Books to inspire the children

Howl by Kat Patrick, illustrated by Evie Barrow - From the author of the Doodle Cat series, Howl is Where the Wild Things Are for girls, exploring female solidarity, female anger and the unique bond between mother and daughter. Maggie has had a very, very bad day – the sun was the wrong shape, the sky was too blue and the spaghetti was too long. When Maggie starts to have wolfish thoughts, she and her mother head into the garden for some wolfish behaviour. Howl is a masterfully told story about the ways young girls can express their feelings of frustration and anger.

Arno and His Horse by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Felicita Sala (April) - Written by Jane Godwin, this gorgeous picture book is written in rhyming text and matched with spectacular, evocative illustrations. It’s a story about a young boy who loses his toy horse and enlists the help of his friends to search high and low for it. A touching tale, it explores love, memories, loss and the power objects can hold. A highly beautiful object, it will be cherished long after the final page is turned.

Also coming up are:

Beautiful Eggs by Alice Lindstorm – a large-format board book for Easter that celebrates traditions of egg-decorating from around the world in exquisite cut-paper illustration.

 

Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox, illustrated by Judy Horacek (May 2021) – a bestselling Australian classic (with over one million copies sold) is coming to the UK for the first time ever. A wildly wonderful adventure in search of the missing green sheep.

Izzy and Frank by Katrina Lehman, illustrated by Sophie Beer (June 2021) – a beautiful, lyrical story, boldly illustrated, that deals with moving house and accepting change.

If I had an octopus! – the latest book in a series that combines Gabby Dawnay’s upbeat rhymes with Alex Barrow’s signature bold illustrations – creates a charming tale of a little girl imagining what life would be like with an octopus for a pet.

Called ‘thoroughly charming’ byWaterstones, the book contains many hidden details for children to discover in the graphic illustrations and they will love spending a day in the life of the girl and her octopus.

 

Following on from CBeebies Bedtime StoriesIf I had a dinosaur andIf I had a sleepy sloth, the lyrical text ofIf I had an octopus! lends itself to a soothing rhythm perfect for a sleep-time story and dreams of life under the sea. Also publishing on April 1 is the paperback edition of If I had a sleepy sloth, as read by David Schwimmer on CBeebies. If I had a sleepy sloth imagines the positives and negatives of having a sloth for a pet and provides a welcome alternative to the fast pace of modern life by creating the time for readers to simply b-r-e-a-t-h-e.

The first book in a brand-new series from Thames & Hudson: Bad Apple! Is a great mix of stylish illustrations and a witty, accessible text makes this side-splitting tale a must have on everyone's book shelf. Publishing in May, Bad Apple! is written by best-selling, polar-exploring author Huw Lewis Jones and illustrated by award-winning illustrator Ben Sanders. The book transforms a series of simple rhymes into a hilarious sequence of silly scenarios and a common piece of fruit shows readers what he’s really made of. Charming characters Pear, Pea, Cat, Spud, Spoon and many more are sick and tired of Apple making their lives miserable, and in a dark twist at the end, he receives his well-deserved comeuppance... 

Stuart Simmonds, the creator of the excellent and critically acclaimed Hannah the Spanner and Harry the Karate Monkey children’s books, has released the first three rhyming tales from the Sevenhills Stories series. Just like Simmonds’ previous books, the Sevenhills series is written with great humour, and the stories will have children and adults alike chuckling at some of the quite amazing things that happen in the quite amazing town of Sevenhills. The first three rhyming books in the Sevenhills series, published in January, are:

Don’t touch that razor Fraser

When a mystery package comes through the door, young Fraser can’t help but explore. With hindsight, he'll probably wish he hadn’t embarked on a hilarious ride that will have both children and adults laughing out loud.

What’s the plan Stan?

With a stressed-out Dad on a never-ending phone call, four kids are bored out of their tiny little minds. No one is quite going to believe what is about to happen on the way to Grandma's house.

Parker and Rudi’s most amazing adventure 

What happens when you leave the door unlocked? Hannah and Lucy’s favourite doggy duo embark on the trip of a lifetime and make friends with the world’s most famous rock band. Private planes, mega yachts, the jet set lifestyle … and the two greediest dogs on the planet - what could possibly go wrong?

Each book has a large, colourful, easy to read and eye-catching format – perfect for reading out loud. The books are supported by a fully interactive website:https://www.stuhead.co.uk/

Arthur Wants a Balloon, written by Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia and illustrated by Erika Meza, is a delightful book that deals sensitively with a parent’s depression and the ability of even the youngest family member to help.  Arthur's gloomy dad rushes him through the park every morning, through grey and rainy weather. Arthur just wants a balloon from the park's vendor, but Dad always says no. One rainy morning, the balloons magically appear at their doorstep, and Arthur figures out the perfect way to bring the sunshine out, even if only for a few moments. Author Elizabeth Gilbert Bedia was inspired to write Arthur’s story by the incredible loving support of her own small children as she struggled with periods of depression and her husband’s diagnosis with cancer. Arthur Wants a Balloon is a heartfelt story with a ray of hope and sunshine at the end that will help young readers understand the wonderful difference that a loving gesture can make in the midst of the greyest of times. 

What makes this book useful in an early-years setting?

• The book helps children relate to a family member dealing with depression
• It is a celebration of children’s emotional wisdom and compassion, and can be used as a conversation starter
• The artwork, with a palette that goes from drab to bright as the story progresses, helps bring this delicate and emotional story to life
• The story has a distinct message of hope... and a little bit of magic!

Grandpa's Stopwatch, about a child whose grandfather passes away, is a touching story of love, loss, and the healing power of time Grandpa’s favourite thing is a stopwatch, and he and his grandchild use it to time everything: racing to the end of the street and back (best speed: 24 seconds); the time it takes to eat a whole bubble gum ice cream cone (1 minute, 58 seconds – brain freeze: 6 seconds); a snore-filled nap on the couch (20 minutes). When Grandpa dies, his grandchild inherits the beloved stopwatch. But the child doesn’t want the stopwatch ... ‘I want him.’  The child throws the stopwatch into the back of a drawer, sadness overwhelms, and everything feels different. Nothing seems right, now that Grandpa is gone. But with the passage of time, the comforting tick, tick, tick of the stopwatch, and happy memories, life does move forward...

What makes this book special?

• It is a story about the death of a grandparent, told in a gentle and hopeful way
• This is the perfect book to help discuss the death of a loved one with a child, aimed at 2-5 year olds
• Debut author, Loretta Garbutt, is a children’s bookseller and children’s TV voice-over artist and award-winning artist Carmen Mok has created a stunning companion to the text, in muted, comforting colour tones.

Grandpa’s Stopwatch normalises the sadness and grief children might feel after the death of a grandparent. It also shows young readers that these feelings can lessen over time, and that we may be comforted by memories of loved ones we have lost.