Category Archives: Children Books

“A story to treasure, the remember, to dream of” – Michael Morpurgo

An inspiring story of hope and survival written and illustrated with lyricism, empathy and warmth

Maggie is on holiday with her aunt and uncle. Meanwhile her mum waits for Maggie’s baby brother to come home from hospital. On a walk across the wild Norfolk shoreline, Maggie finds a seal pup stranded on the beach, all alone. She is the sweetest thing Maggie has ever seen. But without her mum, how will the seal survive? Who will rescue her and will she ever be returned to the sea, and find her family again? Expressed through her vivid dreams and thoughtful actions, Maggie longs for the rescue and survival of this dear little seal pup. And, all the while, she hopes with all her heart to be reunited with her own mum and baby brother again.

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The Tall Man and the Small Mouse

 “On a tall hill, in a tall house, lived a tall man and a small mouse…”

He’s a tall man who likes to fix things. She’s a small mouse who likes to find things. Could this be the beginning of a beautiful friendship?

On a tall hill, in a tall house, live a tall man and a small mouse. All day the man does tall things, like untangling swings and rescuing cats from trees. All night the mouse does small things, like finding pins and pens, corks and long-lost forks. The two never see each other until the day the mouse takes a snooze in the man’s long shoes . . . SQUEAK! EEK! Can this duo get along – and maybe even become the perfect mix? A rhythmic, rhyming narration pairs with charming illustrations to celebrate the tall and short of an unlikely friendship – and the surprising benefits of working together.

From Mara Bergman and Birgitta Sif, creator of Oliver and Frances Dean Who Loved to Dance and Dance, comes an enchanting new story of friendship and teamwork; a modern fable of little and large.

“Bergman, who writes poetry as well as picture books, creates a rhythmic, rhyming text that reads aloud beautifully, with satisfying lines such as ‘In the town’s great square / was the town’s big clock, / which would not tick / and would not tock.’ Capturing the sense, the polish, and the wit of the verse, Sif’s digitally colored pencil drawings bring their own elegance and charm to the narrative while adding amusing details for curious viewers to discover. A beguiling picture book for imaginative children.” – Booklist 

“Gentle rhymes and rhythm combine with equally gentle art as the two characters become a working team and then friends. Sweet fun for storytime and bedtime.” – Kirkus Reviews

“A rhythmic, rhyming narration pairs with charming illustrations to celebrate the tall and short of an unlikely friendship — and the surprising benefits of working together.”                    – Goodreads

“There is a moral lesson here, but the book deals with the message so beautifully that you’ll be completely enchanted by it.” – Read-it-Daddy blogspot

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The Twelve Dancing Princesses

A traditional folktale about twelve princesses who defy their father’s rules forbidding them to dance, by finding a magical kingdom where they can let loose – and wear out their shoes!

Ruby/Band 14 books give increasing opportunities for children to develop their skills of inference and deduction.
Text type: A traditional tale

Curriculum links: English: fairy stories, myths and legend.

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Project X Code The Clock Strikes, Purple Book

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Project X CODE Extra introduces more exciting adventure stories and stimulating non-fiction texts into the Project X CODE series. In this adventure in the Wonders of the World zone, Tiger tries to investigate Big Ben but encounters the BITE! In line with the phonic, vocabulary and comprehension progression in Project X CODE, this book is ideal for additional practice outside of the core intervention sessions and for children who simply want to read more of the CODE adventure!

 

 

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Seahorses

Published by Collins Educational. ISBN: 978 0007461912

Find out all about seahorses and their amazing life cycle. With stunning photographs.

• Offers early readers patterned language and varied characters.
• An information book
• Pages 22 and 23 summarise the life cycle of the seahorse.
• Curriculum Links: Citizenship: Animals and us

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Bears, Bears, Everywhere!

Illustrated by Helen Craig, published by Orchard Books. ISBN: 978 1860396632

Bears in boxes, bears wearing sockses,                                                                                                 bears on the ceiling, spinning and reeling,                                                                                           bears up the stairs, bears on chairs…                                                                                                           Bears, bears everywhere!

A little girl’s wish for bears comes true. A rollicking cautionary tale about being careful what you wish for!

