Perfect books to celebrate mummies

Mother's Day is just around the corner and we have selected some of our favourite books that celebrate mums and grandmas! 

Mum, Me and the Mulberry Tree

by Tanya Rosie and illustrated by Chuck Groenink

As the sun starts to rise, a mother and daughter head out, hand in hand, on their annual outing together. A special tradition, just the two of them. They’re leaving the town behind and going to the wild fields, where their mulberry tree is waiting. There’s juice on their hands and stains on their shirts as they collect berries and share a picnic; then it's home to savour crumbly, sticky slices of fresh mulberry pie...

Brought to life by Chuck Groenink’s soft and vivid illustrations, this is a deeply resonant story, warm with the joy of tradition and the sweetness of moments spent with people we love.

Little Fish and Mummy

by Lucy Cousins

This heart-warming story follows Little Fish and Mummy on a rhyming adventure under the sea! Join them on their special day as Mummy Fish teaches Little Fish how to swim, blow big bubbles and say hello to all their friends. Little ones will love to read this story about the special bond between mother and child, perfect for Mother's Day gifting. This sturdy fish-shaped board book is ideal for tiny hands.

Mother's Day 

by Shirley Hughes

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 fun of waking Mum and Dad up in the morning, getting the bus into town with Mum or even stories all together at bedtime, this joyous tale gives readers a snapshot into a child's day and celebrates the special bond between a mother and child.

Five Minutes' Peace: Books and Toy Gift Set

by Jill Murphy

"If you are not familiar with these stories, you really have not lived ... you just couldn't get better." Guardian

Mums everywhere will understand the plight of poor Mrs Large. All she wants is five minutes' peace and quiet away from her boisterous children! So, taking refuge in the bathroom, she fills herself a hot, foamy bubble bath and takes in a tray of her favourite breakfast and the morning paper. But there’s never a dull moment with the Large family, and it soon becomes clear that mum's quiet time is to be very short-lived! Family life is beautifully observed in this warm and funny modern classic from Jill Murphy, now available in this book and toy gift set! 

Baby, Sleepy Baby

by Atinuke and illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

A beautiful and lyrical book that celebrates the warmth and tenderness of wrapping baby in night-time's embrace. Based on a Nigerian lullaby sung to Atinuke by her father, this story delights in the magical moments shared with a whole family and their baby at bedtime.

My Grandma and Me 

by Mina Javaherbin and Lindsey Yankey 

While Mina is growing up in Iran, the centre of her world is her grandmother. Whether visiting friends next door, going to the mosque for midnight prayers during Ramadan, or taking an imaginary trip around the planets, Mina and her grandma are never far apart... At once deeply personal and utterly universal, this story is a love letter of the rarest sort: the kind that shares a bit of its warmth with every reader.

Heather Has Two Mummies

by Leslea Newman and illustrated by Laura Cornell

Heather's favourite number is two - she has two arms, two legs, two pets and two lovely mummies. But when Heather goes to school for the first time, someone asks her about her daddy... and Heather doesn't have a daddy. But then the class all draw portraits of their families, and not one single drawing is the same. Heather and her classmates realize - it doesn't matter who makes up a family, the most important thing is that all the people in it love one another very much.

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Available from all good booksellers!

10 years of Oh No, George! by Chris Haughton

 

The hilarious read-aloud story by the multiple award-winning author-illustrator of A Bit Lost, Shh! We Have a Plan, Goodnight Everyone, Don't Worry, Little Crab, and Maybe.

 Harris is off to do some shopping. "Will you be good, George?" he asks his dog. George hopes he can. He really wants to ... but chocolate cake is just so very delicious and he does love to chase cat... What will George do now?

Shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, Chris Haughton's distinctive artwork perfectly accompanies the innocent charm of affable George, a dog trying to be good – with hilarious results!

Click here for our activity sheets! 

   

The 10th Anniversary Edition of  Oh No, George! is now available to buy from all good booksellers, click here to find out more!

