Age 7 plus
Aesop’s Fables
Caroline Lawrence and
Robert Ingpen
WHEN it comes to universal truths about what it is to be human, look no further than the famous Aesop’s Fables, the wise words of a slave man which are as relevant today as they were when he spoke them 600 years before Christ was born. Just as Stone Age cave paintings belong, not to the artist, but to human civilisation, Aesop’s Fables are cherished by each generation and passed on to the next, and this gorgeous new gift edition delivers life lessons on every page. Retold here by million-copy-selling author Caroline Lawrence and with full-colour artwork by Hans Anderson Award-winning artist Robert Ingpen, Aesop’s Fables are the perfect introduction to a bygone world of clever slaves, Greek gods and talking animals... a world which is sure to enchant young readers.
Aesop’s Fables belong – and have meaning – to every one of us. They were once simply the words of a slave called Aesop who was born with physical disabilities and began life as the lowest of the low. But, fortunately for us, his words were written down by a Greek and then a Roman, and they spread, like the armies of Rome, across the known world. The stories were told around heathen campfires and noble hearths, they were whispered in sacred monasteries and churches, lectured in Victorian school rooms and acted out by children at play. Each little fable – often featuring talking animals – is bound up with 2,000 years of wisdom and truth. And from these we know that a mouse is too weak to withstand the strength of a lion, yet too mighty to be bound by ropes. We learn that the violence of the North Wind is no match for the gentle beaming of the unrelenting Sun. We know in our hearts that the sheep must push through life and try to overcome its many dangers, that the wolf will trick and deceive to survive, and that we cannot pretend to understand the logic of the gods if we do not hold ourselves to the same standard.
This sumptuous gift book – part of Ingpen’s beautiful series
of illustrated children’s classics – has a ribbon marker and a helpful glossary
with brief definitions of some of Aesop’s words which come from a world
thousands of years ago. Beautifully produced and lavishly illustrated with Ingpen’s
breathtaking imaginative power and with excerpts from an ancient biography of
Aesop woven into the fables, this is a gift to treasure through the
generations.
(Welbeck Editions, hardback, £20)
Boys Will Be Human
Justin Baldoni
WITH a warning to readers that this might be the most honest book they have ever read, you can be sure that it will pique the interest of any boy struggling to find his place in the world. Puberty is one of the most challenging phases of a boy’s life and nobody knows this better than filmmaker, actor and author Justin Baldoni who reveals he has written the book that he desperately needed when he was at school and facing ‘one of the most confusing and lonely times in a boy’s life'. ‘My hope,’ he says, ‘is that this book can become a trusted friend and resource to any young person trying to navigate what it means to be a boy or understand the complex experience of growing up as a boy in the world today.’ And so the bestselling Boys Will Be Human was created, an invaluable go-to, get-real, gut-check guide to becoming the ‘strongest, kindest, bravest person you can be’ by helping boys aged eleven and over to embrace their feelings and fears instead of repressing them. In a radically honest but child-friendly voice, Baldoni introduces topics like equality, male privilege, body image, sex and consent with both humour and heart.
Have you ever noticed, he asks, that there are unwritten rules that tell boys how to act, think, and feel? Nobody knows where they came from, but one day – bam! – you suddenly feel these invisible forces, pushing you to follow the rules of masculinity, even if they don’t make you happy. But the book, he adds, isn’t about learning the rules of the boys’ club, it’s about unlearning them. It’s a reality check guide book that shows you how to be brave enough to reveal who you really are, clever enough to ask questions, cool enough to feel all your emotions, confident enough to know your worth, strong enough to speak your truth and much more. And Baldoni cautions readers to be prepared because his book is raw and surprising.
There are no lies or subjects off-limits. Sometimes
things might get a little uncomfortable but he explains that that is an
important part of getting to know – and believe in – yourself, reminding
readers that they are not on the journey alone. With highly designed, two-colour pages, filled with
activities, sidebars, and inspirational quotes, this groundbreaking book is an
invaluable self-esteem-building guide and the perfect social and emotional
learning tool for parents and teachers who want to jump-start conversations
about masculinity with boys.
(HarperCollins, hardback, £12.99)
The Sour Grape
Jory John and Pete Oswald
AND enjoy more food for thought as bestselling author and
illustrator team, Jory John and Pete Oswald, serve up a fruity feast of life
lessons in The Sour Grape, the sixth tasty romp in their inventive Food Group picture
book series. Ripe with the duo’s trademark humour, and bursting out all
over with common sense and creativity, this new adventure stars a Sour Grape
who holds a bunch of grudges for every reason under the sun. Lime never
returned a borrowed scarf. Grudge! Orange never called back. Grudge! But when his
friend Lenny holds a grudge against the Sour Grape without listening to an
explanation, the Sour Grape quickly realises how unfair grudges can be. Could a
sprinkling of gratitude and a bunch of forgiveness be enough to turn a sour
grape sweet? This terrific top team can’t put a foot wrong when it comes
to delivering up child-friendly stories with important life messages, all
carefully cooked to perfection inside John’s warm and witty wordplay and
Oswald’s captivating, high-energy artwork. So get ready for giggles galore as youngsters gorge on the
antics of a thin-skinned grape while gaining valuable lessons about compassion,
understanding, and accepting that life is what you make it.
(HarperCollins, paperback, £6.99)
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