Posted on: 26/03/2025
This month we’re celebrating picture books and all things spring. The vernal equinox – that is, the first official day of spring – signals a beginning. New life and the promise of lush, verdant spaces appearing as grass greens, leaves open and flowers bloom have the potential to lift everybody’s spirits. There seem to be endless possibilities and perhaps adventures outside, too!
With this in mind, we are exploring new beginnings, change and the great outdoors in this month’s review, with a specific focus on the power of illustration and how transformative picture books can be in ensuring children embark upon adventures of the imagination as much as physical adventures in the world.
A Seed in the Universe by Elyon Liu
(Post Wave, 27th March 2025)
This is a sumptuously illustrated peep-through book that demonstrates the connectedness of everything in the world. In almost board-book form on high density paper, through this cumulative tale, we explore a seed which is growing inside an apple which is eaten by a caterpillar which is hiding from a bird…
The rhythmic quality creates a pleasing, predictable narrative and this makes for a delightful read. Simple in concept yet so richly illustrated, Liu’s love for nature shines through. Perfect for children in Reception, especially if they are exploring the book, the tiny seed by Eric Carle.
No-one is Home by Mikolaj Pa, illustrated by Gosia Herba
(Greystone Kids, 10th April 2025)
Leo Lion wakes up on his best friend’s birthday and, deciding to give him a surprise, heads off in search of the perfect gift. Trouble is, the traffic is heavy; people are arguing in the cake shop and a queue is building. So, after a lot of thought, Leo decides that if he writes his friend a birthday poem that will work. But then this plan comes unstuck when Leo cannot think of a rhyme for oranges so, as one does, he heads to the local penguin-run rhyme store: everybody knows that penguins supply rhymes! Except they can’t think of anything that rhymes with ‘oranges’ either and – defeated – close early. Picking some flowers, Leo makes his way to Kimbo’s home, but no one is there! Where has Kimbo been?
Reminiscent of books by Richard Scarry which, some of you will remember from your own childhood, each page is filled with a feast for the eyes and a sense of the joy that spring in all its bloom can bring. This is such a fun read that carries the message that the best give we can give a friend is our time and company. We think this would be a lovely book to support discussions around friendship in Key Stage 1.
Croaky: Caverns of the Gemosaurus by Matty Long
(OUP Oxford, 6th March 2025)
One of a series of brilliantly told and illustrated short chapter books, this is such a lovely read for children in year two or year three as they grow as independent readers. Croaky is a frog who seems rather relaxed when adventuring, and not particularly mindful of his or others’ safety. Sheena is a mouse with the most fabulous ears and an unparalleled enthusiasm for earning ‘Woggles’ Scout badges. Sheena is the polar opposite of her friend Croaky and, whilst still adventurous, prefers a more cautious approach.
Winston is a Woggle Scout leader who also happens to be a puffin and, in this volume, a newspaper article discrediting Winston’s Grandpa sparks outrage. The article asserts that Grandpa Cornelius’ alleged discovery of a creature called a Gemosaurus was all a con so, together, the three embark upon a daring adventure to restore Winston‘s grandpa‘s name.
But does the Gemosaurus really exist and if the trio actually find the creature, what will they choose to do with that information? This is a brilliantly fun - filled book and would be great to recommend to children in year three who have studied the book The Wilderness by Steve McCarthy.
Bad Panda for Sale by Swapna Haddow, with cover-art by Sheena Dempsey
(Faber, 13th March 2025)
The Zoo where Bad Panda – Lin – and her friends live is being sold. Lin feels super excited at the prospect of being reunited with her long-lost family, especially her brother, ‘Bag-like-a-face-of-Potatoes’. But when Lin finds her friend, Fu, crying because he has nowhere to call home, she resolves to keep her, Fu and all of the other animals together. They hatch a cunning plan involving animal classification and crate labels…but can - or indeed should – all of the animals be kept together?
A hilarious final instalment of this beloved series with humorous asides and a lovely message: ‘Being a family is not always about sharing the loo roll or eating at the same dinner table. Sometimes it’s just about who you treasure and who you keep close to your ginormous panda hearts.’ A brilliant book for children in years 2 to 4 to develop confidence and fluency in independent reading.
Life as we Know It by Ziggy Hanaor and Cristóbal Schmal
(Cicada, 10th April 2025)
And last, but by no means least, comes a brand-new fabulous book from Cicada publishing that both demonstrates the power of illustration as well as the springing forth of new life. Beginning with a quote from John Cage, ‘Every something is an echo of nothing’, this is a fascinating and in-depth exploration of how the world could have begun.
It is acknowledged at the very beginning that the contents within are something we think is a truth. But how can something come from nothing? An age-old question, perhaps, but Hanaor breathes fresh life into this clever ode to the beginning of life and the gentle almost cartoon-like watercolours used by the illustrator seem to evolve in parallel with the information: new shapes, greater detail and more colour which, we suppose, might be very literal as the many ‘somethings’ from nothings evolved. A brilliant book to explore evolution and perfect for children in key stage 2.
Posted in: Literature Review
