BfK 5 – 8 Infant/Junior continued


animals who need some kind of help, and they are able to provide that help. Little Rabbit is even able to add an idea of her own in helping Squirrel with his family responsibilities. This is not a picture book as such, as it is small like a chapter book, but each page looks like a picture book with a lot of Illustration and usually not much text, though a few pages contain two short paragraphs. It’s quite a long story, and would probably be read in stages for, or by, the child for whom it is intended. It might be tricky to find the right place for it in a library, but it is a charming little book. DB


Harold Snipperpot’s Best Disaster Ever


HHHH


Beatrice Alemagna, Thames and Hudson, 40pp, 9780500651872, £12.95 hbk


‘Some days feel like complete disasters’,


declares narrator of this tale – the in his view, always grumpy young seven year


old Harold Snipperpot. He longs for a proper birthday party but his parents are,


and have no interest in organising anything so frivolous. Call Mr Ponzo: ‘We will throw Harold a party that will be absolutely extraordinary’ he declares on his arrival. And it is – but not


perhaps as expected. As


the catalogue of disasters mounts the


reader’s eyes will grow wider


and wider but even disasters don’t necessarily turn out to be disastrous, and this will be Harold Snipperpot’s Best Disaster Ever. Here is a picture book in the great


tradition of the nonsense story told with great verve and vigour. It is not the fact that the guests to the party are all animals (are they from the zoo? It doesn’t matter. They have come for the party), it is what they get up to that creates the atmosphere of horrified hilarity. Nor are we completely


divorced from reality –


Beatrice Alemagna cleverly reminds us of the inevitable consequence of untrained animals in a house – yes, poo. Harold is assured storyteller too; indeed, one could imagine him relating this as a class story, carrying


his listeners along with the directness of his prose. And there’s the extra pleasure of


Alemagna’s illustrations, bringing another dimension to the story, adding colour and detail. Her quirky style with its expressive lines and atmospheric use of soft colour wash is ideally suited to the humour of the story as we move from the chaos in the house to the joyous expanse of the park. Double page spreads alternate with vignettes to bring rhythm, movement and depth as the narrative


progresses. The


illustrations do not merely illustrate the action they effectively emphasise the arc of Alemagna’s tale – not just a story about a party but a story about changing family relationships, about learning to enjoy life even as an adult. Harold is right, this is the Best Disaster Ever and one to be shared, especially by parents and children. FH


Wishing for a Dragon HHHH


Becky Cameron, Hodder Children’s Books, 32pp, 978 1 444 93623 0, £6-99 pbk


The cover gives lots of clues of the plot within; its night sky twinkles with silvery stars and three small children ride some huge winged creature. Down below graze


four-legged


beasts, both sporting single horns. Three small children should be ready for bed, but all three are wide awake and ready for adventure. ‘Where shall we go? And what shall we see?’ One wants jungles, another treasure, but little Ella’s dearest wish is to see a dragon. ‘Hop in,’ shouts Ella, as a hot air balloon floats to their window. Wishes come true…a search amongst pirates for gold and a narrow escape from a tiger in the jungle. Eventually the balloon crashes tipping them into a magical land full of the strangest creatures. Readers will love to search for all the tiny pixies in the detailed pictures. As dark falls,


the out; a treasure three


children gaze in wonder at the star- filled sky, three special constellations picked


chest, a


tiger….. and a dragon. Over swoops a huge shape. It is Ella’s dream dragon! Exchanging tales of adventures each has enjoyed, the children become sleepy,


realising their balloon has


crashed so their homeward journey a problem. Dragon to the rescue, and they are safely delivered home. There are lots of details to be found in the pictures which enhance the mystery of the tale, lots of ideas to spark off imaginative talk about dreams and their fulfilment. Having read the story and returned to the title page, we see the three children going upstairs, Barney carrying a skull and cross bones flag, Olive picking up their pet cat,…. and Bella clutching her cuddly toy dragon, inspiration for all their dream adventures. The repetition of the questions, ‘Where shall we go? And what shall we see?’ make for good participation for the youngest of


