story time books

Another book from the creators of The Gruffalo, Tiddler, and many more, Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, brand new in hardback in time for Christmas. Stick Man is another of those wonderful picture books where there are little titbits for the adult reader as well as for the child listener. E.g. “Stick Man lives in the family tree”, and as usual these two work together so that the sum of the story and illustrations is greater than the parts, which are of the highest quality anyway.  Stick Man sets out for a jog but keeps being mistaken for other things, a stick (by a dog) , a Pooh-stick (by a child), a twig (by a nest-creating swan), a mast for a sand castle (by a parent), a sword for a knight, a hook for a bag, a pen, a bow, a bat or a boomerang, an arm for a snowman, and the final indignity, firewood. But he hears a noise in the chimney, and frees a stuck Santa who returns the favour by delivering him back to the family tree. Delightful fun especially leading up to Christmas, but to be enjoyed any time of year.

Here at last, for those who have been waiting impatiently for some time, is the final book in Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart trilogy. I’m half way through and it seems a worthy continuation of the fabulous story of the Inkworld. Funke is a very good writer, the translation reads easily, and those wanting to find out what happens to Mo, Meggie, Resa and the rest of the characters will have their answers here. Hardback only now at $30. The situation in the Inkworld is rather dark, and there is violence and killing, wwith some of Fenoglio’s characters being rather evil, but there are moments of heroism and love, and the continuing metaphor for writing, reading and love of books and the stories kept there.

This is a new book by Graeme Base, whose Animalia has sales approaching three million copies. This one has a mystery at its centre, a bit like The Eleventh Hour, so that it works on several levels. As an ordinary (or rather extraordinary) picture book it has a wonderful rhyming story about young Bertie Badger, who visits his grandpa, formerly the world-renowned conjurer, Gadzooks the Great, at the Retirement Home for Elderly Magicians. But when he gets there he discovers that all the magicians’ props have disappeared. Bertie swears that he will solve the mystery and visits all the other magicians to find out what each is missing. So it’s a fantastic picture book without any of the extras, which involve solving the mystery by looking carefully and using a code-breaking machine which is part of the endpapers. There are clues for those who can’t work it out, but some will have hours of fun trying to do it without resorting to the cheat sheet. As fans of Graeme Base will expect, a magical book about magic. A very special gift.

Now in paperback, this is a wonderful collaboration between Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. I reviewed it last year in September when it came in hardcover, but now it’s affordable for many more people, and should become a much loved addition to many bookshelves. The rhyme and rhythm are impeccable, the story is great, the illustrations fantastic. This is one of the best picture books of the last two years. Enjoy it with a child soon.

This is the third volume of The Laws of Magic by Australian author Michael Pryor. I reviewed the second volume here in October last year. For me this is one of those wonderful series that gets better as it goes on, because of the reader’s increasing knowledge of the characters and situations. Pryor’s writing is rich and allusive, the dialogue sparkles with extra meanings, and the plot excitement ebbs and flows in a very lifelike manner. The tension between Aubrey and Caroline is still present, and he has been at least partly forgiven for his behaviour in the previous story. Aubrey, Caroline and George are up against arch-villain Dr Tremaine, the former Sorcerer-General, who is plotting dastardly deeds against Albion, and there’s a constant threat of war hanging over everything. Although I sometimes feel that series go on for too long, this one, like the last volume, has me keen to read the next book. The dialogue and language used, rather than any content, make this a teenage read. If sophisticated magic sounds like you, enjoy this.

This follow-up to A Birthday in the Life of Ozzie Kingsford, also by Val Bird with illustrations by Rebecca Cundy, is just as amusing as its predecessor. This time the setting is the Kingsford home, but the characters are the same: Ozzie, Holly, aka the Brat, Mum, Dad and Ozzie’s friend Fletch. And the occasion this time is the visit of Ozzie’s mum’s brother, Uncle Rusty. Oh, and in the list of characters I should have mentioned Snoops the dog and the forest sprites which followed them home after all the activity of the last book. This can be read without the first book, but the characters are already familiar if you have read that one first, and it sounds as if there are at least two more to come in the series. As with the first book there are different fonts and lots of pictures to keep the interest of those who might otherwise struggle. Great for reading to those ready for a longer story who can’t yet read it themselves, and for those who can and like action, humour, and a few pictures still to break up the text.

