Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Publisher: Otter-Barry Books

The Flying Machine of Dreams

Poetry

Who will win the Magnificent Race of the Animals? Frog on roller-skates or zebra on a scooter? Find a morning moon, six ways to look at a leaf, beautiful bubbles and amazing shapeshifters. Have a feast of words, make a den and then guess the names of the night animals…

Kate Wakeling’s wonderful talent for revealing the excitement that hides in everyday things, combined with her soaring imagination and special way with words, make this a poetry book that fizzes with ideas and inspiration for young children, perfectly matched by Viviane Schwarz’s exciting and inventive illustrations.

They Sent a Cat to Saturn

Ken Wilson-Max & Valerie Bloom

Poetry

They sent a cat to Saturn
on a spaceship called Hooray.
They put him in his cat space-suit
and sent him on his way…

Val Bloom’s exciting new poetry collection is brimming with playfulness, empathy and the joy of words and wordplay.

It is divided into enticing sections: Word Painting; Pets and People; A Little Light Relief; Wild, Wild World; Glorious Food and finally Brawta (the Jamaican word for A little bit extra).

Have fun with Jamaican haiku, puzzles and riddles; find the superpower of smiling; discover dinosaurs, a lost cat, a hero Dad and Papa cookin’; check out how to make an octopus laugh and find kindness in poems about refugees, the meaning of home and friendship.

This book by a much-loved poet will be treasured and read again and again, at home and at school.

Superheroes in the Park

Hayley Wells & Ian Eagleton

Picturebook

One little boy can’t wait to get to the park with Dad and Daddy. But oh no! The path is too icy. “Careful or you’ll slip,” says Dad. The ropes are too high… “Stop, or you might fall,” says Daddy. Everything is too high, too fast, too slippery or too big. It’s not fair!

But after some tears and a big hug the boy has a brilliant idea. They will all play TOGETHER at the playground and he will show Dad and Daddy what to do! On the ropes they’re pirates, on the swing they are swooping birds and on the roundabout they’re SUPERHEROES.

What adventures will they have next?

“With Dad and Daddy by my side, I know I can do anything!”

A delightful, inclusive and empowering story, full of love and tenderness, based on the author’s own family.

The Poetry World of John Agard

John Agard

Poetry

A towering figure in the children’s and YA poetry world, John Agard has chosen favourite poems from eight of his previously published collections: I Din Do Nuttin; Say it Again, Granny; No Hickory, No Dickory, No Dock;
Laughter is an Egg; Grandfather’s Old Bruk-a-Down Car; We Animals Would Like a Word With You; Come Back to Me My Boomerang, and Points of View With Professor Peekaboo.

Over 80 poems are included, reflecting the genius of Agard through a range of poetic forms and styles and most of all his extraordinary ability to connect with children of all ages through poetry.

The Brave Little Whale

Charlotte Manning

Picturebook

Uki is a little Humpback whale who lives in his pod which is led by his adored Grandfather Yuka. It is the time of year when the whales make their long journey from the tropical seas to the icy Arctic waters. Usually led by Grandpa Yuka, the whales prepare to leave but Grandpa is too old and decides that he will remain in the warmer seas. Uki is sad to leave his grandpa, especially as he is the one who knows the way and the songs to sing and help them on their journey. As the whales start their journey, they face many different dangers – sharks, storms and a pod of Orcas. Will they make it to their final destination and what part will little Uki play?

The story is one of excitement, adventure and coming of age courage. The story is illustrated beautifully and full of lovely bright colours. As you read through the story, there are little circles full of factual information that backs up what you are reading. This was a really nice touch and could be read aloud for older children but also missed if the audience was younger. At the end of the story, there is a double page map showing migration patterns which links beautifully to the story and the journey that Uki takes. We (myself and my 5-year old) really enjoyed reading the story and discussing about whales afterwards. A fantastic book that brings fiction and non-fiction together.

