Reading a chapter book for the first time is traditionally viewed as a badge of honour on the road to becoming a confident reader. We have included a selection of titles here which children developing experience and confidence as readers may enjoy. However many picture books have plenty to challenge young readers so should not be cast aside.

You might want to share the reading for the books with more text here such as The Owl who was afraid of the Dark and The Magic Finger. Although children need to be able to read most words so that they can understand and enjoy the stories don’t worry if they can’t read every single word accurately.  Some children may want to read the books aloud to you, others may prefer to read to themselves (even if they are actually reading out loud as they do!)

 

Rebecca Cobb
Macmillan
Age 3-5

This story is about a little girl, totally absorbed drawing and painting animals when mum calls her for lunch. She sits at the table but refuses to eat anything. Suddenly three animals appear: a crocodile, a bear and a wolf; the very same animals she had been drawing but life size… and alive! They seem very interested in her lunch and in no time at all have gobbled it all up. Later that day she has a very hungry tummy and when it is dinner time eats all her food up speedily before any animals snatch it.

A simple, endearing and magical story which taps into a familiar problem for parents and children, the difficulty of tearing yourself away from games and activities to fit in with mealtimes.

 

Share the story

Read aloud
Before you start reading the story together talk about the cover, and talk together about what you both see in the picture and what might happen in the story. Read the story aloud to your child pausing to talk about what is happening in the story and the pictures as you do.

Join in
As you re read the story children will enjoy joining in, perhaps as the different characters.

Talk about the story

Talk together about the little girl’s feelings about mealtime at the beginning of the story and at the end. What made her change?

How might her Mummy feel?

What is your favourite bit of the story?

Were there any surprises?

What is the little girl having for lunch and dinner? What is your favourite lunch or dinner?

Watch the story

Things to make and do

Tell the story
Children could set a table for lunch or dinnertime, use soft toys as the animals and tell the story. This would be more fun if you join in too.

Draw, cut and stick
Children could draw or paint some animals like the little girl in the story and cut them out to stick in a little book like she does. They could compose captions about the animal and what they like eating eg The wolf likes apples

Draw lunch on plate
On a paper plate or a circle drawn on paper children could draw or cut and stick their favourite lunch or dinner.

Make a shadow picture
On the title page the little girl is shown making a shadow picture on the wall have a go at doing this together – see here.

Find out more

Find out more about Rebecca Cobb here

The Something

Aunt Amelia

Missing Mummy

The Paperdolls (written by Julia Donaldson)

Read another story about a reluctant eater

I will not ever, never eat a tomato by Lauren Child

Oliver’s Vegetables by Vivian French and Alison Bartlett

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gabby Dawnay, illus. Alex Barrow,”
Thames and Hudson
Age 0-5 years

A little girl thinks about different animals she might have as a pet and decides that she would like a sleepy sloth. She describes the reasons she would like one, because they are smiley and good at gripping and hiding. She talks about all the things they might do together, playing games, swimming but mostly…. chilling!

This is an appealing and amusing picture book for the very young with great illustrations. The rhyming text and picture clues make it easy for young children to join in with reading once they are familiar with the story. This is another in the series by the same team. See our activity page for If I had a Dinosaur.

Watch the story read aloud by David Schwimmer on CBeebies

Share the story

Read aloud
Before starting to read the book to your child look at the cover together and talk about the animal pictured and other kinds of animals your child knows it reminds them of. If you have a copy of the hard back book you could feel the texture of the sloth on the cover too.

Read the story aloud to your child.

Join in
Children can join in with the opening spread – naming the animals the little girl might choose as pets from the images. If you leave pauses your child might like to supply the rhyme at the end of each couplet. Children of 4 or 5 beginning to learn to read can follow the words as they curve over the pages with their finger as you re read the story.

Talk about the story

• Share favourite pages together and why you like them.

• There are some words which are likely to be new to your child such as ‘peek’, ‘hammock’ and ‘camouflage’

• Talk about what pet each of you would like if you could have any animal in the world and why – as exotic as you like.

Things to make and do

Be like a sloth
You could both try being very, very still like a sloth. Which of you will move first?! Can your child close one eye like the sloth in the cover illustration? Try dragging your body along the ground like a sleepy sloth. Go to the park and use the climbing frame to hang upside down and move like a sloth. Make your movements very slow, gripping on really tightly to the climbing bars.

Play hide and seek
See if you can be as good at hiding like a sloth, trying to keep very still and choosing where you hide carefully so you can’t be seen.

Make a rainforest setting in a large tray
Set up a large tray or builders tuff spot with greenery cuttings and house plants, pieces of bark, twigs and logs. Add some small wild animal toys. You and your child could hide different animals in the foliage and see if they can be found.

Make a picture
Make your own picture of a sloth hanging upside down. You could add camouflage to your picture with tree bark, twigs and leaves using paint or collage.

