Audio Review: Heather, aged 6, has been reading The Baby Deer Rescue, from the new Animal Adventure Club series, by Michelle Sloan (aged 5+). Click here for her report The Baby Deer Rescue is the first in the new Animal Adventure Club series by Michelle Sloan. It follows Isla, Gracie, Buzz and Lexi, members of the... Continue Reading →
Review: Guardians of the Wild Unicorns
Rainbow horns and glittery hooves may be the fashion statement of the moment, but in her latest book, Lindsay Littleson has been bold enough to strip away the sparkle and return the unicorn to its status as a mythical beast to be reckoned with. Set over the course of a residential school trip to the... Continue Reading →
Review: The God of All Small Boys
The First World War may well be literature's most chosen time period, but that hasn't stopped new author Joseph Lamb from creating a children's story, set in 1917, that feels both hopeful and completely fresh. The God of All Small Boys finds 11-year-old James flung from his privileged and quiet life as the son of... Continue Reading →
Review: A wee bird was watching
A Wee Bird was Watching follows little Anna and her mother as they journey through strange woodland, seeking food and safe rest despite lurking dangers. It is both a thoughtful and a joyful imagination of how the robin could have got his red breast. Written by Scottish singer Karine Polwart, this picture book's lyrical language... Continue Reading →
Review: How Billy Hippo Learned to Swim
Billy is a little hippo who is afraid of the water, and resists the efforts of his parents and siblings to tempt him to venture in – until he is swept along by unexpected events. The simple, alliterative language of Vivian French's picture book story is as lovely as Hannah Foley's bright illustrations, and it is... Continue Reading →
Review: Wilderness Wars
Barbara Henderson's latest children's book is a thriller set on a fictional Hebridean island that pits the children of a team of construction workers against the forces of nature. It is a pacey and, at times, scary read (particularly during a late-night rodent invasion and a high stakes encounter with an eagle) and would make... Continue Reading →
Review: Elma the Elf and the tinsel-tastic Sled Zeppelin
The idea of marking the days of advent with books is not new – it has become popular to give young children a picture story to unwrap on each day leading up to Christmas – but a new book from Camilla Victoria Storm and Nick Simons applies this countdown principle to a cheerful chapter book.... Continue Reading →
Review: Haki the Shetland Pony (re-release)
First published in 1968, this Kathleen Fidler classic shows that the ingredients of a captivating children's story have changed very little. Adam Cromarty is a young Shetlander who forms a special bond with newborn pony, Haki. From the first sugar lump, to setting off together for a mainland adventure, the duo are inseparable – and... Continue Reading →