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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I am able to offer you the very first exclusive peek at the first in a brand new series of hilarious chapter books for readers aged seven and up! Publishing 18th February 2021 - so set your alarms! Max is a rather unusual 9-year-old; when he burps, Max turns into a rather large bin-eating monster. … Continue reading Cover Reveal: ‘Monster Max and the Bobble Hat of Forgetting,’ by Robin Bennett, illustrated by Tom Tinn-Disbury.
This week, Book Boy Jr. and I have been travelling around the world with this excellent ‘Big City Atlas.’ Open the books and join Penguin on a tour of 28 captivating cities. Book Boy Jr loved the combination of interestingly illustrated maps of each city, featuring some of the main landmarks, accompanied by fact boxes … Continue reading #TuesdayReviewsDay: ‘Big City Atlas,’ by Maggie Li
I was so pleased to see another title for younger chapter book fans by Sylvia Bishop - I'd loved ‘Bookshop Girl’ and was eager for more. Betsy’s parents are world famous concert pianists and, despite what they say, Betsy knows they’d like nothing more than for her to carry on the family business. The only … Continue reading ‘44 Tiny Secrets,’ by Sylvia Bishop, illustrated by Ashley King.
I recently had the great pleasure of chatting to poet, performer and educator, Neal Zetter, on my Library Girl and Book Boy podcast (click HERE to listen). He talked about the importance of poetry in schools, how to get children engaged with poems and about his plans for delivering online workshops whilst large gatherings are … Continue reading ‘Gorilla Ballerina: A Book of Bonkers Animal Poems,’ by Neal Zetter, illustrated by Julian Mosedale.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
Today I’d like to introduce you to the first title in the What on Earth Books’ brand new Our Amazing World series. ‘Amazing Islands’ is a whirlwind tour of over 100 of some truly mind-blowing places. This book is absolutely jam-packed with some of the most fascinating and diverse locations. After an introduction explaining what islands … Continue reading Blog tour: ‘Amazing Islands: 100+ Paces that will Boggle Your Mind,’ by Sabrina Weiss, illustrated by Kerry Hyndman.
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.
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.
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.
Library Girl and Book Boy 