Parents, librarians and teachers are always on the lookout for new picture books to read to their young readers. Whilst most children have favourites that they have to have read almost every day, it is important that they are introduced to a wide range of the fabulous works which are out there. Teachers in particular are looking for books that have themes that they can integrate into their curriculum work, as well as being a fun and lively story. I hope that some of these books will meet the needs of many of you reading this. Give them a go, I am sure you won’t be disappointed.
Two Hoots, 9781509889839
“Three Little Vikings” by Bethan Woollvin tells the story of three children who struggle to get the adults to believe that they have heard something big and dangerous outside; the chief is particularly irritating as he repeats that he is a grown up and he knows best. You can see that many children would find that message very frustrating. The story uses Viking mythology to brilliant effect, as the children try and save their village from a destructive troll and eventually the adults have to believe them.
Uclan, 9781912979608
“The Bear and her Book” by Frances Tosdevin and Sophia O’Connor. This is a truly magical story of adventure and also about the joys that books can bring to our lives. When bear decides to see the world, she takes her copy of “Bear’s Big Book of being Wise” and finds it very useful in many of the situations that she finds herself in. It is a fabulous addition to my collection of books about books and libraries and I really recommend it.
Big Picture Press, 9781787418769
“Ratty’s Big Adventure” by Lara Hawthorne is a lovely story of a small vegetarian rat called Ratty, who decides he wants to explore beyond the mountain crater that he lives in. He meets a wide range of animals and faces many dangers and challenges. However he decides that home and friends are what he really wants in life. This is full of information about the wild life of Papua New Guinea, but above all, it is a tale of adventure and finding your place in the world.
Pikku Publishing, 9781999639891
“The Happy Hedgerow” by Elena Mannion and Erin Brown tells the story of Old Oak and the changes that he sees, when the hedgerow is grubbed up to make larger fields. It is a story about the seasons and also about the changes that we see in the countryside. Happily this story has a happy ending, as the humans realize the importance of the hedges and re-plant them. This will work well as part of environmental studies in KS1.
Chronicle Kids, 9781452173191
“Inside Cat” by Brendan Wenzel is the story of one of those cats who lives indoors and only sees the world through the prism of the windows that enclose him. However, he discovers that seeing something from the inside is not the same experience as being out there. This book makes us more aware of our senses and how we can explore our world, even if we are limited in some ways. It increases our understanding of the world around us and how we perhaps need to challenge the limits and perhaps go outside our comfort zone. The quirky illustrations and the limited text make the whole story relatable to the small child. This is aimed at very young children and would be brilliant for encouraging Early Years children to try new experiences.
Andersen Press, 9781783448944
“Scissorella” by Clare Helen Walsh and Laura Barrett. This is a truly magical re-telling of ‘Cinderella’, but with the twist being that the main character is an amazing paper artist. The art is inspired by the creative work of Lottie Reiniger, a German born artist who had a great influence on the development of film animation. The story has an art deco setting, with the costumes harking back to the 1920s; in fact, it reminds me in many ways, of the marvellous version ’Ella’s Big Chance’ by Shirley Hughes. However, we have the added beauty of the paper cutting, which gives a very lace like feel to many of the images. This is a truly beautiful book, which shows a determined female character, who is determined to succeed in life and is a wonderful addition to the Cinderella canon of books.
Pushkin Children’s, 9781782693154
“Shoo!” by Susie Bower and Francesca Gambatesa is the very funny story of what happens when a Zoo moves next door, to someone who doesn’t like animals. It is full of mayhem and laughter and is a great read for younger readers. It also reminds us that we all need friends and that our perceptions should be open to change. This will make a great book for story time, both in the school and in the library.
Templar Books, 9781787419179
“The Little wooden robot and the log princess” by Tom Gauld is a very modern interpretation of a fairy tale. The king and queen have no children and ask a witch and an inventor to create a child for them. The log princess, worked by magic, but turned back into a log every night. Whereas the Robot Prince was worked by mechanics and housed a family of beetles in his working. When the princess goes missing, it is up to her brother to go searching, but he faces many challenges before finding his sibling. Luckily, as with the best fairy tales we have a happy ending.