Find out more

Read more books by this author and illustrator team:
There are two more books In the same series:
If I had a Dinosaur (see here for our activity page) 
If I had a unicorn

Other books by the same team:
London Calls
A Possum’s Tail
A Roller Coaster Ride Around the Body

Find out about sloths:

• Find out about sloths from information books or online

• Watch a video filmed in an American zoo

• If possible visit a zoo such as London Zoo to see sloths living in a rainforest environment

Find out about animal camouflage:

Look at photos of some camouflaged animals, can you spot them? See here

Your child might like to make their own picture of imaginary animals hidden by their camouflage.

Adopt a sloth

To help with their protection and conservation adopt a sloth

https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/adopt-an-animal/sloth-adoption/

https://shop.zsl.org/content/adopt-sloths

 

 

Michael Foreman
Puffin Books
Age 5-7+

The book introduces young children to ideas about valuing our world and sharing it with all living things. The main character, anxious to reach the stars, seems to represent mankind as a whole and what we are doing to the world in our ceaseless quest for power and technology. What would happen if all living things are destroyed in the process? Maybe, just maybe, below the Earth’s surface dinosaurs are waiting to reclaim the Earth! This is a story which will lead to lots of thinking and discussion.

Share the story

Read aloud
Before starting to read the story aloud, look at the cover together, what do you see? What might happen in this story?

Read the first page and talk about the man and what he might be dreaming. Read the story aloud to your child pausing to talk about what is happening when they want to.

Your child will enjoy hearing the story read again, they will notice different things and want to talk about them

Watch the story

From ISH Story Time Mr Silvester  PrimISHcasting

Talk about the book
Talk about the book together and share what your child likes or doesn’t like and anything that puzzles them. Think together about the world belonging to everyone, to be enjoyed and cared for. What can we do to help look after it?

Things to make and do

Play the story
Using a sand pit or earth your child could bury toy dinosaurs (or card shapes of dinosaurs) so they are just peeking out and re enact the part of the story when the dinosaurs emerge from under the earth.

Another way to play the story

You will need a large tray, eg builders’ tray or sand or water tray, fill it with a layer of damp soil and some  stones or rocks. Arrange a few items of clean recycling, eg  small plastic bottles or cartons and lids then sprinkle fast growing seeds over the tray eg cress, grass, forget me nots or sweet peas. You could talk about what seeds need to grow and that some of the rubbish will decompose and some won’t. Children could retell parts of the story in the tray with toy dinosaurs if you have them or make up a new story.

Paint a picture
Give children a  piece of paper and paints to make a colourful picture of the beautiful world at the end of the story with flowers, trees and lots of wonderful animals and birds.

Make a poster
Using the poster template provided your child can make a poster about looking after our world.

Find out more

Read more books written and illustrated by Michael Foreman

The Littlest Dinosaur

Why the Animals Came to Town

Fortunately, Unfortunately

War and Peas

Seal Surfer

Mia’s Story

If you are able to get to a natural history museum with dinosaur exhibits look at the dinosaur bones and skeletons, talk about how big they were.

Find out some theories why dinosaurs became extinct here.

Sort out your household waste for recycling with your child – what materials are they made from? Talk about the importance of recycling.

 

 

Peter Harris, Deborah Allwright (illus)
Egmont
Age 3-5

While Tom is sleeping some strange shadowy shapes enter his street. They are girl pirates planning to steal the front of his house as a disguise for their ship. The pirates agree to take Tom on a night time adventure with them. They head for an island where they meet grown up pirates and find a treasure chest.

An unusual, imaginative and beautifully illustrated story in which grown up pirates afraid of the girl pirates who steal their treasure. There are lots of questions to ponder in this night time adventure; was it all a dream?

 

Share the story

Read aloud
Before starting to read the book, look at the cover and end papers together, what can you tell about the story?

Read the opening aloud in a whisper and pause at ‘Tom was a little boy about to have an adventure’…. What sort of adventure might he have?

Read the story aloud pausing to talk about what happens and the illustrations as you do.

Join in
When you read the book again children can join in with the repeated phrases eg ‘down, down, down…’ ‘Tom was…’ and what some of the characters said.

Talk about the story

There are lots of questions included in the story, talk about them as you share the book; including the last one ‘No one would ever find out….would they? ’What do children think?

Did anything surprise children about the story?

What might mum or dad say if Tom tells them about the night pirates?

Watch the story

LadyScarlie

Things to make and do

Role play

Children could pretend to be Tom in the crow’s nest illustrated on the cover, perhaps using a large plastic storage container or linen basket to sit in. A cardboard tube could be the telescope. You might like to make a pirate flag too (see below).

Together, role play a conversation between one of the girl pirates and Tom on the ship. What orders might Tom be given?

Make a map and tell the story
Using a large sheet of paper children could draw their own map to show the places in the story and Tom’s adventure with the girl pirates. Children could then use their map to help them tell you the story.

