone Age, Bone Age
‘Donut the Destroyer,’ by Sarah Graley and Stef Purenins.
We love graphic novels in our household and Book Boy always has to have the first read. Last week, he was relaxing in the paddling pool with ‘Donut the Destroyer.’ He’d already enjoyed Sarah Graley’s previous graphic novel, ‘Glitch,’ so was excited to read this next one. Make sure you read Sarah’s awesome piece about … Continue reading ‘Donut the Destroyer,’ by Sarah Graley and Stef Purenins.
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: ‘Return to Roar,’ by Jenny McLachlan, illustrated by Ben Mantle.
Welcome back to the Land of Roar - once a figment of the imaginations of a much younger Rose and Arthur's imaginations, but now a real place accessed through their grandfather's loft. After their last adventure, the twins thought they'd banished Roar's worst villain for good - but perhaps that isn't actually the case.... You … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Return to Roar,’ by Jenny McLachlan, illustrated by Ben Mantle.
Blog tour: ‘Dream Team: A Case of the Jitters,’ by Tom Percival.
I’m loving this series of chapter books by Tom Percival which explore emotions and how to manage them. The Dream Team work together to turn nightmares into incredible adventures and they’re back for their second mission. You can find my review of the first title HERE. In this adventure, Erika’s just having a normal day … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Dream Team: A Case of the Jitters,’ by Tom Percival.
Blog Tour: ‘Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found,’ by Aisha Bushby, illustrated by Rachael Dean.
I absolutely loved Aisha’s debut middle grade novel, ‘A Pocketful of Stars,’ so was very excited to see what she would write next. The magical ‘Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found’ was the answer! (You can listen to Aisha on my podcast HERE.) I also had the opportunity ask Aisha some questions about the … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Moonchild: Voyage of the Lost and Found,’ by Aisha Bushby, illustrated by Rachael Dean.
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.
‘The Pear Affair,’ by Judith Eagle, cover by Kim Geyer.
Prepare yourself to be whisked away to the streets of Paris in this wonderful patisserie-filled mystery. Nell Magnificent is feeling anything but. Her two beastly parents are planning to leave on a business trip to Paris. Usually, she would spend the holidays at school, but on this occasion it was being redecorated and had sent … Continue reading ‘The Pear Affair,’ by Judith Eagle, cover by Kim Geyer.
‘Along Came Coco,’ by Eva Byrne.
Coco Chanel is a name synonymous with style and luxury, but did you know that she grew up an orphan in a convent? In this fabulous picture book biography, readers will learn how Coco developed her sewing skills whilst being brought up in a convent and where her love of beautiful AND practical clothing for … Continue reading ‘Along Came Coco,’ by Eva Byrne.
‘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: ‘Umbrella Mouse to the Rescue,’ by Anna Fargher, illustrated by Sam Usher.
If you loved last year’s award-wining title, ‘The Umbrella Mouse,’ you are going to love this gripping sequel full of treachery, distrust and the power of hope. Following their legendary escape from the Nacht und Nebel camp, Pip and the other members of the Noah’s Ark resistance movement have regrouped and are honouring their fallen … Continue reading Blog Tour: ‘Umbrella Mouse to the Rescue,’ by Anna Fargher, illustrated by Sam Usher.
Blog tour: ‘Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission,’ by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik.
Omar and the gang are back for their third adventure. And this one contains aliens (probably!) When Mrs Hutchinson (aka the best teacher in the universe) is mysteriously replaced by the less than friendly Mrs Crankshaw, Omar knows that something fishy’s going on. There’s no way Mrs Hutchinson would just leave them without saying anything … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Planet Omar: Incredible Rescue Mission,’ by Zanib Mian, illustrated by Nasaya Mafaridik.
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.
‘Where the Wilderness Lives,’ by Jess Butterworth, cover by Rob Biddulph.
Jess’s writing is fantastic so I was delighted to be sent a copy of her newest title which is firmly rooted in the great outdoors. Cara, her siblings and their Irish wolfhound live on a boat in the countryside. They love their beautiful boat and the fact they can step off the boat and into … Continue reading ‘Where the Wilderness Lives,’ by Jess Butterworth, cover by Rob Biddulph.
Blog tour: ‘When Stars are Scattered,’ by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed.
Today is my turn to share with you this truly wonderful graphic novel which depicts the true story of life in a refugee camp through the eyes of a young boy. For almost as long as he can remember, Omar and his brother Hassan have lived in the sprawling Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. Although … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘When Stars are Scattered,’ by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed.
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.