Benji Davies
Harper Collins
Age 3-7

Tad is nearly a frog but not quite. Her brothers and sisters are bigger and stronger and growing into frogs much faster. They gradually disappear to live above water warning Tad to hurry up in case the Big Blub, a scary big fish gets her. But is Big Blub real, and if so, how safe is Tad?

This is a beautifully written and illustrated picturebook about change and overcoming fears. Sharing the story might inspire interest in the natural world; tadpoles and how they develop into frogs.

Watch the publisher’s tease-trailer here

Watch Benji Davies talk about his book Tad  and read part of the story here 

Share the story

Before reading
Before beginning the story talk about the cover and the end papers and title page together. What can children see? Talk together about what they know about frogs and tadpoles.

Read the story aloud
Read the story aloud to your child, pausing to talk about what is happening in the story and illustrations when your child wants to.

Join in
As children become familiar with the story, they may like to join in with the repeated parts eg ‘smaller than’, the speech sound effects eg GULP! Swoosh- wiggle-swish! and the count down.

Talk about the story

• How does your child think Tad feels – at the beginning of the story and at the end?

• Share favourite illustrations and talk about why you chose them.

• Count tadpoles with Tad

• What made Tad worry about her tadbrothers and tadsisters?

Things to make and do

Move like a frog
Children can try hopping like a frog, perhaps from one imaginary lily pad to another – you could use cushions or pillow cases for lily pads.

Be a tadpole spotter
Visit a pond to look for signs of frogspawn, tadpoles or frogs. Talk about what you see – children might be able to take photos or draw pictures.

Make an information book
Talk about the frog’s life cycle and help your child to make a zig zag book illustrating this together. See link below for information about frogs and tadpoles.

Make a hiding place for Tad
Make a place for Tad to hide from Big Blub. Use a shoe box and turn it on its side. Paint the inside green. Stick in reeds made of card – or decorate with plastic pond weed from a pet shop. Decorate a little card shape to be Tad and stick the shape among the reeds. You could make a Big Blub stick puppet searching for Tad too.

Find out more

Find out more about tadpoles and frogs here and here

Read more books by Benji Davies

Titles include:

The Storm Whale

The Storm Whale in Winter

Grandma Bird

Grandad’s Island

The Grotlyn

 

For another story about a tadpole see Tadpole’s Promise by Jeannie Willis and Tony Ross

 

Nathan Bryon, illus. Dapo Adeola
Puffin Books
Age 5-7

Rocket is really excited; she is going to visit Grammy and Grampy who live in Jamaica. They run whale watching tours, own a wildlife sanctuary AND Grammy is brilliant at surfing! While there, Rocket is shocked by the amount of rubbish on the beach and how it is affecting the wildlife. She decides to do something about it.

This is a delightfully illustrated story with a determined main character who sets out to make a difference. This is a story to raise awareness of the threat of plastic pollution on our oceans and ocean creatures and encourage small scale activism.

 

 

Share the story

Read aloud
Before reading the story, you might like to look at the cover together and talk about what the story might be about. If children already know ‘Look Up!’ by the same team they might remember Rocket and her family.

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

Join in
When they are familiar with the story children could join in for example with all the things Rocket is looking forward to doing in Jamaica, conversation with Grampy and the ‘Did you know’ page.

Talk about the story

• Rocket is very excited – talk together about times when you have been excited about going on holiday or on a trip. What would you pack if you were going away on holiday?

• Look at the page where Rocket imagines what she would do in Jamaica – share thoughts on which things you would like to do – eg surf the waves or dance with a dolphin? Fist bump a turtle or high five an octopus?

• Have you been to the seaside? What do you remember? What do you like best about being near the ocean?

• If you child has grandparents talk about where they live, are they near or far away? Do you know anyone who lives in Jamaica? What do you know about it?

• Did anything surprise you about the story and is there anything you want to find out more about?

• Which is your favourite page?

  Clean up - Jennie writes

  Clean up

  This book grabbed our attention straight away with the bright colourful front cover and snappy title. It was also a great starting point for discussion wondering why the girl was surfing through the rubbish, what danger the turtle was in and what we thought the book might be about.

  Straight away we were hooked, we have a grandparent abroad near the beach and love being outdoors at the beach or on the water. We started reading the book at the start of a summer of water adventures and each time we looked for rubbish and had really good chats about how rubbish gets in the water. We visited various beaches in Dorset, Worthing and went paddle boarding locally. None of the beaches had any rubbish and we knew Rocket from the book would be very proud. We did however see rubbish when we went to Bristol near a jetty for a water taxi and at Southampton dock where we managed to get it out much to the children’s joy. The children were really careful about making sure their rubbish went in bins and really conscious about waste over the holiday which was lovely to do it in a fun way.

