CHILDREN’S REVIEWS 0-5 YEARS
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett Walker HB Out now
Annabelle loves to knit. She lives in a monochrome
town covered in snow – until one day she knits herself a bright jumper and causes an instant sensation. Before long Annabelle has covered her entire town in colourful knitwear, but her talent attracts the attention of a hostile outsider. Illustrated by Jon Klassen in a lovely muted colour palette that perfectly compliments Mac Barnett’s understated writing, the story is ideal for over-threes, and its soothing narrative is perfect for bedtime reading.
Books Always Everywhere by Jane Blatt Nosy Crow PB/HB Out March In recent months we’ve witnessed a wave of new picture books
about books themselves. Katie Cleminson’s Otto the Book Bear and Lane Smith’s It’s a Book! spring immediately to mind, and
here Jane Blatt and illustrator Sarah Massini follow suit. The text is minimal, a basic rhyming celebration of books of all shapes and sizes. The illustrations are jolly, charming and teeming with details to point out and discuss. It’s an unfussy, uplifting hymn to the simple pleasures of printed words and pictures. It implies that a love of reading can enrich the fabric of every child’s daily life: amen to that. AM, M
I Dare You Not to Yawn by Helen Boudreau Candlewick HB Out March Yawns are sneaky; they can creep up on you when you are least
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expecting them. There you are minding your own business, when your arms stretch up and your eyes shut tight, your mouth opens wide and out pops a yawn. Next thing you know it’s time for pyjamas and bedtime stories, and you’re tucked up in bed wondering how you got there. Helen Boudreau, aided by illustrator Serge Bloch, offers tips on how to stop yawning, including avoiding all things that make you feel snuggly and cuddly.
Grendel: A Cautionary Tale About Chocolate by David Lucas Walker HB Out March Grendel loves chocolate. But he has to learn a lesson about
thinking before wishing in this new story by the ever delightful David Lucas, whose trademark colours and patterns look strong and original alongside this simple, easy to follow story with delicious dialogue. Grendel’s facial expressions are worth the cover price alone, and he will be a useful example when the subject of ‘one more chocolate’ comes up. Style and substance converge in this gorgeous story.
Prince Charmless by Jeanne Willis Anderson HB Out February Prince
Charmless moans about absolutely everything
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from the size of the palace to what he eats, wears and does, until all the long- suffering servants are driven away. The King and Queen
IN DEPTH
The Disgusting Sandwich by Gareth Edwards Alison Green PB Out March
Badger is hungry – and what better to satisfy his appetite than a peanut butter sandwich? But after a series of mishaps the sandwich becomes more and more disgusting. As night falls,
Badger finds the sandwich covered in slugs and ‘trails of slippery slime and oozy grey bubbles’. This book will satisfy the curiosity of every toddler who has been dragged away from a dropped sandwich. Gareth Edwards’ straightforward text takes us on a recognisable journey – all of the characters are ones we could meet on any given day in the park. Their
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behaviour and reactions ring true to a young child’s world. Hannah Shaw’s funny illustrations add so much to the narrative; they always give us a clue to the next disaster, and what will follow it. I was particularly fond of Mother Crow still in her hair curlers, and the mystery of the disappearing pigeon. An essential guide to urban wildlife, and a must for every park visitor.
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try to make the pampered prince learn to do things for himself, with rib-tickling results. Jeanne Willis and illustrator Tony Ross have created a delightful picturebook: the succinct, imaginative text and colourful illustrations will grip children. Families will enjoy reading this together, and it could help a child understand it’s good to have a go yourself – and that nobody likes a whinger.
LG
Sidney, Stella and the Moon By Emma Yarlett Templar HB Out March Brother and sister Sidney and Stella have lots of fun together,
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but they just won’t share. One day during an argument over a (very) bouncy ball, the ball flies out of the window, bouncing higher and higher until it smashes the moon! Sidney and Stella hope no one will notice, but the moon’s disappearance is big news, and the duo must work together to try to put things right. Emma Yarlett’s quirky illustrations are full of fun and the surreal story is perfect for reading to quarrelsome siblings.
AH
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