Write a pirate log
Print off the pirate log template. Children can write Tom’s ‘log’ or diary for the night in the story.

Find out more

Find out about illustrator Deborah Allwright here

Sing a pirate song here

Make a pirate flag here

 

Buy online

 

There has been an exciting increase in the number of illustrated novels for children recently providing an additional and highly engaging dimension to the story telling and the book design. Illustrations add layers to the reading experience, providing lots to savour and talk about and inviting revisiting. Here is a selection of some of our favourites, we hope you and your children enjoy them.

---

Annie Lumsden The Girl from the Sea 
David Almond illus. Beatrice Alemagna
Walker Books
Age 7-9

Annie Lumsden is a mysterious and magical story about a girl who lives with her mother by the sea. She doesn’t quite fit in at school, struggles to read (the words ‘stuck to the page like barnacles’) and she begins to have mysterious falls. However, she has a strange affinity with the sea. Her mother is a folksinger and storyteller who one day tells Annie a story about her father, a man with a fin who appeared on the shore. Is it true? That remains the mystery of Annie Lumsden who gradually comes to terms with her identity, finding she belongs to both land and the sea. Beautiful lyrical writing with  full colour illustrations throughout which perfectly capture the dreamlike watery quality of the story.

Buy the book here Annie Lumsden, the Girl from the Sea (bookshop.org)
See our activity page for The Boy who Climbed into the Moon (David Almond and Polly Dunbar) and the Tale of Angelino Brown  (David Almond and Alex T Smith)

---

Boot
Shane Hegarty, illus. Ben Mantle
Hodder Children’s Books
Age 7-9

Boot is a small toy robot who is lost, with only vague memories of his past. He finds himself in a scrapyard owned by a scary man called Flint who likes to ‘krush em kwik’. Boot tries to find his former owner Beth and, on the way, meets other robot toys who can think and feel just like him. They help him to survive and search for his owner.

With themes of artificial intelligence, friendship, teamwork and memory this is a warm and engaging adventure story set in an all too feasible near future world staffed by robots. Boot is an appealing and inventive main character. The black and white illustrations emphasise the plight of the little robot but are also the underlying warmth of the story.
Buy the book BOOT small robot, BIG adventure: Book 1 (bookshop.org)
Visit our activity page

---

Corey’s Rock 
Sita Brahmachari, illus. Jane Ray
Otter Barry
Age 9-11

Isla and her parents have newly moved to the Orkney Islands from Edinburgh hoping a fresh start will help them cope with the recent loss of Isla’s younger brother Corey. Isla finds it hard to cope with her own grief and that of her mother who has become so distant towards her and is reluctant to be the new girl at school where everyone will know about her recent loss.

Isla seeks refuge in her father’s Selkie stories, which merge with her memories of Corey to create dream like sequences where she meets her brother.  In time Isla makes a friend and her mother finds a new purpose in her life.

This is a moving and beautifully written story about grief and coping with change. It includes mystical references to magical creatures and reincarnation. The illustrations perfectly complement the text, evoking both the island setting and the dream like sequences beautifully.
Read a family review of Corey’s Rock
Buy the book 

---

Eight Princesses and a. Magic Mirror                                                    
Natasha Farant, illus. Lydia Corey
Zephyr
Age 7-11

An enchantress, godmother to a baby princess, transforms her magic mirror into a pocket-sized version sending it on a mission to find out what really makes an excellent princess. 

There follow eight stories set across the world and throughout history linked together by the mirror as it is lost or given away and awaits a new home in the next chapter.

The mirror finds remarkable princesses who challenged stereotypes: they are brave, fierce and loyal with big dreams and big hearts.

The stories are beautifully written in traditional fairy tale style with attractive colour illustrations throughout including a full-page illustration and decorative title page to introduce each new princess and their story. 

A book which would make a lovely gift, particularly for young readers keen to discover that princesses do not need to wait for princes to fight their battles or sweep them off their feet.
Buy the book

---

A Mummy ate my Homework   
Thiago de Moraes       
Scholastic   
Age 7-11

While Henry is tackling an extra tricky equation on his first day back at school a black tornado swallows him up and he is transported back in time to Ancient Egypt and the court of Seti 1.

Henry isn’t a natural fit with the harsh lifestyle of the Ancient Greeks, but when he and his classmates are sent for a survival test in the jungle and an emergency ensues, his creativity saves the day. But will he ever get back to the twenty first century?

This is an amusing and engaging time slip adventure story packed with information about Ancient Egypt. The back of the book includes extra information about life at the time of Pharaoh Seti First in the form of a survival guide – including how to write your name in hieroglyphics. Illustration is used to great and varied effect throughout adding to the drama and the humour.

