Bloomsbury ISBN 9781408882016 £6.99 This is Lucy Worsley’s second novel for children, and is based around the life of Queen Victoria as a child, growing up in Kensington Palace, before she is certain she will inherit the throne following the deaths of George IV and William. All the action is based on real people, such…
Barrington Stoke Little Gems ISBN 9781781127100 £6.99 A poignant beginning told through the eyes of Jo-Jo, but probably a scene that many children experience in the run up to Christmas day. Jo-Jo hears his Mum and Dad having a massive argument. He tries to block out the row burying his head in his pillow but…
Quarto ISBN 9781810277386 £12.99 This retelling of the famous story of Dorothy and her unplanned trip to the Land of Oz has been produced quite sumptuously, with several die-cut paper silhouettes scattered throughout to add to the enjoyment of the tale. To help the young reader, the book is arranged in short chapters and written…
Tiny Owl (tinyowl.co.uk) ISBN 9781910328224 £7.99 This is another simple and beautiful story where a child uses crayons to colour and change the world. Each page the child uses a colour to turn something negative in the world into something positive: yellow turns despair into hope; silver turns drought into rain; purple turns crying into…
Pavilion ISBN 9781843653295 £12.99 This is a reissue of a beautiful book first published in 1945 with Phyllis Bray’s original artwork. Jo Manton’s retelling of this excerpt from A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a clever mix of clear narrative, paraphrasing of the original text using much of the same language and direct quotation. It really works as…
Otter Barry Books ISBN 9781910959114 £12.99 Wow! This book is really a sumptuous feast for the eyes and ears. At first I thought it was the vibrant illustrations, the stunning colours, the attention to detail and fascinating use of sunlight to highlight the pages which was the true magic of the book. But actually, the…
Walker Books ISBN 9781406373622 £12.99 Huge congratulations to the National Theatre for this imaginative product. A perfect antidote to endless screen-watching and finger-clicking, the robust box contains an interesting range of items designed to encourage participants to create and perform their own plays. A set of 8 illustrated cards helps to choose the perfect setting…
Quarto Kids ISBN 9781786030276 £14.99 There are echoes of Where’s Wally? and (for those of you old enough to remember) Richard Scarry’s busy books in this exploration of pirates and their world. Gold highlights on the cover reflect the booty the pirates were seeking, just as the reader is seeking out hidden items on each double-page spread.…
Troika Books ISBN 97819090001430 £6.99 Following on from the success of Blue Balloons and Rabbit Ears this is another poetry collection for children of all ages. Mostly short poems, all illustrated by the author, covering a broad range of topics from Feathers and Fur to Dream-time, some are funny, some are silly and all show…