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Our top 10+ books with girl power

The books in our list challenge traditional stereotypes and gender marketing, demonstrating that being a girl does not require you to dress or behave in a certain way and you can be the hero in the story too. They show strong female characters choosing what they want to play with, having adventures and standing up for themselves. Our list includes recently published books and well known stories. There are also real life stories here of significant women, some alive today such as the inspirational Malala and some who have made a difference throughout history as well.

We hope this collection will help inspire girls to aspire and that you will enjoy sharing them with your daughters, and with your sons too.

Ada Twist Scientist, Andrea Beaty, David Roberts (illus)
Abrams books for young readers
Age 5-7

Ada Marie doesn’t start talking until she is three, but when she does she is full of questions and curiosity about the world ‘Why are there pointy things stuck up a rose?’ ‘Why are there hairs up inside your nose?’ She causes havoc in her quest to find answers to these questions, both at home and at school. Her parents and teacher recognise she is showing the traits of a scientist with her questions, hypotheses and endless tests and try to help. But the question which is most perplexing Ada is a strange smell which seemed to follow her around. A mystery which young readers might like to speculate about! Could it be her brother’s smelly feet…!?

An amusing story and rhyming text which skips along and illustrations which add to the humour.

Watch a trailer


Watch the story read aloud  From Nana Kate

See also Rosie Revere Engineer and Iggy Peck Architect

Amazing Grace
Mary Hoffman, Caroline Binch (illus)
Frances Lincoln books
Age 5-7

Grace absolutely loves stories and spends as much time as possible acting them out. When her teacher announces the class will be performing Peter Pan Grace in desperate to be given the leading role. Her classmates tell her the she can’t be Peter Pan because she is a girl and because she is black. Grace is understandably upset by this. Her ma and nana tell her she can be whatever she wants to be. Ma tells her Peter Pan is always a girl anyway and Nana takes her to see a ballet with a black lead ballerina. Inspired, Grace gives a brilliant audition and is chosen to play Peter Pan and is a huge success.

This is a beautifully illustrated and aspirational story about striving for your dreams.

As Grace’s Nana says ‘You can be anything you want Grace if you put your mind to it.’

Amazing Grace is one of a highly successful series about Grace by the same author/illustrator team. See our activity ideas for another in the series, Grace and Family here:

Fantastically Great Women who changed the World
Kate Pankhurst
Bloomsbury
Age 5+

This accessible picture book celebrates the achievements of great women throughout history. It includes women from a wide range of fields such as science, aviation, archaeology, activism, sport, literature, art and even espionage! The stories of some of these are well-known such as Anne Frank and Rosa Parks, but some such as Sacagawea, a Native American Indian will be less so. This book is attractively illustrated with a double page spread for each of its subjects. Emmeline Pankhurst, the leading British Suffragette with whom the author Kate Pankhurst has a distant family connection is included too.

The publisher Bloomsbury have a freely available activity book you can download here

See also: Fantastically Great Women who Changed History by the same author.

 

Goodnight stories for Rebel Girls
Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Particular Books
Age 7+

Written in bedtime story style, with a hundred mini biographies of significant women throughout history and from across the globe, this is a fascinating book. We travel back in time to meet Cleopatra and back to the present to find out about Malala Yousafzai’s story and achievements. Significant women from the worlds of science, the arts, archaeology, espionage, exploration and athletics are included. Some names such as Florence Nightingale and Michelle Obama are well known but many are virtually unknown.

Carefully researched and published after a successful crowdfunding campaign this book developed after the writers’ concern about what they perceive as continued gender stereotyping in media, the writers aimed to challenge this.

The beautiful portraits alongside each biography by female artists make this a very attractive book. There is space at the back for young readers to write their own story or ambitions. A book to open all children’s eyes to the role of women in our world’s ongoing story and inspire young girls to follow their dream.

There is also a sequel for readers looking for more stories about inspirational women, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2.


I’m a Girl!
Yasmeen Ismail
Bloomsbury
Age 3-5

The main character in this story loves speeding on her scooter, running really fast, playing the drums loudly and she is always making a mess. Everyone assumes she’s a boy because she behaves like this and wears shorts not dresses. She quickly puts them right though, declaring, ‘I’m a girl, I’m a girl, I’m a girl!’

This is a book which challenges what girls and boys can do; girls can race about make a noise one minute and play with soft toys the next. And it’s ok for boys to wear skirts and play with dolls too. In fact this is a book which celebrates the message on the cover ‘Be yourself, there’s no one better,’ shouting it loud and clear.

Yasmin Ismail talks about the background to the story here 

Watch a trailer here

 

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion
Alex T Smith
Scholastic
Age 3-7

In a delightful twist on the Red Riding Hood story, a very hungry lion is no match for Little Red. Set in a vibrant African landscape with gazelles and elephants, Little Red lives with her daddy and sets off to visit her auntie to take her medicine when she is ill. On her journey she travels over sleepy crocodiles and catches a lift on an elephant. Little Red meets a lion on the way who works out a clever plan to eat her. He has underestimated Little Red though, she isn’t fooled by his disguise when she meets him at her auntie’s house. With no messing at all she teaches the lion a thing or two causing him great embarrassment by giving him a new hairdo, dressing him up and telling him the error of his ways. The lion seems repentant and content with doughnuts instead of little girls to eat in future, though he hasn’t completely ruled out eating Little Red’s daddy…

This is a very funny story with an assertive heroine. The illustrations are fabulous and the double page picture of the lion with his hair braided hilarious.

 

Malala’s Magic Pencil
Malala Yousafzai, Keraskoët (illus)
Puffin Books
Age 7+

This sensitively illustrated picture book, which tells Malala’s own story, aims to explain it in simple terms and inspire others to find their own ‘magic’ just as Malala found her voice.

As a child Malala wished she had a magic pencil to change the world for the better, for example, she would draw schools for her father with it so children could study for free. Education really matters to Malala and when dangerous men stopped girls attending school she started writing about what was happening in her country and people around the world started listening to what she had to say. With just a hint at the attempt on her life Malala describes her continuing fight for education and equality:

‘One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world.’