New March Picture Book Releases

Check out a selection of our March releases below! 

The Boy with Flowers in His Hair
by Jarvis

David is the boy with flowers in his hair. He’s sweet and gentle, just like his petals. But when David’s flowers begin to fall – a single petal at first, then every last blossom – his best friend never leaves his side. And through kindness and creativity, he even finds a way to give David his colour back…

Beautifully illustrated and sensitively told, this story is about being there for someone when they are at their most vulnerable, and brings to life a pure and poignant friendship that children will never forget.

Bunnies in a Boat
by Philip Ardagh and illustrated by Ben Mantle

It's time for another wild bunny-tastic adventure! And this time, the bunnies have commandeered a BOAT! All across Sunnytown Beach, the Bunnies are dashing and a-splashing on a speedboat frenzy. They whoosh past the sail-boats, and zoooom across the sand, then it's up on to the jetty where silly billy Bunnies get all covered in spaghetti! But, oh no, where are the bunnies off to now? To the airport, across the tarmac ... it's bunnies on the PLANE. Here we go again...

A Good Place
by Lucy Cousins

Four insect friends are looking for a place to live – one that has flowers for Bee, leaves for Ladybird, a pond for Dragonfly and dead wood for Beetle. But – oh no! – with dangers all around, a good place is not so easy to find.

This brand new picture book from internationally acclaimed author-illustrator Lucy Cousins sees new depth and contrast to her familiar vivid colour palette. The story has a gentle, environmentally-conscious message that brings the natural world to joyful and vibrant life for young readers, inviting them to consider what they can do to help make our planet a good place for all living creatures.

Mum, Me and the Mulberry Tree
by Tanya Rosie and illustrated by Chuck Groenink

Will there be many and will they be ripe?

Mum whispers, "Just wait and see."

As the sun starts to rise, a mother and daughter head out, hand in hand, on their annual outing together. A special tradition, just the two of them. They’re leaving the town behind and going to the wild fields, where their mulberry tree is waiting. There’s juice on their hands and stains on their shirts as they collect berries and share a picnic; then it's home to savour crumbly, sticky slices of fresh mulberry pie...

Brought to life by Chuck Groenink’s soft and vivid illustrations, this is a deeply resonant story, warm with the joy of tradition and the sweetness of moments spent with people we love.

Arabic Folktales

by Rodaan Al Galidi, illustrated by Geertje Aalders and translated by Laura Watkinson

The twenty fables and folktales in this illustrated storybook have taken a long journey. Many have roots that stretch across Europe, Asia and Africa, but when award-winning writer and gatherer of tales Rodaan Al Galidi learned them in his homeland of Iraq, it was as Arabic folktales and as part of the Arabic storytelling tradition. When he migrated to the Netherlands, he shaped twenty of those tales into his debut book for children, which was translated to English by Laura Watkinson.

Filled with wisdom about love and acceptance, and warnings against folly, these elegantly translated stories of donkeys and roosters, kings, sheikhs, and paupers are exquisitely illustrated by cut-paper artist Geertje Aalders.

Beautifully packaged, Arabic Folktales is a rich and varied introduction to the world of Middle Eastern folklore.

Five Minutes' Peace
by Jill Murphy

"If you are not familiar with these stories, you really have not lived ... you just couldn't get better" Guardian

Mums everywhere will understand the plight of poor Mrs Large. All she wants is five minutes' peace and quiet away from her boisterous children! So, taking refuge in the bathroom, she fills herself a hot, foamy bubble bath and takes in a tray of her favourite breakfast and the morning paper. But there’s never a dull moment with the Large family, and it soon becomes clear that mum's quiet time is to be very short-lived! Family life is beautifully observed in this warm and funny modern classic from Jill Murphy.

Available for the first time with the cutest soft toy version of the Little One, this is the perfect present for your own little ones!

