Top Picks of the Month for February!

We have some fantastic new picture books to share with you this February:

Can Bears Ski?

by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar

Boy Bear cannot hear Dad Bear coming to wake him up in the morning but he can feel the floor vibrate with his heavy footsteps. He can only grasp little bits of what his teacher says to him at school. He cannot catch what his friends are laughing at. And, all the time, Boy Bear keeps hearing the question, “Can Bears ski?” What does it mean? With the support of Dad Bear, Boy Bear visits an audiologist and, eventually, he gets hearing aids. Suddenly, he understands the question everyone has been asking him: "CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

Raymond draws on his own experience to show how isolating it can be for a deaf child in a hearing world. But through his lyrical and moving words, matched with Polly's stunning imagery, he also shows how many ways there are to communicate love. With a solid network, Boy Bear will find his place in the world.

You can now watch the Can Bears Ski? trailer below! It features a reading from author Raymond Antrobus as well as British Sign Language from a Deaf interpreter.

The Lipstick

by Laura Dockrill and illustrated by Maria Karipidou

Exploring his mother’s bedroom, a little boy discovers THE LIPSTICK. It begins on his lips, where it looks very good – MWAH! But then it goes for a little walk … squiggle, squiggle … on the mirror … scribble scribble … on the shiny floorboards … smudge smudge. And even on the fluffy cat. Uh-oh! What will happen when Mum, Dad and big sister sees all this mess? 

From the team behind Angry Cookie comes a hilarious and joyous story all about artistic expression, self-confidence and supportive, accepting parenting.

Download The Lipstick activity sheets here and watch our extra cheeky trailer below!

 Love

by Robert Sabuda

There are many different ways to share your love, captured in Sabuda's intricate pop-up animal scenes. Can you find the elephant sheltering its friend from the storm? Or the two swans promising to stay together forever?

This is a celebration of love in all its different forms – a beautiful gift book for the whole family to treasure.

Ducks Overboard

by Markus Motum

When a shipping container filled with 28,000 plastic ducks spilt into the Pacific Ocean, where did all those ducks go? Based on a true story, this innovative take on the plastic pollution crisis follows one duck as it travels on ocean currents to meet sea life and discovers the rubbish from humans that endangers our oceans.

A highly accessible and stylish picture book with a positive message about environmental issues, from the author-illustrator of Curiosity, which was shortlisted for the Royal Society Young People’s Book Prize.

Big Bob, Little Bob

by James Howe and illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson

A comforting story of friendship for any child who does not conform to traditional gender stereotypes, this is the story of two boys, as different as different can be. Big Bob likes trucks and throwing balls and being loud. Little Bob likes dolls and jingling bracelets and being quiet. No matter what they do, they do not do it the same. But when they become new neighbours, they might just find a way to be friends...

Now out in paperback!

Windows

by Julia Denos and illustrated by E. B. Goodale

Before your city goes to sleep, you might head out for a walk, your dog at your side as you go out the door and into the almost-night. Anything can happen on such a walk: you might pass a cat, or a friend, or even an early raccoon. And as you go down your street and around the corner, the windows around you light up one by one until you are walking through a maze of paper lanterns, each one granting you a brief, glowing snapshot of your neighbours as families come together and folks settle in for the night.

Now out in paperback!

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All of our top picks of the month are now available from all good booksellers!

Celebrate Chinese New Year with Maisy!

 Celebrate Chinese New Year with our favorite mouse, Maisy! 

Maisy is celebrating one of the world's biggest festivals: Chinese New Year! From hanging up lanterns to receiving lucky red packets and joining in the dragon dance at the parade, this bright and colourful storybook is a perfect introduction to the many joys of Chinese New Year.

Maisy's friend Tiger is coming home especially to celebrate! Once the house is tidy and the decorations are up, Maisy changes into her lovely red dress and throws a big party for all her friends. They have a delicious feast, tell stories, see the fireworks together and, on new year's day, watch a spectacular parade – with an amazing dragon dance! 