Malala introduces her book here

Paper Bag Princess
Robert Munsch, Michael Martchenko (illus)
Annick Press
Age 5-7

First published in 1980, this classic feminist picturebook still entertains and has a strong message. Princess Elizabeth is all set to marry Prince Ronald when a dragon smashes her castle, burns it down and carries off her Prince. Undeterred, Elizabeth dresses in the only thing she can find, a paper bag and sets off to rescue him. With bravery and cunning, she outwits the dragon and rescues the prince. Instead of being grateful, the prince criticises her appearance and tells her to tidy herself up! At this the heroic princess decides he is not the one for her after all and the marriage is off

For another story about a Princess who definitely isn’t looking for a handsome prince see Princess Smartypants by Babette Cole.


Pearl Power and the Toy Problem
Mel Elliott
I Love Mel
Age 5-7

When Pearl’s new neighbour Jerome comes to visit he brings his toy dinosaur. He tells Pearl and her friend Sebastien that she can’t play with it because she’s a girl – dinosaurs are for boys, he learnt that from a TV Ad. Pearl decides to teach Jerome a lesson by ‘pinkifying’ his dinosaur, much to his dismay. Sebastien points out that dinosaurs are not only for boys and there’s nothing wrong with a pink one either. Not content with this, Pearl and Sebastien write to the woman in charge of the TV and ask her to block these ads. They are delighted to receive a reply which declared:

‘From now on the makers of toys will have to stop saying they are for girls or for boys.’

A direct challenge to toy manufacturers and the media and lots to discuss in this amusing rhyming story. This is one of a series about Pearl Power.
See a trailer for the first in the series here:

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
Cressida Cowell, Neal Layton (illus)
Hodder Children’s Books
Age 5-7

Emily Brown has a very special toy, an old grey rabbit called Stanley. Every day they have amazing adventures together; in outer space, under the sea, in the desert and deep in the rainforest. When Queen Gloriana’s chief footman knocks at the door offering to swap Stanley for a brand new teddy Emily says emphatically, ‘NO’. Undeterred the queen sends the army, the navy and the air force, each offering more and more gifts in exchange for Emily’s toy rabbit. Nothing persuades her to part with her favourite toy until the Queen’s special commandos steal Stanley from Emily’s bedroom. Emily is furious and goes immediately to the palace where she finds Queen Gloriana and Stanley in a sorry state. Emily takes charge, rescues Stanley and tells the queen exactly what to do so that she can have a special toy of her own.

A funny, clever story with a great main character. Emily’s assertive responses to her rather self-important series of visitors make this story fun to read aloud and share again and again. Brilliant illustrations add to the humour.

See our activity ideas here

 

This is not a fairy tale
Will Mabbitt, Fred Blunt (illus)
Puffin
Age 3-7

Why do princes have all the adventures while princesses have to wait to be rescued? Sophie, fed up with this, decides to change the story while dad reads to her.  Her story has a brave princess, a bald prince locked in a tower (obviously), a transforming combine harvester/robot (less obviously!) and a fire breathing dragon. The princess saves the day and dad gets so carried away with the brilliant adventure he forgets he is cooking sausages for tea which end up rather burnt.

An amusing story with equally amusing illustrations which might encourage some changes to traditional story play roles. The fun Sophie has creating her own story might encourage children to have a go too.

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

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Buckle and Squash and the Monstrous Moat Dragon

buckle and squashSarah Courtauld (writer and illustrator)
Macmillan

Age 7-9

Lavender and Eliza live a boring life in the ‘Middle of Nowhere’. Both sisters dream of escape; Lavender by meeting a fairy tale prince and living happily ever after, Eliza of fighting monsters and dragons. When Lavender sets off in search of her prince a worried Eliza follows her. An adventure unfolds, but not quite what they bargained for when they are captured by evil Prince Mordmont. They need to pool their knowledge to find a way to escape.

This is a book full of humour in the word play, illustrations and occasional asides to the reader. There is a memorable cast of highly unusual and amusing characters including Bonnet the smallest giant in the kingdom and Violet the moat dragon.

 

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Talk about the story

Talk together about your favourite characters and what you each like about them. Which characters were brave, which were weak and which were scary?

Which scenes did you both find funniest? Go back to them and perhaps read them again together.

What would you tell someone else about this story?


Things to make and do

Children could make a who’s who of the characters with annotated pictures on a big chart or in a mini folded book

Draw a map of the story on a large sheet of paper with all the places mentioned included. Looking back at the map in chapter two together and talking about this with your child as they are doing this would help. Eliza and Lavender’s journey could be included on the map too.

Children could make a set of instructions for how to fake the Black Death to escape kidnap by evil princes.

Watch the video and find out from the author how to draw a dragon

Macmillan Children’s Books

Find out more

Read more books by Sarah Courtauld:

Buckle and Squash and the land of the Giants

Buckle and Squash: the perilous princess plot

 Find out more about the author, the story and how to draw a dragon here. Some free downloads are also available on this site including a template to design your own quirky prince.


Buy Buckle and Squash and the Monstrous Moat Dragon

 

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How to Hide a Lion

howtohidealion

Helen Stephens
Alison Green Books
Age 3-7

A lion goes into town to buy a hat, but unfortunately people are not too pleased to see him and chase him away. He meets a little girl called Iris who tries to hide him from her parents but this proves rather tricky. Iris’s parents think all lions eat people, but Iris knows this lion is kind. When he is discovered, the lion runs away, finding another hiding place in the town square. From there he spots two burglars stealing the mayor’s candlesticks. The lion stops the burglars and so becomes a local hero showing he is indeed a kind lion. He is rewarded for his actions with – a hat!

A warm and appealing story about kindness and not jumping to conclusions too quickly with attractive and detailed illustrations which give lots to talk about together.

lovemybooksactivitiesorangecentre

Share the story

Talk about the cover
Look at the cover together. What can you tell about the characters and how they are feeling? Read the title together and talk about hiding a lion. Would it be hard or easy? What places would you choose?

Read aloud
Read the story aloud, pausing when your child wants to talk about what is happening or about the pictures.

Join in
Encourage children to join in when you re read the story, for example with Iris’s words or the parts about hiding the lion, leaving gaps so children can finish sentences (he was too…. ‘big’). Roaring like a lion would be fun too.