Ada and the Galaxies
by Alan Lightman & Olga Pastuchiv and illustrated by Susanna Chapman

There is so much for Ada to do while visiting her grandparents on an island in Maine, but no amount of beachcombing and kayaking during the day can take the place of looking at the bright and beautiful stars at night. She can hardly wait for the sun to set, but will a thick fog spoil her stargazing plans?

Photographs taken from the Hubble telescope are seamlessly layered with charming illustrations to beautifully bring to life this enchanting story of a curious child and her caring grandfather, who share a love for our incredible night sky and the mysteries it holds.

It's Mine!
by Emma Yarlett 

Once there was a mysterious thing. Nobody knew how it got there, it just was. “It’s mine, all MINE!” say Mouse, Frog, Fox and Bear. But is it a piece of fruit, a wheel, a ball, a chair or something else altogether? And who will get to keep it in the end?

Now out in Paperback!

Click here for our It's Mine! Activity Sheets.

Not That Pet!
by Smriti Halls and illustrated by Rosalind Beardshaw

Hooray! Mabel and her family are getting a pet! There's no time to lose! But which kind of animal should they choose? Not the snake – it's too scary. The elephant's too big. The worms are too wriggly and the hyena too giggly. Then Mabel has a perfect idea. But will her family agree? A laugh-out-loud rhyming story about finding the perfect pet – with plenty of hilarious twists along the way. Now out in Paperback!

Nano: The Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small
by Smriti Halls and illustrated by Ben Mantle

"We need more beautifully illustrated and involving non-fiction like this. Wade and Castrillón introduce nanoscience with perfect clarity and inviting pictures." The Sunday Times

Everything is made from something ... but the way we make things, from the materials we use to the science and technology involved, is changing fast. Nano offers a fascinating narrative introduction to this cutting-edge area of STEM, better known by the name "nanotechnology". With words by Dr Jess Wade – a highly skilled physicist and trailblazing campaigner for diversity in STEM fields – and beautiful, dynamic pictures by award-winning artist Melissa Castrillón, this is the perfect book for budding young scientists and engineers.

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All of our March releases are now available from all good booksellers.

Saving the Butterfly - Q&A with Author, Helen Cooper

 

A little brother and his big sister try their best to settle in a new home, where they have nothing left from before except each other. The little one makes new friends and quickly learns to laugh again but his sister remains haunted by the shadows of their past and hides away in their broken house. Trying to help his sister, the little one catches a butterfly for her and brings it inside the house. His sister knows that she needs to set the butterfly free ... but that would mean going outside. In taking the first steps to face her fears and save the butterfly, she also begins the process of saving herself.

What was the inspiration behind Saving the Butterfly, and how did you begin writing it?

Many of my books are a gentle look at childhood anxieties: the fear of losing someone or being lost, or even the fear of a bear living under the stairs. I was an anxious child, so I try to tread lightly, with humour to counter the theme. But when Denise Johnstone-Burt at Walker Books asked if I could write a picture book text about anxiety for another illustrator, I knew here was an opportunity to write something more serious and symbolic: a story that might work best with a looser and more suggestive style of illustration than my own.

      Early on a brother and a sister came to mind: a resilient, chirpy younger child and his older sister who copes admirably for both of them in a crisis but afterwards suffers from anxiety and her memories of the past. I'm always interested in the manner different characters react to the same situation. This is the heart of the story. The lyrical phrases that I'm searching for when I write a picture book surfaced when I thought of using a butterfly as a metaphor for the girl's courage: I knew a butterfly could be a strong symbol for fragility and the spirit of survival. Then came the imagery of the dark sea to represent trauma and the rhythm flowed.

      But I had intended to write more universally about anxiety. My characters had evolved into refugees who had lost everything. There could be no easy resolution for them.  And although the dark sea is meant to represent any sort of trauma - and all the dark seas that people have fled from in the past, as well as now - I felt daunted. I worried about winding myself into some real person's tragedy. For a while, I put the story aside.

