BfK 5 – 8 Infant/Junior continued


while the arrival on the scene of the little boy gradually brings light, colour and joy into her home and her life. Her cheeks begin to glow, first a soft pink, then brighter pink and as her happiness grows, they take on a deep red tint; in tandem, the house interior becomes filled with the most amazing bright hues. This


treasure of a book gently


demonstrates the benefits of being open to new experiences, and the transformative possibilities of a friendship between the generations. JB


Sorrel and The Sleepover HHH


Corrinne Averiss, ill. Susan Varley, Andersen, 32pp, 978-1-78344-612-4, £11.99 hdbk


Young squirrels Sorrel and Sage meet on their first day at school and decide that they are exactly the same: they even have the same stripe on their tails. Sage invites Sorrel


to sleep


over, and Sorrel is not at all nervous beforehand, because they are exactly the same, but she finds that Sage lives in a very big tree and has a lot of


relatives. She thinks that Sage


is very lucky, and feels ashamed of her own smaller tree where she lives with just her Mum. When Sage wants to come to her house, Sorrel makes lots of excuses (all illustrated imaginatively), including the alleged fact that they have painted the house pink and the leaves are still wet, until a flutter of pink blossom leads Sage to Sorrel’s tree. Sorrel is embarrassed and apologises for lying, but admits that she didn’t think that Sage would still want to be her friend if she knew where she lived. Sage, invited to sleepover and loving sleeping ’ in pink clouds’, says it doesn’t matter that they’re not exactly the same, and that it’s all right to be a bit different. Corrinne


Averiss


website that she writes tender and humorous books for


says on her children, and


that is a good description. Her Dot in


the Snow, about an Inuit girl


befriending a polar bear, was well- received. Susan Varley is best known for writing and illustrating Badger’s Parting


Gifts, a touching book,


published in 1985, that has helped many children to cope with the death of someone they love, and this book is in a similar pictorial style- affectionate illustrations


in gentle colours. This


picture book is not only a good story, but may well lead to useful classroom discussions about friendship in spite of differences. DB


The Secret Sky Garden HHHHH


Linda Sarah, ill. Fiona Lumbers, Simon & Schuster, 24pp, 978 1 4711 19262, £6.99, pbk


Funni has a special place she likes to go on Saturdays, an abandoned airport car park where she can see for miles and watch planes take off, play her recorder or fly her kite. After


a while she realises that something isn’t quite right with her special place and she sets about changing things, clearing the rubbish away, bringing in sacks of earth and planting seeds. Before


long a beautiful, secret


garden has grown. But Funni still feels there is still something missing, could this be someone to share her special place with? When a young boy called Zoo, passing overhead on a flight home, spots the beautiful secret garden on the car park roof he decides he has to visit. Funni makes the friend she craves to share her secret garden and her interests too; she finds it is much more fun to fly kites and play music with Zoo than on her own.


This is a lovely story about


creating natural beauty in the most unpromising environment, building friendship and sharing experiences. The language is beautiful, the car park was ‘greyer than the Monday sky’, Funni ‘nuzzled’ seeds into the soil and the flowers she grew were ‘bright as an emperor’s blanket.’ The detailed


illustrations are gorgeous


really showing the transformational effect of the secret garden on the environment and of making a friend on Funni. Her


wistful expression


when she realises something is (definitely!) missing transforming to one of sheer joy when she has a friend to play with. A delightful picturebook. SMc


How to Help a Hedgehog and Protect a Polar Bear


HHHHH


Jess French, ill. Angela Keoghan, Nosy Crow, 978 1 78800 257 8, 64pp, £12.99, hbk


This is a fascinating guide to different habitats in the world and the richness of the wildlife which can be found there. Each double page spread is clearly laid out with excellent art work and clear information including a selection of fact files. Young readers are encouraged to visit different local environments and learn about the species living there. The writer points out that these habitats are explains the from


the actions


under threat and reasons, for example of


developers,


farming methods, pollution and global warming. She doesn’t stop at awareness raising however, this is also a call to action outlining how each individual can make a difference in direct and practical ways for example by staying on paths and keeping dogs on leads in heathland or woodland areas and putting rubbish in the bin. Some ideas will involve children talking to their parents using their ‘pester power’ for example about the disposal of batteries, by creating holes in fences to allow hedgehogs to find food, or in building an insect hotel, like the rather splendid one illustrated. The back of the book includes a useful glossary and additional information about


22 Books for Keeps No.232 September 2018


bring this philosophical, thought provoking story to a new audience. The small format is delightful and the illustrations amusing and appealing. The simple text belies the depth of its message, encouraging young readers to question, just as the dog in the story does, what it means to be content, whether money buys happiness, the value of friends and family and the pleasures a simple life can offer. SMc.


