Don’t Do It, Doug

Doug is a hamster of insatiable curiosity and a penchant for trouble. From shaking cans of fizzy drink to raiding a hive for honey, he impulsively does things which other people would think twice about. Can he change his ways?

‘Don’t Do It, Doug’ is another wonderful story from Maudie Powell-Tuck and Duncan Beedie.

Acting without thinking is something which we are all guilty of from time to time. Snaccidents relating to chocolate and buying piles of books are things happen all too often in my life! Little children are often impulsive for a wide range of developmental reasons and this lovely story offers a humorous, non-judgemental way of opening conversations around considering consequences.

The bold, colourful illustrations are just wonderful! full of humour and offering plenty to linger over and discuss, they work perfectly with the minimal, chatty text which charts Doug’s many disasters. Diverting Doug with lots of activity works for a while, but the reader is left wondering whether he will make the right decision at the end of book, encouraging children to predict and explore the different scenarios which might ensue!

The book could also be used to inspire lots of lovely creative work from role play to ‘jumping’ Dougs and other art projects to science experiments! Perfect for school and home!

Don’t Do It, Doug

Maudie Powell-Tuck, illustrated by Duncan Beedie

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1838919856

You can read my review of ‘Hank Goes Honk’ here and ‘Hank Meets Frank’ here

The Good Deed Dogs

Bodger, Billy and Betty are very good dogs who love to help people. Unfortunately, things do not always go according to plan and they seem to end up causing chaos! Feeling dejected, the hapless trio are on their way home when a loud scream attracts their attention and Bodger, Billy and Betty leap into action.

These delightful dogs with the very best of intentions are absolutely adorable and ‘The Good Deed Dogs’ will quickly become a firm favourite at home and at school!

The text is perfect, building each situation with repetitive phrases leading to ‘CALAMITY!’ which will soon have listeners joining in. Little ones will enjoy predicting what will happen next as the canine pals cause mayhem and the story might help them understand why it can be important to think before you act- or ask people whether they need help. The dogs are kind and willing, but they don’t quite get it right!

As with any book by Emma Chichester Clark, the illustrations are just wonderful, full of life and energy. The dogs’ emotions from their boundless enthusiasm to their confusion and disappointment when things go wrong are all brilliantly captured, allowing readers to empathise with the situations they find themselves in. Happily, the dogs manage to do a good deed by saving the little girl’s cat…although they haven’t quite learned their lesson when it comes to causing chaos!

One of the dogs is very like Plum Dog, star of some of Emma’s previous books which show just how well she understands the doggie mind! A lovely, lovely book!

The Good Deed Dogs

Emma Chichester Clark

Walker ISBN: 978-1529523843

When the Mountain Wakes

In a blend of picture book and graphic novel, ‘When the Mountain Wakes’ follows the story of a mountain, who has been asleep for many years as the world changed around it. When the mountain wakes, it is to the sound of silence and the mountain feels lonely. Having set out in search of a song to lull it back to sleep, the mountain searches for a thousand years with no luck until it stumbles across a beautiful flower which it decides to take home with it. And life begins to sing once more.

‘When the Mountain Wakes’ is a lovely story, bursting with hope for the future and celebrating the power of nature.

The book offers so much to think about, wonder at and discuss, making it perfect for sharing and enjoying again and again. The text is simple and direct yet has a lilting, almost poetic quality which makes it a joy to read aloud. Personifying the mountain allows children to empathise with its loneliness as it travels across desolate landscapes in its desire to hear the sounds of nature once more.

The comic strip sections allow for the passing of time to be condensed, offering powerful visual storytelling, including the impact of the discovery of the flower and the subsequent rewilding which leads to the mountain becoming drowsy once more. Unlike many stories which carry a message about the environmental impact of humans on the planet, this one offers an overwhelmingly hopeful ‘wake up call’ in which taking action is seen to have such positive results.

There are so many ways in which this wonderful story could spark creative work that it is a must have for all teachers!

