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< Back Anna Finch Mellie the Mermaid: Is NOT Scared of ANYTHING Is there anything that will scare Mellie the Mermaid? Mellie the Mermaid is not scared of anything. Not little fish that bite and snap. Or giant clams that clap and trap. Mellie’s mum and dad warn her of the dangers in the sea, the creatures that might sting and bite, or strike and burn. They ask her to be careful when she is on her own exploring the ocean. Mellie is not deterred and ventures out into the deep, deep blue ocean to explore an old shipwreck. She meets a snappy, clappy clam, a bright blue octopus, a whale, a seal, an eel, and a turtle. No, Mellie is still not scared. But as she dives into the shipwreck, she meets a big, toothy shark. Mellie flees as fast as she can and does not stop swish, swish, swishing until she gets all the way home. Mellie realises maybe there are some things she is scared of after all! Mellie the Mermaid is a beautifully illustrated picture book by author Anna Finch about a confident, courageous and adventurous little mermaid who fears nothing. This is a charming and amusing picture book for younger children, featuring magnificent mermaids in glorious underwater scenes. Mellie is a cute and adorable mermaid character, who will delight younger readers. The book is funny and entertaining, but it also teaches children the importance of personal safety. The illustrations by Wathmi de Zoysa are magnificent. I particularly liked the characterisation of the mermaids and the sea creatures, and the underwater colour palette with hues of blue and purple. This is a great book for pre-schoolers and was a joy to read. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A charming and amusing picture book for younger children, featuring magnificent mermaids in glorious underwater scenes. Purchase here

< Back Charlene McIver Off to School in my Wheelie Chair Leigh’s fun journey to school in his super wheelie chair. Leigh is off to school in his super wheelie chair. With his four wheels, he zooms down the path, being careful not to ride over any bumps or cracks in the path. He splashes through puddles and tests his strength by spinning his wheels to the top of a hill, before cruising down the other side to reach his school. He scoots through the school gate and up the ramp, before arriving safely in his class. Leigh meets his friends, and settles down in class, where he is ready, willing, and ABLE to learn. Off to School in my Wheelie Chair is an illustrated picture book by author Charlene McIver, about Leigh and his adventures in his super wheelie chair. The book follows Leigh’s journey to school one day, as he splashes through puddles, avoids obstacles, climes a strenuous hill and freewheels down the other side in his wheelchair. The book is a positive story about a little boy who doesn’t let his wheelchair get in the way of his life or his learning. His journey to school in his wheelchair is a fun, enjoyable experience, albeit sometimes challenging. He is happy, confident, and included at school, he understands his strengths and he is ready, willing, and ABLE to learn. Leigh’s wheelchair is not a hinderance, but used as a tool to maintain independence. The book will help children who might be in a wheelchair, prepare for their first day at school. It will help other children understand other peoples’ differences and abilities. Beautifully written in rhyme, with charming illustrations by Winendra Adi, the book delivers an important message of acceptance, inclusion, and friendship. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A delightful picture book about a remarkable young boy with a super wheelie chair and an infectious sense of fun and adventure. Purchase here

< Back Ruthie Godfrey Grandpa's Lessons on Fishing and Life Lessons for fishing and lessons for life, by author Ruthie Godfrey Author Ruthie Godfrey describes her love of fishing in this wonderful picture book for younger readers. With thirteen key lessons for any budding fishing enthusiast, which include: planning and preparation, listening and learning from your teacher or guide, using the right tools, prioritising safety, keeping going when things get tough, staying patient, changing tactics if needed, not reacting too quickly, taking chances when you can, only keeping what you need, capturing memories, looking after equipment, and sharing wealth. These lessons will not only help youngsters preparing for a fishing expedition, but they will also help them prepare for other activities, or challenges they might experience in other areas of life. This is a wonderful picture book for younger children by author Ruthie Godfrey, which captures the joy of fishing in a simple, fun, and engaging way for young readers. Educational and entertaining, sweet and funny, this book was a joy to read. The watercolour style illustrations by Pable D’Alio are charming and funny. The special relationship between a boy and his grandfather, and the precious time they spend together fishing, is captured beautifully. This book will appeal to readers who enjoy fishing, and other outdoor adventures. It might also encourage those who have never tried fishing to give it a go. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A wonderful picture book about fishing and life, which is educational and entertaining, sweet and funny. A joy to read! Purchase here