Richly illustrated in Lucy Cousins' vibrant and colourful style, this exciting and gently informative story from the multi-award-winning creator of Maisy is ideal for sharing the excitement of Chinese New Year with little ones.

Maisy's Chinese New Year is available where all good books are sold!

新年快乐! 

Top Picks of the Month for January!

Kick-off the new year right with one of our top picks of the month below! 

I Talk Like a River

by Jordan Scott and illustrated by Sydney Smith

A New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year

I wake up each morning with the sounds of words all around me.

And I can't say them all . . .

When a boy who stutters feels isolated, alone, and incapable of communicating in the way he'd like, it takes a kindly father and a walk by the river to help him find his voice. Compassionate parents everywhere will instantly recognize a father's ability to reconnect a child with the world around him.

Poet Jordan Scott writes movingly in this powerful and ultimately uplifting book, based on his own experience, and masterfully illustrated by Greenaway Medalist Sydney Smith. A book for any child who feels lost, lonely, or unable to fit in.

"I wish I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott

& Sydney Smith existed when I was a kid. It refines perceptions about stammering & germinates dignity. Recommended to all who live with disfluency" - David Mitchell, Author

Let's Play Monsters!

by Lucy Cousins

Come on everybody, Gabriel wants to PLAY! You be a monster, and he'll run away...

Gabriel is being chased by terrible monsters with sharp pointy teeth, spikes on their back, and smelly feet! But it's all right, they can't catch him ... or can they? Let's play monsters!

This brilliant and hilarious picture book is now out in paperback!

Over the Shop

by JonArno Lawson and illustrated by Qin Leng

A lonely little girl and her grandparent need to fill the run-down apartment in their building. But taking over the rooms above their shop will mean major renovations for the new occupants, and none of the potential renters can envision the possibilities of the space – until one special couple shows up. With their ingenuity, the little girl’s big heart, and heaps of hard work, the desperate fixer-upper begins to change in lovely and surprising ways.

Would You Like a Banana?

by Yasmeen Ismail

Gorilla is hungry but there is absolutely no way he’s going to eat a banana. Not even a teeny taste. Not with some bread or standing on his head. Even if you eat one too, which is something you might do.

"This charming, Dr Seuss-esque book was fun with the time-honoured strategy for getting toddlers to try new foods."- The Financial Times

Now out in paperback!

Love From Alfie McPoonst, The Best Dog Ever

by Dawn McNiff and illustrated by Patricia Metola

 

When Alfie the dog dies, he sends his owner Izzy letters in the post from his new address: The Nicest Cloud, Dog Heaven, The Sky. He wants her to know that he misses her – so much! – but his new home in heaven is BRILLIANT. There are postmen to chase, angels to tickle his tummy, and he never even has to take a bath! Can his letters comfort Izzy, who is feeling lost without him?

Now out in paperback!

I Am a Bird

by Hope Lim and illustrated by Hyewon Yum

I am a bird. Ca-Caw! Ca-Caw!

Every day, a little girl rides to school on the back of Daddy’s bike. As they twist and turn through the city streets, the little girl spreads her arms like wings and sings her birdsong for all to hear. But when they pass the strange woman in blue who carries a mysterious bag, the girl goes quiet until the woman is out of sight. One day, when they’re running late, the little girl discovers what the woman does with her bag each morning – a surprise that transforms her wariness into a feeling of kinship to be celebrated.

Now out in paperback!

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All of our top picks of the month are now available from all good booksellers!

Our top Christmas picture book gifts!

As Christmas draws ever closer, we wanted to share with you all some of our picture book highlights from 2020, all perfect gifts for the little ones in your life! 

Santa Post

by Emma Yarlett

Santa receives letters of Christmas wishes from children all over the world. But this year there's one that just doesn't make sense. What does this child want for Christmas? Santa is determined to find out! An irresistible festive follow-up to the internationally bestselling Dragon Post and Beast Feast. This joyous novelty book sparkles with Emma Yarlett’s vibrant illustrations and quirky humour, and is full of lots more hilarious letters to open.

Click here to download our Santa Post activity sheets and watch our trailer below!