The Heart of the Storm

Kate Read & Teresa Heapy

Picturebook

Ruby the fox and Growl the wolf live deep in the forest. There’s just one problem – they hate each other…!

But when a raging storm tears through the forest and the animals have to flee, they must help each other to survive. Can Ruby and Growl overcome their enmity and find friendship in the heart of the storm?

An exciting, fast-paced picture book adventure with stunning illustrations, celebrating courage and the importance of helping each other.

Cities Going Wild… to Save the Planet

Catherine Barr & Christiane Engel

Picturebook

The introduction to this vividly colourful book explains its reason. By 2050, two out of every three people will be living in a city, and because nature is essential to our planet’s survival and humans’ mental health, the book attempts to explore how we can and have brought nature into our cities.

Each double page highlights real-world examples such as the garden cities of the High Line in New York, the bus stops for bees in Utrecht, nature corridors in London, and wetland parks in Sanya Dong’an. The pages are beautifully illustrated, integrating the colours of nature, such as the greater green snakes, Hainan hares, snowy egrets and more in China, with side panels imploring the reader look and find.

The book is inspirational, with its living walls, edible food forests, allotments and more – some ventures being smaller and localised rather than town-planned. But the text is difficult with many multi-phrasal sentences with complicated domain-specific vocabulary. The author has tried to blend the beauty of nature into her words, using alliteration and literary devices but it is hard to read in places, and these are tricky topics to understand. A worthy and informative book, beautiful to look at, and bound to provoke questions.

Poetry Pizza

Simon Mole & Tom McLaughlin

Poetry

Here, inside a bright and breezy cover, are ninety-three pages of illustrated, imaginative, occasionally quite incisive, and consistently inspiring verse. Inspiring because, if poetry can be this much fun, readers (of any age) will want to have a go themselves! It’s possible some will try to pen a haiku, but probably not the problematic ‘triolet’. Or they might simply take some of Simon Mole’s creative ideas like Mind Map and Cure for End of the Day Blues (to help them relax) or Us in the Car (as a game to play on long journeys).

There are also fun fabrications of dictionary entries, eg ‘Flooble’, and extrapolations of events like ‘The Last Wee’, which are certain to bring a smile to the face.

How many of these poems are based on the author’s own experiences, is not clear (did Dad really fill the bath with lemonade?), but it is clear that Simon Mole has a sparkling sense of humour and a real talent for cooking up a feast. Perform them, use them (eg to craft your own version of LOL with a.n.other abbreviation), share them and enjoy them!

The Big Green: Everyone Can Make a Difference

Ken Wilson-Max

Picturebook

Maryam and Issa live at the edge of the Sahara Desert in Mali, Africa. One day, they go on an outing with their parents, but this is no ordinary outing. At the edge of the hot, dry desert, people are creating something, something big, something special . . . something green!

In the words of their Uncle Cedric, they’re creating a ‘future’; a better future for the birds, for the bees, for everyone. They are creating a better future, one plant at a time, with adults and children working side by side planting plants across Africa to create a ‘Great Green Wall’.

This is a growing plants story about a fictional family, but the Green Wall project they’re involved in is real, and there are information pages at the back of the book for anyone who would like to know more about this immense, ecological project to grow a green ‘wall’ across Africa, as well as guidance on how to plant a tree yourself.

A beautiful, simple picture book with a valuable message at its heart, one that will hopefully inspire a new generation to go outside and grow.

A Cat Called Waverley

Debi Gliori

Picturebook

Born in a city park, Waverley is looked after by his best friend, Donald. Until, one fateful day, Donald signs up to fight in a war-zone far away. Loyal and patient, the homeless little ginger cat waits for his friend at Edinburgh’s Waverley Station. He waits… and waits. Years go by but Waverley never gives up. He knows that home is where Donald is. Will Donald ever return and will he and Waverley find a home at last?

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Publisher: Otter-Barry Books

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