I am not a refugee, although my parents on both sides were the children of immigrants, Jewish on one side, Irish catholic on the other. Both families came over the sea with very little and found refuge in this country. I think about that often. In the end, I returned to the story because the need for home and safety and kindness is so universal. This is a gentle tale of two children saving a butterfly. And though the hope at the end of the story is fragile I hope that with Gill Smith's poignant illustrations it might become a book that children will want to share.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the writing process and what was it like to see Gill Smith’s illustrations for the first time?

This is the first book I have written but not illustrated. Just now I am working on fiction for older children, but I've been missing picture books. The prospect of collaborating with another illustrator was really intriguing. I'm most comfortable when writing in picture book form so my stories tend to be shaped around natural page turns. But apart from that structure I only allowed myself the haziest ideas about the artwork: darkness for the sea and shadows, with a rainbow brightness for the butterfly. To imagine more might have spoiled my reaction to what an illustrator could bring to the story and I was really keen not to get in their way.

     
Louise Jackson, the art director, sent Gill Smith's first black and white roughs during the first Covid lockdown. I was thrilled. They were stunning: simple yet strong; sensitive, and well-composed with gorgeous figure work. I had only one worry. Would she be able to carry that emotional intensity through to final full-colour art? That can be tough. 

      But the final artwork was even better than I had hoped. The illustrations are gorgeous: spacious and powerful, gentle and compassionate all at once; Gill's figures are her forte, especially those so simply indicated faces full of emotion. Collaborating with Gill on this book has been a joy.  
 

A special thanks to our guest this week, Helen Cooper!

To read more about Helen Cooper go to www.helencooperbooks.co.uk.

Saving the Butterfly is now available from all good booksellers.

 https://booklink.walker.co.uk/saving-the-butterfly/

Saving the Butterfly - Q&A with Illustrator Gill Smith

  

A little brother and his big sister try their best to settle in a new home, where they have nothing left from before except each other. The little one makes new friends and quickly learns to laugh again but his sister remains haunted by the shadows of their past and hides away in their broken house. Trying to help his sister, the little one catches a butterfly for her and brings it inside the house. His sister knows that she needs to set the butterfly free ... but that would mean going outside. In taking the first steps to face her fears and save the butterfly, she also begins the process of saving herself.

Can you tell us more about your journey into children’s books?

 

As a child, I was in my element drawing and that never left me. However, I didn’t summon the courage to go to art school until my thirties after an English Literature degree, primary teaching and working within community arts.

 

When I graduated in 2008 with a Graphic Arts degree from Liverpool School of Art, I wasn’t sure how to find work as an illustrator. Liverpool had become the European Capital of Culture and exciting arts events were happening all over the city. By chance, I came across an amazing show in the park. An acrobatic fairy was twirling from a huge paper moon, high above the trees! There was fire, music, puppetry and I was completely enchanted. It was the creation of The Lantern Company, a community arts organisation. That night I wrote to them asking if I could work with them.

                                        

Consequently, I found myself in their old warehouse surrounded by a menagerie of giant creatures. I had run away and joined the circus at last! The next ten or so years were my artist apprenticeship, painting and making outdoor spectacles with a network of performers, designers, pyrotechnicians, musicians and community groups.

 

   

The Lantern Company 2008

 

 I was forever obsessing over children’s book illustration and I noticed in Martin Salisbury’s Children’s Picturebooks (2012) that the illustrators I so admired had studied with him at Cambridge School of Art. This discovery led to a leap of faith, a move to Cambridge to gain an MA in Childen’s Book Illustration where I was inspired by Martin, Pam Smy and many great illustrators and fellow students.

 

During the MA, I won an illustration competition I met one of the judges, Louise Jackson. I signed with an agent Claire Cartey and I was then approached by Louise shortly afterwards with the manuscript for Saving The Butterfly by Helen Cooper. I was elated that I was going to work with Walker Books, the publisher of all the beloved books I had grown up with.

