This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
reviews


award-winning Austrian author and the German winner of the 2006 Hans Andersen Medal for illustration, this, as you might expect, is a highly accomplished and thought provoking picture book. In twenty-one double page spreads the King of the title enters into poetic conversation, one by one, with a variety of interlocutors. Some are inanimate objects, like a trumpet and a fishing net; some are phenomena and creatures of the natural world, for instance the sea, night, a dog, a tree, and a squirrel; and others are more nebulous, like a ghost and sleep. The result is an extended eccentric and quasi-philosophical meditation, reminiscent in some ways of The Little Prince, as the King gradually explores the world and his place in it. Funny and enigmatic, it’s a book in which childlike simplicity (wax crayon plays a large role in the naïve figure of the King), is used to puncture hubris. It can be read with wonder, enjoyment and profit by adults as well as children.


CB Thank you, Jackson HHH


Niki and Jude Daly, Frances Lincoln, 32pp, 978-1-84780-4846, £11.99 hbk


Most children recognise the donkey trait of stubbornness, and in this tale we learn that South African donkeys are stubborn too. Every page gives us an impression of the wide open terrain, the colour palette being bright and hot, with a brilliant, shiny sun on the cover. For years Jackson the donkey has worked for the farmer, daily toiling up the hill to market, carrying baskets overflowing with vegetables to be sold. One morning old Jackson just stops halfway, refusing to move further. The farmer tries pushing him, pulling him, but Jackson has had enough of his thankless task of daily slog. The farmer’s irritation gets the better of him, and when he shouts ‘BAD DONKEY,’ Jackson just sits down, spilling the precious veg down the hill. Furious, the farmer threatens to BEAT him if he doesn’t get up before he counts to ten. Fortunately, Beauty, his wife is watching from below and she sends their son, Goodwill, to help the situation. But what could he do? The small boy whispers in the donkey’s ear, and Jackson immediately rises. In explanation, the son says to his amazed father, ‘Mama says it’s the little things, like saying please and thank you, that make a big difference in the world.’ A charming book with a heart-felt message, by an award-winning husband and wife team. GB


Black and White HHHH


Dahlov Ipcar, Flying Eye Books, 40pp, 978-1-90926-363-5, £11.99 hbk


Written by the American author, artist and illustrator Dahlov Ipcar, Black and White was originally published in 1963 by Alfred A Knopf. This edition has been re-mastered from the original


and traditionally printed using the same bold spot colour.


It tells the story, in rhyming couplets, of two dogs; one black, one white. They play together all day, chasing cats, diving in snow banks, sniffing at rats and barking at bats. Then they go home to dream of adventures in far off lands, from the jungles of the Congo with towering ebony elephants to the frozen white wastes of the arctic, populated by polar bears.


The strength of this book is the highly stylised illustrations – classic Ipcar with the rich patterns, sharp edges and bright colour that typify her art. The retro feel of Black and White is very current and sits well within contemporary children’s books.


Beyond the rhyming narrative, the book is also a celebration of the diversity of our natural world and the wonder and curiosity that it can evoke. It’s a book for sharing or to browse alone and would make a unique addition to any KS1 bookshelf. GR


The Seeds of Friendship HHHHH


Michael Foreman, Walker Books, 32pp, 978-1-40635-650-2, £11.99 hbk


It must be tremendously hard for children who have lived their lives in a country full of colour and warmth to find themselves in a high-rise flat in the middle of a dull grey city. So it is for Adam. He loves his flat high in the sky, but when he looks out, all he sees is other tower blocks, all similar to his own. His parents tell him stories of his homeland and in particular of all the animals there, and he draws wonderful pictures of elephants and lions and exotic birds. When he sees snow for the first time, he is amazed and when he goes out to see what it is all about, he meets other children from the estate. Together they make snow animal sculptures, and Adam begins to make friends. At his new school, he finds a small garden, and an understanding teacher gives him seeds to take home and grow. He and his mum plant their garden in a window box, and this is the start of making the whole estate glow with colour and light. The children work together on every piece of land they can find, together with old baths, pots and tin cans that are soon overflowing with colour. Adam’s seeds are ‘seeds of friendship’ and these seeds will come back and back over the seasons. Foreman’s illustrations are, as always, an absolute delight, full of glowing warmth and colour that gradually, bit by bit, brightens Adam’s grey world. A sensitive book with true understanding of what it must be like to find oneself in a strange place. ES


Higgledy Piggledy: The Hen who Loved to Dance


HHHH


Francesca Simon, ill. Elisabeth Moseng, HarperCollins, 32pp, 978-0-00664-422-4, £6.99 pbk


