BOOK REVIEW
Editor’s choice Pop-up Shakespeare By Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor of the Reduced Shakespeare Company Illustrated by Jennie Maizels Published by Walker Books
From the world-renowned Reduced Shakespeare Company® and bestselling illustrator and designer Jennie Maizels comes a spectacular pop-up book featuring all thirty-nine of the Bard’s magnificent plays. Turn the pages and marvel at the dramatic pop-ups and lift-the-flaps that bring to life every one of the playwright’s Comedies, Histories, Romances and Tragedies, as well as his poems. Packed with hilarious jokes, side-splitting summaries and funny facts, this is the complete works of Shakespeare as they’ve never been seen before. Chineasy for Children By Shaolan with illustrations by Noma Bar Published by Thames Hudson The book opens with introductory spreads explaining how the Chinese language is made up of building blocks. Subsequent spreads feature lively scenes and illustrations that help children to recognize basic Chinese characters. The book is organized by themes, each of which covers key vocabulary such as numbers, family, animals and food. Stories about the development of characters and customs provide the perfect introduction to Chinese culture, while games and activities allow children to put into practice what they have learned. .
Riding Lessons By Jane Smiley Published by Scholastic In the Spring of fourth grade, Ellen’s life feels like a balancing act: she is only allowed to go to riding lessons when she behaves at school. But Ellen has a knack for speaking out of turn in class, and with a new sibling on the way, she can’t resist taking advantage of her parents’ distraction. Then Ellen sees Ned for the first time: a beautiful colt who used to be a racehorse until he was injured. Ned and Ellen understand each other immediately, and all Ellen wants to do is spend more time with her new friend. But will she be able to keep up her good behaviour at school? And will her parents ever let her have a horse of her own?
Colourama – Pop up the Past Illustrated by John Paul de Quay Published by Buster Books Colour, pull out and fold the 15 dioramas to create a timeline of human history. From an ancient Egyptian tomb to a medieval joust, and an Apollo moon landing to a towering Aztec temple. Each page features die-cut detail and runs in chronological order, showcasing history’s most incredible civilisations, major events and epic moments. 18 Parent Talk March 2018
Brightstorm By Vashti Hardy Published by Scholastic When twins Arthur and Maudie receive word that their famous explorer father has died in a failed attempt to reach South Polaris, they can’t believe it! Not only that, but their father has been accused of trying to steal fuel from his competitors before he died… Arthur and Maudie have no choice but to answer an advertisement to crew a new exploration attempt, headed by the vivacious Captain Harriet Culpepper. As Captain Culpepper’s winged ship sets sail, the twins must keep their wits about them and prove themselves worthy of the rest of the crew. Will Arthur and Maudie find the evidence they need to prove their father's innocence? Will they be able to discover the truth and save their family's reputation?
Mother’s Day By Shirley Hughes Published by Walker Books In this stunning gift edition of a classic story by Kate Greenaway-winning author, Shirley Hughes, Katy and her little brother Olly tell us about their day with Mum. From the excitement of up waking Mum and Dad in the morning, getting the bus into town or even simple bedtime stories, this joyous tale gives readers a snapshot into a child's day and celebrates the special bond between a mother and child.
Outdoor Maker By Professor Robert Winston Published by DK
The Wren Hunt By Mary Watson Published by Bloomsbury Age 12+ Every year on St Stephen’s Day, Wren Silke is chased through the forest in a warped version of a childhood game. Her pursuers are judges – a group of powerful and frightening boys who know nothing of her true identity. If they knew she was an augur – their sworn enemy – the game would be up. This year, the tension between judges and augurs is at breaking point. Wren’s survival, and that of her family, depends on her becoming a spy in the midst of these boys she fears most and using her talent, her magic to steal from them the only thing that can restore her family’s former power for good.
James’s Giant Bug Book Published by Penguin Random House Time to join James, the Centipede, the Earthworm and the rest of the gang in this bug-packed journey into the world of insects. It’s packed with fascinating facts about creepy-crawlies, and fun activities to try at home, such as making an ant farm and building your very own bug hotel!
An exciting, new interactive science book packed with 25 outdoor experiments. Using simple, household materials, budding young scientists can gather what they need and then head outside to have a go at some of the amazing projects that will teach them all about the wider world and their surroundings. The book is divided into four chapters Nature Watch, World of Weather, Water Power and Earth and Sky. Each section looks at a different subject and includes a fun mix of craft and scientific activities to explain how different things work.
Birdy & Bou: The Floating Library By Mandy Stanley and David Bedford Published by Simon and Schuster Bou the red-eared panda wakes up one morning and hears the toot-toot of the floating library. He’s excited to go and borrow his favourite book and rushes to the library boat, only to find that his book has already been lent out. He sets off to find whoever has borrowed it so they can share – and in the process makes a fantastic new friend. Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder By Alom Shaha Published by Scribe
James and the Giant Peach By Roald Dahl Published by Penguin Random House A new edition, complete with beautiful new cover artwork and fuzzy stickers.
Turn a rainy day at home or a walk in the park into a learning experience. All you need are a few simple items from your kitchen cupboards and the power of curiosity. Whether you’re a science enthusiast or trying an experiment at home for the very first time, let Mr Shaha guide you step-bystep through fun activities that will fulfil your child’s desire to understand how things work. This is not a book just for children, it’s a book for all grown-ups who want to enthuse and inspire young people. Every child and every parent can be a scientist with the help of ‘Mr Shaha’s Recipes for Wonder’.
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