Age 9 plus:
The Mask of Aribella
Anna Hoghton
SET sail for the ancient city of Venice and enjoy a soaraway
fantasy adventure full of magic and danger as award-winning young poet and film-maker
Anna Hoghton launches her thrilling debut novel.
Hoghton, who lives in Bristol, is certainly making waves
with her lyrical, atmospheric depiction of the famous Italian floating city in
a middle-grade story that sweeps young readers away to mysterious canals, busy
Piazza San Marco with its towering campanile, and the glittering lagoon.
Set in the age of the Venetian Republic, when the Doges
ruled the city state, The Mask of Aribella conjures up a richly detailed
historical landscape where power corrupts, evil comes from both the real and
supernatural worlds, and friendship and bravery must win the day.
Aribella lives in Venice, the daughter of an impoverished
lace-maker who has never recovered from the death of Aribella’s mother ten
years ago. But on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, Aribella discovers she
has a secret and deadly power… when angered, flames shoot from her fingertips.
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| DEBUT HIT: Anna Hoghton |
Frightened, and unable to keep her fiery weapon hidden, she
flees, but when dark spectres rise from the lagoon, the fire in her hands saves
her life. A stranger witnesses the attack and, through him, Aribella leaves her
old life behind and discovers the world of the Cannovacci, the masked, magical
warriors sworn to defend Venice.
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Now Aribella and her new friends must battle the strange
spectres menacing the city, but can they defeat the evil rising from the Island
of the Dead?
Hoghton’s experiences as a film-maker and wordsmith shine
through in this visually exciting and action-packed evocation of medieval
Venice which stars a cast of superbly drawn characters, some enthralling
adventures, and breathtaking fantasy scenes. Brimming with darkness and light, The Mask of Aribella
delivers resonant messages about trust, empathy, compassion, and being true to yourself…
but there are also lashings of accessible friendship and fun, making this the
real deal when it comes to all-round middle-grade entertainment.
(Chicken House, paperback, £6.99)
Age 7 plus:
Alice in Wonderland Graphic Novel
Russell Punter and Simona Bursi
WATCH Alice fall down that famous rabbit hole in a
fantastic, eye-catching graphic version of Lewis Carroll’s 19th
century masterpiece. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, originally published in
1865, has been a much-loved classic for over 150 years and now a new digital-age
audience of young readers can engage both visually and verbally with Alice’s
journey through this exciting comic-strip format.
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Click HERE for Lancashire Post review
According to recent reports, sales of graphic novels,
especially those aimed at younger readers, are overtaking those of monthly
superhero comics for the first time ever. They are attracting a devoted army of
young readers who find traditional novels a hard slog by allowing them to get
straight to the action without wading through pages of wordy description.
Author Russell Punter, who has written a series of graphic
novels for children’s publisher Usborne, reckons that Carroll’s quirky
characters – the frantic White Rabbit, the terrifying Queen of Hearts and the
intriguing Mad Hatter – were simply made for graphic novels.
Simona Bursi’s fabulous illustrations bring Alice’s strange
and magical world – including that invisible Cheshire cat and a crazy
caterpillar – to vibrant life in this beautifully produced and presented book
which aims to introduce a whole new generation to the mad, mad world of
Wonderland. A thoroughly modern twist on a timeless fantasy tale…
(Usborne, paperback, £9.99)
Age 6 plus:
All the Dear Little Animals
Ulf Nilsson and Eva Eriksson
THE cycle of life and death is one of the most difficult
lessons a child must learn… So here’s a beautiful, sensitively written and gently funny
story, useful as an introduction to the subject, and to help them understand
the concept of death in an everyday, unsentimental, child’s view context of
play.
All the Dear Little Animals is the work of Swedish team,
celebrated children’s author Ulf Nilsson and award-winning illustrator Eva
Eriksson, and comes from Gecko Press, a New Zealand-based independent publisher
of ‘curiously good’ children’s books whose mission to translate works by some
of the world’s best writers and illustrators.
Translated by Julia Marshall, All the Dear Little Animals was
first published as a picture book but is now available in this chapter book
format, and tells the story of three children who decide someone must bury all
the world’s poor dead animals.
‘The whole world is full of dead things,’ says Esther. ‘In
every bush there is a bird, a butterfly, a mouse. Someone must be kind and look
after them. Someone must make a sacrifice and see that all these things are buried.’
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So one summer’s day, Esther and two other children start a
business called Funerals Ltd to help all the dead little creatures that they
find, whether it’s a bee on a windowsill, a hedgehog killed on the road, or a
neighbour’s hamster. Esther is brave and does the digging, another child writes
the poems, and Esther’s little brother, Puttie, cries, but they bury the
animals with kindness and care.
Early readers will love the dry humour and simple but
powerful story which answers many of the questions children might ask about
death in the familiar and comforting context of outdoor playtime. The ideal way to explore and explain death to younger
children …
(Gecko Press, paperback, £7.99)
The Moonlight Zoo
Maudie Powell-Tuck and
Karl James Mountford
THE hunt for a lost cat is the sparkling launch pad for a
dreamy bedtime picture book starring a mesmerising moonlit menagerie. Peep-through pages and breathtaking illustrations from top-notch
illustrator Karl James Mountford help to turn an animal-packed adventure into a
magical odyssey in this lush and lovely amalgam of words and pictures.
