I wish I’d written… Emily Gravett selects books that inspire her.


It’s really difficult to decide on just one book that I wish I had written. The most recent example was a sneak preview I had of David Roberts’ Suffragette: The Battle for Equality. It is a Thing of Beauty. I wanted to hide it in my bag, and not give it back. In fact, quite often when I’m working on a book, I think how much better a job David Roberts would make of it!


When I look back on all the books I have known and loved, there are three that jump out. The first is Dr.Seuss’s The Cat in The Hat. I spent many happy hours reading Seuss to my daughter. I love the simple colour palette, the craziness that is Seuss, and I pride myself on being able to do the tongue twisters. The second is Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s The Jolly Pocket Postman. I


Emily Gravett’s latest book, Cyril and Pat (978-1509857272) is published by Two Hoots, £12.99.


was heavily influenced by this when writing my book Meerkat Mail, but theirs is the perfect combination of a parent pleasing ‘read aloud’ text, detailed absorbing illustrations, and something for little fingers to fiddle with. Finally, I adore Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk. It is so simple and stylish,


yet it is the very definition of a perfect picture book, with the illustrations adding something different to the straightforward and spare text.


Good Reads


King of the Sky Nicola Davies, illus Laura Carlin, Walker Books, 978-1406379198, £7.99


Review by Francesca


This book is about a bird who is a champion. I like that you can find a sooty, black cat and the bird itself on almost every page! I also like how the author describes the bird: ‘its head was whiter than a splash of milk, its eye blazed fire’. As I am half Italian, I was surprised with happiness when I read ‘Re del cielo’ which the boy named the champion bird with. Equally,


I loved the


illustration of a piazza in Rome with all the racing birds and the ice cream shop (gelateria!) in the background. It made me remember of the times when I sit on the doorstep of the gelateria in Italy, licking my ice cream and watching the pigeons doing their run-ups and searching for food on the ground! It was such a pleasure to read this book! I rate King of the Sky HHHHH I would recommend it to year 1 onwards.


Under the Same Sky Britta Teckentrup, Caterpillar Books, 978-1848575868, £11.99


Review by Abigail


I think that Under the Same Sky is very heart- warming, stunning and intricate because it is about everyone and everything under the same sky and it reminds us where ever we are we’re always together no matter what happens and we are always with each other. I love this book because it brings out your emotions inside and it is very lovely at the end when it says “we dream the same dreams...and we dream them...... together” because we are one big family in this world, and we should remember that always.


Suffragette: The Battle for Equality by David Roberts (978- 1509839674) is published by Two Hoots, £18.99; The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss (978-0007348695) is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books; The Jolly Pocket Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg (978-0670886265) is published by Puffin; Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins (978-1862308060) is published by Red Fox £6.99.


Children who attend the Chatterbooks groups at Petts Wood Library have been shadowing the 2018 Kate Greenaway Medal. Here are some of their reviews on books they’ve read. Thank you to all the young readers who contributed and to librarian Jenny Hawke.


A First Book of Animals Nicola Davies, illus Petr Horacek, Walker Books, 978-1406359633, £14.99


Review by Megan


I like this book because it has interesting poems and detailed pictures. I would give it 10/10 because it was very descriptive on every page. I recommend this book to children of any age. I give it a 10/10 because I loved it!.


Town is by the Sea Joanne Schwartz, illus Sydney Smith, Walker Books, 978-1406378863, £7.99


Review by Helena


lt is an amazing book. It is all about the boy’s family and how he knows what he is going to become and he knows his grandad loved the sea so does he and so does his father. A coal miner is what he is going to become.


King of the Sky Nicola Davies, illus Laura Carlin Review by Lewis


This book is about an Italian boy who lives in England but doesn’t like it there. He has a friend called Mr Evans who keeps pigeons. Mr


Books for Keeps No.231 July 2018 19


Evans has one pigeon with a milk-white head that always comes last but Mr Evans still thinks it will be a winner. One day when he sends all his pigeons to Rome the one with the milk-white head comes back first. At the start of the story the boy feels like he isn’t at home in England but at the end he feels like England is his home. I feel like the moral of the story is that you should never stop believing in something you love. I really liked this story as I thought it had a strong message and was written in a really engaging way. I really liked how every pigeon was different. I would rate this book 8/10


Francesca


Abigail


Hama and Helena


Lewis


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