When the Mountain Wakes

Matt Shanks

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1398557123

Isla and the Sky

As Sky’s mood changes, so does she and Isla tries to capture all her different moods and beautiful colours. But not everyone likes it when Sky is not bright and sunny so she decides to stay that way all the time. With no rain, the landscape begins to suffer and so does Sky until Isla manages to convince her that she is loved in every mood and every colour.

‘Isla and the Sky’ is an absolutely delightful book which celebrates the joy of art and is perfect for starting conversations about emotions and being true to yourself.

Sky is so keen to please others that when she hears people moaning about her being rainy or dull, she tries to hide her true self and act in a bright, sunny way all the time. Isla, as an artist, loves all Sky’s different moods and sees her changes as interesting and inspiring, valuing Sky however she is feeling. So many people hide themselves and put on a front to disguise how they are feeling or to make others happy and this story is perfect for exploring this, encouraging children to engage with all their emotions and accept that these are natural, not something to be ashamed of.

The illustrations are just lovely! Children are sure to empathise with Sky and may well enjoy illustrating their own- or others- emotions in this way. Isla’s compassion and understanding of Sky’s moods is also beautifully captured. Excellent for sharing at home or at school, ‘Isla and the Sky’ is a real gem.

Isla and the Sky

Greg Stobbs

OUP ISBN: 978-1382069809

You can read my review of ‘Cloud Boy’ here.

Our Dreams

‘Our Dreams’ is a stunning picture book which is perfect for sharing at bedtime. Soothing text is accompanied by dreamy watercolour artwork, featuring sleepy creatures from cuddling pandas to snuggling sloths.

Rich purples with tinges of pink evoke evening skies creating a wonderfully calm feeling on every page. Children will enjoy naming all the animals shown peacefully sleeping and are sure to notice the creeping caterpillar which makes its way across several pages unheeded by all the slumbering creatures until it creates a cocoon on a branch and later emerges. A gatefold opens to reveal all the animals as the moths fly away.

The reassuring text encourages the idea that dreams are imaginative adventures, ‘a pile of stories’, to be enjoyed whilst they last, creating a positive atmosphere for bedtimes full of possibilities. A lovely book for sharing- sure to become a bedtime favourite!

Our Dreams

Fatima Ordinola

Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270393

You can read my review of ‘Our Love’ here.

The Awesomely Adventurous Librarians

At Sleepy Creek Library, Rida loves helping her grandfather find the ‘perfectly perfect book’ for everyone. She makes lists of all the requests and gives them to Grandad who, after everyone has gone home, visits the Land of Books to collect them all. However, when Arun requests a book which no one has ever been able to catch, Grandad is forced to admit defeat, but Rida is determined to help…

‘The Awesomely Adventurous Librarians’ is an absolutely delightful read from start to finish. It celebrates the wonder and importance of libraries and the joy of finding the perfect book for everyone.

Energetic, wonderfully detailed illustrations accompany Grandad and Rida’s amazing adventures in the Land of Books as they track down the right book for every reader, showing the lengths librarians will go to to get the job done! Children could have great fun creating their own maps of the Land of Books, deciding where different books might be found and creating their own adventures for Rida and Grandad!

Arun’s joy as he curls up to read his ‘perfectly perfect’ book captures the blissful feeling of finding the right read- a feeling readers of this book are sure to get! The story would make an excellent one to share with a class, encouraging discussions about all sorts of favourite books (or other things to read!), but inspiring their imaginations to run riot in book-ish adventures as well. The final little joke is also a reminder to never judge a book by its cover!

A perfectly perfect story!

The Awesomely Adventurous Librarians

Donna David, illustrated by Victoria Stebleva

OUP ISBN: 978-1382063913

Published on the 5th February 2026

The Map of Me

When a little girl moves home, everything feels strange and unfamiliar. With her mother’s help, she creates a map of the new area, but some important things are still missing so she makes the map bigger. Soon, her new friends get involved, making everyone feel closer and more connected and, even when bad things happen, mapping things out helps her find her place in the world.

