reviews New Talent Erica’s Elephant HHHHH


Sylvia Bishop, illus Ashley King, Scholastic, 168pp, 978-1407159683, £8.99 hbk


When Erica opens the front door to find an elephant on the doorstep, she not only acquires a companion and, yes, a friend, but also a great deal


conspicuous and little girls of ten should not be living by themselves – or looking after an elephant. What will happen to them? Sylvia Bishop is a new author


of trouble. An elephant is


5 – 8 Infant/Junior The Road Home


HHHH


Katie Cotton, illu Sarah Jacoby, Frances Lincoln, 32pp, 978-1847808035, £10.99 hbk


Soft reassure


and I believe one to watch. The narrative tone is perfect, carrying off the ridiculous situation of a ten year old looking after an elephant with confidence and conviction. The elephant, though in an unusual situation, is never anything but an elephant – no talking animals here, while Erica approaches problems with the matter-of-fact logic of the young. Here are two characters to enjoy, a prose style that flows and does not condescend. Ashley King’s


The Cat and the King HHHH


Nick Sharratt, Scholastic, 144pp, 978-1-4071-3508-3, £10.99 hbk


Nick Sharratt’s instantly recognisable drawings are full


character. In this, the first book that he has written as well as illustrated, words and pictures work together beautifully to tell a story that will warm the hearts of everyone who reads it. It starts in traditional


‘Once upon a time....’ In this instance the sentence concludes ‘there was a king who lived in a rather grand castle, with his best friend, the cat.’ That qualifying ‘rather’


tone for the story that follows: it’s precise, understated, comic. A few short pages later and the king and


sets the fashion: of warmth and


of home. Exactly the right story for anxious little ones who have just started school, for home is always waiting for them, and the creatures in the countryside know it too. Safety is a precious place, it tells us and indeed it is, though this book does not shy away from the harsh reality of hungry predators lying in wait. Despite this, the comforting presence of an adult protecting each child ensures that the hazardous journey home is soon mastered. Delicate watercolours suffused with light, are fused against soft layers of landscape. Birds fly south, shrews build


illustrations and decoration provide the


capturing the gentle humour of the text. The author includes useful elephant facts at the end to satisfy young minds. Attractively produced with a clear easy font, this is a book to share – a read-aloud to satisfy both adult and child.


FH


the cat are looking for a new place to live, following an Unfortunate Incident (it involves a dragon). They chose 37 Castle Close, because ‘the address had a nice comforting ring to it’: indeed! They settle in and under the direction of the cat, by far the more competent of the two, furnish the house - via a car boot sale - and stock up at the supermarket on royal themed


king-size bottles of coke, coronation chicken sandwiches!). The cat goes out of his way to make sure the king happy, arranging a special garden party with their new next-door neighbours when he


friend is missing the royal banquets. Sharratt makes the fantastical


realises his


– king and cat at a car boot sale – ordinary, and the ordinary sublime: a trip to the supermarket will be very familiar to all young children, but is made magical when the shopping list is in the hands of these two unusual friends, and there’s a real fairy tale feel to their home life in the cosy bungalow. Young children will absolutely understand too the relationship between the two central characters, and identify completely with the king who is childlike in his innocence and his inability to do adult things. Thank heavens the cat is there to love and look after him. This is perfect reading for young


goods (golden delicious, perfect accompaniment,


scamper and wolves howl as harsh winter approaches. This book evokes a stunning atmosphere of the beauty and brutality of nature in winter, and showing that continuity and security will carry you through.


JNH


Dreamer: Saving our Wild World HHHH


Brian Moses and Bee Willey (ill), Otter-Barry Books, 32pp., 978-1-9109-5959-6, £12.99 hbk.


This inspirational picturebook communicates issues about dangers to our wild environment in a way young


children can understand.


The opening spread shows a child dreaming ‘a special dream about our world’ and introduces the creatures and the land, sea and sky scapes to be explored in the book. The simple lyrical words of Brian Moses are set in Bee Willey’s fine, mixed media collages. It is the detail in the art work which will interest and intrigue young readers. They will enjoy spotting the many animals content in their rain forest habitat where, in the child’s dream, trees are allowed to grow and plants flourish. The palette changes to match the place and atmosphere of each environment – each spread is bound to inspire many thoughts, questions


and feelings in young nests, rabbits


pictures and poetic language readers of the


security viewers. The picture of the child


gazing into the unpolluted stream is full of sunny colours and, in the spread of the elephant and its baby – free from having their ivory stolen – the animals give rides to happy children beneath a bright blue sky. Mysterious dark blues, purples and greens are used on such spreads as those picturing the child camping at night time next to an unpolluted lake. A similar dark palette is used on the final spread which celebrates the earth as it could be – with a smile the child has painted on it together and with a line of some of the creatures we need to protect. There


is huge potential for


children’s deep response to the ideas here. The book, which has a ‘It’s Time for Action!’ page at the end, would help begin a discussion about how we can protect our planet. It might be a conversation with a sharing adult or in a small group setting and lead on to committed writing and art work. MM


Wings! HHHH


Paul Stewart, ill. Jane Porter, Otter-Barry Books, 32pp, 978 1 91095 943 5, £11.99 hbk


Penguin is determined to fly: he doesn’t want to be the left on his own any longer when his friends take to the air. Try as he might though, his efforts all end in disaster, even with some assistance and encouragement from some of his winged pals. When Owl’s lessons don’t get him airborne he


effortless flight of Swallow, Robin, Blue Tit and Goose and the frustrated creature can hold back his tears no longer. Just when it seems that he’s going to have to forget is dreams of flying, back come all his friends and they just might have the solution to Penguin’s flying problem. In the end though, it seems that for Penguin, learning to fly was mostly a matter of finding his own element.


sits watching the seemingly


children. They’ll love the story, which features its fair amount of adventure and jeopardy as well as some very funny scenes and events, and even the very young will be able to ‘read’ the story through Sharratt’s pictures. Thoroughly charming this already has the feel of a classic and in its handsome golden livery will make a regal addition to any Christmas stocking! MMa


This is I think, author of The Edge Chronicles, Paul Stewart’s first foray into


with Jane Porter’s deliciously funny, artfully constructed collage


Books for Keeps No.221 November 2016 21 picture pictures, the outcome is a heart-


books and combined style


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