Thiago de Moraes speaks about the book’s creation and demonstrates how to draw an Egyptian God here Draw like an Egyptian with Thiago de Moraes – YouTube

Buy the book A Mummy Ate My Homework (bookshop.org)

---

Ottoline and the Yellow Cat
Chris Riddell
Macmillan
Age 6-9

Ottoline’s spends a lot of time alone because her parents are collectors and are often away travelling. Her main companion is Mr Munro, a very hairy creature from a bog in Norway. She is curious about other residents in her apartment block and likes solving mysteries. When she discovers a spate of burglaries and missing lapdogs Ottoline is keen to investigate.

Children will enjoy solving the mystery with Ottoline. The detailed illustrations of scenes in the story and the characters together with a wonderful array of maps, plans and postcards provide lots to talk about and enjoy.

This is a story to inspire children to find a disguise, a notebook and set off solving imaginary mysteries of their own.

Visit our activity page 
Buy the book here Ottoline and the Yellow Cat (bookshop.org)

---

Phoenix                                                    SF Said, illus. Dave McKean
Corgi Children’s Books
Age 9-11

Wrenched from his quiet life on Phoenix Lucky finds himself aboard a strange alien spaceship in the middle of an interplanetary war between Humans and an alien race. He becomes true friends with Bixa Quicksilver, a fierce warrior and loyal companion.  Together they race across the galaxy searching for Lucky’s imprisoned father, the reason for his affinity with the stars and the meaning of the strange power growing inside him.

This is an exciting Sci Fi story, an epic space quest, complete with dramatic battle scenes. It is also a story about the futility of war and acceptance of those who are different, showing that we have much in common and there is good and bad in everyone. This is a story which may spark interest in Space and in the stories peoples throughout time have used to describe it. Stunning sophisticated illustrations add to the mystery and otherworldliness of the story.

Watch a trailer
Visit our activity page
Buy the book here Phoenix (bookshop.org)

---

Pugs of the Frozen North                                                        Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
OUP
Age 6-8

Shen and Sika meet in the frozen north on the first day of True Winter. Sika needs dogs to pull her sledge and help her win the race to the Snowfather’s Palace at the top of the world. Shen, a cabin boy, abandoned by his crewmates when their ship becomes stuck fast in the ice, has 66 pugs he has rescued. They soon team up, but will the small dogs be strong enough to pull Sika’s sledge?

This is a fantastical snowy adventure story about wishes, kindness, loneliness and loss, beautifully told with humour, detail, and poignant moments through a brilliant combination of words and pictures.

Visit our activity page 
Buy the book here Pugs of the Frozen North (bookshop.org)

---

 

Starfell, Willow Moss and the Lost day             
Dominique Valente, illus. Sarah Warburton
Harper Collins
Age 7-11

Willow Moss is a finder of lost things. Within her family, as magical powers go, hers is less than spectacular. However, when the most powerful witch in the kingdom of Starfell seeks her help, Willow discovers her powers are quite special after all.  There follows a rather unusual quest; to discover how and why the previous Tuesday has gone missing from everyone’s memory. Success requires Willow not only to show bravery when facing danger but also, to face a deeply sad lost memory of her own, concerning someone she loves.

With an intriguing opening and a lively narrative style this is a fast paced and enjoyable fantasy adventure story. The world of Starfell is peopled with appealing, quirky characters. Teamwork saves the day as Willow and her friends rescue the kingdom from an evil being seeking ultimate power.

The story explores a thought-provoking idea, ‘the incredible value and significance of one ordinary day’. The storyworld is highly detailed and the internal black and white artwork brings this to life. The paint box colours of the magical forest of Wisperia are depicted beautifully in the cover illustration.

Watch a trailer and listen to the first chapter read aloud
Starfell by Dominique Valente | #FirstChapterFridays – Bing video
Buy the book Starfell: Willow Moss and the Lost Day (bookshop.org)

---

Zombierella: Fairy Tales Gone Bad  Joseph Coelho and Freya Hartas
Walker Books
Age 7-9

This illustrated verse novel is the perfect story for young readers seeking gruesome tales. The grey scale illustrations have just the right balance of gore and humour.

A librarian discovers a dusty corner of the library with a selection of fairy tales which have gone ‘bad.’ When Cinderella slips and dies the shadow of death breathes life into her body.  For three nights only she becomes Zombierella and is able to attend the prince’s balls travelling in a mushroom coach pulled by her skeletal steed Lumpkin, she seeks revenge on her fake sisters and mesmerises the vampire prince with her beauty.  This is the first in a series for those hungry for more.

Buy the book Zombierella: Fairy Tales Gone Bad (bookshop.org)

 

 

 

 

In this list we have drawn together some of the most exciting children’s picturebooks published this year. There are books for a range of ages, books reflecting diversity, encouraging confidence and bravery, books about friendship, environmental awareness  and having lots of fun too.  In the year we celebrated the 50^th anniversary of the first moon landings it is not surprising that so many picturebooks feature the moon or space and we’ve included a couple in our list.  We hope our list helps you find new favourite books to share.

