Maverick Early Readers – Engaging and Fun

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I have been following Maverick Publishing growing early reader collection with considerable interest. What immediately struck me about the illustrations, was how bold, colourful and full of ‘character’ they were. And how they were more like the kind of pictures you find in a good quality picture book than the pictures you often see in reading scheme books. The combination of fun and often original stories with eye-catching pictures really helps to engage the reader. Whilst each book look like it might be part of a collection. I love that there are many authors and illustrators. And I am especially excited by the later, and it was something my observant son was quick to spot. Despite the fact that my son is now in year 3 and a very competent reader I asked him last term to help me review some of the Maverick Readers. I also enlisted the help of some friends who have emerging readers of various ages.

Lorraine Pemberton (Twitter @merryboookworm) said:

“My son is picky when it comes to books.  He enjoys reading, but he will not tolerate what he calls ‘boring books’– if there is a whiff of Biff, Chip and Kipper about them, then quite frankly, it is easier to stick pins in my eyes than it is to get him to read.  Interestingly, in school he was initially labelled a reluctant reader, but it swiftly became apparent to me that this was because the ‘mandatory’ school readers didn’t grab his attention.”

“He wants real stories – the sort that capture the imagination, make him laugh and have interesting story lines: in short, books that encourage reading for pleasure.  These Maverick Early Readers do exactly that.”

Dog in a Dress and Run, Tom, Run (Band Red)  
By Katie Dale and illustrated by Giusi Capizzi

A book with a picture of a dog wearing a dress was going to get my attention. This is in part because one of our families favourite all time picture books is ‘Dog’s Don’t Do Ballet’ by Anna Kemp and Sara Ogilvie, where there is a Dog wearing a tutu on the front cover. So I was curious to see what an early reader with a few words might say! At this level there are two short stories. Each introducing a different letter, which are W and I. I love everything about the introduction to the story. The fact that the’ familiar words’ were shown as labels to mini-pictures. Which is much more eye-catching and less daunting than the usual lists. Clear guidance for parents and letter shapes to trace with your finger, the later of which my son would have loved when he was learning to read. My son enjoyed both stories and he especially liked Run Tom Run. The simple message of the story that ‘you can still have fun and not win’ was one he identified with and I think enjoying the outdoors himself he identified with a boy who was getting wet and muddy. Would make a great addition to any school or home collection.

 

   

Can I have My Ball Back?  (Yellow Banded Reader)
By Alice Hemming and illustrated by Ed Myer

When I was looking through Mavericks website, and they now have a website dedicated to their Early Readers, you can view it here.  It was helpful to see pictures of inside the books which is really usesful when you are looking for a story or stories that may interest a particular child. What struck me was how unique it was to have an early reader that included ‘factory like diagrams’ as part of the illustrations. One of my son’s favourite picture books when he was younger was Eroll the Squirrel, by Hannah Shaw where a squirrel accidentally ends up in a packet of nuts, and my son loved the ‘diagram page’ which showed how he ended up there. In fact it was this page that got him hooked into listening to the story. In this story Grandad has an inventing shed. And when the neighbours ball hits the shed for the second time all the inventions started to go wrong, and my son loved spotting what was going wrong. So much potential for this Yellow reader for guided reading, which will help engage any reader. For those that already like books the illustrations are so much more fun than the average reader, so they are less likely to get bored. And for kids that do not have much exposure to being read aloud  picture books, it would help them to begin to discover the detail in pictures and the fun of doing so.

  

I Don’t Care said Bear (Blue Banded Reader)
By Katie Dale and illustrated by Kathyrn Selbert

At this stage the stories are still quite basic. But for some kids that started out being fairly positive with phonics it is as early as this they can start losing interest. I believe that one of the reasons for this is that they fail to have empathy with the characters. And some stories are so much better at building empathy than others. With the clever used of speech bubbles this story encourages the reader to have empathy brilliantly. It’s a wonderful story about a bear who doesn’t want to help his friends, but learns the errors of his ways. A read aloud of the Little Red Hen would make a great follow up to this story. It could also promote some interesting discussions on what happens when the ice melts?

