Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett(Faber Children’s Books) A couple of years ago I wrote about Gender Swapped Fairy Tales as part of the blog tour celebrating its release and the fascinating algorithm used by the book’s creators to literally swap one gender for another , with fascinating insights into how such tales might affect our …
Greenaway Medal nominations – what to look for in a picturebook
Until this coming Friday (24th September), members of CILIP can nominate titles to put forward for the 2022 Carnegie and Greenaway medals. In order to be eligible for the 2022 Medals, books: – must have been published in the UK or Ireland between 01 September 2020 and 31 August 2021. – which have been first …
BLOG TOUR: We Want Our Books
Jake Alexander(Two Hoots)When Rosa finds herself bored during the holidays, her dad suggests going to the library to borrow some books. But when they get to the library, they find it to have closed down. Faced with this injustice, Rosa, with the help of her sister Maria, decides that she can’t stay silent. Can they …
BLOG TOUR: Gender Swapped Fairy Tales
I have always loved feminist fractured fairy tales, of which there are plenty published. But Gender Swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett (Faber) is an anthology like no other. Rather than fracture and rewrite the traditional tales, what the creators have done is ‘simply’ switch the genders in each story. Nothing less, …
BLOG TOUR: Thank You for the Little Things
Caryl Hart (text) & Emily Hamilton (artwork)(Bloomsbury Children’s Books) “Whenever I am feeling sador life feels hard or wrong or bad,I focus for a little whileon little things that make me smile…“ When my children were little, reading Caryl Hart’s rhyming texts was a regular and joyful occurrence in our house. Doing rhyming properly in …
The story behind the Art: Júlia Sardà and “The Queen in the Cave”
Júlia Sardà(Walker Studio) When Franca, the eldest of three sisters is suddenly overcome with feelings of restlessness and is and lured by the dark forest beyond the garden, there begins a strange adventure full of unusual encounters and fantastical occurrences. So is the premise of this unique and fascinating picturebook; a pinch of the absurdism …
BLOG TOUR: Bumble & Snug and the Angry Pirates
Today I am absolutely delighted to support the blog tour celebrating the release of Bumble & Snug and the Angry Pirates by Mark Bradley (Hodder Children’s Books), a new graphic novel series about two adorable best friends. Bumble and Snug are Bugpops, little monsters with big feelings. When they decide to go on a picnic, …
BLOG TOUR: This Book Has Alpacas and Bears
Emma Perry (text) & Rikin Parekh (art)(David Fickling Books) Alfonso the Alpaca loves nothing more than relaxing with a good book. And many a books he has! But all he can see in those books is bears. Bears, bears and more bears! Where are the Alpacas? Alfonso thinks Alpacas also deserve to be heroes too, …
BLOG TOUR: You Can’t Take an Elephant on Holiday
You Can’t Take an Elephant on Holiday (Bloombury Children’s Books) is the latest instalment of Patricia Cleveland-Peck’s and David Tazzyman’s “You Can’t Take an Elephant … ” series, which has sold over 200,000 copies!Crazy scenarios of what might happen on a summer holiday are wonderfully depicted thanks to David Tazzyman’s zany artwork and Patricia Cleveland-Peck’s …
Book Island’s #StandByIndies Campaign
Today I want to highlight an absolutely amazing campaign that begins today! #StandByIndies is a great way to support a small publisher, your favourite independent bookshop and get a great book as well. What’s not to like? 20 April – 10 May 2021 After preparing #StandByIndies for more than a year, picture book publisher Book …
BLOG TOUR: My Summer with Grandad
Today is Library Mice’s stop of the blog tour for Tom Tinn-Disbury’s My Summer with Grandad (New Frontier Publishing), a wonderful story of inter generational bond between a little boy and his grandad. Eric is learning to fish with his grandad and is finding it tricky. When a young seagull gets caught in a fishing …