reviews Soon HHHH


Timothy Knapman, illus Patrick Benson, Walker Books, 32pp, 978-1406351354, hbk £11.99


Raju the baby elephant is reluctant to go on an early morning journey with his mother and, like any child, persistently asks when they can return home. Mother’s answer is just as constant. ‘Soon’, she says, despite the


ever-present danger of wild animals. And when in the end, the two survey their beautiful world from the top of a mountain, Raju is awestruck and eager to return ‘soon’.


A cool palette and some inventive page layouts make this book look really fresh. While his earlier Bloomsbury title, The Story Machine, offered gentle encouragement for those children who lacked confidence in their writing ability, The Cloudspotter could speak to those who are less confident in social situations. Both stories champion creativity and imagination and their beautiful design is a testament to their message. KC


Heather Has Two Mummies HHHHH


This very simple story is made majestic by the hugely handsome elephants. Ponderously powerful, and almost too big for the pages, the two walk slowly across the land, baby elephant trustingly grasping Mother’s tail with his little trunk. The slowness of both journey and the narrative is perfect for young ones and there is a lyrical feel to the trek, underscored by the gentle questioning and soft repetitive answer. Commanding and evocative, the rich, earthy colours, boldly limited in hue, are all the more potent set against the sheer size of the heroes. Benson’s art has a quiet power, true to the lush jungle, forest and mountain, and this, coupled with the truth of the story, is a mighty combination.


Mother’s prowess is profound


scaring away predators, giving Raju the confidence to go on. Though the baby elephant is shown anxious and scared, he is also jubilantly proud of his mother’s success in chasing off crocodiles, lions and snakes. Comforted and reassured by his mother’s ability, it’s a perfect example of how a single emotion, very familiar to little ones, enriched by fine work, is enough to carry a picture book story.


The Cloudspotter


and innovative illustration create lovely picturebooks for younger readers. In The Cloudspotter, Franklin enjoys the solitary activity of watching the beautiful clouds make displays in the sky. They aren’t just clouds to him - they’re adventures, and they stop him from feeling lonely. When a scruffy dog interrupts his adventure-spotting, Franklin isn’t keen. The dog is getting in his way and invading his cloud games. Maybe the scruffy dog is feeling lonely too, but can Franklin share his adventures with another Cloudspotter?


Tom McLaughlin’s sensitive JNH HHHH


Tom McLaughlin, Bloomsbury, 32pp, 978 1 4088 5496 9, £ 10.99 hbk


stories in


Leslea Newman, ill. Laura Cornell, Walker, 32pp, 978 1 4063 5940 4, £11.99 hbk


Stella Brings the Family HHHH


Miriam B. Schiffer, ill. Molly Clifton- Brown, Chronicle Books, 36pp, 978 1 4521 1190 2, £10.99 hbk


Two


parents, one a new production and the other a new edition of a modern classic. Both are


additions to a rather sparse collection of books on the subject and both will be very useful for the younger age range. Heather Has Two Mummies has been around since 1989, but with new illustrations, it is fresh as paint! Heather loves things that come in twos – feet, hands, eyes and legs. She has two pets too, a dog and a cat, but most of all she loves her two mums – Mama Jane and Mama Kate. They have a happy life together in their house with an apple tree, and one day the two mummies tell Heather that she is to have a new experience: she is to go to nursery school. Heather likes the look of the school. There are lots of children and plenty of things to do, and she is only a little weepy when Mama Jane and Mama Kate kiss her goodbye. Soon she is busily happy, but is a tad perturbed when the children begin discussing daddies:


very welcome books about same gender


‘Am I the only one here who doesn’t have a daddy?’ When the teacher suggests that the children might all want to draw a picture of their family, Heather soon discovers that there are all sorts of families and that ‘each family is special’. The detail in the bright pictures is wonderfully fun, and


Heather’s remarkable dress sense shows us a real individual.


The second book, Stella Brings the Family, features two dads and their daughter Stella. It hasn’t occurred to Stella to think there is anything unusual about her family until her teacher says they are to have a party for Mother’s Day and invite a special guest. This is worrying. Stella has no mother to bring. The other children are a bit amazed. Who reads you stories? Who packs your


Well, of course, Daddy and Papa do all that, but she still doesn’t have a mum. She does have lots of family who help her in all sorts of ways, so one of her friends suggests that she brings them all. It is quite a group that arrives for the Mother’s Day party – Daddy and Papa, of course, but also Nonna, Aunt Gloria, Uncle Bruno, and Cousin Lucy. There is another child there with two mothers, and Stella soon learns there are all kinds of families. The watercolour illustrations are very child-like and warm, and the simple faces on the children are nevertheless full of expression. There are a few Americanisms, which are to be expected in a book from across the pond, but nothing that should need much explanation. Interestingly, both books use the device of the children painting pictures of their families to show how families differ.


These two books belong in every library where there are children to be found with different backgrounds, whatever that background may be. ES


Betty goes Bananas in her Pyjamas


HHH


Steve Antony, OUP, 978 0 19 273818 9, £11.99, hbk


The


portrayed, in soft pastel blue, with all the bedroom furniture lightly outlined in white. Perfect for sleeping. But how can Toucan persuade Betty to go quietly to bed? It is dark, and the moon is up, but Betty LOUDLY proclaims she wants to play…her flute, the drums, her trumpet…..until thankfully she


tire and seems ready for bed. ‘BUT SUDDENLY…’ she wants to paint, first a flower, a dinosaur, then a monster. Sleepily, she yawns, but no, this time it is BEEP, BEEP, HONK, HONK with her toy


does evening setting is beautifully


There are bold images of Bear and Mouse, set against a flat background of a different colour on each spread, and extraneous detail is kept to a minimum. It’s a simple, but strong story, perfect for young children who will appreciate the funny ending and soon be joining in with the short rhyming text.


RW Books for Keeps No.213 July 2015 21 lunch?


cars. Tiny Toucan appears insignificant and helpless in each situation. Finally, action. All the toys are swooped up and bundled into a cupboard. Here Toucan promises a bedtime story if Betty will calm down and get into bed. Hurray, this was just right, and the story is such fun Betty wants it again, and again … until she is fast asleep. There is a wonderful final twist to the tale, as we note that the clock reads 10 pm. The book provides a perfect opportunity for discussions about tantrums and bedtime battles. Readers will love the author/illustrator’s bright characters, tiny Toucan and loud Betty, and each spread encourages engaging with the text.


GB


There’s a Bear on My Chair Ross Collins, Nosy Crow,


978-0-8576-3393-4, £9.99 hbk


HHHHH 32pp,


Ross Collins has produced some wonderful picture books, and this new one is an absolute gem.


Bear is sitting in Mouse’s chair, and although it’s rather small for him, he looks very comfortable. Mouse tries all sorts of ways to shift him – he pushes him, he stares at him, he wears his underwear in an effort to scare him, he tempts him with a pear … It’s rather reminiscent of a child trying to catch an adult’s attention, as Bear, apparently oblivious, carries on with grown-up activities such as reading a newspaper, checking his mobile, grooming himself in front of the mirror, snoozing, and having a nice cup of tea (though it’s clear from the endpapers that he does actually eat the pear at some point).


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