This is a beautiful picture book that follows a herd of African elephants as they journey to find water in the African savannah.
The Matriarch leads the herd and tells of times gone by and stories of how the landscape used to be. Soon, the story moves on to the invasion of humans and how they drove some of the other animals away from their natural habitat by building, making loud noises and causing destruction of the landscape.
The threat from poachers forces the herd to move on, still searching for the elusive water. As the situation looks bleak for the herd, Grandma Elephant smells that familiar smell that she was taught to look for when she was a calf and the elephants arrive at the watering hole.
Told in gentle rhyming couplets and accompanied by wonderful illustrations, this is a heartfelt story told in a way to help young children understand some of the challenges faced by Africa’s majestic giants.
Accompanying the story, readers can delve into a fantastic non-fiction section at the back of the book. A non-chronological report, information about how to care for elephants and the work of wildlife rangers, and messages about conservation efforts allow the reader a greater understanding of the plight of these animals. Readers are also encouraged to be a local wildlife hero.
This book will be great to use in a primary schools. The range of mini texts types gives a rounded approach to the topic and offers superb model texts to use in the classroom. The stunning illustrations will be ideal for initiating discussion and deeper thinking around the themes explored. The book also links to topics of conservation, habitats and animal survival. I can’t wait to share this with my class.
Looking Up from Flying Eye Books is a highly visual non-fiction book exploring the history and science of telescopes. Unique among the myriad of non-fiction titles covering the topic of space, this book has a real STEM focus as it explores the ins and outs of how telescopes have enabled people to learn to magnify objects from a great distance and given insights into human understanding of the universe.
Spanning back through history, Looking Up zooms in on significant people who have contributed to the evolution of telescopes as we know them. Galileo developed ‘a tube with lenses’ that enabled viewers to see the craters of our Moon and the moons of other planets. From there, a series of thinkers and innovators have taken up the baton to develop the technology in incredible ways. International collaboration in scientific discovery is emphasised in the book, as an array of prominent telescopes around the world are celebrated – including the Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the VISTA telescope in Chile, and the James Webb Space Telescope (a collaboration developed by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency).
With a vivid and bold design style, this book is perfect for curious minds, science-lovers and those with an emerging interest in all things STEM.
Fans of Yuval Zommer’s Big Book series may have been guessing which alliterative topic was next to come after poring over the previous Big Book of the Blue, The Big Book of Birds, the Big Book of Bugs and the Big Book of Beasts. I wonder how many – if any – correctly landed on ‘Belonging’ as the theme of the latest large-format hardback in this much-loved collection.
The Big Book of Belonging aims to unite young readers from around the globe under one banner – of belonging to planet Earth. In his foreword, the author says, “The Big Book of Belonging is my way of celebrating the wondrous connections between us humans and the natural world. From the air that we breathe, the food we eat, the adventures we seek, to the joy we experience, you will find a connection to nature in every single part of our being. And the more we can reconnect with nature, the more we can reconnect with ourselves.”
Illustrated in full colour in Yuval Zommer’s iconic style, the book is packed with natural history facts that draw out just how much a part of the natural world humans are. Readers may be surprised to discover that sea otters hold hands just like humans do, or that scientists believe that listening to bird song can boost the hormones in our bodies that help us to concentrate and focus better, and that butterflies also have bedtimes. They’ll learn that just as humans have unique fingerprints, zebras have different stripes, cowrie shells have distinct spots and that no two snowflakes are identical.
As well as a host of interesting facts, readers will come across a range of familiar knowledge too – like how leaves fall from trees in Autumn or how frogs start life as frogspawn. Each page of facts is presented as part of a connection between humans and nature – the leaves fall off trees just as human hair falls out when we brush it or male fallow deer shed and regrow their antlers every year.
The book’s uplifting tone, super-short snippets of facts and full colour illustrations make it suitable for younger children looking to collect information without becoming overhwhelmed as well as for older children looking to dive into the connections between the facts they know. This is a lovely book for sharing and discussing, making it a highly suitable choice for primary classrooms.
Imagine Stig of the Dump meets Robinson Crusoe… and then craft it into picture book form and add all the usual wit, warmth and intrigue of Jeanne Willis’ stories – and you’ll be close to what we have in Hom.
Hom is the story of a young boy who ends up shipwrecked on an island. There he discovers Hom, an unusual but peace-loving little creature who is the last of his kind. Perhaps he is an early human who has survived from ancient times (is Hom short for Hominid?), or maybe simply a yet-undiscovered creature of nature.
The pair become friends, playing and running together, building go-karts and teaching each other what they know about survival. The boy discovers that they are more alike than different, and when a rescue ship arrives, he makes the bold decision to stay put and protect Hom. The boy knows that it would be dangerous for Hom to be discovered by other humans – although the reader is addressed as a trustworthy confidant and invited to be in on the secret from the start.
