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In a nutshell: another inventive, clever and hugely appealing story There’s great excitement in the Smith-Pickle household when an old egg given to Eddie by Uncle Morton suddenly appears to be hatching. It’s clearly something very special and the cute little feathery creature that emerges has a strange effect on dragons: they seem to be both drawn to it, and terrified of it. With seven dragons in the garden, sporadically trying to attack the little fledgling in the house, no wonder Eddie’s Mum is cross. As ever the story is recounted through Eddie’s emails to Uncle Morton and it makes for fast, funny and highly entertaining reading. This is book nine in a consistently excellent series. ~ Andrea Reece
Bestselling author Julia Donaldson and illustrator Lydia Monks have teamed up for another brilliant picture book. Right in the farmyard among all the noisy animals with their MOOs! and QUACKS! and BAAs! and OINKs! lives a tiny silent ladybird. This beautiful glittery creature (little fingers will love to feel her sparkly shape) is so quiet that she hears two crafty robbers plotting to raid the farmyard. And she comes up with a very clever plan to stop them, helped by the very noisy animals all around her. A wonderful adventure with gorgeous stylised illustrations. ~ Julia Eccleshare Can you find all the words in this special What the Ladybird Heard Picture Wordsearch?
In a nutshell: brave, loyal, upstanding rabbit hero versus despicable rats Fans of rabbit hero Shylo Tawny-Tail will be delighted to hear that he is back for another exciting adventure. Shylo and the other Royal Rabbits of London are pledged to protect the queen and operate from secret headquarters under Buckingham Palace itself. Their arch enemies are the rat Ratzis, unscrupulous vermin not above using the internet to spread their web of evil. The forthcoming visit of POTUS provides the Ratzis with the opportunity to cause chaos, can Shylo stop them? This second adventure is faster-paced and more action-packed than the first, full of exciting moments though there’s plenty of room for humour and lovely character descriptions too. It’s great fun and there’s a proper emphasis on doing the right thing and discovering your own reserves of courage too. ~ Andrea Reece
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2018 This chunky book imitates a bird house in shape and makes a great format for an attractive lift- the- flap information book about the different habitats of birds. These include duck houses which float on lakes and ponds for ducks, dovecotes set up high on walls to keep the pigeons and doves who use them safe from predators, and owl boxes so owls can sleep safely. There is also information about feeding birds and providing them with water. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for March 2018 The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue King Coo by Adam Stower Splish, Splash, Ducky! by Lucy Cousins We Are Not Frogs! (Little Gems) by Michael Morpurgo The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear by Margrete Lamond Song of the Dolphin Boy by Elizabeth Laird What Do People Do All Day? (50th anniversary edition) by Richard Scarry Bird House by Libby Walden Bug Hotel by Libby Walden Alone Together by Clayton Junior The Lost Penguin by Claire Freedman
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2018 Take a new look at some of the most common insects and mini-beasts around us in this fun to use information book about the habitats of beetles, bees, spiders, butterflies and more. Lift the flaps to find the out more about these insects’ homes and how they live. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for March 2018 The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue King Coo by Adam Stower Splish, Splash, Ducky! by Lucy Cousins We Are Not Frogs! (Little Gems) by Michael Morpurgo The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear by Margrete Lamond Song of the Dolphin Boy by Elizabeth Laird What Do People Do All Day? (50th anniversary edition) by Richard Scarry Bird House by Libby Walden Bug Hotel by Libby Walden Alone Together by Clayton Junior The Lost Penguin by Claire Freedman
March 2018 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2018 A watery celebration for a little duckling who loves the rain! Lucy Cousins’ bold and brightly coloured illustrations bring out all the fun that a duckling has with his friends including a frog, a swan, a wriggly worm and a couple of slugs. The noisy Quack! quack! quack! of his refrain will delighted all young listeners. ~ Julia Eccleshare Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for March 2018 The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue King Coo by Adam Stower Splish, Splash, Ducky! by Lucy Cousins We Are Not Frogs! (Little Gems) by Michael Morpurgo The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear by Margrete Lamond Song of the Dolphin Boy by Elizabeth Laird What Do People Do All Day? (50th anniversary edition) by Richard Scarry Bird House by Libby Walden Bug Hotel by Libby Walden Alone Together by Clayton Junior The Lost Penguin by Claire Freedman
A special centenary edition of Beatrix Potter's charming tale of Johnny Town-mouse.
