Torla and Smorla and the Deeper than Average Hole

When Torla, the taller-than-average giraffe, is stuck in a deeper-than-average hole, it is up to her smaller-than-average friend, Smorla, to find a way to get her out!

I absolutely loved ‘Torla and Smorla and the Lower than Average Cloud’ and was so excited when I spotted that another adventure for this loveable duo is on its way! ‘Torla and Smorla and the Deeper than Average Hole’ is just as brilliant as the first book and I hope that there are many more to come!

As with the last book, the friendship between these two giraffes is at the heart of the story. When Torla falls into the hole and gets stuck, Smorla is determined to help, coming up with different ideas and persisting until Torla is at last free. Not being able to free Torla alone, Smorla first seeks help from others and when that doesn’t work, comes up with an ingenious solution to solve the problem!

The illustrations are a complete joy and add much to the humour of the story. The tall, thin format of the book emphasises the height difference between the two and readers can fold some pages out or up, allowing them to be part of the adventure as the story progresses. The giraffes’ faces show a whole range of emotions through the ups and downs of Torla’s time in the hole, allowing for plenty of exploration of emotions.

There is much repetition of the phrase ‘(something)-than-average’, encouraging children to explore what this means (in simple terms!), perhaps leading to discussions about the joys of being unique and the fact that being different from your friends is absolutely normal! The book really lends itself to a book groups session as there are so many crafty ideas which it inspires as well as being a really fun read!

Can’t wait to see what these two get up to next!

Torla and Smorla and the Deeper than Average Hole

Kes Gray, illustrated by Chris Jevons

Happy Yak ISBN: ‎ 978-0711288126

Published 3rd July 2025

You can read my review of ‘Torla and Smorla and the Lower than Average Cloud’ here.

Elephant Can’t Jump

Elephant is determined to take part in the Big Boing Off competition this year. All the usual contestants, Flea, Frog, Goat and Kangaroo, are taking part and are expert jumpers, but when Elephant tries, she finds she just can’t jump!

However, with some creative thinking, perseverance and a little help from her friends, perhaps Elephant can find a way to jump after all.

‘Elephant Can’t Jump’ is a real ‘feel good’ story, perfect for sharing with little ones, which offers a really positive message about perseverance and determination.

Determined to enter the competition, Elephant is supported by her friends in trying to find a solution to her problem. As each attempt fails, she shows great resilience as her friends come up with creative ways of helping her to achieve her goal. They all keep trying until, together, they have ensured their friend’s success and can all celebrate together!

The story reminds readers that there is no one right way of doing things. Each of the animals has their own approach and techniques for jumping- no one way better than the other- which allow them to experience success. When none of these ways work for Elephant, they simply set about finding a way which suits her and allows her to achieve her goal. Although delighted with herself, Elephant is quick to thank her friends for their help, showing that teamwork, friendship and determination make an excellent combination!

Robert Starling’s colourful illustrations are full of humour, energy and colour, with plenty of details to spot. The book if perfect for sharing at home or at school, offering an excellent starting point for discussions about perseverance and looking for alternative ways of finding a solution! Great fun!

Elephant Can’t Jump

Pip Jones, illustrated by Robert Starling

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1471193316

Basil Dreams Big

Basil the bat doesn’t believe that he can fly. Encouraged by his friend, Moth, and the rest of the fruit bats, he tries and tries, but with no luck. However, when as storm threatens Moth, Basil realises that anything is possible.

Told in bouncy, rhyming text, ‘Basil Dreams Big’ is an absolute dream to read aloud, making it perfect for sharing!

Children will empathise with Basil as he struggles to master a new skill. No matter what he does, his efforts seem fruitless, but ultimately, resilience and self-belief enable him to overcome his fears. Supported by friends and family, he struggles to find the courage until his best friend needs him and everything falls into place. Children will relate to his worries and the book makes a perfect starting point for discussions about resilience, determination and not giving up.

Gorgeous illustrations accompany the story and these could also be used with a class- or individual child- to pause the story and explore Basil’s feelings at different points, perhaps using role play or gathering vocabulary. Children might share a personal (realistic!) goal recorded on a ‘Basil’ shape which they are determined to achieve, creating a display to encourage perseverance.

Used alongside other areas of the curriculum, the book might also inspire research into fruit bats. Some of the lovely phrasing used in the story might also be explored- ‘moonlit-kissed world’, ‘dawn-dusted tree’, ‘storm-tumbled skies’- perhaps encouraging children to create their own descriptive words or phrases- even leading to poetry writing!

A really lovely book!

Basil Dreams Big

Lu Fraser, illustrated by Sarah Warburton

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1398525832

Published 24th April 2025

The Circular Square

Square finds his edges and corners hard to deal with. They are always getting bashed and Square is quite miserable. However, he quickly realises that dwelling on his problems is not helpful and by making the best of things, he can be far happier. Every knock and tumble helps to make him a far more rounded individual.

‘The Circular Square’ is a wonderfully up-lifting and positive story which encourages readers to look for the positives in life even when things get tough. The lively rhyming text is accompanied by an appealing cast of shape characters who vividly bring the story to life.

