Part of the Our World series, this touching boardbook takes young readers through a day in the life of children in Ukraine. Aimed at avoiding stereotypes, this series is written and illustrated by creators from the country in question.
From its bright and colourful cover, Marley’s Pride is a whirlwind of cheer, and a celebration of being trans, Black and neurodivergent. This story captures Marley, a nonbinary child, and their Zaza – grandparent – who is an activist being honoured with an award for their work in creating a safe space for the trans community. We see Zaza and Marley’s love and commitment to one another, especially when Zaza is supportive of Marley’s sensory sensitivities. It is clear that Marley and Zaza can talk about anything with each other without fear of being judged.
A pretty, brightly coloured rhyming book that takes us to twelve sustainable farms around the world, including both modern and or indigenous. The rhyming text and beautifully detailed artwork are appealing to all ages, with a glossary for one word in the text for each farm shown and a pronunciation guide for any name that could be hard for an English speaker to say.
Miko wants to make the perfect sushi for her grandmother’s birthday party. She gets to work in the kitchen but finds that, even with the help of her grandfather, her sushi is completely lopsided! Miko is furious and decides to buy her grandma flawless sushi from a nearby restaurant instead.
Leila is a little girl with an active imagination. She moves through her ordinary days while observing the world around her and trying to interpret what is happening with her family; especially with her mother, who is seriously ill. Leila lives in three worlds, her own mind, her family and school. The intersection of these three spaces in Leila’s world allow for her to find respite in school, with a wonderful teacher who actively engages and challenges her students.
This is an adorable tale of a little toddler who wants to be like his older sibling and his Dad and to wear proper undies, colourful ones with spots and stripes! The book tells in short and snappy sentences, often in toddler-speak, the trials and tribulations of potty training. The little one progresses through the milestones: learning about wiping, teaching a toy how to use the potty, having an accident, and trying again.
In a beautiful city torn apart by the ugliness of war, Nour and her cousin dream of a safe space where they can feed their imaginations. This evocative picture book by a Lebanese writer and a Romanian illustrator is inspired by the true Syrian story of Daraya’s secret library that brought hope to its citizens.
Baby’s First Words is a lovely board book that takes you through Baby’s day with both her parents and shows all the words they encounter along the way. From basic nouns such as ‘door’, ‘bicycle’, ‘teddy bear’, ‘owl’ and ‘chair’; including animal sounds, like ‘hoot’, ‘bleat’, and ‘neigh’; onomatopoeias such as ‘brrrrm’, ‘beep’, and ‘Zzzz!’; and expressions children use in their everyday lives like ‘Good Morning’, ‘Uh-oh’ and ‘Again!’ This book is packed with a wide range of vocabulary for little ones.
‘I’m going to catch you!’ says little lion as he chases animals in the savannah, but they are proving difficult to trap as they suddenly disappear from view, concealing themselves in clever places. Little lion will not be dissuaded from his fun and continues his game of hide-and-seek, until he meets his match in a very large rhinoceros who turns the tables on our playful friend. Will rhino catch little lion, or has the young cub learned a thing or two about hiding himself?
Wild Swans is Xanthe Gresham Knight’s retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, in which the King’s eleven sons are transformed into swans by their step-mother, and his one daughter must save them by knitting shirts for them out of nettles that cruelly sting her hands. This version crucially changes the figure of the evil step-mother who hated all the children into a kind, intelligent healer step-mother, who is searching for a cure to the plague that is sweeping the nation.
