Heather James's Blog, page 13

Mermaids Rock: The Floating Forest

This wonderful chapter book for 7-9 year olds will be a hit with young mermaid fans. 
The Save the Sea Creatures Club are a group of five mermaids and their aquatic pets, who try to look after the oceans and all the animals living in them. In The Floating Forest, Coralie finds a treasure map in a Kelp Forest which leads the friends to adventure, magic and averting an ecological disaster.  
The Floating Forest is fun and engaging, with some very silly puns. The characters are diverse and unique, combining their love of marine wildlife, science and having adventures into a friendship group young readers will want to be part of.
It will appeal to fans of the Rainbow Fairies or Holly Webb books, and has been really popular with my daughter who is too young to read it independently, but enjoyed listening to the story. I would definitely buy her future stories in this series. 
Ortega's artwork is beautiful and brings the story to life. I also loved the animal welfare facts that can be found throughout. 
Thank you Little Tiger Group for sending me a copy of Mermaids Rock: The Floating Forest to review. 
The Floating Forest is written by Linda Chapman and illustrated by Mirelle Ortega

The Silver Pony

The Silver Pony is an uplifting story about friendship, fitting in and feeling alone.
When Lily's best friend Mara is in hospital, Lily struggles to fit in at school and at home. She feels lost without Mara, and doesn't know how to connect when she does have contact with her, on the phone or through email. When Lily finds a silver pony whose floppy fringe and dark eyes remind her of her friend, she finds a way to bridge the gap between them, and makes some new friends along the way. 
Lily struggles at school without her best friend, and she's not very good at sticking up for herself. But meeting Em, the silver pony, helps her to gain a confidence she didn't have, and her voice is never too quiet when she is defending her. 
The Silver Pony is a really lovely book, perfect for fan of Webb's other animal stories. The wild ponies of the New Forest are almost magical, and the book includes lots of important rules for if you ever come face to face with one, to keep both you and the ponies safe. 
Thank you Little Tiger for sending me a copy of The Silver Pony for review

Picture This: Little Turtle and the Sea

Follow Little Turtle as she swims through the sea, growing, learning and making friends. When human pollution starts to alter the watery world she loves, Turtle finds herself in terrible danger in her own home. But though human's caused the damage to her environment, they can fix it too, and are able to restore Turtle's world to one of colour, life and safety. 
This is a sweet but important story about the impact of human waste and plastic on marine wildlife. Little Turtle's world is bleached of colour when human rubbish invades. She becomes alone and trapped on a poignant page that will encourage readers young and old to think about the plastic they use and what they're throwing away. 
I really liked the factual pages at the end (which I've noticed in a few Little Tiger books now) as they answer all of the questions inspired readers will have, as well as directing them to other books and websites.
Poh's artwork is wonderful and her under-water world is one I would love to visit. There's lots of colour on every page and my children enjoyed pointing to all of the little fish in the background.

Thank you Little Tiger for sending me a copy of this picture book for review
Little Turtle and the Sea is written by Becky Davies and illustrated by Jennie Poh

The Perfect Shelter: Meet the Illustrator

Today I am delighted to be posting a Q and A with the wonderful Åsa Gilland, who illustrated The Perfect Shelter. 
 

1) Have you always loved to draw and create? I can’t remember a time that I didn’t draw. I had an old typewriter as a child and used to write little short illustrated stories. I love drawing because it allows you to create a world the way you wish it to be, I think this is why I enjoy illustrating children’s books so much.

2) What was your favourite book as a child?
One of my favourites was (and still is) Astrid Lindgren’s “Pippi Longstocking” because she was such a unique female character. I loved how strong, independent and brave she was.