Some stories are so beautifully told that they speak directly to you- and ‘The Map of Me’ is one of them. It is so gently and carefully told, making it perfect to share simply as a lovely story, but something which could be used to support children (or indeed adults) in a number of different situations.

Creating a map helps the little girl to feel she has taken control of her space- made sense of her world- allowing her to not only familiarise herself with her new environment, but to connect with those who are no longer near to her. Her friends, in turn, make their own connections and broaden the map to include people, places and things which are important to them. The story is sure to encourage children to create their own maps with family or friends, developing their sense of the world around them and those in it.

Using maps to create a picture of the past and, in this case, helping the little girl to cope with feelings of grief and loss is so sensitively and thoughtfully presented. It also enables children to develop their sense of the lives of others, expanding their view beyond the ‘lens of self’ stage and developing empathy and understanding. Creating these ‘life maps’ is a lovely idea and something which might develop cross generational bonds. The little girl and her friends also use this as inspiration for investigating the history of their local area.

The idea of ‘mapping the future’ is also explored, helping children to envisage what might change as well as their aspirations and hopes. Some ideas for creating these are included at the end of the book. The illustrations throughout are delightful, offering plenty of ideas for presenting and developing different types of maps and making connections.

I could waffle on and on about the many things I love about this one and the many ways in which I think it could be used and enjoyed, but will stop and simply recommend that everyone gets themselves a copy! It’s very special.

The Map of Me

Nicola Davies, illustrated by Olga Shtonda

Templar ISBN: 978-1835871782

The Big-Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band

When a one-band dog meets up with a fiddle playing fox, they start a Boogie-Woogie Animal Band. As more and more animals join, the band gets bigger and bigger until they realise that there is one band member missing…

Out in paperback on the 15th, ‘Boogie-Woogie Animal Band’ is another treat of a read from the amazing Giles Andreae.

Brilliant bouncy text introduces children to a wonderful range of musical instruments played by an incredible range of animals. Fantastic for reading aloud, there is a top-tapping quality to the story which is instantly engaging and perfect for encouraging little ones to join in. The final illustration encourages the reader to join the band as the star player- the singer- which is sure to result in some wonderful warbling!

The illustrations are just lovely, full of colour, energy and detail. As the animals are their instruments are introduced, readers will enjoy counting along as the band grows in size. As well as being a great introduction to different musical instruments and animals, the book highlights the joy of collaborative music making and teamwork. Perfect for inspiring musical and craft activities, ‘The Big-Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band’ is a brilliant addition to bookshelves at home and at school!

The Big-Time Boogie-Woogie Animal Band

Giles Andreae, illustrated by Nick East

Hachette ISBN: 978-1408370384

Grandad’s World

During the summer holidays, Jack leaves his home in the city and goes to visit his grandfather in the countryside. There is so much to see and do in his cottage by the woods where they watch the wildlife and walk together by the river. But, one night, their peace is shattered by a van dumping rubbish in Grandad’s special pond. Jack and Grandad quickly set to work, joined by the rest of the community to restore the pond to its former beauty for everyone to enjoy and make it safe for the wildlife which lives there.

‘Grandad’s World’ is such a beautiful book! Gorgeous illustrations and gentle text combine perfectly to create a deeply poignant celebration of the special connection between grandparent and grandchild and the beauties of the natural world.

I was lucky enough to spend many days during holidays with my grandparents and have treasured memories of sewing, cooking and making with my Grandma. This book captures the special bond which can form between generations beautifully, offering a different way of spending time- a more relaxed, calmer, technology free approach to life. For Jack and his grandfather, their bond develops through spending time outdoors, both in nature and tending Grandad’s chickens. A sense of timelessness permeates the story as Grandad shares how his father and grandfather looked after the pond and Jack hopes that one day it might be his turn to do so.

