The Circles in the Sky

by Karl James Mountford WALKER BOOKS, £12.99

Karl James Mountford has created this thoughtful book for very young readers to explore grief, loss and the spirit of hope in nature and memory. Disturbed by the unusual sounds made by the birds – not their usual chorus, not happy and not sad, Fox follows them. It's a long journey, but eventually he comes across a broken bird, lying still in a clearing. He can't wake the bird up however hard he tries and then a moth explains what has happened. Spare and gentle text and rich illustrations make this a lovely readaloud choice with a comforting message.

The Power Of Architecture

by Annette Roeder

illustrated by Pamela Baron PRESTEL, £17.99

Perfect for budding designers and engineers, this guide is written by an architect. Roeder has selected modern buildings of distinction that are not all on the tourist trail. From Le Corbusier's Unité d'Habitation 'beehive' flats in Marseille and the recently repurposed Battersea Power Station to Micro Yuan 'er, a diminutive children's library in Beijing and David Adjaye's 'Dirty House' in Shoreditch. A timely inclusion is Shigeru Ban's Shelter of Cardboard, easy-toassemble houses to create a more humane shelter for refugees. There is a timeline and biographical notes at the back.

WILDSMITH: INTO THE DARK FOREST

by Liz Flanagan

illustrated by Joe Todd-Stanton UCLAN PUBLISHING, £7.99

The author of the Dragon Daughter books has created the first of a new fantasy series. Rowan and her mother flee their city because of the threat of war. Forced into the Dark Forest, and meeting her Grandpa and his wolf Arto for the first time, Rowan also rescues a baby dragon – and then a whole clutch of them. Over the summer she discovers that she is a Wildsmith, which means she can talk to animals and also heal them. When danger threatens for the second time, it is her new friends she calls on for help.

Editor's BOOKS / REVIEWS

pick

7+

How To Make A Picture Book

Dr Elys Dolan is not only an award-winning illustrator, she also teaches an MA in Children's Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Art – so who better to inspire young author-illustrators? She approaches the 'how to' format with humour and the help of her chosen sidekick Bert, a worm of many questions. From choosing ideas and developing your characters to the 'storymaths' of plot and the fine art of colour, it covers a lot of ground in an inspiring way. The step-bystep format also zooms in on place, story arc and resolution – even how to make your own book to put your story in.