 

James Sellick, illus. Frann Preston-Gannon
Wren and Rook
Age 5-7

This book is based on a very popular cartoon film from Greenpeace. It begins with a foreword from Emma Thompson. The back of the book includes additional information and photographic images about orangutans and the problem with palm oil. There is also guidance on how to join the campaign by raising awareness and writing to big companies.

Combining fact and fiction in an attractively illustrated format this book would be a brilliant introduction to a topic on rainforests or endangered animals for children aged over 5. The rhyming text and beautiful illustrations help to make it a book to talk about and enjoy reading again and again.

Watch the Greenpeace cartoon on which the book is based 

 

 

Read the story aloud
Before you start reading look closely at the end papers together – and talk about what you see. You might decide to read the story first and return to the foreword later. When you read the story, pause when the little girl asks why Rang-Tan was in her bedroom to talk about the story so far. Then read Rang- tan’s response. After this you could decide whether to go straight onto the additional information straight away or return to that another time.

Join in
When you share the book again your child might like to join in with the chorus. If you pause at the end of lines, they can join in by adding the rhyming words.

Talk about the story

• Talk about how the little girl felt when she found a Rang-tan in her bedroom and then later how she felt when she heard Rang tan’s story.

• Talk about what you both found interesting, or surprising in the book. What would your child tell someone else about the story or about what is happening to Orangutans?

If your child shows interest in getting involved in the campaign look at the ideas in the back of the book and talk about ways they could help, or perhaps how you could all help as a family.

Things to make and do

Paint a picture
Give your child a large sheet of paper (eg wallpaper lining paper) to paint or draw a big, colourful picture of a family of orangutans in a rainforest.

Be an investigator
Look at products in your house eg shampoo or shower gel – do they contain palm oil?

Learn to use an atlas
Use an atlas or globe or a world map online and try to find the countries where Orangutans live. (Borneo and Sumatra).

Make a book
Make an info book about orangutans. You could talk together about what to include and children could
write a different fact on each page about what they know or find out about Orangutans, where they live, what they eat and the threat they face.

Join the campaign
Write a letter or make a poster – there are suggestions for how to go about this at the back of the book.

Find out more

Find out more about orangutans
Start with the information at the back of the book.  Here are two weblinks if your child would like too find out more:

Greenpeace
Young People’s Trust for the Environment

Find out more about the book’s creators

James Sellick is a storyteller based in London. Frann Preston-Gannon has written and illustrated many books for children including these with activity pages on Lovemybooks:

The Journey Home

Dinosaur Farm 

 

 

At Lovemybooks we feel that encouraging creative activities (including music, dance, drama and art) at home and at school is vitally important and our activity pages always include many ideas for imaginative responses to stories. Here we have created a new list focusing on the visual arts.

In our brand-new collection, you will find books to encourage children to have fun with art activities, develop the confidence to be creative, experiment and express themselves. There are books which explore colour and pattern in the world around us, make links between colours and feelings and others  which show how through drawing and painting children can create imaginary worlds and have virtual adventures. We have also included books about artists and art works which may inspire gallery visits, prompt art activities, lead to imaginary exploration of the stories behind the pictures or even encourage children to (virtually!) step inside them.

The Artist   
Ed Vere, Puffin
Age3-7

A brave and passionate young artist, full of ideas, hatches a plan to share the joy and beauty she sees in the world. She sets off for the big city and in no time her creations adorn the walls of the tallest buildings and people come from far and wide to see her work. But one day she makes a mistake. Embarrassed and discouraged, she stops painting; will anyone be able to persuade her to continue?

With a warm and encouraging message for young artists everywhere, this is a delightful picturebook celebrating the messy beauty of our world and what it means to be an artist.
Buy the book

---

An Artist’s Eyes             
Frances Tosdevin, illus. Clémence Monnet
Frances Lincoln
Age 5-7

Jo goes for a walk with an artist and is amazed by the way she sees colours; the indigo of evening in the sea, the lime of gooseberries in the forest. Will he ever be able to look at the world the way she can? With encouragement, open eyes and an open mind he begins to notice more, including swirly circles of sunshine and sparkly squiggles in the sea. This is a story which shows there is no one way to see like an artist. It may encourage conversations about the colours and patterns in the world around us.

Buy the book

---

Colours, Colours, Everywhere
Julia Donaldson, Sharon King-Chai(illus), Two Hoots
Age 2-5

A little girl opens her paint box and wonders what to paint today. She starts with a blue tree frog and in no time at all the two of them are off on an adventure with a hot air balloon, oceans, islands, helicopters and lots and lots of colours. This is a concept book with a difference; a story celebrating colour in the world around us. It is a  lovely book, with a rhyming story and beautiful illustrations, with flaps to lift and holes to peep through. It is likely to encourage talk about colours, colour collections of objects or cut out from magazines and of course painting too.  

