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Category: Featured children’s book

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Happy New Year!

2017 is going to be a great year for children's books and for Dolphin Booksellers. Thank you for all the comments about the blog which reaches places across the world; schools, children, teachers, parents....  and people who just like good children's books.

Our blogs start this year with titles  published in the last year and are simply amazing.

Illuminature by Rachel Williams and Carnovosky
View, review or purchase this title from Amazon.co.uk here...

Our first title is Illuminature!

You may already  know that there are hidden secrets in different places. When you walk into a garden, you don't always see the spider in the hedgerow or the worm just inder the surface of the ground.

Illuminature is a remarkable book,  it explores the hidden secrets of the world's most diverse environments. A three colour lens illuminates each page in a kaleidoscope of colour.

On each double page spread there are flora and fauna that co exist in each habitat. Use the species guide to identify and find out more.

As you travel through a jungle, a reef, a mountain, grasslands, woods and rivers you'll uncover a world that never sleeps - with the graphics of Carnovsky and Williams, the innovative Milan based design duo.

Rachel Williams is the award winning author of Atlas of Animal Adventures and she lives and works in London. Her titles can also be found through Good Reads.

Milan based duo, Carnovsky, was started by Silvia Quintanilla and Fransesco Rugi in 2007. They are published around the world in magazines and famous for their wallpaper designs.

Wide Eyed Editions is an imprint of Quarto Publishing and publishes beautiful and informative books.

Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


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Zeki can SwimSwimming is so important and babies make the best swimmers. So Zeki Can Swim is a delightful book to read, to encourage and share with a young child all about swimming, from the water to adding the lotions!

Zeki Loves the water and bathtime is a taster for tomorrow’s adventure. He and Dad join their friends for swimming. First they learn to swim and hen the fun begins and off they go!

The book and series has great reviews, including the first book 'Zeki Loves Baby Club' being Book of the Year in 2014 with Books for Keeps.

The publisher, Alanna Books is a tiny independent publisher, celebrating its 10th birthday and being most well-known for its Lulu series. It publishes inclusive books with inclusive pictures!

The author, Anna McQuinn has written over 20 books, including the Lulu series, which features Zeki’s older sister.

The illustrator Ruth Hearson works as a freelance illustrator and worked with Little Tiger, OUP and Heinemann. Since returning to illustrating she has been involved in many community arts projects.

Sue Martin           Dolphin Booksellers

 

 

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
there's a tiger in the garden cover image
Review or purchase this title from Amazon.co.uk here...

When Grandma says she has seen a tiger in the garden, Nora doesn't believe her. She's too old to play Grandma's games. Everyone knows that tigers live in jungles not gardens?

So even when Nora sees butterflies with wings as big as her arm, and plants that try and eat her toy giraffe, and a polar bear that likes fishing, she knows there's absolutely, DEFINITELY no way there could be a tiger in the garden... Could there?

Published by Frances Lincoln Children's Books this is the debut novel from Lizzie  Stewart, an illustrator and author of great talent. The story and journey line stretch deep into the imagination and will be a wonderful story to read together or alone.

Lizzie has been a freelance illustrator since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 2009. In 2013 she completed an MA in Communication Design at Central St. Martin. She was selected as one of the It's Nice That Graduates 2009 and was nominated for a British Comic Book Award in 2013.

Her inspiration comes from folk culture, flora and fauna and life in far flung cities and a compulsive need to tell stories. Currently Lizzie lives in London and teaches on behalf of The National Portrait Gallery.

Sue Martin

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Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
A Visit to City Farm
Review or purchase this book from Amazon.co.uk

There is a great story behind A Visit to City Farm, published by  Firetree Books.

The book is the result of close collaboration between the children of Chalkhill Primary School in Wembley and Firetree books.

Chalkhill Primary School are the proud co-publishers and the children's names are included in the book.

Firetree Publishers have received Arts Council funding for the project, a real achievement in the production of such a wonderful book, and a splendid idea.

The story is set in London and we follow the children on their journey from school, 'Coats zipped, rucksacks light, hands free for holding tight'. The class sets off through the noisy traffic and reaches the underground, where the train comes roaring through a deep dark, tunnel.

A Visit to City Farm

At the farm they meet the animals, help to feed some and then enjoy their packed lunches.

'That was the best day ever, said Rainbow class.'

Written by Verna Wilkins, who is a great supporter of diversity in books, which is clearly shown through the children and teachers at Chalkhill Primary, Wembley.

Karin Littlewood is a terrific illustrator and the images are full of character and fun between the children and the animals. Karin also illustrated The Colour of Home by Mary Hoffman.

We recommend A Visit to City Farm for ages 5-7 years, an excellent book  and a very interesting dimension on how to work with children in writing and creative projects.

Sue Martin

dolphinlogo2012imageright3.jpg


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
It Starts with a seed cover image
Review or purchase this book from Amazon.co.uk here...

The story of a seed as it journeys from the branches of a tree into the ground and becomes first a young sapling and then a tree.

It is written by Laura Knowles and illustrated by Jennie Webber.

Words and Pictures, part of the Quarto group, have produced a simply beautiful book in a lyrical form about a factual story.

Excellently presented , It Starts with a Seed, has gold blocking on the front cover, textured paper and etching techniques handmade by Jennie throughout the book.

It introduces children to how the eco-system works, it teaches children about the life cycle of a tree, it has stunning artwork and words that easily engage the reader.

Laura writes books about animals and nature and lives in London.

Jennie is a visual artist, printmaker and animal lover with an eye to detail, especially on plants and with animals. Lots of chances for observation and concepts of conservation.

