BfK 5 – 8 Infant/Junior New Talent


The Eli Collection: Egg, Cards, Pencil


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Laura Bellini, Tiny Owl, 9781910328279, £24.95 boxed hdbk


 Exploring his surroundings he comes across objects that open possibilities for him to be creative and build dreams.


There is an almost dreamlike


quality to Bellini’s delicate lines that captures both the gossamer fragility       splendour of his surroundings, the nature of his dreams. But they      subtle strength that mirrors Eli’s determination as he attempts to build a castle of cards, a tower of eggs, a pillar of pencils. His efforts look doomed to failure as the cards  break, the pencils tumble down.  each catastrophe comes something new and exciting. You just need imagination and perseverance. Boxed together, these enchanting and intriguing books are a real gift. Their design is unusual – but


The Ugly Five 


Julia Donaldson, ill. Axel Scheffler, Scholastic, 32pp, 978 1 407174 19 8, £12.99 hbk


Julia Donaldson has been on safari and the happy result is this humorous celebration, not of the usual, glamorous ‘Big Five’ animals of the African plains, but rather of a motley group of the ‘ugliest’ animals of the continent.    Vulture and Marabou Stork. Julia Donaldson deploys her characteristic and accomplished rhyming text to      forces to proudly celebrate their own ugliness as they march across the savannah singing their song. In a satisfying and heart-warming ending        by their own babies who proceed to thank them for their love and care and proclaim them ‘the Lovely Five’. Julia Donaldson’s brilliant, rhyming


text reads aloud as perfectly as ever, there is a great sense of fun and brio as the animals, and birds, positively revel in their own supposed ugliness.      witty expression and detail, depict the African landscape beautifully and complement the text impeccably. The book does convey messages about not judging by appearance and the strength of family love. There is also a conservation theme via the link


perfectly captures the narrow space within which an insect operates – the corner of a room. There are tiny details to be explored – but without detracting from the spare subtlety        his environment putting ideas into practice, following disappointment with a success that has taken a new direction. These are quiet books to be savoured alone or shared with another. They are books to stimulate not just conversation but visual literacies that are, perhaps, less familiar. Bellini is an artist to watch – and these are a welcome addition to the growing number of silent books appearing on the scene. Delightful, unconventional, desirable. FH


     are the extremes of childhood – and that is what the reader will recognise. Emphasising the narrative is a clever use of fonts and page design heightening the humour of what is a story about sharing and generosity. That this is unstated makes it all the more effective and powerful. Subtle, sophisticated, fun – this is a deceptively simple picture book that really does deliver its message. Highly recommended. FH


Dragons, Father and Son 


Alexandre Lacroix, ill. Ronan Badel, Words and Pictures, 64pp., 978-1-7849-3828-4 £9.99 hbk


with “Tusk”, a charity that supports the people and wildlife of Africa whilst       the chance to learn about many more African animals. As ever though, the lasting effect of a Julia Donaldson/  on a sense of fun and warm-hearted humour and to give children and adults alike a completely satisfying reading experience. SR


I am Bat 


Morag Hood, Two Hoots 9781509834617, 32pp, £11.99 hbk


‘I am Bat’, he declares, his wings folded protectively around his stash of cherries. But his fearsome expression, his threat that he will be  his cherries. ‘I will never be happy  Morag Hood is fast establishing a reputation as a creator of clever, intriguing, sophisticated yet simple picture books that ask the reader, whatever the age, to think and engage. Her minimalist approach is the perfect medium. There are no unnecessary details to detract from the words and the images. Here the text speaks directly to the audience. Bat looks out at us, demanding that we listen to him. His expressions speak volumes – from    


24 Books for Keeps No.227 November 2017


Drake’s father tells him that he is a big boy now and that its time to go to the village and burn a few houses. Drake has only ever toasted himself a small slug or caterpillar for a snack, and really doesn’t want to burn down houses,  house, before he can burn it down, a small boy greets him with delight and suggests that the school would be a good idea instead, because he hasn’t done his homework, but a teacher soon puts a stop to that idea. She explains that the children love learning about dragons and gets them to draw pictures to give to him, then suggests        shack down by the river. The shack        so he can’t burn that down, either, and eventually they share a meal of delicious freshly caught roasted trout. Drake then returns home to his father, who is anxious that humans will no longer fear dragons, but Drake, who has learnt a thing or two, shows him the pictures and says that the humans admire him in particular, and all is well.     


      there is a lot of humour in the double- page spreads and especially in the portrayal of the human characters, some of whom are evidently frightened of dragons. There are details to spot, like the long bone used as a curtain rail in the dragons’ scary-looking cave. The text was written in English although the author is French, (he is a teacher  possibilities of drama in the telling e.g. ‘Just as he was taking a deep, deep breath to set the fragile building alight….’ and of course the idea that parents are not always right may lead to some interesting discussions. This will be fun to read and share. DB


The Glassmaker’s Daughter 


Dianne Hofmeyr, ill. Jane Ray, Frances Lincoln, 32pp, 978-1-84780-676-5, £12.99, hbk


In Venice a glassmaker lives with his daughter Daniela. Despite being


surrounded by the beauty of the city and her father’s wonderful creations Daniela is sad. In desperation, the glassmaker offers the gift of a glass palace for anyone who can make his daughter smile. There are many


attempts, including a sword


swallower, a mask maker and a lion tamer but despite their brilliance they all fail. Then a young glassmaker decides to try,


through skill and


mysterious alchemy he creates a special gift (made of glass obviously) and goes to visit the glassmaker’s daughter. The gift is a looking glass.  very funny, grumpy face looking back. Suddenly her face changes, amused       smile and then laugh out loud. Her happiness is so infectious soon the whole city is happy too, and there is laughter and dancing. The foreword provides a fascinating insight into the historical context for  for its glassmaking, the wealth and prestige of its craftsmen and the efforts made to keep their recipes for glass and mirror making secret.  happiness within ourselves, this is a beautifully written story in true fairy tale style. The illustrations, by highly acclaimed illustrator Jane Ray are beautiful too – the glass shattering spread is truly stunning. SMC


One Christmas Wish 


Katherine Rundell, ill. Emily Sutton, Bloomsbury, 72pp, 978 1 4088 8573 4, £14.99, hbk


I am not quite sure what to make of this. It’s a handsomely produced story, with a striking gilded cover, of a magical Christmas adventure told as much by Emily Sutton’s illustrations as Katherine Rundell’s text. Theodore        unpacking old decorations to hang on a bare tree whose lights don’t work. His parents have such busy working lives that they have had no time to buy new decorations, mend the lights or buy a turkey. Theo is left in the charge of a babysitter who has fallen asleep over her mobile phone. Not an auspicious Christmas Eve. However, the old decorations – a tin soldier, a rocking horse, a robin and an angel - come to the rescue. As in a fairy tale, each decoration requires something to make them complete. Achieving these quests is so exhausting that Theo is fast asleep when his parents             horse eating a windscreen wiper (the horse’s voracious appetite is a very funny running joke). And what a pile of presents greets Theo under a dazzling tree on Christmas morning. Katherine Rundell’s story is as both familiar and unfamiliar as Christmas


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