If you are someone, or have someone, who has been moaning about finding something magical after Harry Potter, this novel, Book One of a trilogy by Sarah Prineas could be an answer. It has recommendations on the cover from Diana Wynne Jones and  Joseph Delaney, both of whom write books about magic themselves,  and it grabbed my attention and held it. Connwaer is a thief, and at the beginning of the book he steals a stone from a pocket. What he doesn’t know is that the pocket is a magician’s, and the stone a locus magicalicus. By rights he should have died immediately, and the fact that he doesn’t interests the wizard, Nevery, just returned to his city after a long exile. Magic is slowly leaking out of the city and Nevery has been invited back to see if he can help. The book is funny, exciting and magical as Connwaer is taken on as the wizard’s apprentice, and begins to understan what is happening to the city. A great read for anyone who likes magical books, one of the best of its type I’ve read this year, with interesting characters, a sound plot, and good writing.

Fans of Emily Gravett’s quirky picture books will be excited at the appearance of another, and those who haven’t yet discovered her work may start here and work back through some of her others. Some of the trademarks are there, like the play on her own name. This time the book of spells the frog opens is by Emily Gribbitt. But as well as familiar jokes, she’s always got something new to surprise. This book plays with the idea of the frog and the handsome prince, and I suppose that’s the essence of her approach, the playfulness. She’s one of those wonderful creators who seems to have no trouble tapping into her own sense of childhood and play. There’s an amazing amount to be discovered by the careful looker in a Gravett book. This time a small green frog finds a book of spells. He wishes it was a book about boats, and he a pirate, or a book about castles and he a handsome prince kissing a princess, but then, having ripped most of the book up, he has an idea, and tries to put the pages back together. After many attempts, which we share through split pages, he finally gets the words, which children will love: “Bim Bam Barebum Alaka mince”, and a naked prince appears, strategically covered, when he turns around, with some pieces of the book’s pages. When he kisses the beautiful princess he reverts to green froginess, and the endpapers show a fragment of a page: “SMALL PRINT. Please read carefully. Handsome Prince Spell will be reversed upon the kiss of a genuine princess.” Wonderful zany stuff which the right child, and many adults will love. Emily’s last book, Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears is now in paperback.

Mo Willems’s Leonardo is a terrible monster. Not terrible in the sense of terrifying, terrible in the sense that he’s not very good at it. he can’t scare anyone. He hasn’t got lots of teeth, he’s not big, or weird, and not matter how hard he tries he can’t scare anyone. So he comes up with a cunning plan. He’ll find the most scaredy-cat kid in the world and scare the tuna salad out of him. After exhaustive research Sam is chosen and after much effort on Leonardo’s part, Sam cries. “Yes!” gloats Leonardo. “I finally did it”. But then Sam gives him all the reasons he was crying, and none of them has anything to do with Leonardo. So Leonardo makes a momentous decision, and instead of being a terrible monster, decides to be a wonderful friend. Simple (apart from Sam’s long explanation of why he’s crying), funny, and rather cute, and will appeal to those who love Mo Willems’s pigeon and Knuffle Bunny.

Subtitled The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures, this has a simplified, child-friendly text and illustrations by many of today’s best illustrators of children’s books. To mention only some is probably unfair but will give some idea.  Nicholas Allan, John Burningham, Korky Paul, Axel Scheffler, Bob Graham, Debi Gliori and Polly Dunbar are among them. The styles cover a wide range from nearly realistic to cartoon-like, from monochrome to full colour, from prints to paintings. Two introductions, one from John Boyne, author of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and one from David Tennant, the actor who plays one of the incarnations of Dr Who, set the scene and after that the words and pictures do their own explaining. Great for school libraries and classrooms and for home. All royalties have been donated to Amnesty International. What a wonderful idea.