Where Happiness Lives
Barry Timms & Greg Abbott
(Little Tiger)
Grey Mouse lives in a cosy cottage with his family and he thinks it is the perfect home. Until he comes across White Mouse’s grander abode. White Mouse loves his own house but not as much as he loves Brown Mouse’s mansion. But which is the happiest home? Beautifully produced with flaps, fold-outs and peek-though pages which allow readers to uncover gorgeous house cut-outs and other treasures, this is a truly lovely story about the meaning of ‘home’. It tackles the themes of envy and learning to see through material things to appreciate what we have from with real subtlety and kindness of heart. The gentle rhyming text is paired perfectly with the artwork and both come together to create a reassuring tale of home with a deeper philosophical significance.
Lifesize
Sophy Henn
(Red Shed, an imprint by Egmont)
It seems like such a simple concept, drawing animals or animal parts to scale, from centipede to giraffe. Yet , in reality it must have been incredibly difficult to accomplish, nevertheless Sophy Henn’s first information book is a real tour de force and a glorious example of how books can still beat augmented reality type apps when it comes to bringing things to life. A larger than normal, square format gives Henn the space needed to showcase larger species (a huge polar bear’s paw) while also allowing plenty of space to give scale for smaller creatures (a minute pea crab). The vibrant colour schemes really help bring the animals and their habitats to life. It is gloriously executed, really informative, fascinating and engaging for children and adults alike.