Honey For You, Honey For Me

by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Chris Riddell

 

Flying pigs, wobbling plates of jelly and a giant with a terrible fear of mice: welcome to the topsy-turvy world of nursery rhymes. Inspired by his lifelong fascination with these wonderful, riddling rhymes, Michael Rosen has placed familiar playground songs beside forgotten gems for a seminal new collection, which Chris Riddell has brought to vivid life with his magnificent, exuberant pictures. Expect familiar faces, from little Jumping Joan to Miss Mary Mack-Mack-Mack – but also plenty of mischievous surprises. With over thirty rhymes to choose between, this is a book for families to share and treasure.

Join Michael as he reads from his new collection of nursery rhymes, Honey For You, Honey for Me below!

The Midnight Fair

by Gideon Sterer and illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio

A spectacular, surreal and cinematic wordless picture book about the secret life of animals.

Far from the city, but not quite in the countryside, lies a fairground. When night falls, and the fair is empty, something unexpected happens. Wild animals emerge from the trees, a brave raccoon pulls a lever, and the rollercoasters and rides explode back into bright, neon life. Now it’s time for the woodland creatures to have some fun…

Ella's Night Lights

by Lucy Fleming

    If you look very carefully at the night sky, you might spot a teeny-tiny sparkle out of the corner of your eye, a whisper of a tinkling trail… That’s Ella.

Ella has always dreamed of seeing the sunrise. But with her delicate gossamer wings, she can only come out at night. So, when the moon is high, she collects as many shimmering beams of light she can find – a twinkle from a star, the glow from a lamp post. With her light, she guides lost and lonely animals and finds friendship in Fox and Owl. And, together, Ella’s animal friends know just how to return her kindness... A gentle, tender storybook about friendship and the power of kindness.

Click here to download Lucy Fleming's Ella's Night Lights activity sheet.

 

Julian at the Wedding

by Jessica Love

Julian and his nana are attending a wedding. Better yet, Julian is in the wedding along with his cousin Marisol. When wedding duties are fulfilled and with a new dog friend in tow, the pair takes off to roam the venue, exploring everywhere from underneath tables to enchanting willow trees to ... muddy puddles? After all, it wouldn’t be a wedding without fun, laughter and a little magical mischief. With ingenuity and heart, author-illustrator Jessica Love tells a charming story of friendship, acceptance and celebration.

Click here to download our Julian at the Wedding activity sheets!

Norse Tales: Stores From Across the Rainbow Bridge

by Kevin Crossley-Holland and illustrated Jeffrey Alan Love

Enter an ancient world of green glades and glaciers, where gods and goddesses spread their magic whilst rock-giants and mountain-trolls roam. This astonishing new collection of Norse tales from the award-winning Kevin Crossley-Holland – with Jeffrey Alan Love’s arresting illustrations – will enthral readers of all ages.

Will You Be My Friend?

by Sam McBratney and illustrated Anita Jeram

You fell in love with the Nutbrown Hares in Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram’s classic picture book, Guess How Much I Love You, and now they’re back in a brand new story, Will You Be My Friend?

Little Nutbrown Hare sets off exploring on his own. Off he hops along the path and through the grass until he reaches Cloudy Mountain, where something extraordinary happens: he discovers a new friend. This gentle story of burgeoning independence and first friendship will resonate with readers of all ages. Told with the sweetness and simplicity that are the hallmark of Sam McBratney’s writing, and illustrated in Anita Jeram’s signature style, it’s destined to become another beloved family read-aloud.

Click here to download our Will You Be My Friend? activity sheets and watch our trailer below!

Rain Before Rainbows

by Smriti Halls and illustrated by David Litchfield

Rain before rainbows. Clouds before sun.

Night before daybreak. A new day’s begun.

A girl and her companion fox travel together from a place of loss and despair, through uncertain times, towards the hope of colour, light and life. Along the way, they find friends to guide and support them. Together, they build a glorious future and discover there is a way out of the darkness, into the light of the rainbow. A book with immense hope at its heart, this is a positive message for anyone who’s ever gone through a tough time.

