BfK 5 – 8 Infant/Junior Where’s the Elephant? HHHHH


Barroux, Egmont, 32pp, 978-1-40527-648-1, £10.99 hbk


This superb visual narrative is both a game of hide and seek and a subtly clever portrayal of the destruction of the Amazon rainforest. Surprisingly, Where’s Wally was the inspiration for his startling and alarming depiction says the books creator, Barroux, who is passionate about the topic.


At the outset, three friends, Elephant, Parrot and Snake, are hiding in a lush, gloriously coloured forest landscape – just a portion of each visible. But then a corner of the forest begins to disappear and as you turn the pages, that cleared space gets bigger and bigger – and, as a dwelling appears in the clearing, we know the loggers have definitely arrived. Then the fallen logs give way to more houses and the hiding space for our three friends gets ever smaller. Roads are made to take the increasing number of cars until, horror of horrors, there are just three trees to accommodate the animals. Finally they are surrounded by a concrete jungle and worse is to follow; but there is, happily, a way out, for the three pals at least.


This highly thought-provoking sequence tells its alarming story about wholesale deforestation and its consequences, in a manner that will surely, one hopes, make even the youngest children stop and take notice. Embedded as it is in a game of hide and seek in such a subtle fashion, the book is anything but preachy though it delivers its message with a powerful punch nonetheless.


A must read for all ages say I, and a springboard for discussion on a vital topic.


JB The First Slodge HHHHH


Jeanne Willis, ill. Jenni Desmond, Little Tiger, 32pp, 978-1-84869-039-4, £6.99 pbk


A new text from Jeanne Willis is always a cause for celebration and this pairing with new illustration talent Jenni Desmond could introduce her fabulous writing to a style-savvy audience. ‘Once upon a slime, there was a Slodge’. In fact, this is the first Slodge in the universe. Slodge enjoys having the world to herself; she sees the first thunder and the first sunrise, ‘Mine, all mine’. Slodge goes to sleep with her delicious fruit and is horrified to wake up and find it has been eaten by another. The other Slodge had thought they were the only one too and soon the two Slodges are fighting the first fight. The Slodges must work out how to share the world, and not just with each other!


Willis manages to capture huge ideas in impressively pared down texts that are always witty and warm. Desmond’s adorable illustrations are


Shortlisted for the 2015 CLPE Poetry Award (CLiPPA), Hilda Offen’s first collection of poems for children is full of appeal. Divided into four thematic sections – Wild Things, That’s Ridiculous, Out and About, and Home Again – these inviting poems celebrate the wonder, variety and possibility of a young child’s world. Some feel like newly minted nursery rhymes, while there are thoughtful poems about nature and history too, and more about school and family life. Full of rhythm and rhyme and using a variety of verse forms, the poems will appeal to a wide age range, making this a particularly useful collection for schools. Each poem is accompanied by Hilda Offen’s lively, fluid black and white illustrations.


LS


You Can’t Take an Elephant on the Bus


HHH


Patricia Cleveland-Peck, ill. David Tazzyman, Bloomsbury, 32pp, 978-1-40884-982-8, £6.99 pbk


David Tazzyman’s scatchy style is a great match to this scatty, surprising picture book. There are ridiculous rhymes and daft ideas aplenty in this chaotic series of animals in transit – don’t put a whale on a bike, a pig on a skateboard … There’s lots of sage advice here and no one will guess the wacky conclusion. Tazzyman’s illustrations are a joy so it’s great to see him have fun with these silly situations. The text could be stronger so might not stand up to as many repeat readings as Kes Gray’s similar but superior texts in Oi Frog! and How Many Legs?, but this is bound to get a


22 Books for Keeps No.212 May 2015


fresh and appealing. It is a gentle story that will capture the imagination and create conversation. A brilliant book, recommended for all!


KC


Blue Balloons and Rabbit Ears


HHHH


Hilda Offen, Troika Books, 64pp, 978-1-90999-103-3, £5.99 pbk


This wonderfully


few laughs and highlights what a great illustrative talent Tazzyman is. Let’s hope he picks up a few more picture book deals as a result!


