Young readers will love this new take on the traditional story, The Princess and the Pea. Pete is 11 years old and his mother, the Queen, has decided it’s time to find him a suitable bride. Pete is horrified! All he wants to do is play football and have adventures around the castle. Apparently, the… Continue reading The Peculiar Thing with the Pea by Kaye Umansky & illustrated by Claire Powell
Under the Stars shows readers that there is a whole world for us to explore and discover. Through beautiful, descriptive language, we see that all living things on Earth are similar and there is so much value in the natural world. The gorgeous, soft illustrations reveal togetherness and family. The city is not very far… Continue reading Under the Stars by Rosie Adams & illustrated by Frances Ives
A Gallery of Cats is page after page of gorgeous cats. A young boy called Tom wanders off in the art gallery and finds himself in the most wonderful exhibit. My own son, also Tom, adores cats and was completely taken in by this very special book! Each page finds Tom looking at a painting… Continue reading A Gallery of Cats by Ruth Brown
A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You really is a laugh-out-loud guide to life on Earth! This accessible and engaging non-fiction book draws readers in from the very first page. With brilliant illustrations and suitably gross content (nits, wart and pimples to name a few), readers will want to pick… Continue reading A Day in the Life of a Poo, a Gnu and You by Mike Barfield & illustrated by Jess Bradley
My Life as a Cat is the most unique, charming story I have read in a very long time. Leonard is a cat but he didn’t start out that way. He is actually an alien who is spending a month on Earth to find out about the human race. He intended to become human but… Continue reading My Life as a Cat by Carlie Sorosiak
Lose yourself in this chilling mystery of an abandoned fracking site, unusual smells and adults behaving strangely. As soon as readers pick up this engaging book, they will be pulled in by the intensity of the cover, the very first chapter title, “Something Strange”, and the characters’ interest in the intriguing “Mystery Shed” website. Pete… Continue reading The Invasion of Crooked Oak by Dan Smith & illustrated by Chris King
Wulfie: Stage Fright is a delightful twist on some favourite fairy tales: Cinderella and The Three Little Pigs. Libby lives with her absentminded father, uncaring stepmother and nasty stepbrother. Her stepmother only has enough love for one child and her darling Rex can do no wrong. Meanwhile, it seems Libby can do nothing right. She’s… Continue reading Wulfie: Stage Fright by Lindsay J Sedgwick & illustrated by Josephine Wolff
When I first read this book, I hadn't had a lot of experience of graphic novels and really wanted to broaden my reading experiences. I was blown away by how clearly and boldly the message and emotion of the story was conveyed through the words and pictures. I was pulled into the story with Omar… Continue reading When Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed
Kindness Grows is a peek-through picture book with a difference. Each double page spread shows the contrast between what happens when we behave negatively or positively. On the negative side, children shout, disagree and use mean, ugly words. These words can’t be taken back. Friends are left alone. There’s a crack between them and it… Continue reading Kindness Grows by Britta Teckentrup
Owl Always Love You is an absolutely lovely peek-through board book to share at bedtime. With opportunities to touch, peek, look forward and look back, it will engage young readers in a gentle goodnight. Set in a forest of warm autumnal colours, each page is full of adorable baby animals for readers to fall in… Continue reading Owl Always Love You by Patricia Hegarty & illustrated by Bryony Clarkson
