Top new picture books from Walker Books this April!

We have a brilliant selcetion of picture books out this month, from grass eating donkeys to a tribute to an iconic artist, check out the selection below!

The Pawed Piper 
by Michelle Robinson, illustrated by Chinlun Lee

The leading lady of this tale longs for a pet cat to cuddle and call her own – a furry fluffball, just like the one in her book. So, after studying her grandma’s cat, Hector, she lays a trail with all the things that she knows cats love – balls of wool, saucers of milk, cardboard boxes and catnip aplenty. And then she waits for a cat to come… The legend of The Pied Piper gets an adorably feline twist in this new story from Michelle Robinson and illustrator Chinlun Lee. 

Little Green Donkey 

by Anuska Allepuz 

Little Donkey LOVES eating grass – it’s just so sweet, and crunchy, and juicy! His pillow is even made from grass so that he can roll over in the morning and eat his own bed. “Why don’t you try some other food?” suggests his desperate mum, putting on a juggling display of colourful fruit as a way to entice her little one to eat something new. But Little Donkey sees no need. Until, that is, he catches a glimpse of his reflection…

B is for Baby 

by Antinuke, illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

Baby’s brother is getting ready to take a basket of bananas all the way to Baba’s bungalow in the next village. He will have to go along the bumpy road, past the baobab trees, birds and butterflies, and all the way over the bridge. What he doesn’t realize is that his cute, very curious baby sister is secretly coming along for the amazing bicycle ride, too! From the creators of Baby Goes to Market comes a beautiful, bright first book of words, perfect for pre-schoolers learning their ABC! Children will love sounding out the words in this playful, adventurous and vibrantly-illustrated story set in West Africa.

That Fruit is Mine 

by Anuska Allepuz

One day, deep in the jungle, five elephants discover a new tree – a tall tree – and, atop that tree, the most mouth-wateringly delicious fruit any of them had ever seen. “MINE!” each elephant cries. “Mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!” But who will get there first? And will the elephants spot the five tiny mice, planning and plotting, slowly approaching that tip-top branch? With fresh vision, hilarious characterization and beautifully textured art, Anuska Allepuz tells a tale of teamwork and sharing; a comedy and fable with a contemporary edge.

Little Frida 

by Anthony Browne  

The artwork of Frida Kahlo inspires former Children's Laureate and twice winner of the Kate Greenaway Medal Anthony Browne in this beautiful and surreal picture book. Stunning illustrations tell the story of a lonely young girl who discovers the power of the imagination to set you free. A tribute to an iconic artist exploring themes of belonging, creativity and hope, this is an exquisite and touching picture book. Little Frida is our Picture Book of the Month and you can win a copy plus a limited edition print here: http://www.picturebookparty.co.uk/2019/04/win-our-april-picture-book-of-month.html

Pick up copies of all these books at your local bookshop!

Top picture book picks this January!

A new year brings with it brand new picture books! We've selected our top new picks for January and you can find out all about them here.

We're Going on a Bear Hunt 30th Anniversary Edition

Celebrate 30 wonderful years of We're Going on a Bear Hunt in this special anniversary edition of the much-loved family favourite. This new anniversary board book brings the story to life for a whole new generation of young readers. Follow and join in the family's excitement as they wade through the grass, splash through the river, squelch through the mud and brave their way through the swirling, whirling snowstorm in search of a bear.

Tooth

Ouch! Baby’s mouth feels funny. Something is happening, and it’s not just that a puddle of drool keeps escaping. There it is – a new tooth! From discovering what’s good to bite (and what’s not) to mastering the art of the toothbrush, Baby’s dental adventure is sure to give little teething buddies something to chew on.

Beware of the Crocodile

A witty Nature Storybook about crocodiles. The main thing about crocodiles is they’re really scary – or at least the big ones are. They’ve got an awful lot of teeth and they’re not at all fussy about what they eat, as long as it’s got a bit of meat on it.  But you might be surprised to hear that there's more to crocodiles than just their appetites.....

Home in the Rain

Francie and her mum, who is expecting a baby girl, are driving home from Grandma’s in the heavy rain when they stop for a picnic. As the car steams up, Francie presses her little finger on the window, spelling out "Daddy" and "Mummy" and leaving one space free, ready and waiting for the name of her soon-to-be sister... A beautifully observed celebration of the way inspiration can, and often does happen in the most ordinary and unlikely of places.

Flat Cat

A wild, read-aloud celebration of breaking the rules, taking a chance, and having the most brilliant of adventures. Jimi the cat longs to explore the bright and bustling world outside the flat. Where will he go and who will he meet on those wild and exciting streets? Children and parents alike will rejoice in this funny, stylish and heart-warming celebration of freedom, adventure, friendship and love.