When nature is threatened by the callous actions of anonymous fly-tippers, the story shows the power of individuals and communities to make a difference on a very local and immediate level, working together to keep the creatures who live in, and around, the pond safe. There is no great call to action here- just a simple, direct message of leading by example.

The illustrations are every bit as stunning as might be expected from Michael Foreman. Beautiful watercolours add to the charm of the story, offering readers a mini work of art on every page. This is a story to be shared and enjoyed again and again at home or at school.

Grandad’s World

Michael Foreman

Scholastic ISBN: 978-0702323119

Bedtime for Little Digger

Although it’s bedtime, Little Digger is too busy with things to do to go to sleep just yet…

The soothing rhythmic, rhyming text of ‘Bedtime for Little Digger’ is just perfect for calming little ones down and snuggling up ready to sleep. Little Digger is really excited and busy, not ready for bed, a situation many parents will be very familiar with, but the story gently, but firmly reminds him that everyone needs their sleep so that they can be ready for new adventures on the following day.

Little ones will enjoy identifying the different types of vehicles as the book progresses. The illustrations add much to story with the colours moving from bright star filled skies as the sun goes down to the rich purples and blues of night time. Although perfect as part of a soothing bedtime read, there is so much to spot and enjoy in each picture. We loved following the antics of all the little bunnies and counting the sheep as well as talking about what loads the different trucks were transporting.

An absolutely delightful book, sure to become a bedtime favourite!

Bedtime for Little Digger

Smriti Halls, illustrated by Sue Hendra

Simon and Schuster ISBN: 978-1398538863

Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert is Scared of Frogs

Frank and Bert love to visit the little pond where they can play with Bert’s toy boat. However, Bert is very scared of frogs and when he spots one on the pond, Frank tries to help him manage his fear. But Frank has a secret…Bert’s not the only one who is afraid of frogs.

The ‘Frank and Bert’ books are some of the most delightful picture books about friendship! In these stories, these two very different characters show that not only can opposites attract, but can form deep, enduring friendships based on support and trust.

Bert is very much a ‘what you see is what you get’ sort of character! Loyal and lovable, he wears his heart on his sleeve. Frank is kind and supportive and, in his efforts to help Bert cope with the frogs by the pond, pretends that he is not scared of frogs. Once he admits that he too is afraid, the two friends are able to face their fear together. Their attempt to deal with the frog leads to laughter which helps them to realise that frogs are nothing to be frightened of.

Perfect for both school and home settings, ‘The One Where Bert is Scared of Frogs’ makes an excellent starting point for discussing fears and how we deal with them as well as the ways in which good friends support each other. The gorgeous illustrations are a real joy and children will love to return to this story- and the others in the series- again and again!

Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert is Scared of Frogs

Chris Naylor-Ballesteros

Nosy Crow ISBN: 978-1805133971

You can read my review of ‘Frank and Bert’ here , Frank and Bert: The One Where Bert Learns to Ride a Bike’ here, ‘Frank and Bert: The One Where Frank Learns to Play Football’ here and ‘Frank and Bert: The One with the Missing Biscuits’ here and discover some Frank and Bert activities here.

The Home that Love Built

When a terrible storm blasts through the forest, it causes chaos, destroying homes and toppling trees. Left with ruins, the animals realise that by working together they can create a new home, built with kindness and love.

Using a cumulative style similar to that of ‘This is the house that Jack Built’, ‘The Home that Love Built’ is a gorgeous book, celebrating teamwork and friendship.

The book is perfect for reading aloud, using alliteration and onomatopoeia to help build the sounds of the storm and then adding to the sense of calm in the aftermath. The illustrations are an absolute joy, full of colour and details to notice like the mother bird trying desperately to shelter her young with her wing or the mice clinging together, stranded on a rock in the water.

As the animals work together to rebuild, the cumulative style of the text really emphasises how each contributes to the whole, perfect for sparking conversations about teamwork and a combined effort can produce results which benefit a whole community rather than just an individual. Even when they think they are safe, the animals must join together to overcome another threat to their safety. No one gives up- the pictures show that everyone, great and small, does their best for the benefit of all.

