Author & Illustrators
Have you ever read a fairy tale and thought… that’s not my story?
The latest treat from Smriti Halls and Erika Meza is a joyful celebration of stories that invites children to reimagine, rewrite and reinvent traditional tales to mirror themselves – and then to step into their personalised narrative.
The central character accidentally falls into four stories in turn – Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk, Sleeping Beauty and Red Riding Hood, only to reject each one in favour of her own ideas. There’s a simple but sophisticated blend of language. When she is in the old-style story, the tale is narrated in a gently archaic idiom with knights on chargers and girls with locks of gold. Then the style becomes suddenly modern and animated as she tumble-tips down a beanstalk, races through tingle tangle trees or slip slides down a tower.
The expressive illustrations fit perfectly, with a similarly subtle mix of traditional and contemporary. Throughout, the rhymes and sound effects make it ideal for a vibrant read-aloud for Year 1, with lots of opportunity for joining in, as well as for giggling at the horror of being peered at by bears (Eek!) or kissed by a prince (Yuck!).
This absolutely brilliant story is one of my favourite books so far this year. It would be huge fun to share with children and would perfectly complement any work on traditional tales.
There are currently around 13 million child refugees in the world – each own with their own story.
With masks on their faces, a family leaves their home. This picturebook story is cleverly told through the vehicle of an older sibling creating a game for her younger brother as they travel – avoid the monsters and don’t get caught. In this long game of ‘tag’ they must be fast and brave; travelling on buses, hitching lifts and often walking alone.
The story is so poignant. It shows the hardships faced on the long journey; the tiredness, the danger, the longing for home and for safety. Drawn in grey tones, the pink and yellow masks highlight the anonymous figures and hidden voices of those seeking sanctuary over an invisible line. Although this story focuses on children crossing the border into the USA, this beautiful book opens up discussions about why families might leave their homes and what life might be like for them as they seek a safer place to settle. The book provides a starting point for discussing themes of displacement and migration with primary school children. The sibling relationship is beautiful and there is essential factual information and additional personal stories within the back matter.
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