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Category: Featured children’s book

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Anthony Browne, illustrator is the new Children's Laureate for 2009- 2011.

Famous for many of his books, he is a brilliant choice and at Dolphin Books we send our congratulations.

It was fantastic to be present at the announcement and to feel part of the real uniqueness that the Children's Laureateship brings to the future of children's books for all our children.

Great to hear Anthony so enthusiastic about Picture Books, " They're special, perfect for sharing,. There's a gap between pictures and words and they encourage a way of looking. They are for everyone, not just for younger children."

goHis own picture books are certainly that, try Willy the Wimp or Gorilla. (...links to books below).

More details on the event and the speeches that were made will be added to the Dolphin site soon.

You can visit the home page of Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about the best in children's books direct to you. Working with authors and illustrators in school book events and supporting literacy projects in a community nearby.

Amazon link for Anthony Browne

Amazon link for Willy the Wimp

Amazon link for Gorilla


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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MA3 Illustrators in conversation and a woolly armadillo, that took central stage!

Jackie Morris, Petr Horacek and Jan Fearnley were talking about their illustrations at the Federation of Children's Book Groups conference.

Then out of Jan's bag appeared not a canvas with the latest drawing but a woolly armadillo called Milo. Brightly coloured in a stripy outfit he was the answer to Jan's problems . Find out more about Jan's books, a very successful author and illustrator.

SGPetr's, Suzy Goose, just wants to be different to all the other ducks. On her adventures she finds herself in front of a very scary lion.

There's a fantastic video on Petr's website that's well worth a look. Plus his other books, like Elephant,who went inside. Petr started out in Prague,working in communist Czechoslovakia and also studying at the Academy of Fine Art, that was until the revolution and student strike!

SLJackie Morris, with her amazingly beautiful illustrations and huge range of books, both illustrated and written. The Snow Leopard, published by Frances Lincoln and The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems, published by Barefoot Books are two of our favourites. Her web site is full of interest,things to buy and blogs to read!

I love the shots of her studio and the walks by the sea. It makes me feel better about having lots of stuff around me, helps with the creativity, or at least that's my excuse.

Milo Armadillo - Amazon Link

Silly Suzy Goose - Amazon link

Elephant - Amazon link

The Snow Leopard - Amazon link

Barefoot Book of Classic Poems - Amazon link

You can visit our home page of Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about the best in children's books direct to you. Working with authors and illustrators in schools and book events.


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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knifePatrick Ness, author of 'The Knife of Never Letting Go' was talking with Nikki Gamble at the Annual Conference of Federation of Children's Book Groups, 3 - 5 April 2009.

The Knife of Never Letting Go Amazon link.

Fantastically good to listen to, and a real empathy with teenagers. He made us all think! The issue of moral dilemmas vs. a real need to do something maybe you shouldn't. The main character in the book, Todd, who struggles with himself over whether or not he can use his knife," a big ratchety one with the bone handle and the serrated edge that cuts into practically everything in the world".

Some of the questions that came up on the day got everybody thinking.

Is evil something you are or something you do?

Should you always, ultimately be on the right side and can the actions be justified?

They speak the same language but why don't they talk the same?

How loud is the world ?

The Knife of Never Letting Go, published by Walker Books is the first book in a trilogy, called Chaos Walking.

askThe second book, The Ask and the Answer is due to be published in May 2009.

This was Patrick's first novel for teenagers and it won the Guardian Children's fiction prize in 2008. An exciting read, based around the whole idea that the world is full of noise and gets even noisier when thoughts are heard and nowhere remains silent.

The Ask and the Answer Amazon link.

You can visit our home page at Dolphin Booksellers. Bringing information about the best in children's books direct to you.


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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ifeomamainpicIfeoma Onyefulu is more than just a children's writer. Her books show the colour and vibrance of Africa just as it is, a wealth of culture and life that produce riches all of their own.

The books are made using high quality photographs which Ifeoma has taken on her travels across the continent. She has a real flair for spotting the things that make life meaningful and for some beautiful images of people and children. If anyone can make you smile Ifeoma can.