   

  We had a look at some of our food packaging and waste, Lizzie often helps with the recycling, so she helped sort through. We had a chat about what she personally could do to reduce her waste and what food we ate with packaging we could avoid. She now has her school snack in a reusable bag which again we think would make Rocket proud.

  We had a look at the hard plastic packaging recycling for one week and made a mermaid sculpture out of it to see exactly how much we had and link back to rubbish in the oceans. We had good discussions about what we could do to reduce it as a household and talked about what we were doing well and what we needed to improve on.

  Next, we did the science experiment, we chose 5 different items to bury in soil and then check back each week to see what had rotted away and what hadn’t. We made predictions and recorded our results and the children were really keen each week to see what had happened.

  Such a great fun book for having some really good discussions and making some really good changes. The story is written in a fun way and the illustrations are lively and really add to the story with brilliant facial expressions, and an insight into Jamaican culture. We loved the variety of activities and the mix of art, writing, science and geography and learning about a really important subject  in a fun way.

  We didn’t get to make such a big contribution as Rocket but we are doing some small things differently and have made a start.

   

   

Things to make and do

Make a ‘Did you know’ book
Find out more about plastic pollution in the ocean using the information in the book and other information you find (see links below). Make a zig zag book and start each page with ‘Did you know … then write your fact with an illustration.

Make a sculpture
In the story an artist makes a sculpture from plastic waste found on the beach. Children could save some plastic containers and make a sculpture from it perhaps shaped like a sea creature like the one in the story. This link might give you some ideas.

Make a poster
Make a poster to go in the park or at the beach to encourage people to take their rubbish home and keep the beach or park clean. you need paper A4 or larger thick pens or crayons. A ‘slogan’ a clear message – practice on scrap paper and an image.

Be a plastic detective
Looking at the shopping as it is unpacked and the products in your cupboards, to see how much plastic is used. Is it all necessary? Could your family buy shopping with less plastic packaging? Let your child help you sort your rubbish for recycling, maybe setting up different bins for different material.

Do a science experiment

Experiment to find out how long different materials take to decompose. In a container, such as an old fish tank, or washing up bowl place a layer of soil. Choose items together to see if they decompose eg a banana skin, newspaper, cardboard box and a plastic container. Cover with another layer of soil and dampen with a drop of water. Churn over every 4 or 5 days with a metal spoon. Check after two weeks to see if any of the objects have started to decompose by raking through the soil or tipping onto newspaper. You may prefer to wear protective gloves for this. Talk about what you find with your child and what this means to the environment. Find out about how long it takes for plastic to break down – see links below.

Find out more

Watch the book’s creators, Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola, introduce  the book and talk about their own top tips for reducing plastic and saving the oceans here  

Read another book about plastic pollution ‘A Planet full of Plastic’ by Neal Layton.

Find out more about pollution in the oceans here and here on Newsround 2015

Find out about whales and whale conservation here

Find out about Jamaica here

Look at a globe or atlas and try to find Jamaica on it.

Imani Wilmot is a famous Jamaican surfer who is mentioned in the story. She describes herself as a ‘wave dancer.’ Watch a video to see why

Read Look Up another book by the writing and illustrating team about Rocket and her family. See our activity ideas here  

So many wonderful picturebooks are published every year. Here is our selection of some of the best new books. These are books we hope you and your children will enjoy sharing again and again which might prompt conversations, creative activities, finding out more or imaginative story play. We hope you enjoy them.

Arlo the Lion who Couldn’t Sleep 

Catherine Rayner
Macmillan Books

Age 3-5

Arlo the lion is exhausted, but he just can’t fall asleep. Owl sees his predicament and has the perfect solution – he sings Arlo a song about relaxing and imagining he is in a lovely place. It works – Arlo sleeps all night and feels so much better when he wakes up, he can’t wait to tell Owl. Unfortunately, now Owl is fast asleep, and Arlo wakes him up!

A beautiful picturebook, perfect for bedtime reading with a simple story and a memorable rhyme to share together. The illustrations are wonderful, textured and appealing. This is a story which might lead to discussions about animals which sleep during the day and during the night.
Buy here 

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Ergo

Alexis Deacon, illus. Viviane Schwarz
Walker Books
Age 5-7*

Ergo is a chick whose life is about to begin. She is inside an egg and developing awareness of her body – her toes, her wings and her beak. This is her world – albeit a very small one. But then Ergo decides to use her toes, her wings and her beak to escape and find out if there are more like her. She discovers she is part of a much bigger world.

