Even more delightful and wonderful picture books to be shared with teachers and students, once my own children and I have enjoyed them a few more times!
A Cat Called Waverley by Debi Gliori, Published by Otter-Barry Books
An incredibly powerful and poignant tale of a cat searching for home. Donald is the one who Waverley the cat belongs to but Donald has to go to war, though the cat doesn’t understand this. We see the tale from both sides in this beautifully illustrated book and the empathy will be felt keenly as we see Donald struggle with war and Waverley struggle to find home. The palette of black and white illustrations with highlights of yellows, oranges and reds is creative and clever, marking out our main characters. Heartfelt and real, this story is based on the truth of those returning home from war, those who struggle to acclimatise and find closure. Debi Gliori is a masterful storyteller and this is stunning. This will accompany any KS2 topic on war brilliantly!
Caterpillar Cake, Poems by Matt Goodfellow, Illustrated by Krina Patel-Sage, Published by Otter-Barry Books
Poetry for younger readers is always welcome in classrooms and this gorgeous hard backed collection will find its way into a Year 1 class in September. The bright and colourful illustrations are joyous and lend themselves perfectly to the fun poems inside. Matt Goodfellow is widely known for his creative poems and performances, and these will be wonderful in KS1. Children will love listening to and performing the poems within. Titles include Zany Zoo, This Little Pencil and Bathtime. All easy to read, understand and enjoy. A few of these could become routine poems said aloud as part of the day!
Ash Invites Her Friends to Tea by Fu Wenzheng, Published by New Frontier Publishing
This enchanting and gently told story is one to linger over. Bold splashes of reds and greens, with the delicate black and white sets the tone for this magical tale of tea! This is the second book in the series featuring Ash. Full of tradition, links to legend and family love. Grandpa teaches Ash how to make tea from collecting the buds, drying them and adding hot water. “I want to try this magic”, say all the animals coming out from the forest. Smiles, memories and sweet dreams follow the animals who sample the tea, including the dragon! Magical and enchanting, this is one to share with a cup of tea.
10 Silly Children by Jon Lander, Published by Pavilion
This delightful book comes with a warning…do not open the flaps! As we count up to 10, we see sensible children doing sensible things, like reading, hanging the washing and brushing their teeth. When we lift the flaps, ignoring the warning, we see the children doing more silly activities but having plenty of fun. With repetition, brilliant illustrations and flaps, there is so much to keep young readers entertained and occupied. Younger readers will love counting up while older readers will appreciate the humour of the silly activities and a lion with underwear on his head! A fun guessing game to be had before the flaps get opened.
Tilda Tries Again by Tom Percival, Published by Bloomsbury
Tom Percival’s Big Bright Feelings series should be found in every school and home library. They are wonderful tales in which children will find hope, understanding and positivity. Tilda is the latest character to join Ravi, Meesha, Ruby and Norman, and she is dealing with challenges. Life for Tilda is easy until one day things don’t go as normal and her world feels tipsy turvy. Uncertain in what to do, Tilda does nothing. It takes a ladybird fighting for its freedom for Tilda to find her own resilience. Slowly at first, Tilda tries again and eventually begins to feel better. Resilience can be hard to find but all children have it and this book will encourage them further. Tom’s brilliant illustrations and use of positive and negative space and colour allow the story to leap off the page.
Ergo by Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwartz, Published by Walker Books
Ergo, the chick, is discovering her world beginning with her beak, toes and wings. She believes she has discovered everything and that she is the world. When something gives her a bump, she must think again and understand that there is more to the world than she thought. This delightful and humorous tale is simply illustrated but deeply profound. It is one that will prompt plenty of discussion amongst older children, and giggles with the little ones. I love the charm of this story, giving pause for thought before the page is turned and a new element introduced. The beautiful yellow, white and blue colour palette suits the story perfectly.
I am a primary school teacher, turned librarian. Now I have the title Reading Advocate for ASSET Education Trust, based in Suffolk.
I read constantly and have more books than bookshelves, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
I celebrate reading every day at work and at home with my two children, aged 11 and 9.
I sit on the National Executive Committee for the Federation of Children’s Book Groups and run an OU/UKLA Teachers as Readers group!
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My Shelves Are Full 