Animals with Tiny Cat

From the ever original and wonderfully playful Viviane Schwarz comes a laugh-out-loud, theatrical first animal board book for the very youngest of readers. Tiny Cat is playing dressing-up! She rolls up in a rug to become a snake – hiss! And with booties on her paws, she’s a horse – neigh! In fact, with oodles of imagination, Tiny Cat can be any animal she wants to be! 

Isle of You

Some days are harder to get through than others. Whenever you’re sad, or lonely, or angry, there’s one place you can always go: the Isle of You. Take a moment to shake off your worries, then set sail to a land where your dreams can come true. Soar on the back of an eagle, hunt for treasure, watch dancing polar bears on roller skates – anything you can imagine is yours...

Dreamland

Bedtime surroundings mingle with stunning dream imagery as a little girl drifts into peaceful slumber... From illustrator and Pixar designer Noah Klocek comes a breathtaking depiction of a half-asleep landscape sure to lure readers into a dreamland of their own. 

Cinderfella by Malachy Doyle

To all the brothers at Number 12. You're invited to Kayleigh's party. Dress fancy. Come fancy. Dance!

Once upon a time, there lived Cinderfella – a little boy, forever bossed around by his two older brothers, Gus and Gareth. “Turn up the TV! Shine our scooters!" the brothers cry. "Finish our homework!” But on the day of our story, Kayleigh, the town's kick-fastic karate champion, is having a party, and Cinderfella is determined to dream big, dress fancy and DANCE. He’ll just need a little help along the way from his fairy dog-mother, Ruff – woof! A feel-good twist on the classic fairytale, brought to life with fresh vision and huge humour by Matt Hunt.

      We're very excited to welcome Malachy Doyle to talk about Cinderfella

Growing up, I had four older brothers.  Later I had one younger one. And later still I had two step-brothers. And a couple of sisters and a step-sister, too. My eldest brother, David, used to tell me bedtime stories – folk tales and fairy tales, mainly. And then I’d lie in bed, imagining myself in the stories.

I was always the lead character. It didn’t matter if it was a girl or a boy. Red Riding Hood, The Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks – it was me, always me.

So when it came to Cinderella, I was the one with the bossy brothers, as I had in real life. And, as I grew up, I was the one who had to do jobs round the house. Well, some of them, anyway. Like polish everyone’s shoes on a Saturday evening, so we’d all be spick and span for church the following morning.

And so, over 50 years later, I got round to writing down the story. In my first draft, Cinderfella lived with two sisters, Sybil and Slob. But the boys in my family were much more slobby than the girls, so boys they became – Gareth and Gus.

At first the fairy who helps him was a giant rat, but somehow he turned into a funky dancing dog. And then a female funky dancing dog - well, if we’re playing with gender reversal, why not go the whole hog? And it makes for a good line on the back-cover about his ‘fairy dog-mother’, courtesy of my clever-clogs editor, Tanya.

At first Cinderfella zoomed off to the party on a Harley Davidson, but somehow it became a super-sparkly skateboard. Somewhat safer!

At first Cinderfella took on the role of a DJ at the party, spinning the discs and saving the night when the booked DJ didn’t turn up, but somehow it was his hop, bop, giggle and groovy dancing that took over.  

At first it was Princess PeachieBlossom’s party, but somehow she turned into Kayleigh, the junior karate champ.  Much more fun!

Then over to Matt Hunt for some fab illustrations and there we had it – Cinderfella. HAI-YAH!

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

The Prince and the Witch and the Thief and the Bears

An action-packed storytelling adventure that flips the traditional fairy tale on its head.

When it’s time for Jamie’s bedtime story, his dad begins to tell an age-old fairy tale about a prince in a faraway land full of dragons, wolves and princesses in distress. But inquisitive Jamie can’t help but add to his dad’s story, and the prince is soon joined by an evil-eyed witch who turns people to jelly, a broccoli-wielding ninja frog and a jewel-thief, lock picking princess. It may not be the story Dad set out to tell, but together, he and Jamie create something much more energetic and hilarious than they could have alone.

We're very excited to welcome Alastair Chisholm to talk about 

The Prince and the Witch and the Thief and the Bears 

As of this year, both of my daughters are teenagers (help!). But when they were a bit smaller, I liked to try to tell them stories.