< Back Joanne Russo Insull Sarah and the Crows Clean Up Sarah has a rather unusual and rather special friendship with a murder of crows. Sounds scary doesn’t it, but actually crows are beautiful, friendly birds with an incredible talent. Every day, Sarah feeds the crows peanuts and provides fresh water for them to drink. The crows recognise Sarah, and they show their appreciation by offering her all types of weird and wonderful gifts. A feather, a tiny piece of tin foil, bottle caps and even a chicken bone! Sarah has an idea. If a tiny crow can pick up small pieces of trash, then collectively, humans and crows could make an enormous difference to the environment. So Sarah brings her friends together to help the crows clean up the park and recycle the trash. Sarah is given a Good Citizenship Award from the Mayor and the crows are rewarded with a big box of peanuts. The book provides extraordinary insights into the behaviours of crows, and how humans can learn from their ingenious ways of collecting trash. Inspired by real life stories of crows that have been trained to pick up trash, the author presents a novel way to clean up the environment. The book will inspire children to take care of wildlife and the environment. With supporting notes and additional resources for teachers and parents, the book will prompt further discussions about wildlife, the environmental impacts of waste and the importance of recycling. Beautiful, soft pastel illustrations by Kelly Artieri. Star Rating: 5 Stars Summary ‘This book will change your perspective on crows forever. A superb, entertaining, and educational read for adults and children alike.’ A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ Purchase here

< Back Once Upon a Dance Franie's Wish: A Wander in the Wonder Another fabulous adventure in the Once Upon a Dance series Frankie’s Wish: A Wander in the Wonder, tells the story of Frankie, who lives on the magical island of Anorac. There is a legend on the island, that a magic blue feather would grant a birthday wish to the lucky person who finds it. On the day of Frankie’s special birthday, Frankie sets out on a quest to find the magic feather. Frankie’s wish is to become a famous dancer, and hopes to find the feather to make the wish come true. Frankie catches a ferry and arrives at a mysterious forest. With a little help from a number of forest friends, an eagle, a T-Rex, and a gorilla, Frankie must solve the clues hidden throughout the forest to find the magic blue feather. The final task is to ‘dance your journey’ and Frankie decides to dance the day from the beginning, from entering the forest, to meeting the forest creatures. Frankie reflects on the forest journey and realises that what is most important in life is friendship, family, and adventure. Will Frankie find the magic blue feather? And what will he wish for? Frankie's Wish: A Wander in the Wonder is a children’s picture book in the Once Upon a Dance series. Once Upon a Dance, is a unique and creative concept with Ballerina Konora narrating the story through movement and dance. Frankie is a gender neutral and relatable character, who will appeal to young children who love adventure and fantasy stories. Frankie learns important life lessons throughout the journey, which will encourage self-belief and confidence in young children. The digital illustrations are bold, bright, and engaging. Konora provides prompts and ideas for readers to act out the story, and encourages readers to use their own imagination and experiment with new movements. With photographs to accompany each movement, the book encourages active participation in the story through movement and creativity. This book is a great resource for children, parents and carers, and teachers, and will encourage readers to experiment with movement and dance. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A fabulous interactive picture book, which will inspire movement and creativity in young children. Purchase here

< Back Marta Almansa Esteva Nurse Bear Does First Aid Nurse Bear Does First Aid is a sweet story of a cute little bear who cares for, and helps others when they are unwell. Nurse Bear and colleagues, such as Duck the Doctor, Tiger the Radiographer, Monkey the Dietician and Bunny the Physiotherapist care for and treat patients in different situations and healthcare settings. The book describes a range of ailments and medical treatments, tests, and tools, supporting the development of basic first aid language, knowledge, and skills. Children will learn how to recognise some of the signs and symptoms of illness, and how to respond calmly and with empathy (and of course with the help of a grown-up!). There is also space for parents to add the ambulance service number and home contact details, which will help children learn how to contact the emergency services should they ever need to. This book is a great resource for parents, carers, and teachers to start conversations with younger children about healthcare and first aid, whether in preparation for a hospital visit, or when caring for minor ailments at home. The cute, gender-neutral, animal characters are beautifully handmade by Esteva using modelling clay. The characters will appeal to younger aged children and could inspire them to get involved in nursing and healthcare. Star Rating: 5 Stars Summary ‘A sweet picture book, with a set of adorable clay animal characters, helping children learn important and potentially lifesaving first aid skills. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ Purchase here