This is a touching story of friendship, protecting others and respecting the age-old affinity between humans and the natural world. There’s a gentle message about protecting the vulnerable things of our planet, and another about overcoming apparent differences. Nevertheless, the playful tone of the story and Paddy Donnelly’s vibrant, luscious island scenes in which the friends are seen playing, sheltering and adventuring, make this an accessible all-age story with many layers to unwrap.
Yanni is a reluctant big brother; he has a baby sister and ever since her arrival, his world has been turned upside down. As an only child, he had shared a cosy flat with his parents and as the only grandchild, his grandparents had worshipped him. When Ari arrived, the family needed more space and so moved to the rural village of Fallow Hall and Yanni would attend the ominously named Riddleton School.
Two days into his new life, and struggling to find a babysitter, Yanni’s parents invite Amy over. Between them they have to look after Ari while Yanni’s parents enjoy a rare night out. It is All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween) and when a stranger appears in the house, events take an unexpectedly dark turn. Some simple house renovations have reopened a door into the World of the Fae, and Lorde Renwin is intent on stealing Ari.
What follows is a race-against-time quest to get Ari back before midnight, when the door back to normality will close again. But will the reluctant adventurers have time to locate the toadstone, navigate the goblin maze, collect a vial of elixir from the ruined abbey and find the magic crown from an ancient king? The only possible way they can complete their quest is by working together, using the few resources they have and a big helping of initiative.
Through his beautiful writing, Montgomery has created a fantasy world that would rival Oz, Wonderland or Narnia. The unusual characters are honest and, at times, very funny. The undercurrent of love conquering evil is prevalent throughout, which gives it the feel of 21st Century fairy-tale, although this book is not for the faint-hearted! This story will chill you to the bone, and you won’t be able to put it down. It truly is a page-turner.
Reviewer: Emma Hughes
The Weather Weaver is the first book to be published by Tamsin Mori. A self-declared childhood nomad, Mori’s love of her maternal home of Shetland is evident from the start.
Finding herself dumped on the Isle of Shetland while her parents work away on a research vessel, Stella soon finds that life with her recently bereaved Grandpa does not match the sunny memories of her earlier childhood. As she grapples with her Grandpa’s never-ending anger and disappointment she is befriended by the unlikely figure of Tamar, an eccentric old woman. Afraid to appear rude, Stella sets off on the seemingly unfeasible mission of catching a cloud, little realising how dramatically her life is about to change…
The story tackles the effect of bereavement and separation with sensitivity, without feeling like it has been sugar-coated in any way. Mori delicately weaves the story as Stella faces her own fears and rebuilds the relationship she once had with her Grandpa, gaining strength in her self-belief along the way. Mori also manages to balance the reality of life as we know it, with that little bit of magic spun throughout, leaving the reader (or at least this one!) gazing at the clouds, wishing they could weave the weather too.
In schools, the story would be good as a basis for a discussion on the basis of myth and legend or as a PSHE opener on the possible effects of bereavement or separation on those left behind. This would also make a great book to keep pupils hooked at the end of the day with just enough mounting peril to keep them wanting more without scaring those more sensitive souls.
My only complaint of the book is the number of late nights I succumbed to as I really didn’t want to put it down! I don’t know if Mori plans to write a sequel, but I truly hope so.
After the success of The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates last year, primary-teacher-turned-author Jenny Pearson is back with a new and hilarious tale of ordinary children on extra-ordinary adventures. Life isn’t easy for Lucy. Her mum has depression and is difficult to care for, often being unwell for long periods that leave Lucy needing the help of a family friend. Lucy is great at fixing broken objects, but wishes more than anything that she knew how to fix her mum. It becomes clear that mum might need some time to stay at a place that can help her, and Lucy goes to stay with Aunty Sheila for a while.
Aunty Sheila loves car boot sales and is larger than life, always treating Lucy with kindness and a sense of fun, but life there is not the same as being with mum. With the help of friendly neighbour Sandesh, Lucy comes up with a way to make things right again. It’s an ambitious plan that involves meeting an 80s pop icon who was once acquainted with Mum, appearing on a TV show and smashing a world record – but as far as Lucy is concerned, no aim is too high when it comes to making her mum happy again. What follows is a humorous romp as Lucy and Sandesh search for a world record to smash with a range of hilarious consequences.
