BfK enchanting book Invisible Jerry HHHH


Adam Wallace, ill. Giuseppe Poli, EK Books, 32pp, 9778 1 925335 78 1, £10.99 hbk


In the first two-page spread of this timely picture book, we see Jerry, the only colourful figure in a panorama of people who are shown as simple grey, black and brown misty figures. They look happy and involved, but it is Jerry who stands out. He is lonely; no one waves at him or says sorry when they bump into him; they don’t laugh when he jokes or pick him for their team; he is invisible. In fact, he is never picked at all. Then he meets Molly, and everything changes. She makes him her friend, listens to him, laughs at his jokes, and makes him smile. It is awhile before Jerry realises that there are other lonely people and that he, like Molly, could befriend them too. Then he sees Paul, who is also ‘invisible’, and he and Molly are soon making him visible. This is a special picture book about something we are told as children – to make friends with the child who always seems to be on his or her own – and it is told in highly coloured illustrations, some of which are shadowed in gloom when Jerry’s or Paul’s mood is at its darkest. Highly emotionally charged, they show children being careless of others unintentionally and the hurt this can cause. It’s a great way for a class to learn that children who appear different have needs too and that they must be sensitive to this possibility. There well may be joys in doing so. ES


Fearless Mirabelle HHHHH


Katie Haworth, ill. Nila Aye, Templar, 40pp, 978 1 78741 073 2, £6.99 pbk


Mirabelle and Meg are identical twins. They look just alike but are very different inside. As they are in a circus


become obvious. Mirabelle is the physically brave one. She has no fear, and her professional acrobat parents are amazed at her feats of daring do. Meg, on the other hand, is the noisy one. She talks all the time, and has no interest in being an acrobat. This becomes apparent when her parents try to train her, and realise she is terrified of heights. This makes Meg sad, and she retreats to the caravan and won’t


come out. But after


Mirabelle’s remarkable grand debut, when she is being interviewed by one and all, it is she who is terrified and can’t speak: ‘Mirabelle’s legs wobbled like jellyfish. Her hands shook like earthquakes….’ Meg, the fearless talker, saves the day.


She will be


the one at the circus who introduces Mirabelle and does all the talking. The illustrator of this smashing picture


Happy: A Children’s Book of Mindfulness


HHHHH


Nicola Edwards, ill. Katie Hickey, Caterpillar Books, 32pp, 978 1 84857 717 6, £11.99 hbk


Mindfulness is one of the ‘in’ things these days, and this gentle, lovely book featuring five children of different


24 Books for Keeps No.233 November 2018 family, these differences


5 – 8 Infant/Junior continued certainly does


that. Let us hope for more from this talented partnership. FH


book says her pictures are ‘retro modern with a cute twist’ and so they are. Full of the brightness and fun of the circus, they will be enjoyed by parents and children alike. ES


Once Upon a Magic Book HHH


Lily Murray, ill. Katie Hickey, Lincoln Children’s Books, 32pp, 9781786030733, £11.99 hbk


This search-and-find adventure picturebook


is fairly challenging.


Starting in the magic toyshop, Jack and Sophie (who is illustrated as Afro- Caribbean or mixed-race) have to find various items on each of 13 pages in different settings to enable them to get to their next adventure and defeat the witch who is trying to stop them. Some of the items are easy to spot, but some are quite tricky. Fortunately, there is help at the back of the book, and


the text under the pictures,


with the answers ringed in red, also suggests other things to look for, so the reader, or rather the helping adult, is evidently expected to refer to these pages throughout. There are lots of characters to look for – does Rapunzel really need rescuing? The pirates have a quest – but what are they looking for? Three little mice on each double- page spread are helpful, but is the Giant on their side, or not? There is a lot to look at, but the pages are somewhat cluttered, and it not always easy to find all the items. Finding the escaped animals is not too difficult, but many items are quite


small.


There is certainly a lot to look at, and the reader could just follow certain characters through the settings. The font is ‘Mrs White’, which was designed to look like primary school handwriting, so this might be helpful for those children who have managed to write in this way. DB


colours and interests fulfils the diversity demand too. We meet them separately and together, and at the very end, they are all sleeping in the same bed – a metaphor for the need to share in every way. But the main theme of the story is techniques to help us live in the moment, and this is accomplished with two-page spreads, a poem on one side and a charming and beautifully presented illustration on the other. The colours are soothing and the children happy because they are learning how to cope with worries, problems and differences. Listening, feeling, relaxing, tasting, touching, discovering, smelling, loving – and, finally, appreciating are all given as ways to help us live in the moment.


