reviews 5 – 8 Infant/Junior continued


that she cannot helps Midge and seeks advice from her teacher and her parents. We discover that Midge and Mo have more in common than it first appears and begins to draw on her own experiences to support her new friend. Mo helps her friend to understand that feeling sad is okay and slowly and patiently,


through


kindness and understanding, waits for the cloud of sadness to lift. The wonderful


illustrations the sense of by


Becky Cameron add depth, beautifully reflecting the feelings of the main characters. Williamson has triumphed in capturing


fear,


confusion and anxiety that change can cause to children. Most importantly, both


author and illustrator have


also perfectly portrayed the beauty and healing power of friendship and understanding, thus helping to build empathy in young readers. KF


Frockodile HHHHH


Jeanne Willis, ill. Stephanie Laberis, Hodder Children’s Books, 32pp, 978 1 444 90824 4, £6.99, pbk


As always, Jeanne Willis’ rhyming text begs to be read aloud. ‘By the inky, stinky swamp where no one ever goes, Cliff the little crocodile found a pile of clothes.’ Frilly underwear, a slinky red dress, stilettos and a string pearls, no less. Not able to resist, Cliff tries them all on, and, oh, how he loves them!


But the mean hyenas laugh at him and tell him to stop dressing like a girly or they’ll go and tell his Dad. Next, we are introduced to Dad; he looks like a baddy with a patch over one eye, leather jacket flying as he roars around on his motor bike; none of the


8 – 10 Junior/Middle Ed’s Choice


The Girl from the Sea and other stories


HHHH


Sophia De Mello Breyner Andresen translated by Margaret Jull Costa & Robin Patterson, Dedalus, 306pp, 9781912868032, £11.99, pbk


Collections of short stories do not get much attention unless they are fairy tales or by a very familiar author. Novels are seen as more accessible, but this can be a mistake. Certainly, in the case of this volume it would be a shame to pass it over. These stories have come to us from Portugal and this is the first English translation of this Portuguese writer who has classic status in her own country. They are lyrical tales with a message for the reader. Central to all, a recurring theme, is a love for the natural world and our relationship to it and the stories presented here are in tone reflective rather than active. They are very much literary fairy tales that make one think of Hans Christian Andersen and Oscar Wilde. But they are not as cruel in their judgements; rather there is an attractive gentleness. One might expect The Girl from the Sea to be comparable to the Little Mermaid with a similar moralistic and tragic ending. Rather we are given a story which shows that there can be a different relationship


Johnny Ball: Accidental Football Genius


HHH


Matt Oldfield, Walker Books, 207pp, 9781406396461, £5.99 pbk


Matt Oldfield’s previous successes have


been biographies of real footballers but, in this new series,


- all the teams, all the players, and all the tactics. Johnny’s whole family are obsessives, especially when it comes to the local team, Tissbury Town. Unfortunately, Johnny is not that good at football. His brother is, his best friend is, and his mum is, but he’s just not that good. Fortunately, though, he has a few ideas that might help the school team. Johnny lands himself a role as assistant to the school’s clueless football manager. Mr Mann booms cliches like, ‘No more schoolboy errors,’ and ‘That’s it, lads, they don’t like it up ‘em.’ He’s not a student of the game, like Johnny, and benefits from Johnny’s bright ideas. With Johnny’s help, the school


team embarks upon an


between the human world and that of the sea – and this relationship is the message


throughout the


volume. The prose flows easily, the translation attractive and readable. These are stories that could benefit from being read aloud and shared to encourage discussion since most are relatively short and have the pleasing shape of the traditional tale. This is a very welcome addition to the bookshelves, opening eyes and minds to the literature of the wider world and bringing young readers new voices, new cadences, opening new doors and windows for the imagination. FH


he tells the story of a young football fanatic who lacks the talent to hit the big time as a player, but might just make it as a manager. Johnny ball is a familiar character


to many school playgrounds: the kid who loves football more than anybody else - not just playing it but knowing everything there is to know about it


exciting cup run. Most of the story follows the same pattern: build up to game, play game, analyse game. It’s quite a predictable journey, but there is some authentic matchday drama, which is well described. As well as the shouty, aggressive coach, the school team also has the big bully captain and the tough- tackling midfielder, but there are some refreshingly original characters, too. The silky skills and goalie saves come from unconventional sources, for example. Johnny has to manage his players’ tactics and positioning but also has to work hard off the pitch. Buoyed by the advice of his talented older


brother and adorably kooky


grandfather, he sets about improving the friendship and camaraderie of the team, which isn’t easy when there’s a bully on the team. Johnny’s football


be accidental, but it’s also


journey may a


determined one. Nothing will stop him from carving a football role for himself and, with managerial vacancies common in the cut-throat world of football, it is very likely that he will be showing off his genius in more books in the future. SD


other animals dares challenge him. But Cliff loves his Dad… would he be ashamed if Dad saw Cliff in a frock? Or sad, and die of shock? Freddy the frog turns out to be a big supporter of Cliff, and the animals unite to devise a show in which Cliff can partake in his new guise. The illustrations show just how much support there is for all the performers…. And despite the rehearsals going badly wrong, on the night of the performance, Dad just loves the show and declares his son Cliff to be star of the night, whispering to his son, ‘May I have my pearls back now?’ and the final laugh is… we see Dad is wearing fabulous, adorable, scarlet high heels! A book to amuse and ponder upon, and to delight all those little ones who just love to dress up. GB


A Kind of Spark HHHH


Elle McNicholl, Knights Of, 9781913311056, 192pp, £6.99 pbk


Addie lives with her family in a small village near Edinburgh. She finds school life hard to navigate because she is autistic and even harder when her one friend seems to reject her. Fortunately, her family understand her needs, particularly big sister Keedie who is autistic too and knows exactly what Addie is going through and how to help her. Addie is captivated by learning; the library is a sanctuary and sharks an obsession. When the new class topic on witches is introduced Addie’s obsession switches too, she soaks up


information about


witches and is appalled to discover so many were tried and executed for perceived witchcraft in her village with no acknowledgement or form of memorial. She feels the injustice passionately, her affinity with their cause informed by her own experience


Books for Keeps No.242 May 2020 25


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