Talk about the story
Share the parts of the story you each liked best.

How do the townspeople feel when they see the lion for the first time? Make faces together, just like the people in the story.

How do the townspeople feel about the lion at the end of the story?

Did you spot the book Iris reads to the lion The Tiger who came to Tea? Perhaps you could share that book too if you have a copy or you could watch the animation on our Tiger who came to Tea activity page.

Watch the story


Fox Creek Municipal Library

Picturebook maker Helen Stephens talks about the inspiration for How to Hide a Lion:

'How to Hide a Lion started when I moved from London to the windy seaside town of Berwick-upon-Tweed in Northumberland. Berwick has beautiful grey stone buildings, and we have these silvery sea mists that drift in from the sea and fill the town. One day an image popped into my head. It was of a bright yellow lion wandering into this silvery grey town, and the image just wouldn’t go away.'

'I decided there might be a book idea in this, so I went to Edinburgh Zoo to draw the lions. But every time I sat down to draw, the lions went to sleep just out of sight: either behind a bush, or in their enclosure. I became convinced they were hiding. And that’s where the idea of a hiding lion came from, it all started there really.'
 
'I spent a very long time wondering where the lion came from, and why he was arriving in town. My editor, Alison Green, and I brainstormed all sorts of ideas. None of them seemed right. Then one of us arrived at ‘hat’. He arrived in town to buy a hat, it seemed deliciously simple; we didn’t need to explain any more than that.' 

‘Naomi enjoys (age 4) ‘reading’ How to Hide a Lion or telling the story by looking at the pictures. She sometimes uses her own words for example, ‘now he has a hat’ and ‘he hid in a house’. Sometimes she uses words from the story such as ‘You can’t hide there!’ or ‘The lion was a hero.’ She is beginning to recognise a few words and spotted the word ‘hat’ (with prompting) and enjoyed making words which rhyme with hat from magnetic letters on the fridge.

Her favourite part is the end because the lion is a hero and has caught the robbers. She had fun making a lion mask and likes acting the story- she usually wants me to be the lion because she likes being the mum and screaming very loudly (!) She has enjoyed watching the YouTube clip of the story being told and this has been the incentive for getting changed for nursery on time for the last couple of months!’
Naomi also enjoyed finding out what happened to the lion and Iris in another book in the series How to Hide a Lion from Grandma.

Things to make and do

Make a lion mask
Use the template to make a lion mask.

Play the story
The lion had to be very still when he was hiding; can your child hide and be really still too? Children could wear their lion mask while hiding like a lion.

Have imaginary conversations between Iris and her parents about the lion or interviews with Iris, the lion or the mayor at the end of the story. One of you could be a reporter. A pretend microphone would make this more fun.

Draw a picture
Draw a picture as if it is a newspaper photograph of the end of the story, with a caption or headline eg Brave Lion catches burglars.

Write instructions
Children could write a list of instructions for how to hide a lion.

Set up a hat shop

Collect together a selection of hats ( woolly hats and sunhats would be fine) and  act out the lion looking for a hat and the shopkeeper helping him.  You could have fun describing what kind of hat they want or persuading the lion particular hats suit him. Perhaps you could find hats for a few soft toys too. A mirror would be handy for this activity.

Find out more

Read more books by Author illustrator Helen Stephens 

Titles include:

How to Hide a Lion at School

How to Hide a Lion from Grandma

Gracie Grabbit and the Tiger

Fleabag

Iris is very kind to the lion. Find out about another story where someone is kind to a lion
Androcles and the lion: A story from Ancient Greece. Watch the animation here:


Bedtime Stories Collection

Children might like to draw a picture of this story or tell the story to someone else.

 

Buy here

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our top 10 prizewinners for older children 2016

Here are a selection of some of the wonderful books for older children which have won prizes in 2016. You will find a range here of novels, some funny, some exciting; poetry and information books. You might like to look at others which have been shortlisted for these awards as well. We have added a few books for even older readers which teens and adults might enjoy.

For prizewinners for 0-7 see here

For our top ten picturebooks for 0-7 see here

badly-drawn-bethBadly Drawn Beth Knife and Packer
Orchard Books
Age 6-9 years

Beth draws and tells of her life as she sees it in this funny diary-comic-storybook. It’s an illustrated account of embarrassing and hilarious events, encounters and escapades.

More information
Winner of the Laugh-Out-Loud Book Award (Lollies)

Buy here

epic-book-of

The Epic Book of Epicness Adam Frost
Bloomsbury
Age 7-11 years

An amazing book of fascinating facts, from blood red waterfalls to the extraordinary things an elephant can do with its trunk. There’s a rich store of interesting information to pore over, revisit to share with friends. Containing full-colour illustrations throughout.

Winner Blue Peter Book Award: Best Book with Facts category
Buy here

greenling

Greenling Levi Pinfold
Templar Publishing
Age 7-11 years

The power of nature is unleashed when Mr Barleycorn picks a green baby growing in his field and takes it home, setting off a chain of unexpected events. Carrots sprout from the television, and more vegetables creep out of nooks and crannies all over the house. A wary Mrs Barleycorn insists the Greenling has to go. Set in Australia, this thought provoking, hauntingly surreal and intricately illustrated eco fable shows how nature draws a community together… or does it?

Winner: English Association Fiction Picturebook Award 7-11 years
Buy here

the-imaginaryThe Imaginary AF Harrold and Emily Gravett
Bloomsbury

The Imaginary is a moving, humorous yet dark tale of friendship between Amanda and her imaginary best friend Rudger. Accessible and challenging, it draws the reader in with an engaging written style and intriguingly beautiful illustrations.

Readers will identify with these vividly drawn characters and the dilemmas they wrestle with in a memorable story that both questions and celebrates the power of the imagination.

Winner: UKLA Book Award Fiction 7-11 years

Buy here

 

my-brother-is-a-superheroMy Brother is a Superhero David Solomons
Nosy Crow
7-9 years

Unlike his brother, Luke is mad about comics but when an alien descends on their treehouse, he is otherwise engaged. Instead, the alien bestows Superhero powers on Zack to save the universe. Poor Luke can’t believe his bad luck. However, he overcome the unfairness and ready to come the rescue when Zack is kidnapped and the world is in imminent danger. Also available as an app.