Eva has looked everywhere for her missing cat, Luna, and
worries she is cold, scared and all alone in the night. Then, under her bed,
she discovers the Moonlight Zoo, a magical place for all lost or departed animals.
There, amongst lions and elephants, she sees parrots, dogs, wolves, guinea pigs
and even a polar bear... but can Eva find Luna before the zoo fades at dawn?
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Maudie Powell-Tuck’s gentle story speaks loudly and
reassuringly to children who have lost a beloved pet, while Mountford’s
illustrations, featuring carefully blended pastel shades, bring a comforting
brand of warmth to the action. With its intricately detailed and blue-foiled, peep-through
cover, this is an ideal gift and the perfect wind-down book for bedtime
reading.
(Little Tiger Press, hardback, £12.99)
Age 3 plus:
Two Bears: An epic journey of hope
Patricia Hegarty and Rotem Teplow
JOIN two bears who live on opposite sides of the world as
they set out on epic journeys that will prove that, sometimes, differences are
only skin-deep.
This moving, inspirational tale of climate change, survival
and togetherness comes from children’s author Patricia Hegarty in a heartwarming
picture book filled with the colourful and atmospheric illustrations of Israeli
artist Rotem Teplow.
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Click HERE for Lancashire Post review
Polar Bear lives in the frozen lands of the Arctic while
Grizzly Bear lives in the heart of the northern forests. Polar enjoys swimming
in the icy blue ocean while Grizzly’s hunting ground stretches through pine
woods and sparkling rivers.
When changes to the climate means the two bears
must flee their habitats, they begin to despair until a miracle happens and
they find each other. Can they make a new home together and make their lives
complete again? With an informative fact guide to the plight of bears as
they lose their habitats and become threatened with extinction, and tips for
young readers on how we can help them survive through the simplest of ways,
this is both an endearing and enlightening story and an inspiration to help
save the planet. An easy-to-read and beautifully illustrated story with a
powerful message…
(Caterpillar Books, hardback, £11.99)
Age 3 plus:
Three Classic Adventures of Supertato
Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet
ENJOY a tasty triple helping of Supertato… the most
a-peeling veg in the supermarket! Always there when the chips are down, Supertato is a picture
book superhero with his eyes firmly fixed on the bad guys and always ready to
play out of his skin.
His wacky, calorie-consuming adventures amongst fridges,
friends and foes have been cooked up by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, the
award-winning duo who created Barry the Fish with Fingers. And if you haven’t already met this swashbuckling spud, then
here’s the chance to tuck into three Supertato adventures in one brilliant
book.
In Veggies Assemble, Supertato is rooting for the root
vegetables! One evil pea was bad enough, but now there are bags of them on a
roll in the supermarket. The Evil Pea is on the loose and there is anarchy in
the aisles. He has switched off all the freezers which means that all the peas
have turned bad… really bad! Can our supermarket superhero avert disaster? Or
is he going to need backup?
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Click HERE for Lancashire Post review
In Run, Veggies, Run! the veggies end up in hot water when a
giant interloper hijacks fun time. It’s Sports Day in the supermarket and all
the veggies are in training. Everyone has been practising hard and is ready and
raring to go. However, a mysterious new competitor has joined the event,
accompanied by the Evil Pea, and is determined to win all the prizes. Things
don’t seem quite right… but will Supertato be able to foil yet another evil
plan by his green nemesis?
And in Evil Pea Rules! Supertato once more pitted against the
Evil Pea. It’s all very well being a superhero and saving the day, but what if
there was no one there to cause the chaos, to provide these heroes with their
chances to shine? Would we even need superheroes? Fortunately, this isn’t
something we will have to worry about any time soon because the Evil Pea is back
and this time he has his biggest, most dastardly plan yet to take over the
supermarket…
Big, bold and bright illustrations help these funny,
fast-moving vegetable adventures boil over as the spud with superpowers makes
mincemeat of the perfidious Evil Pea. One taste of Supertato, and little ones will be begging for
more!
(Simon & Schuster, paperback, £9.99)
Age 3 plus:
The (Ferocious) Chocolate Wolf
Lizzie Finlay
THE traditional tale of a big bad wolf gets a gentle kick in
its big sharp teeth in a heart-melting, chocolate-filled picture book from
award-winning author and illustrator Lizzie Finlay.
The (Ferocious) Chocolate Wolf is clever and beautifully
imagined alternative fairy tale starring a wolf called Ferocious who must
convince the frightened townsfolk that he doesn’t want to eat them… he just
wants THEM to eat his home-made chocolates!
Ferocious is an unusual sort of wolf. He loves chocolates
and dreams of making the finest ones in the land. Now, he’s perfected his craft
and can’t wait to share it with the animals in town. But when he opens his new
chocolate shop, nobody dares to even come near. ‘He surely has a dastardly plan
to eat them all,’ clucks Mrs Chicken. Lonely and outcast, Ferocious’ dreams are
dashed. Then, one brave Piggy bucks the trend and is richly rewarded with
delicious chocolates and a new friendship that turns tables on everyone’s
expectations and prejudices.
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Click HERE for Lancashire Post review
Finlay’s endearing story of love, acceptance and friendship
is brimming with wonderfully vibrant and expressive illustrations,
inspirational messages about rejecting prejudice, and a cast of animal
characters that will delight both children and adults. Three cheers for the wolf in chocolatier’s clothing!
(Five Quills, paperback, £6.99)
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