“The rhyming tale is complemented beautifully by the detailed illustrations of every sort of bear imaginable. Preschoolers will have fun picking out their favourites.” – Parents News

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Musical Beds

Illustrated by Marjolean Pottie, published by Simon and Schuster. ISBN: 0743 462084

It’s bedtime for Josie, Rosie and little Rick. Dad’s tucked them in, each in their own bed, as snug as snails. But while he is trying to enjoy some quiet time by himself, each child tries to find a better place to sleep… So they go, one by one, on a bedtime dance around the house.

“Bergman’s whimsical descriptions of the tykes snoozing in their beds, “quiet as a carrot,” “cozy as a caterpillar” and “snug as a snail” are bound to elicit giggles. Pottie’s vividly hued illustrations are a vibrant counterpoint to the text. Perfect to share just before toddling off to the right bed.”
– Kirkus Reviews

“Most kids will relate to the fears of the children in the story as well as their shuffling around in beds trying to get comfortable. The appealing artwork keeps the tone of the story upbeat with scenes that are bright and cheerful while still giving the feeling of nighttime. A good selection for sweet dreams at home or for a story hour with a bedtime theme.” – Booklist 

“This charming story is told in simple language and illustrated with big, blocky shapes and colors. Josie, Rosie and Rick and their dad spend the night switching beds when the youngsters wake up scared, cold, lonesome or crowded, respectively. Eventually, they all get sorted out and end up asleep in their rightful places just in time for their mother to come home and give them a kiss. The author and illustrator convey the palpably safe, swaddled-in feeling that comes from (eventually) being snug in one’s own bed. This quaint vignette of family life will spark instant recognition for many children.” – School Library Journal

“It’s hard to say who will see themselves more clearly in this tale of musical beds, the kids who start it or the grownups who end it (echoing the experience of many long-suffering parents, Dad finally picks up each child and tucks each one into his or her very own bed). The plot structure is simple but effective: one child sets off another like a row of toppling dominoes, until the grownups straighten them all up again… The text is straightforward and funny, and the familiar situation will surely draw snickers from past (and future) musical-bed miscreants.” – The Bulletin

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Sylvie’s Seahorse

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Illustrated by Tor Freeman, published by Walker Books. ISBN: 978 1 406301946

Sylvie loves to swim, although she can’t quite do it on her own yet. But when she visits the aquarium and sees the baby seahorses swimming, she is more determined than ever to get it right!

A Walker Story: The perfect first step into fiction. Three short stories to build reading confidence.

The author supports the work of Project Seahorse.

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Nick Mack’s Good Luck

 

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Illustrated by Jill Barton, published by Walker Books. ISBN: 9781 844280919

Nick Mack finds that good luck comes to him in many different ways – but on his birthday, will his biggest wish come true?

A Walker Story: The perfect first step into fiction. Three short stories to build reading confidence.

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Snip Snap, Alligator!

This is the paperback reissue of Snip Snap! (Snip Snap! What’s That?, US)

Illustrated by Nick Maland, published by Hodder Children’s Books. ISBN: 978 1444914894

Winner of the Stockport Children’s Book Award
A Parents’ Choice Silver Award winner (USA)
Awarded the Society of Illustrators’ Silver Medal (USA)

When the alligator came creeping, creeping, creeping up the stairs, were the children scared?     You bet they were!

“Mara Bergman’s thrill ride, Snip Snap! What’s That?, brilliantly captures this primal fear of home invading noisemakers. While Bergman’s rhythmic, vocal text propels the story forward, it is Nick Maland’s illustrations, watercolors on photocopied drawings, that actually provide the book’s suspenseful foundation. Teasing us visually by showing just portions of the alligator’s body – a spiky tail, gigantic jaws, clawed feet – Maland enables us to confront our own menacing reptilian fantasies. In fact, the children’s dramatic reversal neatly coincides with our first look at the entire alligator, head to tail.” – New York Times

“Nick Maland’s clever perspectives make the alligator increasingly alarming as he swells to fill more and more of the page in this well-created story of facing down fear.” – The Guardian

“Using elements of rhythm and rhyme as well as an enjoyably predictable question-and-answer    refrain the text maintains a playful tone beneath the scary details… Expressive line drawings, brightened with watercolour washes, illustrate the story with wit and style… Good fun.”  – Booklist

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