This is a book to prompt lots of thinking and talk about our own known worlds and how we find out more about them.

Another philosophical book for children from the team that created the highly successful I am Henry Finch

Fabulous illustrations and striking layout emphasise the confusion of the little chick and her happiness when she discovers she is not alone, and the world is very exciting indeed.

Buy the book

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The Fire Fox

Alexandra Page, illus. Stef Murphy
Two Hoots
Age 5-7+

A beautiful written and sensitive story about a young girl, Freya and her mother who go to stay in a remote cabin set in a snowy landscape. A sense of sadness lingers in the first few pages sensitively suggesting the loss of Freya’s father. Exploring her new environment Freya discovers a magical white fox and they play together. The fox seems to be creating wonderful colours as he speeds through the snowy landscape with Freya. When he disappears, colours fill the sky around her as if a gift left behind for her.

This story is inspired by legends of the Saami people of Northern Scandinavia about a white fox who scatters sparks which form the Northern Lights. It might inspire children to find out more about the Northern Lights, create artwork in response to the ideas or illustrations or prompt conversations about loss, grief and sharing good memories of loved ones.

Buy the book

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Gloria’s Porridge

Elizabeth Laird, illus. Toby Newsome
Tiny Owl
Age 3-5

When Gloria makes a bowl of porridge her cat wants some, but Gloria doesn’t want to share. This leads to a chain of events upsetting not only the cat, but also a donkey, a hive of bees, a hen and finally Gloria herself. Fox hears the rumpus and helps them sort out the problem.

An engaging picturebook telling a simple and satisfying story of consequences highlighting the importance of thoughtfulness. It is based on a traditional Ethiopian folk tale.

Visit our activity page

Buy here

Watch a trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze_Ar97vou4

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Once Upon a Tune    

James Mayhew
Otter Barry Books
Age 7-9+

This is a stunning book containing six carefully selected stories which have inspired great pieces of music including The Sorceror’s Apprentice and In the Hall of the Mountain King. We meet an array of characters including sorcerers, trolls and sea monsters. Scherherazade introduces the brave girl who persuades a bitter sultan into saving her life by bewitching him with stories.

The text is very well written, stories skillfully unfold with some lovely descriptive passages. The illustrations are wonderful with collaged images depicting the story worlds. The back of the book provides information about the composers and the writers whose stories inspired them. There is also a suggested playlist so that families can explore the music inspired by the stories.

A wonderful blend of music, art and storytelling, this is a perfect gift book likely to be treasured and pored over by adults and children alike. It may ignite interest in the music which inspired the story and also encourage children to have a go at storytelling or at creating their own collaged pictures of story settings.
Buy the book

See this video for an insight into the music which inspired the book

https://youtu.be/yhfJEXoG0Ag

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Saving Mr Hoot 

Helen Stephens
Alison Green Books
Age 3-7

When he says Mr Hoot stole his mitten, they think it is just his imagination. All winter long Ben and Mr Hoot call to each other. In springtime a lady with a chainsaw arrives to cut the tree down, but Ben is determined to stop her.

A story about the frustration of making yourself heard when you are very small. There is a strong environmental theme and sharing this story is likely to lead to talk about animal habitats and the impact of cutting down trees. It may lead to greater awareness as children look at the trees in their local environments.

This is a beautifully illustrated story by the creator of the highly popular How to Hide your Lion series.

Buy the book

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Shu Lin’s Grandpa                                   

Matt Goodfellow, illus. Yu Rong
Otter Barry Books
Age 3-7

A young narrator remembers when Shu Lin first joined his school and wasn’t able to speak English well. She didn’t seem to fit in with playground games and had strange things in her packed lunch box. One day Shu Lin’s Grandpa visits and shows the class his beautiful artwork. He has created fabulous worlds with mountains and dragons. Afterwards the children have a go at painting their own magical landscapes. Shu Lin becomes the teacher sharing her brushwork skills, her classmates are very impressed.

This is a story about understanding what it is like to be a new arrival and the importance of acceptance and inclusion. It is likely to prompt discussions about the main character’s feelings.

The book includes a wonderful fold out landscape complete with dragon perfect for storytelling. After this insight into traditional Chinese artwork be ready to get out brushes and paints and a long strip of paper for children to create their own masterpieces.