Click here to download our Rain Before Rainbows activity sheets and to watch a very special reading from the one and only Stanley Tucci!

Where Snow Angels Go

by Maggie O'Farrell and illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazinni

Where Snow Angels Go is the extraordinary and compelling modern fairy tale from award-winning storyteller Maggie O'Farrell, with gorgeous illustrations by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini. Read more about this perfectly wintery tale below, and make sure to watch our snowy trailer, and try our snowflake-filled activity sheets.  

Sylvie wakes one night, suddenly, without knowing why. Then she sees the most spectacular sight – a pair of wings, enormous in size, made of the softest snow-white feathers imaginable. An angel in her bedroom … a snow angel. 

Where Snow Angels Go has been chosen as the Independent Bookshops' Children's Book of the Month for November. Read more here. 

Click here to download our Where Snow Angels Go activity sheets, watch our trailer below and click here to watch our launch event with both Maggie and Daniela!

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All of these wonderful picture books are now available from all good booksellers!

Santa Post - Guest Blog Post

It's an absolute pleasure to invite Emma Yarlett onto Picture Book Party to tell us all about her new picture book, Santa Post! 

 

Santa receives letters of Christmas wishes from children all over the world. But this year there's one that just doesn't make sense. What does this child want for Christmas? Santa is determined to find out!

An irresistible festive follow-up to the internationally bestselling Dragon Post and Beast Feast, this joyous novelty book sparkles with Emma Yarlett’s vibrant illustrations and quirky humour, and is full of lots more hilarious letters to open.

Click here to download our Santa Post activity sheets. 

The perfect gift for anyone writing a letter to Santa!

Q&A with Emma Yarlett

What was the inspiration behind Santa Post?

 

Christmas is my favourite time of year. I love the early dark evenings and starry night skies, the cold bright breath-clouding wintery days, and the feeling of being toasty and warm in fluffy socks, boots and padded coats. I’ve never done a themed book for a specific time of year before, and I decided it was about time to get into the spirit of things and create a book which felt like a warm winter hug full of all the festive folktales of Christmas characters and traditional tales.

Having written and illustrated two ‘post’ books with Walker before (Dragon Post, Beast Feast) it felt like a perfect opportunity to explore the Christmas themes within a postal framework (I mean who doesn’t love receiving Christmas cards and presents!?)… and so the book was born!

 

Tell us a little bit more about your process?

This was the first book that I created since having my daughter, and so it was a lot more of a juggle than my books have been before! We also moved house right in the middle of this book project – and so my attention was being pulled here there and everywhere. It was the last book project I worked upon in my little studio by the sea in Falmouth before I moved my studio home to our new house.

 

The process started with a lot of thinking and scribbling words and tiny pictures on paper. Once I have thoroughly thought through, around, above and below the idea I then poke the best ideas into a semblance of an order – paying special attention to the story arc. This arc was a bit of a tricky one, as the final ‘Santa gift’ was a tricky one to decide upon – and it had a big effect on all of the previous parts of the book. But when the final gift was eventually decided upon – everything fell into place quite smoothly.

Santa was a tricky chap to pin down too – as I didn’t want to modernise him too much from a traditional looking Santa, but at the same time wanted him to look as though he lives and breaths in our world today. He had a few guises until he finally became the Santa you see in Santa Post.

 

Do you have a favourite spread in the book?

 

I loved creating the artwork for this book – although it was strange working on something so festive when it wasn’t Christmas (I painted this book in January – March). I think my favourite double-page spread has to be of the elf workshop. It was one of the first ideas I had when thinking up the book, and with a little bit of finessing and backwards and forwards, I think it came together really well. I loved adding in all the little pieces of detail to help bring the different elves that appear on the page to life. I also had a little fun having one of the elves re-enacting one of my favourite scenes from the film Elf (see if you can spot it!).

 

What’s on your Christmas list this year?

 

Having just moved house – it’s really lots of things I’m very excited about, but perhaps to everyone else seems very boring indeed! Interior design books, cosy socks (our floors are in a questionable state), and an eye wateringly expensive but very feng shui toilet brush! But, it is really nice. Right? Right!?