22 Books for Keeps No.235 March 2019


children, whilst the keenest of picture spotters will see that the balloon body is made up of the patchwork fabric on Sophie’s bed! This story bears frequent reading


to glean all


The Dinosaur Department Store


HHH


Lily Murray, ill. Richard Merrit, Buster Books, 32pp, 9781780555966, £6.99 pbk


Eliza Jane wishes for a prehistoric pet for her 4th birthday and as she is described as a ‘wilful child’ (and drawn as one too) her parents decide it would be better to give her wants she wants for her birthday despite them looking a little alarmed; ‘Her parents weren’t keen, it has to be said, They wished she had asked for a rabbit instead.’ Handily Eliza Jane’s mum knows


just where to go so the family visit the only dinosaur department store they know. When they get there they meet a rather sinister looking dinosaur store owner who lets them look around. The ending is rather sweet and heartening as Eliza Jane does something kind for all the dinosaurs she meets. The book is a lovely one to read


together or in a class and then would be fabulous to start a discussion about your own dinosaur department store. It’s rather refreshing to have a girl who likes dinosaurs and also to think about a store with them all packed in there. The rhyme is great to read aloud and the language is snappy with many recognisable words for children themselves to decode. Onomatopoeia and alliteration in bold and capitals help with the reading out loud too. Richard Merrit’s illustrations are


gloriously colourful and bold. There is plenty to spot especially when meeting the dinosaurs themselves and their quirky features especially one who likes hot dogs…the little sausage dog features in a few more pages after that if you look closely too. As with many picture books this


one is multi layered for different ages. You can tell it’s likely Eliza Jane will get her own way through the language and also the illustrations. The book is lots of fun for all ages including grown-ups too. SG


Two Sides HHHHH


Polly Ho-Yen, ill. Binny Talib, Stripes Publishing, 96pp, 978 1 78895 062 6, £7.99, hbk


Lula and Lenka have known each other all their lives. They are very different, Lula is messy and chatty, Lenka is super tidy and quiet. Lula likes dogs and Lenka prefers cats. However this isn’t a problem for them, in fact it helps them understand that people have different points of view. They do everything together until that is ‘The Day That Everything Goes Wrong.’ This is when a minor disagreement leads


the


touches woven into it, both in the text and in the charming illustrations. GB


to a major falling out and they are no longer friends.


Suddenly they both


feel very alone. Is this really the end of their friendship? Perhaps helping to solve a dispute between two other girls might lead to their reconciliation. This is a story about the value of


bonds between two very individuals with different perspectives on life. It explores the strength and the potential fragility of friendship and the impact its ups and downs can have on wellbeing; themes many young readers will relate to. Told from the perspective of both


of the friends with a different font indicating a change of narrator, this is a beautifully designed hardback book with a fresh layout and stylish full colour illustrations. This title is part of a new series designed for newly independent


readers Hello Lighthouse HHHH


Sophie Blackall, Orchard Books, 9781408357163, 48pp, £12.99 hbk


Hello...hello...hello... The light from the


lighthouse sea, shines across greeting ships and sailors.


Making sure all know it is there. But a lighthouse needs to be looked after. Who does that? What would life be like in a lighthouse? In summer it could be nice; what about winter or when it is foggy? In this picture book by American illustrator, Sophie Blackall, we are introduced to the life of the lighthouse keeper aimed at a young readership. Here are no technical details; the setting


is


domestic and we watch the keeper going about his tasks through round porthole-like windows on the page. The colour palette is aqueous – the sea is everywhere,


perspectives


vertiginous as we scurry up and down the stairs. There is a gentle rhythm to the text as we follow the round of seasons – the excitement of a storm (waves reminiscent of a Japanese print), the cold of a frozen sea (this is an American lighthouse), the repeated ‘Hello’, then finally, the


mechanism is automated. This is an enjoyable introduction to a lighthouse that could be just that, a picture book opening the door to this world, raising a question or two but no more. However the author-illustrator includes


an afterword expanding


the text, adding further facts and amusing anecdotes which add a bit more substance to the whole and extending its potential. FH


Sophie Johnson Detective Genius


HHH


Morag Hood, ill. Ella Okstad, Simon and Schuster, 978 1 4711 4565 0, £6.99. pbk


This book is ideal for reading aloud to a savvy audience who would be able to spot exactly what is really going on in Sophie’s world by reading the subtext, told in the quirky illustrations. Sophie


the


Publishing an imprint of Group. SMc


from Stripes Little Tiger


goodbye, as the lighthouse


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