Visit a world where threatened wildlife gets a powerful voice, discover your inner superhero in an inspirational sciences activity book, enjoy a riotous performance of Macbeth and meet an adorable princess who loves fixing mix-ups in a springtime selection of children’s books
Yarrow Townsend
AFTER growing up surrounded by nature in its raw beauty, and
currently living on a narrowboat with a garden on the roof, exciting new author
Yarrow Townsend was determined to one day give our threatened wildlife a voice…
and now she has done that literally!
The Map of Leaves is her extraordinary middle-grade debut novel,
a rip-roaring adventure set in a beautifully atmospheric and authentic natural
world where plants talk, friendship is hard won, and danger lies around the
bend of every river.
Click HERE for Lancashire Post reviews
Orla Carson has lived on her own in the marshy, damp-soaked
village of Thorn Creek since her Ma died from a fever that no herbs could ease.
Fiercely independent Orla needs only her beloved plants and garden for company
but when sickness comes and rapidly spreads across the land, nature takes the
blame. Orla knows she must find a cure if she is to save the world and, armed
with her mother’s book of plants and remedies, she steals away on a river boat
with two other stowaways, Idris and Ariana. Soon the trio must navigate the terrifying
rapids of the mighty Inkwater river to a poisonous place from which they may
never return…
Townsend truly pushes the boat out as the daring friends
risk everything to go against the flow – in more ways than one – as they battle
the roaring rapids and find inspiration and courage in the whispering words and
wisdom of the plants and ancient trees. As much a love letter to mankind’s relationship with nature
as a wild, heart-pounding thrill ride, this breathtaking journey through foggy,
plant-tangled wetlands and forgotten places brings botany and science to vivid
and visceral life for a new eco-aware generation. Action and adventure all the way!
(Chicken House, paperback, £7.99)
Age 4 plus
SuperQuesters: The Case of the Stolen Sun
Dr Thomas Bernard, Lisa Moss and Amy Willcox
At heart a young fiction adventure series with a fun educational twist, SuperQuesters blends exciting stories and hands-on activities, expertly designed to develop skills in creative new ways, and includes over 100 reusable stickers in each book. The stars are Lilli and her best friends Leo and Bea, three endlessly curious children with big imaginations. When they unite to solve a challenging science problem, they turn into superheroes Lillicorn, Leo Zoom and Bea Bumble and journey to a world full of magic, adventure and quests. And they want readers to join in the mission and the fun by helping them to track down Lord Grumble and his Snapettes and return the stolen sun to Questland.
Combining brilliant storytelling with interactive hands-on
learning, the book’s stickers feature magical charm rewards and there is also a
reward chart to mark progress and celebrate success, and a glossary and answer
page. Skills covered include coding, sequencing and algorithms and
the book is carefully designed with cross-curricular learning opportunities in
mind, linking with computing, maths and science in the national curriculum. It’s all brought to vivid life through the bright and colourful
illustrations of Amy Willcox, so if you’re a superhero enthusiast and love
learning through play then this is the perfect way to Read, Quest and Learn!
(QuestFriendz, paperback, £7.99)
Writes of Passage: Words To Read Before You Turn 13
Nicolette Jones
WRITER, literary critic and broadcaster Nicolette Jones brings
her own decades of wisdom, knowledge and experience to an inspiring, accessible
and powerful collection of words that cannot but resonate loudly with a new
generation of youngsters. Included in this gorgeous hardback book are over 100
pieces of writing – from poems to prose, letters to lyrics, speeches to songs, plus
quotations, book extracts and lots more. Shakespeare, Stephen Hawking, Greta
Thunberg, Galileo, Malala, Martin Luther King, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Lord
Tennyson are just some of the names whose words of wisdom ring out from the
pages. In turn powerful, funny, moving and thought-provoking, these thoughts on
topics – including happiness and sadness, nature and the world, kindness and
courage, equality and justice – have all been expertly selected with accessible
and thoughtful commentary by Jones who has been children’s book reviewer for
The Sunday Times for more than twenty years. With a stunning neon and
foil-stamped cover, ribbon marker, and beautifully designed pages, Writes of
Passage is the perfect gift to love, keep and treasure.
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £12.99)
The Unmorrow Curse
Jasmine Richards
BE swept away to the thrilling world of myth and magic in an
epic adventure that blends the tropes of Groundhog Day with classic tales of
the Norse gods. The Unmorrow Curse comes from Jasmine Richards, a former
children’s publisher and founder of Storymix, a studio which creates children’s
stories with diverse casts of characters in an organic, joyful and authentic
way, and works with emerging and established writers and illustrators from
minority backgrounds. It’s not every day that you wake to find a famous weather
woman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods… or discover that the
weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the
seven day guardians who keep time in order. But that’s just what happens to new
friends Buzz and Mari… and it’s only the start of their adventure. Now, as
humanity is forced into a lockdown called the Unmorrow Curse, and must repeat
the same Saturday over and over again, Buzz and Mari head off on a dangerous
journey to collect the Runes of Valhalla and awaken the other day guardians…
before vengeful god Loki can get to them first. Fantasy abounds in this
fabulous world of adversity and adventure as the two courageous youngsters face
some fearsome foes and hidden perils. The race is on!
