Today I’m sharing a beautiful picture book based on real events in Syria: ‘In a war-torn city, a little girl tends to the last garden. But everyone is leaving and soon the girl has to leave too. The garden is all alone now but soon the seeds scatter throughout the city and the roots take … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘The Last Garden,’ by Rachel Ip, illustrated by Anneli Bray.
I’m delighted to be part of Lantana Publishing’s campaign to ensure that children of colour see themselves represented in the books they receive this Christmas. To help make this happen, they’ve given me a special discount code for people to use on their website up until the 18th December. It’s: BOOKSUPERHERO15. For every book purchased, … Continue reading ‘A Story About Afiya,’ by James Berry, illustrated by Anna Cunha.
Laura Gallagher wrote this story following a long and difficult journey to motherhood via IVF. She wanted to create a book which would allow other families to celebrate the many different ways in which babies can arrive. ‘Robo-Babies’ was the result. Make sure you read Laura’s special piece about her favourite picture book families. In … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Robo-Babies,’ by Laura Gallagher, illustrated by Nicci Martin.
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.
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.
This absolutely beautiful picture book is based on the real life story of Jack and his beloved Bear. Seven-year-old Jack has autism and Bear is his constant companion and bridge to the world around him. ‘Bear Shaped’ tells the story of what happened when Bear went missing and Jack’s dad sent a tweet out into … Continue reading ‘Bear Shaped,’ by Dawn Coulter-Cruttenden.
Today’s my stop on the blog tour for ‘Shadow,’ Lucy’s first picture book. As well as a special about about the inspiration behind writing the story, I’ve also recorded a podcast interview with Lucy, talking in more detail about the themes and processes behind creating the book. Listen HERE. The girl and her Ma have … Continue reading ‘Shadow,’ by Lucy Christopher, illustrated by Anastasia Suvorova.
In honour of International Dogs Day, here’s a round up of some of the fab books I’ve received featuring some of the most brilliant dogs around! ‘This is a Dog’ by Ross Collins (Nosy Crow) Uh oh! A very loveable but slightly excitable young pup has broken into a First Book of Animals and taken … Continue reading Puppy Love
It’s never too early to start teaching young girls (and boys) that they have the power to do whatever they want to. Luckily, girls are no longer consigned to the role of helpless princess in the books available for them to enjoy. I’m going to share with you some of the celebratory and stereotype-busting titles … Continue reading Here Come the Girls! (International Women’s Day)
With World Book Day fast approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to share some of the new books about books I’ve received recently in case you’re looking for inspiration! ‘The World Book Day Monster’ by Adam & Charlotte Guillain, illustrated by Ada Grey (Egmont) I think we can all sympathise with Anna, … Continue reading Books about books!
If you’re looking for a suitably spooky Halloween read, take a peek at one of these. If you dare.... Vlad The World’s Worst Vampire: Midnight Fright by Anna Wilson, illustrated by Kathryn Durst (Stripes Books) Vlad’s back in another adventure and this time his very annoying cousin Lupus is visiting. Poor old Vlad has never … Continue reading Halloween Howlers
I have received a number of beautiful and informative non-fiction titles about the wonderful animal kingdom in recent weeks. A subject of constant fascination amongst children and adults alike, they’ll be spoilt for choice with this gorgeous selection. ‘Hello World Animals’ by Nicola Edwards, illustrated by L’Atelier Cartographik (360 Degrees) This stunning hardback book with … Continue reading The Animal Kingdom
‘Maybe the Moon’ is a dazzling picture book debut from Frances Ives, and winner of the 2016 LOM Art Prize. It tells the story of a boy called Eric as he moves from the countryside to the city, far away from the wild, carefree life he lived in the forest with his mother and animal … Continue reading ‘Maybe the Moon,’ by Frances Ives.
During my time as a teacher, there have been many occasions where the children I’ve been working have struggled to express how they’re feeling, often resulting in meltdowns or acting out. One of the best ways I found to help in these situations was to encourage the children recognise how different emotions felt and to … Continue reading Books to Foster Emotional Literacy
Protecting our oceans in a hot topic at the moment, with campaigners and some big business working to try to reduce the amount of pollution being dumped into the sea. Plastic in particular is being highlighted as a significant danger and was, interestingly, the most-used word in Radio 2s ‘500 Word’ story-writing competition for children. … Continue reading Sailing the Seven Seas
Today, three stunning non-fiction books grace the pages of my blog, each of them teaching me something new about the amazing world we live in. A Year in the Wild by Helen Ahpornsiri (Big Picture Press) A stunningly beautiful book with artwork crafted from hand-pressed blooms and foliage. These are then carefully cut and arranged … Continue reading The Beauty Of Nature
Once upon a time, there was a BIG BUNNY. What starts off as an innocent story about a normal, if slightly large, bunny innocently eating some normally-sized carrots soon turns into a tale of a giant, truck-eating monster! But is he? Just how big will Big Bunny be? It turns out that it’s all just … Continue reading ‘Big Bunny,’ by Rowboat Watkins.
Well according to the calendar, Spring has officially sprung and we can look forward to some glimmers of sunshine and possibly some Easter chocolate. If you are looking to give something a little longer-lasting and better for your teeth than an Easter egg, how about one of these bookish treats...? The First Egg Hunt by … Continue reading Spring has Sprung!
As well as being the traditional day for giving chocolates and overpriced roses, Wednesday 14th February is also #BookGivingDay. A day when book lovers all over the world donate new or lightly-used books to children who need them. As a teacher, I am very aware of the squeeze being put on school budgets and the cuts … Continue reading Why I’m donating books to school libraries on #BookGivingDay
Ernest the Earwig has been thinking. And he's not happy. All sorts of creatures appear in books, but not earwigs. Why not?! Outraged, Ernest decides to right this wrong. After a restless night's sleep, Earnest heads off to the local bookshop and straight to the children's literature section. He then seizes his chance to slip … Continue reading ‘The Importance of Being Ernest the Earwig,’ by Nanette Newman, illustrated by Lindsay Branagh.
Library Girl and Book Boy 