Buy the book

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SuperJoe Does NOT do Cuddles                                        

Michael Catchpool, illus. Emma Proctor
Lantana  
Age 5-7

SuperJoe has a busy day ahead of him, there is a tiger on the loose!  Before he sets off on his mission, mum wants a cuddle, but SuperJoe has no time for that, and anyway superheroes do NOT do cuddles.  SuperJoe is successful in his mission and two more daring rescues swiftly follow, involving a runaway train and a collapsing bridge, thwarting an arch enemy in the process. After a busy day it turns out the one thing a superhero really needs is a cuddle after all.

A lovely picturebook packed with imagination and adventure likely to inspire storyplay. The illustrations are very attractive and include lots of extra detail to spot, adding to the storytelling. The vocabulary is ambitious giving plenty to discuss.

Visit our activity page

Buy the book

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Ten Delicious Teachers

Ross Montgomery, illus. Sarah Warburton
Walker Books
Age 3-7

Ten teachers miss the school bus and decide to take a short cut through a forest. They don’t spot the hungry monsters waiting to pounce. One by one the monsters pick off the teachers on their way through the forest until only Miss Hunter, the nursery teacher remains. However, she is more than a match for monsters and in no time at all takes them in hand teaching them some manners and how to count to ten!

This is a very silly rhyming counting story with humorous text well matched by the illustrations – the monsters are fantastic and might encourage young readers to design their own.

Buy the book

See the author Ross Montgomery reads from the book in this trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6fJ_JGPOXs

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We’re Going to Find the Monster                                               

Malorie Blackman, illus. Dapo Adeola
Puffin
Age 0-5

Charlie and Eddie set off to find the monster. They go over a shimmering ocean and up a huge high mountain encountering a tiger, a hungry wolf and even a whale along the way. They eventually find the monster – their older brother – under his bedclothes ready to pounce and tickle them both.

This story is a celebration of the power of imagination and family fun. The cumulative text is a joy to read aloud, and children will enjoy hearing it again and again. The illustrations are warm and colourful adding to the storytelling. We find out the whale is really a goldfish and the tiger a stripey cat. One of the main characters has vitiligo and there is a link to find out more information about this condition on the inside cover.

Buy the book

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As usual it is hard to choose our top 10 new favourite picture books from the thousands published this year.
Here is a selection of some of our current favourites for 2018.

We hope that you and your child will find appealing characters and stories in these beautifully illustrated picture books be amused, intrigued and challenged. We hope you enjoy them.

The stories, songs and rhymes you share together are likely to include favourites from your own childhood, children’s classics and new books by contemporary writers and illustrators. Some will be board-books, cloth or sturdy pop-up books that your baby can handle themselves. Here are some books to bring back happy memories and introduce you to some new family favourites. You can build your collection of favourite books through exploring other titles by these exceptional authors and illustrators. For more ideas also see Our top 10 classic picture books  and our Books for 0-3 years .

 

Honey for you, Honey for me                                                          
Michael Rosen, illus. Chris Riddell
Walker Books

This is a collection of playground songs and nursery rhymes collated by Michael Rosen and beautifully illustrated by Chris Riddell. Adult readers may recognize a few here eg ‘Jelly on the plate’ and ‘The North Wind Shall Blow’ but there will be lots of new discoveries too.

Great to share with children. You will soon identify your own favourites to read or sing and maybe act out together.
Listen to Michael Rosen reading some of the rhymes here: 

This book would make a perfect companion to A Great Big Cuddle by the same team which contains Michael Rosen’s original rhymes. See our activity page here for A Great Big Cuddle here 

 

 

 

 

It’s never too early to read or sing to babies. They will tune into the sounds, rhythms and patterns of your voice and will gradually focus on, and delight in, the pictures. Books are a wonderful way to engage your baby in a shared, enjoyable and stimulating activity and a perfect way to spend time together. As babies grow, they will join in with your actions, words and tunes to bring the book to life. This early experience is an important first step on their journey as readers.

The stories, songs and rhymes you share together are likely to include favourites from your own childhood, children’s classics and new books by contemporary writers and illustrators. Some will be board-books, cloth or sturdy pop-up books that your baby can handle themselves. Here are some books to bring back happy memories and introduce you to some new family favourites. You can build your collection of favourite books through exploring other titles by these exceptional authors and illustrators. For more ideas also see Our top 10 classic picture books  and our Books for 0-3 years .

