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Topic: Back to School Picturebooks

Picturebook

The perfect book for any little dragon (or child) getting ready to start school or nursery!

This delightful rhyming follow-up to When a Dragon Comes to Stay by award-winning picture book creators Caryl Hart and Rosalind Beardshaw is full of recognisable pre-school behaviour. When a dragon goes to school, will she enjoy a book in the reading den and save her lunchtime treats for a friend? Or will she throw the crayons and refuse to share? She’s going to need her friends to help her behave herself . . . she is DRAGON after all!

Picturebook

It was an ordinary morning when the ordinary boy woke up, and it was an ordinary journey to school – but then Mr Gee bounced into the classroom and everything changed. Mr Gee plays rousing music which thunders around the classroom, and asks what it makes them think of. The dull grey world has been transformed into one of colour and excitement. ‘Write a story about it!’ laughs Mr Gee. And the ordinary boy began to write: the words just tumbled out of him pell-mell. And the places he went to, and the things he saw were extraordinary!

Picturebook

Shu Lin is starting at a new school. She stands alone in the playground and at lunchtime she eats by herself from little boxes of brightly coloured food. “What’s up with her?” says Barney.

But when Shu Lin’s grandpa comes to school and shows the class his amazing Chinese paintings, everything changes….

With a stunning double-gatefold spread revealing a beautiful Chinese picture, this uplifting story shows the transformative power of art and imagination in developing cultural understanding and empathy.

Picturebook

Who am I? I ask myself. What makes me a ME? I think hard with all my might, And look around to see.

What makes you a you? Are you like a sports car – lightning fast? Or maybe you’re like a tree … Do your arms stick out like branches? No? Then perhaps you’re like a snail – very slow (especially when it’s time for school!).

A funny and thought-provoking look at what makes us us, from Ben Faulks (known as Mr Bloom from CBeebies) and David Tazzyman (bestselling illustrator of You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus ). Guaranteed to feed the imagination, this celebration of being who we are is perfect for inquisitive (and inventive!) little minds.

Picturebook

Meesha loves making things . . . but there’s one thing she finds difficult to make – friends. She doesn’t know quite what to do, what to say or when to say it. But one day she discovers that she has a special talent that might just help her navigate social situations – and maybe even make new friends. A warm and affectionate look at the joys and difficulties of making and keeping friends, relating to others, and finding your place in the world.

Picturebook

Sunnyville is perfect. It twinkles with total loveliness. Until Rhino drops a toffee wrapper! “What? It’s only one!” he says. Soon things are messier, noisier and a WHOLE LOT grumpier! Can anyone save the day?

The perfect book to teach kids that a little care for your local environment and taking time to think of those around you, makes for a joyful world for all.

Picturebook

Set in a preschool for mini monsters, this fantastic new series stars four lovable characters who are learning valuable lessons about friendship and how to get along.

In Can I Play? , Sparkle is getting ready to put on a magic show with her best friend, Arthur. But when Scout tries to join in, Sparkles loses her temper and cancels the show. She soon learns that some games are much better with all your friends!

Picturebook

Here’s a heart-warming ode to friendship, compassion, and kindness told in rhyming verse and accompanied by charming and colorful illustrations. The message is clear — friends come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors. Some may look and dress differently than you, speak another language at home, may use a wheelchair to get around, or simply be shy. It just doesn’t matter — making a new friend is AWESOME!

Children will love this story about the joys of bonding, sharing, playing, and working together. And parents and other adults will appreciate a message that builds character and fosters empathic skills in children.

Graphic Novel

After the fall, Humpty Dumpty is a broken egg. Life is tough: he’s so afraid of heights, he can’t even bear to climb onto his bed, or reach his favourite cereal on the top shelf at the supermarket. But one day, fuelled by his passion for bird-watching, he decides to conquer his fears and something amazing happens…

Picturebook

Ruby loves being Ruby. Until, one day, she finds a worry. At first it’s not such a big worry, and that’s all right, but then it starts to grow. It gets bigger and bigger every day and it makes Ruby sad. How can Ruby get rid of it and feel like herself again?

A perceptive and poignant story that is a must-have for all children’s bookshelves. From Tom Percival’s bestselling Big Bright Feelings series, this is the perfect book for discussing childhood worries and anxieties, no matter how big or small they may be.

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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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