(UCLan Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Hurly Burly: Macbeth Mayhem!
Ross Montgomery and Mark Beech
FAIR is foul and foul is fair in a riotous performance of
Macbeth that would, for once, leave the Bard stuck for words! Award-winning
author Ross Montgomery puts fun and laughter into the famous playwright’s
classic tale of murder and revenge in the third book of his super-inventive Shakespeare
Shake-ups series. Beth has been looking forward to the Prizegiving Assembly all
year. She has won best-behaved pupil two years in a row and is confident that
she will triumph again for a third time. But as preparations continue for the
ceremony, which includes a performance of Macbeth by the drama club, Beth finds
out that she has been pipped at the post by not one but two of her classmates,
leaving her in third place. Beth cannot bear to lose so she channels her inner
Macbeth and will stop at nothing to tarnish the reputation of her competitors.
But as she puts her dastardly plans into action, she realises that villainy
comes at a high price! Perfectly pitched to inspire youngsters to learn to love
Shakespeare and printed in in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly
format, Montgomery’s riotous parody offers a brilliant introduction to Macbeth
while Mark Beech’s action-packed illustrations bring the cast and action to
vibrant life. A laughter-filled show-stealer that will have youngsters giggling
from curtain up to the final encore!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)
Princess Minna: The Enchanted Forest and The Unicorn Mix-Up
Kirsty Applebaum and Sahar Haghgoo
MEET an enchanting little princess who adores fixing mix-ups and mishaps… even if that means travelling to the farthest reaches of her kingdom and getting back in time for tea! There’s nothing like a bright and lively colour fiction series to catch the eye and win the hearts of young readers ready to say goodbye to picture books and discover the joy of chapter books. And children’s author Kirsty Applebaum – whose middle-grade novel The Middler was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize – and Iranian-born illustrator Sahar Haghgoo have the perfect answer with this new full-colour, illustrated chapter book series starring daring and delightful Princess Minna who lives in Castle Tall-Towers with the King and Queen, Raymond the Wizard and her best dragon friend, Lorenzo.
Supernan’s Day Out
Phil Earle and Steve May
SPENDING the day at the seaside with his nan sounded like
the worst news ever for secret caped crusader Stanley (aka Super Stan) so how
did it turn into the best day out… ever! Award-winning author Phil Earle and
his partner in mischief, super-talented illustrator Steve May, zoom in again
with Supernan’s Day Out, a hilarious and heartwarming celebration of family
relationships. Following on from the duo’s colourful and comic Superdad’s Day
Off, this laugh-out-loud adventure is the latest super-readable Little Gem from
innovative publisher Barrington Stoke. Plane crashes, robberies and fires were
not what Stanley was expecting on a day out at the seaside with his nan and the
other residents of her care home. Nan doesn’t know about his superpowers, so
Super Stan can’t step in to help as it would blow his cover. Luckily, though,
another mysterious superhero seems to be on hand, saving the day. But who could
it possibly be? Earle casts the spell of his magical mirth and wicked wit over
an action-packed story which puts the special bond between grandparents and
grandchildren at centre stage. Add on the joy of May’s anarchic illustrations,
a chunky, chapter book format ideal for little hands, and a spot-the-difference
fun hiding inside the jacket, and youngsters are guaranteed slapstick giggles
and guffaws all the way to Blackpool!
(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)
The Boy Who Grew a Tree
Polly Ho-Yen and Sojung Kim-McCarthy
MEET a little boy who reaches dizzy new heights in his fight
to save nature… and his local library. Inspired by her passion for nature and
her love of libraries, author Polly Ho-Yen – critically acclaimed author of The
Boy in the Tower – takes youngsters on a heartwarming journey filled with hope,
community, caring and courage. Nature-loving Timi notices things that pass most
people by… snails on the ground and tiny leaves at the bus stop. He sees nature
everywhere, even in the tiny spaces in the middle of the city. But Timi is
unsettled by the arrival of a new baby sister and turns to tending a tree that
he has grown from a seed which he found between the dusty floorboards while
attending an after-school club at his local library. There is something magical
about the tree and it’s growing fast into a huge tree. Then Timi and his
friends learn that the library is going to be demolished. Can Timi save the
library, which has become his refuge, and his tree, and maybe bring his
community closer together along the way? The power of nature and the joy of
libraries shines through in this enchanting early reader chapter book which is
filled with the emotive, black and white illustrations of artist Sojung
Kim-McCarthy. A gentle yet resonant reminder of the importance of protecting
community libraries and the nature that flourishes in inner-city areas.