Hocus Pocus Diplodocus  (Turquoise Band)
By Steve Howson and illustrated by Kate Daubney

Lorraine Pemberton (Twitter @merryboookworm) had this to say about this book:

“One of his favourites is ‘Hocus Pocus Diplodocus’.  The story is hugely entertaining – what’s not to like about a dinosaur magician who can make things disappear? – and the full-colour illustrations are bright, interesting and complement the story superbly.  My son has read this book a number of times now, and it still makes him laugh; in fact, I caught him talking to his Nanna about it during one of their weekly telephone chats!  He also loves the quiz at the back, which he sees as a fun activity rather than a method of checking understanding, so it’s a win-win all round.”

Thank you to Maverick books for a couple of free books.  And for Lorraine for agreeing to provide a review of Hocus Pocus Diplodocus’ which she bought from my ‘Reader that Care’ book shop on Abe books . See here. You might also be interested in the review she did of Maverick books on her blog, 

Lot’s of great information on Maverick Publishing dedicated Early Readers website, see here.

Caged – a wordless picture book that makes you think

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I am a big fan of wordless picture books so was delighted to be given the opportunity to review Caged, written and illustrated by Duncan Annand and publishers Tiny Owl. Through simple but very effective drawings it explores issues of greed, freedom, our connection to nature, and the courage shown by individuals to help others. It is a book that would be great to share, either as a group or as individual’s that then feed back their responses. I also felt it might work particular well with children aged 9+years. Not having the right group of kids myself  I asked Shenaz Bagshaw to help. She shared the book with a couple of groups of year 5’s at St James CE Primary School in Northampton. The children loved the book. One of the main reasons was: “because it makes you think”. This is one of the clever things about this wordless picture book, it actively invites the reader to try and work out what is happening and to question.

The pictures are a wonderful combination of line drawings in black and white. These contrast with a single blue bird and the multi-coloured parrots. Some things the children said when Shenaz ‘read’ the first part of the story with them were:

  • “Why is the bird blue, and everything else just outlined?”
  • “The man’s clothes look like Willy Wonker”

From these two comments there are so many things you could explore and discuss further.

Along with spot on observations and descriptions of what they saw. There were some interesting questions raised by the kids about what they were seeing as the story unfolded:

  • “Are the men knocking down the trees to make paper from the wood?”
  • “The circle on the ground looks like a helipad – a helicopter is coming to collect the wood.”

What I love about these questions is how different ‘eyes’ can see different things in the same picture and also how as the story unfolded they were inspired to do try and work out both what was happening and why it was.

“At first they thought the men got rich from selling the wood, (they thought they must be rich because they were wearing posh clothes), but later they thought that they were clearing the trees to make space for the aviary and to destroy the colourful birds habit to make them easier to trap”. Shenaz Bagshaw

In the last stage of the story here are some of the comments the children made. I have omitted some comments as I don’t want to give away completely how the story ends!  After reading it they commented that “one person or bird can make a big difference.” 

  • “They have alcohol – they are celebrating capturing the birds.”
  • “The blue bird sits on the cage and it brakes  – he must be heavy!”
  •  “One bird saves maybe 50 birds……”

There is some great information and resources, about Caged, including a free downloadable freedom poster  on Tiny Owls website. Including some quotes from authors about why wordless books are so powerful:

“Wordless picture books give a starting point to create and invent a story, giving readers the confidence to embroider what they are saying. ” Elizabeth Laird 

 

 

 

 

Bird Migration: Remarkable Journeys, Narrative Non-fiction at it’s very best.

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This blog post reviews two books:

Moonbird – A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95 – Philip Hoose

Farrar Straus Giroux books for young readers

The Peregrines Journey – A Story of Migration – Madeleine Dunphy and Kristen Kest

Published by Web of Life Children’s books

  

Moonbird is about a remarkable superbird who has flown the distance equivalent  to the moon and half-way back again in its life time.  When I first read this book 8 years ago I remember being in awe of the migration journeys this bird (and other birds) make each and every year. It is one of my favourite all time non-fiction books. I have always been curious about how birds can navigate their way to such precise locations. This book doesn’t answer these questions. But, it did give me a fascinating insight into the annual journey of a rufa red knot (known as B95), a robin-sized shorebird. It opened my eyes to the multiple challenges it faces on its migration, and in particular finding enough food to give it enough energy for long flights. I gained an appreciation of the importance of stepping stones, key places that birds stop on their migration route where they can feed and re-fuel to be able to successfully complete the next stage of their journey. And how vulnerable these places are to changes , which are threatening the very existence of the red knot.

