Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Author & Illustrators

Dianne Hofmeyr Books

The Glassmaker’s Daughter

Picturebook

Daniela the glassmaker’s daughter is grumpy and never smiles. Her father promises a beautiful glass palace to anyone who can make her laugh. People come from far and wide to try their luck in amusing Daniela. But mask makers, lion tamers and magicians cannot raise a smile from the princess. It is only when a young apprentice makes the first looking glass that Daniela learns to smile – at her own grumpy reflection! This beautiful fable set in sixteenth-century Venice features stunning illustrations from award-winning artist Jane Ray alongside a poetic text.

Storm Dragon

Carol Thompson & Dianne Hofmeyr

Picturebook

A joyful story that celebrates imagination, outdoor play and intergenerational relationships, all about a grandpa and grandaughter’s playful take on sheltering from a storm in their beach hut. Carol Thompson’s illustrations in Storm Dragon by Diane Hofmeyr, bring as much to this gorgeous book as the words themselves – painting, as they do, an ethereal dance as Grandpa and granddaughter hurtle across the windswept beach.

The simple storyline will capture the imaginations of the youngest readers, with just a shadow of ‘We’re Going on a Bear Hunt’ and ‘Lion Hunt’, in the narrative.

Full of simple phrases and commands, the story will work well to build imaginative play or to herald splattery autumn art sessions! With its dramatic build-up and cosy ending, this book is also likely to become a bedtime favourite.

Paris Cat

Dianne Hofmeyr & Piet Grobler

Picturebook

Paris Cat is a fun and exuberant picture book that provides a glimpse of the arts and music scene in Paris in the 1930s.

Cat doesn’t want to spend all of her life fighting over fish heads from the local poissonnerie with the rest of her large extended family. She wants to get out and see more of the world, so she leaves the narrow, smelly alleyway in which she’s been living and goes to explore the rest of Paris. On her journey, she meets the legendary figures of Edith Piaf and Josephine Baker and discovers a world of glitz, glamour and music and dance. But will her new found fame bring happiness or is there another option for Cat?

This is a warm, delightful story about seeking out new experiences and following your interests and passions. Dianne Hofmeyr’s writing features a sense of musicality and rhythm- ‘the scrimp scrimp of scissors and the whirr whirr of sewing machines’- that suits the theme of music and performance in the storyline. Similarly, Piet Grobler’s lively illustrations brilliantly evoke the movement and energy of this historical period. The endpapers feature a map of Cat’s journey around Paris, pointing out the important settings in the story plus major landmarks in the city (and the many poissonneries). This means that it’s a great text for teachers focusing on general map reading skills or a more focused unit on Paris or France. The map is written in French which also allows teachers to link to language work in MFL – perhaps designing maps for their own fictional city and labelling in French.

During Cat’s journey she visits Madame Delphine’s atelier where a range of glamorous outfits are being made. This would be a wonderful opportunity to explore fashion design and manufacture during this period and potentially to produce some simple sewing projects. Paris Cat is a warm, enjoyable story with plenty of exuberance to enjoy and lots of possibility for cross-curricular links in the classroom.

Reviewer: Jenny Holder

Tiger Walk

Dianne Hofmeyr & Jesse Hodgson

Picturebook

One day Tom draws a tiger, inspired by his visit to the art gallery… That night, when Tom can’t sleep, the tiger pads out of his drawing and purrs, “Let’s go for a walk!” It’s the beginning of a magical and life-changing adventure, as the tiger helps Tom to overcome some of his biggest fears.