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Ken Wilson-Max Books

the big green everyone can make a difference

The Big Green: Everyone Can Make a Difference

Picturebook

One hot day at the edge of the desert, Maryam and Issa know something exciting is going to happen. Mum and Dad bring spades, Uncle Cedric brings lots of plants and seedlings, the neighbours bring water. Everyone works together, digging, planting and watering – and the children all help too. Then they wait… and hope…

Set in Mali, this powerful story is about the creation of The Great Green Wall of Africa, an exciting real-life project to bring trees, growth and regeneration across sub-Saharan Africa.

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lenny goes to school

Lenny Goes to School

Picturebook

Lenny starts school! The first day is full of different feelings and new things to learn. But meeting Ms Taiwo helps. Lenny does some drawing, rides a tricycle and plays with a ball. The children sing “Wheels On The Bus” together. By the end of the day, he is best friends with Lucy.

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terrible horses

Terrible Horses

&
Picturebook

A truly authentic and stunningly evocative picture book on brother-sister dynamics and how creativity and storytelling can help resolve conflict and enable better understanding.

My sister and me fight! / Push Pull Hurt Hide. / We would not use our words.

This little boy does not get on with his sister. They misunderstand each other, struggle to communicate, and they fight. Afterwards, there’s a lot of hurt, heavy feelings and loneliness. In order to escape their constant rowing and clear his head, the boy often retreats to his bedroom when he writes his stories. He writes stories about terrible horses – trampling and galloping – and he, a lone pony, who cannot compete and cannot speak. But what happens when his sister finds his book? Could it be a way for them to finally understand each other? Filled with empathy and poignance, Terrible Horses is a beautiful and powerful story of managing anger, reflection and learning to see someone else’s perspective.

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aqua boy

Aqua Boy

Picturebook
book-of-the-month

Aqua Boy is about a young boy whose parents are ocean guardians, helping to look after the beach and sea near where they live.

Aaron and Angel, his sister, enjoy spending time by the ocean although Aaron isn’t as confident in the water as Angel. After a big storm, the family help to clear the rubbish that has been brought onto the shore until Aaron notices an octopus stranded on the sand. With help, he saves the octopus and, in the process, he discovers that swimming underwater enables you to see and learn about the different sea creatures that live there as well as show that you can achieve things eventually.

This is a lovely book to share with children who enjoy caring for the beach, ocean and the different creatures that call it home. There are many opportunities for discussion through the bright but simple illustrations and at the back of the book it provides information for protecting octopuses and the ocean, incorporating an enjoyable mix of fiction and non-fiction.

Highly recommended!

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Eco Girl

Picturebook
book-of-the-month

Inspired by his father’s passion for trees, Ken Wilson-Max’s picturebook is a delightful introduction to conservation and care for the natural environment.

Eve is lively and thoughtful, living at the edge of a big, old forest. She loves everything about it, the trees most of all, especially the Baobab, the African “tree of life”. On her birthday, Eve and her parents visit Grandma, deep in the forest, where she gets a magical surprise. Unwrapping the bark from around a parcel that Grandma has carried to a special place, she finds a Baobab seedling to plant and take care of. Following family tradition, it will grow next to the trees that her father, grandma and great-grandma nurtured, connecting her forever with the forest she loves.

The bold, rich colours used to illustrate the book joyfully conjure the heat, the vibrant flowers and the many shades of green to be found in the forest.

This is perfect to share with Early Years and Key Stage 1 classes to help young children understand that everyone can play their part in preserving the natural world. Facts about trees are included are at the end, providing a good starting point for finding out more.

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Stars With Flaming Tails: Poems

Stars with Flaming Tails

&
Poetry

I travelled once around the world

On stars with flaming tails,

And touched the colours of my dreams

Along some silver trails.

Look out for best friends, pancakes, and Grandad singing; discover a river dolphin, a poison dart frog and the most dangerous animal in the world; imagine a talking nose, meet the Zimbats of Zingley Dell and find the colour of your dreams.

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Astro Girl

Picturebook
recommended-read-aloud

Astrid has loved space ever since she can remember and wants to be an astronaut when she grows up. Even when her dad gently reminds her of the challenges ahead (eating food out of a tube, getting used to near-zero gravity, sleeping on her own amongst the stars), she is confident – “I can do that!”

This is a story full of tenderness and adventure, with a lovely surprise ending when Astrid and Dad go to pick up Mum from the airbase – where has she been?

This gentle picture book with distinctive earthy illustrations is a lovely read-aloud for Reception/Year 1 with a wonderful inclusive message at its heart, supported by the mini fact-files about female and BAME astronauts at the end.

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Stone Girl Bone Girl

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Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

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yes

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