Through focusing on the little things in life which make him happy in the moment and accepting that life is full of ups and downs, Square becomes a far happier individual, shaped by his experiences and the rewards of perseverance. The book is perfect for sharing in assemblies or as the basis for a PSHE lesson, and although targeted at a younger audience, carries a message which can be positively shared with older children too. The phrases describing the ‘little things that make him feel alive’ like ‘the sparkle of the sea’, ‘the gentle warmth of autumn sun’ or ‘the zing of homemade lemonade’ could easily be used to inspire the writing of precious things poems or lists. Further ideas for this are given at the end of the book where both the author and illustrator share a list of five things which make them happy - and offer a space for readers to do the same.

The story is brimming with a positivity which acknowledges that life is not perfect, but is definitely what you make it!

The Circular Square

Simon Philip, illustrated by Neil Clark

Templar ISBN: 978-1800785052

My Path

Every morning, a little snail sets off to follow their Path. Sometimes this path is shared by others; sometimes it is a lonely one; sometimes hard or unexpected. But the snail knows that it is their Path, their unique way forwards and, as long as it feels like the right thing to do, it is theirs to follow.

‘My Path’ is a delightful story about making your own decisions and choosing not to follow the crowd, but forge your own way in life. The little snail’s determination and perseverance when faced with difficult choices, their choice to ask for help when needed and the courage of their convictions, all lend themselves to discussions, supporting children to understand that they too can ‘walk the road less travelled’ and value their individuality or choose to follow the same path as others as long as this is the right path for them.

When the snail is met by those who challenge their decisions and try to tell them that they are following the wrong path, the story tell us that the snail considers what they are being told before continuing, drawing attention to the fact that not everyone agrees about things and that this is ok, but that is also fine to consider other opinions. There is no need for confrontation, name calling or animosity, but for each to follow the path they have chosen

The illustrations are delightful with the expressive face of the snail showing the range of emotions it experiences on the path it has chosen. No name is given so any child can identify with this appealing individual as they follow their own path.

My Path

Jana Curll

Nosy Crow ISBN: ‎ 978-1805134244

The Boy who Painted the World

Once, a boy found a blank book. Stumbling inside, he soon made a mess- but a friendly paint brush helped him to see that he could transform the splodges into…a messy-a-saurus, wobbly squares into… robots, and circ-angles into…birds! All the boy’s ‘mistakes’ turned into amazing pictures as he and the paint brush mixed a little confidence with a lot of imagination to prove that mistakes open a world of possibilities!

What a brilliant book! Faced with a world which demands a very limited view of ‘perfection’ at every turn, we need more and more books like this which encourage creativity and exploration and show that ‘mistakes’ are merely happy accidents or starting points.

Whatever his previous experiences, the little boy in the story has obviously been left feeling that he is no good at art. ‘I always make a big mess,’ he says apologetically to the paint brush, ‘I’m not very neat.’ Whether he has been told directly or he has gleaned it from comments about his or others’ work, he has learned that neatness and careful lines are things which make an artist and that his work falls short. However, with paint brush’s guidance, he starts to enjoy himself, not worrying about how ‘perfect’ his work is, but relishing the fact that it is fun! Isn’t this what art - or any hobby-should be all about?

Offering a wonderful starting point for creative projects- suggestions for some projects are included at the end- the book also allows for discussions about the importance of having a go, perseverance and (most of all) having fun! Although the theme of the story relates this to art, its message-there’s no such thing as a mistake, just a world of possibilities!- can be applied to anything from maths lessons to riding a bike, from karate to learning to play the piano! ‘The Boy who Painted the World’ is sure to become a firm favourite with teachers, parents and carers as they share its wonderfully positive and empowering message with the children they care for!

The Boy who Painted the World

Tom McLaughlin

OUP ISBN: 978-0192785343

Published 4th July 2024

When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left

I love ‘The Dot’, Peter H. Reynolds’s timeless and inspirational story about creativity, perseverance and self-confidence, celebrating ‘Dot Day’ every year. He has written and illustrated many other books, each of which carries a very positive, self-affirming message. They are perfect for using in school- for individual classes, for assemblies, for whole school projects- and each with Reynolds’s wonderful illustrations.

‘When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left’, written by Marc Colagiovanni and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, is an inspirational story about making a choice about how to deal with worries, frustrations, fears and doubts.

The little boy at the heart of the story is faced with a day when nothing is going right. So, he decides to go left- leaving all his worries, doubts, fears and frustrations behind. He perseveres, finds the courage to try again and realises that the more he does this, the more ‘right’ he feels. The wonderfully positive, affirming message is simply, but directly told, perfect for sharing with children and offering strategies for coping with being overwhelmed or overcoming adversity.

Language play, a direct, optimistic tone and lovely artwork make this an appealing text to use with any age group as its message is as relevant to adults as it is to children. The guidance it offers is full of optimism, reminding the reader they have the power to choose to ‘go left’ and ask for help when needed. It is a joyful book- one for sharing again and again.

When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left!

Marc Colagiovanni, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702324765

You can read my review of ‘Our Table’ here , ‘Playing from the Heart’ here and ‘The Word Collector’ here.