The most beautiful twin books came through my door last Saturday from O’Brien Press. Caitriona Sweeney’s dreamy watercolours swirl around a modern fairytale firmly orientated in Galway and available in Gaelic too. A Galway Fairytale or Síscéal Ó Ghaillimh tells the tale of Séan and Gráinne’s journey into Galway market to buy their mother a … Continue reading A Galway Fairytale/ Síscéal Ó Ghaillimh by Caitriona Sweeney
As Patricia Forde along with Elīna Brasliņa celebrate the publication of their picture book Imagine! I am delighted to be hosting a guest feature written by Trish on how the relationship between author and illustrator has to be a dance, a synergy of trust between the picture and prose and how that can be achieved … Continue reading Guest Feature: Patricia Forde on The Synergy between Author and Illustrator.
When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke is a beautiful poem of the heart explaining, affirming and encouraging equal rights, black pride and black joy across a picture book filled with silhouettes and blanked faces of many shades of Black skin so that the reader sees every individual and all Black people in … Continue reading Blog Tour: When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke
I am delighted to be kicking off the blog tour to celebrate the paperback release of Emma Perry and Rikin Parekh’s This Book Has Alpacas and Bears! A fun and quietly clever look at the power of representation in picture books. There’s nothing that Alphonse loves more than a good book, but when he realises … Continue reading Blog Tour: This Book has Alpacas and Bears. Emma Perry and Rikin Parekh
Lucy Rowland is a brilliant star for empathetic and thoughtful picture books, and coupled with the illustrative genius of Paula Bowles (one of our favourites) this tale of a little witch whose words get stuck is an absolute gift. Speech and Language issues are a quiet but huge topic within parenting and childhood, with many … Continue reading Wanda’s Words Got Stuck – Lucy Rowland & Paula Bowles
Anne Booth is a favourite in this house, her Lucy Books and Magical Kingdom of Birds have a gentle kindness woven into the pages even when they sometimes deal with situations children may find challenging, which is why it is lovely to see Anne turn her hand to dealing with emotions in a picture book. … Continue reading A Shelter for Sadness – Anne Booth & David Litchfield
Gremlins, you know, the saboteurs from the supernatural, naughtier than piskies and scorned brownies, not quite as horrible as goblins though, Or the things that happen to cute little mogwais if you feed them after midnight. This deliciously dark humoured and stunning visual picture book from sibling duo Lizzie and Tom Exton blends together the … Continue reading Blog Tour: Gordon the Gremlin- Lizzie Exton & Tom Exton
Lily and the Fae 