Wonderful words, rich history and spellbinding magic by various authors – children’s book reviews -

Age 8 plus:

Britannica’s Word of the Day: 366 Utterly Elevating Utterances to Stretch Your Cranium and Tickle Your Humerus

Patrick and Rennee Kelly, Sue Macy, Josy Bloggs, Emily Cox and James Gibbs

Become a word virtuoso, an entrepreneur with pizzazz, or a renowned raconteur… and you’re sure to be an indubitable success!

If there are words that leave you befuddled, here’s your chance to impress your pals and widen your vocabulary… all in the space of one year. Simply turn the pages of this entertaining and beautifully illustrated book which features 366 crackerjack words, all carefully selected by the masterminds at Britannica Books to highlight the best of the English language.

Britannica Books is a reference imprint for young readers, published in an exciting partnership between What on Earth Publishing and Encyclopaedia Britannica, and this imaginative and cleverly conceived book aims to help convert young readers into lifelong word lovers.

Youngsters follow a menagerie of animals as they teach one new word for each day of the year, including a pronunciation guide, definition, sample sentence, and interesting trivia about the word’s usage or etymology.

Each month concludes with an outlandish story (but with an educational purpose) that features all the new words learned. Bursting with fun and fascinating facts, delightful challenges, and surprising words, Britannica’s Word of the Day will turn (young and older) word aficionados into passionate logophiles!

(Britannica Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus:

Lands of Belonging: A History of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain

Donna Amey Bhatt, Vikesh Amey Bhatt and Salini Perera

What does it mean to belong and how important is where you were born, where your parents were born, and where your grandparents were born, to who you are today?

Published to mark the 75th anniversary of the Partition of India in August, and written by Donna and Vikesh Amey Bhatt, who were inspired to write the book for their two young sons to celebrate and explore their diverse heritage, this beautifully produced book, lavishly illustrated by Salini Perera, is a unique exploration of the rich, complicated and entangled history of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Britain.

There are many ways of telling the same story, and how you tell it depends on your point of view. Some stories are so complicated, or difficult to explain, that they are not often told at all. Like the story of how a company ended up running a country, or how one man drawing a line on a map could change the lives of millions of people forever.

Lands of Belonging aims to piece together the interesting, surprising, and sometimes very sad story of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, which were once all one country, and how these now separate countries have shaped one another over the centuries.

From exploring the vast empires and amazing inventions of ancient India, to revealing the challenges faced by South Asian migrants to Britain – or celebrating the amazing culture, innovations, inventions, and achievements of British people of South Asian heritage today – the book shows how the past, present and future of these four countries will always be intertwined.

With consultancy by Rajbir Hazelwood, historian of South Asia and Modern Britain, children learn about the foundation of the East India Company to India’s involvement in supporting Britain during both World Wars, to India’s fight for independence and the British government’s decision to Partition the country, resulting in the largest migration of people in history.

From exploring India’s past and its empires and religions, through British rule and on to independence, this stunning, gold-foiled book is ideal as a gift, for school libraries, or to simply read, learn and enjoy at home.

(Nosy Crow, hardback, £14.99)

Age 9 plus:

Spellstoppers

Cat Gray

There’s a new kid on the block this summer… and he’s giving Harry Potter a run for his money! Escape into the fun and magic of a sparkling summertime adventure from Irish-born author Cat Gray whose writing is inspired by the magical moments of her own childhood. And in this atmospheric and thrilling tale, which blends much-loved classic tropes with a cast firmly rooted in a contemporary world, we travel to Yowling, a secretive seaside village where magic is just one step away and meet Max who has spent years thinking he is cursed because whenever he touches anything electrical it explodes. But then he is sent to Yowling and discovers he is a Spellstopper, someone with the rare ability to drain dangerous build-ups of magic and fix misbehaving enchanted items. When Max’s Grandad is kidnapped by the cruel Keeper of the malfunctioning magical castle that floats in the bay, only Max’s gift can save him. Together with his new friend Kit, Max throws himself into an adventure filled with villainous owls, psychic ice cream and man-eating goldfish. But can he really pull off the biggest spellstop ever? Written with all the fantasy and wonder that seduces young readers, Gray’s fast-paced, all-action, twisting and turning adventure is brimming with spells, sorcerers and selkies, and characters that children will take to their hearts. Explosive magic for all middle-graders!

