Library Haul & Book Recommendations #1
I love libraries. They’re brilliant things. Access to thousands of FREE books. A quiet place to read or work. Knowledgeable, friendly book experts on hand to help with what to choose. What’s not to love?
At every school visit I do, I encourage kids to join their local library if they’re lucky enough to live near one. I use mine in Chichester ALL THE TIME. I also tell kids that one of the best ways to become a better writer is to read as much as possible, and that I find reading books from the library often helps to spark my imagination when I’m struggling for new ideas. It also enables me to keep up to date with what’s being published, and read new books without having to buy them - though I often do subsequently buy copies of books I fall in love with.
[On that note, you might not know that, thanks to PLR (Public Lending Right - a scheme designed to balance the social need for free public access to books against an author’s right to be remunerated for the use of their work), each time one of their books is borrowed from a public library, authors/illustrators/book creators receive a payment. It’s a modest payment (up to around 11p per loan), but in the majority of cases, it’s actually a better rate (per book) than royalties received on the sale of a book - primarily because, these days, most books are sold at a whopping great discount (don’t get me started on that…). PLR has a maximum payment threshold of £6,600 each year, and most authors receive substantially less than this, but I suspect all feel incredibly grateful for PLR income!]
Anyway, back to the main point of this blog, which is to show you my favourite books from my recent library haul. I’m always grateful for children’s book recommendations, and I thought this would be a good way for me to help you to discover books you may not be familiar with. I’m keen to make more of an effort to share books I’ve enjoyed, and library hauls/book recommendations a regular feature of my website - so if you don’t want to miss any, why not sign up to my newsletter?
Now, on to the books!
Food Fight by Alex Latimer (Oxford University Press, 2023)
The Fruits and Vegetables are warring. Except for Grape and Mushroom. They’re best friends. They can see that Fruits and Vegetables can live in peace, but why can’t everyone else? They’re going to have to try to change that…
Parents will love that fruit and vegetables are made funny and attractive in this delicious picture book, which has everything: oodles of humour (with lots of puns and gags that will please adult readers especially), an epic adventure – the quest to and into the fridge is such fun – memorable, wonderfully expressive characters, a satisfying structure, and a pertinent message, delivered with an expert comedic touch: that good can come from accepting one another, and focusing on our similarities rather than differences.
After reading this, I’m even more eager to get my hands on a copy of another of Alex’s books, The Duck Never Blinks, which looks utterly hilarious!
Word Troubles by Vyara Boyadjieva (Walker Books, 2023)
Four-year-old Ronnie has just moved to a new country and doesn’t speak the same language as his classmates at nursery. Despite their interest in him, Ronnie struggles to communicate and is left feeling lonely, embarrassed and despondent. Until, that is, a trip to the park and a non-verbal encounter with a friendly child on the swings leads to laughter, the beginning of a friendship and a boost to Ronnie’s confidence.
I love this book. It’s special, and brilliantly done. Ronnie’s tale is empathetically and sensitively told, with a deft touch and moments of subtle humour that keep it feeling light, despite the daunting and overwhelming nature of Ronnie’s situation. Vyara Boyadjieva’s illustrations are simply gorgeous; there is such tenderness in her characters and their expressions.
Full of comforting moments and take-away teachings – ‘new things were scary but they didn’t stay new for very long’ – Word Trouble is a top-notch offering that’s hopeful, heartwarming and reassuring.
Scaredy Bat by Jonathan Meres, illustrated by Anders Frang (Little Door Books, 2021)
Little Bat, unable to sleep one morning, has to endure the teasing of Middle Bat and Big Bat, who accuse him of being scared of the light. To prove them wrong, Little Bat has to conquer his fears by venturing out of the old oak tree and into the brightness. But that involves the possibility of coming face-to-face with the Bogey Bat…
This is such a fun picture book!. Written in rhyming prose, the lyrical text has a lovely smooth, pleasing rhythm, with well-chosen vocabulary. There are plenty of opportunities for readers to participate, and the rhymes and repetition will help maintain readers’ interest. Kids will relate to the themes of overcoming fears and being teased for being scared of doing something. They’ll also feel reassured by the amusing conclusion to the brave hero’s journey.
Anders Frang’s illustrations are a delight, and the aesthetically-pleasing colour palette - mainly blacks and greys and greens - works beautifully for the setting and characters.
A winner!
Mummy’s Hometown by Hope Lim, illustrated by Jaime Kim (Walker Books, 2022)
I so enjoyed this touching, intergenerational story of a child’s visit to his mother’s hometown, and how the reality contrasts to his expectations brought about by the recollections shared by his mother at bedtime. The text perfectly conveys the child narrator’s mix of wonder and disappointment at what he finds – bustling streets, the buzz and busyness of the now-urbanised settlement happening amongst gleaming skyscrapers that block the mountains from view, hardly the countryside idyll he’d anticipated – as well as the notion that home is defined not by physical surroundings but familial bonds and love.
The warm, evocative artwork – resplendent, whether depicting verdant countryside or crowded cityscapes – is a joy to pore over, and brought to my mind Joe Todd-Stanton’s The Comet, another gloriously-illustrated picture book that I adore.
And that’s it for this post! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more from all these incredible authors and illustrators…
