5–7

With the global pandemic initiating discussions about adult mental health, Percival draws attention to the growing need to focus on children’s mental health. Children feel a sea of emotion which can often go undetected. Rowan realises that the river was just like him; it could be light and playful, wild and angry, and even slow and sad.

Read’s The Littlest Elephant tells us the story of Ellie, the littlest elephant in her herd. Ellie has recently learned to swim and is eager to show off her new skills. On her way to the pool, her excitement takes over her senses and wreaks a little bit of havoc and is only brought to full awareness of her surroundings again just before a very bad potential accident!

Vidali’s picturebook teaches a very important lesson: you must learn when to stop.
The king has everything, but he still wants more. He wants the biggest, most beautiful and most terrifying ship of all. The king’s orders are obeyed, but one voice keeps asking ‘isn’t this too much?’ The voice is ignored, the ship is built, but it is too heavy after all. The greedy king is not disappointed. He thinks he still has his beautiful palace, but us readers know that his greed has destroyed his castle.

Haddow’s picturebook explores a young boy’s relationship with his lioness-like mother. The story takes us on a journey of his day-to-day life in the world of this loud and proud woman and her interactions with her son, their family and community. At first it would appear that the boy is a little bit afraid of his mum, but this turns out to be very far from the case. As things unfold it becomes clear why she takes on the form of a lioness in this young boy’s mind: she is fierce and brave and, most importantly, incredibly loving.

I am Not a Octopus is a brightly illustrated picturebook that tells a story of facing fears and connecting with one’s true self. The journey to self-acceptance is told through regular tuna-loving guy, Terry (who is most definitely not an octopus and is absolutely not an octopus who is afraid of water!).

Beatrice is a brave bee on a mission to find a new home for her hive in a city where looming skyscrapers and apartment blocks have suddenly become her neighbours. Mineker’s clever use of colour introduces us to a gloomy man-made world which feels disconnected from nature, but Beatrice discovers it doesn’t always have to be so!

Boldly declaring itself ‘The Only Book You Will Need to Become an Expert Beekeeper’ from the outset, this witty and engaging guide to beekeeping for bears has instant appeal. As any worthwhile guide should, it begins with Bear, our aspiring beekeeper, wielding this essential manual to find those crucial bees.

Sometimes it’s hard to be quiet and sit still. Abigail is not having a good day in school. She wants to fidget and draw and play, and instead she just gets in trouble. When she sees all her friends trying different musical instruments, she feels overwhelmed and left out. That’s when her voice gets LOUD! But Miss Butler sees Abigail’s voice as a talent, not a problem, and by the end of the story, Abigail gets to shine.

Todd-Stanton’s picturebook shows the impact on a child’s life when uprooted from the home they love. A father and his little girl, Nyla, leave their home by the sea for a new life in the city. The comet becomes the imaginative link between Nyla’s old and new life with landscape and sky featuring heavily.