< Back Amy Landgraf Good Night, Sweet Peas Will Grammy and Grampy Pea ever get their little peas to bed? Five little and mischievous Sweet Peas have fun playing in the garden, swinging from the vines, rolling in the mud, building a fort and digging for bugs. As one excited little pea zooms around the garden, the other peas take chase and try to catch him. But as night falls, Grammy Pea calls time on the fun and the five little Sweet Peas must clean up all the mess they have created. Grampy Pea helps the little peas brush their teeth and Grammy Pea reads a bedtime story. As the peas squeeze into their pod, they drift off to sleep. But as the peas dream sweet dreams, they are suddenly wakened by a rather unpleasant smell! Good Night, Sweet Peas (A Rollie Pollie Pea Book) by debut author Amy Landgraf is a delightful and fun picture book for younger readers, about five cute but very mischievous, little peas. Landgraf has created a fun setting for a picture book series, and unique and adorable little pea characters: Brie, Lee, Tea, Capri and Rollie Pollie. This is a wonderful read-together book, that might encourage little ones to wash up, and settle down for a cosy bedtime story with their loved ones and caregivers. Beautifully written in rhyme, with bright and vibrant cartoon like illustrations, this book will become a bedtime favourite for children and adults alike. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A fun picture book, beautifully written in rhyme, with unique and adorable little pea characters. Purchase here

< Back Todd Angilly and Rachel Goguen The Adventures of Owen and the Anthem Singer Little pug Owen follows his dream, by authors Rachel Goguen and Todd Angilly Owen the Pug is a very happy little pup. He lives in Boston with his mom and loves lots of belly rubs and yummy treats. His favourite game is ice hockey, and he likes to play in goal with his other pup friends. Little Owen has a very big dream. A dream to drop the puck at a big hockey game. So, when Owen gets the opportunity to drop the puck for his favourite team, alongside his friend Todd who will sing the national anthem, he cannot wait! He practices his technique all week, but when the day finally arrives, Todd is nervous. He sees the large crowd of fans and worries he might make a mistake. But, with a little support and encouragement from Todd, Owen finally realises his dream. He drops the puck perfectly, and Todd sings the national anthem perfectly too. The crowd clap and cheer, as the pair join the other hockey fans to watch the game. Owen and Todd, proud of their own achievements, are welcomed and treated like stars by the adoring fans. The Adventures of Owen and the Anthem Singer by Rachel Goguen and Todd Angilly is a sweet and engaging picture book about an adorable little pug with a big dream. Owen is determined and works hard. He practices every day, and with a little help from his friend, finally achieves his dream. There are positive messages in this story about commitment, hard work and friendships. The book shows that hard work pays off, and will inspire young children to follow their own dreams. With bright, cartoon-like, digital illustrations, and an adorable pup character, this book will appeal to those who love dogs and those who enjoy sports, particularly hockey. A wonderful and entertaining read, with positive messages for children and adults alike. Star rating: 5 stars Summary: A sweet and engaging picture book about an adorable little pug with a big dream, with a positive message for children and adults alike. Purchase here

< Back Leah Ingledew Meowl! Max is a dog and Mia is a cat, and they are very good friends. They like each other a lot. But in the city of Up, dogs and cats are not allowed to be friends. They are not allowed to meet, or talk or play. Dogs and cats are just too different to get on, or so they say in the city of Up. So Max and Mia decide to meet in secret, and every day at sunrise and sunset they play and have lots of fun. Until one day, they are caught, and a big wall is built to keep them apart. But Max and Mia are not happy to be separated and they run far away from their families and the city of Up. How will the two young friends cope away from the parents? And who will protect them now, when they are all alone and in the wilderness? This is a sweet and charming picture book, superbly written and illustrated by Ingeldew. It is a story about forbidden love and friendship, and the destructiveness of forced separation. The book is reminiscent of the story of Romeo and Juliet, but for younger children (and with a happier ending!). The more society pushes Max and Mia apart, the more they are driven to stay together. This is a deep and complex story, but told through dog and cat characters it will easily resonate with younger children. It will help children to learn that despite our physical differences, we are all the same, with the same desires to be happy, have fun, and seek friendships and love. It is a timely reminder for us all. Star Rating: 5 Stars Summary ‘A story about forbidden love and friendship between two feline and canine friends. Superbly written and illustrated by Ingeldew. A FINALIST and highly recommended.’ Purchase here

