A decidedly quirky and humorous story about a family of criminals; that is with the exception of the son, Theo, who can’t tell lies and does not want to be involved with theft. So, when his mum and dad seem determined to steal a famous diamond, Theo and his sister have to break their gran…
Aisha is waiting impatiently for the crescent moon to show itself, because this signals the end of Ramadan – the festival of Eid-al-Fitr. Her brother Samir comes back from the mosque with the news that the crescent moon has been spotted in the sky and Eid is definitely tomorrow. Aisha was particularly excited because family…
Another brilliant combination of Barrington Stoke and the stellar Katherine Woodfine. It is the fourth of her titles in the Little Gems series, for the younger reader. It tells the story of the young Lottie Dod, who loves tennis, but is constantly being told that women cannot play as well as men. However, with grit…
An upbeat book that presents 365 facts that brighten every day of the year. The Founder of The Happy News has the knack of selecting positive pieces of information. The artwork helps create a joyous mood with bright colours and attractive illustrations. Here are some entries that caught my eye: A blue wale’s tongue is…
The latest collaboration between Susan Martineau and Vicky Barker uses their trademark visual and verbal humour to explore the vast world of dinosaurs. While many books focus on naming the different types of dinosaur, this one answers some of the questions not often asked, for example about the growth of baby dinosaurs or just how…
Another delightful tale of the ‘Story Shop’ by the hugely funny talent that is Tracey Corderoy. This series feels like a ‘Mr Benn’ for the modern age and this fourth in the series brings us the adventures of Suzy Sloth as she becomes a detective for a day. There are three separate stories, taking our…
This is a fascinating look at children’s lives around the world. Readers discover how children in other countries live and have very different habits, food, families, language, housing, games, transport, manners, superstitions, and many other different customs. It is a very well written and illustrated and will be useful in the home, primary schools and…
In a rhythmic rolling prose, this magical book takes us, via a most observant girl, on a day’s visit to a beach. The girl watches closely the wildlife around her, and in the sea, copying the movements and sounds of the creatures she encounters, from dolphins, seals and whales, crabs and seagulls to the less…
A lovely, charming book which encourages children to be who they want to be. The text begins with the age-old question that is often asked of children, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’, and then presents different careers and the qualities needed to succeed in each. Whether it’s teamwork for firefighters,…