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Find out moreDom Conlon is a double Carnegie-nominated poet and author whose work is guided by nature and the stars. He’s written poetry and picture books, fact and fiction – sometimes all in the same book. Nicola Davies said Leap, Hare, Leap! is ‘full of the lushness of summer’. Chris Riddell said This Rock That Rock contained ‘words and pictures that are quite simply out of this world’. Dallas Campbell said Meet Matilda Rocket Builder is ‘a must read for all aspiring rocket scientists’.
Dom hopes to inspire everyone to read and write poetry. Dom is based in Chorley, Lancashire.
‘Lawn-prowler, mist-parter’ wind is small and weak at the beginning of this lyrical, gorgeously illustrated picture book. But, ‘heat-snatcher, pressure-catcher’, it borrows strength from the Earth and with a huff and a puff, grows big and strong, sweeping across the globe, snatching up a seed and helicoptering it far and wide, across oceans and deserts to eventually deposit it in the Amazon soil, ‘like a flag on a newly found moon’. Dom Conlon’s poet-perfect words whirl and fly as light and powerful as the wind, while Anastasia Izlesou’s sumptuous, atmospheric illustrations slide in a page turn from the heat of a sandstorm in Chad to the darkness of an Atlantic storm and the uncontrolled wild beauty of a Florida hurricane. A page of Wind Facts delves into words and ideas that might be unfamiliar, and this is both informative and inspiring.
Bouncing with energy and full of fascinating facts, Meet Matilda Rocket Builder is an ingenious blend of comic character-driven story and in-depth exposition of big scientific subjects. Brilliantly brought to life through Heidi Cannon’s doodle-style illustrations - the perfect partner to Dom Conlon’s smart stream-of-consciousness text - ten-year-old Matilda’s enthusiasm and ambition knows no bounds - she has “BRAINS! And I’m determined to use them.” Sagely, Matilda has observed that “we don’t encourage each other often enough...We’re just not used to saying ‘you can do this’ anymore.” With that at the forefront of her busy mind, Matilda is determined to build a spaceship and make it to the moon. The humour (or should that be poo-mour..?) is spot-on, and always totally relevant. For example, Matilda’s detailed explanation of gravity is reached via a lengthy discussion of the weight of her poo. Other topics covered include air pressure, escape velocities and coding. Though perfect for confirmed science and space buffs, this also comes (especially) recommended for young readers who haven’t yet found that all-important spark to ignite their interest in science - Matilda’s passion is infectious and her way of looking at the likes of physics and astronomy will surely kindle that spark. One thing’s for sure, the world could do with a few more Matildas in it.
Information book and poem both, Swim, Shark, Swim takes readers on a journey through the world’s oceans in the company of a blacktip reef shark. It begins in the waters off western Australia, where the shark, ‘This reef-watcher, jewel-guarder’, is urged to ‘swim, Shark, SWIM!’ to avoid a net. Through a tunnel of bubbles and light he speeds away through his saltwater world, and as readers travel with him, they too are plunged into the different seas, encountering a variety of sharks – tiger sharks, white tips, a tunnel-mouthed basking shark in ‘cathedral-cold waters’, a great white, ‘slicing wolf-eels from forests of kelp/ like the sea’s ancient spear.’ The language is beautiful and the images are too, both capturing all the quiet of the deep oceans and the power of the sharks that glide through them. As they read, children will discover so much about sharks and come to understand why it is so important that we protect them. A page of Shark Facts at the end provides further information for the curious. An inspiring and very special book.
Suitable for all young nature lovers, combining both factual and poetical language children learn both about the dangers hares face and also develop their vocabulary with this new illustrated picture book.
‘Lawn-prowler, mist-parter’ wind is small and weak at the beginning of this lyrical, gorgeously illustrated picture book. But, ‘heat-snatcher, pressure-catcher’, it borrows strength from the Earth and with a huff and a puff, grows big and strong, sweeping across the globe, snatching up a seed and helicoptering it far and wide, across oceans and deserts to eventually deposit it in the Amazon soil, ‘like a flag on a newly found moon’. Dom Conlon’s poet-perfect words whirl and fly as light and powerful as the wind, while Anastasia Izlesou’s sumptuous, atmospheric illustrations slide in a page turn from the heat of a sandstorm in Chad to the darkness of an Atlantic storm and the uncontrolled wild beauty of a Florida hurricane. A page of Wind Facts delves into words and ideas that might be unfamiliar, and this is both informative and inspiring.
Bouncing with energy and full of fascinating facts, Meet Matilda Rocket Builder is an ingenious blend of comic character-driven story and in-depth exposition of big scientific subjects. Brilliantly brought to life through Heidi Cannon’s doodle-style illustrations - the perfect partner to Dom Conlon’s smart stream-of-consciousness text - ten-year-old Matilda’s enthusiasm and ambition knows no bounds - she has “BRAINS! And I’m determined to use them.” Sagely, Matilda has observed that “we don’t encourage each other often enough...We’re just not used to saying ‘you can do this’ anymore.” With that at the forefront of her busy mind, Matilda is determined to build a spaceship and make it to the moon. The humour (or should that be poo-mour..?) is spot-on, and always totally relevant. For example, Matilda’s detailed explanation of gravity is reached via a lengthy discussion of the weight of her poo. Other topics covered include air pressure, escape velocities and coding. Though perfect for confirmed science and space buffs, this also comes (especially) recommended for young readers who haven’t yet found that all-important spark to ignite their interest in science - Matilda’s passion is infectious and her way of looking at the likes of physics and astronomy will surely kindle that spark. One thing’s for sure, the world could do with a few more Matildas in it.
Information book and poem both, Swim, Shark, Swim takes readers on a journey through the world’s oceans in the company of a blacktip reef shark. It begins in the waters off western Australia, where the shark, ‘This reef-watcher, jewel-guarder’, is urged to ‘swim, Shark, SWIM!’ to avoid a net. Through a tunnel of bubbles and light he speeds away through his saltwater world, and as readers travel with him, they too are plunged into the different seas, encountering a variety of sharks – tiger sharks, white tips, a tunnel-mouthed basking shark in ‘cathedral-cold waters’, a great white, ‘slicing wolf-eels from forests of kelp/ like the sea’s ancient spear.’ The language is beautiful and the images are too, both capturing all the quiet of the deep oceans and the power of the sharks that glide through them. As they read, children will discover so much about sharks and come to understand why it is so important that we protect them. A page of Shark Facts at the end provides further information for the curious. An inspiring and very special book.
Suitable for all young nature lovers, combining both factual and poetical language children learn both about the dangers hares face and also develop their vocabulary with this new illustrated picture book.
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