Dear Zoo
Rod Campbell

interactive, open-the-flaps book about receiving surprise presents from the zoo.
Each one has to be unwrapped and then sent back until the most perfect present of all arrives

Lots of repeated phrases and fun to join in with and enjoy.
A young family sharing the book (Scottish Book Trust)
See our ideas for sharing Dear Zoo here

For another lift the flap book see Where’s Spot? Our activities here

Hello You!
Campbell Books

rhyming, rhythmic book which takes you through key points in a baby’s day including breakfast, playing with a friend, bath and bed. Full of gorgeous black and white photographs of a diverse group of babies. An added feature is a fold out mirror page so that babies can see themselves.

Honey for you, Honey for me
Michael Rosen, illus. Chris Riddell
Walker Books

A new book with an interactive rhyme to say or sing, containing flaps and actions for joining in. It’s tuneful and pitched just right for babies and young children.

Sung by Julia Donaldson  Also see video of sharing the book with baby on same web page.

It’s a Little Baby
Julia Donaldson and Rebecca Cobb
Pan Macmillan

A new book with an interactive rhyme to say or sing, containing flaps and actions for joining in. It’s tuneful and pitched just right for babies and young children.

Sung by Julia Donaldson  Also see video of sharing the book with baby on same web page.

Mine!
(Bear and Hare series)
Emily Gravett
Pan Macmillan

Bear and Hare went for a walk and found lots of interesting things along the way. “Mine!” said Hare. But Bear didn’t care until.. Hare found honey and the bees gave chase! Poor Hare. “There there” soothed caring Bear.

Beautifully illustrated and a playfully told tale of acceptance and love. Read aloud
For another book about friendship and sharing see Banana! by Ed Vere.

Peekaboo Apple
Camilla Reid, illus. Ingela P Arrhenius
Nosy Crow

Peekaboo is a favourite first game with babies and toddlers everywhere. Cleverly designed with a range of ingenious slots and sliders make this attractive board book fun to share. A baby, dog, butterfly and snail magically appear as the tabs are pulled or turned finishing with a mirror page surprise at the end of the book, so babies see themselves appear too.  The text is a simple, engaging rhyme which children will enjoy sharing again and again.

Very First Mother Goose
Iona Opie. Illus. Rosemary Well
Walker

A magical compendium of classic nursery rhymes collected by renowned folklorist Iona Opie and illustrated by the irrepressible watercolourist, Rosemary Wells. Described as the ‘mother of all nursery rhyme books’, this is a collection to dip into and treasure over days and years.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
Men Fox, Helen Oxenbury (illus)
Walker Books

In this book we meet babies born all over the world and discover that although their skin colour may vary and they are born in very different places they have a lot in common; they all have ‘ten little fingers and ten little toes’. The rhythm and repetition of this memorable refrain makes this book fun to read aloud. There is opportunity for lots of toe tickling, cuddles and kisses with one very special baby as the book ends too.

That’s Not my Lion
Fiona Watt, illus. Rachel Wells,
Usborne Books

The unseen narrator is in search of his lion – and is looking for the one which feels just right. The repetitive rhyme is pleasing to read aloud and for toddlers to join in with. There are feely patches on every page for little fingers explore. And of course, the narrator finds their lion at the end.
This is just one of a huge collection of That’s Not My… books from Usborne so if you and your child like this one you could look out for more at the local library.

That’s Not my Lion
Fiona Watt, illus. Rachel Wells,
Usborne Books

The unseen narrator is in search of his lion – and is looking for the one which feels just right. The repetitive rhyme is pleasing to read aloud and for toddlers to join in with. There are feely patches on every page for little fingers explore. And of course, the narrator finds their lion at the end.
This is just one of a huge collection of That’s Not My… books from Usborne so if you and your child like this one you could look out for more at the local library.

So many great picturebooks have been published in 2023.
Here’s our selection of some of the best.

We hope hope you and your children will enjoy sharing these books again and again and enjoy conversations, creative activities, finding out more or imaginative story play.

The Artist
Ed Vere, Random House
Age 3-7

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. This is a story which may inspire children to experiment with paints and crayons perhaps decorating (with permission!) the sides of a cardboard box or the cover of a plain notebook to create their own art works.

Buy the book

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Doris
Lo Cole, Rocket Bird Books  
Age 3-5

Doris is an elephant who hates everyone looking at her. The trouble is she stands out because she is red – ALL over. She hides amongst a flock of highly colourful birds which leads her to wonder whether she is actually an ele-finch rather than an ele-phant? Doris seeks out more hiding places and feels increasingly lost and alone until she meets a blue rhinoceros with similar problem

This is a lovely picture book with a very appealing story about a shy elephant having an identity crisis. The illustrations are bold, colourful and full of humour. There is a playful approach to language and to the book format itself as Doris stomps off ‘to the next page.’ The repeated refrain ‘Stop looking at me!’  will encourage children to join in. There are other interactive elements too; young readers are directly invited to find the elephant hidden in the sea of birds, flowers or fish. Children might like to try posing like Doris in the end papers or drawing their own elephants. See our activity page for Elmer another colourful elephant who just wants to blend in.

