Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

Black Artists Shaping the World

Non-fiction

Written by award-winning Black British children’s author Sharna Jackson, Black Artists Shaping the World celebrates the diversity of work being produced today by Black artists from around the globe, introducing young readers to twenty-six contemporary artists from Africa and of the African diaspora.

Sharna Jackson’s experience as a children’s author who has worked for over a decade in the cultural sector, both at Tate in London and at Site Gallery in Sheffield, is combined here with the curatorial expertise of Dr Zoé Whitley, Director of London’s Chisenhale Gallery and co-curator of the landmark Tate exhibition ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’. Their book features artists working in a variety of media from painting, sculpture and drawing to ceramics, installation art and sound art. Artists featured include British Turner Prize-winning painters Lubaina Himid and Chris Ofili; renowned South African visual activist Zanele Muholi; Nigerian sound artist Emeka Ogboh; Sudanese painter Kamala Ibrahim Ishag; Kenyan-British ceramicist Magdalene Odundo; African-American artists Kerry James Marshall, Faith Ringgold, Amy Sherald and Kehinde Wiley; performance artist Harold Offeh; and moving image artist Larry Achiampong.

The result is a refreshingly contemporary celebration of Black artists at work today that will serve as inspiration to a new generation of aspiring young artists.

The Big Book of Nature Art

Yuval Zommer

Non-fiction

Featuring twenty-two easy craft projects using natural and recycled materials, The Big Book of Nature Art is a fun and eco way for young children to connect creatively with nature.

From bestselling author Yuval Zommer, The Big Book of Nature Art is packed with twenty-two easy art activities inspired by nature. Each of the activities can be achieved in four simple steps using natural materials combined with recycled or found materials from around the home. Drawing on Zommer’s years of experience running art workshops for children, The Big Book of Nature Art includes his tips for stress-free ways to get creative with kids.

Each nature art activity requires no more than five minutes set-up and five minutes clean-up, making them easy to achieve and fun for everyone involved. The book also encourages children to see the creative potential in the natural and everyday treasures all around us – from twigs, seed pods, petals and leaves through to loo rolls, pencil shavings, takeaway cutlery and kitchen string.

Little nature artists will enjoy making paper-plate birds; leaf bugs; coffee-cup owls; tree bark bats; and seed pod creepy crawlies, as well as scenes for their creatures to dwell in, from watery worlds to underground tunnels.

Bright Stars of Black British History

Angela Vives & J. T. Williams

Non-fiction

An important and enlightening non-fictional account of some of the stars (including some lesser-known figures) of Black British history.

This well-researched book tells inspiring stories of people from all walks of life – stories of courage, fierce determination and fights for freedom that every primary school pupil should be aware of as they form a vital part of England’s story. The book sensitively deals with the complexity and contradictions of Black British history using relatable language.

Through reading this book, I was introduced to remarkable stories that I was not previously aware of and was intrigued by the range of evidence used to construct claims about the past. This would be a great book to inspire diversification of the curriculum and most certainly some thought-provoking discussion about Black History.

A History of Pictures for Children

David Hockney & Martin Gayford

Non-fiction

A History of Pictures for Children takes readers on a journey through art history, from early art drawn on cave walls to the images we make today on our computers and phone cameras. Based on the bestselling book for adults, this children’s edition of A History of Pictures is told through conversations between the artist David Hockney and the author Martin Gayford, who talk about art with inspiring simplicity and clarity. Rose Blake’s illustrations illuminate the narratives of both authors to bring the history of art alive for a young audience.

I Wonder Where I Am?

Shinsuke Yoshitake

Picturebook

This is a colourful book about how useful maps can be in everyday life, which is told in an engaging, humorous way for a younger audience. It challenges what a map actually is and cleverly explains, using entertaining examples, that maps can take many different forms and quite simply are a way to help someone understand something better.

The book would be an excellent resource for teachers to use with the whole class or with individuals to help them better understand themselves. There is a lovely example of a map of ‘what humans are like’ for use by aliens who have landed on Earth – this could be used as a stimulus for children to create a map about themselves and what they want people to know about them.

The book also talks about the fact that some maps are designed so that everyone can understand them, whereas others are just for one person – the book could be used to encourage children to make a personal map to help them understand something about themselves: perhaps about their feelings (there is a good example of this in the book).

Importantly, the book goes on to explain that while a map can help us to learn and understand things better, it doesn’t have all the answers and that’s okay. This is a wonderful tool for use in the primary classroom.

Why Can’t Horses Burp?