Even the end papers contribute to the story! At the beginning of the book, dark clouds are forming at the edge of the picture whilst at the end the scene is sunny and bright. My favourite illustration is the final one where all the animals of the forest are gathered together, safe and happy, in their home built by love.

The Home that Love Built

Jessica Meserve

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1838919870

You can read my review of ‘Our Tree’ here.

The Dreamies

Whilst you sleep, the Dreamies, tiny, playful creatures who live in the walls of the house, create wonderful dreams, full of colour and fun. However, sometimes they get distracted and dreams can get bigger and out of control, turning into nightmares. But with some imagination, a little practice and a bit of help from the Dreamies, these bad dreams can be chased away.

With top tips from Gemma Coe, a child sleep specialist, parents are sure to find ‘The Dreamies’ a very comforting and reassuring story to share with little ones who are having trouble with nightmares.

The Dreamies are presented as whimsical, fairy-like creatures who bring joy and imagination to dreams. Their special job is depicted as leading children through adventures as they sleep. For children who experience nightmares, it may well be helpful for parents to use the tactics employed by the Dreamies to find ways to take control of their nightmares, imagining something funny or reassuring to alter the path of their dream, helping children to feel safer at night.

The illustrations offer plenty to discuss and enjoy, celebrating the power of the imagination to create vibrant stories and take flights of fancy, making this a lovely story perfect as part of a bedtime routine!

The Dreamies

Iona Campbell

Magic Cat ISBN: 978-1915669806

Published 8th January 2026

Meowy Christmas!

When Tiddles the cat awakes from a sleep, he is horrified to discover that he has managed to nap through the appearance of a tree in his living room. Puzzled by the fact that his humans seem to like this tree, Tiddles decides to investigate…

Anyone who has had a cat will be familiar with the feline frolics in ‘Meowy Christmas!’ as Tiddles causes plenty of kitty chaos.

Lively, action-packed illustrations offer plenty of visual humour as Tiddles explores the tree in the most cat-like way, his insatiable cat-curiosity leading him into one pickle after another. The text offers a cat’s eye view of what’s going on, giving children even more to giggle at as they recognise things which he doesn’t- a jolly little red and white man, the shiny little balls and the winking and blinking little lights which are the final straw for Tiddles!

Adults and children will enjoy predicting what will happen next as the story ends with Tiddles set to ‘investigate’ another sparkly object, but the story is also perfect for helping little ones to understand the potential problems when mixing pets and festive decorations- and it might remind a few older ones too!

Meowy Christmas!

Panos Christodoulou, illustrated by Daniela Stamatiadi, translated by Manos Bonanos

Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270386

A Tree for Everyone

For Jake and his friends, the tree was a magical place where they built a tree house and played marvellous games. But when more children came, angry words and unkind actions destroyed everything …until they realise that they need to resolve their differences to move forward.

‘A Tree for Everyone’ is a delightful, heart-warming story, celebrating the importance of taking and giving second chances as well as the joys of imaginative play.

For Jake, Aiden and Pip, the tree is the perfect place for all their creative play, becoming a pirate ship, a castle, a space rocket…whatever they dream and invent. Their joyful play comes to an end when they feel their space is threatened by the arrival of three more children. Things escalate quickly from Jake and his friends not wanting to share ‘their’ tree to the destruction of the tree house. No longer having such a special shared place, the children drift off to do other things, but when Jake and one of the other children, Lily, gravitate back to the tree, a new understanding and friendship springs up as they apologise to each other. Perfect for sharing at story time, the book promotes ideas of empathy and kindness, showing the tree can very successfully be a shared space, sparking discussions about special places or games and how others can be included. Children are sure to want to share their favourite games, perhaps leading to a class book of ideas.

Vibrant, fun-filled illustrations reflect the joys of creative play with the tree central to their joy. Lily and Jake are surrounded by its greenery as they apologise for their unkind words and deeds. There are many details to notice and enjoy!

