The Boy, The Troll & The Chalk by Anne Booth & David Litchfield (Templar)
Anne Booth has a gift for creating the most beautiful, empathy-filled stories of kindness, friendship and connection. In this wonderful partnership with David Litchifield, readers of all ages are challenged to look past what people say and how they act to discover what they really need.
All the children in the park believed there was a troll living in the cave. When it growled and told them to go away, they did – all except one boy who reached out in kindness. Through the power of art, the brave boy creatively forged a friendship and helped the troll think about himself in a whole new way.
The Boy, The Troll & The Chalk has inspired me to plan a session for my Brownies based on the book. There will be chalk drawings, discussions about why people might act like trolls and how we can help.
The Bridges by Tom Percival (Simon & Schuster)
The power of reading to transform lives and connect children to the world is beautifully portrayed in The Bridges by Tom Percival.
Mia was lonely and bored. Her life felt so empty that she imagined she lived on a small island far out at sea. Then, one day, a book arrived at her door. This book did extraordinary things. It filled her little island with life and caused bridges to appear. These bridges took Mia to extraordinary places and led her to a life full of colour, wonder and even more books.
Mia realises how important books are as she makes connections with others, discovers endless reading adventures and shares her love of reading with those who really need it.
Tom Percival’s picture books are always of the highest quality with content that will challenge and inspire children (and the adults who read to them).
My Name Is a Gift by Zeshan Akhter & Asa Gilland (Templar)
My Name is a Gift is a beautiful story celebrating the uniqueness of each person’s name. It encourages readers to respect the names of others and think carefully about the precious gift given to them by their own parents. Whether it’s a family name, has a special meaning or has cultural significance, each name is important and needs to be celebrated.
Little Sitara gently invites readers to learn more about her name – to listen to her mummy and daddy say it, to ask how to pronounce it, to find out where it came from or to hear about the family it connects her to. Sitara wants everyone to feel proud of their name and tell the world.
Colin’s Castle by Holly Swain (Farshore)
A vampire with big dreams and charming green duck who won’t leave him alone – Colin’s Castle is a wonderfully funny picture book that will have readers giggling with each page and trying to guess where the duck will turn up next.
Colin the vampire has just moved into his very own castle. It’s everything he’s ever hoped for until the duck shows up! No matter what he tries. he can’t make his castle a duck-free zone. The duck is in the bath, in the garden and even in his popcorn on movie night! What will it take for Colin to send this duck packing?
The illustrations of Colin and his duck are delightful and the details of the castle are brilliant! Who wouldn’t want a drawbridge controlled by a switch or a tiny castle snowglobe? This is definitely a book to enjoy together in the autumn term.
How To Move a Zoo by Kate Simpson & Owen Swan (Allen & Unwin)
How to Move a Zoo is the touching true story of how Mr Miller moved Jessie the elephant from the zoo in Moore Park (Sydney Australia) to her new home in the Taronga Zoological Park in September 1916. Their unusual journey surprised everyone they met. The trusting relationship between the elephant and her keeper was something truly special and deserves recognition in this beautiful picture book over 100 years later.
The soft illustrations mirror the softness of Jessie’s temperment and provide readers with a detailed look at early 20th century Sydney. From the milkman with his horse and cart to the sleepy churchyard to the ferry crossing Sydney Harbour, How to Move a Zoo opens a window to a different time.
Love In the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall & Yas Imamura (Walker Books)
Love in the Library is a beautiful picture book for older readers (Upper Key Stage 2 and beyond) examining the difficult experiences of those imprisoned in the Japanese incarceration camps in America in the 1940s. Their only crime – being of Japanese descent.
This story is based on the real history of author Maggie Tokuda-Hall’s maternal grandparents. As young adults in the camp, Tama worked in the library and George came to borrow books every day. Tama tried to escape her fear and confusion by getting lost in books. George brought comfort and understanding through a very difficult time. They grew close and eventually married, starting a family. Together they found “the miracle is in all of us, as long as we believe in change, in beauty, hope.”
This picture book will challenge readers to consider the impact of racism and the power of people to find joy in the face of hate. It is both a historical text and one that has significant relevance in the present day.
The Dictionary Story by Oliver Jeffers & Sam Winston (Walker Books)
Oliver Jeffers is back with a completely unique story about a dictionary who decided to bring her words to life. Dictionary was never really sure what she was about. All the other books had a story to tell but Dictionary was just full of words.
Moving through the alphabet, a brilliant combination of characters create chaos. An alligator goes in search of a snack. A donut rolls into a sweet little ghost. Finally, everyone got swept up in a tornado’s terrible tantrum. Everything was in a muddle! It’s the alphabet who saves the day with its song just perfect for getting everyone in order.
The Dictionary Story will be thoroughly enjoyed by EYFS and KS1 classes exploring the alphabet with a lovely message of accepting who you are rather than trying to be like everybody else.
One-Button And The Sea by Sara Stanley & Viviane Schwarz (Scallywag Press)
One-Button And The Sea is a story of being uprooted and finding your way home again. Grandpa and One-Button share memories of a time when animals were forced to leave their home. They set off across the sea in their little boats battling waves and wind, sadness and fears. They all looked after each other the best they could, pulling together in community. Eventually, it was safe to return home but no one was the same. They had learned so much from their experiences and were ready to build new memories.
This is a lovely story for introducing ideas of displacement with young readers. The peril of the sea and the emotions of each character are beautifully illustrated with appealing splashes of colour. There is so much to look at and discuss.
Books by Kate Heap (ad):
Order Fiction & Poetry and Non-fiction for Year Two on the links below:
Books for Years 3 -6:
Scope for Imagination 