Tiger Tales

I have been contemplating a blog post about “Tiger tales” for quite some time, as I kept discovering more and more books which feature these majestic creatures.  The realization that this is the Chinese “Year of the Tiger” spurred me on to actually put together this group of books.  One of the main problems is that I keep finding even more, really exciting sounding books that I have now got on my ‘to be read’ list.  I have added these to the end of the blog post, so that you can all have a go at reading some of them.

 

Pavilion, 9781843654018

“Big Cat” by Emma Lazell is a very funny look at what happens when Grandma loses her spectacles.  She finds a very large cat and decides to look after it, but what everyone else can see is that this is no ordinary Cat.  Eventually some visitors, who are out searching for their son, find the glasses and everything becomes very clear!!  There is a real sense of playfulness with this story and I detect a certain ‘homage’ to  The Tiger who came to Tea.  Definitely one to keep and keep re-reading.

Little Tiger, 9781788810418

“Squish, Squash, Squeeze” by Tracey Corderoy and Jane Chapman tells the story of Mouse, who thinks he has found the perfect new home, but Bear, Crocodile, and Tiger say there is no room for them all.  When the floor collapses under them they are scared, but perhaps a burrowing Mole has provided the solution to all of their problems?  Another superbly funny picture book from Tracey Corderoy.

Scholastic, 9781407185712

“Collecting Cats” by Lorna Scobie.  When the narrator of the story decides they want to collect cats they go about it in a very unusual way.  Firstly they get a load of cheese, this attracts mice and eventually the cats arrive to catch the mice.  However, you can have too much of a good thing and eventually they decide that collecting cheese is a better idea.  This is a fantastically silly and funny story, full of very kind of cat, so everyone is probably going to see their own version.

HarperCollins, 9780007215997

“The Tiger who came to Tea” by Judith Kerr is a modern classic, which is now celebrating  54 years since its original publication in 1968.  I probably came across it when I started working in a library in the early 1970s, so it has been part of my professional life for a very long time.  We never seem to tire of this somewhat unwelcome visitor, but are always thankful when he decides to leave.  Despite the setting, this seems to avoid many of the criticisms that could be made about gender roles in particular.  I still love it as a story.

Nosy Crow, 9781788002523

“This Zoo is not for You” by Ross Collins. When platypus turns up at the zoo, the animals assume that he is there for an interview to join the zoo.  Each of them finds a reason why he would not fit in, based on their own preferences.  However, after he has left, they discover a letter, inviting them to a party on his Platybus!! After apologies all round, everyone enjoys the fun.  A brilliant book about not making assumptions, or judging by appearances.

Bloomsbury, 9781408892183

“Ravi’s Roar” by Tom Percival is another delightful book by this author and it focuses on the feelings that the youngest member of a family can feel.  Ravi feels left out of things by his siblings and he always seems to be last, because of his size.  One day it all becomes too much and Ravi is so angry, he turns in to a tiger, but what will happen when he calms down?  This is a brilliant look at coping with anger and is a welcome addition to the other books by Tom Percival, which deal with emotional well-being.

Nosy Crow, 9781788005678

“Tiger, Tiger burning bright” by Fiona Waters and Britta Teckentrup is an amazing poetry collection for the younger reader, although it requires a table or very strong arms when reading it.  It really is one of those collections that every primary school should have and will act as a wonderful focus for children and their imaginations.

HarperCollins, 9780007119691

Tiger in the Snow by Nick Butterworth is an absolute classic, featuring a tabby kitten, called Tiger and the adventure he has when he discovers snow for the first time.  With all of his friends either too cold or too busy to come and play, can Tiger find a companion to share his fun?

Macmillan,9781509855155

“I am a Tiger” by Karl Newsom and Ross Collins is an absolutely hysterical story of a mouse who insists that he is actually a tiger.  He manages to persuade several other animals that they are not who they think they are.  However, when a real tiger appears on the scene, can the mouse persuade him that he is actually a MOUSE!!  This is an real delight and a must have in every early years setting

Bloomsbury, 9781408839041

“Never tickle a tiger” by Pamela Butchart, illustrated by Marc Boutevant.  Izzy is a girl who can’t keep still. She is always wriggling and jiggling and generally causing havoc.  Can Izzy behave herself on a school visit to the Zoo and what will happen if she can’t?  A colourful and very energetic story about a young girl who cannot seem to keep out of trouble.  Izzy is one of those children who has to try everything and only learns from her mistakes.  On this occasion she creates total mayhem as she disregards the order “never tickle a tiger” and we have an amazing 4 page spread explaining just how big a disaster she has caused.  You would think that she has finally learnt her lesson, but I wouldn’t be sure about that.  This is a definite morality tale, much in the style of Hilaire Belloc, but with a thoroughly modern heroine.  A really fun book for younger readers.