Farshore, 9780755502851
“Splash” by Claire Cashmore and Sharon Davey is written by the Paralympian athlete Claire Cashmore and is a version of how she overcame her fear of water, in order to become a gold medal swimmer. It is a story of determination and overcoming many challenges. Hopefully it will help many young people to focus on overcoming their own challenges, what ever they may be.
“A Christmas in Time” by Sally Nicholls is the second adventure for Alex and Ruby as they are taken back to a Victorian Christmas; where they have the task of saving a young ancestor from being sent to a really awful girls boarding school. The plot also involves mending family relationships and bringing the true spirit of Christmas to those that they meet. This is a lovely read for those who are just becoming confident in their reading and I look forward to another story (that was hinted at) in the future.
In this version we have a very strong set of female characters, but of course the men in the story tend to get the wrong end of the stick and assume that S Claus must be a man. There is a truly horrible villain, Mr Krampus, named after the scary devil figure found in Germanic festivities leading to Christmas, but just is served at the end. this makes a really original story and is bound to be a great favourite.
“The Night After Christmas” by Kes Gray and Claire Powell follows on from last year’s offering “The night before the night before Christmas” and shows us how Santa and Mrs Claus, together with the reindeer and Elves celebrate the completion of their mammoth task every year. This is an exuberant, funny and so very happy story for younger readers. Fantastic for reading to classes and all the little ones in your life.
are treated to a wonderful re-interpretation of “A Christmas Carol”, but set in the present day and dealing with the aftermath of family bereavement and the profound impact that can be felt for years. A definite future classic.
“A Thing called Snow” by Yuval Zommer is the delightful story of two young animals as they discover winter and,in particular, snow for the first time. The arctic fox and hare have only heard about winter, as they had been born in the spring, so they find the whole experience quite magical. The author/illustrator has created a wonderland of images for us and it is a story that works on so many levels and is an absolute delight.
Smith is a totally brilliant and hysterical take on the famous song. As the author says, it is very difficult to remember the list of items sent on the twelve days, so in the end he made up his own list. It is absolutely mad and I can imagine the fun that groups of children will have in trying to act out this song. Once again Alex T Smith has given us an real gem of a book for Christmas.
out when Santa accidentally puts presents into the stocking of a naughty twin, but leaves nothing for the good sibling. The magic of Christmas shows that everyone has a good side and that the power of love is limitless.
“Dogger’s Christmas” by Shirley Hughes sees the return of one of the most iconic characters in picture books. It is the run up to Christmas and young Dave (Dogger’s owner) is getting very excited and puts Dogger safely in the window. However after the great day, he cannot find his toy and it looks as if Dogger has gone, however with the help of older sister Bella, miracles can happen. There are going to be a few tears and lots of Christmas cheer as this gorgeous story reaches its conclusion.
featuring the planet Yule-1 and the Trubshaw family, who find themselves having to help Father Christmas when a rogue inventor threatens to make dangerous toys for presents. This is a great story for younger readers and the humour is just as infectious as in the first story. It is yet another brilliant addition to my Christmas shelves.
“The Church Mice at Christmas” by Graham Oakley is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and it is just as wonderful as the first time I read it, all those years ago. The adventures of the mice and their unwilling ally, Sampson the cat, make for a wonderful story that will be loved by both the adults and children in your life.
stunningly illustrated collection of folk tales from around the world. Although there are some familiar tales from Europe, there are also stories from China, Japan and South Africa and they all have the ability to uplift the spirit. Definitely a great collection for a school where you want to be able to read short, but complete, stories during the day.
“Letters from Father Christmas” by J R R Tolkien, edited by Baillie Tolkien. I can’t believe it is 100 years since Tolkien started writing these letters to his children. This centenary edition is much longer that the original edition from 1976, which was called “The Father Christmas Letters” and which was also edited by Baillie Tolkien. The magic that the author was able to create for his family shouts to us from 
the page and I am sure that there are many families where following his example has become something of a tradition. It is a glorious addition to any Christmas collection.
Whilst most of my time on a visit is spent helping the schools, I do get time to look at what has been arriving in the last few months and these are some of the picture books that caught my eye when I visited three weeks ago.
her desire to keep the memory of her dead sister Agnes by creating a ‘snow sister’ whenever it snows. This is a Victorian tale about family and what is really important in life. Yet again Emma Carroll has produced a story that provided deep satisfaction and a sense of the Christmas season. (NG)