Lily Snowden-Fine & Nick Crumpton

Non-fiction

Calling all horse lovers! Have you ever wondered why horses can’t burp? Why horses wear shoes? Whether horses and humans can be friends? Well look no further! This child-friendly, non-fiction text is an informative and fun way to learn everything you need to know about our lovable horsey friends.

Each double-page spread starts with an intriguing question about horses. From diet, exercise, breeds and winning Olympic medals, there is a breadth of information to interest any young equestrian-lover. The illustrations are bright and playful and are surrounded by short bursts of text, making it easy to read and enjoy.

I would highly recommend this information book for anyone who wants to become an equine expert, or any person, young or old, with a thirst for animal knowledge.

Glow: The Wild Wonders of Bioluminescence

Jennifer N. R. Smith

Non-fiction

The astonishing phenomenon of bioluminescence is brought to life in vivid detail by medical illustrator Jennifer N. R. Smith.

The natural world is an infinite source of wonder and the phenomenon of bioluminescence is no exception. Glow explores the remarkable way animals and plants light up of their own accord, and what we can learn from their incredible glow-in-the-dark abilities. Written and illustrated in minute detail by medical illustrator Jennifer N. R. Smith, Glow takes readers on a magical journey to the deepest ocean trenches, through winding networks of caves and into the darkest corners of the forest to experience the wonder of bioluminescence.

The first in a series of non-fiction children’s books exploring natural phenomena, Glow introduces readers to creatures that glow in the dark including anglerfish, firefly squid, lanternfish, the glowing sucker octopus, Flor de Coco and Honey fungi, as well as hosts of fireflies and glow-worms. It also celebrates the scientists and deep-sea explorers who, at great personal risk, have travelled to the ocean floor to study bioluminescence. Combining natural history with STEM, Glow considers how bioluminescence works and what we can learn from it, including ways to prevent climate change and tackle pollution.

Printed using UV printing techniques, the illustrations appear luminous on the page, making for a truly awe-inspiring reading experience.

The Brainiac’s Book of the Climate and Weather

Harriet Russell & Rosie Cooper

Non-fiction

Quirky stories, interactive activities and off-the-wall infographics serve to answer young brainiacs’ urgent questions about the climate and weather.

What’s the difference between the climate and weather? How do we know global warming is real? The answers to these and many more pressing questions are explored in this book through memorable stories, infographic data dumps, and by engineering a solar oven from a pizza box, among other hands-on activities. Aimed at young brainiacs who want to know how many cow farts make up the Earth’s atmosphere, and how to whip up a homemade storm.

A History of Words for Children

Mary Richards & Rose Blake

Non-fiction

A history of the world told through the prism of language, from Shakespeare to Anne Frank, Martin Luther King to Greta Thunberg.

A History of Words for Children explores the uniquely human ability to transfer thoughts from one brain to another using words. Written in a lively narrative style, the book presents a history of the world and human development through the prism of language, introducing readers to the civilisations, inventions and wordsmiths who have shaped the way we communicate.

Divided into themed chapters, the book explores what words are and how humans communicate using spoken language and sign; the development of written scripts and writing implements, including paper; the history of manuscripts and printed books, including worldwide bestsellers and famous libraries; the process of learning another language; dialects and accents and the way language can reflect our identity; the power of words to calm, inspire, rally crowds and rule nations; graffiti’s role in spreading messages; codes and invented languages; the patterns of poetry; the future of words, including emojis; and languages facing extinction.

Why Do I Feel Like This?

Non-fiction

Shinsuke Yoshitake’s books are always a treat to look forward to, beloved by adults and children alike, for the inimitable illustration style and inventive, philosophical texts which prompt us to think more deeply, more imaginatively about the world around us.

‘Why Do I Feel Like This?’ looks at where our bad, mad, sad feelings come from and what we can do to make them go away. As all the options are investigated, there is no shying away from darker impulses, such as “I wish they’d trip over a rock and hurt themselves”, counter-acted by thoughts such as “Hating people doesn’t feel good”. A range of coping mechanisms are explored, such as distracting yourself, talking your problems through and realising that everyone feels this way sometimes.

There are no easy answers here though, this is by no means a child’s self help book. It is a witty, relatable exploration of negative thoughts that asks many more questions than it answers, allowing the reader space to draw conclusions for themselves.

I would use ‘Why Do I Feel Like This?’ with children throughout the primary school age range, knowing that each time they return to it they will see more, get more, from the story as their own emotional understanding develops. Simply wonderful.

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Publisher: Thames & Hudson Ltd

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