Since I discovered Moonbird I have been looking for a picture book that would communicate to a younger audience the excitement of a birds migration journey. I found some quite good ones, but they did not follow or capture the magic of the journey in quite the same as Moonbird, until I discovered the Peregrines Journey: A Story of Migration, by Madeleine Dunphy and illustrated by Kristin Kest. What a gem of a book it is. It covers the Peregrine Falcons 8,000 Mile journey from Alaska (where it raises it chicks in Summer) to Argentina where it spends the winter. Kristen Kest beautifully captures with bold distinctive colours the different environments the Peregrine passes through. Madeleine’s Dunphy has the ability to make you feel like you are experiencing things from Peregrine’s perspective, with just the right detail to be informative and realistic. And the combination of author and illustrator create a story that flows beautifully, like the very best of narrative non-fiction should do.

Please note:

The Peregrine Falcon is a bird of prey so it eats other animals, including birds, and the red knot (but not in this story). How might you might ask can I possibly love both stories! Well the Moonbird won me over to rooting for and loving the very small red knot bird. But, I have always been fascinated and in awe of the birds of prey.  In the story there are a couple of time’s that the Peregrine eats other birds, such as a Dove and a Pigeon, though you don’t see the eating part just the intent. Which may upset some younger children who do not yet understand that every animal or bird eats something to survive.

More about ‘Moonbird’:

The core of the book focuses on the journey the bird B95 makes in one year. With a combination of prose written as you were actually were the bird, backed up with detailed information of the scientists involved, with pictures, maps and information boxes, this is the ultimate in non-fiction for young adults and adults. It also includes detail about how the scientists learnt about the red knot, tagged and tracked them and by doing this discovered just how far this remarkable survivor B95 or ‘Moonbird’ had travelled. It concludes with a final chapter on what people are doing to save the red knot and an Appendix with ways you can help.  I would highly recommend this for anyone aged 12 years and above, including adults.

The start of an epic journey:

“Meet B95, One of the world’s premier athletes. Weighing a mere four ounces, he’s flown more than 325,000 miles in his life – the distance to the moon and nearly halfway back again. He flies at mountaintop height along ancient routes that lead him to his breading grounds and back”.

The reader is taken on the birds amazing journey. From Tierra del Fuego (where he spends October to February) an archipelago (group of islands) off the coast of South America to Mingan Archipelago in Quebec, Canada. After capturing your attention with what it might feel like to be a small migratory shorebird about to embark on a long journey, and the need for it to stuff itself with food, such as worms, muscles, and tiny crustaceans to store reserves and propel its flight on it’s long journey.

  

“The only way for us to know for sure whether B95 has made it safely from Delaware Bay to the Arctic Circle this year is for someone to spot him after his breeding time ends and he and other red knots stream back south to a stopover site.” P73

More about the Peregrine’s Journey:

In a relatively small number of words and beautiful whole page pictures you get a unique insight into the awe-inspiring journey this bird of prey makes each year. You are taken through the birds experiences of flying, feeding, drinking, resting and watching as well as some of it’s stopping of places. I would recommend this for children aged 6 years to adult. But, for younger children do remember this is a bird of prey so it eats other birds and animals.

“She also has very good eyesight…. To her the mountains and rivers are like maps and street signs. These landmarks help her know where she is.” P7

“Today, she bathes in a desert pool in New Mexico. She splashes around dipping her head in and out of the water until every feather is wet. One by one she carefully preens each feather with her beak.” P14

 

 

Sing to the Moon – Nanubuga Nagadya Isdahl and Sandra van Doorn

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This story opens with a boy imagining (or dreaming) of all the adventures he could have.  Then he wakes up and discovers it is raining and that he is stuck inside.  But then his Jjajja (grandfather) takes him on an adventure doing ordinary Ugandan things around the house, such as packing away the peas, gardening and cooking a fish stew for supper. The detail in the pictures and warmth of the soft pastel colours bring domestic Ugandan life alive for the reader and they also radiate with the warmth of the relationship between the boy and his grandfather.

As night begins the story takes on a magical dimension:

“With daylight now done and the dark settled in, Jjajja says our night adventures begin.”

They share African stories together

“tales of lost cities and great heaps of gold..African kingdoms a sight to behold.”