Winner The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize: Best Younger Fiction Prize (and overall winner)
Winner Children’s Book of the Year, BBI Awards

Buy here

my-headteacherMy Head Teacher is a Vampire Rat Pamela Burchart
Nosy Crow
Age 7-9 years

Izzy and friends have wild imaginings about their scary new headteacher who has banned garlic bread for lunch and draws his office blinds during the day. What’s more, there’s an infestation of rats in their classroom. It all leads to the conclusion that he must be a Vampire Rat and must be dispatched. A laugh-out-loud caper.

Winner Children’s Book Awards: Books for the Younger Reader

Buy here

pugs-of-the-frozen-northPugs of the Frozen North Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre
Oxford University Press
Age 7-11 years

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?

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.

See our activity page  here

Winner IBW Book Award Children’s Fiction

Buy here

the-nowhere-emporiumThe Nowhere Emporium Ross Mackenzie
Floris Books
Age 7-11 years

Bullied by other boys in the children’s home where he lives, Daniel escapes and finds refuge in the wonderful world of the Nowhere Emporium, a shop of delights run by Mr Silver, a magician. When injured in a car accident the next day, Daniel wakes up in the Emporium, a place constructed from imaginations with powers of time travel and transformation. One of Mr Silver’s enemies sets out to destroy the shop and only Daniel can save it.

See here 

Winner Blue Peter Book award Older fiction

Winner Scottish Children’s Book award younger readers

Buy here

the-sleeper-and-the-spindleThe Sleeper and the Spindle Neil Gaiman and Chris Riddell
Bloomsbury
Age 8-11 years

This spellbinding and sumptuously illustrated modern fairytale is inspired by the two stories: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. A brave queen sets off determined to rescue a princess who lies enchanted in the sleeping kingdom. Casting off her fine wedding clothes, she climbs into protective armour accompanied by her faithful team of dwarves to save the young woman with unexpected results.

Hear author Neil Gaiman and illustrator Chris Riddell talk about the story

Winner CILIP Greenaway Medal 

Buy here

the-wonder-gardenThe Wonder Garden Jenny Broom, illustrated by Kristjana S Williams
Wide Eyed Editions
Age 7-11 years

A fascinating and beautiful information book to develop a sense of wonder and deep interest in the natural world. Children can travel with their eyes into five amazing habitats including the Amazon Rainforest, Chihuahuan Desert, Great Barrier Reef, Black Forest and Himalayan Mountains. A dazzlingly detailed, vividly colourful and informative exploration.

Winner the English Association 4-11 Picture Book Award: Non-Fiction 7-11

Buy here

AND one more!

gorilla-dawnGorilla Dawn Gill Lewis
Oxford University Press
Age 9-11 years

A compelling story about the impact of war and trade on the lives of the young and the wild creatures, set in the forests of conflict-torn Congo. Imara is a village girl swept up by a band of rebel soldiers who believe her to be a Spirit Child whose magical powers can protect them from harm. Frightened, she becomes withdrawn until, one day, a baby gorilla is brought to the camp to be sold to the highest bidder. Her determination to free the gorilla from captivity, and with help from Bobo, enables her to find the strength to make a decision that changes their lives. A moving, tragic and extraordinary story told in retrospect, once Imara is safe, it shows the importance valuing and caring for the natural world.

Shortlisted for the Little Rebels Award 2016

Buy here

 For even older readers…

apple-and-rainApple and Rain
Sarah Crossnan
Bloomsbury

Age 11+

Apple is desperate to be reunited with her mother who she hasn’t seen for a long time. She is convinced her life will be fine when they’re together again. But when her mother reappears, Apple’s life is turned upside down and she realises wishing isn’t enough. Apple tries to sort out the confusion in her life by writing it down in poems which we can read to understand the turmoil she experiences and the choices she has to make.

See here for trailer

Winner Children’s Book Award Books: Older Reader category

Buy here

And also for even older readers…

the-lie-treeThe Lie Tree Francis Hardinge, Chris Riddell (illus)

Macmillan
Age 12+ years (and adults!)

A dark, atmospheric mystery set in the exciting and rapidly changing Victorian world of science, religion and women’s lives. The extraordinary and strange Lie Tree becomes a compelling central element in Faith’s life of harsh reality where she struggles to discover the truth behind her father’s murder, through the only route available to her in her island community: spreading lies.

Winner of the UKLA 11-16 Fiction Award 2016

Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2015

Buy here

 

 

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The Outlaw Varjak Paw

SF Said, Dave McKean (illus)
David Fickling Books
Age 7-10 

Varjak Paw is living in the city free of the restricted life he used to live as a kitten. Yet he finds the city and its cats are ruled by the fierce Sally Bones and her gang and she is out to get him. On the run, Varjak becomes an outlaw searching for a way to outsmart and out fight his enemy. Can his ancestor Jalal help him this time?

With a fascinating array of characters from the loyal Cludge to the scary Scratch sisters and a gripping adventure, this is an exciting read. A book that will give you the chance to talk about what it means to be brave, loyal, fair, open-minded and stand up for what you believe is right.

The Outlaw Varjak Paw won the Blue Peter Award in 2007.

 

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Talk about the story

Discuss anything children wonder about; such as some of the vocabulary which may be unfamiliar, for example ‘outlaw’, ‘avalanche’ and ‘sewer’.

Might Varjak’s dreams  help him? Is Jalal trying to teach him something? You might like to look back at those bits and talk about them some more together.

Which part of the story did you each see most clearly in your mind? Share thoughts.

What rules should there be for the free cats after the end of Sally Bones? Any rules at all? What might be important?

Things to make and do

Make an Outlaw Varjak Paw ‘Who’s Who’
On a large piece of paper, A3 or bigger (eg back of a piece of wallpaper or similar) children could draw a chart of the characters in the story with annotations. Talk about the characters together. Which were your favourites and why?

