The Midnight Mitzvah

Hanina Chipmunk loves to gather nuts and share these with her friends. She also enjoys the praise and compliments she gets for doing so when Mathilda Squirrel gruffly refuses her help, Hanina can’t understand. Leon Mouse explains to her that Mathilda used to be a champion nut collector and is embarrassed that she now needs help. Helping others is a mitzvah (a good deed), but so is not embarrassing someone, leaving Hanina wondering how to achieve both things. She decides to go and leave nuts at Mathilda’s house at night and is confronted on her journey by a Great Horned Owl. Fortunately for Hanina, the owl is sympathetic to her explanation for being out and about at night and lets her go on her way and accomplish her mission.

A note at the end of the book explains that ‘The Midnight Mitzvah’ was inspired by a 2,000-year-old tale found in the Talmud, one of the most important books in Judaism. However, this lovely story holds an important message for everyone, regardless of their faith. Charity is a wonderful, much needed thing, but is not something which should be done simply for reward or recognition. Hanina enjoys being praised for her good deeds, which is quite natural, but also learns that the outcome of a good deed is more important than this. This delightful story offers much to discuss and would make an excellent text for an assembly or PSHE session in school as well as for sharing at home.

The illustrations are delightful. Full of colour and atmosphere, they convey a sense of the threats of night time for the young chipmunk without being too frightening for little ones. Hanina has such a lovely little face she is sure to appeal to all readers!

Notes at the end of the book offer additional information about other elements of Jewish tradition and culture connected with the story, offering support for those not familiar with these, but keen to learn. It is a lovely book and one which should be added to shelves everywhere!

The Midnight Mitzvah

Ruth Horowitz, illustrated by Jenny Meilihove

Barefoot Books ISBN: 978-8888592359

Free as a Bird

Jonas, the lighthouse keeper, wakes one morning, having dreamed about flying, free as a bird. Desperate to share with his friend, Blue the whale, Jonas sets off at once to find her. When he finds her, Jonas sees Blue has an exhausted bird on her head. Quickly, the friends take the bird back to the lighthouse where he is able to tell his story to Blue who can understand his tweets. Forced to flee from a beautiful country which is now in the grip of war, the little bird has undertaken a perilous journey in the hope of finding a safe place. As the little bird grows stronger, other birds arrive, singing the same song of freedom. Helped by Blue and Jonas, they stay until they have regained their strength before moving on, but their new friend has found a new home.

Revisiting the characters from ‘I Love You, Blue’, ‘Free as a Bird’ is a gorgeous story, celebrating the importance of compassion, love and a place to call home. Thought-provoking and moving, the story uses the idiom ‘free as a bird’ to explore the plight of refugees, cleverly contrasting the freedom from worry and trouble which the expression implies with the realities of the bird’s experiences.

To use another idiom, Blue and Jonas are the bird’s ‘lighthouse in a storm’, a place of safety where he is lucky to find a compassionate, understanding welcome. Their care for the bird and the refuge they offer to the many other birds who come seeking sanctuary is a joy to see as the book reaches its very satisfying, heart-warming conclusion. The illustrations are just delightful, full of charm and character.

A very powerful story, perfect for developing empathy, ‘Free as a Bird’ is a must have!

Free as a Bird

Barroux

Otter-Barry Books     ISBN: 978-1915659330

You can read my review of ‘I Love You, Blue’ here.

The Girl at the Front of the Class

When a new girl arrives in his class, Adam is determined to make friends with her. However, she doesn’t want to play or make sandcastles in the sandpit- she just draws sad pictures. Seeking advice, Adam asks his teacher, his dad and his grandma and although they try to explain, their answers make him very sad and more determined than ever to be her friend. So he comes up with a plan…

Ever since the publication of ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’, books by Onjali Q Rauf have supported teachers, parents and other adults in developing thoughtful conversations with children about a number of topics, creating empathy and understanding in an often harsh, judgemental world. In ‘The Girl at the Front of the Class’, she works her magic once more with a poignant, beautiful story, perfect for starting discussions about the plight of refugees with younger children.