A lovely book about friendship and sharing, kindness and creativity.

A Tree for Everyone

Kathy Urban, illustrated by Rosie Butcher

Little Steps ISBN: 978-1915641427

A Song of the Seasons

‘A Song of the Seasons’ follows the lives of a mother bear and her cubs from as they wake from their winter hibernation through the changing seasons of the year. This gentle picture book captures the beauty of each phase of the year, celebrating the wonders of nature.

Perfect for sharing, the story makes an excellent starting point for discussing the changing seasons and how creatures adapt to each. Delicate illustrations frame the lyrical text as the bears slowly wake from their sleep, frolic in the summer sun and prepare for the next winter sleep on the bounty of autumn.

This is a wonderfully calming tale, following the rolling cadence of the year with creatures thriving in their natural setting. It would be excellent for a story time, sparking plenty of discussion and further investigation.

A Song of the Seasons

Yibing Deng

Post Wave ISBN: 878-1836270676

The Turtle Who Turned the Tide

It’s the day of the Grand Hatching and all the animals have gathered to watch the baby turtles make their way to the ocean. Tula and her brother, Tiny, are amongst them and Tula finds herself the favourite to win the race to the water. However, she suddenly realises that Tiny has gone off course. She bravely decides to turn back and find him and when they find themselves facing danger, all the animals unite to save Tula and Tiny and see them safely to the water.

Since ‘The Lion Inside’ Rachel Bright and Jim Field have been delighting readers with gorgeous stories, ringing with positive messages and joy. Like the others, ‘The Turtle Who Turned the Tide’ combines vivid engaging illustrations with a heart-warming story about the power of change and communities working together for good.

The rhyming text is an absolute joy to read aloud, rising and falling with the action of the story. Tula chooses to help her brother above winning the race, showing the importance of kindness. Her example to the other animals inspires them in turn to gather together and rally round when needed, making sure Tula and Tiny escape the jaws of Snake and happily end up in the ocean with the other baby turtles. The element of peril is very well handled with the word ‘but…’ at the bottom of the page hinting that something is going to save the siblings!

The illustrations are just wonderful, helping to immerse the reader in the story. There are many points to pause and linger over the pictures, perhaps discussing them in more detail. Children might wish to discover more about turtles, their hatching and first journey to the sea. They might enjoy making a simple origami model or a felt finger puppet of a turtle and use these to act out the story whilst reading. With older readers, the meaning of ‘turned the tide’ and how this is shown in the story would generate some interesting discussions!

Another triumph from this team!

The Turtle Who Turned the Tide

Rachel Bright, illustrated by Jim Field

Orchard ISBN: 978-1408366448

You can read my review of ‘The Pandas Who Promised’ here, The Koala Who Could here, The Squirrels Who Squabbled here, The Way Home for Wolf here and The Whale Who Wanted More here.

Tiger, It’s Snowing!/ Tiger, Don’t Worry!

Little Mei and her friend, Tiger, are excited because it is snowing. Tiger has never seen snow before and is so keen to explore that he doesn’t notice how cold Mei is getting. When he does, they both head home for a warming bowl of soup and bed.

A lovely story, ‘Tiger, It’s Snowing’ bursts with the childhood joys of exploration and discovery, capturing that sense of wonder. All the fun and excitement of playing in fresh snow is perfectly captured through Tiger’s wide-eyed delight as he and Mei cavort about, tasting and capturing snowflakes. The story also offers the opportunity for gentle discussions about noticing how others are feeling as, in his excitement, Tiger doesn’t listen to Mei when she says she is feeling cold, only noticing that there is a problem when she starts to sneeze.

The illustrations are just delightful, each one worth dwelling on and enjoying. Mei and Tiger stand out against the softly coloured backgrounds and their affection for each other is easy to see. Children will enjoy discussing these scenes, comparing them to their own experiences of snow days! A wonderful spread shows Tiger wrapping Mei in his warm, furry arms once he had realised how cold she is and another captures them creating snow angels!

