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The Blue Tomato

Picturebook

A tale of moving and wanting to fit in.

Blu (a blue tomato) moves to a new home and is excited to meet new friends. But when he realises he is the only blue tomato in a town of red tomatoes, he tries all sorts of ways to fit in by turning red, even though the other tomatoes don’t care what colour he is. He tries paint, which washes off, then ladybird juice, which doesn’t seem to change his colour either.

However, he soon becomes frustrated and very sad. Until he finds a group of others at a farmers market, all of whom don’t look like each other at all! They are ready to accept Blu just the way he is. He realises that we can all look very different but we can still all be friends and belong.

The tale might be simple but Amber Au’s story captures the feeling of loneliness that Blu feels when he feels like an outsider, and then his excitement when he finds that he can fit in anywhere regardless of his appearance. Such an important message for young readers everywhere. In fact, if you look closely all the red tomatoes look different too!

The minimalistic colour range emphasises close looking at shapes and expressions rather than being overwhelmed by colour, and the endpapers cleverly show the reader contrasting family trees to reinforce the message that we should embrace everyone for their unique qualities. A fabulous book for all young readers starting their journeys.

Big Tiger

Marta Altés

Picturebook

Big Tiger by Marta Altés is a reassuring picture book that captures the excitement and uncertainty of growing up.

Big Tiger is no longer small and is determined to be brave, bold and grown-up. As Tiger ventures through a jungle filled with creatures much bigger than them, readers see the challenges that come with taking those first steps towards independence. However, the story gently reassures us that it is perfectly okay to need comfort, support and a helping hand along the way.

The relationship between Big Tiger and Mum is at the heart of the story. The book beautifully conveys the unbreakable bond between parent and child, showing that no matter how big we grow, we are never too old for a hug, a reassuring word or the knowledge that someone is always there for us.

The illustrations are vibrant, expressive and full of personality, bringing humour and warmth. Young readers will relate to Tiger’s desire to do things alone, while recognising the comfort of knowing a trusted adult is never far behind.

With themes of independence, courage, love and belonging, Big Tiger is a heartfelt and uplifting read. It is a perfect book for children navigating new experiences, older siblings adjusting to change or anyone who needs reminding that growing up doesn’t mean growing apart. A delightful story full of warmth, wisdom and love.

This Is What A Slug Does

Aniek Bartels & Mimi May

Graphic novel, Non-fiction

Slugs are not the usual subject of a book – either fiction or non-fiction – but this book, designed for young readers, is both!

The book combines telling the reader about Simon the Slug’s day (from what he does, eats, who he meets and who he nearly gets eaten by) with interesting facts and information about each of those aspects. The book uses the bold and vibrant illustrations of Aniek Bartel, and I would suggest lingering on the end pages with children to look at the different slugs that pack the pages. If you look carefully, you can see a number of Simons with his distinctive blue hat

! The book begins with a more non-fiction text approach, with the labelling of Simon the slug’s different body parts, explaining their purpose and function. The following pages then use these elements to weave together a story of Simon’s day. The illustrations through the book use distinctive colours with clear and simple depictions of the things Simon encounters, giving delightful personalities to not only Simon the slug but also the shrew, the mole and Susan the slug, who helps to explain (well – as far as we know) how slugs mate!

There are lots of opportunities for children to explore the illustrations, join in with the text, notice the changes in font and the repeated words and phrases. The use of font cleverly guides the reader in how the text could be read aloud and this book certainly cries out to be read aloud to young children. The book ends with another, more traditional, non-fiction style, facts page that helps to explain some of what Simon did in his day and the things that happened to him. This is a hugely enjoyable book for the early years.

The Day the Crayons Made Friends

Drew Daywalt & Oliver Jeffers

Picturebook

The crayons are back! If you enjoyed the Day the Crayons quit and sequel, The Day the Crayons came home, then you are in for a treat.

In this book the crayons have seen that there are exciting things going on in the pictures they have been used to draw as well as the toys they have encountered, and quite reasonably, they take the opportunity to leave once again but this time, to meet new friends and engage in exciting activities. The team of Daywalt, as the author, and Jeffers, as the illustrator, lead the reader through a series of letters from each colour crayon sharing their new lives – from firefighters to crime investigators to gardeners to being a monster for toy soldiers to battle.

As with the other books the crayons write letters ‘home’ and this direct voice to the reader allows the child to explore their imaginations, the vocabulary of colour, the use of font and even the crayons’ handwriting skills. The illustrations blend real photo images with crayon drawing providing a powerful but simple, uncluttered accompaniment to the crayons’ letters. The illustrations allow for further discussion and exploration of the scenarios the crayons choose – I particularly like the family tree of the Teal Crayon, who has found their twin.

Children can explore their own drawings, toys and bedroom spaces, where there might be new opportunities for a crayon to meet friends and explore something new. This book holds many possibilities for the parent, teacher and child and is well worth exploring.