I can think of a number of bedtime stories where a child shares a story with a parent or grandparent. But, this is different in the stories the characters are sharing are African. The text and pictures work brilliantly together to communicate excitement about these stories. There could be some great follow up to this part of the story in looking for stories from different African countries.

As the night ends the boy and his grandfather share a magical moment outdoors and the reader is introduced to the noises of the Ugandan night.

I love the strength of the relationship between the boy and his grandfather. At night time this also includes Jjajja telling the boy that a star will always be watching over him. For anyone with a strong relationship with a grandparent or older person this story is sure to resonate whatever their ethnic background.

At the end of the book there is a lovely letter from the author Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl. Inviting you to look and listen to the wildlife around you (where every you live) and think about

  •  “What sounds do you hear in nature”
  • “ What stories do they tell?”

This is a lovely story which introduces you to Uganda, whilst also encouraging you to look a bit closer at where you live and who you share special times with, and encouraging each of us to celebrate the ‘every day’. It would make a great addition to home and school libraries.

Thank you to the publishers Lantana Publishing for a free copy of this book to review.

There’s Room for Everyone – Anahita Teymorian

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From the front page it is almost as if this book is reaching out to hug you. In uncertain times this is exactly what this picture book does. It provides reassurance and hope. It is the first title in the publisher Tiny Owls ‘Hope in a Scary World’ series. Which aims to build up a collection of books which help children (and adults) who may feel frightened or worried about world events. It is written and illustrated by award winning Iranian author Anahita Teymorian.

On one level this is a simple tale about a boy who grows up with the acceptance he needs, who then notices as an adult that everyone around him is fighting for space big and small, and then reflects with some very sound advice that through kindness and acceptance we can make room for everyone.

It is supported by the most wonderful illustrations, which have been drawn by the author. For anyone who has followed me on twitter (@melissacreate15) you know how much I love children’s picture books, despite this I can honestly say I have never seen illustrations quite like this before. Each page is backed by a warm comforting colour palette, and the choice to draw people with over extended arms is really effective. As a couple of my bookish twitter friends have also said this is the kind of book you keep being drawn back to.

On another level there are multiple layers and overlapping messages.  Each reader may interpret things differently.  This book is suitable for younger children aged 5+ years, but it’s real power as a book that helps you make sense of the world and find hope may lie with older children, teenagers and adults.

It ‘s the possibility of multiple messages from this story that has made it challenging to write about this heartwarming, thoughtful and hopeful book. Below are some of my reflections on what this story means to me.

My personal RESPONSE this story

Reflecting on this story I found the piece at the back of the book in which the author explains where her ideas came from was useful. It was a response to the fighting in the world that is always on the TV and a desire to show that we can accept and make room for each other and show kindness – a desire to give a positive message as an antidote to all the uncertain things that are happening in the world.

In the first part of the story the boy is growing up, and at each stage in his development he uses an example of how there was always enough space. On another level this reflects what many parents feel when a child is born, that their house feels small and they wonder how they will make room. But, one does accommodate, adapt and find space and this space is re-negotiated as the child get’s bigger. At the same time a strong and powerful parallel is drawn to nature, where the author says “there is enough space for the stars” and the “birds in the garden.”. For me there is another message here of how taking time to notice and observe nature can both centre and calm us.

   

I love how as the boy grows up the scale of what he notices and sees gets bigger a bit like a child and young person’s expanding view of the world. So we go from space for all his toys to space for all the fish in the sea.

As he grows up he notices people are fighting for small and big spaces. And once  again the wonderful pictures add power and emotion to the words. In a world of uncertainties where so much has changed and is changing this story both acknowledges the existence of things that may make us feel scared or worried, whilst also providing us with the reassurance of the constant presence of nature. There is one thing we can control and that is we can choose to be kind to ourselves and to each other.

   

You can find out more and view a great video by the author on Tiny Owls website

You can purchase the book from me at Readers that Care or order it from a good local bookshop

Flight – Vanessa Harbour

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Sometimes you read a story that you enjoyed so much and which makes you think that you just need to write about it. Last  week that book was Flight by Vanessa Harbour. A thrilling epic journey which is both heartwarming and at times heart-wrenching.

I am a big fan of middle grade fiction with a journey narrative and of accessible historical fiction, and this does both brilliantly. It is a well paced exciting journey, with the strong sense of the threatening presence of  the Nazi’s adding to the risks and excitement and there are lots of horses!