At the end of the story, the reader- and Adam- learns that the little girl’s name is Layla. The book is a celebration of the power of kindness and how simple acts of friendship can make a world of difference. But Adam is not pushy or overbearing in his actions- he shows patience and thought, creating a large picture depicting a happy ‘story’ for Layla, meeting her on her own terms rather than forcing her into a friendship.

The illustrations complement the text perfectly and the picture showing Layla and Adam swapping names is just lovely, as they are bathed in a warm glow whilst the lively bustle of the rest of the class is shown in a muted grey-blue, highlighting their newly-formed friendship.

At the end of the book, there are ‘Five Ideas to Help Refugee Children Feel Welcome’, each suggestion something which is easily achievable and the significance of each will be readily understood by even the youngest children. A wonderful addition to bookshelves, ‘The Girl at the Front of the Class’ is perfect for sharing.

The Girl at the Front of the Class

Onjali Q Rauf, illustrated by Pippa Curnick

Hodder ISBN: 978-1526364654

You can read my review of ‘The Letter with the Golden Stamp’ here.

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk

Everybody is so used to avoiding the bad-tempered troll which lives in the cave that they forget all about it. Everybody except for one boy who is determined to reach out and make friends. The boy collects his chalks and draws a flower, leaving one petal uncoloured. The following day, he returns and finds the petal coloured in- yet still the troll will not leave the cave. Day-by-day he returns, leaving his drawings incomplete for the troll to finish. At last, the troll leaves the cave and is revealed to be a boy who joins in with the other children.

Thoughtful and sensitive, ‘The Boy, the Chalk and the Troll’ is a real celebration of patience, kindness and hope. Isolated and struggling, the ‘troll’ is obviously struggling with difficult emotions, acting in a way which rebuffs friendship. However, the little boy’s persistent, non-threatening approach, using art and creativity to gain trust, gradually builds a relationship which is non-demanding and understanding. The story is perfect for developing empathy and encouraging acceptance, making it excellent for PSHE or an assembly as well as story time.

David Litchfield’s illustrations capture the heart and spirit of the story perfectly. Teachers - and family- may choose to use the book as a starting point for collaborative art work, perhaps developing a mural or a playground chalking project to encourage older and younger children to develop supportive relationships, perhaps encouraging them to explore and discuss their own emotions.

Gentle and reassuring, ‘The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk’ is a poignant, powerful tale.

The Boy, the Troll and the Chalk

Anne Booth and David Litchfield

Templar ISBN: 978-1800783058

You can read my review of ‘A Shelter for Sadness’ here.

The Dolls’ House

One day, when Mia and her mother are walking back to their new house, she spots a worn, uncared for dolls’ house sitting on the side of the road. Mia falls in love with it and takes it home where she paints it sunshine yellow. The house soon attracts other children who come to play with it all summer long. Just one child watches from across the street, resisting Mia’s friendly gestures. When a storm comes, the dolls’ house is damaged, but help and kindness soon arrive from a surprising quarter.

This joyful story is a wonderful celebration of play, friendship and kindness! Perfect for sharing, the book offers much to enjoy. I love the idea of an old, discarded, shabby toy finding a new lease of life in the hands of a creative, imaginative child and her joy in it spreading to other children, forming bonds of friendship. In such a throwaway world, this idea of valuing and re-inventing toys is an important one to nurture.

Not only does the story explore how important imaginative play is and how creative children can be, it also shows how the shy child who perhaps finds it hard to be part of a group will shine given the right situation. Marley (the child from over the road) shows true kindness and understanding when Mia needs a friend, kindness which she returns by sharing her precious toy.