Create a setting
Use a cardboard box cut down one side to make a setting for one of the scenes in the story. Children could decorate with coloured paper collage or paint and add small figures for the characters perhaps made from card. They could use their setting and figures to re enact out this part of the story

Calling all cats! Write an announcement
Make a small flyer to pin in the city (or around the house!) to tell all cats that Sally Bones’ reign is over, thanks to Varjak and his friends and they are now safe and free.

Move like Varjak
In a large space children could try out some of the seven skills of Jalal eg slowtime, shadow walking, moving circles. (If children tried this with our activity ideas for Varjak Paw they might enjoy repeating this activity).

Watch this great trailer made by a fan

Could you make a trailer using photos or drawings of cats?



Made byWolfDoomster

 

A sequel to The Outlaw Varjak Paw!
Heather Drew, age 9,  has written her own sequel to The Outlaw Varjak Paw.

You can read Heather’s work Return of Varjak Paw here – click to view or download

See our print-off activity book with some of these ideas and other activities

 

Find out more

Listen to the opening of The Outlaw Varjak Paw read by actor Andrew Sachs (full audio book available)

Read more books by SF Said  and Dave McKean 

Varjak Paw
Phoenix

Find out more about outlaws:

Robin Hood 

Outlaws of American History ‘The Wild West’

 

Buy here 

 

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SUPERBAT

 

Matt Carr
Scholastic
Age 5-7

Pat dreamt of being a bat with amazing powers, just like the superheroes in his favourite comics. He made himself a special outfit, now all he needed to do was convince everyone he was.. SUPERBAT! The trouble was the superpowers he claimed to have (super hearing, flying, finding his way in the dark) all the other bats had too. His eyes didn’t shoot laser beams and he wasn’t extra strong like the superheroes in his favourite comics. Maybe he wasn’t destined to be a ‘superbat’, maybe he just looked… silly. Then one day something happened, help was needed and Pat didn’t hesitate, he was a true SUPERBAT and bravery was his superpower.

An appealing, attractively illustrated story with interesting facts about bats to discover along the way.

[efaccordion id=”04″] [efitems title=”Parents’ comments” text=”Luke and Jake both really enjoyed Superbat. Luke thought the words in bold were good and enjoyed trying to read them. He loved learning about bats and enjoyed designing his own superbat costume. Luke decided to be a superhero for the day.'”] [/efaccordion]

 

Share the story

Watch a trailer

 

Read aloud
This story is fun to read aloud, you can emphasise the bits in bold capitals just like super hero comics. Children will enjoy looking at the pictures and may want to pause to talk about them with you.

  • superbat1b
  • supbat2

Join in
When you return to the book children may like to join in with some of the words such as ‘POW’, ‘WHAM’ and ‘SUPERBAT’ and perhaps with Superbat’s conversations with his friends eg ‘I have super hearing,’ boasted Pat… ‘SO DO WE!’ his friends screeched.

Talk about the story
How does Pat the bat feel at different parts of the story? Look back at illustrations and words for clues. Can children look crestfallen like Pat or brave and proud as he does at different points in the story?

What did children find out about bats that was new or surprising?

Does the story remind children of any other books, comics or cartoon films they know?

Tell the story
Children could tell you the story perhaps using a finger puppet bat to help( see below). Maybe they could pretend to be Pat telling his version. 

Things to make and do

 

What is it like to look at the world upside down?
Try look underneath your legs and see what the world looks like. If you join in too this will be even more fun.

Have fun with rhyme
Pat is a good name for a bat as it rhymes. How many other words can you find together which rhyme with bat? You could make a list.

Design an outfit
Children could design another outfit for SUPERBAT.

Make a bat finger puppet
See here for a template:

Children could decorate their finger puppet and use it to retell the story.

Write a comic strip adventure story
What other adventure might SUPERBAT have? Talk about this, maybe you could make up a story together. Children could create a comic strip of their story.

Make an information book
Make a ‘did you know?’ mini book about bats with a different fact on every page. Children can use the information in the book and you could look together at the links below for new information.

Find out more

Find out more about bats. Talk to your child about what they know already and what they might like to find out. See if you can answer their questions by looking together at these websites:

http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/bats/facts.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FVoTMOorXA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Mii45v85YY

Buy SUPERBAT here

 

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Our top 10 new picture books 2017

It is often hard to know how to choose new picture books from the thousands published every year.
Here is a selection of some of our current favourites from 2017. You and your child will meet a range of appealing characters in these beautifully illustrated picture books and discover amusing, intriguing and thought provoking stories. We hope you enjoy them.

The Bad Bunnies’ Magic Show    Mini Grey        
Simon and Schuster
Age 5-7

The audience is waiting for the Great Hypno to perform his amazing magic show. But just before the show is about to start an announcement is made; Messrs Abra and Cadabra, two bunnies, will replace Hyno. Abra and Cadabra thrill the audience with incredible transformations and daring feats but what are they up to when they hypnotise the audience and where is The Great Hypno? A funny and intriguing book with a retro feel, the dastardly scheming rabbit duo make great villains. There is lots to spot in the fabulous illustrations and the paper engineering includes several flaps which are fun to open.

See Lovemybooks activity ideas

Buy here

The Cave  Rob Hodgson
Frances Lincoln
Age 3-5

In a cave there is a mysterious little creature apparently hiding. Outside the cave there is a wolf who is desperate for the little creature to come out and play. Or so he says, perhaps he has other plans? The rather hungry wolf hatches a series of clever plans to lure the creature out of the hole. He finally succeeds with a tempting donut with sprinkles on top. However the creature which emerges is not little at all, a lot bigger than the wolf in fact and in the end it’s the wolf who wants to hide away in case he gets eaten.

A beautifully illustrated, well-constructed story with a hint of mystery and touches of humour. A clever ending too as the wolf is thwarted in his cunning plans.

Find out more about the book here

Buy here

Diggersaurs  Michael Whaite
Penguin Random House
Age 0-5

Have you ever looked at diggers and cranes and imagined they look like dinosaurs? Well this book does just that, tapping into two popular themes with young children and blending them together to create an amazing set of creatures – DIGGERSAURS! Bold illustrations, a rhyming text and an imaginative idea make this a great story for sharing again and again.

Click here to see our activity ideas.