Buy the book

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Flooded
Mariajo Illustraio, Frances Lincoln
Age 5-7+

When everyone woke up one summer’s day in the city everything was different, everything was wet. At first the inhabitants didn’t mind and got on with their busy lives. In fact, for many it was fun, but the water level continued to rise until it threatened priceless works of art and endangered smaller individuals. One inhabitant had seen what the problem was, but no one would listen to him. When the flooding could no longer be ignored, they did listen and solved the problem together.

This is a sophisticated picturebook about cooperation and teamwork. The illustrations are stylish with a striking greyscale and aquamarine palette and interesting in content with lots to spot and touches of humour – the city dwellers are animals with ingenious responses to the increasing water levels.  

Buy the book

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Gigantic                                             
Rob Biddulph, Harper Collins
Age 3-7

Gigantic is a young whale who is, despite his name very tiny. His big brother Titan makes fun of him and says Gigantic should play with the smaller sea creatures. Gigantic does just that; having exuberant fun with his new friend Myrtle the Turtle. One day Titan’s friends Hulk and Colossus are very impressed when they spot Gigantic practising his tail spins. Titan is jealous and determined to show that anything his brother can do he can do better. Despite warnings that the water is too shallow he goes ahead and quickly becomes grounded. It is up to Gigantic and his team of small sea creatures to try and save the day.

This is a delightful story about sibling rivalry and love. It shows that it is possible to make a difference even if you are small and it is the size of your heart that is most important.

Stunningly illustrated and designed with rich colour there is lots to spot in the detailed undersea world. The rhyming text invites children to join in once familiar with the story.

Buy the book

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Grandpa and the Kingfisher
Anna Wilson, illus. Sarah Massini, Nosy Crow
Age 5-7

Grandpa spends time with his granddaughter on and by the river teaching her about the natural world. Throughout the year they watch a kingfisher as he dives for food, finds a mate and builds a nest. As the seasons change and young chicks leave the nest Grandpa gently hints that their time together will also come to an end. Grandpa is absent in the last few pages of the book, and we watch as the young child remembers their time together and continues to enjoy the river and watch the kingfishers.

This is a beautifully written tale about nature and the cycle of life with a lyrical text and beautiful imagery which bring the riverbank to life. The illustrations provide colour, movement, and added detail to describe the natural world through the seasons.

Full of warmth, this story also celebrates the special nature of the relationship between a child and a grandparent, and gently prepares young children for the inevitability of death.

Buy the book

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Mama’s Sleeping Scarf
Chimamande Ngozi, illus. Joelle Avelino. Harper CollinsPuffin
Age 3-5

Chino loves tracing her fingers over the circles on Mama’s beautiful scarf. Mama wears it at night to keep her hair nice and soft. Chino is anxious when Mama leaves to go to work and so Mama gives her the scarf to play with until she returns. Chino has great fun throughout the day with the scarf, her special toy Bunny and her papa and grandparents until Mama comes home.

This is an appealing story about family love and reassurance. It is full of warmth in the text and the colourful illustrations. After sharing the story children may enjoy looking for the many circles in the book and in the world around them or playing and imagining with a colourful scarf themselves.

Buy the book

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Mollie, Olive and Dexter
Catherine Raynor
Walker Books
Age 0-5

Molly, Olive and Dexter are friends who live in an old oak tree at the bottom of the garden. One day, Molly thinks a game of hide and seek would be fun. However, it takes quite a while before Olive and Dexter get the hang of it. When they do Molly gets very worried that she has lost her friends forever. A gentle appealing story about friendship likely to prompt lots of games of hide and seek. This is the first of a new series about the group of friends.

See our activity page for Iris and Isaac, another delightful story by Catherine Raynor about friends.

Buy the book

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Speak Up
Nathan Bryon, ill. Dapo Adeola, Otter Barry books

Age 5-7

Rocket loves books and is a regular visitor to her local library. When she finds out her library is facing closure, she decides to speak up about it. Inspired by reading about Rosa Parks, she organises a peaceful protest.

Speak Up! is the latest in the series from the creators of the award-winning Look Up! And Clean Up! Rocket is a wonderful character and her enthusiasm is infectious.  This story may inspire visits to your own local library and research into Rosa Parks. It also provides an introduction to activism and ways we all might speak up about the things that matter to us.