‘It feels good to give thanks


at the day’s end for the pink blushing sky overhead, a hot meal, comfy shoes, or a good friend, and the warmth of a soft cosy bed.’ These things do feel good, and this picture book will help small worriers – and even those who don’t worry – develop tools to help themselves to calmness of mind and body. ES


The Dog That Saved Christmas HHHH


Nicola Davies, illus Mike Byrne, Barrington Stoke, 96pp, 9781781127698, £6.99 pbk


Unlike the rest of his family, Jake really doesn’t enjoy


Christmas. With the festive season It


upsets his normal daily routine, both at home and at school, and causes him to get


frustrated and angry. looming,


he decides that his best option is to remove Christmas from the calendar completely, without the knowledge of his family. At first, everything goes well as he manages to alter the date on everyone’s phones to much earlier in the year. However,


Jake soon


realises that his plan is doomed to failure and runs away to seek refuge in his favourite place, the local churchyard. While there he meets a lost dog called Susan and, over the next few days, realises that he needs her love and companionship as much as she needs his. Will Susan help Jake to change his view on Christmas, and what will happen when her true owners ask for her back? The Dog That Saved Christmas is


an emotionally rewarding short story and one of the latest additions to the excellent


Barrington Stoke range.


Although it isn’t explicitly stated, Jake has a form of autism, which is handled sensitively and with humour by author Nicola Davies. The members of Jake’s family are supportive and always do their best to understand how he views things, although occasionally find some of his behaviour difficult to deal with. The tender relationship between Jake and Susan develops throughout the course of the story and, when Jake’s heartfelt Christmas card to his canine friend is read aloud, it is an extremely emotional moment. This is a wonderful book to read


aloud to a Year 2 or 3 class in the run- up to Christmas and could easily be completed within a week. Jake’s fears and worries would be shared many


other children, and the book provides several


excellent the


Highly recommended! JBid The Truth Pixie


HHH


Matt Haig, ill. Chris Mould, Canongate, 119pp, 978 1 78689 432 8 1, £9.99, hbk


Following the success of his other festive favourites, including The Girl Who Saved Christmas, Matt Haig has delivered another comic gift for young readers - just in time for Christmas. The Truth


Pixie, as her name


suggests, is always honest...brutally honest. This may seem a noble quality but, in her fantasy world of enormous trolls and ugly elves, it gets her into lots of trouble. She can’t even tell the tiniest of fibs so, when asked how an elf’s hair looks, or how a friendly troll’s breath smells, she has no choice but to tell the awful truth: ‘It looks like a thousand ugly wires.’ This is not a good way to make friends and the Truth Pixie soon ends up rather sad, and very lonely. Written entirely


in verse that


mimics the metre of The Night Before Christmas, the story has a warm and festive tone that is well-suited to long winter’s nights in the Christmas holidays. There are strong seasonal themes of hope, kindness and good will, too, as the Truth Pixie meets a kindred spirit who helps her see the value of her gift. Chris Mould’s


illustrations are


typically brilliant, simultaneously gruesome and adorable. Funny and frenetic creatures leap from page to page, in monochrome, dancing to the beat of the poetry. At times, this poetry is rather


forced; the author reaches for phrases to fit that don’t quite hit the mark: ‘If everything was perfect, every single day/ You’d never know the good from the just-about-okay.’ There is also occasional


toilet humour, which,


though it will tickle younger readers, rather


contradicts an otherwise


charming and whimsical tone. Like the Grinch and Ebineezer Scrooge, The Truth


Pixie heaps


misery upon her companions but, deep down, is just a lonely so-and- so in need of a friend. She might not be a Christmas classic, but her story is lively and engaging with a catchy tempo that many children will enjoy... honestly. SD


Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters


HHHH


Andrea Beaty, ill.David Roberts, 144pp, Amulet Books, 978 1 4197 3360 1, £8.99, hbk


This is the first of a new series entitled The Questioneers by the team who created the highly successful picturebook series which introduced eponymous heroes Rosie Revere Engineer, Iggy Peck Architect and Ada Twist Scientist. Now in first chapter book format young fans can continue


for discussion about what is truly important over


opportunities festive period.


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