I say 'try', partly because making up proper stories on the fly was harder than I'd realised, but mostly because trying to tell my daughters anything was (and still is) nearly impossible. Like Jamie, the central character in The Prince and the Witch and the Thief and the Bears, they had Questions and Opinions. 

"The Prince," I would begin, feeling very pleased with myself, "lived in a far-off kingdom, where he— "

"How far off?"

"…What?"

The Prince and his horse, illustrated by the fantastic Jez Tuya

How far off is the kingdom? they'd demand. How fierce are the bears? How did the horse get down the cliff? Why is it even a prince, why not a princess? Why was the witch so angry? Why is it always stone that people get turned into – why can’t it be jelly? Can't the horse help?

Things the Witch has turned into Jelly

At first, the book was just about that – all the questions and interruptions getting in the way of the story. (In fact, the original title was The Interrupted Prince, and it included a scene where they had to stop to look for Ollie the Sheep, plus a break in the middle because Jamie needed a wee). But gradually, like the Dad, I started to understand – the story was actually better when Jamie told it.

The truth is, kids understand stories better than grown-ups. Their world is made of stories, after all; it's how they start to make sense of it all. (And if you're lucky, they'll keep that spark for their whole lives).

And so … It turned out the kingdom was very far off, and that became part of the tale. And the witch actually had a pretty good reason to be angry, really. And hey, it should be the Princess who saved the day – and of course the horse could help!

The Princess takes charge

As Jamie and Dad discover, the best part of telling stories to kids is telling stories with them, and the best part of that is just listening as they tell you what the world is.

Also, the witch is a ninja and lives in a castle made of broccoli. Just saying.

Pick up a copy of The Prince and the Witch and the Thief and the Bears at your local bookshop.

Top new picture book picks!

A brilliant selection of picture books out this month; there are ambitious fish, sleepy woodland creatures, courageous boys and girls, and energetic elephants!


Alan's Big Scary Teeth

Meet Alan, an alligator with a secret. Famed for his big, scary teeth, he sneaks into the jungle every day to scare the jungle animals ... But after a long day of scaring, Alan likes nothing better than to run a warm mud bath and take out his false teeth, which nobody knows about! That is, until his teeth go missing... 

A goofy comedy of self-discovery now in baby-friendly board book format, warm-hearted storytelling and bright graphic art have made Alan an award-winning children’s favourite.

I Do Not Like Books Anymore!

In the second title featuring favourite monster siblings, Natalie and Alphonse, Natalie is learning to read and she is so happy about it. But when she tries all by herself for the first time, the letters look like squiggles, and she isn’t so sure any more… 

With her unique humour, Daisy Hirst celebrates the joy of sharing stories, and perfectly evokes those feelings of frustration and pride that come with learning something new.

Julian is a Mermaid

Mesmerizing and full of heart, Jessica Love's debut picture book about self-confidence and love, and a radiant celebration of individuality. 

After seeing three spectacularly dressed women on the subway with his Nana, Julian can't stop daydreaming of himself in his own mermaid costume. But what will Nana think think about how Julian sees himself?

Ellie and Lump's Very Busy Day

Ellie and Lump have a special day ahead of them, planning a big birthday surprise. There’s a lot to do: boing-boing-bouncing on beds, split-splatting eggs for breakfast, whizz-whooshing around on supermarket trollies and blowing up balloons. 

Illustrator Becky Palmer captures the joy and excitement of a day out with mum and the thrills of planning a party.

Jabari Jumps

Jabari has just passed his swimming test, and his next mission is to face the diving board. "Looks easy," says Jabari.  But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back.

In a sweet tale of overcoming your fears, debut author-illustrator Gaia Cornwall captures a moment at the swimming pool between a patient and encouraging father and a determined little boy you can’t help but root for.

Goodnight Everyone
       


It's time to go to sleep, but Little Bear is wide awake; much to Great Big Bear's dismay.

Chris Haughton creates a lulling bedtime read, perfect for parents and children to share together. A series of exquisitely coloured cut pages of increasing size introduce woodland families – bears, deer, rabbits and teeny, tiny mice – as they all prepare to sleep.



Pick up copies of all these books at your local bookshop.

The Day War Came

A powerful and necessary picture book – the journey of a child forced to become a refugee when war destroys everything she has ever known.

Imagine if, on an ordinary day, war came. Imagine it turned your town to rubble. Imagine going on a long and difficult journey – all alone. Imagine finding no welcome at the end of it. Then imagine a child who gives you something small but very, very precious... When the government refused to allow 3000 child refugees to enter this country in 2016, Nicola Davies was so angry she wrote a poem. It started a campaign for which artists contributed drawings of chairs, symbolising a seat in a classroom, education, kindness, the hope of a future. The poem has become this book, movingly illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, which should prove a powerful aid for explaining the ongoing refugee crisis to younger readers. 