KC


Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats


HHHHH


Alicia Potter, ill. Birgitta Sif, Walker Books, 32pp, 978-1-40636-238-1, £11.99 hbk


gothic,


Hansel-and-Gretel-type fairy tale will have children roaring with laughter as well as getting the message that fears can be conquered with love and understanding. Miss Hazeltine’s cottage is full of fearful cats. They are afraid of lots of things: mice, birds, pouncing, purring, jumping, and playing with wool. But only Crumb is afraid of simply everything. When he arrives, he immediately hides under the carpet. Miss Hazeltine herself is afraid of mushrooms and owls and of the dark, which she admits to Crumb; she is also a witch, which seems a tad counter-intuitive! The cats have lessons in birds, in climbing up (and, importantly climbing down), scary noises, and how to pounce. Hardest of all is learning not to be afraid of Miss Hazeltine’s broom. But what will happen when Miss H has an accident in the woods when bringing the milk home? Will the animals overcome their fears in order to rescue her? What will Crumb do? The illustrations are a tremendous treat. The gothic theme includes all the details in Miss Hazeltine’s cosy cottage and the woods around it, her pointed hat, her too-large feet, and the huge eyes of all the cats. Very expressive cats they are too, and their fears are shown clearly in how they react to everything that scares or worries them. This story puts fears into perspective and will prove great fun as well as a lesson learned.


ES The Clever Mouse HHH


Anahita Teymorian, trans. Azita Rassi, Tiny Owl, 32pp, 978-1-91032-801-9, £11.99 hbk


This translated Iranian folk tale is rather old fashioned in layout, with richly coloured illustration on one side of a double page and text set on an opposing white page. It’s a fable about Mr Koochi, an ordinary, hard working and eminently deserving mouse (very much like the voter all the parties were pitching for in the late general election) who takes it into his head to marry the King’s daughter (how’s that for aspiration). Luckily the King is able to consider his request because the mouse princess is rather plain and plump, and previous suitors have been more interested in her money than her. Our mouse just wants a wife with a kind heart, and the princess agrees to marry him on condition that he promises never to leave her on her


own. However, on the way back to his house, Mr Koochi has second thoughts, and abandons his new wife while she is sleeping. She is then attacked by robbers; but, thank goodness, Mr Koochi’s better instincts kick in and he returns in time to take on the band of robbers single-handed. So he proves his valour, his love and his ability to learn from his mistakes. All of which makes him a proper heir to the Kingdom. It’s a pleasant story with a down-to-earth view of marriage and some wonderful


illustrations,


themselves darkly earthy and appropriately folksy with modernist touches. There is, unfortunately, a proof reading error on page 15 (‘own my own’ should read ‘on my own’), something for this new publisher to watch out for in future books. This year Tiny Owl is publishing eight picture books from Iran in translation. CB


The Boy Who Cried Wolf HHHH


Mahni Tazhibi, Tiny Owl, 24pp, 978-1-91032-804-0, £11.99 hbk


This is an unusual visual slant – literally – on a well-known Aesop’s fable, although the story itself is one that goes back much further and has many cultural variants around the world. Indeed the global nature of the story is reflected in the illustrative perspective Mahni Tazhibi uses.


Bored with looking after his father’s sheep on the hillside, a young boy decides to create a diversion by claiming that a wolf has designs on the sheep. Greatly amused at the worried response of family and neighbours, he does the same thing over and over. Then one day there really is a wolf looming large over the hill – a wonderfully menacing one as depicted by Mahni Tazhibi – and then of course, nobody responds to his cries for help. Inevitably, the sheep become a tasty meal for the wolf leaving a foolish boy to face the wrath of his father no doubt and, one hopes, learn a lesson from his folly.


It’s good to see a new independent publisher emerging and bringing some exciting new talents such as the Iranian artist who has illustrated this book so wonderfully in a fresh, three-dimensional


fashion. I


particularly like the textured nature of the scenes built up through the use of patterns, swirls, lines and hatching within the dense blocks of colour, and the use of shadows to enhance the stand-out effect, making the whole thing an exciting pictorial experience. I look forward to seeing more from this artist and from Tiny Owl.


JB The King and the Sea HHHH


Heinz Janisch, ill. Wolf Erlbruch, trans. Sally-Ann Spencer, Gecko Press, 48pp, 978-1-87757-994-3, £9.99 hbk


Originally published in German, by an


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