BfK 5 – 8 Infant/Junior continued


enjoyment. The bonus pages with trump  to keep children engaged. An ideal chapter book for emerging readers! LT


Chicken in the Kitchen 


Nnedi Okorafor, illus. Mehrdokht Amini, Lantana Publishing, 36pp, 978-0-9932-2530-7, £6.99 pbk


Chicken in the Kitchen is one of the first titles to be released by the newly-formed Lantana Publishing. It was founded for the purpose of championing cultural diversity in children’s books, aiming to move diversity from the margins to the mainstream. It tells the story, in words and pictures,


foot of the crowded escalator. Colour is minimal, as the images are in soft pencil, with just the red striped hat providing colour on every opening. This is a positive, warm urban story about friendship, overcoming obstacles and persistence. It’s a story to be valued by young readers for its own sake, but also a book for older readers to peruse in order to understand the role of visual grammar in picture books.


GR The Lion and the Bird 


Marianne Dubuc, trans. Sarah Ardizzone, Book Island, 88pp, 978-0-9941-0987-3, £11.99 hbk


of Anyaugo, a little Nigerian girl who  of a giant chicken moving past her bedroom door. The dilemma is posed at the outset – should she go and investigate? What would the reader do? So follows the adventure, in which


nothing is quite how it seems, as Anyaugo moves in the spirit world of her ancestors. It remains unclear, through the different scenes, whether the chicken is a friend or a foe – the level of mischief is humorous without ever becoming threatening, even when Anyaugo has to protect the food that her aunties have cooked for their yam festival the following day. Eventually the Wood Wit helps her to   remains free of any further mischief. This is a colourful introduction


to the masquerade culture of West Africa and a story which would appeal to any young child with a spirit of       purpose of increasing awareness of diversity and as such it should be part of every school library: I would recommend this book for any KS2 bookshelf. The images of this picture book are strong and bold, taking readers and pre-readers alike into a colourful, imaginative world: at times, GR


Dog on a Train: The Special Delivery





Kate Prendergast, Old Barn Books, 24pp, 978-1-9106-4608-3, £12.99 pbk


This wordless picture book tells the detailed story of Boy. He’s late for his train and in the rush to get out of the house he drops his favourite hat. The scene is set and so the adventure begins. Dog picks up the hat, following Boy through rush-hour crowds, on trains, up escalators, along roads and through stations to catch up with Boy and give him his hat.


It’s a debut picture book from Kate Prendergast, whose comprehensive knowledge of the transport industry in which she worked for many years is manifest. The detail of the observational drawing is impressive as she brings the two characters to life and envelops them in the narrative. The story is paced by the use of whole and split page images, rushing the reader headlong into the chase, only to bring them to a halt with a double page spread at the


The illustrations tell the story in this beautiful and eloquent picture book.        is hardly necessary. A lion that lives        an injured bird in the garden one day and takes it home to help it recover. The bird’s friends have all left on their journey south, this being autumn, and so the two new friends spend the winter together. The lion makes the bird very comfortable, and when they must go out in the cold and snow, he tucks the bird into his warm hat. When spring returns and the birds come back again, the lion understands that his friend must go with them, but he is sad and very lonely all the summer. When the autumn comes round again, the bird returns to the lion’s delight, and the winter will be spent together again in the little hut. Such a simple story, and yet the illustrations bring this into the realm of high art. Great use is made of white space, sometimes whole pages of it when the lion is at his loneliest, and at other times the white page is broken by a single small picture, so right in its place. The beauty of the seasons is depicted in stylized  interior of the little hut. Small details like the bird sleeping in the lion’s slippers and perched on his mane while he brushes his teeth add just a touch of humour to what is a moving and universal story of friendship and what the loss of it can mean, even if that loss is temporary. Questions will be asked. What happens if the bird        the lion cope? What happens when friends disappear from our lives? How can two such disparate beings become friends? The best books help us to ask these questions, and while there are no set answers, the very asking of such questions enriches our lives immeasurably. Marianne Dubuc is French Canadian, and this translation of her work deserves the highest praise. ES


Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella 


Cerrie Burnell, Illus. by Laura Ellen Anderson, Scholastic Children’s Books, 128pp, 978-1-4071-5739-3, £8.99 hbk


Harper is an amazing girl in an amazing city. She lives with her aunt Sassy in a very tall apartment building. Harper is gifted because she can play any musical instrument beautifully. She also has a cat