Things to Teach Your Grown-up

Colette Hiller & Corrie Gorman

Picturebook

This is an entertaining and interesting book – the content is as much for adults as for children. The rhythm and rhyme gives it the flavour of a Dr Seuss book and the message is in fact very worldly-wise!

Although the pattern and ‘sing-song’ verse gives it an early years simplicity, the sophisticated vocabulary and the message itself directs the book towards slightly older children – Years 1 to 3 in school. The book could work as a ‘spot the details’ page turner; inspiring conversations about fun and games, being ‘in the moment’ and the tantalising, minute details that young children notice all around, when so often as adults we miss the magic!

In a nutshell, it is about adults having the head space to pause and play with their little ones, and about children choosing the right moment to educate their grown-ups in the wonder of it all!

Maudie and Chip: The Perfect Day Out

Rosalind Beardshaw

Picturebook

This book is a rolling rumpus of a journey with highs and lows at every turn of the page! Maudie and Chip are an adorable partnership, a little like Claude and Mr Bobbly Sock, for younger readers. The peaks and troughs of an adventure to the seaside, through the eyes of both Maudie and Chip, will keep little ones rivetted to their seats and there’s a dilemma in here for everyone – from seagulls eating your chips, to feeling nervous in a big crowd, or missing a boat.

Bold and beautiful illustrations, with a comedic touch, compliment the narrative and the whole story ends on a high.

Esme Pepper

Jacqueline Wilson & Rachael Dean

Chapter book

Esme Pepper is a girl living with foster carers and struggling with the uncertainty surrounding her mum. From the very beginning, I found myself thinking about The Story of Tracy Beaker and the unforgettable character of Tracy.Esme and Tracy have so much in common. Both are strong-minded, outspoken and sometimes troublesome, but beneath their cheeky personalities is a deep vulnerability. They are children who desperately want to feel loved, safe and wanted.

Jacqueline Wilson captures those complicated emotions beautifully, allowing us to understand why Esme behaves the way she does, even when she gets things wrong. That is perhaps my favourite thing about Jacqueline Wilson’s writing. She creates characters who feel completely real. You laugh with them, become frustrated with them, worry about them and, before you know it, you genuinely love them.

here are plenty of funny and mischievous moments, but there is also a real emotional depth to the book. It explores friendship, family, belonging and the overwhelming need to be loved, without ever losing its warmth or humour. Beautiful, funny, emotional and full of characters you can’t help but love, Esme Pepper is a gorgeous story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page.

Oscar Wilde’s Stories for Children

Lauren O’Hara & Oscar Wilde

Short story collection

Introduce a new generation to Oscar Wilde’s classic children’s tales with this stunningly illustrated luxury gift edition – a must-have gift book for young readers.

Oscar Wilde has enchanted readers young and old alike for over a hundred years. In 1888, he published a collection of bedtime stories for children. This beautiful collection contains six of these classic tales, including ‘The Happy Prince’, ‘The Selfish Giant’, and ‘The Nightingale and the Rose’.

For the first time, these beloved stories from the great Irish queer author are being published in a major new edition by an Irish publisher. With high-quality paper, a linen-effect cover, gold foil details, ribbon bookmark and classic binding touches, this keepsake hardback edition, printed and bound in Italy, is crafted to be treasured and shared.

Feeling both classic and fresh, timeless and modern, Lauren O’Hara’s delicate, rich colour illustrations bring this cornerstone of children’s literature to life for readers of all ages.

Hidden Heroes of Science

Peter Gallivan & Robbie Cathro

Picturebook

Uncover the unnamed heroes who contributed to some of our world’s most important science.

Explore the hidden heroes that created the miraculous things we find all around us in this science book for children aged 7-9.

Do you ever find yourself feeling curious about who created the science behind some of our most impressive structures? Or wonder who it was that invented the equipment you find in your classroom? Well, wonder no more. This groundbreaking book covers all the lost contributors to the world’s most important scientific discoveries.

This science book for children offers:

Content produced by an exciting partnership with The Royal Institution, world leaders in science.

An exciting introduction to lesser-known scientific figures such as Maria Merian, Gregor Mendel and Percy Julian.

Inspirational stories from pioneering scientists who faced adversity, to unsung innovators who paved the way for modern advancements.

For curious children who have always wanted to know who it was that created coding, or how on earth the Egyptian Pyramids were built so long ago and yet still look brand new, The Royal Institution; the home of science, has all the answers.

Errol’s Garden The Musical (Audio)

Gillian Hibbs

West End stars Nicholas McLean (The Addams Family, Wicked) and Grace Mouat (Mean Girls, Six The Musical) are the voices of Errol, Tia and a cast of other characters in this hit new musical for audiences aged 3-8 and their grown-ups. Filled with catchy songs, big ideas and a passion for plants, ERROL’S GARDEN is adapted from the award winning book by Gillian Hibbs.