(Usborne Publishing, paperback, £7.99)

Age 8 plus:

Hetty and the Battle of the Books

Anna James and Jez Tuya

Friendship, libraries and books, books, books come under the spotlight in author Anna James and illustrator Jez Tuya’s glorious love letter to libraries. Hetty and the Battle of the Books – which features a charming and heartfelt story about the trials and tribulations of a school friendship group and their fight to save the school library from closure – comes from a writer who believes passionately in the importance of school libraries. The library is Hetty’s very favourite place in school and, since falling out with her best friends Ali, Mei and Rocket, she has been spending even more time there. So she is absolutely horrified when she learns that her head teacher is planning to close it down, claiming there aren’t enough funds to keep the library going. There is no way Hetty’s going to sit back and let this happen. But can she repair her broken friendships and build support for her library campaign? Let the Battle of the Books commence! Perfectly pitched to inspire youngsters to learn to love books and libraries, and printed in in Barrington Stoke’s trademark dyslexia-friendly format, this joyful celebration of youthful determination is brought to life by Tuya’s vibrant and characterful illustrations. Booked for success…

(Barrington Stoke, paperback, £6.99)

Age 7 plus:

What About: Science

Bertrand Fichou, Marc Beynié and Pascal Lemaitre

What is the sound barrier, why is the sky blue, why do we yawn and what’s inside a camel’s hump? Curious children love asking questions so here’s the perfect book to give them the answers they want. What About: Science is a fact-filled, full-colour question and answer book that explores the many branches of science – including chemistry, physics, biology and geology – and offers easy-to-understand answers to your youngsters’ questions in a fun, quirky and child-friendly way. Discover if it’s possible to walk on Jupiter, find out the difference between a lightning bolt and a lightning flash, learn what’s inside your brain, and find out why the sea has tides. Authors Bertrand Fichou and Marc Beynié provide readers with 80 pages of educational, science-related facts and Pascal Lemaitre embellishes the learning game with eye-catching, cartoon-style illustrations that entertain readers and help them remember the important facts. Cleverly created to serve as either a family or classroom read-aloud book, and with all the educational content reviewed by a science expert, the science of learning has never been so much fun!

(Twirl Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 7 plus:

Little Badman and the Rise of the Punjabi Zombies

Humza Arshad, Henry White and Aleksei Bitskoff

Get ready for more madcap fun, hilarious mischief and total mayhem with the third, laugh-out-loud Little Badman adventure. Humza Arshad, one of the UK’s most popular British Asian personalities, brilliant comedy writer Henry White, and illustrator extraordinaire Aleksei Bitskoff, have been winning belly laughs all round with these coruscating comic capers starring Humza Khan, aka Little Badman, Eggington’s greatest rapper, and Umer and Wendy, his crazy crew, who have already battled against alien slugs and time travelling robots. But this time, Little Badman might have finally met his match as he starts a new school. He’s already been out rap-battled by the school bully, laughed at by his classmates… oh, and we haven’t even mentioned the ancient magical orb causing havoc and very possibly leading to world destruction. At least Humza has found someone to help with his homework. It’s just a shame this friend isn’t exactly… alive! Expect zombies causing havoc, a world in danger from mass destruction, and a new girl called Aisha as the gang are called on to save the world yet again. Fast-paced comedy, heartwarming friendships and gigglesome antics for all the family to enjoy!

(Puffin, paperback, £7.99)

Age 4 plus:

Sometimes I’m a Baby Bear, Sometimes I’m a Snail: Ways to Say How We Feel

Moira Butterfield and Gwen Millward

‘Today I’m a Bear cub. I want to hug. I wouldn’t mind a cuddly squeeze. I’m Bear cub, so yes, please!’ Developing emotional and social intelligence is a huge part of young children’s development, and parents are often left grappling with how best to discuss feelings of shyness, social anxiety and respect for physical boundaries with their pre-schoolers. So here’s a delightful picture book from author Moira Butterfield and illustrator Gwen Millward that gently and entertainingly explores the different ways to say how we feel. Sometimes a child feels cuddly like a baby bear or playful like a puppy but at other times, they would rather be quiet and alone like a snail, safe in its shell. Which animal do you feel like today? Using Millward’s superbly imagined and illustrated cast of animal characters – with their ultra-expressive faces and mimicry of human behaviour – Butterfield’s funny and child-friendly story gives little ones the tools to understand and express their own emotions, and to be sensitive to the feelings and boundaries of other children who might want their own space too. With input from a child psychologist, some simple tools for little children to deal with everyday situations and express and understand a range of feelings, and a final, helpful spread providing notes on encouraging children to use the animal idea to express their feelings, this is a must-have book for parents, teachers and carers.

(Welbeck Editions, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus:

Lifesize Baby Animals

Sophy Henn

We all see pictures of adorable baby animals… but how big are they really, and how would you measure up against them? Award-winning author and illustrator Sophy Henn takes little ones on an exciting and revealing lifesize adventure in the third book of a fun, creative and educational non-fiction, picture book series which lets youngsters see animals at their actual size, and discover curious facts about their habitats and behaviours. Simply step into this fabulously illustrated, large-format book and see how you measure up against some of the world’s most amazing baby animals. Go eye to eye with a baby blue whale, snuggle up with some red panda cubs, and open the fold-out pages to discover a lifesize baby African elephant! This interactive and original journey into the animal world features lifesize illustrations of some of the smallest and largest baby animals in the world and invites children to think about how they compare with these amazing creatures. With Henn’s playful text, her rich detailed and energetic, colourful illustrations, and a clever introduction to measurement featuring an inventive baby animal size chart, this is the ideal fit for your curious youngsters. And don’t miss the other books in the series… Lifesize and Lifesize Dinosaurs.