24 Books for Keeps No.215 November 2015


called Midnight whom she loves dearly. One day, when Harper’s aunt is away making costumes for the Dutch Opera House, Midnight disappears so Harper decides to look for Midnight. It always rains in the City of Clouds, which means that everyone needs an umbrella, so Harper borrows Aunt Sassy’s scarlet umbrella, which is magical. Harper discovers that all the cats in the City of Clouds are missing. A tall thin man called the Wild Conductor has led them away. Harper and her friends Ferdie, Liesel, Isabella, Nate and his wolf, Smoke, use         Conductor and rescue the missing cats. Can they solve the mystery, defeat the Wild Conductor, and bring all the cats back home? And what is the Circus of Dreams? Perhaps it is the beginning of  This lyrical fantasy tale is uplifting,


entertaining and imaginative. In the narrative, the author creates a whole      lovable characters. It contains the popular themes of friendship, mystery and uniqueness. Harper and the Scarlet Umbrella is essentially an adventure story, and the quest, although having slight echoes of the fairy tale, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, is both distinctive and individual. Its ending is positive and touching, and even the rascally Wild Conductor has redeeming qualities.       beautiful illustrations. It is a delightful book that will inspire young readers, leaving them with a strong impression of a wonderful and magical otherworld. ARa


T-Veg 


Smriti Prasadam-Halls, illus. Katherina Manolessou, Frances Lincoln, 32pp, 978-1-8478-0683-3, £11.99 hbk


£11.99 hbk


 a tale of Reginald, a carrot-crunching  a gnasher of teeth. But come time to eat, he seeks out broccoli, beans, garlic, grapes and greens. Mama and       groans. ‘You should be eating meat, MEAT, MEAT!’ At school he is taunted  all, but Tyrannosaurus VEG! Unhappy Reginald decides to leave his family and team up with other herbivores, but        of him and run away. How can they resolve this? The others soon realise that having the courage just to be oneself is very brave, and this book helps readers think about that. In colourful joy the hardback cover and inside pages glow with reds, oranges, and greens, in a jumble of dinosaurs, fruits and veg. This is a thoughtful book to celebrate differences, presented with ever popular dinosaurs.


GB Tom’s Christmas Fish 


Marit Tornqvist, illus. Rita Tornqvist-Verschuur, Floris Books, 32pp, 978-1-7825-0221-0, £10.99 hb


My Czech father would tell me of his best Christmas, which featured (like  a violin. From the delightful greys and ochres of the Prague streets and bridges, to its folk tale feel, this book had many resonances for me.


for Christmas dinner, Tom becomes attached to the creature and saves it from                 Finally, the sensitive Tom decides to        carp’s ecstatic swim of freedom. There is a sense of loss and longing underpinning this story of a grandfather who has recently lost his wife, and a caring boy who shares life with him. There is also the sense that the boy must do what is right, hard as it is, and let the carp go. Is it an allegory for death and letting go, I wonder? There is also the realisation that to love something you must put them         readers to grasp, I think they will make it. This is a thought provoking story which will yield much discussion. A tale bathed in history and tradition that is as timeless as Prague itself.


JNH


Little People, Big Dreams Frances Lincoln, 32pp, £9.99 hbk each


Coco Chanel Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illus. Ana Albero, 978-1-8478-0784-7


Frida Kahlo Isabel Sanchez Vegara, illus. Gee Fan Eng, 978-1-8478-0770-7 An unusual new series of biographies for younger readers, which promises       people, from designers and artists, to scientists, all of whom achieved incredible things and began life as children with a dream. Coco Chanel  in an orphanage following the death of her mother. She was different (and stylish) from the outset, working her way up from cabaret singer and hat- maker to become one of the most respected fashion designers. Frida Kahlo’s early years were marred by childhood illness and then a serious road accident. Like Chanel, her strong  she overcame these setbacks to become an inspiring artist. The naïve, stylised artwork is strangely un-English, the series being bought in from Spanish publisher Alba, but it suits these two remarkable women and it will be interesting to see       the level approachable for a young audience, and a short reference summary


details and photos and suggestions SU


A Book of Feelings 


Amanda McCardie, illus. Salvatore Rubbino, Walker, 48pp, 978-1-4063-5599-4, £11.99 hbk


In this outstanding picture book about a family and all the various feelings that come about in a solid familial relationship, we meet Mum and Dad, Sam and Kate, and the dog Fuzzy Bean. While they are mostly happy with each other, they can get cross or grumpy; when outside the family, they can be embarrassed, shy or nervous in unusual situations. Sometimes they are frightened or sad – and when the guinea pig dies, Dad cries as well as Sam. We learn there are different kinds of crying: sometimes people cry when they feel proud, like when Mum sees


includes biographical 


When buying the biggest carp


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