Buy here

 

Grandad’s Secret Giant  David Litchfield
Frances Lincoln
Age 5-7

Grandad is always telling Billy about the secret giant that only he sees. A giant that keeps watch to make sure everyone is safe and helps out when they are in trouble. He keeps out of sight as he expects people to be scared when they see him. Billy doesn’t believe Grandad. But then one day when he needs someone very tall to help him out he finds out that grandad was telling the truth. Will Billy just run away or will he be brave and thank Grandad’s Secret Giant?  A beautifully illustrated story about the importance of friendship and not being scared about people who are different

Buy here

 


The Grotlyn  Benji Davies
Age 5-7

Since hearing an organ tune Rubi has a strange rhyme in her head about a Grotlyn visiting houses at night. Soon she and others in the town report hearing strange noises, sightings, objects disappearing. Rumours about a Grotlyn are spreading. But in the words of the story ‘Don’t be afraid to sleep – to dream! For things are not quite what they seem.’ A mysterious rhyming picture book to cuddle up and share, with just the right amount of spookiness, wonderfully rich illustrations and a surprise ending.

Watch a trailer here 

See our activities here 

Buy here 

Grumpy frog  Ed Vere
Puffin
Age 3-5+

In this striking picturebook we meet a very grumpy frog with so many issues – he only likes green things, won’t go swimming because the water is blue or bouncing because the trampoline is yellow and he absolutely hates pink. He does enjoy hopping and racing, just as long as he wins of course. However when he ends up with no friends, grumpy frog feels pretty sorry for himself. How will he react when pink rabbit offers to play with him?

A funny story about feeling grumpy, compromising and making friends.

Its creator, Ed Vere speaks about the story and reads it aloud here

Click here to see our activity ideas

Buy here

 

 

I am Actually a Penguin  Sean Taylor, illus Kasia Matyjaszek
Templar Publishing
Age 3-7

This is a story about a little girl who loves dressing up. She is delighted to receive a penguin suit from her uncle and wants to wear it all the time. Not only that, she tries to BECOME a penguin as much as she can from how she gets downstairs (not recommended) to what she eats; though trying to catch fish fingers in her mouth proves a bit of a challenge. She is allowed to wear her penguin suit to her auntie’s wedding,  but when it comes to going to school her parents put their foot down, no penguin suit, anyway it needs washing, so she takes it off and decides to become…. an alligator instead!

An amusing story about the fun of dressing up and getting really engrossed in imaginative play.

Buy here

 

My name is not refugee                                                                                             
Kate Milner
Age 5-7+

A mother and her son are leaving their home in search of a safe place to live. Through the mother’s words we find out how she prepares her child for the journey they are about to make.  Through the illustrations we see some of the young boy’s experiences during the long journey, from deciding what to pack to eventually starting to settle into a new home. We see that at times the journey might be exciting, at others strange and worrying, and it will certainly be long and tiring, and even quite boring with endless walking, walking, walking.

This attractive picturebook tries to explain the refugee experience (unfortunately a very real situation for many children in the world today) in a way that is accessible to young children.  It is a book which gives lots to talk and think about. There are discussion points on every page to help with this, encouraging children to imagine what it might be like, for example ‘What would you take (with you)?’ ‘How far can you walk?’

Buy here

Play Jez Alborough
Walker
Age 0-3

Bobo the chimp is enjoying playing with his friends, tortoise and giraffe. He doesn’t listen to mummy when she says it is time to stay at home and go to bed and carries on playing with tortoise. When it starts to get dark tortoise want to sleep too, there is no one to play with and Bobo is feeling worried. Luckily pelican rescues him and takes him safely home.

A simply gorgeous bedtime story for the very young. Bobo is irresistible. Lovely art work, the illustrations tell the story with just a handful of words.


Jez Alborough talks about creating the book here  

If you and your child fall in love with this one there are more Bobo stories to enjoy Hug, Tall and Yes

For more bedtime story ideas see our suggestions here

Buy here

 

Superbat  Matt Carr
Scholastic
Age 5-7

Pat dreamt of being a bat with amazing powers, just like the superheroes in his favourite comics. He made himself a special outfit, now all he needed to do was convince everyone he was.. SUPERBAT! The trouble was the superpowers he claimed to have (super hearing, flying, finding his way in the dark) all the other bats had too. His eyes didn’t shoot laser beams and he wasn’t extra strong like the superheroes in his favourite comics. Maybe he wasn’t destined to be a ‘superbat’, maybe he just looked… silly. Then one day something happened, help was needed and Pat didn’t hesitate, he was a true SUPERBAT and bravery was his superpower.

An appealing, attractively illustrated story with interesting facts about bats to discover along the way.

See our activity ideas here

Buy here

 

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The Snowbear

Sean Taylor, Claire Alexander (illus)
Words and Pictures
Age 3-5

One day Iggy and Martina wake up to find the whole world is white. Their mum says they can make a snowman and they are pleased with their creation – although they agree it looks much more like a snowbear than a snowman. When they have finished they sledge down the hill despite mum’s warnings about being careful and travel so fast they go straight into the woods. They feel worried and want to go home but can’t pull the sledge back up the hill.  Suddenly they see a very scary wolf staring at them. But then help arrives in the shape of the snowbear! The wolf slopes off and the snowbear carries the two children safely home. In the morning the snowbear has disappeared. Has he melted or gone to live in the woods?

This is a beautifully illustrated picturebook with a story to capture the imagination on snowy days. What if the creatures you make from snow could come alive? Would you have adventures with them as in Raymond Briggs’ The Snowman or might they come to your rescue as in this lovely story?

lovemybooksactivitiesorangecentre

Share the story

Read aloud
Before beginning the book look at the cover and the first illustration together. What can you both see, what might happen in this story? Read the story aloud pausing if your child wants to talk about the story or illustrations.

Read again
When you read it again maybe you could both emphasise the cold words like ‘shivering’. Children could follow the path of the sledge down the hill and join in with parts they remember.

Talk about the story

  • Talk about your favourite parts of the story and look at those again together. Was there anything your child didn’t like or wanted to skip over quickly?

  • Talk about what it feels like to be very cold, does your skin tingle? How do your fingers and toes feel? What would you wear if it was very cold?

  • Talk about whether your child thinks the bear did go away to live in the woods.

