Publisher: Cicada Books

Life (As We Know It)

Non-fiction, Picturebook

A dizzying ride through 4.6 billion years of life on Planet Earth.

Once upon a time, before time even existed, all matter in the universe was concentrated in a single point a fraction of the size of an atom. And then? And then it exploded.

This is a celebration of the origins of our planet and the life that inhabits it. With lyrical text and sumptuous illustration, this book takes readers on an extraordinary evolutionary journey; from the emergence of photosynthesising single-celled organisms to the blobby sea creatures that gradually morphed into fish and then tetrapods, reptiles, dinosaurs and finally to mammals.

We tell stories of apples and snakes, of gods and monsters. But the creation story told by science is more perplexing and incredible than any we could ever make up.

Written by award-winning writer, Ziggy Hanaor, and gorgeously brought to life by Cristóbal Schmal, this striking book is both emotive and educational.

Why Do We Sleep?

Cathy Evans & Polya Plavinskaia

Non-fiction

Everything you ever wanted to know about sleep but were too exhausted to ask.

We spend around a third of our lives sleeping. But what actually happens during those hours? This book takes you on a fascinating journey through the land of nod and out the other side.

What are circadian rhythms and how do they affect our energy levels throughout the day?
What are dreams for and how do they happen?
What are the different stages of sleep?
Do animals experience sleep the same way we do?

With clear texts and bright, distinctive illustrations, this is a great introduction to a subject that has fascinated us since ancient times, and an engaging tie-in to biology and natural sciences curriculums.

The Museum of Shapes

Sven Volker

Picturebook

A core part of any early years teaching would be to make maths fun, part of play time and exploration and the Museum of Shapes is a perfect encapsulation of this principle.

From its perfect front cover, reminiscent of wooden building blocks found in a playroom, Volker introduces the reader to our curator (what a great word to start building early vocabulary), Alma. The book simply explains what she does and the illustration uses simple shapes to show Alma, complete with a square handbag, bowl haircut, her line lead and her dog, Max, a triangular tag hanging from his collar.

Each page is an introduction to the different shapes that Alma curates, both in text and illustration, from the simplest point to the blobby and wacky shapes of a leaf, a splat of ink and an amoeba. The reader is asked to identify shapes, choose shapes, mix shapes, arrange shapes, and spot shapes. This is a playful and interactive book with a real museum posited as its inspiration – the Museum of Concrete Art and Design in Germany.

An informative and playful book about maths.

The Grand Hotel of Feelings

Lidia Brankovic

All kinds of guests check in and out of the Grand Hotel of Feelings. Some are fun and some are tricky, but all are welcome!

Welcome to the Grand Hotel of Feelings, where all kinds of feelings come and stay. Every guest has unique needs. Anger is very loud and needs plenty of space to scream and shout. Sadness speaks in a small voice and occasionally floods the bathroom. Anxiety takes many shapes and loves the spotlight.

Some feelings are big and some are small, some are fun and some are tricky, but all feelings must be listened to and acknowledged. After all, they’re just passing through.

This beautiful and imaginative title is much loved by readers young and old and has been translated into 22 languages. This is a new paperback edition.

Rise and Fall: Great empires that shaped the world

Peter Allen

Non-fiction

Rise and Fall: Great Empires that Shaped the World is a comprehensive, engaging and informative book that introduces young readers to the history of some of the most powerful and influential empires in human history.

Packed with eye-catching and vivid illustrations each page offers a wealth of information on empires from the Minoan Civilisation to The Kingdom of Ayutthaya. Through exciting storytelling and a well-organized structure, the book makes complex historical events accessible and enjoyable for children ages 8 and up.

As a curriculum lead in school, I also found this very useful for my own subject knowledge as there is information for each empire on topics such as religion, arts, architecture and decline. A brilliant addition to any library area for inquisitive minds who love history!

At The Top of the World: The Greatest Mountains on Earth (and how to climb them)

Ed J. Brown & Robin Jacobs

Non-fiction

This book is packed with information for budding mountaineers or fans of Geography.

Filled with facts, this book is perfect for class libraries or topic boxes. The beginning of the book features information about mountains, geographical terms, mountain ranges, explorers and the preparation involved before attempting to reach a summit.

The rest of the text concentrates on pages of information dedicated to famous mountains across the world, including Everest, Kilimanjaro and Vinson Massif – which is perfect for in-depth study work. Each section includes facts and details about conquests and climbs, accompanied by a very detailed glossary.

A fact-filled, round-the-world tour of the greatest mountains on Earth that is the perfect read for children and adults alike.

Betty’s Birthday

Celine Ka Wing Lau

Picturebook

A delightfully simple story about a chick named Betty’s 6th birthday. The lovely illustrations are bright and bold with lots of detail, children will have lots of fun finding new details on each page every time they read the book.

There are helpful questions for parents/carers to prompt exploration of the illustrations and story. There are opportunities for counting, skimming and scanning, inference and dancing!

A super fun picturebook to get readers enjoying the topic of birthday celebrations!

The Egg Incident

Daisy Wynter & Ziggy Hanaor

Chapter book

The Egg Incident is a charming tale that shows us how being too cautious can sometimes limit the joy we can find in everyday life. Based on the premise of Humpty Dumpty’s tragic fall from a wall, we follow his young nephew as he tries to build independence under the watchful eyes of his helicopter parents!

It is his new friend, Princess Jean, who shows him what he is missing out on, leading to some amusing and shocking truths about his family history being revealed!

We love the graphic novel style and the way the story is told through simple words and wonderful illustrations, making it very accessible, but appealing to older primary-aged children with its messages. This would be a wonderful story to share with children and parents as they think about building independence with activities such as allowing children to walk to school alone or go the park with friends; enjoyment will also be found with younger children who will delight in the twist on the familiar nursery rhyme!

The Mellons Build an Eco House

Nik Neves & Robin Jacobs

Picturebook

The Mellons are a family of five who live in a small flat and have had enough of not having enough space so decide that they need a bigger family home. They look around some different houses but none of them are quite right so they decide to build their own house. Each family member has a request for something that the new home should have: a study, a big kitchen and even a pool. With the help of architect Masha, they set off creating their dream home, but with a bigger picture in mind – their impact on the environment.

This book follows the journey of designing and building a new house and how this can be done in a more ecological way thinking about each step and its impact on the environment – making it stand out from the array of books about more traditional houses and homes. A range of tradespeople are introduced, who are represented by a range of men and women. At each step, the green way is discussed and how this is better for the environment than the traditional building method – for example using solar panels and a green roof. Every aspect of the building process is examined and made more friendly for the planet.

The book was enjoyable to discover and included interesting facts and lots of technical vocabulary – with enough science to capture older children as well as younger primary pupils who will enjoy the visual information and narrative frame. New topic words are either explained in the text or included in the glossary at the back.

Stones and Bones: Fossils and the stories they tell

Rob Wilsher & Sophie Williams

Non-fiction

Stones and Bones: Fossils and the Stories They Tell is a captivating non-fiction text, perfect for independent readers in UKS2. Its curriculum links to rocks and soils and the Stone Age makes it a good text for teachers or parents to read aloud to younger readers.

Stones and Bones is like having a friendly guide to show you around Earth’s past. You’ll learn how fossils are made and what life was like during different periods of history. Each page is full of exciting discoveries waiting to be uncovered. It is full of stunning illustrations, accessible language and rich content, making it sure to ignite a spark of curiosity for Natural History.

With amazing pictures that make dinosaurs and ancient worlds come alive, this book is packed with fun facts and cool stories.