Midnight Magic is a wonderfully charming verse novel from the magnificent Michelle Harrison (author of the A Pinch of Magic series). Published on the 1st October 2020, it is perfect for young readers on spooky autumn days leading up to Hallowe’en. Midnight is a very special kitten – a beautiful black cat with rare magical… Continue reading Midnight Magic by Michelle Harrison & illustrated by Elissa Elwick
Love, support, acceptance and kindness are what make people shine brightly. The same is true for the lovely little fir tree in the gorgeous book. At first, the tree is devastated when it isn’t chosen to become a Christmas tree. Left in the clearing, all alone, it longs to feel needed and loved. The animals… Continue reading The Tree That’s Meant to Be by Yuval Zommer
The Good Bear is a powerful story of trust, unusual friendships and understanding. Twelve-year-old Thea travels to Norway to spend Christmas with her father and his family. Leaving her mother and everything familiar behind, Thea must learn that Christmas is not about the traditions, what you do or what you eat, but about being together… Continue reading The Good Bear by Sarah Lean & illustrated by Fiona Woodcock
The Baboon with the Golden Bum is a funny, action-packed mystery with a dark, “film noir” detective feel. Seamus, a turkey detective, is the head of the Free Range Detective Agency. His dry comments, clever sarcasm and random musings lift this story to the next level of children’s detective parodies. Seamus has had no cases… Continue reading The Baboon with the Golden Bum by Jed Lynch & illustrated by Stephen Stone
Sounds of the Wild is a beautiful hardcover non-fiction book with realistic sound effects. Fascinating descriptions and challenging vocabulary make this guide to animals under threat in a wide range of ecosystems around the world a useful addition to every home or classroom bookshelf. Children will thoroughly enjoy investigating this book either on their own or… Continue reading Sounds of the Wild by Moira Butterfield & illustrated by Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Britta Teckentrup’s beautiful and unique illustration style is showcased in this lovely board book edition of Moon: night-time around the world. Perfect for little hands, this non-fiction book plays with sounds through rhyme and alliteration to share the cycle of the moon in the night sky. Using cut-outs, the moon grows larger on each page… Continue reading Moon by Patricia Hegarty & illustrated by Britta Teckentrup
The Journey is an amazing, rhyming non-fiction book about the annual great migration across the African plains. Led by majestic zebras, each animal is described as they undertake this challenging quest. The adaptations of the animals and the symbiotic relationships between them are key to their survival. All of this is described in straight-forward, engaging… Continue reading The Journey: Nature’s Greatest Adventure by Jonny Marx & illustrated by Hanako Clulow
The Moonlight Zoo is a beautiful story of a little girl searching for her lost cat. Ella won’t give up until she’s found Luna who has been missing for two days! Looking under her bed, Ella finds the most magical zoo for lost pets. With smooth, moonbeam gates and gorgeous, soft colours, each page is… Continue reading The Moonlight Zoo by Maudie Powell-Tuck & illustrated by Karl James Mountford
Lose yourself in the rich symbolism and powerful messages of The Tigers in the Tower by Julia Golding. Sahira faces the jungle of Georgian London with no one but two majestic Indian tigers. Having lost her parents to fever on the treacherous sea voyage from Calcutta to London, Sahira must fend for herself and fight… Continue reading The Tigers in the Tower by Julia Golding
Green Planet: Life in our Woods and Forests is another wonderful book in the Colours of the World series from Little Tiger Press. It’s rich green, textured hard cover makes it a beautiful non-fiction book for exploring the importance of forest conservation with children. It would be best suited to Key Stage 1 and Lower… Continue reading Green Planet: Life in our Woods and Forests by Moira Butterfield & illustrated by Jonathan Woodward
