I absolutely love picture books. What better way to introduce children to the wonder of storytelling than through incredible illustrations pictured alongside brilliant narratives? The best picture books can be fun and light-hearted celebrating the world around us, but can also leave you with something to think about.  Picture books can very often open the door to conversations around empathy and understanding and help children see themselves and how they can relate to others. So here’s my round up of some newly published and soon to be published picture books for Spring!

When a Dragon Comes to Stay by Caryl Hart and Rosalind Beardshaw

 

When dragon comes to stay, will she behave herself? Why of course she will. Obviously she knows she must share her toys, eat daintily and skip happily upstairs at bathtime.  Well….not quite. Like all toddlers this little dragon finds good manners a tiny bit tricky. Luckily she has some friends to help her.

What a lovely rhyming story this is! Bright, colourful illustrations bring dragon and her friends to life, perfectly capturing the perils of life as a toddler and show just what good behaviour looks like. Great to read aloud and have young readers joining in this is sure to be a hit at bedtime. And grown ups who want to encourage good manners will love it too!

Available now, find out more at www.nosycrow.com,  www.carylhart.com and www.rosalindbeardshaw.com

Wish by Chris Saunders

Rabbit has never caught a wish before, then one magical day he catches three! But what amazing things should he wish for? With the help of his best friends Mouse, Fox and Bear, Rabbit discovers that thinking of others can sometimes bring the greatest reward of all.

This is an absolutely gorgeous book with an emotive story about the wonder of friendship and kindness. Muted, atmospheric illustrations with touches of colour, create a beautiful landscape where Rabbit discovers the true power of a wish. It also celebrates the possibilities of adventure and the hopes and dreams we all have. A lovely story to share, Wish would be a great way to start conversations around empathy and being kind, but also a really lovely story to leave in children’s imaginations as they drift off to sleep at bedtime!

Available now, find out more at www.quartoknows.com

The Astro Naughty Naughty Baddies by Mark Sperring and David Tazzyman

54321 Blast off! The Naughty Naughty Baddies are zooming off the the moon. Kerzoom! Will our fiendish fraudsters come undone with their mischievous plans to capture some aliens? Mwa-ha-ha!

Another adventure featuring the Naughty Baddies that will have children and adults giggling along with glee!  And these baddies are very naughty indeed, doing anything they can think of to come up with mischief and mayhem – even if it means trying to fool the President.  Larger than life, brilliant illustrations bring the deliciously devious baddies to life and children will love the intergalactic theme. And grown-ups will be relieved that the naughtiness gets its comeuppance! A great fun read for families to share.

Available now, find out more at www.bloomsbury.com and www.davidtazzyman.com

Mira’s Curly Hair by Maryam al Serkal and Rebeca Luciani

Mira doesn’t like her hair, it curls at the front. it curls at the back. It curls everywhere! She wants it to be straight and smooth, just like her Mama’s. But then something unpredictable happens…and Mira will never look at her Mama’s hair the same way again!

A fabulous story which many will identify with – there’s nothing worse than a bad hair day -especially if it’s every day! Humourous depictions of Mira trying to straighten her curly hair, which seems to have a life of its own, will bring a smile to your face. A simple narrative and vibrant illustrations with a stunning Arabic backdrop bring the story to life as Mira discovers that her Mama’s hair is just like hers so she doesn’t feel so bad anymore. Delightful to share, this story will encourage young readers to celebrate their uniqueness!

Publishing in April, find out more at www.lantanapublishing.com and www.rebecaluciani.es

Crime Squirrel Investigators The Naughty Nut Thief

Rosie can’t believe it! Who’s eaten all of her delicious hazelnuts? She’s determined to find the naughty nut thief and ask Charlie to help her.  Can the two Crime Squirrel Investigators solve the case?

A fun mystery adventure for young readers, this story creates a wonderful woodland world with delightful characters. Rosie and Charlie use all their wits to solve the mystery but Charlie has a secret which he finds very hard to share. A story to entertain and get children thinking in more ways than one; they can discover more about woodland creatures, use the clues to help find the culprit and learn about being truthful and saying sorry. An all round great read!

Available in May find out more about this story and Little Door books at www.bouncemarketing.co.uk

I Don’t Want to be Small by Laura Ellen Andersen

This little boy is fed up with being so little. He wants to be as tall as his friends and his big brother. But when he loses his teddy bear up a tree, not even his new tall friend can get it back for him. Maybe with a little bit of help they can reach the bear together …

With all the ingredients for a perfect picture book, I Don’t Want to be Small is a fantastic story sure to delight young readers! With brilliant illustrations featuring Laura Ellen Andersen’s trademark style, you instantly empathise with the little boy’s plight as he shares his frustration at being small.  There’s just the right amount of humour and heart, and a very satisfying ending as he makes a new friend and finds out being small isn’t so bad after all.  I loved it!

Publishing in May, find out more at www.bloomsbury.com and www.lauraellenanderson.co.uk

With thanks to Nosy Crow, words and pictures, Bloomsbury, Lantana and Little Door Books for sending me these lovely titles to review.