Welbeck, 9781783125661

“Interview with a Tiger and other Clawed Beasts too” by Andy Seed and Nick East.  What a fascinating and very funny book this is, particularly if you want information but without the boring bits. The author gives us a series of ‘interviews’ with a range of animals and we get a wonderfully relaxed set of answers about them and their lifestyles.

Orion, 9781510107045

“Tiger Heart” by Penny Chrimes.   Fly is a young girl, abandoned at birth and then taken to work for a chimney sweep, climbing up and down the chimneys all day.  One day she makes a bid for freedom and quite literally finds herself trapped in a cage with a rather large tiger.  The strangest thing is that this creature begins to talk to her and she can understand him, but most oddly of all the tiger insists on calling her ‘princess’ and says that she comes from the same land as himself.  They escape from the house they are in but find themselves hunted by the man responsible for bringing the tiger and other animals to this country.  This is a story about friendship, knowing yourself and trying to understand the world around you.  It is a lesson in not letting physical possessions become the most important thing in life, but in knowing that people are what make the world a better place to live in

Lion, 9781782643173

“The Tigers in the Tower” by Julia Golding is a fascinating story of animals at the Tower of London in the 19th Century.  there is a full review of this book on this blog, written in September 2020.

Usborne, 9781474903042

“The troublesome |Tiger” by Tamsyn Murray is part of her series for young readers, featuring Zoe, who lives at Tanglewood Animal Park.   This book is about Tindu, a new addition to the park, but one that is not settling in to their new home.  Can Zoe help and make their new tiger feel at home.  This is a great series for those who love animals and is an excellent precursor to reading Gill Lewis and similar writers.

 

 

These are some other books that I have come across and hope to read, or re-read in the near future.  Do give some of them a try.

“Mr Tiger goes Wild” by Peter Brown

Two Hoots, 978-1509848232

 

“Cinnamon” by Neil Gaiman and Divya Srinivasan

Bloomsbury, 978-1408879221

 

 

“Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue Moon” by Sally Gardner

Zephyr, 978-1786697189

 

 

“The Time traveller and the Tiger” by Tania Unsworth

Zephyr, 978-1788541718

 

The Dancing Tiger” by Malachy Doyle

Simon and Schuster Children’s, 978-0689873102

 

“The magic Bed”  by John Burningham

Red Fox, 978-0099439691

 

“Love is…” by Sarah Maycock

Big Picture Press, 978-1787418745

 

 

 

“Tiger in trouble” by Jess Butterworth

Orion, 978-1510107984

 

“There’s a Tiger in the garden” by Lizzy Stewart

Lincoln Children’s Books,  978-1847808073

 

So, from me and my tiger friends, enjoy these books and have a wonderful “Year of the Tiger”

 

Make Hay (on Wye) while the sun shines

Well I have finally achieved an ambition that I have had for many years –  my first visit to the Hay festival; however it will not be my last visit I am sure.  For those who have never attended, I hope I can give you just a small flavour of this quite extraordinary and very unique event.

It takes place over two weekends (from 25th May to 1st June in 2017) and is a melting pot of events covering adult and children’s, non-fiction and fiction.  there are politicians, artists, reporters, authors and illustrators all expressing a wide range of views, so that almost everyone will find something to their liking.  Everything that I know about the Festival has been learnt from friends who have appeared or attended in past years.  Hay itself is a small town with the reputation of being the second-hand bookshop capital of the country (if not the world).  During the festival period it becomes overwhelmed by the number of visitors and accommodation is extremely difficult to find.  For those who are young enough and have the energy there is always the option of camping or glamping; however hotels and B&B s need to be booked a long time ahead if you want to be anywhere near the town.

This year I only attended for one day so my main concern was in finding parking.  Luckily this is extremely well organized with a large off site car park several miles away at Clyro Court. the cost was £6.00 for the day but this also covered the bus to and from the venue.  The buses are every 10 minutes and run until after all of the events have finished, so quite late in the evening.  However I also found that there are several large “Charity” car parks just outside the entrance to the site, so this is something that I need to investigate for the future.