3) Can you tell us a little bit about how you came to children’s book illustration? Did you study art and/or illustration? I went to a high school that had a program allowing students to graduate in fine art and afterwards I moved to Italy to study interior design. After my studies I landed in Indonesia where I’ve spent many years working in graphic and packaging design, doing some illustration work in between. The move into illustration came gradually and the past two years my work has been almost exclusively in children’s books illustration, which I am overjoyed about. 4) How did you get your first break in illustrating professionally? It has been many little breaks over a long time as I have produced work for everything from tableware, textiles to book covers over the years. I had always known that I wanted to work with children’s books though and the opportunity came after I was signed by my agent, Lilla Roger’s Studio in 2018. I was able to drop my part time job and throw myself in full heartedly. The Perfect Shelter is very special to me, not only because of Clare Helen Welsh‘s beautiful storytelling but it’s also my very first picture book to be published by Little Tiger.
 
5) How do you create your illustrations?
Nowadays I sketch and do all illustrations digitally on a drawing tablet and then I refine the layout and edit in Photoshop. Some textures are hand drawn, scanned in and added later. 6) What are some of your favourite things to draw? 
I love drawing people and animals of all types.  Also, perhaps because of my background in interior design, I love drawing rooms and environments.
   7) Can you tell us about some other children’s book illustrators who you admire or that inspire you? (Any images you particularly love.)
Ingrid Vang Nyman, who was the original illustrator of all the Pippi Longstocking books, has greatly influenced how I draw. I love her environments and all the little details. Tove Jansson of the Moomins. More contemporary illustrators that I admire are Owen Davey and Isabelle Arsenault.
 

Thank you so much, Åsa, for sharing your inspiration and giving us an insight into working as an illustrator.

Picture This: Peek Through Jobs We Do and Around Town

These peek-through board books are perfect for little book fans. Join Roxy and Dusty as they travel around their town, meeting lots of interesting people along the way. 
Dusty the dog is bored of staying inside, so spends the day visiting different shops. At the bottom of each page is a question which encourages children to guess where Dusty might go next. Children can then peek through a large square flap in the middle of the page to find out if they were right. Each shop is packed with detail, and I think the sweet shop page will prove particularly popular! The gentle rhyming words give a nice insight into what each shop is used for, meaning that this board book really is packed with information, but still so much fun to read!
Roxy the rat's journey around town introduces her to lots of interesting people - from detectives to shop owners, everyone is very busy! As with Around Town, there is a question at the bottom of each page to get children thinking about what different jobs involve. The artwork is bright and cheerful, with plenty to explore on each page while listening to the rhyming job descriptions. 

Thank you Little Tiger for sending me copies of these lovely board books for review
Peek-Through Jobs We Do and Around Town are written by Jonny Marx and illustrated by Zoe Waring

Here Lie the Secrets

My recent reads have included YA set in the Dominican Republic, Paris and now New York. I am taking full advantage of my lockdown travel options and bringing little glimpses of the world into my tiny English garden. Here are three reasons I would recommend heading to NYC with Here Lie the Secrets:
1. This story was so tense! I had to stay up late to finish it because I couldn't go to sleep until I knew what was going on. It has all the suspense you'd expect from a story about ghosts and the paranormal. Settings are also used to great, atmospheric effect throughout. 
2. At the centre of this novel is an exploration of grief, and how we cope with the loss of those closest to us. Believing that a loved one remains close by is a thought that brings comfort to many. Young explores this solace in a way that is touching and heartfelt. 
3. I loved the psychology woven through this story, especially the exploration of why we react to certain circumstances in the way we do. The central characters are scientists, rather than 'ghost hunters' and they always consider every possible solution - both scientific and supernatural. There was a great range of characters and view points. Here Lie the Secrets manages to be tense and creepy, without feeling melodramatic. 
Thank you Little Tiger Books for sending me a copy to review

Picture This: Little Bear's Picnic

This adorable follow-on from Little Bunny's Breakfast is guaranteed to be a hit with little chefs. Little Bear is having an inside picnic with his toys when Big Bear suggests they go out for a real picnic. On their way, they collect brightly coloured fresh foods, and enjoy a Rainbow picnic by the trees. 
The illustrations in this picture book are very sweet, with bright backgrounds and lots to explore on each page. My three-year-old loves finding out what's behind each flap - especially all the little animals hidden throughout the book. 
Little Bear's adventure helps children understand where the food they eat comes from, and also shows them what kinds of food they might be able to grow at home. There's a clear progression from the food being gathered to eaten which young readers will find really interesting. The final recipe is healthy too, and great for encouraging children to eat salad. 
I hope this isn't the last story in this series because it's been a huge hit so far in my house! 

