Picture Book of the Month - Tropical Terry

Terry wants to stand out. But, in Coral Reef City, it's sometimes better to blend in...

Coral Reef City is home to the most dazzling shoals of tropical fish in ALL the ocean. And then there is Terry...

Terry looks grey. Terry feels dull. And although he is the best at playing "Hide A Fish", he can't help but wonder: Just what would it feel like to be part of that dashing, flashing crew? 

So, with the help of his friends, he fashions a flashy costume and is ready to impress... “Hello-o-o everybody! Just call me TROPICAL Terry!” 

But will life as a tropical fish be everything he always dreamed of? With his trademark humour and vibrant art, award-winning Jarvis tells a heart-warming comedy of self-esteem in Tropical Terry; a story about learning to love your own scales and take pride in what makes you different.

You can pick up a copy of Tropical Terry at your local bookshop. 

Check out the fun animated trailer below! 

Jarvis studied graphic design and previously worked as a record sleeve designer, website designer and an animation director before becoming a children’s book maker. His books include Mrs Mole, I’m Home! and Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth, which won the 2017 V&A Best Illustrated Book.
Follow him on Twitter as @heyimjarvis, and on Instagram as @booksbyjarvis.

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Win the picture book of the month - The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse

From the multi-award-winning, New York Times bestselling team of Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen (creator of This Is Not My Hat and I Want My Hat Back) comes The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse, a deliciously dark tale.

Early one morning, a mouse is gobbled up by a wolf. “Oh woe!” he cries. “Oh me!” He fears it is the end … until, that is, he meets a duck in the belly of the beast.

When a woeful mouse is swallowed up by a wolf, he quickly learns he is not alone: a duck has already set up digs and, boy, has that duck got it figured out! Turns out it’s pretty nice inside the belly of the beast – there's delicious food, elegant table settings and, best of all, dancing. And there’s something more: no more fear of being eaten by a wolf! Life's not so bad, considering the alternatives...

With a nod to traditional fables and a wink to the reader, the award-winning Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen of Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, Extra Yarn and Triangle offer a tale of cooperation and creative cuisine that is sure to go down easy.

Take a sneak peek inside the book... 

WIN!

To celebrate the launch The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse, we have a delicious prize for you to tuck into. One winner will receive a copy of the book, a limited edition print, an apron and a John Lewis wooden mini-kitchen worth £60. Plus five runners-up will receive a copy of The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse and a limited edition print.

To enter, just  email your name and address to competitions@walker.co.uk with 'Wolf PBP' in the subject line before 12th November 2017. Terms and conditions apply.

Pick up a copy of The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse at your local bookshop.


Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen have made three books together: Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, which won a Caldecott Honor and was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal; Extra Yarn, which won a Caldecott Honor, an E. B. White Read Aloud Award and a Boston Globe-Horn Book Award; and Triangle. Find Mac & Jon on Twitter as @macbarnett and @burstofbeaden.

Top new picture books from Walker Books

This month we have a selection of gorgeous picture books from some of the best author's and illustrators of children's books.

Play

From the award-winning creator of Hug, Tall and Yes comes another classic picture book for the very youngest children. Using only a handful of words, Jez Alborough skilfully tells the bedtime tale of Bobo the chimp. The sun is still up and this little chimp wants to play with his jungle friends, but then the sun goes down and he’s all alone… The perfect bedtime read for every playful little monkey!

Baby Goes to Market

Rhythmic language, visual humour and a bounty of delectable food make this a tale that is sure to whet little appetites for story time. When Baby and Mama go to market, baby is so adorable that the banana seller gives him six bananas. Baby eats one and puts five in the basket, but Mama doesn't notice. As Mama and Baby wind their way through the market stalls, cheeky Baby collects five juicy oranges, four sugary chin-chin biscuits, three roasted sweetcorn, two pieces of coconut ... until Mama notices that her basket is getting very heavy. Poor Baby, she thinks – he must be very hungry by now!

