Reviews
There are so many incredible books available at the moment that it is impossible to read them all, no matter how hard I try! Here are my thoughts about some of the books I have read and how I think they could be used in school as well as Q and A sessions with authors and illustrators.
NNFN2024: Seven Small Inventions that Changed the World
For day 5 of NNFN2024, ‘Seven Small Inventions that Changed the World’, an utterly fascinating read which shares the story behind these small inventions which have transformed our lives. Perfect for sparking curiosity and inspiring the next generation of creative minds, this is a brilliant book!
The inventions covered are nails, wheels, springs, magnets, lenses, string and pumps. Each is clearly introduced with a spread outlining its history and development. This is then followed by pages on how the invention actually works, examples of other inventions which use that technology and finally, a focus on one particular thing which uses it.
Clear explanations are offered at each stage and, although there is no glossary, many technical terms are explained within the text. The book is full of vibrant, colourful illustrations which add plenty of interest and appeal to each invention. It certainly helps children understand how key events and individuals in design and technology have helped shape the world! Having said that, there is much here to interest and engage adults as well.
Seven Small Inventions that Changed the World
Roma Agrawal, illustrated by Jisu Choi
Laurence King ISBN: 978-1510230750
Bertha and Blink: Rumble in the Jungle
After her BESTest friend and fellow inventor, Finnius, stole her invention, Bertha left the city and moved far away, to a workshop hidden high in the trees where no one could steal her ideas. Here, she busies herself working on new inventions until one day, a rumble in the jungle disturbs her work. To help her discover the cause of the disturbance, Bertha creates Blink, a highly-excitable mechanical bird who is bursting with questions! With Blink, Bertha finds the courage to leave her tree house and explore the world outside. Can they discover where the noise is coming from?
Bursting with lovely illustrations, ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ is a delightful little story, perfect for newly independent readers.
With Blink’s support, Bertha overcomes her fear of leaving her treehouse home and learns to trust again. The two characters are real opposites with Blink being outgoing, curious and little impulsive whilst Bertha is cautious, somewhat reserved and focused on her inventions. Together, they make a great team, complementing each other, and being ready for any mission! As the story ends, they are ready to face a new challenge, setting the scene for a new adventure- and a new book!
The story is told through both illustration and text, making it very engaging and offering plenty of opportunities for the reader to ‘read’ the additional visual details and develop their own ideas. Some of the speech is presented using speech bubbles, perfect for using to develop understanding of speech punctuation.
The engaging combination of friendship, humour and adventure is sure to make this new series from Nicola Colton as popular as her ‘Jasper and Scruff’ books!
Bertha and Blink: Rumble in the Jungle
Nicola Colton
Little Tiger ISBN: 978-1788956437
NNFN2023: Kay’s Incredible Inventions
Day 13 of National Non-Fiction November 2023… so many fabulous books still to share!
Big, bold and full of fun, ‘Kay’s Incredible Inventions’ is endlessly entertaining! Divided into three sections- At Home, Out and About and Technology- the book is about ‘everything ever invented, from the daft to the disgusting to the downright dangerous.’- quite a claim!
Written in a light-hearted, chatty style accompanied by humorous illustrations, the book is very easy to read and very hard to put down. As you learn about Ruth Wakefield (the woman who invented chocolate chip cookies), Percy Shaw (catseyes) and Rosalind Franklin amongst many others, you are tempted by order forms for incredible inventions from Adam Kay Genuis (not my spelling mistake!) Enterprises Ltd for creations such as Spectacular Self-Washing Trousers or Glorious Get-Home Gloves! This would make an excellent festive present, sure to gather the whole family together to enjoy laughing, learning- and possibly inventing!
The tea break at our Non-Fiction Conference on Saturday was sponsored by this book and we set delegates the challenge of taking the most inventive pictures possible. Great fun was had by all!
Kay’s Incredible Inventions
Adam Kay, illustrated by Henry Paker
Puffin ISBN: 978-0241540787