The illustrations are lovely, full of details to explore and things to spot. The range of dolls which the children bring to join in the fun can be seen in the different pictures, the expressions on their faces changing almost as if they were alive and responding to the events of the story! Children may well enjoy telling the tale from the point of view of their favourite character- or creating stories about the dolls in their new home. The book had me itching to create a dolls’ house from cardboard boxes as we used to do when my son was little and I am sure that I will not be alone in this! Like the children in the story, with lots of creativity and a pinch of imagination, lots of furniture and accessories will be created from whatever can be found, making the venture all the more fun!

A really lovely story!

The Dolls’ House

Tanya Rosie, illustrated by Claudia Ravalli

OUP ISBN: 978-0192783899

Published on the 7th March

Beware the Blue Bagoo

Rumours are flying around the appropriately named Rumourville about the evil deeds of the Blue Bagoo, an awful creature who has committed many nefarious deeds. However, no one seems to be able to answer the simple question posed by one brave detective- who is the Blue Bagoo?

This is one of those joyous picture books which can be read and enjoyed at so many levels! The lively rhyming text offers plenty of opportunities for joining in with different voices, at different volumes and with great enthusiasm yet the story brilliantly lends itself to discussing how rumours, misinformation and gossip can distort the truth.

As the inhabitants of Rumourville put up posters, sing songs and tell their tall tales, one intrepid detective sporting a Sherlock Holmes style deer stalker and clutching a magnifying glass is determined to uncover the truth and make people answer the question. Eagle eyed readers will notice clues as to the true identity of the Blue Bagoo as the story progresses and appreciate how wild some of the claims are. At one point, someone claims the Blue Bagoo is green!

The story exposes how baseless rumours can quickly take hold and become ‘truth’ as they spread, making an excellent starting point for discussions with any age range. It could be used for assemblies or PSHE session on situations between friendship groups, within a class or school- or on wider issues in the news. The detective concludes that mistakes can easily be made, but that if we are friendly, kind and caring and give love, then this is what we will find in return.

The illustrations are delightful- full of details to notice and enjoy. Turn the cover over and it shows the back view of the image on the front plus the owner of the trail of little footprints on the front. The final illustrations underline the point that the addition of the Blue Bagoo and its relatives to the community has both enriched their lives and made the town a happier, nicer place to live. This is sure to become a firm favourite at home and at school!

Beware the Blue Bagoo

Karl Newson, illustrated by Andrea Stegmaier

Happy Yak ISBN: 978-0711267824

You can read my review of ‘I Really, Really Love You So’ here.

One Tiny Dot

Kindness is a tiny blue dot. Whilst making his way along the street, he catches a ride on a boy’s new trainers. The boy welcomes him and this act of kindness causes the little dot to grow. Together they continue, receiving and spreading acts of kindness along the way until the tiny blue dot is tiny no longer. When they meet an angry little girl who feels she has been left out of the fun, Kindness knows exactly what to do. Recognising the sadness masked by the fury, Kindness reaches out and welcomes the little girl to the party.

See the thing is with KINDNESS

-it spreads if you let it.

When kindness is nurtured, it grows. As Lucy Rowland’s joyful rhyming text bounces along, this message is celebrated, showing how each nice act inspires others to smile, say thank you or help in a whole variety of ways, showing kindness comes in all shapes and sizes. The story is perfect for generating conversations about how we act towards others and how we can all try to make every day a little better for those around us.

The story also shows how kindness is able to empathise with others. When faced with anger, it looks beyond this and sees the sadness behind, offering understanding and support until the angry feelings are gone. Kindness worked its magic again!

The illustrations are fabulous! Full of colour and energy, they are instantly appealing, making everyone want to participate in the fun- and share kindness. The images clearly support the inspiring message of the story, making it perfect for discussing with children both at home and in school.

A delightful book with an important and inspiring message.

One Tiny Dot Lucy Rowland, illustrated by Gwen Millward

Templar Books ISBN: 978-1787418868