The day that  I chose to attend was Monday 29th, mainly because Neil Gaiman was going to be ‘in conversation’ with Stephen Fry.  As my friends know I was lucky enough to be chair of judges in 2010 when Neil won the Carnegie Medal for “The Graveyard Book” (illustrated by Chris Riddell).  I also discovered that Sarah McIntyre was talking about her new picture book “Prince of Pants” (author Alan MacDonald) and Philip Reeve was discussing “Black Light Express” the follow up to “Railhead”.  I booked all of my tickets, including the parking many weeks before the date and was ready for the two hour journey when the big day arrived.

I knew that it was going to be good when I saw three people that I know within five minutes of arrival at the site; there is nothing like the feeling of belonging this can give you and the children’s book community is so open and friendly that it feels like seeing members of your family .  The Festival site is like a miniature city under canvas with a variety of tents connected by wide covered walkways.  This means that even in the rain it is a very usable space.  The first thing that really hit me was just how crowded the venue was.  With other Festivals such as Bath and Cheltenham they are widely spread out, but this is something totally different.  However it gives Hay a really sense of energy and excitement and you gradually get used to the crowds.

The tent city is well signposted and there are plenty of places to chill out, get something to eat and drink and generally enjoy the ambiance.  My first stop was the Festival Bookshop where all the signings were taking place.  there were several queues and it took a while to understand what was going on; however there is a board which tells you that each doorway is allocated to a specific signing queue, but some of them were very long and things became confusing.

My first event was Sarah McIntyre who was sporting another one of her fabulous outfits, both dress and hats; however it was the beautiful handmade bead necklace that had me drooling, the maker is obviously extremely talented.  As always Sarah got her audience to draw some of the characters from the book and also explained the whole process of creating the illustrations.  I think many were in awe of the skill that goes into interpreting the words that are given to an illustrator and it reminds us that the illustrators are of equal importance (Hence Sarah’s work on http://www.jabberworks.co.uk/pictures-mean-business/.   I then wandered over to the tent where Philip Reeve was talking about his new book.  He had some great digital book trailers which had been manipulated to give the feel of being in space.   Philip is an amazing speaker and he had his audience totally enthralled.  Just before the talk started I discovered that the lovely M G Leonard was sitting directly in front of me, so we were able to renew our acquaintance.  You really must read her two books “Beetle Boy” and “Beetle Queen” if you have not done so already.  After the event had finished I was able to spend some time talking to Sarah and M G before going in for the Neil Gaiman event.

Stephen Fry and Neil Gaiman were discussing his new work “Norse Mythology” and making links to Greek Mythology, as Stephen Fry is currently working on this theme. This was a highly motivated audience of hard-core fans and they were even more ecstatic when Chris Riddell joined the others on stage and spent the entire session creating wonderful and very humorous sketches based on the conversation.  The event was a masterclass in illustration, interviewing and also the depth of knowledge that both speakers had about their subjects.  Although I had taken several books to get them signed the queue was far too long and I still had a two hour drive.  Still I hope that I will be able to hear Neil Gaiman speak at another event in the future.

Hay Festival turned out to be a real delight and I am hoping that in future years I will be able to go for several days and totally wallow in the experience.  It also shows that reading is still alive and well in this country and the range of material is absolutely huge.  I really do encourage people to go to this if they can, however it does require a fair amount of planning to maximize the benefits and see as many people as you want to.  I am sure that many of the events were sold out, so it is important to book tickets as soon as you can; trying to get tickets on the day will probably not work.  Thank you to everyone involved with the Festival, you are fantastic.

 

A new collaborative work

I have always said that the proudest event of my career was chairing the Carnegie/Kate Greenaway 2013-10-31-13-46-51judging panel.  In 2010 we chose Neil Gaiman as the winner of the Carnegie for his book “The Graveyard Book”; the illustrator being Chris Riddell.  Since then this duo have collaborated on several other works including  “Fortunately the Milk”, a new edition of “Coraline” and “The Sleeper and the Spindle”, which has also been shortlisted for the Carnegie and was the winner of the Kate Greenaway medal for 2016.

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Bloomsbury, 9781408870600

Last week I was lucky enough to attend an evening listening to Chris Riddell, at Bloomsbury Books.  He was discussing his collaboration with Neil Gaiman and specifically about their new offering “Odd and the Frost Giants”.  Chris was in discussion with Rebecca McNally, the publishing director at Bloomsbury and gave us a wonderful insight into how the creative relationship has developed over the years.  Originally Chris was asked to illustrate  “The Graveyard Book” for the English edition as the American version had been illustrated by David McKean and it was so successful that they have worked on a wide range of titles since then.