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month March 2018 | A book to treasure for itself – it’s hardback and printed on high quality paper and has an orange ribbon book mark to hold your place in the story – and for the strongly beating heart of the story which captures the unmistakable value of friendship. Pleasingly adapted from a traditional trickster tale it tells of the deep friendship between the kindly but slow-thinking bear and the mercurial and tricky fox. When the fox plays one trick too many on the old bear the friendship is undone. Bear realises that he has been a fool to trust his friend. And yet… While Rooster and Hare try to persuade him that they will make better friends, Bear recalls all the bad things about his old partner and, in doing so, realises just how much he wants Fox back by his side. Divided into 5 short stories it is perfect for reading aloud as the story unfolds beautifully but also for reading alone paying particular attention to the charming illustrations. Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month for March 2018 The Lotterys Plus One by Emma Donoghue King Coo by Adam Stower Splish, Splash, Ducky! by Lucy Cousins We Are Not Frogs! (Little Gems) by Michael Morpurgo The Sorry Tale of Fox and Bear by Margrete Lamond Song of the Dolphin Boy by Elizabeth Laird What Do People Do All Day? (50th anniversary edition) by Richard Scarry Bird House by Libby Walden Bug Hotel by Libby Walden Alone Together by Clayton Junior The Lost Penguin by Claire Freedman
Colourful, appealing and packed with information, this lovely book will make any family trip to the park, countryside or seaside even more enjoyable. It’s full of facts about the birds you could see, from robins and blackbirds, to skylarks and kingfishers, as well as tips on how to spot them, what to look for, and general bird-watching behaviour. There are stickers to add to record birds spotted, and lots of extra activities to do when you are back at home, from craft projects and board games, to recipes, and you can even learn to play a simple bird-song on the recorder. ~ Andrea Reece
Floppit the boingy bunny will win the hearts of young readers, who will identify completely with his boundless energy; they’ll laugh too at the exasperation and weariness shown by the various grown up animals he disturbs with his bouncing. Poor Cow is teaching her babies to walk for example, and Chicken is guarding her eggs. But when one of the eggs rolls away, only Floppit is speedy enough to catch it. It’s a lively, thoroughly enjoyable story made extra special by Anna Chernyshova’s illustrations which are full of detail, texture and humour – the expression on the little calf’s face alone is worth the cover price, while Floppit is a fluffy rabbit whirlwind. Exellent farmyard fun. ~ Andrea Reece
Fennel and Twiglet are best friends. They do everything together, from curling up in their basket to playing fetch in the park. Twiglet understands Fennel like no one else, especially her life-long dream of winning Crufts. There's just one problem: Fennel isn't a dog. And a girl can't win a competition for dogs, no matter how much she acts like one. Can she?
In a nutshell: magical lands and a dangerous quest make for a classic fantasy adventure Claire wasn’t pleased to inherit the huge old house and its myriad contents owned by her great-aunt Diana, who mysteriously disappeared on a treasure-hunting trip. It’s a strange old place full of hidden rooms. Far from their friends, Claire and her big sister Sophie explore the house, until something magical happens: Sophie finds a ladder in a chimney and climbs up and into another world. When she disappears, Claire must find and rescue her sister. Arden, the world at the top of the chimney, is a strange and sometimes frightening place and Claire must find real reserves of courage. It’s a classic and well-constructed quest story, and readers can watch their hero grow as the story unfolds. ~ Andrea Reece Skilful world-building and plotting make this a good book to recommend to fans of Holly Black.
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