Belinda Brown HHHH


David McKee, Andersen Press, 32pp, 978 1 7834 4617 9, £11.99 hbk


Your average fussy eater would surely pale into insignificance alongside banana-obsessed Belinda Brown. This young miss demands the yellow-skinned, bendy fruits at every meal and in-between (she keeps a spare tucked into her sock) and refuses to eat anything else. She even falls out with best friend, Felicity Jones over a banana incident. Mealtimes in the Brown household


are lengthy, interesting times with family members all gathering together to discuss current affairs, art and the weather; and all the while Miss Bee is stuffing herself silly with, bananas. Her mother is convinced


endangered animals and migration. The writer’s knowledge of the natural


world and passion for conservation shines through this fascinating book. A collaboration between the publisher Nosy Crow and The National Trust this would be a brilliant present for young environmentalists and a great addition to library and classroom collections. SMc


Selma HHHHH


Jutta Bauer, Gekko Press, 48pp, 978 1 776572 120, £7.99 hbk


This is a lovely little picturebook


which raises big questions. A dog, apparently depressed with his life asks a wise ram what happiness is. In reply the ram tells the dog the story of Selma, a sheep enjoying a simple existence involving a daily routine of feeding,


Belinda is going through a passing fad; her gran however is concerned. So much so that one day she urges the child to accompany her on a talking walk. Gran’s worry is that over consumption of bananas will result in an undesirable body curvature. Now even Belinda isn’t keen on this and so takes remedial action courtesy of a heavy weight. This she places on her head beneath her hair, but the result is not exactly what she’d been hoping for. This totally daft tale is documented in David Mckee’s


zany inimitable


illustrative style and accompanying bouncy rhyming text. Every one of his characters is memorable and the portrayal of the banana sharing twins, a particular hoot. JB


playing with her children,


talking with a friend and sleeping. When a journalist interviews her and asks what she would do if she had more time she repeats her routine, clearly happy to fill any extra hours with exactly the same activities. The reporter challenges her again, asking what she would do if she had a million dollars. Once more Selma replies in exactly the same way suggesting she would not change a thing about her life, she is perfectly content with it. Originally


published in Germany in 2003, Gekko Press’s reprint will Please, Mr Magic Fish! HHHHH


Jessica Souhami, Otter-Barry Books, 978 1 91095 918 3, £11-99, hbk


This beautifully told folk tale, well known across Europe, explores the consequences of greediness. There is lots of humour in both text and illustrations, and the idea of making a happy ending is especially well handled in both. The language is elegant, uncomplicated, with perfect images that bring the story startlingly off the page. Jack catches an unusual fish that speaks to him before he can get it in his bag. This magical fish promises Jack his dearest wish, should he release him back into the sea. When Jack tells this remarkable story to his wife, she rushes him back to the shore to make a request of the fish; they want a dry cottage, one with a blue teapot and food in their larder. Agreeing, the fish tells them to “Turn around, turn around, and see what you will see.” Their thanks are abundant! The couple’s happiness is however short-lived, as they revisit the fish three times more, increasing their requests as we watch them becoming more and more splendid but also more and more discontent. Out comes their final request of the fish, as they stand upon the shore beside a boiling, dark sea to face the now angry fish. “We want to be King and Queen of all the land and sea,” they say together. “Turn around, turn around, and see what you will see.” Oh dear, there it is, once again, their cold, leaky cottage with a bare larder, and they are dressed once more in their raggedy clothes. But what next for this couple? As readers, we are asked to ponder on what life might now hold for them. The author’s hope is that they will become content, catching lots of fish for market. On the end papers, the author/illustrator writes that she wished to change the traditionally unpleasant natures of the two main characters, to show how the gifts of riches do not make for happiness, and that their characters change as their thanks to the fish peter to nothing. With nods to The Elephant and the Bad Baby, this intriguing book will hold its own in any modern library or home. GB


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