(Knights Of, paperback, £5.99)
Eye Spy
Ruth Brown
EYE SPY with my little eye… a book that children will love! Every picture hides a colourful riddle in a cleverly
imagined and beautifully created picture book from inventive author and
illustrator Ruth Brown. A member of the Chelsea Arts Club, Brown employs her
artistic talents, rhyming skills and sense of fun to intrigue, challenge and
entertain youngsters as they study elaborately detailed nature drawings to
discover hidden wildlife. This playful journey through the day, from dawn to
dusk, comes from Scallywag Press which is three years old this year and aims to
publish books featuring distinctive, amusing and quirky art, and the work of
talented newcomers, established authors and illustrators, and classics. The
gentle, rhyming text is set against a gorgeous backdrop of countryside
landscape, and the reader must solve a riddle to guess which animal is hiding,
and then search for it in the wonderfully detailed illustrations. With red
herrings in the artwork to make the objects harder to find, each page turn
confirming the answers, and an endearing bedtime ending to enjoy, Brown’s twist
on the favourite childhood game ensures hours of fun and discovery for all the
family!
(Scallywag Press, hardback, £12.99)
This is NOT a Dinosaur
Barry Timms and Ged Adamson
IS it a sign-osaur, a shine-osaur, a leap-saur, or maybe a
sleep-osaur? Author Barry Timms and illustrator Ged Adamson have lots of
over-sized fun with a dinosaur that’s not always a dinosaur in a picture book
that will have tiny tots wanting their own green and grinning pet! But don’t
run away with the idea that this funny and heartwarming story is about a
dinosaur. Well… it’s not any old dinosaur. This dinosaur can become the most
amazing things… a footballer, pirate, deep-sea diver, knight, magician and even
a hairdresser! Having a dinosaur for a friend is one big adventure as Timms
works his wordplay magic on a story that celebrates the fun of playing and the
joys of friendship while Adamson puts heart and humour into his gallery of
gorgeous illustrations. With a ton weight of appeal for both girls and boys, a
free ‘Stories Aloud’ audio recording when you scan the QR code, and some spooky
houses, prehistoric creatures, silly fish and sparkling teeth to enjoy, this is
destined to be a more-osaur favourite!
(Nosy Crow, hardback, £12.99)
Fantastic Frankie
Jess Rose
A FASHION-CONSCIOUS fox – with an eye for outlandish clothes
– steals the show in this delightful debut picture book from Jess Rose, an
illustrator, author and designer who lives and works in rural Yorkshire. Written
to encourage children to shine their own light and be confident in who they are,
Fantastic Frankie is a fabulous whirl of colour, words and inspirational
messages. Frankie is a fox with plenty of style... fabulous in a rainbow cape, amazing
in pirate boots and ready to take on the world in a gold crown! But not everyone
likes what Frankie wears and the more Frankie tries to change, the more his
(and everyone else’s!) world turns grey and the more unhappy he feels. But what
happens when friends start to miss their old Frankie, can they help him to put
colour back into their lives? Youngsters will love joining Frankie on his
rollercoaster journey where he discovers that staying true to yourself is the
best way to find happiness. Using a palette of colours that moves from grey
uniformity to bright bursts of vivid shades, Rose cleverly conveys the feelings
and messages in the story. Fashion, fun and friendship prove a winning
combination!
(New Frontier Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
Great Big Softie
Kaye Baillie and Shane McG
GET ready for some monstrous trouble – and some monstrous
laughs! – as Aussie author and illustrator duo, Kaye Baillie and Shane McG,
very KINDLY dish up a rip-roaring romp starring a soft-hearted monster. Elliot
the green monster is a great big softie. But to fit in with the other monsters
who like to dribble, trample and burp their way into trouble, he decides to
perform some of his own monstrous deeds. But after scaring a little girl on her
bike, and winning the Monster of the Week Cup, Elliot has to decide whether to
continue being monstrous or follow his kind heart. Baillie tugs at our
heartstrings with this wonderfully soft-centred story which gently explores
themes of wanting to fit in, staying true to yourself, being kind and reaping
the rewards of forgiveness. Shane McG adds his own colour, verve and heart to
the cautionary tale with a gallery of eye-catching, emotive illustrations. A
story to enjoy and the perfect starting point for discussions about integrity,
inclusivity and differences.
(New Frontier Publishing, paperback, £7.99)
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