BfK 5 – 8 Infant/Junior continued Oscar the Hungry Unicorn HHH


Lou Carter, ill. Nikki Dyson, Orchard Books, 32pp, £6.99 pbk


Oscar is a little pink. plump unicorn who eats his way through his stable and then proceeds to continue to eat his way through different possible ‘homes’ for him so that nobody wants him at all. There’s lots of silly moments in this


fun book-for example eating through a pirate ship leaving them sinking into the sea and eating through the Troll’s bridge. Children will enjoy the links with other fairy tales they know- it would be a lovely starter for some writing activities to maybe think about other characters that might be affected by Oscar’s eating habits. The story has much humour in it-


there are lots of asides in brackets about Oscar’s journey and how there isn’t much left. There is an effective little


signpost halfway through are to


remind us of all the places Oscar has eaten his way through. The illustrations


big and


bold with lots of rainbow and pink across


throughout the the whole page. Oscar


himself is rather plump discerning sort of character who has the same expression


book


despite having different things to eat. There is a fantastic amount of unicorn paraphernalia about at the minute so this book will definitely appeal to that unicorn market. SG


What’s for Lunch, Papa Penguin?


HHHH


Jo Williamson, Scholastic, 32pp, 978 1 407162 14 0, £6-99, pbk


This is perfect for food lovers


everywhere, and for those interested in learning about different countries of the world. Just dive into this fishy tale for some frolicsome fun. A happy penguin is being one in the long queue at Papa’s and Pip’s café, the best in the Antarctic, for veritable feasts of fish. Fish for breakfast, lunch and dinner; fried fish, grilled or baked ….even fish ice cream! But what to do when Frank turns up announcing he is fed up with fish and wants something different? A dilemma for Papa Penguin but he comes up with a plan. This entails a very long trip on a liner… Pip constantly asking, ‘Are we there yet?’ until finally they ARE there. Trailing their trolley and armed with a map, Papa P discovers with interest that different creatures have different food


preferences. The penguins


load their trolley with bread rolls, cheese with holes, even chocolate shakes. Their encounters with world-wide animals are well told in Williamson’s jokey illustrations until, with overflowing trolley they head for home. Here, they bake and baste, test and taste, slice, dice and ice until FINALLY the café is ready to be re- opened. Have you guessed the punch


line? What does Frank select? ‘Just FISH, please.’ A delightful book, full of humour in the quirky illustrations with a clear, narrative text. GB


Daddy Hairdo HHHHH


Francis Martin, ill. Claire Powell, Simon and Schuster, 32pp, 978 1 4711 4787 6, £6-99, pbk


This book made me laugh out loud, finding I was immediately turning back to the beginning to read it all over again, this time to take in every added nuance in the illustrations, which brim with humour and visual storytelling. These dedications…For


start in the Dad, my HAIR-O.


At birth, Amy has little hair, whereas Dad, proudly, has lots. As Amy grows, so does her hair, lusciously, whilst Dad’s rapidly disappears. Together they search for Dad’s lost hair, and research the problem…. [We see discarded copies of The Case of the Disappearing Fringe; Easy Steps to find your Follicles; Vanished into Thin Hair; Heats, Crimps and Leaves…] Meanwhile, Amy’s hair grows and grows to incredible lengths, taking a lot of looking after and causing all sorts of problems, especially on windy or wet days. Imagine the illustrations, her hair pegged out on the line to dry! Soon her hair is so long she can’t even stand on the floor anymore and has to be carried around. Despite all the problems, Amy loves her hair, and looks to her Dad to find some sort of solution. So he studies bizarre hairdos, and practises his ideas on topiary until he feels ready to reveal


8 – 10 Junior/Middle Ed’s Choice The Afterwards HHHHH


A. F. Harrold, Illustrated by Emily Gravett, Bloomsbury, 197pp, 978-1-408894-31-6, £12.99 hbk


December (or as she is usually called, Ember) and Ness are the very best friends. Then Ness dies. Ember’s life has an empty hole. Ness was so alive and she should be alive. Ember decides she must rescue Ness. There will be consequences ... but surely a true friend must be prepared to pay the price? The myth of


Orpheus and


Eurydice resonates across the ages, expressing as it does the anger and frustration felt when faced by the death of someone very close. A. F. Harrold takes the myth and creates a narrative that is both relevant and immediate for a young audience. His Afterwards is a perfectly – and terrifying – imagined space. This is no colourful heaven, no gorgeous angels, rather we have a grey limbo (recalling, perhaps, the existence


experienced by Greek


heroes on death) where the dead may be pinned by the unrelenting backward looking memories of the living. It is a frightening image and this is not a cosy, comfortable read. It is however a very satisfying one since Harrold has both imagined a very believable Afterwards that is consistent and logical as well as creating characters who step off the page, inviting the reader to share their feelings, to join them. Ember, in particular, is a very real girl whose actions and decisions


Old Toffer’s Book of Consequential Dogs


HHHHH


Christopher Reid, illustrated by Elliot Elam, Faber, 115pp, 9780571334094, £14.99 hbk


…..THE DADDY HAIRDO! From Amy’s long locks he creates The Ice Cream Cone, the Rings of Saturn, and his personal favourite, the Triple Beehive. How to end such a tale? Enough is enough, for problems also follow all these


fantastic hairdos. Find this


hilhairious book to share with your children, your beloved aunt, your bald uncle and especially your favourite hairdresser. So much more than a tall tale…. The illustrations will make you laugh aloud too! GB


TOriginally planned by T S Eliot but never actually started, this present title was to be the companion volume to his Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, first published in 1939. This entirely new light verse collection has appeared under Eliot’s original title, taken from his occasional chauffeur who once explained to the poet that his own non-pedigree pet was ‘not what you’d call a consequential dog.’ Christopher Reid, the replacement poet, was also Poetry Editor at Faber for eight years, and while not in the same league as his great forebear is still a fiendishly good and creative rhymester. Accompanying illustrations by Elliot Elam are also a joy, using only


26 Books for Keeps No.233 November 2018


are entirely believable; she is not a mere story-book heroine. Above all it is Harrold’s use of language that


captures the atmosphere


of his narrative. He is a poet, his words and his sense of style bring a conciseness, a sense of rhythm, a directness to the text that rings true encouraging the reader to the page and read on to the end. This is prose that can be read aloud as well as it can be read in the quiet of a personal space. Providing an ideal visual accompaniment are the illustrations and page decoration by Emily Gravett.


Here we can


see Ember, visualise the contrast between the two worlds epitomised by the reds worn by the living, feel the


greyness. This is indeed a


perfect pairing of two artists, one with words, the other with line. And weaving his way through it all is the cat. Those familiar with Harrold’s previous novels will recognise him – the catalyst, the companion and here perhaps the psychopomp. FH


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