  • If there was enough snow what would your child like to build, a snowman, a snowbear or something else?

Things to make and do

Snowplay
If there’s snow outside you could play in the snow, make a snow sculpture, or try sledging on a slope – hopefully not too steep! If not there are lots of other things you can do linked to the story:

Move like a snowbear
Try ‘lolloping’ around like snow bears.

Make a snowy picture
The end of a pencil dipped in thick white paint would make great snowflakes printed on coloured paper.

Make a snow globe
Look back at the illustration of Iggy and Martina’s bedroom at the beginning of the book. There is a snow globe on the window sill.

Make a storybook
Make a zig-zag story book together. With a picture on each page tell the bear’s story from being built, then saving the children to what happens after the story ends. Your child can draw the pictures and you could help with writing your child’s story.

Find out more

Read more books by Sean Taylor 

Titles include: A Brave Bear, I am actually a Penguin and I want to be in a Scary Story

 Find out more about illustrator Claire Alexander

Read more books about having fun with snow eg Snow by Sam Usher or The Snowman by Raymond Briggs or The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats.

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Bear Shaped

Dawn Coulter-Cruttenden
Oxford
Age 3-7 years

Jack finds trying new things or communicating difficult due to his autism but his favourite toy, ‘Bear’ makes him feel brave. One day Bear disappears, leaving a bear shaped hole in Jack. News that Jack has lost Bear spreads fast, messages come from all over the world and bears start arriving in the post. The kindness of others makes Jack realise how lucky he has been to have Bear and that many children might appreciate a bear of their own too.

Inspired by a true story, this is a sensitively told and beautifully illustrated picture book about loving and losing something precious. It conveys one child’s experience in a gentle and moving way. This book has resonance for everyone who has lost a toy, loved pet or perhaps even member of the family and also provides insight into the world of an autistic child.

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Share the story

Read aloud
Before beginning to read the story aloud to your child look at the cover together and talk about why the little boy might be hiding behind his toy. Then read the story aloud to your child.

When you do so, pause when Jack loses Bear to talk about how he might be feeling and what might have happened to Bear.

Join in
When you read the story again point to the words as you read especially as they curve across the page – children might like to join in with this. You could point out the words ‘Jack’ and ‘Bear’ which are repeated on lots of the pages.

Children could tell you the story using the illustrations to help them – they might use some of the same phrases or they may change some parts and tell them in their own words.

Watch the story read aloud
Dawn Coulter- Cruttenden, the books creator, reads the story aloud here 

Talk about the story

  • Talk about Jack’s feelings at different points in the story looking back at the pictures together for clues.

  • Talk about what your favourite toys and why you like them – is it because of how they feel? Or is it to do with when you were given it? Share your childhood favourite toys with your child too!

  • Talk about times when each of you lost something special – it might be a toy that was lost forever then found again or it might be a pet. This conversation may lead naturally to talking about bereavement if that is a concern for your child.

 

Things to make and do

Draw a portrait
Choose a favourite toy to draw using colouring pencils or crayons. 

Make a den and read a story to a special toy
Make a secret den like Jack does. See here for ideas . Your child could take a toy into the den and read or tell the stories in some of their favourite books to their toy.

Make a poster

Make a missing toy poster like Jack does – you could make it about one of your toys or about Jack’s lost toy Bear.

Make an album
Take photos of you with your special toy in different places or doing different things like Bear. if you can, print them out and make them into a mini photo album with labels.

 

Find out more 

Adults may be interested in listening to the book’s creator talk about the true story behind the book 

Find out more about autism
Watch a Sesame Street video explaining autism to children 

 

 

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Family review panel

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
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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. 

Lauren shared Super Silly Museums by Nick Sharratt with Dylan aged 11 and Esme aged 8

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. 

In the Shoeseum they came across a couple of shoes they didn’t know and that led to some discussion about shoes. As they used to do with You Choose, they started to choose and compare favourite items from the page and think about whether there were other categories of shoes that could be added. Similarly, in the Twoseum they said, “You could add tennis/badminton racquets as you need two to play.”

They enjoyed the puns sprinkled throughout the book, particularly in the  Q seum. At age 11 Dylan felt he was a bit too grown up to find the Poosesum amusing! Although he did enjoy the play on words and then tried coming up with some puns of his own. 

Our family favourite page was the Confuseum, and we all spent a long time getting our heads and eyes around the images! This also led to a bit of research to spot some famous art trickery, for example the work of Escher. 

Dylan and Esme thought the last pages where you complete the section about yourself was a fun thing to do and they thought especially for younger children it would be a nice thing to complete and then revisit at a later date. 

On finishing the book, they reflected on what other museums you could add as extra chapters. For example, The Do-seum where there’s lots of things to do, The Glueseum - lots of sticky things and A Chewseum - full of chewy things. Finally, we had a conversation about the museums we’ve visited, would like to revisit and our favourite museums. We talked about what real museums we’d like to create and visit in the future. 

Super Silly Museums is published by Alison Green Books

Buy the book Super Silly Museums PB a book by Nick Sharratt. (bookshop.org)

How War Changed Rondo, by Romana Romanyshyn and Andriy Lesiv
Reviewed by Samantha, Poppy (10) and Harriet 8)
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“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.

Samantha writes
The book skilfully uses metaphor (of light and dark, music and silence) and personification (War as a being) to make a point and aid understanding of complex ideas to children. Using cute characters Danko, Zirka, and Fabian (who are each both important and vulnerable in their own individual way) to represent the population, allowed my children to identify with them and feel empathy about their plight. They live peacefully in the small town of Rondo, a magical and joyful place where flowers sing and everything is perfect until the day that War arrives.

My two children (aged 8 and 10) having first been reluctant to read the book, finished it with an appreciation of its message. They understood that war is a bad thing, and that there are no happy endings. Even though War had retreated at the end of the book, the three friends were still scarred, physically and mentally, by their ordeal. The contrasting illustrations (of before and after the War changed Rondo) were useful in easily assessing what impact the War had had on the characters’ world.

I would recommend this book to other parents/primary schools as a way to talk about war without being too specific or creating anxiety and worry in the minds of very young people. Speaking about how war affects fictional characters allows children to take on board important messages, without scaring them by connecting them to real world events.

