Poppy’s a penguin who’s always performed.But now Poppy wants to change her life – no more juggling, unicycling or breathing fire. She wants to make others happy, but also be happy herself. So she’s going to run the show. Can she become the greatest show penguin?
The answer is yes! Not to spoil the show, but this tale of Poppy and her desire to be true to herself is just delightful! She has to be brave and admit to her family – all of whom are performers in the circus with her – that she doesn’t want to be on stage anymore.
Her Mum suggests a holiday to take a break, but while they are away, Poppy finds she misses the circus. Fortunately, there is a lot to do to make a circus show happen, and Poppy is able to find lots of new skills and a way to still be part of the show.
A warm-hearted story, with gorgeous watercolour illustrations, The Greatest Show Penguin will light up bedtime for little ones – and remind them being brave is not as scary as you think!
What Happened to You? by James Catchpole and Karen George
‘What happened to you?’ , ‘Was it a shark?’, ‘ A burglar? A lion?’, ‘Did it fall off?’Every time Joe goes out, the questions are the same….what happened to his leg? But is this even a question Joe has to answer?
This wonderful pioneering story brings an equally wonderful little boy to life, who wants to be just that – a little boy who plays, has fun, pretends to be a pirate and makes friends. He does not, however, want to be asked constantly why he has only got one leg by all the children playing in the park too. Brilliantly capturing Joe’s frustration with the responses of others to his disability, the story shows how a little boy like Joe might prefer to be treated. Instead of ‘different’ – he wants to be just like any other kid. Because Joe is just like any other kid and he can climb and play and imagine, just like they can. Eventually, the children realise Joe is actually playing a fun game and they forget his leg, and join in.
Gorgeous illustrations bring the heart of the story to life perfectly, showing the active and fun-loving boy Joe is, and how the curiosity of others can be thoughtless. What Happened to You? challenges the sometimes perceived wisdom of it being ‘ok’ to ask questions about someone else’s personal situation. We would probably be quickly irritated if someone kept asking us the same personal question, so being in Joe’s position should not be any different. Why Joe has one leg is no one’s business but his own – until such time as he chooses to share it! At the back of the book, the author offers some sensible, straightforward advice for parents and carers about how best to talk to their children about disability, drawing on his own experiences which are reflected in the story.
Young readers will love Joe and his imaginary play, and I expect, won’t be too bothered by his leg – they’ll be more interested to know whether they can climb ropes and play pirates like he can! Which is the biggest strength of this story – it’s imparting some really important wisdom and empathy without seeming to do so. And the adults reading it will pick up the important message it contains and use it to start a conversation with their child, or the children they teach, at the right moment.
With thanks to Faber for sending me this book to review.
“This is my hill,” said Billy McGill. “I live here alone! Always have, always will.” But life doesn’t always turn out how you plan it…Soon Billy is joined by a mouse, cat, dog, bear, tiger and many more. Will he still crave splendid alone-ness or finally see the value of friends?
This absolutely delightful tale will not fail to bring a smile to your face! Told with a charming lyrical narrative, Billy lives all alone but one day a mouse comes to visit, and in order to get rid of the mouse, Billy gets a cat. But the cat and mouse like to play, so Billy decides to get a dog which will surely get rid of them both? Pretty soon – you guessed it – there’s a whole menagerie of animals – plus a vet, a sheep-shearer and even a baby causing havoc as shown by the warm and colourful illustrations. In a huff, Billy storms out, but once alone again, realises he misses them all and that peace and quiet is all very well, but friends are important too.
A message we can all appreciate, especially at the moment, Alone is a lovely story to read aloud and share, told with heart and humour.
If you met a dragon, could you keep it a secret? One day in the forest, Winnie discovers the last dragon in the whole world. His fabulous friends, the gryphon, the winged lion and the tree-man are the last of their kind, too. They’ll be in danger if a grown-up discovers them. But can Winnie really keep them secret?
A fantastical story of wondrous creatures and a little girl with an important secret to keep. Winnie sees pictures of the dragon, gryphon, winged lion and tree-man and wonders whether they could still be alive. But her parents reassure her they can’t be as they were defeated in battle.
Winnie prepares herself just in case, practising her sword fighting in the garden, showing herself to be a brave heroine. One day Winnie is swept away by a magical wind and finds herself on the back of a dragon! Winnie’s adventure that follows is a gentle reminder of what being endangered really means – and how it’s humans that are often the cause of this.
Stunningly illustrated with vibrant colours and a mythical feel, Can you Keep a Secret? will spark the imaginations of young readers everywhere.
The boys had been friends for as long as they could remember, and a little while before that. They were like brothers. Follow the adventures of four boys as they grow up, forming bonds of friendship to last a lifetime – even if they are occasionally put to the test...
The Boys portrays the essence of boyhood, friendship and growing up through a simple narrative, accompanied by heartfelt illustrations. Many of the changes we all face in our friendships as time passes are captured here – from finding new love, making different friends, competing with each other to feeling sad and alone and realising just how important our friends are.
Reading this as the mother of two boys made me smile – you can almost hear the shared laughter of the boys as they play and feel the changes as they happen. This story reminds us that real friends are there to love and be loved, and will always be there no matter what. And it shows boys in particular that it’s good to share your feelings and ok to cry. Endearing on every page, The Boys would make a great gift for inspiring the young boys in your life.
With thanks to Little Tiger for sending me this book to review.
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