Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love

Combining beautiful illustrations with exciting ten-word stories, ‘Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love’ is an absolute joy from cover to cover! Perfect for inspiring creativity and sparking imagination, each picture and the combining tiny tale offers endless possibilities for developing story telling.

Love in many different forms is captured here- that of nature, of siblings, of parents of pets. Some of the tales might be interpreted quite literally whilst others are more ambiguous or enigmatic, really open to interpretation and flights of imagination. For teachers, this book, like ‘Ten-Word Tiny Tales’, is an absolute gift for encouraging children to create their own tiny tales or develop these in to longer stories, perhaps using the advice offered at the end of the book. However, this is also an invaluable resource for home as well as families- or any combination of adults and children, children and children, or even adults- might thoroughly enjoy developing stories together.

There is such variety in style of both illustration and tale that there really is something for everyone here. Jim Field’s is wonderfully atmospheric, evocative of fairy tales whilst Sydney Smith’s captures a gentle moment of sibling affection; Rikin Parekh’s is wonderfully vibrant whilst Heather Kilgour’s is dreamlike. Like I said, an absolute joy from cover to cover!

Ten-Word Tiny Tales of Love

Joseph Coelho and Friends

Walker ISBN: 978-1529517323

You can read my review of ‘Ten-Word Tiny Tales’ here.

NNFN2024: Thank you for the Music

For many people, music is a hobby which is central to their lives. My grandfather played in orchestras all his life, my mother has always sung in choirs, my older brother plays guitar in a band and my younger plays drums in another. Music runs through our family- and ‘Thank you for the Music’ offers a practical guide to music from its origins to advice about working in the industry.

The book opens by offering a definition of music and its main elements before focusing on classical music. A typical plan of a symphony orchestra is given and then each of the instrument families are introduced. A timeline shows a selection of famous classical composers from Hildegard of Bingen to Kerry Andrew, giving the nationality and dates for each, offering a starting point for readers to discover more. The next section explores 20th century music and the different genres which have developed.

Different career possibilities are ‘zoomed in’ on, giving information about and advice on roles such as producer, therapist and DJ. The skills needed for each job are outlined along with an overview of the job requirements. With a final section about creating music, there is so much to enjoy and learn in this book. Further reading suggestions are also offered and a comprehensive index allows information to be quickly and easily located.

Thank you for the Music: A celebration of the value of creativity

Sarah Walden, illustrated by Hannah Li

Noodle Juice ISBN: 978-1915613189

The Boy who Painted the World

Once, a boy found a blank book. Stumbling inside, he soon made a mess- but a friendly paint brush helped him to see that he could transform the splodges into…a messy-a-saurus, wobbly squares into… robots, and circ-angles into…birds! All the boy’s ‘mistakes’ turned into amazing pictures as he and the paint brush mixed a little confidence with a lot of imagination to prove that mistakes open a world of possibilities!

What a brilliant book! Faced with a world which demands a very limited view of ‘perfection’ at every turn, we need more and more books like this which encourage creativity and exploration and show that ‘mistakes’ are merely happy accidents or starting points.

Whatever his previous experiences, the little boy in the story has obviously been left feeling that he is no good at art. ‘I always make a big mess,’ he says apologetically to the paint brush, ‘I’m not very neat.’ Whether he has been told directly or he has gleaned it from comments about his or others’ work, he has learned that neatness and careful lines are things which make an artist and that his work falls short. However, with paint brush’s guidance, he starts to enjoy himself, not worrying about how ‘perfect’ his work is, but relishing the fact that it is fun! Isn’t this what art - or any hobby-should be all about?

Offering a wonderful starting point for creative projects- suggestions for some projects are included at the end- the book also allows for discussions about the importance of having a go, perseverance and (most of all) having fun! Although the theme of the story relates this to art, its message-there’s no such thing as a mistake, just a world of possibilities!- can be applied to anything from maths lessons to riding a bike, from karate to learning to play the piano! ‘The Boy who Painted the World’ is sure to become a firm favourite with teachers, parents and carers as they share its wonderfully positive and empowering message with the children they care for!

The Boy who Painted the World

Tom McLaughlin

OUP ISBN: 978-0192785343

Published 4th July 2024

The Little Books of the Little Brontës

Sharing the story of the young Brontës, this gorgeous book not only introduces young children to the lives of this incredible family, but also inspires them to create their own miniature books and their own stories. Although pitched at a younger audience, there is much here to be enjoyed by readers of all ages. As a huge Brontë fan, I loved it!

Written with a direct appeal to the reader- If you look through the window…Let’s leave them there now…the text is very engaging and offers an overview of Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne’s childhood at the Parsonage in Haworth. That their lives had been touched by sadness with the loss of their mother and older sisters is mentioned briefly in the text, but the focus of the book is their wonderful creativity and love of telling stories. They had each other, the moors to explore- and their imaginations.

The illustrations are enchanting and anyone who has visited the Parsonage in Haworth will recognise the care with which Briony May Smith has depicted their home (although the wallpaper in the dining room is slightly different!)- the green couch, the white fire surround, the dark wooden table where they used to write. She manages to capture the wild beauty of the moors and the closeness of the family as well as giving life to their imaginings and creativity. One illustration shows Branwell painting the famous family portrait including himself, offering yet another starting point for further discussion and discovery.

An author’s note and a timeline of events are included at the end of the book, adding details about their lives beyond the focus of the story. There is also a reproduction of the family portrait with the blurry space between sisters where Branwell might once have stood. The book is a wonderful introduction to, and celebration of, the childhood of these incredible individuals.

There are instructions for how to make your own little book like those the Brontë children used to make. This is an essential addition to any Brontë lover’s collection, but also a wonderful introduction to their lives for children and adults alike.

 The Little Books of the Little Brontës

Sara O’Leary and Briony May Smith

Walker ISBN: 978-1529518313

You can read about my visit to the Becoming the Brontës exhibition in Leeds here, Top Withens here and the Brontë Birthplace here.

Chipping Norton Literary Festival: The Big Book of Nature Art

On Saturday, I went to the Chipping Norton Literary Festival and the Cotswolds town looked lovely in the sunshine. Yuval Zommer was painting the window of Jaffe and Neale, the bookshop, to celebrate 10 years of the festival, creating a bright, beautiful display.

His new book, ‘The Big Book of Nature Art’, is the latest in his ‘Big Book of…’ series and his event later in the day was to celebrate this. As everyone was arriving and settling, Yuval circulated amongst the audience, chatting to the children. He showed them copies of his books- and there were many cries of ‘I’ve got that one…’ from the children- involving them in reading the titles and holding books for him as he was talking. His patience and desire to involve everyone was lovely!

‘The Big Book of Nature Art’ is packed with 22 craft projects which can be completed in four steps. Inspired by nature, each project combines using natural objects with recycled materials which are easily found at home to prove that ‘each child is a nature artist’! From cardboard cacti to flying fish, from sneaky snakes to forest owls, the book offers a wonderful range of projects to inspire and engage. Advice and tips are given at the end of the book and there are 15 ants, hiding throughout the pages, to find.

Yuval explained that everyone was going to make an owl, using a paper cup for the body and leaves for ears. The children loved it- and were so creative! When they had finished, Yuval admired each one in turn and every child ‘won’ a sticker. It was such a lovely session, showing just what can be made with found objects- and a little imagination!

The Big Book of Nature Art Yuval Zommer

Thames and Hudson ISBN: 978-0500652930