Helen Docherty (text) & Thomas Docherty (artwork)(Source Books) Nell is finally a pirate! And she has her trusty Pirate’s Almanac to help her sail the seas, even if Captain Gnash doesn’t like books on his ship. But when the journey gets rough and the captain is in trouble, it’s Nell and all her pirate knowledge …
reading
The I Wonder Bookstore
Shinsuke Yoshitake translated from Japanese by Geoffrey Trousselot (Chronicle Books) Today is World Book Day and to celebrate a day which is primarily aimed at encouraging young readers to visit their local bookshops, it seems apt to showcase this zany latest title from Japanese illustrator Shinsuke Yoshitake. Yoshitake has become renown here for his picturebooks …
GUEST POST: Lucy Rowland talks about the Magic of Books
When I first read Little Red Reading Hood by Lucy Rowland and Ben Mantle (Macmillan Children’s Books), I knew that it would be the perfect World Book Day book. Lucy Rowland has created a wonderful fractured version of Little Red Riding Hood, swapping Red’s basket full of goodies for an overdue library book, Grandma for a librarian, …
The Knight Who Wouldn’t Fight
If you know this blog well, you will know my penchant for picturebooks which promote books, shared reading and reading for pleasure; you might even be aware I am writing a MA dissertation about this right now, though I won’t bore you with those details. So, as you can imagine therefore, I loved The Snatchabook (see my review …
PICTUREBOOK CAROUSEL: Books about books
You all know I am a bit partial to picturebooks about books and reading, whether they are metafictive or not, so here is a selection of new titles just in time for World Book Day! The Last Book Before Bedtime Nicola O’Byrne (Nosy Crow) Nicola O’Byrne’s third picturebook for Nosy Crow is another joyous …
FABULOUS FIVE: “Five picturebooks that surprise me” by Rilla Alexander
Bright, bold, colourful and full of contagious energy would be one way of describing Rilla Alexander for Flying Eye books, The Best Book in the World and Her Idea. Both books are beautifully produced, and have that graphic design look and edge which will make them a success both with children and adults alike. While …
A picturebook a week: Construction
Sally Sutton (text) & Brian Lovelock (illustrations) (Walker Books) Full of details and information about construction and what is involved in building with wonderfully detailed artwork and text that demands to be read aloud, this is a great book which will delight lovers of Dig, Dig Digging and as it is slightly more sophisticated will be …
GUEST POST: Ella Burfoot on the inspiration behind Recipe for a Story
I am delighted to welcome Ella Burfoot to Library Mice today. I have long admired her work, since Darkness Slipped In was released, (you can read my review of another of her books, Betty and the Yeti, here) and I have been awaiting her return with anticipation. Her latest book, Recipe for a Story (Macmillan Children’s …
WANTED! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar
Emily Mackenzie (Bloomsbury Children’s Books) Ralfy is a rabbit like no other. While his friends dream of tender lettuce and crunchy carrots, he can only think about books. Books, books, books. He just can’t get enough of them. Unfortunately his obsession is out of control and has led him to turn to crime: he has …
A picturebook a week: If I Were A Book
José Jorge Letria (text) & André Letria (illustrations) Se Eu fosse um Livro, Translated from Portuguese by Isabel Terry (Chronicle Books) Always partial to picturebooks that celebrate the wonders of reading, it is with great delight that I have discovered this little gem.Rather than a narrative, readers are treated to 28 poetic musings beginning with “If …