All chicken lovers everywhere will warm to this story! Here, each


farmyard creature shows its own character and usefulness, and certainly hens are essential to a happy and successful farm. But whilst others dutifully lay eggs daily, Higgledy Piggledy just dances, twirling and whirling across the farmyard. The other animals tell her she is lazy, and they list all their own usefulness: catching mice, giving milk, providing wool. H Piggeldy is unconcerned and continues to practise her pirouettes. When Max the kitten mewls, stuck high in an oak tree, all the creatures want and try to help, but it is H P who saves the day. The kitten has been too terrified to move, but H P’s elegant dancing gives it the courage to make the steep descent alone, dancing his way delicately down the trunk. So, of course, everyone then wants to dance, and H P teaches them. The pictures perfectly match this charming story, from the title page, when H P’s dancing feet emerge first from the egg, right to the final page where all the animals are so enjoying their dance. This is a celebratory book, full of life and energy, which will be especially loved by all families who have the fun of keeping chickens.


GB Mr Mistoffelees HHHHH


T S Eliot, ill. Arthur Robins, Faber & Faber, 978-0-57132-222-0, £6.99 pbk


‘Presto! Away we go ...’ and we are invited to marvel at the tricks of the magical Mr Mistoffeles the conjuring cat. We have already met Macavity the mystery cat, now it is the turn of another performer; and what a performer. His acts range from sawing his assistant in half to charming the lovely tabby on the roof. He is a smooth operator. This is how we may remember him from the original illustrations by Nicholas Bentley. Arthur Robins presents us with a rather different character. His Mr Mistoffelees is an engagingly raffish cat, a regular showman with a twinkle in his eye, a way with the ladies – and the audience – adept at misdirection and legerdemain. These are illustrations for today, capturing the light hearted vigour of Eliot’s verse, removing any hint of pomposity and placing the poem – and the character – firmly where it belongs, in the hands of young readers.


FH Creature Teacher HHH


Sam Watkins, ill. David O’Connell, Oxford University Press, 192pp, 978-0-19274-266-7, £5.99 pbk


Creature Teacher is first in a new series that chronicles the schooldays of Jake and his classmates. Their new teacher, Mr Hyde, is rather different to what they are used to. His lessons are fun and exciting and he is quite prepared to spontaneously burst into song and dance whenever his students need enthusing. This strikes a stark contrast to the ferocious headteacher, Mrs Blunt, and her utter obsession with tiresome rules.


There is something else unusual about Mr Hyde though, and when an


interactive science lesson gets out of hand the pupils are introduced to a very different (and disgusting) side to their new teacher. This ‘creature’ must be kept secret from Mrs Blunt and her menacing followers or else Mr Hyde might not be allowed to carry on with his outstanding teaching.


As the classmates struggle to hide their new mischievous friend, readers are introduced to a cast of curious characters, including a slug-obsessed boffin and an evil, snooty-faced bully. Though the narrative features few moments of genuine drama or excitement, a silly (and snotty) tone is established that is sure to be maintained throughout the series. SD


Nature Explorer: Nature Sticker & Activity Book


HHH


Alice Lickens, The National Trust, 24pp, 978-1-90988-140-2, £4.99 pbk


Here is a sticker book which is fun and likely to encourage young readers to observe and think. Double spreads cover the size, the shape and leaves of five well known trees – the chestnut, sycamore, holly, oak and hazelnut – and the animals that inhabit them at different times of the day and night. The book is hugely interactive and there are exciting ideas for activities on every spread. So, for example, children are invited to use the stickers to put the new leaves on a summer tree and to stick appropriate fruits on cherry, pear and plum trees. They are also encouraged to use what they have learnt in the book when they are out on nature walks.


I learnt something interesting myself: birds that lay eggs in trees are more likely to have blue or green eggs whilst those that nest near the ground have brown or speckled eggs. Could this be something to do with the need for camouflage? The book got me thinking and speculating too! There is a chance to build a tree house using the stickers and to try some entertaining games on the tree theme including Sudoku and a Wordsearch. This would be a lovely book to take on holiday in the countryside or for a walk in the park to observe trees. Some tasks are more suited to the over 5s, but many pre-schoolers would enjoy the detailed pictures and placing the stickers. MM


Who Is King? HHHHH


Beverley Naidoo, ill. Piet Grobler, Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, 72pp, 978-1-84780-514-0, £14.99 hbk


Africa, we hear from Beverly Naidoo in the foreword to her delicious collection, may have been the first home of stories. Whether or not this is so, the African continent is her source for the ten stories herein.


Featuring all manner of animals and varying in length from two amusing and extremely brief Amharic tales from Ethiopia, Who Is King? in which we hear what happens when Lion issues the question to the animals and discovers who really reigns supreme,


Books for Keeps No.212 May 2015 23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32