 Poppy (aged 10) said: “I recommend it for children because it is good to understand how people feel during war.”

Harriet (aged 8) said: “It’s sad because it’s about war. I already knew war was a bad thing, and this book helps explain why.”

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…

Tell us a little bit about the story

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.

Mr White in Chroma, has captured her dad and is trying to destroy all the creativity in Chroma, so Peanut has to go on a mission with her little sister Little Bit and a boy called Rockwell and they try to stop Mr White and find her dad. She meets Doodle the Dog in Chroma, he was on one of her dad’s Post It notes.

Post It notes are an important part of the story. The post it notes relate to her dad. Every lunch time when she started Melody High she was really worried so her dad would do a little drawing on a Post It note and the words ‘Love you forever x’ and he hid the post it notes in her lunchbox, she had over 2000 of them. When her dad went, she didn’t have anymore, and lunchtime went from the best part of the day to the worst. Then she finds another Post It note that says ‘Love you forever,’ a yellow one with a big thick L on it, it is some sort of clue.

Who is your favourite character?

Little Bit and Peanut. Little Bit if you listen to her, she is a lot beyond her age. She is five, she’s in reception. She is very funny Rockwell is meant to be really smart, but it is Little Bit who says ‘fathom is the key word Rockwell I‘m going to show you how to do this’ and she cracks the code!

What does It remind you of?

it’s like a portal story, it reminds me of the Narnia books. Chroma’s time runs three hours ahead -when you enter you are there for three hours it’s really only three minutes. It reminds me of Narnia you enter and stay for two weeks, and you are still on time for school.

Who would enjoy this story?

You need to like adventure and mystery stories – It’s adventurous but it has also got a mystery – Where’s her dad gone? Who is Mr White?

It also teaches me something really interesting, it teaches you a coding trick. A way to code. It’s called Fathom.

How do you feel about reading a trilogy?

Personally, I would prefer it to be one big, big book, it would be several hundred pages, but I wouldn’t really mind because I wouldn’t have to wait for a really long time, a whole year to get another book. I would find that pretty annoying. Harry Potter is ok because they have all been written so I could just get the whole series or also like Horrible Histories they are all written so I could get a box full of them but with Peanut Jones I can’t do that with or the Dragon Realms books.

 

‘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.’

Amy says:

‘I wanted to share a book we are really enjoying at the moment: Under the Love Umbrella by Davina Bell and Alison Colpoys. The illustrations are really beautiful, florescent and pastel colours.  The illustrations show different kinds of families, Joshua keeps asking to see the page of the family with two mummies again and we talked about different family types. He was also interested in the page outside the school and wanted to know which one is the teacher. He wondered if he has a love umbrella and if so where is it and why can’t he see it.

 

This would be a good book for toddlers who don't love separation or for just starting back at nursery or school after a break. 

 

The book inspired Amy and Joshua to do lots of activities together, she suggests:

 

 

- Reading the book and counting how many umbrellas you can find 

- Stick cocktail umbrellas on playdoh islands 

- Draw and colour umbrellas 

- Sing and dance to "Umbrella" by Rihanna 

- Go for a walk with an umbrella on a rainy day

The Colour Monster by Anna Llenas
Reviewed by Amy and Joshua, age 2
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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.

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

Amy and Joshua aged 2 shared The Colour Monster and told us:

‘We absolutely love The Colour Monster! It's great for talking about emotions.  It's been a favourite for over a year now, so we made some colour monsters using food colouring, water, pipe cleaners and googly eyes. We froze them then Joshua watched them melting. We also mixed colours together like the colour monster when he was feeling confused.’

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
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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

Ellen:  I liked that the book was very funny and MAD! It doesn’t really make sense but it does!

Louis: I like how crazy it is – you can’t guess what’s going to happen next.

Ruth: I agree – I just picked up the book now to look at a random page and it goes from Looshkin stuffing cheese in a robots ears to a gigantic Lion running around the front garden.  Totally bonkers.

Ellen: My favourite part was when Looshkin ate an ice cream that was actually the core of a nuclear bomb.  He started doing nuclear burps and farts and both he and the ice cream man ended up in space – it was really funny!

Louis: My favourite part was the story with the puppet – Looshkin has a puppet on his hand and is telling everyone it’s not him that causing all these things to go wrong, but the puppet…no one believes him of course but then the dad somehow gets the puppet on his hand and starts spraying water everywhere…

Ellen: My favourite page is the page that mum took a picture of me with – it’s got LOADS of pigs on it!  The pigs are all squashed and I love the illustrations

Ellen: My favourite character is Looshkin of course, and Mr Buns.  Mr Buns is a cat that lives next door to Looshkin and always gets caught up in Looshkins’ adventures. I like Mr Buns because he is obsessed with annoying Looshkin! 

Louis:  My favourite character is the bear – he is the one that suffers the most from all of Looshkins’ crazy japes, and is sometimes his friend, sometimes not…

Ruth:  I have to empathise with Mrs Johnson.  She didn’t ask for all this to happen to her, she just wanted a cat as a calm, peaceful addition to her life!

Looshkin is special because it is like no other book.  The stories are funny and they just suck you in so you want to be in the crazy world of Looshkin.  People should read it because if they don’t think they like funny books it will change their mind.  Cat lovers should definitely read this book because Looshkin does stunts and sometimes puts himself on fire!  Sometimes you just need a daft book that is going to make you belly laugh and put a big grin on your face – we love Jamie Smart for this reason.  Keep them coming!

Fantastically Great Women who changed History, Kate Pankhurst
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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

Emma says: ‘Naomi and I had a wonderful time reading this together. I loved the range of stories the book explores touching on black history, colonisation, China, Egypt, Celtic Britain, drawing from both ancient and modern history. We discussed standing up against injustice and resilience in the face of adversity. Since sharing this book Naomi has become very interested in Harriet Tubman in particular and wanted to find out more about her.’

Naomi says: ‘My favourite page is about Boudicca. She is super awesome and brave. I like their minds and their inspiration they try to do things and do it again. I like the trails you can follow in the book so you know where to read. I think that you should read it.’

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

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."

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