Simon Gregory

The Great Race: The Story of the Chinese Zodiac, written and illustrated by Christopher Corr

Francis Lincoln Children’s Books ISBN 9781786030658 £11.99 For a number of years teaching Year 2, I have planned an enrichment week based upon the Chinese New Year and I have always struggled to find a text that tells the story in an engaging and inspiring way. This book has put an end to this problem.…

Grandad’s Secret Giant, David Litchfield

Frances Lincoln Children’s Books  ISBN 9781847808479  £11.99 The illustrations alone make this an enchanting book. The colours are deep and rich and the giant is cleverly hidden, encouraging young readers to try and spot him on each page. The story itself tells a tale of a loving grandparent-grandchild relationship who share a secret and find…

Glitter, Stella J Jones, illustrated by Judi Abbot

Little Tiger Press  ISBN 9781848694323  £6.99 ‘With glitter on every page!’ states a sticker on the front of the book.  What’s not to like? This fun picture book tells the tale of Gloria, a rhino who just loves glitter. She cannot get enough of glitter, it’s her ‘favourite colour’ and everywhere she goes she leaves…

First Day at Skeleton School, written and illustrated by Sam Lloyd

Bloomsbury ISBN 9781408868829 £6.99 The front cover gives us a clue to this picture book being mostly about the pictures. A large cast of weird and wonderful characters – pupils at the school – are lined up in front of their skeleton teacher, all of them looking ready to cause havoc. A double page spread…

Everybody Feels… Scared! Moira Butterfield, illustrated by Holly Sterling

QED ISBN 9781784938574 £6.99 The series includes Everybody Feels Sad!, Happy! and Angry! and is a paperback edition of the series that was first published in hardback in 2016. Children are introduced to feelings and then helped them manage their emotions. They also gain insight into how others might be feeling. The illustrations are attractive, with simple facial expressions.…

The Doughnut of Doom, Elys Dolan

Nosy Crow  ISBN 9780857637475  £11.99 A giant pink doughnut is the disastrous result of Professor Nutcase’s experiment at the Lemon Labs.  Panic ensues in Food Town when the doughnut escapes, and attempts to catch it by the emergency services fail, as the doughnut eats its way through their defences.  Nancy McNutty, a trainee reporter in…

Bug Bear, Patricia Hegarty, illustrated by Carmen Saldana

Little Tiger  ISBN 9781848694514  £10.99 This picture book is dedicated to all those who have ever had a bugbear of their own. So begins a delightful, literal interpretation of this lovely expression as a sleeping bear is troubled by a pesky – albeit very friendly – little bug who wants to make a home in…

Beyond The Fence, Maria Gulemetova

Child’s Play ISBN 9781846439308 £5.99 This powerful allegorical tale is not a feel-good book but is one that could lead to poignant discussion and philosophical ideas. The watercolour illustrations are in muted tones and the characters are small and seem to take second place to the landscape and rooms. The overall feeling is one of…

The Adventures of Egg Box Dragon, Richard Adams, illustrated by Alex T Smith

Hodder Children’s Books ISBN 9781444938401 £12.99 Oh how I love Egg Box dragon! It takes me right back to the childhood feelings of making something that you really can believe is real. For me it was a Weetabix lorry but a magic fire breathing dragon that comes alive and possesses the skills of being able…