The humour is perfect for Key Stage 2 and the story also explores the subject of parental mental health issues in an age-appropriate way. This is a smasher of a story; the author knows her audience extremely well and pitches both the comic and more serious elements at just the right level. The relationships that Lucy forms with Aunty Sheila and Sandesh are lovely, and demonstrate how – while nothing can replace the closeness that Lucy craves with her mum – the warmth and loyalty of others can make the world of difference during hard times. This strand of the plot may serve as a valuable encouragement to children affected by similar issues that reaching out for or accepting support from others is sometimes the very best course of action.
A Turtle’s View of the Ocean Blue takes the reader on a tour of our world’s oceans and seas, guided by a turtle. In fact, the turtle is quickly overshadowed (in a good way) by the facts and figures he presents. The wealth of information – about the physical geography of the five oceans and the creatures that live there – is fascinating. Some of it, such as details of the water cycle, will be familiar to adults and is directly relevant to the National Curriculum programmes of study in Science and Geography. But I was impressed to see how much more than that the book covered and found myself captivated on every page by the complexity and variety of the different underwater regions.
The depth and breadth of the information is matched by the glowing illustrations which look, appropriately, to have been painted in watercolours. Shades of blue predominate, as might be expected from the book title, but the details of plants, animals and geographical features show the technicolour range of life within the seas and oceans. The front cover actually shimmers with some of the details picked out in gold. As well as being packed with interesting content, this book is a beautiful object which will surely attract children to pick it up and browse through it.
The book would be a brilliant addition to school book corners and libraries. The reading level is challenging enough for Year 6, but it’s divided into smaller nuggets, making it suitable for much younger children too. Key Stage 1 children will appreciate the beauty of the illustrations and learn much from the pictures but it would be best placed in Key Stage 2. It would support curriculum teaching in Science (especially in Year 4) and in Geography and any work on conservation and the environment. Best of all, it’s fun to read the facts and look at the pictures. This makes it perfect for Reading for Pleasure time too. I recommend it to children who love non-fiction and books of amazing facts.
Myra and Rohan are life-long friends through a shared experience at birth. Every year they share a birthday party. Every year Myra causes havoc at that party. Last year, for example, she broke the magician’s hand and superglued Rohan’s cousin’s hair. This year she sets the shed alight. But while everyone is distracted, Rohan’s little sister Shilpa is kidnapped by the Fairy Queen and taken to Otherland – a world where nothing is quite as it seems.
With the help of another fairy, Myra and Rohan follow Shilpa to Otherland and accept a challenge from the Fairy Queen. If they can win three challenges in a deadly game set by the Fairy Queen, then Shilpa can return with them to their world. If they lose, all three of them stay in Otherland forever.
Louie Stowell’s newest story is a fabulous journey through the world of fairies, gods and vampires. The interaction between Rohan and Myra is hilarious and the characters visibly change throughout the story – both of them realising things about themselves and each other along the way. The challenges that the characters face and twists in the story keep the reader entertained all the way through. Each piece of action is superbly described and the tale was so fast-paced that I was desperate to read what happened next. For a teacher teaching story writing this is brilliant. The dialogue is superb, the pace fast and the descriptions wonderful.
Otherland is a fantastic escapist story, encompassing action, mischievous characters who are not quite what or who you think and an adventure that sees the children learn important things about themselves and each other. Just remember – in Otherland nothing is quite as it seems!
On the day she was born, a coach of tourists appeared at the hospital – was it just a coincidence or is there something special about Alex? To her friends and teachers, Alex is a nobody – but what does the future hold for her?
Alex is a unique, brave and intelligent protagonist who doesn’t feel like she fits in with her peers. That is, until the appearance of Jasper. Jasper arrives just when Alex is feeling extremely alone and most in need of a friend. Alex can’t help wondering where Jasper came from, especially as she knows so little about him. Then Jasper mysteriously disappears and Alex decides she has to find a way to save her friend.
When she discovers that the only logical explanation for the sudden disappearance is time travel, Alex becomes focussed on finding a way to follow Jasper. Alex’s only option is to become a stowaway on the coach of tourists outside her school. With the help of an interesting cast of characters, Alex begins her journey through the future to locate and rescue Jasper, but she is also determined to uncover the truth – why was Jasper sent to watch and protect her?
This is Kate Gilby Smith’s debut novel, and after thoroughly enjoying this thought-provoking read, I am intrigued to see what comes next. Time travelling is a fascinating subject, and this is a gentle enough introduction to excite young readers by the concept without leaving them scratching their brains in confusion at the metaphysics – especially as Alex’s back-story is really her future-story. This well-crafted story with its strong female lead celebrates difference, friendship, family and determination. It does also include a number of interesting historical references, through Gerty’s collection of stolen historical items from Martin Luther King to Cleopatra. This would make a fabulous class read, as there are plenty of talking points throughout the story.
review
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?
Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?
yes
Curriculum links (if relevant)
Curriculum links (if relevant)
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