Visit our activity pages for Look Up! and Clean Up!

See our activity pages for two more books about libraries Luna Loves Library Day by Joseph Coelho and The Dragon in the Library by Louie Stowell.

Buy the book

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This Rock is Mine         
Kate Umansky, illus Alice McKinley, Alison Green Books
Age 3-5

Two frogs argue about a rock which they both lay claim to wanting exclusive rights. They stake their claims with towels, chairs and grumpy signs. Their feud continues until a large, predatory heron swoops in and they have to rapidly vacate the rock. Adversity leads them to decide sharing a safer spot is a much better idea and they quickly become friends.

A very funny rhyming story which is likely to become a family favourite. Children will enjoy joining in with the arguments when familiar with the story.

Buy the book

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Tiny Owl’s Scary Day
Petr Horácek, Walker
Age 3-5

Tiny Owl is curious about daytime, she doesn’t want to wait in her nest until night falls. She decides to go out exploring despite Mummy’s warnings of danger. However, she finds daytime is pretty scary for baby owls and she has several near misses. Luckily, she gets home unscathed and unaware that Mummy has been following closely behind to make sure she is safe. A beautifully illustrated picturebook with a simple but satisfying story. It may spark conversation about owls and nocturnal animals.

See our activity page for Owl Babies by Martin Waddell and Patrick Benson where it is Mummy that leaves the nest.

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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

The Houdini Inheritance by Emma Carroll
Lauren and her daughter Esme sent us their thoughts after reading this mystery story
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‘This book is about Houdini, the master escape artist and his rivals. It’s a mystery story with relatable characters and some plot twists which kept us wanting to read until the end. We were interested to learn that some of the story is based around the true history of Houdini. We’re just as curious as Glory, the girl in the story, to discover Houdini’s secrets.  We think if you liked The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd, you might like this too. ‘

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

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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. 

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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

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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

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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.’

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."

Nicola Davies
Tiny Owl
Age 7-9 years

A young rhino lives in a zoo in a bleak grey city. He remembers a happier time with his mama before she was killed, and he was captured. He fears he is the last rhino alongside other creatures facing the same fate. But he has one frequent visitor, a young girl who when she grows up decides to do take action to help.

Last is based on the real-life story of a white rhino named Sudan. It highlights the plight of rhinos and includes a hopeful, positive message that things can change if people take action. Here is the author’s message at the beginning of the book:

‘I believe the world can change for the better, but it will change one heart at a time. Change your heart, change the world.’

Share the story

Before sharing the story look at the cover together and think about what the story might be about, what the title might mean and what your child already knows about rhinos.

Read the story aloud, pausing to talk about what is happening in the story or illustrations.

After finishing the story, there is information about the real Sudan to read at the back of the book.

Talk about the book

• When you have finished look back through the book and notice the girl, imagine what she is thinking and feeling in the early pictures and what she might be doing in the later pictures.

• Talk about how the rhino might feel at different points in the story.

• Talk about anything puzzling, for example your child might wonder what happens to the rhino’s mother and you might want to pause to talk about rhinos being hunted for their tusks, see links below to find out more.

Things to make and do

Be an interviewer
You and your child could imagine you are a reporter and the girl in the story and have an imaginary interview about her interest in the rhino and returning him to the wild.

Plot the rhino’s journey
Find Kenya and the Czech Republic in an atlas or on a globe and plot Sudan’s journey.

 Make a collage or a painting

Look closely at Nicola Davies illustrations the ones of the rhino in the zoo are grey and include lots of text.

Collect strips of newspaper in different shades of grey and cut up to make a rhino picture.

Paint a colourful picture of the rhino in Africa.

Make a leaflet

Your child could make a leaflet about the plight of the rhino, a piece of A4 paper folded in half is fine. Have a look at the links below for information first. If you have access to a printer which makes copies you could print a few of the leaflets to give to family an friends or scan an email them to spread the word!

Find out more

Nicola Davies – Children’s Author (nicola-davies.com)

Find out more about Sudan and endangered rhinos on this BBC Newsround Last male northern white rhino Sudan has died – CBBC Newsround

Find out about ways to save the rhino Save the Rhino International | Rhino Conservation Charity

Watch a video about caring for Sudan Caring for Sudan, the World’s Most Famous Rhino – YouTube

Read more books by Nicola Davies, titles include:

The Promise with Laura Carlin

King of the Sky with Laura Carlin

Flying Free with Cathy Fisher

The Pond with Cathy Fisher

The Day the War Came with Rebecca Cobb

Just Ducks with Salvatore Rubbino

The Big Blue Whale with Nick Maland

Tiny the invisible world of microbes  with Emily Sutton

Lots – the diversity of life on earth with Emily Sutton

Steve Antony
Hodder Children’s Books
Age 0-3

Mr Panda has some doughnuts to share and offers them to a series of ungrateful and greedy animals. Eventually a lemur sets herself above the rest by being much more polite and is duly rewarded. A simple story about sharing and politeness.

