Some are books I have read. Some are written by authors I have read. Some look new and intriguing and make me want to read them. I hope you will come to your library and look for some of these titles.
Lost and Found
-Oliver Jeffers
Once there was a sad, lonely penguin who appeared at the door of a young boy. The boy decided he must be lost, so he set off to find his home. The boy asked the Lost and Found Office, some birds, and even his rubber duck, but no one knew where he belonged. Then he read that penguins were from the South Pole, and decided to help him get back there. Together they set out across the sea, rowing through bad weather and good, but when they reached the South Pole, the boy discovered that sometimes what you're looking for is right in front of you all along...
With beautiful illustrations and a charming storyline, this poignant and richly enjoyable picture book won both a gold medal in the Nestle Children's Book Prize and a Blue Peter Book Award and has been turned into a BAFTA-winning animation. Illustrated in Jeffers' inimitable style, it is a visual delight, and its themes of loneliness and friendship will resonate with children.
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Little Mouse’s Big Book Of Fears
-Emily Gravett
Little Mouse is scared of most things, from creepy crawlies and loud noises, to getting lost. The pages of this beautiful book gradually reveal his fears, until - on the very last page – we learn that, despite his diminutive stature, he is still capable of scaring someone much bigger than himself.
This is an extraordinary picture book, complete with nibbled pages, novelty elements, flaps, die-cuts and even a fold-out map of the Isle of Fright at the end of the book. A deserving winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal 2008, it uses Gravett's trademark collage technique to brilliant effect. Young children will identify with the charming rodent protagonist, whose story offers a great starting point for conversations about fears and anxieties of all kinds.
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I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato
-Lauren Child
Patient older brother Charlie cleverly tricks his younger sister, Lola - an extremely fussy eater - into eating all her least favourite foods. Carrots are 'orange twiglets from Jupiter', mashed potato is 'cloud fluff', and the tomato-like 'moon-squirters' become her favourite food of all!
This is the first picture book about the brilliant brother and sister duo, Charlie and Lola. A bold and brightly-coloured book illustrated in Lauren Child's distinctive style, incorporating a varied typeface and a characteristic combination of collage techniques, it will be completely irresistible to children and their parents. Great fun to share, this story may even persuade picky eaters to try something new.
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Room On The Broom
-Julia Donaldson
From former Children's Laureate Julia Donaldson and longtime collaborator Axel Scheffler comes this much-loved tale about a witch and her gang of friends.
While flying with her cat on her broomstick, the wind blows a witch's hat from her head. Luckily, a friendly dog rescues it and, as a reward, is invited to travel with them on the broom. Throughout the tale, she encounters a series of other characters who each help the witch to recover various possessions that she loses along the way - but will there be enough room on the broom for them all?
This favourite picture book is a real delight: an ingenious and humorous story with a rhythmical text that is ideal for reading aloud. Axel Scheffler has artistically surpassed himself with the brightly-coloured illustrations, which give convincing and expressive features to all the different characters.
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The Snowman
-Raymond Briggs
James builds a snowman in the garden, then wakes up in the night to find that it has come to life. He shows the Snowman his home, and in return, the Snowman whisks him away on a very special journey.
This beautiful picture book is a Christmas classic. The stunning illustrations beautifully convey the story of a small boy's magical friendship with a snowman. Full of love and imagination, this is an extraordinary and atmospheric tale that the whole family can enjoy.
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Ten Little Fingers Ten Little Toes
-Mem Fox
Babies may be born in different countries, look a little different and have different needs, but one thing that most have in common are ten fingers and ten toes. This is the uniting theme of this perfect first book for sharing. From the swaddled newborn, to children sitting alone, then crawling together, and then standing, the illustrations show babies born all over the world in the country and cities, all with irresistibly chubby fingers and toes.
This book provides a great opportunity for readers to interact with baby whilst reading aloud - and when the tale turns to the baby that is ‘mine, all mine’ and supplies a final, surprise extension to the ‘ten little toes’ rhyme, the opportunity for bonding is made perfect. Accompanied by Helen Oxenbury's lovely illustrations, this is a charming book that is perfect for little ones.
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Heidi Y.