The Greedy Goat

A funny, read-aloud farmyard tale that teaches colours and days of the week from award-winning illustrator Petr Horacek. Goat has had enough of eating grass. She wants to try something different – the dog’s food, the pig’s potatoes and even the farmer’s pants. But things go wrong in this hilarious, but cautionary, farmyard tale from the Kate Greenaway-Medal shortlisted illustrator described by the Washington Post as "the thinking tot's Eric Carle".

Let's Join In

This charming collection of four classic stories by much-loved illustrator Shirley Hughes is perfect for sharing at the end of a busy day. Chatting with friends or talking on the phone, hiding in the house or the garden, bouncing on the sofa or on Grandpa's knee, giving a present or a kiss: there are so many things you can join in with during the day!

My First ABC and My First 123

Learning how to count and your ABC is fun and easy in with Katie and her baby brother, Olly. Join them as they explore their friendly and familiar world and all it contains in this charming first look at numbers and letters. At home, at the park, in the library or at playgroup – there's always a chance to practise. Share and explore every wonderful experience in their simple yet enchanting world ! You can listen to Shirley talk about her books on Women’s Hour by following this link. 

Pick up a copy of these fantastic picture books at your local bookshop!

The making of Pink Lion by Jane Porter

A bold and colourful picture book with a heart-warming story about always being yourself.

Arnold blends right in with his bright pink flamingo family. Then a growling gang of lions stops by and tells Arnold he should be more lion-like, just like them. 

Poor Arnold tries but misses his old life. But then his flamingo family are threatened by an unwelcome visitor. Is this the moment when Arnold will find his roar?

Behind the scenes with Jane Porter

We’re excited to welcome Jane to the Picture Book Party blog for a behind-the-scenes on the making of Pink Lion

This is the story of how Pink Lion came into being…

Once a week I run an art class for under 5s. It’s a great joy to watch the creativity of young children – and a constant source of inspiration to me. This was never more true than the week we made robots. After constructing our shiny cardboard creations, I asked the group what they thought the story might be about today. “A pink lion,” said one boy, without hesitation.

That was the spark that set me pondering, scribbling and scouring museums for stone lions (the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford has a particularly fine one in pink granite). Brainstorming pink things put flamingoes in my mind, and I liked the idea that a pink lion might be adopted by pink birds and live an idyllic life with jelly for tea every day. For some reason it seemed natural to call him Arnold.

This didn’t offer much drama, however, which is where the growling gang of yellow lions comes in. When they meet Arnold they send into a state of confusion about his identity – the story was starting to have some direction. I made a series of small dummy books with all sorts of endings – in one, Arnold raced round making cold drinks with curly straws for the lazy lions, in another he went home to find the flamingoes had formed a stunt motorbike troupe.

I took the latest version on a camping trip to Wales, and one wet afternoon when there wasn’t much else to do I read it out to a friend’s little boy. His feedback was concise, and pinpointed the problem with dazzling accuracy – “It needs more roaring”. And that’s when the very nasty crocodile came in, putting flamingoes in peril and letting Arnold discover his inner roar.

The story was coming together – now for the artwork. “Make it look as if it took five minutes,” said my editors – good advice but so hard to achieve! It seemed to take about two years to make it look as if it took five minutes. I tried every material under the sun – coloured pencil, collage, gouache, ink. None of the pinks felt right, and they seemed to clash with the yellows horribly. Then one day I was browsing a book about Picasso, and noticed ‘household emulsion’ in the list of materials he used. That’s when it clicked – I bought a sack of tester pots from Homebase, with delightful names like Yellow Submarine and Berry Smoothie. I applied them with the worst brushes I could find, added a scribble of pastel pencil, then pen and Indian Ink for the details – and finally I had something I was happy with.