Author Steve Antony writes...

We asked Steve Antony about his inspiration for the book and how it became a series
The first story, Please, Mr. Panda, came to me in a most peculiar way. One lazy Sunday afternoon I was doodling pandas in bed when I heard a voice inside my head. “Would you like a doughnut?” asked the voice. I imagined this to be the voice of the deadpan Mr. Panda who was staring right at me from my sketchbook. “Give me the pink one,” replied a tiny, squeaky voice, which I imagined to be that of a cute little penguin. “No, you cannot have a doughnut. I have changed my mind,” huffed Mr. Panda. This made me chuckle. But why did Mr. Panda change his mind? I continued to imagine him interacting with other animals in a similar fashion. Then it dawned on me: none of the animals said please! That’s when I knew I had a good story. Mr. Panda wanted to teach me, and the world, a lesson or two in manners.

I never imagined in a million years that Mr. Panda would star in his very own series of books!  I wrote Please, Mr. Panda a year after being made redundant from a call centre. In fact, if I hadn’t been made redundant the Please, Mr. Panda probably wouldn’t exist. The book wasn’t even called Please, Mr. Panda to begin with. It was called Would You Like a Doughnut?

The response to the first Mr. Panda book took me by complete surprise, and I just knew Mr. Panda had more stories to tell. I also love adding more black and white animals to Mr. Panda’s expanding circle of friends. I pick only black and white animals for Mr. Panda’s world because I’m red-green colour-blind, and at the start of my career I steered clear of using too much colour. Now I’m more confident with using colour. For example, my illustrations for Tim Minchin’s When I Grow Up are super colourful.

I’ve actually just finished the 5th Mr. Panda picture book. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of Mr. Panda because he’s such a funny character to develop. He’s grumpy-looking yet really generous. He’s big and gruff yet wears pink frilly aprons. He isn’t perfect, yet he tries his best to teach manners in his own unique (and somewhat unorthodox) way. Plus, he has the best fans.

Every now and then I check the hashtag #PleaseMrPanda to see what people are posting on Instagram. One school painted a gigantic Mr. Panda in their class and took turns taking selfies next to it. Another transformed their class into Mr. Panda’s doughnut factory. I often get tagged in Mr. Panda related tweets, too.

Share the story

Watch the trailer

Read aloud
Before you start reading the story, talk about what you can see in the cover illustration. What do children think Mr Panda is holding?

Read the story aloud to your child, pausing if children would like to talk about the pictures.

Join in
When children know the story well they might like to join in when you read the story, perhaps being Mr Panda while you read the parts of the naughty animals who don’t say please. It doesn’t matter if their version is slightly different from the text in the book.

Tell the story
After hearing the story a few times, children will get to know it well. Encourage them tell it to you in their own words, with some words or phrases from the story, using the pictures to help them.

Talk about the story

• Can children spot the lemur hiding on the end papers at the front of the book? What has happened to him in the picture on the end papers at the back of the book?

• Talk about the colours of the different doughnuts

• Why do children think Mr Panda didn’t give the other animals a doughnut?

• Talk about all the animals in the book (penguin, skunk, ostrich, whale and lemur) children may notice they are all black and white

Watch the story

Things to make and do

Make playdough doughnuts
Use different coloured playdough to make a tray of doughnuts, talk about the actions you are doing to shape the dough and the different colours while you are making them together.

Act out the story
Children could use their tray of doughnuts to act out the story with you, or with their toys as the other animals.

If you have a stacking toy with rings children could act out the story using these as the doughnuts instead of playdough doughnuts.

Draw a picture
Children could draw a picture to say thank you (from the lemur) to Mr Panda.

Make a black and white picture
Give children a black piece of paper, white paint and a thick brush to experiment making blobs and marks, alternatively they could do this with a piece of white paper and black paint.

Find out more

Visit Steve Antony’s website

It includes facts about Please Mr Panda and a few downloadable activities based on the book.

Read more books by Steve Antony, titles include:

Thank you Mr Panda

Betty Goes Bananas

The Queen’s Hat

Monster in the Hood