April Literature Review

The River by Tom Percival (Simon and Schuster Children’s, March 3rd 2022)

From the brilliant Tom Percival comes this new picture book. A picture book that is as clever as it is beautiful. Rowan loves his home but he especially loves the river, so reflective is it of his feelings. And as Rowan’s life flows along, so too does the river: feeling and flowing; sometimes calm and other-times angry and wild. But the anger never lasts for long and calm is restored. Then one winter, there is a terrible cold-spell and Rowan’s beloved river freezes and so too do Rowan’s emotions. This leaves him feeling isolated and lost until he discovers a little bird that desperately needs his help. Stunning and with a lovely parallel in plot with Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones (for which we have a Reception sequence coming soon) this gentle, yet powerful, book is perfect for engaging the youngest children in school in discussions about their own and others’ feelings. 

The Lost Whale by Hannah Gold (Harper Collins’ Children’s Books, 31st March 2022)

We were delighted to receive an advance copy of this eagerly anticipated book by Hannah Gold, whose first novel, The Last Bear, which was only released last year, has already brought joy to so many. This second novel – with some parallel tropes including the special bond between a child and a magnificent creature -  is exquisitely written with such an astute understanding of the complexity of emotion felt by the main protagonist. Rio (rather fortuitously named, given this month’s review theme) has essentially spent his childhood as his mother’s carer, so acute are her bouts of depression. So when she needs to spend time as an inpatient on a psychiatric ward, having no one else to look after Rio, he is flown to California to spend a month on the coast with his grandmother, Fran. At first, furious and terrified that he’s not back in the UK to care for his mum, he withdraws, refusing to engage with Fran in conversation or leave the house his mother grew up in to explore the local area. But when Fran leaves a shoebox filled with sketches his mother made as a child, Rio discovers her love of grey whales. And one whale in particular has been drawn over and over: White Beak. If only he can catch a glimpse of White Beak then maybe, just maybe he can find a way back to happiness for both himself and his mother. He catches much more than a glimpse, however, and undergoes the most profound experience of his life. Could it be that Rio has an extraordinary ability? A gift? And will using this gift help not only to save the whales, who are under threat from the impact of global warming and the rafts of plastic that pollutes the Pacific, but give Rio a sense of purpose and a feeling of belonging? Devastatingly beautiful prose weaves together adventure, grief, guilt and love. This stunning novel will enthral and captivate whilst very much giving upper primary age children insight what the life of a child with a parent experiencing a mental health crisis might be like, including the complexities and non-linear nature of recovery.

Loki- A Bad God’s Guide to Being Good by Louie Stowell (Walker Books, 3rd February 2022)

Loki is a Norse God who after an incident involving a pair of scissors and the flaxen hair of a goddess, has been banished to Earth, his punishment to live as a mere mortal, incognito, until he has learned right from wrong. But somehow (and with a good dollop of guidance from the straight-talking Odin in the form of a diary that can read Loki’s thoughts and keep him on the straight and narrow, so to speak) he learns to develop an awareness of others’ needs and realises that he’s no longer alone or lonely. And to run with our river theme, we see how this character’s storyline wends – like a river might – slowly in a specified direction but over time and with many twists and meanders. What we think is so special about this book, which has flown-off bookshelves since its publication earlier this year, is the painfully accurate portrayal of an eleven-year-old boy’s life’s challenges juxtaposed with his true, God-self, who is arrogant yet somehow also rather likeable. It is laugh-out-loud funny and drips with sarcasm but the humour doesn't cheapen the narrative: Louie Stowell’s clever crafting gives her reader the opportunity to delve into sophisticated vocabulary and turns of phrase. This text would work as a perfect class book for children in upper KS2.

The Greatest Show on Earth by Mini Grey (Puffin, 28th April 2022)

With that quirky and highly detailed style that Mini Grey has, there is such delight to experience through this fantastic new non-fiction book. Set upon a stage, as a show (as the title would suggest), several actors perform the ‘story’ of evolution. We are taken back to earth as it was in the beginning, through to the very first life-forms – all underwater initially and how these have evolved. How each new development in each of the eras connects with what’s gone before and what follows are ideal for teaching children about interdependence and adaptation. The hard-and-fast historical and scientific facts appear to the front of each stage wing. We particularly like ‘The Rise of the Mammals’ page, where mammals are coming into being and cut-outs from magazines are using to create hybrid would-be/could-be creatures! Mini Grey cleverly makes what is abstract, concrete and relatable. Humour and word-play also help achieve this, making it the sort of text that would lend itself to the development of multiple comprehension skills. Ideal for children in key stage 2, particularly those who are needing to develop stamina whilst accessing engaging content and vocabulary.

*No- we’ve not omitted a capital letter for a proper noun: Luogo commune is Italian for cliché/stereotype and is the pseudonym of illustrator and street-artist from Cremona, Jacopo Ghisoni. His raison d'etre is to break down stereotypes, using his art as a way of telling ‘secret stories and hidden adventures’. Boats of literally every type have been included in this stunning book that utilises a simple colour-palette of red, blue, white and brown – perhaps this unifying of all boats is part of the message that they all have different stories yet are all created (almost) equal? There are fishing trawlers; rowing boats; liners (including The Titanic); floating churches; paddle steamers; The Claremont – the first steam-engine-powered ship launched in 1807 along the Hudson River and even submersibles. This is the sort of stylish coffee-table hardback book that could be enjoyed by boating, sailing and sea-faring enthusiasts – as well as land lubbers - of any age.