Warm and wonderful, this is a wonderful story to snuggle up with and share!

Tiger, It’s Snowing

Daishu Ma

Post Wave ISBN: 9781836270355

When Mei and Tiger decide they would like to make tea like the adults, things go very wrong and the two run away to avoid getting into trouble. Eventually, they realise that they need to go home and face the consequences of their actions.

I absolutely love ‘Tiger, Don’t Worry!’. In their enthusiasm, Tiger and Mei unintentionally cause chaos in their attempt to make tea. Little children will immediately empathise with their sense of worry when things go wrong, perhaps able to identify with this situation! The story offers a gentle lesson about the importance of owning up when things go wrong, but also perhaps serves as a reminder to adults that accidents can happen with no ill intent! Tiger and Mei are instantly forgiven by their family and everyone makes tea together.

For many children- and adults- reading this book, making a cup of tea involves a very different process to that shown in the illustrations, making the story an excellent starting point for discussions about where tea comes from!

Tiger and Mei are sure to become firm favourites with young readers!

Tiger, Don’t Worry!

Daishu Ma

Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270164

Firefly

‘Firefly’ is the most gorgeous book. Hinting at the beauty withing, its stunning cover of deepest blue with copper image is very tactile, a theme continued by the thick, creamy pages inside. It even smells wonderful!

Perfect for the darkening days of this time of year, the lyrical verse follows a little girl’s journey through the woods, encouraging her to ‘seek what’s glowing’ to counter the pitfalls and darkness which surrounds her. For those who struggle with dark feelings or who find the long winter nights a difficult time, these words will offer hope and comfort, reminders that all the tiny joyful things in life can combine and give light in the dark- ‘set fears to flight, set night on fire.’

The text is a joy to read aloud, full of vivid imagery and rich vocabulary, accompanied by the most enchanting illustrations. Uplifting and powerful, ‘Firefly’ is a stunning book, one to be shared again and again.

Firefly

Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Luke Adam Hawker

Magic Cat ISBN: 978-1917044523

The Street Where Santa Lives

When a new neighbour moves in next door, everyone is too busy to notice except a little girl, who immediately spots that he is Father Christmas! Her family try to dissuade her and tell her not to call him Santa, but he doesn’t mind all her questions. When she discovers that he is really good at mending things, the little girl makes him a sign saying ‘Santa’s Work Shop’ and soon all the neighbours are bringing Santa things to mend, with her acting as ‘elf in training’. When the weather turns colder, the little girl is worried when she can’t find her friend and the family discover that he is not feeling well. The little girl quickly rallies support and everyone arrives to take care of their new neighbour.

It might seem a little early to be reading Christmassy books, but ‘The Street Where Santa Lives’ carries a message for the whole year, not just the festive season.

The little girl lives in a busy street where lots of people are hurrying around, focusing on their busy lives, but she notices the new neighbour moving in. Her curiosity leads her to reach out to him, forming a connection between neighbours. Her care for her elderly neighbour leads to her noticing when he is unwell, but also highlights the contribution which people can make if given the opportunity. This is a wonderfully warm cuddle of a story which is perfect for sharing, discussing and enjoying again and again.

The illustrations are simply delightful and full of little details to notice, including a little twist on the last page! Children will enjoy trying to work out whether this really is Santa. His answers to the little girl’s questions do not give the answers she expects- his favourite animal is a rabbit, not a reindeer and his best time of year is spring, not Christmas- and yet he can be seen clutching armfuls of letters, there are plenty of Christmassy items in his workshop and he seems very fond of wearing red tops!

There is so much to enjoy here and the story might encourage families to notice elderly people in their own area and perhaps extend the hand of friendship. As the story says, ‘Magic happens. On my street and yours… You just have to look.’

The Street Where Santa Lives

Harriet Howe, illustrated by Julia Christians

Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1838918576