It is a about a Jewish boy called Jakob who when he is orphaned takes shelter in a nearby stables. His guardian takes him on to look after the Lipizzanner stallions.  They are very famous horses owned by the Spanish Riding school of Vienna, who are renowned for their almost dance like dressage performances. When the horses become endangered Jakob and his guardian and a Roma girl called Kizzy set off on an epic journey across the countryside and over the mountains to safety.

I loved this story just as much as ‘Sky Chaser’ by Emma Carroll. Flight by debut author Vanessa Harbour is every bit it’s equal.  Each cut’s across genre, creating modern historical adventures that will appeal to readers of all ages. This book also reminded me of  ‘Running on the Roof of the World’ by Jess Butterworth, where Tash makes an epic journey with two Yaks across the Himalyas. Both stories bring a real strength to the journey narrative in that the main characters have to care for themselves and their animals.

Reading the story I got a real sense of what it might have been like to have lived in a Nazi occupied country in World War Two. The risks are especially high when you are a Jewish boy trying to sneak across country with a large group of highly prized horses! The story opens with Jacob hiding in a hayloft:

“If Jacob sneezed he could die, he passed a sweaty hand over his nose. Every part of him was shaking. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears….”

Early on you learn the power that the Nazi’s have when Jakobs favourite horse is shot. There is more to come, and because of this I would recommend Flight for children aged 9/10 years and older. However, having said that the constant presence of the Nazi’s is effectively integrated into the story in a way that you feel like you are really there At the same time the full impact is ‘softened’ a little for the reader, as is often the case in the very best of middle grade fiction.

The first two thirds of this story is fast paced with plenty of action to keep you reading as you want to find out what happens next. Then the excitement of the journey appears to be over and you are briefly left wondering what will happen in the rest of the story. Less experienced readers and/or children who prefer fast paced stories may need a little encouragement to get past this. The last one third of the story doesn’t disappoint. It is very clever. You get a hint of what life might be like for Jakob and Kizzy after their adventure and for horse fans there is an absolute treat to come!

Set within an exciting adventure with horses, is a running theme of prejudice, which is superbly handled by the author and leaves plenty to discuss. This includes: attitudes towards Jews in World War Two, and towards Roma children both then and now, and attitudes to women in sport at this time.

I really enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to see what Vanessa Harbour writes next.

 

Nimesh Adventures – Ranjit Singh and Mehrdokht Amini

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I was delighted to receive a review of copy of Nimesh the Adventurer from Lantana Publishing. The illustrations in this book are gorgeous and really bring the story to life. Nimesh goes on many imaginative adventures on his journey home from school. The chatty conversation style keeps you engaged and wanting to find out where he goes next. Many of the pictures give insights into East Indian culture and it is great to see an Indian family being the focus of such an imaginative story.

The journey narrative was really effective. It reminds me of Emily Brown, by Cresida Cowell and Neal Layton. Nimesh Adventures will appeal to older children and adults too. It begins at the end of the school with Nimesh and his friends excitedly looking at a book about Dragons. This draws the readers in and is sure to capture the attention of even the most reluctant of readers. Nimesh then goes on a number of other imaginative journeys, including: swimming with sharks, the North Pole, meeting a guardsman for the Indian Maharaja’s, and a princess in the garden. I love how something ordinary is the inspiration for imaginative ideas. The picture on the wall of a shark, turns into a corridor full of sharks. And the dogs walking down the street turn into a dog sleigh at the North Pole.

The author Ranjit Singh is a British children’s author of East Indian heritage . The illustrations are drawn by Mehrdokht Amini an Iranian born illustrator.  They vividly capture the Indian culture whilst at the same time depicting many ordinary things that all children will identify with. There is lots of detail and clues for the reader to look for to help them to guess what will happen next.

This would be a great book to share with children of all ages. One to one this book could be shared with children as young as 4 years old. But, as a whole class read I think it has most potential from year2/year 3 upwards as there is so much to explore and possibilities for discussion. It could be used across the whole of KS2 and I think it even has potential as an inspiration for story writing in KS3.

You can buy copies from me at Readers that Care

Or direct from Lantana publishing’s website.