(Farshore, paperback, £8.99)

Age 3 plus:

Where Has All The Cake Gone?

Andrew Sanders and Aysha Awwad

Will a mischievous little boy be pulled up short when he tells his dad a tall tale, or could his fabulous fable really be true? This irresistibly delicious story featuring the mystery of a missing cake and a houseful of hungry penguins will have little ones giggling all the way to a snow-covered mountaintop. Where Has All the Cake Gone? is the first picture book from exciting new team, author Andrew Sanders and illustrator Aysha Awwad, who tease and please us from first page to last. ‘I did not eat the cake!’ A cake has gone missing from the kitchen and Dad wants to know where it has gone. But Albert says it wasn’t him. Oh, no. It was eaten by some very naughty penguins who then kidnapped Albert and took him on a madcap adventure involving international travel in a giant jar of marmalade and a snowball fight with kangaroos. Albert’s dad is not impressed but Albert swears he’s telling the truth. He did not eat the cake! Could his story really be true? Parents will smile when they recognise the familiar scenario of a child telling a truly outlandish story to get themselves out of trouble, while little readers will love deciding whether Albert’s story really is true. With Sanders’ fresh, warm and witty voice seducing his readers, and Awwad’s bright, bold and energetic artwork winning everyone’s hearts, this is the perfect tall tale for your own little mischief-makers!

(Macmillan Children’s Books, hardback, £12.99)

Age 3 plus:

The Worry Tiger

Alexandra Page and Stef Murphy

We all have worries… but how do you help a young child to cope with these natural anxieties? Author Alexandra Page and illustrator Stef Murphy, the talented duo behind the outstanding picture book, The Fire Fox, turn their talents to another moving and atmospheric tale which offers little ones soothing, mindful messages to calm their youthful fears. It’s show-and-tell tomorrow and Rory can’t sleep because he is anxious… he doesn’t have anything special to share with the class. But everything changes when Rory meets his very own worry tiger. ‘Try this,’ says the tiger. ‘See how quiet you can be. Tiptoe like a tiger and tell me what you see.’ Soon he is breathing deep to smell the jungle scents, stretching to join the monkeys high up in the trees and listening carefully to the creatures all around. And not only does he sleep soundly… he finally has a picture and a story to share with the class. Exquisitely illustrated by Murphy and with Page’s gentle, calming rhyme, The Worry Tiger has a gorgeous gold-foiled cover, includes a set of fun and easy mindfulness exercises at the back of the book, and will help children to relax and speak about what might be feeding their anxiety. Picture perfect and a joy to read aloud.

(Two Hoots, hardback, £12.99)

Age 2 plus:

Amazing Animal Tales: Little Tiger and Amazing Animal Tales: Baby Koala

Anne Rooney and Carolina Rabei

Have fun on a wildlife adventure… and learn fascinating facts along the way! The ever-inventive book boffins at Oxford University Press have worked their magic on an exciting and innovative new picture book series which delivers incredible baby animal survival stories and optional flaps which open to reveal amazing facts. And hot from the jungle is Little Tiger who loves to play, pounce and explore with his family… but sometimes his adventures can get him into a spot of trouble! The heartwarming story about an animal family living in the wild has big flaps to open and tiger facts to discover but can also be enjoyed with the flaps closed. Little ones will love lifting the big flaps where they can find out if they are taller than a tiger’s tail, and there’s a line of marching ants to spot on every page. And in Amazing Animal Tales: Baby Koala, we meet a little koala who likes to stay close to Mum as the pair snuggle up together, safe in the top of a eucalyptus tree. But one day, when danger threatens, Baby Koala must be brave and bold. Little ones will love meeting the koala and her family, and there’s the fun of measuring their finger against a tiny newborn koala and spotting a feathertail glider (or pygmy gliding possum) on every page. Fun, facts and furry delights!

(Oxford University Press, paperback, £7.99 each)

Age 2 plus:

Cars Cars Cars!

Donna David and Nina Pirhonen

Buckle up your seatbelt, and say ready, steady, go! Youngsters will love the thrill ride as they follow fifty colourful cars along the road, up, down, around and back again on a busy rhyming adventure. Cars Cars Cars! is the second book in a super, interactive picture book series that began with Trains Trains Trains! and is now speeding down the track with little readers at the wheel. Fast cars, slow cars, ready steady go cars… which do you like best and can you find your favourite? Car-mad pre-schoolers can enjoy spotting and counting fun all the way with this bright, joyful and informative picture book from author Donna David and illustrator Nina Pirhonen. There are different cars to follow and count on every page, and take your foot off the brake for an exciting fold-out race at the end. These pre-school picture books have been specially developed to encourage pre-reading skills and expand language and vocabulary. And with a Did You Spot? challenge at the end of the book, reading tips for parents and carers, a super-shiny foil cover, David’s fun, read-aloud text, and Pirhonen’s busy, colourful illustrations, Cars Cars Cars! is the perfect ticket to ride for your toddlers!

(Macmillan Children’s Books, paperback, £6.99)