Thank you Little Tiger for sending me a copy for review. 
Little Bear's Picnic is illustrated by Seb Braun

Blog Tour: In My Dreams

Today is my stop on the blog tour for In My Dreams, written by Stef Gemmill and illustrated by Tanja Stephani.
In My Dreams is a beautiful picture book which celebrates the wonder and magic of dreams. From marshmallow clouds to igloos beside polar bears, this story travels worlds both real and fantastical, bringing the impossible to life. Sensory delights such as strawberry rain and beating jungle drums create an immersive atmosphere young readers will enjoy losing themselves in.

The colour scheme is beautiful, transporting readers from warm rainbows to cool waters with the turn of a page. Every image has the vivid technicolour of a dream world where anything is possible and everything is larger than life. The cover has beautiful gold sparkles which photographs just don't do justice to. It would be impossible to walk past In My Dreams on a book shelf.
Towards the end of the story, shadowy creatures threaten the dream's tranquility, but readers are gently reminded that in dreams, they are in control. The dreamworld is overwhelmingly one of comfort, love and safety, and In My Dreams makes a wonderful, soothing bedtime story which families can enjoy again and again. 
Thank you New Frontier Publishing for sending me a copy to review. 
You can continue the tour tomorrow at Library Girl and Book Boy

Picture This: The Tide

Grandad may not remember things as well as he used to, but that doesn't mean his granddaughter can't enjoy their time together at the beach. They can still have just as much fun as they used to, and tells stories of their day to keep its memory alive. 
The Tide is a beautifully written, touching picture book which will help young children to understand dementia and how it effects their relationship with loved ones. The subject is approached with great subtly and care. I loved how the child in the story compared her grandad's forgetfulness to moments when she has forgotten how to do something, or where she has left an important item.
Ashling Lindsay's artwork echoes the gentle tone of the text, with soft colours and calming scenery. We enjoyed hunting for starfish and looking at what everyone was getting up to on the beach. 
This is a very special picture book. My Grandad suffers with dementia and I know my children often find his behaviour confusing, so it is wonderful to be able to explain it to them in a way that is so clear and easy to understand. 

Thank you Little Tiger for sending us a copy to review. 
The Tide is written by Clare Helen Welsh and illustrated by Ashling Lindsay

Lori and Max

Lori wants to be a detective but, so far, the most exciting mystery she has solved is the disappearance of her nan’s specs down the side of the sofa. Max is the new girl at school and Lori is asked to look after her. Max is odd. She doesn’t fit in – but then Lori doesn’t really fit in either.
When some charity money goes missing and Max disappears, Lori seems to be the only person who doesn’t think Max has stolen it and run away. Even the police don’t want to investigate and suddenly Lori finds she has a real crime on her hands.

Lori and Max are lovable characters who make brilliant friends. Lori's chapters are written in first person and her viewpoint is lots of fun. She is desperate to be a detective, and looks for mystery and adventure in every aspect of her life. Max, on the other hand, has a difficult life at home and her chapters are often more serious, addressing issues such gambling, mental illness and poverty. 
There are some incredibly tense moments and I think young readers will find this story fast-paced and thrilling. However, it is also very funny, with plenty of comedy provided by Lori's observations and notes, and her eccentric nan. It's definitely a good choice for anyone in the Summer Reading Challenge #SillySquad.
There are plenty of puzzles for both girls to solve, from coded messages to missing money and one very angry hamster. Young readers will be kept guessing throughout, and pitting their detective skills against Lori's as they race to work out what's going on.
A second story in this series, Lori and Max and the Book Thieves, comes out this October so this summer is a great time to read the first.