Buy the book

---

The Colour Monster
Anna Llenas
Templar
Age 3-5

A little girl introduces her friend the colour monster, who is very confused, because his colours are mixed up together. She tells him this is because his feelings are mixed up too and offers to help him sort them out into bottles. Each double page is devoted to a colour themed feeling with for example yellow for happiness and blue for sadness. The monster’s feelings are happily sorted out by the end of the book, with the colour monster turning pink and feeling full of love. A story likely to encourage experimentation with colour and discussion about feelings.

The Colour Monster is available as a board book, a paperback and as a paper engineered book with spectacular pop-ups.

Read a parent’s comments here

Buy the book

---

The Day the Crayons Quit       
Drew Daywalt, illus Oliver Jeffers
Harper Collins
Age 5-9

When Duncan gets out his box of crayons at school one day, he finds a stack of letters waiting for him. They are from his crayons, who are feeling very disgruntled. The red, blue and grey crayons feel overworked, while the pink and beige crayons feel underused. The orange and yellow crayons bicker about which of them should be used for the sun and the black crayon objects to always being relegated to an outline. Duncan responds to their complaints with a wonderfully creative use of colour and young readers may be inspired to experiment with colour themselves.

Buy the book

---

The Dot      
Peter.H.Reynolds
Walker Books
Age 5-9

Vashti doesn’t enjoy art club – she feels she just can’t draw. Vashti’s teacher is determined to change her mind and encourages Vashti to make a mark – she angrily does so, jabbing the paper to make an orange dot. Instead of disapproving, her teacher asks her to sign it. Vashti is incredibly surprised when the next day her signed dot has been beautifully framed and displayed on the wall. In no time at all Vashti is determined to produce better dots and creates a gallery of dot themed images. When she comes across another child with no confidence in their ability to produce a picture, Vashti knows exactly what to say. The perfect story to encourage reluctant artists to have a go and develop confidence.

Buy the book

Watch the story read aloud

https://youtu.be/EpmNXbkLu6c

---

Journey
Aaron Becker
Walker
Age 7+

A young girl, who lives in a sepia world, is bored. She has playthings but no one to play with. She picks up a red crayon, draws a door and escapes! An adventure in a fantastical world follows, complete with a beautiful forest, a walled city, steam punk machines, armed guards and lots of jeopardy. Her magical crayon has a crucial role in the story, for example facilitating a daring escape via the hot air balloon she hastily draws.

The first of a trilogy, this is a wordless picturebook which celebrates the power of drawing an inventiveness to create worlds and adventures. It may inspire children to create their own illustrated adventures perhaps choosing their own magical crayon.

See video here
Buy the book

---

Katie and the Starry Night
James Mayhew
Orchard Books
Age 5-7

Katie visits an art gallery with her Grandma. She loves the painting of Van Gogh’s starry night and is looking at it while Grandma falls asleep. The stars seem to be moving, and then they escape from the picture! A magical adventure story in which we step inside five Van Gogh masterpieces with Katie as she searches for a way to catch the stars before the security guard notices they are missing, and Grandma wakes up. An imaginative introduction to Van Gogh’s work, one of a series about different artists and art works by the author.

Watch the story read aloud Katie and the Starry Night by James Mayhew – Read Aloud – YouTube

Buy the book

---

Luna Loves Art     
Joseph Coelho, Illus. Fiona Lumbers
Andersen Press
Age 5-7

Luna and her class are off to visit an art gallery, the biggest building Luna has ever seen. Here they come across some iconic artworks including Van Gogh’s sunflowers and Louise Bourgeois’ sculpture ‘Maman.’ Luna notices Finn is feeling sad, lonely and grumpy. Luna’s mum encourages her to be friendly to him and together they discover that art comes in all shapes and sizes just like families. Art works in this imaginary gallery are introduced on the end papers. Another in the series of stories about Luna.

See our activity page for Luna Loves Library Day

Buy the book

---

Matisse’s Magical Trail  
Tim Hopgood, illus Sam Boughton
OUP
Age 5-7

Matisse is an artistic snail creating drawings while everyone sleeps. Although adults passing by ignore his artwork, one day a little boy called Leo discovers his creations and shows his friends.  The children are very impressed and gather objects for Matisse to decorate. He creates a trail from one object to the next and onto the wall. When their teacher sees the trail, she encourages her class to add colour to it, transforming the school and amazing passers-by.

This is a lovely picture book about creativity and working together, showing how small changes to the environment can have a transformational effect. It may inspire your child be creative themselves and perhaps find out about the artist Matisse (particularly his famous snail collage).

Visit our activity page

Buy the book

---

Miró’s Magic Animals
Antony Penrose
Thames and Hudson
Age 5-9

Many years ago in the middle of the 20^th century Antony Penrose met the famous Spanish artist Joan Miró when he was a child. Antony’s mother was a well- known photographer and his father was an artist. This delightful book tells us about Antony’s meetings with the artist, including a visit to London zoo, but the book is also a playful introduction to Miró’s work. It is highly illustrated and carefully put together with photographs, reproductions of Miró’s works and illustrations by children.