Now the book is finished. I’ll be visiting bookshops to do some storytelling and craft activities – and it’s the first time I will have done this without an author. So I’ve made myself someone to travel with: a pink velvet soft toy version of Arnold – he’s a proper luxury lion with THREE types of pink velvet from his inner ears to his paw pads, and raspberry mohair for his scribble cheeks. I’ve stitched little bags of baking beans into his paws, which gives him just the right amount of weight to be able to sit up on his own. We are looking forward to touring together! Although our family cat is rather jealous.

Pick up a copy of Pink Lion at your local bookshop. Plus take a look at the brilliant animated trailer that the talented Jane has created!

               

Jane Porter is an illustrator specializing in work both for and with children. Her work ranges from picture and novelty books to children’s maps, murals and hand-made books suitable for outreach work. She has worked for a number of organizations, including the National Trust, English Heritage, London Zoo, the Corporation of London, Historic Royal Palaces and the National Health Service. When she's not working, Jane is often to be found out on the River Thames in a coracle or skiff, looking out for passing bats, cormorants and wagtails. Jane will be making book shop visits, you can find details below.

Sheen Bookshop on Friday 28th July, 10.30-12.30 

Waterstones Clapham Junction on Saturday 5th August, 3pm

Heffers in Cambridge on Saturday 19th August, 2-4

The Apple Store in Regent’s Street on Saturday 26th August at 2pm

Tales on Moon Lane, Herne Hill in the afternoon on Monday 23rd October.

Sneaky tricks to play on your little ones this April Fools’ Day

Just in time for April Fools’ Day, multi-award-winning, bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen have conspired again on a slyly funny tale about some very sneaky shapes in Triangle. We’re feeling particularly sneaky at WalkerHQ and have put together some suggestions to trick your little ones this April Fools’ Day.

• The inedible breakfast. The night before, pour a bowl of your child’s favourite cereal, add milk and put in freezer. For added effect, make some jelly and pour into a glass, add a straw and put in fridge to set, ready for the breakfast table the next morning!

• The fridge is alive! Stick googly eyes on EVERYTHING in the fridge. In the morning ask your child to get something from the fridge and watch their reaction as they see all the eyes looking out at them.

• TV no more. Put tape over the sensors of the TV remote just before their favourite programme starts, then watch their confusion as they try to change the channel.

• The upside down house. Turn everything in your sitting room upside down – picture frames, furniture, rugs, as much as possible!

• Bedtime Switcheroo. Wait until the kids are asleep and then quietly move them into each other's beds. When they wake up, take photos of their surprised faces.

• Colourful bath time. Unscrew the cap to the bath tap, put a pellet of food dye under it, then screw the cap back on. Watch your child’s amazement as you run them a blue, green or pink bath!

• Sticky money. Superglue a pound coin to the garden path and watch them try and pick it up.

• The backwards dinner. Serve everything backwards, starting with pudding first!

Meet Triangle. He is going to play a sneaky trick on his friend, Square. Or so Triangle thinks...

This mischievous, shifty-eyed story about some very sneaky shapes is the first tale in an exciting new shape trilogy that approaches the traditional concept from a whole new angle.

You can get your hands on Triangle at your local bookshop. Happy reading! 

About Jon Klassen

Jon Klassen is the author-illustrator of I Want My Hat Back, We Found a Hat and This Is Not My Hat, the only book to ever win both the Kate Greenaway and Caldecott Medal. He also illustrated Mac Barnett's Extra Yarn and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole, and served as an illustrator on the animated feature film Coraline. His illustrations for Caroline Stutson's Cats Night Out won the Governor General's Award in 2010. Originally from Niagara Falls, Canada, Jon now lives in Los Angeles, California. Find Jon online at burstofbeaden.com and on Twitter as @burstofbeaden.

 

About Mac Barnett

Mac Barnett is the author of several award-winning books for children, including President Taft Is Stuck in the Bath, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen, and Sam and Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn, illustrated by Jon Klassen, which won a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and a Caldecott Honor. Mac Barnett lives in California, USA. Find Mac online at macbarnett.com and on Twitter as @macbarnett.