The new book is a stunning piece of art and a wonderful story based on the Norse myths.  Visually this is a book to treasure with a cut-out front cover and a positive wealth of stunning line drawings.  The underlying themes of the book seem to be about overcoming great adversity and about valuing the beauty that surrounds us.2016-09-11-11-50-59 2016-09-11-11-51-10

Chris Riddell also spoke about the role of librarians, both in libraries and in school libraries and how important they were in promoting books to children and teachers.  This message was very well received by the audience, most of whom were librarians from public and school venues.

2016-09-04-11-51-35 2016-09-04-11-52-02It was a great evening with an opportunity to hear our current Children’s Laureate speak and also to catch up with friends and colleagues.

Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals 2015

Monday 22nd June was a fantastic day despite the really horrible weather.  The reason was the annual celebration of the best in Children’s Literature for the past year as shown in the Carnegie and Kate Greenaway awards.  You could say that I am somewhat biased as I had the great honour to chair the panel of judges in 2010 when Neil Gaiman won with “The Graveyard Book”  http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2010awards/media_ceremony.php?file=1

2015-06-22 11.28.49This year had proved a mammoth task for the judges with over 90 titles put forward for Carnegie and 70 books listed for the Greenaway.  this was then pruned down to a more manageable number for the long-list and then finally the shortlist.  The titles that made it through the process were by a wide range of new and also well known and loved authors and illustrators; the thing they had in common was the immense quality of the work they produced and they way that this spoke to the audiences.

The award ceremony was back at the British Library after a break of several years and I know that for many of us it felt like a spiritual homecoming.  The conference centre foyer was buzzing as people met up with friends and colleagues from libraries and publishing.  All of the shortlisted nominees were there and were pounced on by their fans from the shadowing schools that had been invited, as well as by their adult fans as well.  The ceremony itself was full of laughter, with Mel Giedroyc (from Great British bake Off) acting as the compere and proving what a funny person she is.  The announcements themselves were greeted by loud cheers (and perhaps some secret sorrow, if your own choice did not win) and we then returned to the foyer for drinks and canapes, although you had to be quick to actually get any food.  The winner of the Carnegie medal is the lovely and truly talented Tanya Landman  for “Buffalo Soldier”, whilst the Greenaway medal has been won by new talent William Grill for his book “Shackleton’s Journey.”

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Tanya Landman, with Agnes Guyon and Mel Giedroyc

 

It was an occasion to catch up with old friends as well as meet some new people.  It also made me think that I will have to catch up with those books I have not read yet, but most importantly it reminded me that nominations for this year will open in September and I need to start writing a list of titles that I think should be on the list.

Congratulations to everyone involved.

2015-06-22 11.24.47

Sally Gardner with Elizabeth Laird

 

Tim Bowler with Tricia Adams of the SLA

Tim Bowler with Tricia Adams of the SLA

 

 

 

Children’s Laureate

Last Tuesday, 9th June saw the announcement of who would follow in the footprints of the fantastic Malorie Blackman and become the new Children’s laureate.  I think it was fair to say that most people were ecstatic when we found it was going to be the truly amazing and multi-talented Chris Riddell. His acceptance speech set the tone for the next two years and it promises to be a time when children’s and school librarians will feel supported in the work they are doing.

web-childrens-laureate-1-pa

 

Chris has been illustrator for many years as well as a very well respected political cartoonist.  His children’s work has covered from picture books such as the “Emperor of Absurdia”, through “Ottoline”, “Barnaby Grimes”, “Goth Girl” and the “Edge Chronicles”up to “Wyrmeweald”.  He has written and illustrated books by himself but he has also worked in collaboration with others such as Paul Stewart and Neil Gaiman.  Chris was in the vanguard of those illustrators fighting for the acceptance of illustrated books for those past the age of about 7 years and he is firmly behind the campaign to give illustrators equal recognition with their authors.

 

I have to say that my personal favourites are the Goth Girl series, which combine historical backgrounds with the absurdities that we all knew and loved Terry Pratchett for. I can’t wait for the “Goth Girl and the Wuthering Fright” which is due out later this year.  Other titles to look out for are “Doombringer: second book of Cade” (Edge Chronicles) with Paul Stewart, “The book of Demons” with Daniel Whelan and “Witchmyth” with Emma Fischel. Keep your eyes open for all things Laureate related.  Sites to follow are

Twitter  @chrisriddell50    #ChildrensLaureate

Instagram     https://instagram.com/chris_riddell/

Tumblr     http://chrisriddellblog.tumblr.com/

 

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