reviews 5 – 8 Infant/Junior continued


dog is horrified that they have broken open the suitcase. Meanwhile, the stranger is dreaming about running away, climbing mountains and hiding from danger. The ending is wonderful – full of love and empathy and the kind of understanding that we all hope children will absorb and learn. Lots of white space on the pages, print in different colours (matching the colours of the animals), and the simple illustrations add much to the whole. Refugees are an important part of our world now, and this story will help children to be welcoming to those who are sad and lonely.ES


Joseph’s Cradle HHHHH


Jude Daly, Otter-Barry Books, 32pp, 978 1 91095 979 4, £11.99 hbk


This gentle, charming book, set in


South Africa, is a lovely evocation of life in a small village and the importance of traditions. There is a large, old tree in the middle of the village, much loved by the inhabitants. The children climb it, the elders gather under it, and it is the centre of life. One day, the boy Joseph climbs it and feels he has reached the sky. But when he is an adult and married, a storm comes along and blows the tree down. The villagers are dismayed, but luckily, Joseph has planted seeds from the tree and produces a young sapling to replace it. He also takes a part of the trunk from the fallen tree and makes a beautiful cradle out of it for his and his wife’s first born, Sisi. When the baby grows out of it, the cradle is passed from person to person in the village, and all the new babies’ names are carved into the side. Sisi grows up and has children of her own, and they all use the cradle, but when her children are grown and are expecting their own babies, a terrible


thing


happens. A fire sweeps through part of the village, and Joseph’s house is burned. Where is the cradle? Has it survived the fire? The story is based on a real one, one that happened in Australia, and makes a lovely story in this setting too. The illustrations are


delicate and detailed, with


tiny glimpses of the insides of the thatched homes and depictions of animals and people. There’s much to talk about here, and the vivid picture of a culture so different from our own is a treat in itself. ES


Me and Mrs Moon HHHH


Helen Bate, (author & illustrator) Otter-Barry Books, 42pp, 978-1-91095-994-7 £12.99 hdbk


Mrs Moon lives next door to Maisie, and every day she picks her up from school, with her friend Dylan, and looks after them, and they all have a lot of fun together in the school holidays. They love her and her dog, Jack, and call her Granny Moon, but when she starts acting strangely they are puzzled and concerned.


At Christmas time, the friends find the room hung with colourful socks, and she asks them to decorate an enormous Christmas tree with toilet paper streamers. She talks to a folk band which isn’t there, and at one point thinks Maisie is her daughter Angela, but she can sometimes be perfectly normal. Maisie and Dylan see an item on TV about dementia, and they worry that Granny Moon will have to go away, especially when she becomes worried about a little girl trapped in the radiator. Not recognising Danny in the park means that Danny’s Dad also becomes concerned, but then she seems fine again. It only becomes really obvious when Granny Moon wakes them all in the middle of the night trying to take the radiator off the wall, and Angela has to be summoned from Australia. Tension and upset results as Mrs Moon resents interference, but


eventually all is resolved


satisfactorily. This is a useful graphic novel about


love and loyalty, and it may help the many children who find they know someone with dementia, or have to cope with a relative whose behaviour is puzzling. The worry about a girl in the radiator is a true example of the effect dementia can have on a person’s mind, and a book written by Martin Slevin about his mother is the basis for this part of the story. Helen Bate is a qualified architect, and draws people with real character. She likes to produce books which will help in a situation, and this is also an enjoyable read. DB


The Climbers HHHH


Ali Standish, ill. Alette Straathof, Stripes, 978 1 78895 038 1, £7.99 hbk


This title is one of the latest additions to a series that aims to bridge the gap between picture books and chapter books by presenting a contemporary story with full colour Illustrations throughout. The lyrical tale of lonely, brave Alma who longs to explore and protect the exciting forest world beyond her narrow town has themes of hope, courage, friendship and connection and ably fulfils the publisher’s aim of presenting children with diverse stories of global appeal.