 

What was your favourite picture book when you were a child?

I didn’t have a favourite one that I would always hark too, for me it was all about quantity… I absorbed as many books as I could! To name but a few… Five Minutes Peace, Where the Wild Things Are, The Blue Balloon, I Want My Potty, The Jolly Postman, Funny Bones, The Snowman, The Spot series, The Rainbow Fish, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Burglar Bill…

A special thank you to our guest author-illustrator this week, Emma Yarlett!

Santa Post is now available to buy from all good booksellers.

The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol

With the beginning of Hanukkah just a week away, we wanted to share with our Picture Book Party readers the beautiful new picture book The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol from Arthur A. Levine, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. We're also very lucky to have a note on the book from the author himself, and some activity sheets! 

Nate Gadol is a great big spirit with eyes as shiny as golden coins and a smile that is lantern bright. He can make anything last as long as it is needed, like a tiny bit of oil that must stretch for eight nights, a flower that needs to stay fresh to cheer up someone ailing, or a small lump of chocolate that grows to allow the Glaser family to treat their children over the holiday and, during a harsh winter when medicine is needed more than sweets, spurs them to share what little they have with the O’Malleys. 

In this charming holiday hybrid story, well-known children’s author and editor Arthur A. Levine pairs with award-winning illustrator Kevin Hawkes to offer a mythical, magical take on the way Jewish families came to give and receive gifts over Hanukkah, just as their Christian neighbours do at Christmas, thanks to a loving spirit named Nate Gadol working behind the scenes – together with a certain jolly old soul.

Author's Note

I grew up in a family that observed all our Jewish holidays with relish. We lit candles and sang blessings every Friday night for Shabbat. I dressed up as King Ahasuerus for the Purim parade and ate candy apples at shul. We decorated the sukkah, scoured the house, and brought out bright-yellow dairy plates for Passover. But Hanukkah held a special place for me as a child. And it wasn’t just the dreidel games at the family party and the latkes! Oh, latkes! For sure it was also the anticipation of . . . presents.

Hanukkah celebrations have long borrowed from extra-Jewish culture. One of the classic holiday songs, “Maoz Tsur” (“Sheltering Rock”), drew its tune from two popular German folk songs in the sixteenth century. Dreidels came from a central European gambling game in the 1500s. But it turns out that present giving on Hanukkah is a peculiarly American innovation. As far back as the late 1800s, settling into our new home as the fear of pogroms in the old country began to fade, we looked for ways to experience and express the first whiffs of economic progress. And one of the ways that seemed most satisfying to parents was buying gifts for their children. 

This sparked what has been called the “Hanukkah industry.” Historian Dianne Ashton, author of Hanukkah in America, tells us that Yiddish newspapers of the time started to make money by running advertisements for holiday gifts and that “‘presents’ was among the first English words to appear in Yiddish newspapers.” 

There’s still debate about whether or not this was a good thing, but I can raise my hand as one little boy who was anything but ambivalent. 

And yet presents didn’t completely overcome, for me and many others, the challenge of being a Jewish child during Christmas. It was hard not to feel what we now call “erasure” as advertisements, holiday specials, and school concerts made the time of year seem like one reserved for Christians. Christmas decorations made everything pretty, with twinkling lights and festive wreaths everywhere, but not for us. And Christmas creativity was everywhere—such great songs (many written by Jews, but still), such great food, and such great stories!

I always felt, “Hey, these stories don’t even really have anything to do with religion!” Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? “Frosty the Snowman”? SANTA CLAUS? Even How the Grinch Stole Christmas! They came out at Christmastime, but they were part of a whole wonderful supplementary mythology.

In my memories, and especially lately, with my own son, I have often wished that we could build up a bit more mythology too. In the same way that new recipes for matzah brei or a beautiful new piece of music can enhance our experience without changing the religious observance and meaning of Jewish holidays, I wanted to do that with a story. I hope you enjoy!

- Arthur A. Levine

Click here to download our Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol activity sheets!