Blog Tour: Wilderness Wars, a conversation with Barbara Henderson

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I am delighted to have Scottish author Barbara Henderson back on my blog, having interviewed her about her first book Fir for Luck on my blog almost two years ago. Her third book is Wilderness Wars, an eco-thriller set on a remote Scottish Island. Which is a wonderful twist of several genres, survival on a remote island, family, and the developers ignoring the environment set the scene for what follows. The environment fights back and takes on a supernatural force of its own.  In all three of Barbara’s books she has shown that she clearly knows the natural environments of Scotland and has the skill to take her reader there. But, in Wilderness Wars she has absolutely nailed it. Striking a beautiful balance between character led prose and spot on description that you really feel like you are there, which combined with twist and turns and suspense is quite something.  The laying as the two main characters Em and Zac learn about themselves and begin to work out what is happening on the Island and the hints that perhaps something more than unlucky mishaps is going on is superb. I highly recommend it for everyone aged 9 years and above, including adults.

When I talked to you on my blog two years ago about your debut book Fir for Luck. You said one of your family holidays inspired the story, as you discovered a remote clearance village, which was the inspiration for your story.

  1. How have your family holidays to the Scottish Wilderness helped to inspire Wilderness Wars?

I am so lucky in that I live close to a lot of the types of places which helped to create the island world in Wilderness Wars. My base in Inverness can be annoying at times – any city is 2-3 hours away –  but you can drive for a very short time before you reach the sea, or the wilderness, or both. It’s one of the factors which drew us to the region. Holidays on Harris, with its white beaches and turquoise seas, Lewis, Mull, Iona, Skye, Islay, Assynt and Sutherland… all these played into the world I tried to create, and each memory contributed a little.

Some observations, such as seeing the seal move elegantly underwater from a hilltop, coral beaches and being dive-bombed by gulls are all directly lifted from holiday memories. I defy anyone not to be inspired by places like these – there is awe, but also a certain vulnerability as you realise how far you are from anywhere. Both are natural responses, and I hope that Wilderness Wars features a little of that balance.

In both Fir for Luck and Wilderness Wars there is a close connection with the characters to the land and they and their families depend on it for their survival. But, the context of Wilderness Wars is very different. It is not the people that are trying to stop them but nature itself.

  1. Tell me a more about the ways that nature fights back and how you selected the ways it does?

There is a lot more I could have done, a lot more facets of the wild world I could have included. The bottom line is, I wanted a slow escalation, so that initially, the setbacks for the building project would look like mishaps and accidents, before, without the reader realising it, we have moved into something a little bit more supernatural: the wilderness as a sentient force. So initially, the workforce on Skelsay have to contend with small accidents, freak weather, rodents, an inconvenient site for a protected species. If they run roughshod over these, as they do, there is an escalation until we are looking at the inevitable life or death showdown. I liked the fact that it begins with small, explicable things and I wanted to ask myself the question – if nature, as a whole, could fight back against our blinkered, short-sighted, selfish little meddling – what would it do?  It’s the classic Man-versus-Nature conflict, but with a bit of a moral twist.

In your opening chapters of Wilderness Wars you cleverly balance Em’s curiosity about the new environment she is going to live in, with another less friendly side, such as being pecked by seal gulls on the ferry and wild whether resulting in container being dropped in the sea.

  1. Can you explain more about how you balanced building up a picture of a ‘conspiring, sinister nature’ with Em and her friend Zac developing their understanding of the Island and a respect for the wilderness on the island?

It was really important to me that both sides should be shown – nature, respected and left to its own devices, is not a threat in the book. I love the wild landscapes and am definitely at my happiest and most peaceful when I am in such places. But in the book, the wilderness, threatened by thoughtless development and needless interference, certainly is dangerous.

It’s an element of the supernatural, designed to make a wider point about the way we make choices, questioning rather than scaremongering, I hope. The book ends on a very positive note, although I have to admit to terrifying myself with the chapters near the end.

But maybe Wilderness Wars can also be read as whatever you want it to be: a love letter to the wilderness, an adventure story in its own right, a book about integrity, isolation, friendship and finding your place in the world.

Goodness, that sounds a bit ambitious, but that’s my hope! Judge for yourselves readers…

 

Tomorrow by Nadine Kaadan

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Already a fan of the illustrator and author Nadine Kaadan I was delighted to receive a copy of her new book Tomorrow to review from Lantana Publishing. I have a particular interest in picture books that help children understand others experience of war and about refugees. This story is unique in a number of ways. Instead of focusing on people fleeing their country it focuses on the experience of a boy in his home as it is besieged by war.