Buy the book
See our activity page here

---

Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City
Rob Biddulph
Macmillan
Age 7-9

Peanut’s dad has disappeared, and she really misses him. she finds a mysterious message from him, and a magical pencil hidden in a box. She discovers whatever she draws with it comes to life. Peanut draws a door, she opens it and ends up in Chroma, a world of colour and creativity.

Peanut discovers a man called Mr White, has captured her dad in Chroma. Peanut goes on a mission with her little sister Little Bit and a boy called Rockwell to find her dad and stop Mr White from destroying all the creativity in Chroma.

Scroll down our family reviews to find one young reader’s response to Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City 

Buy the book

---

Tiger Walk
Dianne Hofmeyr, ill. Jesse Hodgson
Otter-Barry Books
Age 5-7

During a visit to an art gallery Tom is fascinated by a painting of a tiger which seems to be watching him. When he gets home, he draws his own tiger picture. That night he dreams the tiger steps out of the picture and takes him on a night-time adventure. Together they travel through jungles, underwater and to icy caves meeting all sorts of animals on the way. Tom is a bit hesitant about these unfamiliar situations but with the tiger’s encouragement confronts his fears and enjoys the experience. So much so that by the end of the book he feels as brave as – a tiger! Perhaps he actually IS a tiger!

Inspired by the famous tiger painting by Henri Rousseau this is an appealing story about overcoming fears. The story is very well written with lovely descriptions and a pleasing pattern and the illustrations are beautiful, making it a great picture book to share. It may inspire trips to art galleries in which children might imagine the stories behind the paintings.

Visit our activity page

Buy the book

This section of the website will be devoted to your reviews. We are inviting families to share a book together – reading it aloud and talking about it, thinking about what they enjoyed about the story, illustrations or themes and the kinds of conversations the book prompted. We hope this will be a useful resource for other parents and also suggest the kinds of conversations that books might prompt.
If you and your children would like to take part in our family review panel  please get in touch! info@lovemybooks.co.uk

Goodnight my Sweet Island by Ptera Honychrich and Suzanne Heitz
Reviewed by Kathy Maclean
Buy the book

Good Night My Sweet Island by Petrea Honychurch Seaman and Suzanne Heitz is a picture book which makes my heart sing and is about an island that I love: the island Dominica, often referred to as ‘the nature isle of the Caribbean,’ where I was born and grew up.

The text takes the form of a gentle lyrical lullaby as the parents and their daughters, explore treasured memories of a ‘magical place where ocean meets sea’ enhanced by the glorious double spread illustrations which celebrate the island and all its unique features; landscapes in which:

Great mountains rise up,
Deep valleys run low
With blankets of forests,
Wherever you go.

Good Night My Sweet Island showcases some of the exotic wildlife, pelicans, turtles, dolphins and sperm whale. It is a hymn of praise to the mountains, beaches, music, food, fruit and our Kwéyole language.

Every double page spread is a vibrant homage to the sights and sounds of the island. Music, dance and ‘fetes in the street’ are celebrated on a page of vibrant oranges and reds with carnival dancers, musical instruments and notes which march across the page.

I enjoy sharing this wonderful book with my grandchildren and introducing them to their heritage and what it means to be Dominican.’

See video of Kathy sharing the book with her 9-year-old grandson Jacob.

https://vimeo.com/902940276?share=copy

---

Super Silly Museums by Nick Sharratt
Reviewed by Dylan aged 11 and Esme aged 8 with their mum Lauren
Buy the book

Dylan and Esme have grown up enjoying You Choose (written by Pippa Goodhart and illustrated by Nick Sharratt) and immediately recognised this book as being by the same illustrator. They took turns to read the main text and speech bubbles, there are lots of conversations between characters in the speech bubbles which gave an opportunity to easily share the reading. 

---

How War Changed Rondo, by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv
Reviewed by Samantha, Poppy (10) and Harriet 8)
Buy the book

“I already knew war was a bad thing, and this book helps explain why.” Harriet aged 8

Reading How War changed Rondo by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv is a very useful way to begin to introduce the complexities and horrors of warfare to a younger audience. Having a conversation about the events in Ukraine with younger children can seem a daunting task, but this book allows that conversation to take place in a controlled and manageable way, while still not sugar-coating its events and implications.

---

Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City by Rob Biddulph   
Reviewed by Naomi, aged 8
Buy the book

Naomi tells us about a book she has really enjoyed reading>
Peanut’s dad has disappeared. She finds a pencil hidden in a box and discovers whatever she draws with it comes to life. Peanut draws a door, she opens it and ends up in Chroma, a world of colour and creativity…

---

‘Under the Love Umbrella’ by Davina Bell, illus Alison Colpoys
Scribble UK
Reviewed by Amy
Buy the book

This is a brightly coloured picturebook with a gentle, reassuring rhyming text about being loved

‘.. Over your head and just above
There’s an umbrella of my love.
To show it’s you I’m thinking of
Wherever you might be.’