She has recently won the Children's Africana Book Award (in the USA) for her book called Ikenna Goes to Nigeria. (Amazon link).  In November, last year she went to the ceremony in Chicago to receive her award.

A isOther titles she has written are A is for Africa, which is a complete alphabet of places in Africa. (Amazon link). The Big Book version is a brilliant book to have. We have used it in our homes for children just to look at, they love the size!  It's also great as a coffee table book.

Then there's Chidi Only Likes Blue. My favourite! (Amazon link). Beautiful pictures and a lovely story, but I 'll let you read it to find out. Other titles include, One Big Family, (Amazon link), Ebele's Favourite, (Amazon link), plus many more, published by Frances Lincoln.

We first met Ifeoma, when she came as a writer to our author and book event, LeytonStories. Ifeo At a Children's Centre opening, where we were holding a City Story event.  Ifeoma was famously doing some games with the children on the floor. Ed Balls,  Secretary of State for Children and Families was opening the Centre and he joined in too, as well as the head teacher.

Ifeoma is always pleased to go to schools and meet with the children and can be contacted through her web site. You can buy her books direct from Ifeoma's web site or from the Dolphin Booksellers Amazon links. Her books will give your ideas on Africa a whole new meaning! To view the Dolphin Booksellers home page click here.


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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T4037What Mr Darwin Saw, by Mick Manning and Brita Granstorm is a beautiful new book. (Amazon link) It has given us an insight into a man who gave a new understanding to evolution and was also a great family man. (Amazon link)

It is published by Frances Lincoln in association with the Natural History Museum, to mark the centenary of Charles Darwin was born in 1809.

He became one of the world's greatest scientists. His theory of evolution radically changed the view of how people saw the world and themselves.

He married Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and they had ten children. Three of the children died but it was Francis, born in 1848,who became a plant physiologist and carried on much of Darwin's work.

05-24 tinyTheir family home was in Downe, Kent and he planted a 'thinking path' called The Sandwalk, which he walked round and round every day, when he was at home. He meticulously noted the changes in the plant life on a daily basis.

He is most famous for his work on The Evolution of Species and his epic five year voyage on the HMS Beagle around the world . Both in the Galapagos islands and at every place in which they stayed, including South America, he collected vast amounts of data and specimens.
Darwin spent a huge amount of time on the details of his work. It's easy to assume that his discovery was made simply, and using only the information found on the Galapagos Islands. But there is much more to Charles Darwin.

Did you know:
He wrote 25 books in total as well as numerous articles.
He spent a long time and wrote at length on 'The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Actions of Worms. (Amazon link)
He wrote two monographs on Barnacles (Amazon link)
At school he was a slow learner and was taken out of school for being lazy and getting poor grades.
He was a great family man.

There's lots of information available about Darwin and his work, like so many great people his dedication to his work and his mesmeric aptitude for detail has given an insight and understanding that has shaped our understanding of the world.

You can visit our home page at /www.dolphinbooksellers.co.uk/


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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T3042Stump the white horse, bedraggled and forlorn has a stump in the middle of his forehead. It takes Danni to recognise that he is more than just a horse. Amazon link.

Danni is new to this country, he has made it over here, a terrible journey, which he can only remember with pain. His family are left far behind, the ways that he knew are not a part of the world he finds himself in. In the city, there are no wide open spaces to play, no freedom to run and, it seems no places to hide.

Being picked on by the class bullies is not what Danni wants at all. But then he finds Stump or as he re-names this special horse, Moonlight.  A friend and a friend in need.

But Danni is just a bit too late....

A wonderful ending with lots of sadness and promise, but you will need to read it to find out.

A great book for children of any age from about 7-11 years.

Michaela Morgan has written lots of really good books, she writes for a number of publishers, including Frances Lincoln and Barrington Stoke.

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Try 'Respect' also by Michaela. Amazon Link

Michaela joined us at LeytonStories at Newport Primary School in East London. We had some great workshops and terrific questions from the year 6 students.

Visit our home page at Dolphin Booksellers.  Lots of information and you can buy books too.


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.