Keira Knightley’s debut book is a beautiful journey through the mind of a young child who feels displaced by the birth of her baby sister. These emotions will be recognised and felt by many siblings, and this book provides an opportunity for parents to have an open conversation about such feelings. This hardback book is so special – from its beautiful cover to the wonderful illustrations inside to the soft, lyrical words of the story. Every page is a beautiful talking point with its unusual use of black and white character portraits nestled amongst colourful pictures of nature. The notes from Mum enable us to feel a mother’s love and offer the reader gentle guidance and reminders of that love. This unique book will be enjoyed byyoung children and would make a perfect gift for a new big brother or sister.
The Great Oak Tree is a beautifully illustrated book that introduces children to the life of an oak tree through story and discovery.
The story follows a curious little blackbird who wonders why an old oak tree appears to stand still, seemingly doing nothing. With the help of a wise owl, the bird is taken on a journey that reveals just how much is happening within the tree — including the syrupy sap rising through its roots to pollen carried being from its flowers. These ideas are explained in a gentle, story-led way that makes complex processes easy for children to understand. A lovely touch comes at the end, when the blackbird, no longer little, passes on what it has learned to a young woodpecker.
The end pages show different types of leaves with their names and the back of the book contains ten clear and engaging oak tree facts, making it an excellent resource for linking literacy with science. Using it in class can easily lead to observation work outdoors. Discussing a real oak tree, such as one in the school grounds, and watching both subtle and obvious changes across the seasons brings the book to life and helps children connect reading with the real world.
This is a remarkably sophisticated picture book with a great sense of humour on every page, through the words and the pictures.
A story of revenge and how it never pays, filled with humour that an adult can also enjoy, with references to Bond villains and plenty of wordplay (he’s not only the Mushroom of Doom but also a fun guy!). The pictures are entirely in keeping with the zany plot, and giving mushrooms distinct personalities takes skill. A wonderful, ambiguous ending also means there is plenty to discuss in this story. The Mushroom is a stereotypical villain who may, or may not, get his comeuppance and a character who appears to fail to learn from his mistakes and the kindness of others.
It is rare to find a picture book that makes me laugh out loud as this one did. The very idea of a Mushroom as a villain will make readers of all ages intrigued to read the book, and this mushroom did not disappoint.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Any other comments
Any other comments