Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Anne Booth Books

Come Back, Gosling

Picturebook

In this book a little girl and a gosling are great friends. They enjoyed spending lots of time together and one of their favourite activities is going to the library and reading books with each other. They read lots of different books until one day the girl stops reading the books and starts hiding them. The books the girl is reading are helping the gosling to grow up and the girl is worried the gosling will leave. She doesn’t want to loose her friend. The gosling then meets some grown up geese and the girl has to try and repair the friendship as the gosling leaves.

This would be a brilliant book to encourage children to go to the library and share a book with their friend. It could also be used to discuss how people can be friends even if they are very different people with different beliefs. It would be good to support children that are having difficulties in their friendships, helping them realise they have to work to keep their friendship and the importance of saying sorry.

Angelo and Angelina, the Christmas Angels

Anne Booth & Leanne Hatch

Picturebook

Angelo and Angelina, the Christmas Angels is a heartwarming picturebook that celebrates the magic of Christmas and the power of human connection.

The story follows the perspective of two Christmas angel decorations who watch over Mrs. Lovely, an elderly woman. When she grows older and spends more time alone, the angels, along with a young girl who is her neighbour, work together to bring joy and companionship to her life.

Many children will have dressed up as angels in Christmas plays or been drawn wanting to pick up angelic figurines and Christmas tree toppers. Much like their counterparts in the traditional nativity story, the angels in this picturebook are bringers of hope, joy and new life.

The theme of intergenerational relationships is drawn out appealingly. Readers are invited to witness the unfolding of a beautiful friendship between Mrs. Lovely and the young girl, called Mia. The angels (originally Christmas ornaments but here left out all year round because “the house feels very empty these days“) serve as a reminder that the essence of Christmas – that is, giving, community and kindness – should endure through all seasons. The story comes full circle and ends the following Christmas time, showing the impact that the year’s cycle of love and kindness has made. Mrs Lovely’s life has been regenerated by the newly formed companionship with her neighbours, and this new life is mirrored in the arrival of a baby sibling for Mia.

The book’s stunning illustrations, characterized by soft, muted colours and delicate line work, perfectly complement the gentle narrative. A rainbow of colour fills the spread in which the spirit of Christmas takes hold. Like the girl in the story, children will undoubtedly be drawn to the charming depiction of the toy angels, who watch over Mrs. Lovely with a guardian-like stillness yet spring to life through Mia’s interactions.

Angelo and Angelina, the Christmas Angels is a delightful read-aloud book that will inspire young readers to appreciate the importance of looking out for one another during the holiday season and all year round.

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk

Anne Booth & David Litchfield

Picturebook

We’re huge fans of Anne Booth and her books. This is the story of a little boy who makes friends with a ‘troll’ who lives in a cave in the park. He begins to make little drawings outside the cave, always leaving a piece of chalk for the troll. Each day when he returns, he finds that the troll has finished his drawing. Little by little the troll begins to come out of his cave and they become friends.

The perseverance of the little boy is wonderful and it shows how kindness can achieve all kinds of things. We really liked how all of the other children also began to play together, all brought together by drawing. The illustrations are gorgeous and add to the enjoyment of the story.

Magical Kingdom of Birds: The Sleepy Hummingbirds

Anne Booth & Rosie Butcher

Chapter book

To the Keeper of this Book – it’s time for you to visit the magical Kingdom waiting within. Believe in yourself – that will give you wings to fly! When Maya receives a special colouring book – The Magical Kingdom of Birds – she is transported to a beautiful realm filled with magnificent birds and their fairy friends. But the kingdom is in trouble – evil Lord Astor has a plan to capture and cage the tiniest residents, the hummingbirds – and as Keeper of the Book it’s up to Maya to protect them. Packed with beautiful illustrations, information on the real birds that inspired the story, and includes a special colouring page!

Across the Divide

Anne Booth

Chapter book

Across the Divide is a contemplative story about war and pacifism, about making a stand and about seeing different viewpoints. The story explores what happens when people with dissimilar experiences and viewpoints find a way to listen to each other’s voices and seeks ways to progress based on respectfully accepting difference and finding where commonality lies.

The main character, Olivia, finds herself in the centre of bitter arguments and feels caught between sides. Her mum is a peace activist and her grandfather is a vicar who used to serve in the army. When the opening of an army cadet unit is proposed at Olivia’s school, everyone seems to have strong opinions and tension quickly mounts. Olivia feels like she is able to see different sides of the argument and can sympathise with those making a stand for either cause. Before she knows it, things have spiralled out of control and Olivia’s Mum is arrested for leading a pacifist protest against the army base.

With her grandparents away on holiday and her mum in custody, Olivia has no choice but to go and stay with her estranged father on the island of Lindisfarne. There is an almost ethereal quality to the beautiful landscape on Lindisfarne and its timeless remoteness gives Olivia plenty of space to think about the different viewpoints dividing her community. Olivia meets William, an old-fashioned and mysterious-seeming boy who lives on the island. William can relate to the way Olivia is wrestling with different ideas about war and pacifism and in talking together the pair help each other to find their own voices and look for a way forward.

In Across the Divide Anne Booth has masterfully crafted a narrative that is deeply contemplative and one that allows different viewpoints to be heard without directing what the reader should conclude. Through Olivia’s story and her interactions with friends and family, the narrative gently depicts how young people can be powerful in their capabilities to stand up for their beliefs and to be instrumental in bringing about positive change in society.

A Shelter for Sadness

Anne Booth & David Litchfield

Picturebook

A poignant and heart-warming picture book exploring the importance of making space and time for our own griefs, small or large, sensitively visualized with David Litchfield’s stunning illustration. A small boy is sad, and instead of ignoring it or trying to push the feeling aside, he creates a shelter for his sadness – a safe space where Sadness can dwell until it is ready to leave the shelter. This story can be used in a small group to support children experiencing sadness, e.g. after a loss or bereavement, or more widely to talk about the value of acknowledging feelings. It can also be useful to explore the concept of safe spaces.

Little Cloud

Anne Booth & Sarah Massini

Picturebook

Everyone adores the little cloud as he grows and grows, making all manner of interesting shapes to impress people. But when little cloud becomes heavier and pours down raindrops, nobody seems quite so delighted. But little cloud soon realises that people appreciate his important work more than he thinks. Children will enjoy spotting the fun shapes of clouds and creating their own after reading this gentle storytime introduction to the water cycle.

Bloom

Anne Booth & Robyn Owen Wilson

Picturebook

There was once a beautiful flower and a little girl who loved it. She talked to it every morning on her way to school. The owner of the flower shouted at her. The next day, the flower did not open. The angry man didn’t understand. He tried watering it. He tried giving it shade and he tried talking to it. He told it how wonderful he was, how important his job was and how lonely he felt. But it still refused to open. So, he asked the little girl. “Why don’t you tell it how wonderful it is and how much you love it?” she said. As he did so, his own heart filled with love. And the flower bloomed.