Tomorrow tells the story of a small boy called Yazan who lives in war torn Syria. It is told from a unique perspective as you don’t actually see the war. Instead you get to feel what the immediate effects are for Yazan, as everything changes around him. Changes include no more trips to the park, not being able to see his friends, no school (which he actually begins to miss) and his mother becomes withdrawn. The boys experience is sensitively portrayed and great attention is given to gradually building up all the small things Yazan is not able to do because of the war.

The message of the story is beautifully supported by the authors own drawings, which help to convey powerful emotions and to reflect the boys feelings and experiences in a way that is meaningful to children. A simple colour palette of black, yellow and read is very effective. Black for sadness, fear and anxiety, red for happy memories and red and yellow for hope.

There are some lovely messages in this story. It is a powerful story of a family supporting each other in the most difficult of circumstances and in the power of imagination and art to bring hope to the darkest of moments. Towards the end of the story Yazan’s mother draws a picture of the park he can not play in and says:

“But let’s paint a park in your bedroom – an amazing park with everything you’ve ever dreamed of. And soon you’ll be able to go outside and play again.”

In some ways the messages in this story are very simple, helping readers of all ages to build empathy with the young boys experience of living through war. Yet the pictures convey some powerful emotions that some children may find upsetting and need help to understand. When using with a group of children I would be tempted to start with the last picture first and ask, what they liked about their local park and how would they feel if they could not go to it.  My 7 year old son initially found some of the pages ‘quite dark’. But when we explored the use of red and yellow colours in the story he could also see there was hope in the story too.

Whilst not shying away from powerful emotions it protects the reader from the worst of the war in several ways. For example: Whilst, his mum does become sad and withdrawn at the beginning, Yazan doesn’t loose either of his parents in the story, they are still together at the end. Another example is you learn about the war outside from a little distance, through a TV Screen, which I thought was really clever.

I would highly recommend this for children aged 6+ and young people and adults. It is a great story which encourages empathy and offers multiple opportunities as springboard for discussion.

Another of Nadine Kaadan’s wonderful picture books Jasmine Sneeze, would make a great contrast to this story as it is set in a peaceful Syria.  You can read my review here.

The book can be published direct from the Lantana publishers here.

It is also available from me through Readers that Care 

Jasmine Sneeze – a heartwarming and fun story

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There is so much I love about the story of Jasmine Sneeze. It has been one of my son’s favourite picture books since he was 5 years old. He is now 7 and I am sure will be enjoying it for many more years to come

It is set in Damascus Syria in more peaceful times. Nadine Kaadan’s narrative and vivid colourful illustrations bring the beautiful cobbled streets of this ancient city to life. You almost feel like you are there.  I chose it from Lantana publishing books because it features a cat and ‘something that grows’, both of which my son was really interested in at the time, and still is.

  

The story is about a cat called Haroun. who loves his life in the courtyards of Damascus.  The only thing he doesn’t like is the jasmine plants, that are outside everyone’s front door, because they make him sneeze. One day Haroun tries to get rid of the sweet jasmine smell by putting fish and chicken bones In the Jasmine pots. However, the Jasmine Spirit takes revenge in her own creative and humorous way. And Haroun learns that the jasmine plan was more important to others than he thought it was. A story that grows with your child is one of my favourite kind of picture books and this is certainly one of them.

My son seems to have empathy with the character of Haroun. Being cat crazy certainly helps but so does the great story and pictures. I remember when we first started reading it how he felt sad for Haroun when Jasmine started to grow out of his nose. It is fascinating to see how the book has grown with him. When I asked him this week which were his favourite pictures, one of them is below.

       He says:  “I like it because it is happy and sad and the Jasmine plant is growing straight up out of his nose, you don’t usually see that.”

He also likes all the jasmine plant illustrations that are intertwined with the story.

There are several layers to this story and these intertwine with the central message. Such as: the importance of the jasmine plant to each family in the neighbourhood where Haroun lives and the idea of a plant that has a spirit. Through the narrative and colourful illustrations, the reader is introduced to the sights and sounds of a ‘different’ place and culture.

I highly recommend this story for children aged 4 to 10 years.

You can learn more about Lantana Publishing here. 

Lantana publishing has created some great free resources for this book.

Available to buy from me at Readers that Care