---

The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas
Reviewed by Amy and Joshua, age 2
Buy the book

A little girl introduces her friend the colour monster, who is very confused, because his colours are mixed up together. She tells him this is because his feelings are mixed up too and offers to help him sort them out into bottles. Each double page is devoted to a colour themed feeling with for example yellow for happiness and blue for sadness.

---

Looshkin the Big Number Two by Jamie Smart
Reviewed by Ruth and her children Louis aged 11 and Ellen aged 8 who had a lively conversation about this graphic novel
Buy the book

Looshkin is a collection of stories from the popular weekly comic The Phoenix.  Written and illustrated by Jamie Smart (of Bunny vs Monkey fame), Looshkin is a blue cat who was brought home by Mrs Johnson in the hope of making her home more normal.  This doesn’t quite work out for her as Looshkin is the maddest cat in the world and unleashes chaos around him wherever he goes! Looshkin The Big Number 2 is the second book in this serie

---

Fantastically Great Women who changed History, Kate Pankhurst
Buy the book

Reviewed by Emma and Naomi
This book is the follow up to Fantastically Great Women who changed the World and includes stories of a wide range of women from astronauts, inventors to warrior queens and spies.

We asked Naomi aged six and her mum Emma to review the book for us. Before seeing this book Naomi, knew about a couple of the women featured, Boudicca from the Horrible Histories series and Pocahontas from the Disney cartoon.

See our Top 10 lists about fantastic girls and women

---

Corey’s Rock
Sita Brahmachari, illus. Jane Ray Otter Barry books  Age 8+   
Buy the book 

Reviewed by: Karen, Coco and Leia
Overall verdict:
‘Corey’s Rock is an enjoyable, thought provoking read for children as well as being a visual treat.’

Karen gives an overview of the story:
‘The story is about a girl called Isla, who moves from Edinburgh to the Orkney Islands with her parents after the death of her little brother. Told from Isla’s point of view, the reader is taken on her personal journey, from adapting to her new school and home environment to coming to terms with the loss of her brother.’

Read more about Corey’s Rock

Although the book deals with quite heavy themes, there is a lightness to it thanks to the beautiful illustrations throughout and Isla’s discovery of Orcadian legend about the Selkies - half human, half seal people.’

‘The girls were drawn to Corey’s Rock initially because of the colourful cover illustration and the diversity of the family pictured. They were intrigued by the cover and immediately began to discuss what they thought the story would be about:  a family breaking up through divorce and the daughter helping her parents get back together again.’

The girls read the book aloud to each other, which was more enjoyable for them as it prompted discussion and enabled them to share their different ideas and understanding with each other. 

About the story

Both girls really enjoyed the book. Coco said:

"I would say it’s an inspiring book. It’s a story about a girl named Isla who is struggling in her life right now because her brother Corey has just passed away as he was ill, then her parents got different jobs and moved to a different place near a beach. To help her feel better, Isla starts to have dreams about Corey. I think it’s a moving story because it shows Isla getting through a difficult time in her life while at the same time showing that she will never forget or stop loving her brother. Isla’s dreams and imagination really helped her to overcome how sad she was."

Leia offered: "It’s quite an interesting story because Isla thinks her brother has become a Selkie and she can see him from Corey’s Rock whenever she likes.”

It was really good to hear the girls sharing their ideas about the book: 

Coco: "I don’t understand why Corey’s mum wouldn’t go to see the rock."

Leia: "I think it’s because she was too sad"

Coco felt that the story could "Give a comforting message to people who are in the same situation as Isla.” For this reason, although the overarching theme of bereavement is sad, she found it inspiring and enjoyable. 

Both girls felt (Isla’s friend) Magnus was an interesting character because "He seems to know a lot about Isla before she arrived on the island” Coco observed.

Leia added "And he drew a picture of Corey’s Rock which Isla found when she went to the library to borrow Selkie books” Leia also noticed that Magnus was wearing a hearing aid and wanted to know more about why he had it. 

Some words and phrases in the book were repeated, giving elements of the story a hypnotic, dream-like quality. Leia was really quick to spot this repetition and made a connection as to why this was done: "Mummy, I think the reason why she says ‘One by one' five times is because Corey had five birthdays and five years on planet Earth.” 

Favourite things about the book

Each one commented that the illustrations were their favourite thing about the book - they really studied them and enjoyed counting the starfish on the sand and the seals in the sea.

Leia said: " I really liked seeing the five petals for Corey because they look like little hearts."  Coco: I liked the picture of Isla finding the seal skin because she said it felt like holding Corey again when he was alive. It’s special because she’s remembering good times. It reminds me of ‘Wonder (by RJ Palacio) and Auggie’s story because that’s also a happy-sad story."