Ilustrator Jennie Webber explains her creative and artistic technique in this short film. Having a copy of this book is a great way to keep her artwork with you!

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A beautiful book and a fascinating book to read.

Sue Martin

dolphinlogo2012imageright3.jpg


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.

 


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
one-cheetah-one-cherry
Review or buy this book from Amazon.co.uk here...

One Cheetah, One Cherry is stunning in design, colour and  use of numbers for counting to ten. It combines maths and art with ease in glorious technicolour! 

Always a joy to have a book by Jackie Morris in your hands. One Cheetah, One Cherry is no exception.

A real winner for Otter Barry Books.

 

Gold, blue and purple are combined to give  excellent illustrations and works of art, they have wonderful creatures on every page in eclectic settings.

Six bright tigers for instance, playing pat a cake, has six wonderful tigers on their hind legs each with a different friendly smile on their face.

Seven giant pandas with pretty painted parasols, has the seven pandas out of their normal habitat and enjoying each others company.

An otter in a hat! Well fancy that!

A beautiful book to have and to share with others. It is a vividly descriptive book on numbers and will  really support visual memory and understanding. And for the colour and energy of the animals alone this is definitely a book to buy.

Hope you  enjoy the book. Review or buy a copy here.

Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers

dolphinlogo2012imageright3.jpg


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
A Walk on the Wild Side by Louis Thomas
Review or purchase this book from Amazon.co.uk here...

Join the adventure to see animals around the world.  A brilliant new book, published in September 2016 from Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

This is an epic, action packed journey across some of the world's most incredible habitats and brings a colourful cast of 65 animal friends, all captured in fine detail by wildlife lover Louis Thomas.

The book is set  out in individual pages for each animal and illustrations by Louis which capture the character as well as the detail of the animal. Each page has a description and is written from a young boy adventurer who journeys across the planet.

Did you know, for instance, that the green iguana is like humans? It likes to be around others of its own kind and it's friendly. A striking difference is that it searches for food in the trees and drinks water from raindrops on flowers and leaves!

As you move from farm to ocean and from jungle to grassland, you'll discover how every creature on earth has one thing in common... they are unique.

Throughly recommended for ages 7 and above at home and in school.

Buy the book, or review it, here.

Sue Martin          Dolphin Book Blog

dolphinlogo2014imageright


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
Adder, Bluebell, Lobster - book cover image
Review or buy from Amazon.co.uk here...

There is more to this Wild Book of Poems from Otter-Barry Books than meets the eye!

From Adder to Wren, forty fantastic poems celebrate forty amazing animals, birds and plants and their beautiful names - names which you can help poet Chrissie Gittins save from EXTINCTION!

They are all words which have been left out of the latest Oxford Junior Dictionary. Join authors such as Michael Morpurgo and Margaret Atwood who along with 28 other authors protested against Oxford Junior Dictionary's replacement of natural words with 21st century terms.

The poems are brilliant, each page has a poem from Chrissie and illustration from Paul Bommer such as. Harry the Hamster...

'Harry the hamster, in his ball

rolled round the bedroom,

rolled round the hall.

He rolled to the bathroom,

he rolled to the stairs

where a huge teddy bear

took him clean unawares'.

We recommend for ages 6+ and for all ages. Follow the picture link to buy.

Sue Martin

dolphinlogo2014imageright


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
ifeoma talks at Archway image
Ifeoma entertains her audience in Islington...

Ifeoma Onyefulu is a writer, children's author and photographer.

Her books and photographs reflect life in Africa and are an amazing collection of images and stories. See her collection at Amazon.co.uk here.

Ifeoma's exhibition was held at Archway Library in Islington, London. The photographs displayed were from Ifeoma's travels over the last few years in Africa including Senegal, Mali, Nigeria and Ghana.

There was a well attended post-exhibition talk at Archway Library on Monday 1st August and Ifeoma talked about her work, her travels and her books. The next day there was a workshop and activities for children.

Visit Ifeoma's web pages here.

A is for Africa cover image
Explore Africa from your armchair...

See Ifeoma's travel blog here.

Our team recently worked in Hong Kong with Ifeoma and we are delighted that her exhibition was such a success.

Her most well known book, A is for Africa, is out in a new edition this year and published by Frances Lincoln and is a great book to have.

 

Sue Martin

Dolphin Booksellers

Books Go Walkabout

dolphinlogo2012imageright3.jpg


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.


Published on
My Little Book about Me
Review or purchase this book from Amazon.co.uk...

This is a really good series of books from QED and My Little Book about Me written by Angela Royston is an excellent addition to this series.

It brings together pictures and information about the body which is easily accessible for young children in Reception and Key Stage 1, at school, and into Key Stage 2. It's also a really useful book for the bookshelves at home.

Each page is a separate section, such as The world and me... which explains how we use our senses and bodies to see, taste, smell,speak and listen. The page on Inside my head describes the brain like a super computer with over 100 billion tiny nerve cells and only takes to 2% of the body weight and 20% of the body energy! An amazing fact!

There are lots of other books in the series, weather, ocean life, space, sharks, emergency vehicles. trains, volcanoes, rocks, minerals and gems. In fact, they cover about everything you might need to know if you are aged about 6 yrs old!

And in school, a library or at home they will be really interesting to have for children from the ages of about 4 - 8 years old.

At a retail price of around £7.99 they are a good buy in this hardback edition.

Sue Martin      Dolphin Booksellers

My little book of rocks, cover image

My little book of sharks - cover image


Dolphinbooksellers.co.uk is part of SmithMartin LLP

A retail resource for the best children's books, entry point into our children's and community library procurement and supply service. Offering a miscellany of news and featured authors for all our readers, whatever their age.