 

I’m aware I make this journey to illustrating books sound quite smooth but the reality was a couple of decades of part time jobs to keep afloat whilst freelancing, financial insecurity, and a growing feeling of failure! Sometimes I worried that I was foolish for not getting a ‘proper job’ and making life easier. I’m really glad I didn’t as I am in my element once again, illustrating children’s books.

 

 

How did you begin illustrating Saving the Butterfly?

 

The poetic nature of Helen’s writing sparked my imagination straight away. It conveys big emotions with few words, inviting the reader to ask questions. Who are the little one and the bigger one, where have they come from and why are they all alone? It is an intimate story about two children but it speaks gently of the trauma experienced by unaccompanied child refugees in many parts of the world. Helen wanted the story to represent all children who have escaped from danger, not just now but in the past and sadly, those who may experience it in the future.

 

Helen was exceptionally generous throughout the process. She allowed me to find my own interpretation but was encouraging and offered insight and suggestions. I felt reassured that I could draw on both her and the Walker team to help to tell this story sensitively. I started by drawing my way into the themes of home and safety in my sketchbook. There were many versions of the ‘broken house’  with elements from refugee camps, informal tent settlements, favelas and slums. I find the fragility of such adhoc dwellings very emotive. I pieced them together, building a patchwork of temporary looking buildings that could exist anywhere in the world.

 

I also focused on the sibling relationship of the story and found myself drawing on childhood memories. My younger sister, Jen and I were close, always dressed the same and sharing a bunkbed. I remembered how protective I felt on our first day in a scary new school. She was much more adventurous than me though and could run up steep hills and climb trees where I could be quite timid. I couldn’t sleep without the security of my scruffy toy rabbit, Bobo who features in the book. I also remembered the reassurance of heavy woollen blankets and eiderdowns when we stayed overnight in my Aunty Jean’s big house and this informed the patchwork comfort blanket wrapped around the little girl. I could remember the wonder of looking closely at a worm in the mud or a ladybird on your hand and I recalled the dramatic day that my sister and I attempted to rescue a fallen baby bird. This kind of childhood stuff drifts through your mind when you are drawing for hours each day and I think some of the feelings and sensations found a way into this book.

 

I realise what a priviledged childhood I had. As I write this I am hearing on the radio of orphans from Ukraine being supported by a charity to come to the UK. More little ones and bigger ones in

trauma. And in Yemen, children are dying of malnutrition and bombs are being dropped on them, bombs made in the UK. I have been volunteering with a solidarity group of of local women called Habibti Liverpool who fundraise for the only free children’s hospital in Yemen. The hospital is run by Paediatrician Dr. Najla Al-Sonboli who lived in Liverpool while completing her training. Although offered the chance to return to safety in the UK, the medics decided they had a duty to remain and help treat the sick in a country suffering from a dire humanitarian crisis brought on by the war. I feel compelled to try and raise awareness if I can. 

See facebook@HabibtiLiverpool for more information about their work.

 

What was your favourite spread to illustrate in Saving the Butterfly?

 

The last spread was my favourite. I had become so protective of the little brother and sister having spent a lot of time with them. It was a relief to give them a more hopeful scene to play in. We didn’t want to sugar coat the reality with a neat and tidy ending but rather acknowledge the little girl’s tentative step towards her recovery. I looked at newspaper photographs of Syrian children who had found safety in a childrens centre in Lebanon. Miraculously they are smiling for the camera, singing and playing with their friends. Whilst the struggle to survive makes them older than their years there are moments where they perhaps feel safe enough to play like any child in a playground would.

 

In this spread, I imagined the potential new friendships between the children. It felt very emotional to draw the characters who, ‘on that day’, could retain their right to play.

  

What are your favourite picturebooks, both older and more recent?