Alma befriends a


frightened bear cub and, when the two are driven away from their home by frightened, angry adults, Alma and her beloved Star Bear find other children and animals like themselves and seek a home and freedom in an expansive treetop world. Child and adult readers will enjoy sharing this simple seeming story with its appealing and vibrant illustrations and will recognise echoes of a troubled present- day world in which children must resist and break through the fears, prejudices and boundaries that adults try to force upon them. This is a small book with big themes, accessible


and moving, suitable for sharing or


for newly independent readers. The immersive


illustrations beautifully


portray the strong relationship between children and animals, the lush jungle setting and the emotions of the characters and combine with the text to present a thought-provoking story about friendship and tolerance


young readers. SR The Missing Bookshop HHHHH


Katie Clapham, ill. Kirsti Beautyman, Stripes, 84pp, 978 1 78895 042 8, £7.99 hbk


This appealing and heart-warming story joins the publisher’s range of simple stories for newly independent readers with beautiful


full colour


illustrations throughout. The author is an award-winning independent bookseller and her debut book is the perfect read for lovers of books, bookshops and stories. Mrs Minty’s bookshop is Milly’s favourite place and she loves going to story-time every week and testing Mrs Minty’s ability to find the right book on whatever Milly’s current passion is, from bears or pirates to ponies and aliens. One day, however, Milly notices that both Mrs Minty and her shop are looking rather old and creaky. When the shop closes and is put up for sale Milly is determined to save it and her brilliant idea draws many fellow book lovers to join her resulting in a happy and satisfying ending. This is a wonderful


book encourage for


children who love reading; it may also


those who are


not so sure. It has a gentle, heart- warming feel and a strong message about everyone being able to make a difference.


illustrations fill every page and draw the reader into the enchanted world of the bookshop complementing the text perfectly to celebrate the joys of reading and its power to shape lives, the strength of community action and the importance of bookshops to the people who love them. The implicit message, that runs throughout, is that when people and things get a little old and creaky, they need to be loved and supported, not discarded. This book bridges the gap between picture books and chapter books and will work well both as a book to share or for independent reading. SR


Stars & Poppy Seeds HHHH


Romana Romanyshyn & Andriy Lesiv, Tate, 32pp, 978 1 84976 620 3, £11.99 hbk


This stunningly designed picture


book is translated from Ukrainian and mingles fact and fiction to celebrate mathematics. The book tells the story of Flora, daughter of famous mathematicians, who loves to count. She counts all the animals in the world and everything around her, from poppy seeds to grains of rice, polka dots, ants and bricks. Her mind whirls constantly as she thinks of the numbers of grains of sand and


The subtly coloured


drops of water. But when Flora tries to count all the stars in the night sky, she realises that not even all the numbers, formulae and equations she


knows would be enough to to


count them. She turns to her mother who encourages Flora


to achieve


her dreams by starting with small steps. The book ends with double pages of fascinating facts


about


figures, information about famous mathematicians and a list of centres and museums where the world of maths can be explored further. This is an unusual and intriguing


book which will draw the young reader into the complicated world of


mathematics. From the


eye-catching patterns, constellation


surreal, maps,


grid endpapers through the quirky, sometimes


depictions


graph of


formulae, plans, mazes


and tiny details to pore over, the illustrations portray an amazing world in an offbeat, abstract and visually stimulating way. The character


of


Flora, motivated, curious, scientific and


thorough, gives a positive


message about the joy of learning. The deep blue tones and shining silver stars of the cover draw the eye into a book that combines story and


information to present The Sleeping Giant HHHH


Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, O’Brien, 978 1 78849 089 4, £8.99, pbk


A new edition of an annual bestseller based on the first paperback edition published in 1998, this book will bring a new audience to a favourite with children all over Ireland. As a celebrated Irish author and illustrator for children, Fitzpatrick has filled the book with highly detailed, vibrant and atmospheric watercolour pictures. The colour palette varies from gently muted pastels to rich hues of reds and blues and purples, reflecting each present mood. The story is an ancient myth surrounding the life of the locals in Kerry and the surrounding countryside. There is a giant amidst them, a noisy, clumsy giant. The people decide they must find a way to get rid of him. A sleeping draught is administered, with the instruction from a druid for the giant “to go out into the sea and lie down out of the way.” With the strong potion, the giant does just that, grass growing over him, animals and seabirds nesting on him. He becomes a tourist attraction, and people come from miles around to see him. Until one day the giant wakes up, terrifying all the locals again with his noise and huge size. Pandemonium! He wants to be friendly, but all he incites is fear. Alone and upset, the giant cries and cries, causing rains like no-one has known. It is the little girl Ann, in every picture from the beginning, who finds a satisfying solution to the tale. A story to be read over and again; the rich language and the detailed pictures demand further enjoyment. GB


Books for Keeps No.237 July 2019 23 the


fascination and ubiquity of maths and the importance of having dreams to young readers. SR


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