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Find out moreEach week our team of book lovers choose a selection of books they have loved and think deserve an extra shout out. Everyone fights to get theirs on the list. Here are this week’s faves...
Little Dinah the diplodocus is a whizz at everything – you name it, she nails it, from singing to spelling, baking to ballet. She’s a great friend too, always cheering everyone on and providing help with it’s needed. But then Dinah enters a surfing competition and finally discovers something she can’t dino-do. Time for her friends to give her a big dino-cuddle and before you know it, she’s back on the board again showing us all how it’s dino-done, ie. by picking yourself up and having fun. It’s a lesson we all need and dino-delivered with style and lots of colour. Little Dinah is a fun and inspiring companion and this is an entertaining and positive story.
A new book from Greenaway winner Catherine Rayner is always going to be a visual treat and the luminous watercolour and inked images are a delight. As one bear meets another the initial reaction is defensive and even hostile, but Other Bear defuses the situation with calm friendliness and they go on together; each thinking their own thoughts but now moving in the same direction. Grunty Bear is a bit embarrassed by his first negative reaction to them and follows along. Very Big Bear is even more direct: “Go Away” he says and when asked why, says “ Because I don’t know you” Again he is disarmed by calm friendliness and again he follows along and we are told the four of them are beginning to think alike: that it is pleasant to be with other bears. Then they find Stuck Bear up a tree who insists he is fine: “But a Stuck Bear clearly needs help” and they all cooperate to help. So, in a gentle and non-dogmatic fashion, important points are made. There can be a tendency in humans to be wary of difference, but this is a lovely way to demonstrate empathy and will generate lots of discussion and could perhaps help to make a difference to our future generations' attitude toward helping 'stuck bears' all over the world.
June 2022 Debut of the Month | A cheery little chap called Chester Chestnut is our guide through this introduction to mindfulness for children. In his baggy dungarees, he’s an identifiable figure and children will understand his worries: what if he can’t make friends at school, or forgets the words in the school play, or can’t stop thinking about all that could go wrong on an outing. Fortunately, he knows what to do and, by the end of the book, so will readers. The story shows Chester using mindfulness, describing the steps so clearly and simply that even the youngest will understand what to do and why. A final page lists things to remember. If you’re wondering about the title, imagine eating a lemon – a brilliant demonstration of the power of the mind. If you are parent or carer to a worrier, Ruby’s Worry by Tom Percival is recommended too.
June 2022 Debut of the Month | Propa Happy sees pillars of primetime TV, Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, deliver a lively, inclusive guide to emotional health and happiness. Written with guidance from the NSPCC, and in consultation with a child psychology expert, this smartly-designed, visually engaging handbook is packed with jokes, challenges and quizzes, with activities designed to help kids find their way to happiness alongside tonnes of invaluable advice. Lending itself nicely to being used at home and in the classroom, Propa Happy kicks off in exuberant style by inviting readers to “Be PROUD to let others see how AMAZING you are!” before explaining that happiness comes from within, and means something different to us all. The first chapter focuses on the individual, and includes exercises to help readers explore who they are, and what makes them happy The book goes on to explore everything from friendship, the power of kindness, and how to be a good friend, to how to boost your mood. Practical and inspirational, with the authors’ proceeds going to the NSPCC, it’s a terrific toolkit for mindfulness and positive thinking.
Renowned for her empathetic novels Raúf has created an easy to read, or dip into, non-fiction title for children to help them understand how, as individuals, we all can do small things that will make a positive difference in this world. Presented in a chatty, personal, and engaging way that invites the reader in and encourages thinking about personal actions. The introduction and ‘Five Golden Rules’ set the scene for a book that allows for a great deal of personal evaluation as well the option to be the person you uniquely are. The chapters cover many aspects of these topics including the power of kindness and hope; fighting for the things that matter; the importance of friendship; and deflecting negative forces, amongst a wealth of other topics. Each chapter has an example of a famous person who exhibited the skill or trait discussed in the chapter, so it is easier for children to see how their actions might make them more like Malala, or Einstein, or Greta, or Adele or many others. The illustrations – all in greyscale are plentiful, fun, and informative in equal measure. The final chapter is an invitation to reflect – using the legend of Arthur as a stimulus for this – a wonderful conclusion to such a positive, humorous, heartfelt book. I do hope this is bought for lots of schools and libraries as it offers so much in such an accessible way. The many books mentioned along the way are all listed in a reading list at the end – and even includes a viewing list, too! The glossary and the links to charities and resources are all set out over several pages – an inclusion I always welcome in any book that is encouraging thought and action. Buy it – it will be so well used.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month June 2022 | A joyful celebration of the great Roald Dahl’s playful spirit and his belief that childhood with all its marvellousness and mischievousness is a time to relish. Quentin Blake’s fabulous illustrations join Dahl’s encouraging phases into a book that abound with appeal to young and old.
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