Discover the new kids' books our booksellers are excited about this month!
Picture Books
Once I was a Giant
Zeno Sworder
This stunning book is an ode to trees and their relationship with humans, written from the perspective of a tree itself. The story begins immediately in the front endpapers with a picture-book maker who can’t think of an idea. That is, until his pencil starts talking to him! The pencil tells the story of its life as a tree living in the forest. The tree is befriended by a wanderer – a forest sprite – who tells stories of his adventures in the world. When the machines come, the wanderer gives the tree and the forest creatures advance warning.
With incredible drawings and a graphic style illustrating the natural world in all its glory, this powerful story reminds us of humanity’s connection to nature. Portraying the life of a tree from a little seed through to a giant forest elder, Once I was a Giant explores the theme of the cyclical nature of all life, with examples such as eggs in a nest hatching into hungry chicks. By the award-winning author of My Strange Shrinking Parents, this picture book is truly a work of art to pore over again and again, each time discovering new wonders. You’ll never look at a pencil in the same way again! For ages 5+.
Reviewed by Angela Crocombe.
Dawn
Marc Martin
Contrary to its name, Dawn is the book you’ll reach for at bedtime, with an engaging, rhythmic pace that will soothe even the most restless. From the first peek of a watercolour sunrise, go on a gently rhyming journey through nature as sunlight illuminates the morning routines of the forest-dwelling animal kingdom. With precise language, Marc Martin’s stunning watercolour illustrations come alive with vibrant motion, from the animation-style blossoming of flowers or the balletic leap of a frog to breathtaking full-page natural vistas.
Teaching little ones about bugs, birds, fish and other forest creatures, Dawn is also a wonderful early reading title, with a maximum of four words per page and some great opportunities for vocabulary extension. So here’s to your new favourite book, which will ensure the little ones won’t be awake ’til dawn, but will instead be lulled into peaceful dreams, and be keen to explore nature in the morning. For ages 3+.
Reviewed by Tamuz Ellazam.
Oh Dear, Look What I Got!
Michael Rosen, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
From the instantly recognisable duo who gave us We’re Going on a Bear Hunt comes a brand-new delight. When you go to the shop to buy a carrot, the last thing you want instead is a parrot. When you buy a coat, did you really want a goat? No, you did not! What about when you ask for a cake, and they give you a snake?!
Reminiscent of other classics such as Don’t Forget the Bacon and Dear Zoo, this is one that will be read over and over and over again for many years to come. Just look at that cover, and already you know it will be everyone’s favourite book – the one most requested at bedtime, the one that needs to be started over again as soon as you get to the end, and the one on everyone’s Christmas list this year. For ages 2+.
Reviewed by Kate McIntosh.
Middle Grade
Childish
Morris Gleitzman
At first there was just a pothole. Then there was a crashed bike and a pothole filled with delicious dumplings. Then there was a broken leg, a whole bunch more potholes, scary meetings with angry, grumpy managers, even more dumplings, and maybe even some change for the better. But it all started with a pothole, and with Dot who got hurt by it, and with Arkie who decided to help do something about it.
I think Morris Gleitzman might have made a mistake naming his new book Childish because this story is anything but! Sure, it does make municipal bureaucracy exciting, it is full to the brim with mouth-watering descriptions of food (you can’t eat the pages, I tried), it is about two funny and endearing kids you’ll immediately want to cheer on, and it does have a great message about bravery and persistence, but childish? I’m not so sure, Mr Gleitzman. Perfect for ages 8+.
Reviewed by Joe Murray.
The Poisoned King (Impossible Creatures, Book 2)
Katherine Rundell
All of Katherine Rundell’s books for young readers are excellent, but she is doing something truly special with Impossible Creatures. The Poisoned King is the second book in what is set to be a five-part series.
In Book 2, Christopher returns to the Archipelago, a hidden place of islands filled with creatures drawn from mythology. The dragons are dying for unknown reasons, and a princess needs help after the suspicious poisoning of her grandfather and threats to her life.
The Poisoned King addresses the hoarding of wealth as a malignant pursuit and extinction is the big theme of the series. Rundell understands that the natural world is at risk, and so too is our great history of ideas and knowledge. The action is immediate, and intrigue stabs each page. Rundell pays great attention to the senses and writes fantasy that feels close enough to taste. With magnificent sophistication she has again packed so much into a slim, graspable book.
I recently read Super-Infinite, Rundell’s Baille-Gifford Prize-winning biography of John Donne. I found in her enthusiasm for the poet a perfect description of something I understood while reading Impossible Creatures and The Poisoned King: ‘He remained steadfast in his belief that we humans are at once a catastrophe and a miracle’. For ages 9+.
Reviewed by Kim Gruschow.
Kids Graphic Narrative
When the Mountain Wakes
Matt Shanks
When the Mountain Wakes by Matt Shanks offers a blend of picture book and graphic novel. Almost like a wordless picture book, the story follows a mountain who has been asleep for many years, only to wake to the sound of silence. The mountain ventures out to find a song to lull it back to a peaceful slumber. After stumbling across a plant, the mountain finds the song it was looking for, returning it to sleep.
The book’s comic form allows it to tell a story that spans a great expanse of time, making for a reflective and calming story. The illustrations, with a muted colour scheme and simplistic yet evocative style, add to the calming message. This picture book explores the popular theme of nature and rewilding the environment as a way to offer hope and healing. For ages 6+.
Reviewed by Lili Reus-Smit.
Kids Classic of the Month
Tashi (30th anniversary edition)
Anna Fienberg & Barbara Fienberg, illustrated by Kim Gamble.
Growing up, Tashi was an absolute favourite, not only for my sister and me, but also for our parents. We even named our dog Tashi! What a joy it was to return to the world of Tashi for his 30th birthday. And I’m happy to say I was just as enthralled by the adventures of Tashi as I was as a child.
Jack has made a new friend at school named Tashi, an elfin boy who’s come from a land far away. Tashi tells Jack the most incredible stories of his adventures back home: how he was sold to a warlord and escaped on the back of a giant swan; how he tricked the very last dragon; and how he escaped a burning home and saved an orchard from thieves. Although Tashi’s stories are often dark and a little scary, there are also many humorous moments. In Tashi, good always triumphs over evil. Tashi is about being courageous and standing up against injustice, but it’s also about friendship, love and opening yourself up to people who are different from you.
Including the original Tashi story and two bonus short stories, alongside Kim Gamble’s gorgeous illustrations, this hardcover edition of an enchanting classic is a beautiful keepsake to pass down through generations. For ages 6+.
Reviewed by Lucie Dess.