< Back Ashley Wall The Day I Had a Bulldozer Luke and Bobo’s amazing construction adventure. One day, a bulldozer turns up at Luke’s house, with his name on it. Luke and his dog, Bobo, hop into the bulldozer and drive to his friends, Noah’s house. When he arrives, Noah is driving a dump trunk. With their new machines, Luke and Noah build a gigantic hill of dirt and Bobo plays in the muck pile. When their friend Mikey drives by in a steamroller, he flattens everything in his path. Before Mikey can do anymore damage, the boys cruise to the park in their vehicles and meet their friend Emma, who is driving an excavator. The four friends dig a new path to the ice cream shop. Luke cleared the path, Emma filled the dumper, Noah made a huge pile of rubble, and Mikey (after lots of practice) flattened the road to the ice cream shop. When they have finished, the friends enjoyed a well-deserved ice cream from Mr Popsicle’s shop. After a full day of construction adventures, will Luke make it home in time for dinner? The Day I Had a Bulldozer is a fun, illustrated children’s picture book by author Ashley Wall about a young boy who had a fun-filled day with his friends, building a new road in his new bulldozer. The book will help young children learn more about construction, the types of vehicles used in construction, and the types of jobs involved in the construction industry. Many youngsters love to play with toy construction vehicles, and this book will help them understand what they are used for in the real world. The book will help develop knowledge and vocabulary of the construction industry and might inspire younger children to get involved in construction, science, and engineering. I liked the diverse representation of characters in this book, and the charming, colourful illustrations by Vaughan Duck. Luke is a sweet character, and young children will love to follow his adventures with his friends. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A fun picture book about Luke and his dog Bobo, and their fun-filled day of construction adventures. Purchase here

< Back Ariel and Brandon Blackwell The Beat In My Head Brandon finds belonging through beats, by authors Ariel and Brandon Blackwell Brandon loves to hum and tap along to sounds and beats in his head. Wherever he is, whatever he is doing, he can make music out of sound. But when he starts to hum and tap along to the sounds in the classroom, his teacher thinks he is not listening and is distracting the other students. The teacher calls his mom, and his mom worries something might be wrong, as Brandon doesn’t have many friends or talk very much. But Brandon is happy, music makes him feel happy and safe. Brandon’s mom takes him to see a therapist and the therapist thinks he is just a little shy. The therapist encourages Brandon to try sports and get involved in new activities. So, Brandon tries a number of different sports, soccer, karate and golf, but he isn’t a natural athlete and discovers sport isn’t for him. Everything Brandon hears, the thwack of the ball and the smack of a kick, distracts him from the game and creates music in his head. Brandon’s mom doesn’t know what else to do to help, but takes him to a music concert, to let loose and have some fun. While dancing and singing along to the music, Brandon notices a guy with headphones, focused on a console and bobbing along to the music. He learns the guy is a sound engineer, who blends and balances music to make it sound good. Later, Brandon meets the sound engineer, Mr Davis, at his church and becomes fascinated by his work. Mr Davis teaches Brandon how to work the audio console, and Brandon discovers a passion for audio engineering. The Beat in My Head by authors Ariel and Brandon Blackwell is an inspiring picture book about a young boy who struggles to find his place in the world. He is only happy when he is listening to music, and making beats in his head, but his behaviour is seen by others as unusual. Through audio engineering, Brandon is able to express himself through music, and he finally finds a sense of purpose and belonging. The book is based on the true story of how the author, Brandon Blackwell, found his vocation and became a successful audio engineer. It will inspire other young readers to be creative, and to express themselves in any way that makes them feel happy. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A wonderful and inspiring picture book, about a young boy who finds a sense of purpose and belonging through music. Purchase here

< Back Margaret Grote I Like Mud A fun collection of poetry for young readers, and the young at heart. I Like Mud and other poems for the young and young-at-heart is a collection of fourteen poems by author Margaret Grote, Illustrated by Marcia Wheelan Coles. The poems cover a wide range of fun topics, such as ‘I Like the Beach’, ‘The Ice Cream Man’, ‘My Dog’, ‘My Friends’, and ‘I Like Mud’. Each poem is short and succinct (one to two pages), and easy to read. Perfect for younger readers. My favourite is ‘My Friends’, ‘In my room I have many friends, You’ll find them hiding everywhere…. I bet you know who my friends are, They all live here, they are my books.’ The poems have a beautiful lyrical quality and young readers will enjoy reading them out loud with parents or carers. They describe simple childhood pleasures, playing, having fun, and spending time with family, and will spark children’s imagination and creativity. The poems were written by Margaret Grote (1922—2005) and published by her son, David. This is a beautiful collection of poems, and a loving tribute to a talented poet. The collection offers a wonderful variety of poems. There is something for everyone, boys and girls, young and old. The poems are sweet, simple and delightful. Each one was a joy to read. The pastel, whimsical illustrations by Marcia Wheelan Coles are simply stunning. This is an excellent introduction to poetry for children, and I hope it will inspire a love of reading and a love of poetry. Star rating: 5 Stars Summary: A fun collection of poems, by a much loved and talented poet. Purchase here