£1 from every copy sold goes to the charity Help Refugees – find out more about their wonderful work at their website, helprefugees.org.

Behind the scenes with Rebecca Cobb

We’re excited to welcome Rebecca Cobb to the Picture Book Party blog for a behind-the-scenes look at The Day War Came

Nicola Davies wrote The Day War Came when in 2016 the UK government voted against giving sanctuary to 3000 lone child refugees and after she had heard a story about a little girl refugee being turned away from a school because she was told there was no chair for her. Nicola started the #3000chairs campaign with the illustrators Jackie Morris and Petr Horáček, drawing chairs as symbols of solidarity with all those children who were completely alone and with nowhere to go.

My work for The Day War Came all began with a drawing of a chair for this campaign, so it felt appropriate to use images of chairs throughout the book.

The chair is a very meaningful symbol and is central to Nicola’s poignant, beautiful poem because the little girl is told that not having a chair is the reason she is refused entry to the school. It is a very simple everyday object but it somehow represents the things that children should be able to expect from life - a secure, safe home environment and access to an education.

At the beginning of the book, the little girl sits on a chair at home with her family to eat breakfast and then she goes to school and sits on a chair in her classroom to learn about volcanoes and draw birds.

But then, when the war explodes across the page, the chairs are thrown over and she has to flee, leaving them behind.

I love Nicola’s positive message of hope at the end of the book, where a boy brings the girl a chair and then we see that all his friends have brought chairs too. I think it is often true in life that children are the ones who remind us how to be kind and look after each other.

If you’d like to join in with #3000chairs too, then here is my guide on how to draw a chair:

You can pick up a copy of The Day War Came at your local bookshop and you can find The Day War Came teacher's notes here.

Your new picture book spring bookshelf!

Here at Walker HQ we're feeling the spring vibes and can't wait to show you our selection of picture books for the new season. Our top six picks for your spring bookshelf are all unique and there is something for everyone! 

Triangle

Multi-award-winning, bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen conspire again on a slyly funny tale about some very sneaky shapes.

Meet Triangle. He is going to play a sneaky trick on his friend, Square. Or so Triangle thinks... Visually stunning and full of wry humour, here is a perfectly-paced treat that flips the traditional concept book, and approaches it from a whole new angle.

A Lion is a Lion

All lions are fierce, right? Well, maybe, just maybe, this Lion – so well dressed and polite and charming – isn't too fierce for you...

A wicked, rollicking read-aloud which asks the question: Is a lion still a lion if he … wears a hat? And carries an umbrella? And is a lion still a lion if he asks for a dance? What about when he licks his lips and sas, “Oh yes, lunch would be lovely, thank you...” Is a lion still a lion then?

Raymond

This is the story of Raymond – an ordinary dog who, for a while, lives an extraordinary life.

What if dogs could walk and talk and go to work? Well, Raymond the dog has big ambitions beyond his ordinary, canine life in the big city. He wants to take himself for a walk and get his own dinner. 

And when he’s done all that? Well, he wants a job, just like his owners. But when Raymond begins a high-flying journalism career at Dogue magazine, he soon realizes it’s no walk in the park…

Lots

A stylish non-fiction picture book that conveys the magnificent diversity of life on this planet.

"Clear, direct, involving text, coupled with vivid, delicate illustrations make for a truly special work of non-fiction." – Guardian 

A beautifully illustrated introduction to the concept of biodiversity for younger readers. With words from Nicola Davies and exquisite artwork by Emily Sutton, this groundbreaking book is certain to enchant and inspire children.

When's My Birthday?

An exquisitely illustrated celebration of a birthday book, perfect for reading right before birthdays, on birthdays, and all year round!

when’s my birthday? where’s my birthday? how many days until my birthday? i’d like a big cake on my birthday with lots of chocolate on my birthday and lots of candles on my birthday 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6! In this joyous celebration of all things BIRTHDAY, acclaimed author Julie Fogliano and award-winning illustrator Christian Robinson bring you the perfect birthday book! Join our excited narrator in breathless anticipation as she lists all the things that will make her birthday the BEST birthday.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Nothing is sweeter, as everyone knows, than tiny baby fingers and chubby baby toes!

Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, this is a beautiful 10th anniversary board book edition of a picture book classic, and the perfect gift for a new arrival!

Check out the cute video celebrating the 10th anniversary of this book below!

  

Find all of these book at your local bookshop!