I really enjoy the warmth of Helen Oxenbury’s characters. The family members in So Much ( Walker 1994) are just fantastic. I find Laura Carlin’s illustration in Nicola Davies The Promise very beautiful. I love her mark making and naive urban landscapes. Paula White’s, A Baker by The Sea is a book I’m very excited about. I witnessed Paula develop this during our time on the MA. It is exceptional.

 

As a child, I adored Mrs Wobble the Waitress by the Ahlbergs and read it over and over again. She wobbles uncontrollably and spills roast chicken and jelly over the bewildered guests. I’ll stop here as I could go on and on about children’s books forever.

 

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A special thanks to our guest this week, Gill Smith!

Saving the Butterfly is now available from all good booksellers.

 https://booklink.walker.co.uk/saving-the-butterfly/

New February Picture Book Releases

Check out a selection of our February releases below! 

Saving the Butterfly
by Helen Cooper and illustrated by Gill Smith

A poetic, powerful story about a little brother and a big sister finding a new home and new hope.

A little brother and his big sister try their best to settle in a new home, where they have nothing left from before except each other. The little one makes new friends and quickly learns to laugh again but his sister remains haunted by the shadows of their past and hides away in their broken house. Trying to help his sister, the little one catches a butterfly for her and brings it inside the house. His sister knows that she needs to set the butterfly free ... but that would mean going outside. In taking the first steps to face her fears and save the butterfly, she also begins the process of saving herself.

We will have guest blog posts with Helen Cooper and Gill Smith coming over the next few weeks!

I Am Not An Octopus
by Eoin McLaughlin and illustrated by Marc Boutavant

Terry is not an octopus. He's just a regular guy with a few extra arms. Yes, he loves tuna and yes, he'd love to visit Super Octopus Fantasea Adventure World. But octopuses live in the sea. And Terry is afraid of water. Maybe he should learn to swim? A very silly story about being brave, facing your fears and accepting who you really are.

I Kissed the Baby!
by Mary Murphy

"I saw the baby! Did you see the baby?" "Yes! I saw the baby, the teeny, weeny thing." "I tickled the baby! Did you tickle the baby?" "Yes! I tickled the baby, the wriggly, giggly thing!" Join in the fun in this shout-out-loud board book for the very youngest of children. Now available as a board book.

Little Fish's Ocean
by Lucy Cousins

Explore the ocean with Little Fish and meet new friends along the way! Swim in shallow rock pools and lush kelp fields; dive down to the ocean depths and play in cold seas before finally heading home to Mummy Fish in the colourful coral reef. With large flaps that open out to reveal panoramic underwater scenes, this book is a perfect way to share the wonderful diversity of marine life with the very young.

Chirp
by Mary Murphy

We all have a voice and a song to sing! In this joyful, rhythmical picture book, Mary Murphy brings to life the beauty of the dawn chorus and shows that even the smallest of birds – and the littlest of readers – have a powerful voice. With stunning graphic artwork set against a rainbow of sky colour, Chirp heralds a new day and new beginnings.

Apple and Magnolia
by Laura Gehl and illustrated by Patricia Metola

Britta’s two favourite trees, Apple and Magnolia, are best friends. Britta can't explain how she is so sure about the friendship, but deep down in her heart, she knows it is true. Then, one day, Magnolia’s branches start to droop. Her bark grows patchy. Her leaves turn brown… Can Britta find a way to help Magnolia survive the cold winter months? With glowing illustrations from illustrator Patricia Metola, this gentle story explores the mystery of trees, the magic of nature, and one girl’s hope, determination and nurturing spirit.

The Midnight Fair
by Gideon Sterer and illustrated by Mariachiara Di Giorgio

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…

Now available in paperback.

Click here to read our Q&A with Gideon Sterer!

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 see 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.

Now out in paperback.

Click here to read our Q&A with Maria Karipidou and here for our activity sheets!

Can Bear Ski?
by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar

This new paperback edition includes an illustrated BSL alphabet.
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?"

Click here to read our Q&A with Polly Dunbar!

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All of our February releases are now available from all good booksellers.