In a woodland, a little troop of creatures play, bake and talk about what it means to be an individual. They ask big questions about what is inside of us, or outside of us, and what makes my ‘self’ different to your ‘self.’ Thus begins a little philosophical exploration of our understanding of our own identities.
Following the success of Moira Butterfield and Harriet Lynas’s Welcome to our World comes a stunning insight into mealtimes. Feeling hungry? Prepare yourself for a smorgasbord of foods from around the world beginning with the basics - how to understanding the texture, smell and flavour of foods, all the way through to exciting staples that can be prepared in so many ways. You’ll discover why the 40,000 varieties of rice are the most the important and common foods eaten the world over, while maize being a corn with almost as many possibilities, from popcorn to sweet syrup.
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of Captain Cook’s Endeavour voyage, prepare to jump abroad and sail through a story from the other side of history. It is often the characters in the background during great moments that give us the most rounded and fullest of accounts.
This is quite simply one of the most sumptuous non-fiction books for young readers at the moment. It makes a considerable effort to only delve into important things that little children would prefer to learn; like how do you cure your hiccups in Mexico? With red string stuck to your forehead, of course! Or what do mice say in different countries? Pip, pip in Sweden, zi zi in China and squitt squitt in Italy.
This modern retelling of a Grimms’ fairytale will ignite a spark in young feminists. We find twelve girls strong and capable, and although they are underestimated by a father whose main concerns are that of his kingdom, they are inspired and allowed to flourish under his audacious wife, the queen.
Everything scares Elsie: people, children, spiders and trees. She stays inside her house for safety; a place that is tidy and clean, and very grey. Then one day something sky-blue flies in through an open window. She sweeps it into the fire, but can’t sleep that night, her dreams haunted by thoughts of her house filled with flying things. Elsie is still scared the next morning when she hears a knock on her front door. Outside is a small boy looking for his paper plane. It was blue.
Hubert is an extraordinary child who is both incredibly clever and surprisingly responsible for his age. The answer to how Hubert became the marvel of a child that he is today has its origins in his parents’ blatantly irresponsible behaviour.
The idea of introducing philosophy to children is one that may seem daunting, but O’Donoghue approaches this topic in a form that all young readers will understand – that of stories. From the outset this introduction is posing questions that ask how much we think about our thinking and why we think how we do.
No one likes feeling ill, having to visit a doctor or stay in hospital, so this collection of funny, informative poems is like medicine for the reluctant patient. From the cosiness of your bed when you are sick, to parents’ care and humour when a little person in is hospital, Latvian poet Zandere gently deals with all aspects of being poorly. Reimagined by Cullen, medical procedures are deconstructed and simplified so that worries and fears can be seen from a child’s point of view.
Imagine a scenario where your dad falls in love with another man and you don’t want that to happen. How about if the daughter of the other man felt exactly the same? Could you both plan to break up their relationship? This is the predicament facing the very efficient and super intelligent Avery and the more adventurous and outgoing Bett. The problem is that they live in different parts of America – until their Dads decide it would be great if they spent time together in Summer Camp for the entire holidays.
