Reviews
There are so many incredible books available at the moment that it is impossible to read them all, no matter how hard I try! Here are my thoughts about some of the books I have read and how I think they could be used in school as well as Q and A sessions with authors and illustrators.
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 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
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
The Whale’s Song: Discover the Giants of our Oceans
Full of beautiful illustrations and carefully explained, engaging information, ‘The Whale’s Song’ is perfect for sparking curiosity about the oceans and the incredible creatures which inhabit them.
The book opens by suggesting that the Earth should, in fact, be called ‘the Sea’ as 70% of the planet’s surface is covered with water. With an explanation as to why this is mostly salt water, the author then explores water came to Earth, why we see the sea as blue and factors which affect this. Having set the scene in this way, cetaceans are then introduced and details about these fascinating creatures are shared through both text and illustration.
So much information is packed into this absorbing book! The author’s interest and enthusiasm for their subject is infectious and it is impossible to read this without being completely absorbed into the subject. Readers who love lots of detail will really appreciate the full, careful explanations given whilst those who prefer to skim and select their facts will be drawn to the fact boxes and sections of coloured text. Either way, there is a huge amount to learn here!
Information about whaling and the awful impact this had- and still has- on whales is included and the negative affect of the marine park entertainment industry is also discussed. The book concludes with information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) showing which species are most at risk.
A section on myths and legends surrounding whales shows how these creatures have inspired people across the world. Each section is full of stunning illustrations, making the book a real joy to explore. Even the end papers are used to show the different species of whales, giving an idea of their comparative sizes. Perfect for enriching the school curriculum or enjoying anywhere, this is an absolute joy of a book.
The Whale’s Song: Discover the Giants of our Oceans
Rossana Bossu, translated by Margaret Greenan
Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270195
You can read my review of ‘The Jellyfish Garden’ here
The Water Flower: The Journey of a Lotus Seed
Describing the development of a lotus from its seed through flowering to releasing new seeds, ‘The Water Flower’ beautifully describes the life cycle of this remarkable plant.
Step by step, the development of the lotus is carefully explained with delicate, annotated illustrations supporting understanding at each stage. The main narrative text tells the flower’s story whilst smaller print sections add detail, using and explaining the technical terms for plant’s parts and functions.
The life cycle of flowering plants and identifying and explaining the function of their parts forms part of the science curriculum at KS2 and this book offers a wonderful opportunity of enriching children’s experience by exploring a plant which might not be familiar to them. It offers the opportunity to consider how these plants have adapted to their environment and to compare them to others, broadening their understanding and applying their knowledge. For the curious child, it would make the perfect starting point for further investigation and discovery, perhaps of the flower’s symbolism and importance in some cultures.
Subtle, muted colours enhance the delicate nature of these blooms, captured in these beautiful illustrations, making the book a real pleasure to linger over and offering much to learn and much to enjoy.
The Water Flower
Yingting Chen, illustrated by Huaqing
Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270188
Our Love
What a beautiful book! ‘Our Love’ is a delightful celebration of the love of parents for their children- indeed, it could be seen as the love of any adult for any child in their care! The illustrations perfectly capture that sense of unconditional love and protection which young ones should inspire.
Using the animal kingdom to show this bond of affection, there are, amongst others, pictures of nesting birds, a lion with its cub, a joey peeking from its mother’s pouch and koalas cuddling in a tree. Each illustration is presented in warm, fuzzy tones which enhance the feeling of togetherness being enjoyed by the creatures on the pages. For little ones, these illustrations might also spark conversations about these animals, offering opportunities to name them and their young, how they care for them and where they live…but this is all additional pleasure! The story can simply be shared as one might share ‘Guess How much I Love You’.
The end pages open out into a double-page gatefold featuring all the animals, allowing children and their adults to spot their favourites and perhaps, recall the way that love was expressed on those pages. The gentle, repetitive language used and the sentiment make this perfect for snuggling up with at bedtimes and it is sure to be an ‘again! again!’ book in many households.
Our Love
Fatima Ordinola
Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270089
NNFN2024: The Jellyfish Garden
For day 2 of NNFN2024, I am reviewing ‘The Jellyfish Garden’, a fascinating book which takes a look at the watery world of the incredible creatures- and taught me how little I knew about them!
Having started by describing the features of these strange creatures, the differences and similarities between species are then highlighted. Carefully labelled diagrams show various views, including cross sections to support the reader’s understanding of their structure. Each carefully presented spread is packed with information, offered in accessible sections.
The enthusiasm of the author for their subject shines through the text, answering all the questions you might think of about these creatures- and a few more! Whether a reader with a deep interest in the oceans and the creatures which live there or someone who wants to find out more about jellyfish, everyone who picks up this book will be rewarded with the wealth of information and detail it offers.
The Jellyfish Garden: Explore their Curious World
Paola Vitale and Rossana Bossu
Post Wave ISBN: 978-1836270003